Ah...Nature

The last couple of weeks have been the perfect time for sleeping in Alamo Heights. It got up to 90 degrees yesterday afternoon, but it cools nicely at night and we can sleep with the windows open. Fresh air, slight breeze, those things are so good. But there’s another aspect that really buoys me. I feel at one with nature.

Our neighborhood is about 100 years old. Reputed to have been the first suburb of San Antonio, it was at the end of the trolley line. These days one of the things it’s known for is its tree canopy. And although there are natives among us; anaqua, live oak and mesquite, most of the trees here were planted by somebody. They’ve grown tall and spread their branches until it’s almost as if they hold hands with each other across the fences or even the streets.

All this “urban forest” creates a tremendous habitat for wildlife. Which seems pretty surprising. We’re barely four miles from the center of the city, which has grown up beyond us for thirty miles. Our critters don’t know that they live in town and that they are not supposed to be here. They continue to go about their lives as if this were a park preserve and it’s right outside my window.

There are the coyotes, which worry the neighbors. They are rumored to make a midnight snack of wandering cats and tiny pooches left in backyards. Mostly you never see them, except when the drought gets so bad they come looking for water in broad daylight.

Likewise the armadillos are pretty cagey, but you see evidence of their digging adventures. Who would believe such little paws could move so much dirt?

There are the raccoons who aren’t afraid of anything and the possums that are afraid of everything. Skunks, keep your distance. The little babies are so cute, but cute is not everything. One year we had a family nest under the house near our front door. Every day one of those little guys made a stink about something.

We have more that our share of squirrels, of course. And they are annoying. They are not content with allowing us to garden our way. They must add an acorn or a pecan to every flower bed or potted plant. We have little trees coming up everywhere. Bill gets especially threatening towards them when they root in the orchards.

Birds are abundant. We have little houses everywhere for wrens and titmice and sparrows. We’re not as fond of the big ugly grackles. But the mockingbirds are very much a part of the family. We also have some very large owls. They are mostly night creatures roosting in the limbs of the huge red oak out back. On rare occasions they show themselves in daylight. I heard a grackle screeching to high heaven about something. I walked out on the front porch to investigate. A huge gray screech-owl was perched on my mailbox. I scared him, of course, and he spread his wings and flew down and up and over my neighbor’s house across the street. I felt like Harry Potter.

I watched a funny little movie last night called Radiant City. It was certainly no blockbuster, but it gave me a few new things to think about life in the suburbs.

One of the things described was people walking into their garage and climbing into the SUV. Then they drive to work, enclosed in their vehicle, pull into the underground parking of their office building and take the elevator up to their cubicle. At no point does that person interact with anything or anyone outside the little box that contains them.

It’s spring, my friends! Let us open the windows, step out of the front door, get our hands in the dirt, be in touch with our more natural self.

For my part, I’m going to go without bathing and see how long it takes to build up smelly bacteria on my body. April Fool!