OK, don't laugh!

I'm sure you thought you'd heard everything by now, but you already know I'm one of a kind. Unique in all the world. Not better, just different. Well, this toilet paper shortage brought out the creative side of me. My homemade mask didn't work so well (see previous post), but my homemade toiler paper works great!

You see I have never been able to throw away discarded cotton fabric. Has to be good for something. The trouble was, I accumulated a 10-lifetime supply. That is until Covid-19 caused toilet paper hoarding syndrome.

Apparently some ignorant person posted on social media that all our toilet paper was made in China (it's not) and therefore a shortage was looming on the horizon.

Anyway, out came my rag tub. I cut a bunch of squares. Use one, then discard into the waste basket. I don't flush them, of course.  So I'm good to go. (No pun intended. Well, maybe.)

I still have enough rags to cut up to last for many more months. The above didn't even make a dent.

Other than that, just a boring day in town doing housework and cooking.

Pandemic thoughts

It's hard to think of anything else these days. All birder visits and groups have canceled, so I thought I'd share my thought about COVID-19 one time, but as more is learned I'm sure my theories will change.

Past: I think the virus is more than just a non-living protein of RNA. I think it's the most primitive life form, before DNA. Probably something not yet recognized by science today as "life." Yet it depends on things that are alive in order to reproduce, so can't pre-date life. Way above my ability to understand. It's like, which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Present: I think as a respiratory virus it has to be inhaled to infect us and the more of it we inhale, the worse the infection. It'll be here forever and our fear of it is more the fear of the unknown and of overwhelming the health care system if we all get it at once. And not yet having a good treatment. (So far fewer deaths have resulted worldwide from COVID-19 than we have each year in the US from any of the leading causes.)

Number of deaths in the US for leading causes of death:

• Heart disease: 647,457
• Cancer: 599,108
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 169,936
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 160,201
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 146,383
• Alzheimer’s disease: 121,404
• Diabetes: 83,564
• Influenza and Pneumonia: 55,672
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis: 50,633
• Intentional self-harm (suicide): 47,173

 I think it is a mistake to tell people masks don't help. The government should have gotten thousands of people sewing mask a long time ago. If masks cause a person to inhale less of the virus, deaths could be prevented. Masks could remind people to keep their distance. At worst, they can't do harm. Don't you just naturally stay farther away from someone if they're wearing a mask? I put a dust mask inside my homemade 3-fabric layered mask, but some people use HEPA filters, or even coffee filters.

Future: Once more is known about the virus, and we can better treat it, it'll recede from our consciousness like other viruses pretty much do. But life will never go back to exactly how it was before.  Which is probably a good thing. I hope wildlife is enjoying this respite from human activity.

Oasis update: Things are greening up wonderfully. Quite a bit blooming. Huisache in the house courtyard is heavenly to the nose, and Lucifers nearby add joy for the eyes. Almost sensory overload. Wish I could share it with you all. I snapped these two photos as I was looking back one last time, reluctantly leaving for town, already missing the place.

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UPDATE: I wore my mask to the grocery store today (Mar 31) during senior hour and it caused my face to itch horribly and nose run. I even ended up sneezing. Don't think I can go through that again.

Oasis watering day

It seems really weird for there to be no birders here this time of year. Sad times for sure. I don't understand why they keep Big Bend National Park open, yet don't allow visitors to spend the night in the area. That's crazy. It's too far a drive to not spend the night. They should just close the park.

I tallied two pair of Elf Owls this evening but don't think the female has selected her nest cavity yet.

Having a fair number of blooms and butterflies. Only one ode species so far, a Familiar Bluet damselfly.

Here's a common species at the oasis, Northern Cloudywing (on Glandularia wrightii).

Another lovely flower, Baby Curls (Phacelia congesta)

Another Alpine day

Stuck in town. Life has really slowed down, but I can't complain as long as I stay healthy. If I don't get fat it won't be my fault.

The poor apricot tree is doing its best to recover as quickly as possible.

I need to go to the oasis in a day or two and water again. Hoping that birders will be able to visit during peak migration in a month. Currently all birders have had to cancel their visits.

Trying to stay positive

All winter the oasis looked so dead that it was hard to believe it would ever look lush again. So it was nice to see things starting to green up. I need to spend more time down there watering these days. The temperatures are getting into the 90s so the roots of the trees are vulnerable to the hot ground until the canopy fills out. I hope to water again in a few days. Meanwhile, this morning I worked in the stucco tank until I was exhausted.

Tough times

It's hard to stay upbeat these days. Even though 9/11 didn't personally affect every American, it changed all of our lives forever. So will this pandemic, which does affect each and every one of us.

This morning I came to the oasis to service feeders and water trees. It's hot and dry here. Quite a few butterflies and blooms. The pond-weed is trying to make a comeback. Hope this is the year it'll get well established. Maybe then the Mexican Amberwings will return. So far haven't seen an ode this year.

