Today's volunteer project was helping other Master Gardeners and docents plant 54 trees around the San Pedro House's Xeriscape Landscape demostration. The San Pedro House is an old 1930's ranch house shaded by a mature cottonwood that's surely older than our country, and a popular spot for the local birds to hang out.
The San Pedro House is also a popular place for birders, as short trails lead from the house toward the San Pedro River 1/4 mile away. The house and forty miles of the river are maintained by the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA). Kevin and I and the dogs have enjoyed many a lovely hike along the river to enjoy the cooler temps and to look for feathered critters in the trees.
We met promptly at 8:30am at the House with our personal tools and started digging in holes for the various plants.
We had a nice showing. Sarah T was the project coordinator. She had all plants identified by their Latinic names, something I am still weak on but something I knowI must rectify with some studying. After all the Romance languages I've studied in my younger years, what's a little Latin?
I was a little intimidated by all the CCMGs around me, some who have been MGs for several decades. One woman, Teri, showed me how to best loosen a plant from its pot by using one's knees. I didn't say anything, but watching her reminded me of the time three woman hovered over me to show me three different ways to burp Erin when she was a newborn. There are so many proper ways to do something right, does it really matter? If anything, I learned a few more tricks today.
The project was supposed to last until 1:30pm but we were done at 10am, just 90 minutes after starting. Most people promptly left afterwards, but I stayed around for a few minutes to watch the finches eat seeds at the bird feeding area.
As I walked to the van Mel called me, letting me know that an Aussie-shepherd mix dog was available for adoption at the local shelter, just dropped off earlier in the day by her cable guy who was very distraught over losing the dog. The dog, Kerek, was meant for his mother as a walking companion, but the husband, (his father), was vehemently against the dog.
I went by the shelter to look at Kerak, a beautiful young male neutered Aussie shepherd with black-white thick fur and blue eyes. He was so well behaved, didn't bark, and licked my hands several times. I walked over to the other dogs as well, petting all those that allowed me to come close. I avoided all the barkers and definitely all the growlers. I witnessed one woman who had come by to pick up one white female pitbull with pretty eyes; the pitbull was so grateful to leave its kennel. Another couple were set on a schnauzer mix. It warms my heart to see such animals get adopted out, but there are two shepherd mixes still at the shelter that would make just as nice animals as Kerek and that schnauzer, one is an Anatolian mix that's been there a few weeks...
Last week I dropped off six crushed bags of alu cans at the shelter and talked to one of the animal control officers. She said the last trailer full of recyclable aluminum cans was used to help defray the medical costs of one cat that had been hit by a car. "We really appreciate your help!" she said. It's the least I can do to help the poor critters of our town. One dog, an Anatolian mix, has been there for at least three weeks. Another shepherd mix, a smaller mix that looks like it's got Chow in it because of its blue-spotted tongue, has been there just as long. If I had the time and space I'd take all three dogs home today.
http://www.sanpedroriver.org/
http://www.discoverseaz.com/Attractions/SPRNCA.html
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/ncarea/sprnca.html
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