Category Archives: Animals in the U.S.

Lizards Here and There

16 Monday May 2011

Posted by in Animals in Italy, Animals in the U.S., Arizona, Uncategorized

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Here in Italy we live with the sweetest and shyest little lizards, called ‘lucertole‘ (prounounced loo-chair’-toe-lay).  In fact, I just took one from our interior stairs and released him outside.  They look like this:


Of course in America everything must be Bigger – including the lizards.  These fellows, called chuckwallas, live in the rock pile outside our house in Arizona. They are absent in the winter, sleeping in their stony nests, but in the spring they come out to bask in the sun and engage in other typical spring behavior.


A poor photo, but the only one that shows rusty back patch


In all fairness, we see plenty of smaller lizards in Arizona, as well, most of them a dull brown and moving so fast it is impossible to get a photograph.  And, according to Wikipedia, most of the lizards are cousins to one another and share many traits. Like the lucertole, the chuckwallas are very shy and don’t let us get close with a camera.

The chuckwalla’s tail looks like we should be able to count the rings on it to determine his age, but I don’t think that’s true.  It also looks like it should unscrew and come off; it probably does come off, though we’ve never seen that.  The little lucertole frequently do lose their tails  It’s part of a defense mechanism when they are attacked by predators.  They can sharply contract a muscle which detaches the tail without loss of blood.  The predator thinks the still twitching tail is the animal; the lucertola stays very still until the predator has left with the tail.  The tail stops twitching after a time, but by then the rest of the lucertola has run away.  Every summer we have a whole sub-family of lucertole living around the house that are nick-named Stumpy.  Their tails do grow back, but never completely, which tends to leave them with an unfinished look.

There’s something about seeing a lizard, so prehistoric, timeless and ancient in appearance, that makes us feel humble, and maybe even a little smaller than the animals we are watching.

Tenth Tee Apricot Bars

18 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by in American recipes, Animals in the U.S., Golf, Uncategorized

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I took up golf this winter.  I’m not proud of it, but I did it.  It seemed like a good way to spend time with the Captain who engages in this foolish and impossibly difficult sport five or six times a week.  I’ve always scoffed at all things golf, from the size of the ball to the costumes of the participants.  But it has turned out to be far more challenging than I ever imagined.  And irritating. And, sometimes, exhilarating.

We joined a club not too far from here, one of a mere 250 such in the greater Phoenix area.  It has two stand-out characteristics.  One is the view of Red Mountain that one gets from various angles at different parts of the course.

The Captain with Red Mountain in the distance

The other is the population of Peach-Faced Love Birds.

Peach-faced lovebirds at a course-side feeder

The birds are native to two places on earth: West Africa and East Mesa, Arizona.  They look like parakeets and make a constant twittery racket.  They have the adorable habit of sitting next to each other and leaning in, very lovey-dovey.  There are hundreds of them twittering and tweeting all through the golf course.  No, not THAT kind of twitter and tweet…

Part of our golf routine is the Snack that takes place on the tenth tee (for me and others) and the eleventh fairway (for the Captain).  This is always something home baked, and recently it has been these delicious oatmeal bars.  I found the recipe at   allrecipes.com, but have made some alterations.  Our stalwart 2:00 p.m. Canadian golf pal (he’s got the same kind of membership we have that allows for afternoon play) is quite fond of them, I think.  So Bob, this recipe’s for you.

Scorpio Rising

05 Saturday Mar 2011

Posted by in Animals in the U.S., Arizona, Desert, Italy, Liguria, Rapallo

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Up my pant leg, that is…

Mother scorpion and babies, courtesy of phoenix.about.com

I went out to the garage to get something, and after a few minutes back in the house I felt a sharp sting – the unmistakable feeling of something small defending its territory in my trousers.  Ouch!

Pants quickly off and shaken, a teeny sandy, orangey scorpion trembled, terrified in the pile of the carpet.  It was literally a half inch long, or less.  Which is lucky for me.  There are many varieties of scorpion inhabiting the southwestern desert.  The Arizona Bark Scorpion, seen above, is venomous and can, in certain individuals, cause seizures.  My little guy was either a baby or an altogether different species; we didn’t keep him around long enough to ask him.  My heroic Captain whisked him away on a paper towel and set him free outside, where he belongs.  The sting site got a little red, a little puffy, and was off and on sore for the rest of the night, but by the next morning I had forgotten I’d been stung.

photo courtesy of dimackey.com

There are scorpions in Italy as well.  We frequently find small black ones in various parts of the house.  Sometimes they are dead and dessicated, sometimes they are quite lively.  For well over a year a little fellow lived under the baseboard next to Luciano‘s supper dish; we assume he came out at night to scarf down kitty scraps.  During the day he hid in the safety of his baseboard with only his larger claw partly visible, like a child who thinks he’s hiding because he can’t see you.  We got pretty fond of Blackie, especially after we checked with the vet and learned that in the off chance that he stung Luciano, there would not be any major trouble.  Little Blackie stayed with us even after Luciano was gone, and in memory of our funny cat I sometimes put down a crumb of something for his baseboard buddy to eat.  Then we had an infestation of ants, as sometimes happens in spring.  Without thinking we spread poison along the ant trail which happened to lead along Blackie’s baseboard.  That was the end of him.  We felt pretty bad about that.

