It's easy to get sick of your fellow humans in Gilroy. Too many of them on the roads, at the grocery, at the donut shop; everywhere. Then add to that all of the other pesky humans in our lives: bosses, traffic cops, posers, criminals, maniacs and tailgaters.
But for me, when strangling or even mildly bitch-slapping someone is not a viable option, I like to think of what the land would be like without people. From my deck in the Gilroy hills it's really not that hard. If I look in a certain direction and squint a little, I can blur out the antennae and houses in view and pretend I am the Master of Prehistoric Gilroy.
And my subjects are many: California Quail, Great Blue Herons, Red-Winged Black Birds and various hummingbirds, wrens, deer, squirrels and bullfrogs. I love them and they don't give a shit about me. Perfect!
(I do get my share of unconditional love from my dogs, more conditionally from my cats, and even more conditionally from my wife and son)
Being relatively new to Gilroy - and fresh from living 7 years in the high desert of Utah - I find the plant and animal diversity of this area staggering. So, I have set myself a mission: I will identify (and eventually photograph) all of the wildlife that I can observe from my property. I was inspired to do this after observing a Bald Eagle soaring over my home the other day.
Bald Eagle: Haliaeetus leucocephalus; hali = salt, aeetus = eagle, leuco = white, cephalis = head
I'm not a naturalist, botanist or wildlife expert. I'm just curious.
I am, however, interested in corresponding with anyone in town who has taken the time to get to know the native plants and animals of the area. So, drop me a line if you'd like to share your experiences and observations of the denizens of Prehistorc Gilroy.
As the hare said, I'm all ears.
-gfd
Here's a good word for you at no extra charge: phosphene
http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphene
