Canyon Camp-Out

I've been out at Hopper Canyon the past two days. A very quiet two days. Literally and figuratively. Not a whole lot going down at the nest. Stared at the "front porch"for hours, agonizing over whether that dark shape was a condor resting in the medium-tall grass, or a shadow on the wall behind. It was a shadow, I discovered, when one of the parents materialized to the far right of the cave, stretching his wings to reveal the two red wing tags. Had he been there the whole time? Or had he just flown up, taking advantage of that distractingly ambiguous dark blob's hold on my attention.

I only once saw the chick, for a good two minutes as it waddled out into the cave entrance, unfurled its flimsy wings to sun, then promptly tucked itself back behind the entrance wall. Well, at least I know it exists.

Gopher snake

The next morning when I awoke after a blissfully deep and bear-free sleep, an ocean of fog had already marooned the mountaintops and drowned the canyon. I pulled out the battered copy of "Jurassic Park" I had borrowed from the Hopper House collection and began to read. I couldn't have picked a more perfect setting to read it as the fog crept higher in the sky and unseen creatures rustled the leaves around me. It wasn't hard to immerse myself in the world, to the point where a quail bursting from the bushes behind me caused me to jump and glance around for at least a velociraptor.  

Several hours later, I finished the book, and still the fog had not cleared. It was after noon before I could make out the cave's outline. And before long it was back to the ranch for me. 

A pressed and ancient ant from between the yellowing pages of the book. 

Can you spot the horny toad?