So, are scorpions dangerous?  Clearly the Arizona Bark Scorpion can be, though Dr. Trisha McNair reports that of the 1,400 scorpion species worldwide, only about 25 have venom that can kill a person.  European scorpions in general are a nuisance at worst, their sting being like that of a bee or wasp.  There’s more on scorpions here from Dr. McNair.  But toxic or not, I can tell you from experience you don’t really want them crawling around in your pants!

Full Nest

27 Saturday Mar 2010

Posted by in Animals in the U.S., Desert

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We last met the goofy roadrunner in this post about desert camouflage.  When does a roadrunner stop being goofy?  When it’s a female sitting on her nest; then a roadrunner becomes sweet and vulnerable (for probably the only time in her life).  She remains, however, well camouflaged.

These photos are thanks to the Captain, who has the eaglest of eyes.  He heard a cardinal singing, and when he looked for it his eye fell on the roadrunner in her nest, well and truly hidden in a protective cactus.

Still difficult to see, isn’t she?  It’s hard to imagine being a baby anything and having to find your way out of such a prickly nest; on the other hand, no doubt those nasty spines will keep predators from the sitting bird and the new hatchlings when they arrive.

Picture Rocks Fire Department Rocks!

28 Sunday Feb 2010

Posted by in American habits and customs, Animals in the U.S., Arizona, Italian women, Uncategorized

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Our friends Elena and Michela, sisters, arrived from Italy for a visit a couple of weeks ago.  It was their first ever plane ride and, obviously, their first visit to the USA.  We ran ourselves ragged seeing the sights the Phoenix-Tucson area offers, and each day I asked them what had impressed/amused/irritated them the most.

The answers were pretty much the same each day – everything is bigger here than in Italy (cars, roads, even the host at communion); everything is so clean. Elena was fascinated by the Adopt-a-Highway program, something which does not (yet) exist in Italy.

But the thing that amazed them the most, over and over, was how friendly and welcoming people here are.  (Interestingly, when we moved to Italy we were struck by how very welcoming people there were to us.)   Elena and Michela both enjoy meeting new people in new situations.  Michela has a special gift for drawing people out.  Her secret?  She just walks up to people and starts speaking to them in Italian; they are completely charmed.  Then it’s my turn to insinuate myself as translator, and before you know it, we all have some new friends.

Nowhere was this better illustrated than in Picture Rocks, north of Tucson.  The famous Mrs. Harris took Elena, Michela and me to the fascinating and beautiful Arizona-Senora Desert Museum.  If you’re ever in Arizona this is so worth a visit –  you can learn about all the Sonora Desert plants and see all the animals that are residents, including (among many others) the Harris Hawk

and the dozy mountain lion.

But the really exciting part of the day happened as we were on our way home.  A big red fire engine pulled in to the gas station where we stopped to tank up.  As Michela is an avid amateur photographer, Mrs. H marched up to the firemen and asked if it would be alright if Michela photographed the truck.

Of course! was the answer.  They couldn’t have been nicer.  They opened up all the doors and secret compartments of the engine so she could photograph them, and explained what all the different tools were and how they are used.  Then they got permission from the Fire Chief to give Michela a ride to the fire station in the truck.

(Not the best picture ever taken of Michela, but one that shows her glee.)

Back at the fire station the kindness escalated.  We were all given Fire Department tee shirts – deep blue, my color!  Then they found a helmet for Michela to try on, and before we knew it, she was all kitted out in complete fire-fighting regalia.

We were given a tour of the whole building – including the kitchen where the smell of cooking brisket got our appetites revved up.

Some of the firemen who weren’t present at the moment were summoned, and we took pictures of the whole  group in front of the beautiful fire engine.

They showed us the small plastic name tags that they each have attached to the inside of their helmets with velcro.  Anyone who goes into a burning building removes his name tag and leaves it with those remaining outside.  That way, as one of the firemen told us, “they’ll know whose mother to call.”  It was a reminder that much of their work is hot, dirty, hard, dangerous and unhappy.  They each removed their name tags and velcroed them to a strip of cloth for Michela to take back to Italy, a symbol of a new friendship – it was a real hands across the ocean moment.

Picture Rocks Fire Department employs about 64 people, men and women, and covers an area of about 64 square miles.  They are very likely to be called out numerous times daily, because in addition to fighting fires, they are the emergency response team.

All in all we spent about an hour and a half at the fire station – it was the highlight of the sisters’ visit to Arizona, and certainly one of the most interesting and moving experiences I’ve ever had here. Every member of the team was generous and kind to us, for no reason other than that that’s how they are. It was humbling.

And oh yeah – they gave Michela the helmet to take home, too – a real helmet that had been damaged and can no longer be used.  Our friends left on Thursday evening, and they had an interesting time packing around that helmet.  But they, and the helmet, have arrived safely back in Rapallo with some memories which we hope they will never forget; we know we won’t.

Here are a few more photos from our visit to the Picture Rocks Fire Department which, I have to imagine, is the best Fire Department in the world.

Fire Chief: Kathy Duff-Stewart - 27 years service with the department!

Fire Chief Kathy Duff-Stewart, 27 years service with the department!

Hiking Dogs

02 Tuesday Feb 2010

Posted by in Animals in the U.S., Dogs, Hiking in Arizona, Photographs, Uncategorized

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Lucy

It’s great fun to see dogs out hiking the Arizona trails with their people friends.  Whether large or small, one thing they all have in common is a great big doggy smile; they all seem to love being out in the desert.

Most of the dogs we meet are family pets and have the usual background story. Every now and then, though, we meet a special dog, like Josie.

Josie

Evidently there are packs of dogs roaming wild in the parks.  They have either gotten lost or have been taken to the desert and abandoned by people who no longer want them.  It is natural for dogs to form packs, and that’s what these solitary dogs do.  Josie had been a pack dog, but had been injured, become infected, and was near death when a ranger came upon her and carried her out.  Her owner, a friend of the ranger, quickly volunteered to adopt Josie.  Friendly and affectionate, it seems that Josie knows what a lucky dog she is.  “She’s the best dog I’ve ever known,” says her owner, who feels pretty lucky too.

Sometimes we see pack dogs of a different type, and these I don’t photograph.  These dogs ride in a pack on their owners’ backs or chests.  Somehow, cute as they are, they just don’t belong in a group called “Hiking Dogs.”

I began photographing dogs on the trail a year or so ago, and at the beginning I didn’t keep track of where we were or what the dogs’ names were.  I’ve tried to be more careful about that recently, but sadly, some of the dogs I’ve captured are unidentified. Here’s a web album where you will find some more portraits of hiking dogs – select ‘slide show’, F11 for full screen (I’ll continue adding photos as I take them on future hikes, so check back again sometime).

Most of the people we encounter with their pets are delighted to be photographed, and almost to a one they tell their dogs, “You’re going to be famous!” when I explain the project is for a blog. Well, the dogs will never know that’s not true, will they!

Sage

Desert Camo

28 Thursday Jan 2010

Posted by in Animals in the U.S., Desert, Uncategorized

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Desert walks and hikes are always a joy, but I’ve always been surprised by how few animals we see when we’re out in the wild. For sure we can count on the gila woodpeckers and the cactus wren, but what about the larger and more exotic animals?

I have yet to see a bobcat, though I know they’re all over. The only javelina I’ve seen have been at a golf course, of all places. I would think I was in heaven if I caught a glimpse of a mountain lion, but as they can want as much as 200 square miles of territory, that’s unlikely to happen. Even the ubiquitous coyotes are far more visible in our neighborhood than out in the desert.

Why? Today the answer suddenly occurred to me – it’s not that the animals aren’t there, probably; it’s that we just don’t see them. They are masters of camouflage. What brought this to my attention was watching a roadrunner approach our house today. Here’s what he looks like:

Can’t see him? Don’t feel bad, I couldn’t either when I first looked at the picture. Maybe this will help:

It’s still hard to make out what this jokester looks like. Here’s another shot of him taken when he crossed the road. (Why did he cross the road, you ask? But you already know the answer!)

Amusing as they are in appearance, roadrunners are actually not very nice birds. They’re carnivores, and are quick enough to eat rattlesnakes (I’d love to see that show – but then, I’m still waiting to see a rattle snake in the desert, or a roadrunner in the desert, for that matter). What they do to their unwanted runt hatchlings is not a fit topic for a general interest blog.

