Tuesday, April 12, 2011

J is for Junipers

My Theme for the A to Z Challenge: Desert Canyon Living


California Junipers grow everywhere on the hillsides here in the canyon. They are hardy little conifers that look more like bushes than trees.  Their berries, which are actually small cones with one or two seeds inside, provided a food source for the Native Americans who lived here in the canyon. Now the birds, coyotes, and bears like to eat these small blue berries.


This is one of the prettier trees in our back yard.


Out on the land you sometimes see dead junipers, looking like general fire-hazards.


Or you may see unusual shapes. This one looks more like the Swedish version, called 'en,' that grows in the more forbidding landscapes in Sweden. I marvel at the tenacity of the California junipers and wonder how they can possibly survive and thrive in this dry terrain.


But survive they do. There are no berries on the tree in our front yard right now, but I took this photo a while back on a hike. I hope you can see the small, blue berries that contain the cones and seeds.


Snow lasts the longest in the shade of the junipers. When our dog, Princess, who loved the snow most of all, was alive she and I would go and look for snow for her to roll around in. It was a fun game we had and we both were so happy when we found some. It is also the only place out on the land where wild green grass grows in the spring. Why and how, I don't know, except for the wet and shade, perhaps. 


Many birds spend the night on the juniper branches and I'm sure many nest there as well. The California Quail take cover under the bushes at the slightest hint of danger. Here are two running for cover as I approach. I hope you can see them. 


Birds are not the only ones using the junipers for cover. Here a young coyote peeks out to see if the coast is clear. Many coyotes come to this tree in our front yard in the fall to eat the berries that fall to the ground. A couple of years ago, a black bear came and tore the tips of the branches off, ate the berries, and tossed the remains of the branches on my lounge chair that was placed underneath this juniper. I didn't see the bear, but it left plenty of tracks and a big mess.


The junipers have come to represent to me a certain toughness that you have to possess in order to live and thrive a desert canyon.


Thank you for all your comments on my diabetes post yesterday. I felt truly overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and the support you expressed. I'm so used to this illness by now that it is hard to imagine what life would be without it. And that makes it seem to me like it isn't a big deal to do the things I have to do. I feel bad for those who have diabetes and ignore it. That is a burden far heavier to bear, I am sure, both in the present and it certainly will be in the future.

23 comments:

  1. Very nice post. I'm a little concerned about bears, however. When they are hungry they don't have much of a sense of humor. Be careful out there!

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  2. beautiful junipers....I love your landscape...

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  3. Lovely pictures, Inger. I love the one of the coyote. Do they usually run when they see you? I'll be honest... this life would not be the life for me since I am terrified of snakes. But I envy the peaceful existence you live there in the Canyon. And the beauty of it... so breathtaking!!!

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  4. wow! a bear coming that close! neat (and scary)! i do like the shot of the coyote (recognized his stance from your sidebar). great, hardy trees, for sure!

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  5. Wow, what great shots and beautiful area you live in. Of course I love the one of the coyote too!

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  6. Do the junipers have a sweet odor? I associate a dusty, sweet odor with my grandparent's ranch in Arizona, and I think it was the Junipers.
    I could see the quail! How cute! Love the coyote, too!
    Wonder if the bear took some time to lounge while dining?!!

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  7. I wonder if the animals eat the juniper berries because of their potential--I believe juniper berries are used to make gin. I know some animals eat fermented fruit and get drunk.

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  8. Wow.. what a wonderful place to live!

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  9. I would love to move in next door to you Inger Such beautiful pictures and what a wonderful place to live ~ thankyou for sharing the beauty with us ~ Ally x

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  10. I like the Juniper photos. We have those here in AZ too.

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  11. This post was very interesting. We have junipers too but I never really gave them a second look - I will now! Do you use the juniper berries in cooking? I see them listed in recipes sometimes - usually with game. They're hard to find too. I searched all over for some once and had to drive far away to a specialty gourmet store to get them. You can just go pick them in your yard!

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  12. I love junipers, so I love these pictures. What a gorgeous place to live!

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  13. We have a couple of junipers in our yard that have the blue berries -- but I don't know what type they are.

    I'm so sorry I missed your post yesterday and will have to backtrack. My sinuses were awful!

    Watch out for those bears!

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  14. Juniper berries are important in making gin, as one of your earlier commenters remarked. Perhaps, indeed, the bears are secret topers;-)

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  15. Oh, Inger, I'm so glad you have the dogs! They would definitely bark like crazy if a bear were close! I love Junipers as they are tough and survivors!...:)JP

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  16. I didn't know that coyotes eat the berries. That's very interesting to me, as I enjoy watching coyotes too.
    That is a beautiful award, Inger, and well deserved.

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  17. Beautiful post. We used to live in the high deserts of CA, and these pictures bring back memories of what we saw, and heard (coyotes).
    Have a good week!

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  18. The coyotes seem almost tame. I used to have a coyote that almost followed me about at the ranch. I always feel so bad when the ranchers destroy them.

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  19. Beautiful post about juniper. So different from the ones back home. Before I started my blog 'Kattsby', I had another one that I'd named Junipurr. I thought I was so clever and creative when I came up with that ... having the cat and all. LOL Strangely enough, I didn't google it until later, and found out there were already oodles of people with that screen-ID. So much for my creativity and uniqueness.

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  20. Had no idea coyotes ate berries. How neat to have one so close. Love how he is peaking at you but doesn't seem particularly stressed, just cautious.

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  21. Hello Inger!! I'm catching up on blog posts and read yours from yesterday. My Mom and my brother both have/had diabetes and I have a good friend that has it as does her daughter who is going to school to become a doctor, specializing in juvenile diabetes--Isn't that cool?

    Speaking of cool, we have junipers that grow here and I hate them, but yours I could learn to love! :-)))

    Hope you've had a good day!!

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  22. Hi Inger, I'm playing catch-up also.
    It sounds kind of scary living where you do.
    I'm not sure I would like to meet a bear or a coyote.
    You took some great photos, I think I spy a birds nest in the fourth one?

    I couldn't sleep so I thought I would take the opportunity and find out what everyone has been up to.

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  23. Love that you have such a variety of wildlife.

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Thanks for leaving a comment.. ~~ Inger

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