Race Field Week 01 - my marking system

Here's a two-for-one photo. I took it to illustrate one of the plants I'll be watching for blooming so I can identify it. The red is 100% wool, so biodegradable. Unfortunately, I doubt the dye is all-natural. Maybe something I'll teach myself how to do one day. In any case, I'll remove them once the year is up.

You can also see a track to the right. Tracks were everywhere on this visit to Race Field. We had a few days of rain last week and tracks were still dark, wetter than the surrounding dirt. So many tracks — coyotes or dogs, pack rats, something with a cloven hoof, and more — criss-crossed the desert floor, so much so that it gave me a real sense of how busy it is when I'm not around.

Maybe some day I'll get good at track identification.

Race Field Week 01 - nibbled ephedra

With all the good stuff gone, like berries and seeds, the critters begin nibbling the less favored morsels for sustenance. Here is some ephedra that has been used to get some one by, perhaps a pack rat since there was a midden near by. I'm guessing if the rodent was annoyed by sinus trouble, it is no longer.

So far, I've noticed only mesquite bark and ephedra stems used in this way. I'll be keeping note of others as the cruel month of February drags on.