Quiet in the Canyon

For this weeks blog assignment, I had to go enjoy a small period (20 minutes or more) of silent observation in a natural area of my choosing. I decided to hike to a nice high place in Sycamore Canyon.

I began my trek around 2:30 pm. The wind was blowing all throughout the canyon and provided a wonderful cooling affect against the harsh sun. I carried my water bottle and a directionless gait, my plan being to hike around aimlessly until I discovered a satisfactory spot. Luckily, I soon stumbled upon a flat bed of granite between two hills. The hills blocked my vision of the surrounding developed area while also amplifying the winds whisper through the chaparral.

I sat, got comfortable, and got quiet. I listened. I noticed nothing, all around me felt abandoned, this feeling amplified by the winds rustling through the dry plants. So I sat alone, my only company being the faux slither of a thousand windswept bushes.

Eventually I just closed my eyes and thought, had I somehow chosen the one lifeless roost in the canyon? Surely there was life around, on my walk alone I had encountered a dozen anthills and glimpsed the frantic movements of disturbed lizards, even the occasional bird had flown out of the chaparral whenever I trudged by. Fortunately, I was awoken from this thought by a sudden cawing of some bird above and behind me. I quickly turned to look to only be disappointing to find nothing. But when I faced my front again I was greeted by one of the small brown lizards common to the area.

The lizard looked to be fully grown, much larger and longer than the hatchlings one usually encounters. He was probably about 6 inches long with a width of 1 and a half inches. He seemed surprised to see me, frozen as I turned to look back at him, our eyes locking as we attempted to assert dominance over each other. Then he ran past me to the far edge of the rock, deciding that the two of us could coexist for the time being.

Seeing that I finally had something to write about I decided to devote my undivided attention to this reptilian rapscallion. (He appears to be a Western Fence Lizard) Soon the little guy began to do what I can only assume was an intimidation tactic or a mating display. He began to do more push-ups than a snarky rich kid in boot camp. After doing this on and off for a couple of minutes, the lizard turned towards me one more time before darting away from my view. From here on out I was alone again. I finished my sit without much more activity, my biggest question being if I was surrounded by native plants or invasive mustard.

As a consolation, I have hiked around Sycamore Canyon before and have some awesome photos of rattlesnakes that I have found during my walks. I'll share those.