Today's walk report: 052613

Dying things and detours.

As much as I don't like sparrows (they are annoying with incessant chirping and they are everywhere) I found this rather sad. This little fellow was about 10 feet just outside my front door. I could see that it was dying yet it did seem somewhat content. When I returned it was lying dead on the walkway less than 2' from this spot.

Maybe that's not at all strange to see put what about 2 instances of this over the past two days? This other sparrow was just 12 feet or so to the west of the one today, died yesterday afternoon. I had meant to dispose of it then but must have gotten distracted. I had seen this one hopping away from me early yesterday morning and, like with most animals I seem to encounter, I made a comment. Something to the effect of... I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I'm sorry you can't fly away.

It was an odd start to my walk. Shortly after I got home I dug a nice deep hole and buried both birds. While I have no belief in an afterlife for any creature I did say goodbye to the birds for whatever reason.

On to the walk...

Another mangled flying creature. A mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) butterfly that appears to have run into some major hindwing trouble. It still was flying OK, though a little sloppy.

Maybe all this stuff had something to do with this ominous, foreboding sky?

Probably not.

These three didn't seem too concerned...

Onto the detour...
Instead of going through and back around campus central like I usually do I went backside of the forever unfinished stadium onto the cross country course to ultimately walk the ancient trails beyond the course. Behind where I'm standing is a mess of abandoned construction and de-constuction materials. The company contracted to do the renovation of the stadium along with a bunch of other stuff both on this campus and other So. Cal. projects allegedly bailed on an $8.7 billion deal.

Some of the rubble and waste.

I used to run in that stadium. It's also at about the 1.15 mile to go mark for my regular walk. It would be nice to have the option of walking a few laps if I felt like it but right now it's basically a situation of "sneaking" in in any one of several places where the chain link fence surrounding it have been cut open.

Onto the course looking toward the Santa Susana Mountains.

Cows and a peek of the beck of homes on Oxnard Street, Woodland Hills, CA. I learned how to milk a cow and a goat on this campus around 10-11 years of age.

Whoa there Bessie, you trying to tell me something?

When I was a kid this was where they'd both take care of newborn pigs and also slaughter the ripe ones. My mother knew the family who's father managed the animal husbandry side of this campus. We stayed with them a short while during a couple of summer vacations. You could hear the pigs scream from their house.

Pepper trees. I remember kids during High School cross country meets hiding behind the pepper trees to join in the race. You know, cheating. This was just below the one mile mark of a two mile race.

 No more pigs. At least not this kind.

Goats, they got all excited when I showed up. Hey, I never touched them... never even saw them before.

Uncharted territory. I've only been over here once before in my life. Over 40 years ago.

The sign says...

I saw some lizards, a couple of jack rabbits and several ground squirrels.

Long ago this was a nice little picnic area, not anymore.

 

The road going through the center of this image is about a mile of my regular walk (back and forth).

 

The very western edge of the trail overlooking the Warner Center. The world suddenly changes.

 

Some really sorry and out of place looking redwood trees.

Upper view, heading back.

Back to the garden before heading home. All said and done it was a nice walk. I was out for almost 3 hours and got to see stuff that I and others in the area typically go around without really knowing what's there.