Free ride

This bird has been riding on this horse's back for days now, down in our neighbor's pasture. Every time I ride by they're together, and I finally stopped to take a picture. Why would a bird spend so much time standing on a horse's back? Maybe they're just buddies.

The smoky haze and its accompanying weird orange-colored light continue, and this morning both are overlaid with a heavy blanket of fog that is just starting to burn away. Out in our yard there are two hummingbirds sitting on a salvia branch squeaking at each other, and beyond them in the field a big fat turkey vulture is sitting on a fence post, looking down at something in the grass – maybe a dead rabbit. A mockingbird keeps flying all around it, landing on one post, then swooping in at the vulture again, then landing on another post. Maybe the dead thing is a bird.

I like being able to see all this, without even leaving my chair. Though I also like getting out there for a closer look.

We had dinner last night with one of Mr. A's friends who is moving to Texas soon, taking a bunch of money he's inherited and building a beautiful house. He showed us his plans, and it made me think some more about all the things I'd like to do with this place. Mr. A is amenable, and several times a week he comes to me with a new idea about some improvement he'd like to make. Slowly, we are doing a few things.

The dogs just ran out into the yard to bark at something; better go see what's up.