So maybe it’s not that the animals aren’t there – it’s just that I’m not clever enough to see them.  For me it’s too bad they wear cloaks of invisibility; but for them it’s probably for the best.

Big America

21 Thursday Jan 2010

Posted by in Animals in the U.S., Dogs, Uncategorized

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You’re probably sick and tired of hearing me talk about how big everything is in the U.S. compared to Italy. Well, it’s not just houses, cars and people. Meet George, a four-year old blue Great Dane with aspirations to become the Guinness Book of World Records title holder for World’s Tallest Dog. I think he’s got a good chance.  He’s even from Arizona!

Photo Courtesy Mail Online

George and Diane Nasser from Tucson knew that their 7-week-old Great Dane puppy would grow up to be a big dog, but according to news sources, they had No Idea just how big he would become. Here are a few of his stats: 7’3″ long from nose to tail tip; 42.625″ tall at the shoulder; weight 245 pounds. That’s a lotta pooch, with an appetite to match. George eats 110 pounds of dog food every month. You can learn more about this enormous canine here.

Photo Courtesy Daily Mail

The U.S.A.: Home of the Brave? Maybe – I hope so! – but definitely Home of the Big.

Bird Watching

10 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in Animals in Italy, Animals in the U.S., Birds in Italy, Uncategorized

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One of the great pleasures of being here in Arizona is putting up a bird feeder and watching the wild birds who come to visit.  This is not something we have seen done in Italy, and it seems a pity, because it is both interesting and amusing. Not that Italians aren’t bird fanciers (leaving out for the time being all the recipes for songbirds) – we have seen homing pigeons flying near our house, and many houses have a cages with parakeets, canaries, and others of that exotic ilk. In fact there is a pet store right in the center of the Rapallo; every fine day they put out cages of little birds which twitter and sing like mad, poor things. But the coaxing to the home of wild birds does not seem to have yet appealed to the Italian householder, at least not in Rapallo.

Of course this being America, bird-watching has become big business.  There are whole stores dedicated to the feeding and watching of birds (Wild Birds Unlimited, Bird Watcher Supply Company, Duncraft, and a zillion local stores).  In a similar, but less commercial vein, the National Audubon Society is dedicated to the preservation of wild birds and, by extension, their habitat. We buy bird seed in 50-pound sacks, usually black oil sunflower seed, because it appeals to so many different kinds of birds.

We have hung one small feeder from an ironwood tree off our deck, and have a small ‘bath’ from which the birds can drink.  The house finches, our most frequent guests, arrive in the greatest numbers, and they are terribly piggy.  We limit the birds to one feeder-full of seed a day, and it has usually been consumed within an hour of our putting it out, most all of it by the finches.

Second in number are the raucous gila woodpeckers.  They announce their arrival with a piercing call that is something between a caw and a woody-woodpecker laugh, accompanied by a great deal of head-bobbing.  After all that effort they extract one seed from the feeder and fly off to peck it open.  They are also extremely partial to the one other feeder we have installed: a hummingbird feeder, which is filled with sugar water (1 to 4 dilution).

Other birds we see frequently at the feeder include the curved bill thrasher, a lovely, shyer bird; and the cactus wren, which is Arizona’s state bird.

Eighteen species of hummingbirds call Arizona home, and happily some of them visit our nectar feeder every day.  They are a lot feistier than their diminutive size would suggest. They offer amazing exhibitions of aggressive battle flights as they try to lay claim to the big red ‘flower’ that never quits.

Because they are so greedy, the finches tend to be careless in their eating habits – they spray seed all over the place, most of which ends up on the ground under the feeder.  This is good news for the doves and Gambel’s quail who scrabble around in the dirt and eat all the spillage.

It’s hard to understand how there can be a Gambel’s quail left in the world – though it doesn’t show in the photo above, the male has a bullseye on his chest.  They all have a very funny little plume that jerks up and down as they run (they never walk).

Every now and then inviting birds to share your space can lead to unintended consequences.  The first year we came here we put up a Christmas tree, and, because it was very warm, we left the door open.  The result was festive, though not exactly what we had in mind.

Then there are the less cheerful consequences.  Italians aren’t the only ones who enjoy dining on songbirds.  Now and then an unwanted guest comes to our feeder.

Hawks come by regularly and scare off all the little birds.  They scatter in a great clatter of wings and every now and then one will fly into a window and hurt himself.  If a bird is just stunned, you can pick it up and hold it close in your hands, keeping it warm until it comes out of shock, as the Captain illustrates below.

This little fellow made a quick recovery, and with joy we took him outside and set him free.  He flew about twenty feet and then the hawk swooped down and plucked him out of the air and flew off with him.

It’s enough to make you believe in fate.