I was surprised early today to see this bobcat. It may be the same one I saw in June, or possibly a different one. Either way, I watched as this cat walked the very same route as the one in June -- across our yard, jumped up on the fence and then disappeared into the neighbor's yard. I got a better look this morning and these truly are beautiful animals. There is an excellent up close photo of a local bobcat at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center site.
Here's a diagram from the National Park's Santa Monica Mountains site showing the relative size and color differences of a mountain lion, bobcat and house cat:
As you can see from the photo, bobcats are about twice the size of domestic cats and much smaller than mountain lions. Here are some interesting area bobcat facts courtesy of the Santa Monica Mountains site and Urban Carnivores:
Bobcats are found through out the continental US, most of Mexico and some of southern Canada. The average bobcat tips the scales at about 18 pounds. They are primarily nocturnal and the best times to see them are early morning or dusk. Bobcats are solitary and territorial with males marking a territory of about 3 square miles and females with territories of 1.5 square miles that overlap with males' territories. For reference, a square mile is 640 acres, so these cats cover a lot of ground. Bobcats are adaptable and can live on the urban edge, provided they find food.
Which brings us to the bobcat diet. They're carnivores and eat the prey they catch. That prey can be birds, lizards, squirrels, gophers, rats, or any small animal. But, the primary prey and primary food for bobcats are rabbits. Perhaps not so coincidentally, just this summer I have started seeing more and more rabbits scurrying about the neighborhood, including this one:
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Recent Wildlife in the Yard
Seems we have lots of alligator lizards and I've posted more than a few photos of them on this blog. One thing about alligator lizards -- they're always going to give you attitude. |
Friday, March 9, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Christmas at Pasadena's Historic Sierra Madre Villa Hotel
Sierra Madre Villa Hotel ca. 1886
By Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento, California
There is nothing like Christmas through a child's eyes.
William Lauren Rhoades grew up in the 1870's and 80's at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. His dad, William Porter Rhoades, was the proprietor of the Villa and co-owned the Villa along with his father in law, artist William Cogswell. At the time, the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel was a famous West Coast resort located in the foothills of what is now East Pasadena. The hotel is the namesake of Pasadena's Villa Street and present-day Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, which served as the access to the old hotel.
William Lauren Rhoads retained an interest in local history and, as a retiree, was active in local historical societies. In about 1930, William recounted the history of the Sierra Madre Villa in a short book titled History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. In the book, he describes what Christmas was like at the Villa. The story includes a donkey named after his mom, a giant Christmas tree and more.
I enjoy Rhoades' account and it is worth revisiting. So, without further adieu, let's travel with Mr. Rhoades back to East Pasadena in the late 1870's.......
From The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel by William Lauren Rhoades:
When Christmas time rolled around the real fun began. I will describe a typical Christmas day in the late seventies. The day before Christmas was one of excitement for all were preparing the gifts, some driving into Los Angeles, a thirty mile drive, to get the last few gifts needed and to shop for all the rest and only about two dry goods stores, two book stores and a few other places to purchase but that made it all the more exciting. There was a tree to sit up fully nineteen feet high, that was the height of the ceiling, and a spread of branches in proportion. Then the trimmings, popping the corn and putting on the cornucopias, hanging the glass balls and the angel on the top. That day the Chinese boy, Sam, made mysterious trips to Mother's room with packages coming from the servants and Chinese on the ranch.
Christmas morning was always the opening of an eventful day. I well recall Christmas of 1878. After breakfast I was taken out to the front of the house and there stood my donkey, which was given me two years before to ride and I named her after my Mother, Jennie, and there she was hitched up to a two wheeled cart made to order with a swell leather seat, the running gear was painted red and the body black, the harness was black with shining brass buckles. The guests all stood round enjoying my delight. I took Mother in at once and we drove off in style and many were the happy days I had with the children at the Villa in that turnout.
Christmas morning the coach that ran to the San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad Station daily for the mail and passengers, was ready to take any who might wish to go to the Episcopal Church in San Gabriel, as was the custom on Sundays. Then the day passed and all were in readiness for the big event in the evening with the Christmas tree.
********
Rhoades goes on to describe the evening festivities that took place in the hotel parlor with the Rhoades family and hotel guests attending. Christmas carols were sung and the tree was "stripped." There was a gift exchange with Villa's many Chinese workers. Rhoades reports that, to the delight of hotel guests, the workers would enter the parlor with a flourish. Dressed in fine silks, the workers had "their heads freshly shaved with their cues hanging down their backs with red ribbons braided into their hair." They came bearing gifts of sweet lichi nuts, ginger and dainty cakes. In turn, the workers were given a fattened pig for roasting.
