Change is happening! No longer are the trees covered in golden leaves. Only a few remain. Most importantly, the rain and snow have returned! Yahoo! This past week, we had overdue rain for 2 days in Idyllwild and snow in the higher elevations. I could hear the trees gulping up the water. Well, I almost heard them.
This is my favorite photo during the rainy days. A Northern Flicker found refuge on our fence under the eaves sheltered from the heaviest rain.
The fun part of being "socked in" by clouds during a rain event is the curiosity about what is happening in the high country. This week, when the clouds disappeared, snow was revealed at the highest elevations. Fantastic! We have yet to have snow fall in Idyllwild but hopefully, it is just around the corner.
Thanks to some very generous local philanthropists, we now have a park in the center of town. Since Thanksgiving, it is full of Christmas scenes and one of the tallest trees is covered in beautiful lights.
Recently, a mural was dedicated to the community by a grateful artist. He honored the firefighters that prevented our town from being destroyed in the July wildfire. Driving off the mountain, we are continually reminded of what was lost during that fire and what remains.
Fortunately, nearby Lake Hemet in Garner Valley survived.
The presence of familiar wintering and resident birds is reassuring.
This White-tailed Kite is a wintering visitor. It is really fun to watch. It hovers in the sky before dropping down on its prey.
The resident Bald Eagles are still hanging around. They will have lots of eyes watching them starting next week as they begin to add sticks to their nest for a new season of raising a family.
Mudslides and debris flows are a concern this winter since the nearby mountains were burned in the July wildfire. So far, little damage has occurred. Changes have occurred in the campground. Part of the shore is now muddy and this once green, grassy area is now covered in several feet of mud. The retention wall used to hold in the water but now it cascades over the edge.
These Horned Larks seem to like the new landscape.
We are truly grateful for this little community, the special people who live here and the wildlife that still survives. Hopefully, my next post will be about the search for a rare scoter.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos and content by Robin Roberts.
