A Day in the Life of the Cat

Luna uses her perch to keep an eye on things    © Diane B Reed

 

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I think I want to come back as a cat. Our cat, Luna Negra, has been a fixture around our house for nine years. She is the latest in our long line of cats and in many ways she is the best and the brightest. However, she doesn't like other cats, so we were initially worried that she would get bored without feline companionship and simply lay around.  We needn't  have worried about that. Although she values her naptimes and fully engages in relaxation, her days are peppered with a long list of activities.

Kitty TV                                                    © Diane B. Reed

Although she's an indoor cat, she spends quite a bit of time monitoring the great outdoors, including the ducks on the pond, and the neighborhood cats that wander by. One of her favorite activities involves watching the birds at our bird feeders and on the deck (we call it "kitty TV").  She loves to camp out by the door, her tail swishing back and forth and mouthing silent meows as the birds scratch for seed a few inches away.
She has a regular patrol — check the birdfeeders, see who's on the pond, run downstairs to look out the door and see if any of the local cats are in the back yard.  Time out for a nap on the exercise bike seat (she's the only one who uses it), then back upstairs to see who might be going by out front. Time out to chase a ball down the hall, then beg for a chin scratch and ear rub before settling down for another nap in her heated bed.

Hiding in plain sight                                           © Diane B Reed

After a nap, time to look for something new to do. She decides to see if things look any different from the top of the kitchen cabinets. Not really, but no one notices that she's up there, and she seems to enjoy being invisible. At least until treats or dinner are forthcoming, then it's a mad dash for food. After dinner, she samples available laps and rewards scratches and petting with loud purrs. Time for a few after-dinner games before it's bedtime for her humans and she takes her rightful place in the middle of the bed. Sweet dreams until another day of cat fun dawns!

Spring, Books, and Backyard Birds

The vineyards still await the spring                               © Diane B. Reed

This time of year is full of surprises. One day the promise of spring seems poised to envelop the valley. Today we awoke to large fluffy snowflakes, a reminder that the promise has not yet been fulfilled. The snow has stopped and has all but disappeared except on the slopes of the Blues. My advice is to forget the groundhog and the other prognosticators, spring will come when it comes. 

© Diane B. Reed

I guess I'm more patient than some folks. Once spring comes, the garden will demand my attention and the stack of books I've put aside for winter reading will gather dust until the fall. I've made my way through quite a few more than usual, thanks to recuperating from back surgery.

If you live anywhere near the Walla Walla area, don't forget that the AAUW book sale starts today and runs through Sunday at the Whitman Hotel. I helped with some of the book sorting before my back sidelined me, and the quality of the books is outstanding. Don't miss it!

No matter where you live, if you're looking for something fun to do at home this weekend, you might consider participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count, It takes about 15 minutes of observation, then you can submit your checklist to their Web site. You can do it any day between today, February 18 and Monday the 21st. You can also do it on more than one day. This is a great activity to do with kids, with everything you need right in your own backyard.

House Finch                                          © Diane B. Reed

Whitman Mission, Historical and Natural Resource

Whitman Mission near Walla Walla                                        © Diane B. Reed

 The Walla Walla Valley is rich in resources, both natural and historical. I'm baffled by people who see a site as one or the other. A case in point is Whitman Mission National Historic Site, located just a few miles west of Walla Walla, along the banks of the Walla Walla River. As you cross the river and turn to enter the park, the keen observer notices large nests in the cottonwoods along its banks. The first time we visited the park was in late spring, and we were astonished to discover a good-sized Great Blue Heron rookery. Its size varies from year to year, and there are many other heron nests along the river at various places.

Rookery           © Diane B. Reed

      Great Blue Heron                 © Diane B. Reed                              

The historic site interprets a time in our history that is hard for us to imagine, but was pivotal in the white settlement of the area and the displacement of native peoples. It is a complex history that is well worth understanding. Take the time to read about the site, visit and further your knowledge with the help of the interpretive center and knowledgeable rangers. The visitor center is open most days, and the park grounds are open dawn to dusk daily.