********
If you're interested to know more about the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, I've a dozen or so posts on the Villa that are categorized under the Labels heading on the right side of this blog.
By Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento, California
There is nothing like Christmas through a child's eyes.
William Lauren Rhoades grew up in the 1870's and 80's at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. His dad, William Porter Rhoades, was the proprietor of the Villa and co-owned the Villa along with his father in law, artist William Cogswell. At the time, the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel was a famous West Coast resort located in the foothills of what is now East Pasadena. The hotel is the namesake of Pasadena's Villa Street and present-day Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, which served as the access to the old hotel.
William Lauren Rhoads retained an interest in local history and, as a retiree, was active in local historical societies. In about 1930, William recounted the history of the Sierra Madre Villa in a short book titled History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. In the book, he describes what Christmas was like at the Villa. The story includes a donkey named after his mom, a giant Christmas tree and more.
I enjoy Rhoades' account and it is worth revisiting. So, without further adieu, let's travel with Mr. Rhoades back to East Pasadena in the late 1870's.......
From The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel by William Lauren Rhoades:
When Christmas time rolled around the real fun began. I will describe a typical Christmas day in the late seventies. The day before Christmas was one of excitement for all were preparing the gifts, some driving into Los Angeles, a thirty mile drive, to get the last few gifts needed and to shop for all the rest and only about two dry goods stores, two book stores and a few other places to purchase but that made it all the more exciting. There was a tree to sit up fully nineteen feet high, that was the height of the ceiling, and a spread of branches in proportion. Then the trimmings, popping the corn and putting on the cornucopias, hanging the glass balls and the angel on the top. That day the Chinese boy, Sam, made mysterious trips to Mother's room with packages coming from the servants and Chinese on the ranch.
Christmas morning was always the opening of an eventful day. I well recall Christmas of 1878. After breakfast I was taken out to the front of the house and there stood my donkey, which was given me two years before to ride and I named her after my Mother, Jennie, and there she was hitched up to a two wheeled cart made to order with a swell leather seat, the running gear was painted red and the body black, the harness was black with shining brass buckles. The guests all stood round enjoying my delight. I took Mother in at once and we drove off in style and many were the happy days I had with the children at the Villa in that turnout.
Christmas morning the coach that ran to the San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad Station daily for the mail and passengers, was ready to take any who might wish to go to the Episcopal Church in San Gabriel, as was the custom on Sundays. Then the day passed and all were in readiness for the big event in the evening with the Christmas tree.
********
Rhoades goes on to describe the evening festivities that took place in the hotel parlor with the Rhoades family and hotel guests attending. Christmas carols were sung and the tree was "stripped." There was a gift exchange with Villa's many Chinese workers. Rhoades reports that, to the delight of hotel guests, the workers would enter the parlor with a flourish. Dressed in fine silks, the workers had "their heads freshly shaved with their cues hanging down their backs with red ribbons braided into their hair." They came bearing gifts of sweet lichi nuts, ginger and dainty cakes. In turn, the workers were given a fattened pig for roasting.
********
If you're interested to know more about the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, I've a dozen or so posts on the Villa that are categorized under the Labels heading on the right side of this blog.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Alligator in the Avocado
We see many alligator lizards around here and I've posted about these reptiles before. This is the first time I have seen one in a tree. It is a little hard to spot, but this alligator lizard has kind of wrapped itself on the limb of an avocado tree.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
July 4th -- America the Beautiful
In 1893, poet and Wellesley College professor, Katharine Bates, came west to teach summer school at Colorado College. The young professor was inspired by her train trip from New England, a trek to the top of Pikes Peak and by the fertile expanse of this country. She penned a poem that first appeared in the Congregationalist magazine to commemorate July 4, 1895. Bates continued to revise the work and, in 1911, arrived at the final version of the lyrics to America the Beautiful.
Bates continued writing and teaching and passed away in 1929. After it was published, her poem was quickly put to music and became enormously popular across the country. Through her life, the professor, gave free permission "hundreds and thousands" of times to use her American the Beautiful lyrics. Later in life, she reflected on her poem's enduring popularity. She wrote that the “hold as it has upon our people, is clearly due to the fact that Americans are at heart idealists, with a fundamental faith in human brotherhood.”
America the Beautiful
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion’d stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine!
O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Bates continued writing and teaching and passed away in 1929. After it was published, her poem was quickly put to music and became enormously popular across the country. Through her life, the professor, gave free permission "hundreds and thousands" of times to use her American the Beautiful lyrics. Later in life, she reflected on her poem's enduring popularity. She wrote that the “hold as it has upon our people, is clearly due to the fact that Americans are at heart idealists, with a fundamental faith in human brotherhood.”
America the Beautiful
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion’d stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine!
O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
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