Sunday, January 19, 2014

Hiking With Samson


I took Samson for a hike yesterday. We walked up a path under these fabulous rocks.


Don't they look like they belong in an old Western movie? 


With a little imagination, one can see a mountain lion looking down ready to pounce. Just kidding, right now I'm more concerned with this black bear that seems to have taken a liking to our land. 


Then I heard on the news last night that a mountain lion has been killing pets in the Bakersfield suburbs. But by then I was back home, safe in front of the TV.


It's terrible to think of what animals are going through, living under these horribly dry conditions. Of course they are coming down from higher elevations, looking for food and water. 


We're at the top of a steep hill here, looking down on our house. D. G. asked about fire clearance in the winter, as you can see there's just dirt around the house. Usually, we clear 100 feet in May, then it rains and snows in the winter, grass and weeds grow, and we clear it again the following spring. No grass has grown since 2011, the last year we had some real rain. The road you see toward the left is the one we walk to the mailboxes. 


Most of the Rabbit Brush up here is dead or dying, so is the mesquite, and the low growing brush. The junipers seem to be doing OK for the most part.

I called my husband from that hill, overlooking our house, and told him the hill looked too steep for me to get down alone. He agreed it would be best if we just turned back the way we came. We did, and when we got home Samson's tongue was hanging out for a long time, a good sign we got some exercise.


And this is what it should look like in January. Some of the time at least. Thank you for your prayers for rain. 


Samson Says: 

OK, so who were you hiking with? 
Who did you tell to stop, sit, stay so you could take all those pictures?
Who was very OBEDIENT and did all you asked?

Me: OK, Samson, that would be you. What's all this leading up to? 

Samson: I'm just wondering why am I not in any of the pictures? 

What's a post about me without me? 

To himself: Humans!!!











26 comments:

  1. LOVED the photos, Loved the story content but the last photo made me LAUGH... you tell her Samson... it is all about YOU...
    I can sit and put cowboys and longhorns, lions and old western towns in this beautiful view. I will pray for rain to come for all of you.. so sad the animals are suffering. and for the fire danger the drought brings.

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  2. Hi Inger! Loved your photos today, and learning more about the place you call home. In any season, you have a beautiful place to call home.

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  3. you tell her, samson! :)

    i do hope california can get some rain! worst drought in 100 years - just terrifying.

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  4. Thanks for clarifying that question about the dryness, Inger. Samson is adorable when he acts like a little boy not getting enough attention. . .
    Thanks for all the mountain photos, I think the scenes need a Lone Ranger, a Tonto, and perhaps Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

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  5. I love your new header picture!
    Your pictures are gorgeous, look at that blue sky.
    Hope you've had a great weekend.

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  6. Hi Inger, it's definitely a scene for a western Movie. It must be so disheartening to have bone dry earth and having trees and animals dying because of the drouth.

    Great photos and I agree with Samson that he should be in the picture. I'm praying for rain for Bakersfield and all areas who desperately needs rain right now.
    Hugs,
    JB

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  7. Those rocks do belong in the movies, Inger as well as all the dry brush...reminds me of an old Western! Walking is such wonderful exercise and yes, the kids & I walked this morning (24 degrees) and snowing!...:)JP

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  8. Just a second.....................
    I needed to get a drink of water after this hike!! I was parched!

    I sure does look like you live on an outside set of a 'western', Inger. You must have a really deep well at your place with the lack of moisture you have.
    Samson, humans are like that.....Sophie is telling me this all the time!!Just keep them happy and all will be well.

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  9. That looks like a great hike. I do hope you get some rain soon.

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  10. LOL If Samson is anything like my dogs, it is hard to get a decent picture while hiking. If I get mine to sit, they turn their heads to check something out just as I snap the picture!
    I love the picture of your house from up on the cliff - you were really up there!

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  11. Wow I could never ever hike like that but it looks fun - and was that snow? I couldn't tell. I do hope you get some rain! sandie

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  12. Oh the drought is hurting all over. The fire in Angeles Nat'l Forest will drive wild life down into lowland.

    Love your photos as always. You have such a good eye.

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  13. water. the land needs water.

    Hoping you get it in any form - snow, rain, to soak for days...

    and samson, you need to ham it up more for mom to take photos of you... ;)

    xoxoxo

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  14. I hear about the wild animals attacking pets which would be horrible but they are just trying to survive a brutal time. It is rough for all. Do be careful.
    I will keep praying for rain in that area.

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  15. People from all over are complaining about the weather but the situation in California is desperate. Your pictures are so interesting and although you are in the desert, the look of such dryness is frightening. Hopefully, the rains will come soon.

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  16. What a beautiful hike this must have been. Absolutely breathtaking pictures :)

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  17. Hej! Vilka fina bilder, vilken härlig blå himmel.
    Det var länge sedan man såg en sådan här. Mulet hela tiden men då är det inte så kallt ju.
    Jättefina bilder du visar från där du bor.
    Kram Majsan//

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  18. Love your blue blue skies!

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  19. Hi Inger,
    Love seeing the place where you live! What a fabulous rocks. Just stunning blue sky too.
    I agree with you, they look like they belong in an old Western movie!
    Samson looks always adorable.
    I hope you have some rain soon. :)

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  20. Sorry you are so terribly dry there. Do you have county water?

    Lovely pictures - I visioned a scoundrel with a rifle, hiding up in the rocks, ready to ambush.

    Samson has a point...

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  21. I do love the desert. But this is ridiculous. Samson is too funny.

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  22. I thought I saw a brown Bear in the first picture. Turns out, on closer inspection, it was just a shadow.

    Hope you get some rain or snow. It looks really dry and dusty at your place.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!

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  23. Sounds like we are in a similar weather cycle -- only seems you got more snow than us!

    Good to see Samson all sassy again. :)

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  24. I think my tongue would have been hanging out with the exercise too. Good for you Samson! You tell her! If we could share out weather you could have some of our rain with pleasure. It's wet in the UK!

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  25. Dear Inger, I don't have the mind to see a lot of implications when some topic is mentioned. So when someone says "drought," I may think of dry land, but I don't think right away of what that means for humans and plants and animals. Or how a drought affects businesses or marriages or school days. And yet I suspect that a drought affects most everything.

    It takes a novelist--who can see implications--and his subsequent novel for me to truly appreciate all the implications.

    See how you and Samson got me thinking today????? You wonder you. And Samson too. Peace.

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  26. I look at those rocky photos and can just see a cowboy on a horse riding along, with the cliche cowboy music in the background! Your home in snow looks so picturesque, but very very cold.
    Is Samson singing a song in the last photo? He looks like he could be

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Thanks for leaving a comment.. ~~ Inger

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