Thursday, August 4, 2011

Wildlife Outside our Window

Our location at the foot of the San Gabriel's affords us the treasures of great mountain vistas, quiet neighborhoods and wildlife! It isn't uncommon to look out our office windows onto the orchards and see a coyote trot by, in broad daylight no less, or like yesterday, two youthful and beautiful deer paid us a visit, no doubt making use of any fallen fruit on the ground. It is a daily activity here to watch squirrels, lizards, and of course birds, make their rounds and enjoy the variety of greenery on our property. We have one coyote in particular that is a bit straggly looking, and has been with us for over a year, hopefully he, too, is getting his daily dietary requirements of fruit! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gabriel_Mountains There was a visit from a bear some years back who decided to climb one of our trees, maybe he wanted to pick the fruit himself, but, thankfully, that is a rare event here. Bobcats, skunks and hawks soaring over are far more common, than a bear sighting. The famous Pasadena swarm of loud squawking green parrots frequent the property on a regular basis, as well, perhaps drawn here by the wonderful smell of our food products cooking. Check out the article here: http://www.sierramadrenews.net/2k7/december/bear2k7.htm

And that is another benefit to working at E. Waldo Ward, the wonderful scents and smells that are also a daily comfort. Often even driving to work one can smell chili sauce cooking or strawberry jam, from blocks away. We sometimes wonder how our neighbors manage to live that close with all those delicious scents filling the air every week, and not gain weight! We are certain that it is the trail of those enticing smells that lure visitors here time and again, telling us they had no idea we were here, even though they have lived in the nearby area for decades. Visitors like to stroll the grounds, bring their children to see what the area used to look like, and how a small fruit ranch works. When the orchards bloom in early summer, or late spring, the lilting scent of orange blossoms is especially lovely to experience. It isn't hard to imagine in the quiet of the orchard, with nature's creatures visiting what it was like a century ago, when it all began here.

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