I heard my new neighbor before I saw him.  About 4:30AM there was hooting and rustling going on outside, but I just turned over, pulled my sheets up closer and went back to sleep.  So it wasn’t a surprise to see him scouting out the yard from the back fence.  We have a lot of small dogs in the neighborhood.  And there have been a lot of baby squirrels running about, scurrying across the road, playing russian roulette with the cars.  The quails have been few and the ones that have been about have been very quiet and low key.  Basically the only real activity has been the thousands of ants snaking across sidewalks, driveways, and every concrete structure in the area.  Now I know why.

Still, there is something calming with the knowledge that there is vigilance in the neighborhood.  A new kind of neighborhood watch.

Other than that, things have been quiet since Cesar and Bozo returned from their adventure.  Although the monsoon pattern calmed into a cooler, dry heat last week, this week it is back in full force, bringing some awesome sunsets to make up for the triple digit weather and higher-than-normal humidity.  But autumn will officially be here within  hours, and I am very anxiously looking forward to it.

Welcome to the neighborhood!