A Ladder-backed Woodpecker enlarged the new hole in the new agave, but it's not deep yet. I don't think. Too high up to see inside.

Speaking of Ladder-backeds, I observed one drinking from a hummingbird feeder this morning. Between the two woodpecker species here, the feeders are hopelessly covered with bees. 

Usually coming to the oasis recharges my batteries, Today it seemed like it wasn't, but finally toward dark, after I finished watering trees, my spirits lifted a bit. Tomorrow I'm going to start patching the stucco tank.

Birding groups have canceled their visits to the oasis, which is the wise thing to do, of course, but I'll be glad when life gets back to normal. We all will, I know.

My Alpine world

Staying as isolated as possible while here in town. At least we have a big yard to enjoy, and the weather is lovely.

Monarch butterfly

The apricot tree that bloomed too early, then broke off after my husband left the sprinkler on it all night, is now sprouting new branches. Poor thing! Eventually it'll make a nice tree and we won't sprinkle it ever again.

And here's the new Tilton Apricot tree we bought online. Shouldn't bloom too early.

This is the first year in many where we didn't have to cover the tomatoes due to late frosts. They're very happy.... so far.

Lots of Bluebonnets are starting to bloom around the yard.

My son owns the Triangle Market here in town so I'm good to go (no pun intended) during this pandemic.

Tree Tobacco

At least half of the Tree Tobacco I planted last spring around the tank is still alive and doing fine. I had expected last year's seeds to come up all over but so far hasn't happened. Maybe the summer rains will sprout them. Tree Tobacco seems to be very susceptible to fungus, or something, so I'm pleased that I have what I have. Now it's up to nature.

Oasis flower and butterfly activity improving

The Mexican Redbud tree is in full bloom.

I like native pollinators. Here's one on Littleleaf Sumac that's starting to bloom all over the oasis.

Littleleaf Sumac attracts butterflies too. Here's a  Great Purple Hairstreak on it.

Feeling good!

I'm so glad to have the road work finished. At least as good as it can be without paving it. And it's nice for birders to have the back-road experience without risk to vehicles. Hopefully, it'll hold up for a long time with little touching up.

Couldn't work the top of the big hill because it would leave it rubble-covered with no traction. Better be rough and people make it up than to not get traction. We had enough trouble on the less steep lower part of the hill after the work was done. It'll soon pack in with rain and traffic and be fine, of course.

Lighter part on top is the same as it was

Some places neither the dozer nor my rake could do much with, but at least we got rid of the high center for low clearance vehicles.

Some of you may remember how rough this slope was right up against the fence. Hoping it will never get as bad as it was before. There is still rough bedrock underneath the dirt, but he removed a bunch of it, so hoping that, and a few other similar places, will wear better now. Slopes are always the issue. Flat spots never have a problem. Between spinning tires and monsoonal runoff, the slopes wear the worst.

I'm none the worse for wear myself. A blister on the inside of my thumb is the only residual effect that I can tell. It's good to know that I can still do it.  Sitting in town all winter always sets me back. I'm not deluded enough to think I can climb my mountain or anything, but at least I can still do some maintenance. Patching tank is next on the list.

Still alive here

I only got in 3 hours of raking today. Still not recovered from yesterday I guess. My road manicuring standards have seriously deteriorated.

Birders today that had been here before said it was improved. They had a little trouble with getting traction on uphill slopes. Fortunately, I had kept the dozer off the steepest part of the big hill for that very reason. So the birders did make it up. The other areas are all powder now but as soon as it rains it'll pack in and be fine. Chance of rain this coming week.

Gonna do the best I'm able on the road in the morning and then quit. Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Then during the next month I need to focus on patching the stucco tank. That's always an annual thing. I don't see any holes, but in places where the coating is peeling off, it needs to be repainted with Drylok. No hurry as we shouldn't get a monsoon for months yet.

None of my attempts at keeping bees off feeders has worked so far. My last option it to fill a big heavy feeder that maybe the woodpecker can't tilt.

Orange tree in the house is in full bloom, filling the house with its heavenly aroma.

Pushed beyond the limit

The dozer work today went well, but my road is mostly rocks so has to be raked to be acceptable. Also the cleats on the dozer left it like a washboard to drive on even where I had no work done. So I raked until I couldn't. I had six spots of the road worked on and was determined to finish raking one of them today. Was close to making it, even though ready to collapse, when I got a terrible pain, like a Charley-horse in my left shoulder. Couldn't move after that. Came to the house at 7 PM and took ibuprofen. If I don't move, the pain is now bearable. Gonna turn in early tonight.

It's so wonderful to finally have someone to do road work. After my late husband passed away I didn't have anyone. Then I married my current husband, who lives in Alpine, and he got a little bobcat that he would occasionally be persuaded to bring down and do some work. But it was very contentious. He never could get anyone to work on it so sold it. 

