Call of the Wild-An Impromptu Friday Post, Shoes Optional

 It’s been cloudy and cold all week, here in my neck of the woods, yet when I looked outside this morning, the sun was out!  I just had to go outside and soak up some vitamin D before it was lost in the impending rain that the dark distant clouds foreshadow will come later today.

One of my favorite neighbors was also out, and I was lucky to get a picture of him.  California Quail are some of the most striking and beautiful birds that I know of, and this good fellow was keeping watch while his unseen mate took the children for a stroll.  Quail are interesting birds in that they can fly, but they much prefer to scurry quickly away when they are in a hurry to go somewhere.

Here is the mother with three of her chicks. I didn’t get an accurate count, but I’m guessing there were at least a dozen babies! 

My pair of plastic pink flamingoes seemed to be enjoying the sun too.  See those dark pink flowers in the middle of the lighter flowers?

They are actually part of the same plant-and the flowers are mostly light pink, but every year there are always four dark pink blossoms.  Very curious!

Behind this pink lupine, which showed up on its own in my garden, there is a chicken hiding.  A ceramic chicken at that-and the only kind of chicken I get to keep for now.  But perhaps, some day…

Have a great weekend!