Another mantis today: this one on the front door, three inches long and shamrock green. We moved it to the backyard again, this time to the Thai basil in the vegetable bed.
My friend Matthew and I found it as we were returning from a hike. We’d walked up the flank of Sobrante Ridge and south along its spine to its end, and then back. We sat under endangered manzanitas, looked in vain for the local laurel-leaved oak, saw ten thousand western fence lizards and one probable skink and a lovely, three-foot snake — probably a red-sided garter. We heard red shouldered hawks, jays and crows and bushtits and California quail. It was sunny and dry. Heading back down the hill, we faced into a startlingly swift and hot wind coming up off the valley of San Pablo Creek.
This was the first hike of any length since I broke the toe. I am tired and happy.