Brian Kline lives locally and can do whatever I need done, so I'm a happy camper... once I get it raked. While digging out some large boulders a pin holding the blade came out. Brian cheerfully hammered it back in with a rock.

A killer day

I wore myself totally out watering trees this morning and hadn't heard from the road contractor. So after lunch, as bad as I needed a nap, I forced myself to pack up and go to town. My husband was chomping at the bit without me there for one day.

No sooner did I get unpacked in town than I got a text from the contractor that he's coming tomorrow to do the work. He even brought his dozer over this evening. So I packed up again and came back to the oasis. I don't like to drive at night, but I did. Tomorrow will be a killer day, picking up rocks and raking the road, but I'll be so glad to get it improved.

While I was watering this morning I was combating bees at the feeders. Had a pretty intense reaction to yesterday's sting too. Pain and swelling, then bad itching today. Never had that before.

Anyway, I tried various things hoping to deter the woodpecker. I hung a fat-reservoir feeder and cut off the perches so it couldn't sit on the feeder. It tried though because when I went back 30 minutes later it was covered with bees. I'll just have to see if it gives up or what.

I found some cheap feeders someone had given me that have tiny bases. No woodpecker could sit on it but don't know if bees will bother it or not. We'll see. It' has a pretty deep base so that should be good. It's cheap thin plastic and won't hold up long, but may last long enough for the woodpecker to move on. A work in progress. I'm falling asleep here so have to get to bed. Road work pictures tomorrow.

What's NOT happening at CMO

Got down here this morning to bee-covered feeders. The woodpecker is NOT leaving. I got stung while taking down a bee-laden feeder.

Also NOT happening is the roadwork. The contractor finally answered my texts and said maybe Thursday or Friday. So my hopes are up once again.

The cottonwood tree is covered with bees but that's NOT bothering me. It normally is as it starts leafing out.

The Mexican Redbud is starting to bloom too.

NOT happening is a nesting hole in the new agave stalk. Elf Owls are arriving this week. Neighbors to the south heard one last night. However, if the Ladder-backed Woodpeckers hurry they can still make it happen. The females are likely NOT arriving until next week and the woodpeckers can make a cavity quickly once they set their bills to it.

Saw my first Henry's Elfin of the year today, although NOT on the redbud tree where I expected to see it.

I realize how special the oasis is when I read how traffic-jammed the park is. Here I am, sitting in peace and quiet, watching Lucifer Hummingbirds.

UPDATE: Heard an Elf Owl at the oasis this evening.

Ordinary Alpine day

The apple tree seems to have more blooms than ever before.

I photographed this raptor that I assume is a Cooper's Hawk, but I'm not good at IDing raptors.

Tomato time

Last year for some unknown reason our tomatoes didn't thrive. By midsummer they were all dead. Hopefully, they'll do better this year, because I killed myself planting them.

Here's a photo a visitor took at the oasis a few days ago. That darn woodpecker!

Stuck in town

I'm optimistic that the roadwork will get scheduled in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, here are a couple of butterfly photos I took yesterday at the oasis. I'm up to six species for the year so far, but it should increase rapidly now that winter is over.

Eastern Black Swallowtail

AZ Powdered-Skipper on Slimleaf Plains Mustard

A little stressed

I worked hard the last two days so gave myself the morning off before having to head to town. Now I'm behind and to make it worse, we set the clocks forward in the morning so I'll lose an hour there.

I'm trying to be real cautious about viruses what with the corona virus on the rampage. But it's difficult. No matter how careful I am out in public, if I come home and my husband hasn't been careful, then everything he touches could be contaminated. I'll try anyway. Probably by the time I decide to quarantine myself at the oasis, it'll be too late. I just worry because I have enough trouble breathing as it is, without a virus attacking my lungs. In December I nearly ended up in the hospital with bronchitis from the flu B. So there's that.

Yesterday I ate my second, and last, orange from my tree.

And after I watered everything, I further killed myself digging out a bush so the little Arizona Cypress tree that volunteered to grow there could do better. I didn't get out the taproot so it'll probably be an ongoing challenge. Here are before and after shots.

This morning was lovely. I sat by the big tank taking photos. None turned out very good. Probably because it's such a long distance across the tank. There were four Gadwalls on the tank, but they flushed when I hung around.

I was glad to see a Lucifer Hummingbird male set up his feeding territory near the tank. That means when ocotillo are blooming and Lucifers are scarce at the feeders people needing it for their life list can get it there.

Remember those hexagonal tiles I bought for the rock tank? A bunch of them leak and sink to the bottom. When I remove them from the water the tiles don't leak the water back out to where I can find the leak and patch it. I'll drain the tank soon and see what I can do about the problem. I'd say at least three dozen have sunk to the bottom and a couple dozen more on their way to sinking. Always something. As expensive as they are you'd think they could make them waterproof.

And I'm stressing about the upcoming roadwork. I know it'll be really stressful, but so great once it's done.