Author Archives: Ann Carranza

White-crowned sparrow

The white-crowned sparrow male emitted a sharp call over and over as he perched on the top of a corn stalk.  I couldn’t figure out what was disturbing him, although my neighbor was cutting his grass, so I though that might be it.  These sparrows spend a lot of time on the ground, so I [...]

Rain-battered plants, finches, feeders, and other stuff.

Today’s air wafts the softness of the after-rain. The world is washed clean and every parched plant and tree has been replenished with streams of quenching water.  While the tomatillo, tomato, and squash plants are a little worse for wear in their shaggy autumn wardrobes, the Swiss chard has taken on a new life.  Even [...]

Reaping and sowing

We’re, of course because we’re in California, still reaping the vegetable and fruit harvest of the season, as we ready to plant for the fall/winter/spring harvests.  We have tens of pounds of tomatoes still to pick, pasilla and serrano chiles, bountiful bell peppers, copious cucumbers and squash.  We also still have fruitful figs on the [...]

Vaya con Dios, Carlotta; Bienvenidos Facundo.

Well, Carlotta was (yes, was) female.  She placed her egg sac on the cactus pad and, after attaching it with the fine filaments of her silk, she left.  We haven’t found her body and we haven’t found her.  Further reading indicates that her life’s work is done after reproduction, and that her time here has [...]