Millpond at Whitman Mission                       © Diane B. Reed

The aspect of the park that some visitors miss is its natural resources. The site is home to a wide variety of mammals, birds, and amphibians. The millpond, a remnant of the original Mission, attracts migratory birds as well as year-round residents.  It's an ever-changing landscape, particularly as we move toward spring and the migratory birds give way to the year-round residents. It's a place worth visiting many times.

Starbuck, Washington

c. 1903-4 bank, now City Hall, Starbuck Washington

© Diane B. Reed

There are a number of  intriguing small towns in eastern Washington that appear in the Washington Atlas and Gazeteer (Delorme). Some of them exist in name only, some are little more than a grain elevator, and some remnants of towns are found along long-abandoned railroads.  Stll, some have managed to manage to hold on.

 A peek into the City Hall © Diane B. Reed

One of my favorite of these towns is Starbuck, north of the Walla Walla Valley in neighboring Garfield County. it was named after W.H. Starbuck, an official of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. The railroad was abandoned in 1982. There are a number of old buildings in town including the original bank (now the City Hall) and a large  old school building, circa 1904).

Starbuck's survival is due in part to its proximity to Little Goose Lock and Dam on the Snake River constructed between 1963-70, one of the series of dams and locks maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineeers. The Vantage Bridge over the Snake at Lyon's Ferry was added in 1968.  Still, the town has declined from its population of 710 in 1910 to today's residents which number about 130.

The old Starbuck School c. 1904                             © Diane B. Reed

I wouldn't count this town out, however. The setting is beautiful, it's near Palouse Falls State Park, Lyon's Ferry, and it's just down the roads from Walla Walla and Dayton.

The Palouse Revisited

The Palouse seems quiet on its surface this time of year, with fallow fields and idle farm equipment reposing. But the signs of spring are already visible. New equipment is poised to take on the spring crops, farmers out working on their farms are busy gettting ready

There are repairs to be made, new varieties to be considered, and if they're lucky, even a new piece of equipment to break in.

Lower Dry Creek farm                             © Diane B. Reed

Even the predators – hawks, owls, and coyotes seem to know that the growing season will be on them in lttle time and they search ceasingly for the prey that is usually hidden by wheat fields.

A well-fed coyote on the hunt                          © Diane B. Reed

Soon the Palouse will be abuzz with new life on the wheat farms, in the nests, and in the burrows. The never-ending cycle continues.

The Palouse

A rare tree in the Palouse, north of the Walla Walla Valley                   © Diane B. Reed

North of the Walla Walla Valley, the hills of the Palouse unfold, stretching north and east through eastern Washington and into Idaho. The soil (known as loess), deposited on the hills over millions of years, provides a fertile base for dryland wheat farming, which has been carried on in the Walla Walla area since the mid nineteenth century.

Walla Walla Grain Growers Dry Creek elevators       © Diane B. Reed

Although the hills roll on for miles and miles, there are very few buildings, save for an occasional grain elevator. A visitor to our area, familiar with more traditional Midwestern farms asked where the fences were. A local farmer reminded him that you don't need to fence wheat. And when he asked where the farmhouses were, the farmer told him that most of the wheat farmers lived in town, not out in the lonely windswept hills.

Every time I venture into the Palouse I'm reminded of the phrase "high, wide, and lonesome." But there is real beauty in the endless panorama of undulating hills and valleys stretching as far as the eye can see.

  Wheat stubble on the Palouse                                                        © Diane B. Reed

Changeable Weather

College Place, Walla Walla's quiet neighbor                                      © Diane B. Reed

It's been a changeable winter here in the Walla Walla Valley. We've had our share of snow, rain, wind, and overcast skies. But when the sun comes out the valley shows off its natural beauty, even in its winter garb. It's been downright balmy this past week, warm enough to fool us into thinking that spring might be just around the corner. But, of course, it's only a matter of time before winter returns with a vengeance. 

California Quail                                                 © Diane B. Reed

The birds at our feeders keep up their single-minded pursuit of food. They're unimpressed with a few warm days—they can't afford to be.They noisily jockey for position, while quail scratch around below the feeders for dropped seeds. 

California Quail                                                  © Diane B. Reed

The Cornell "All About Birds" web site describes the California Quail as a "handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume."  This fluffed-up fellow hiding under the bushes fits the description.