Silent as a mouse

Observer: Estella Yee

Date: 10-06
Location: Springer's Botanical Gardens
Time: 1605-1620
Weather: Overcast, still no rain, 60˚F

The smell of nectar wafted toward me again as I perused the area southwest of the waterfall. This time though, I lingered near the Spanish lavender, and then my senses led me down to a clump of groundcover with dried flowers. Only one was still fresh, pink and shaped as a trumpet. Approximately 2-foot tall, the plant bore ovate dark, serrated leaves. I wondered if it could be a species of honeysuckle? Deeper (east) into the garden, I located hardy cyclamen, which had stakes with purple flower forms decorating the area. The purple plastic and white center mirrored daisies, but I was unsure as to their purpose. Black-eye daisies pulled my attention away from the oddities, and there I noticed a small little rodent playing in the undergrowth. It seemed to be about 3 inches long, small round ears and had a dark, fur-covered tail. Its coat was a light brown with a white underbelly, fine and short. As I stepped forward to take a closer look, my darned keys rattled and the creature bolted away. It was none other than a deer mouse. Odd, since most mice were nocturnal. Must be the weather and gathering clouds. I wondered if it had enough vitals for lasting through the winter? Momentarily, two flocks of geese flew overhead in their familiar v formation, one group smaller than the other. A hummingbird then zoomed nearly directly over my head in a hurry to some place. I noticed that several little flags were erected in the garden, each sporting the exact same message: “EWING-Irrigation products.” The fuzzy purple stalks of flowers were all leaning toward the north toward something with large leaves, a banana tree perhaps. Swallows flew north at 1620. Must be time to migrate.