I have always had a deep interest in the natural world. I have become even more engaged since moving to the orange grove, where I am often outside, surrounded by trees, birds, and animals.

Since moving here, I have learned how destructive gophers are to orange trees—we lose several trees yearly to gophers chewing tree roots; the value of gopher snakes, which look like rattlesnakes but without the diamond-shaped head and with no rattles; the abundance of little cotton-tailed bunnies that live in our environs; and the beauty of red-tailed hawks gliding on the air currents about the grove. Plus, I’ve seen a dead red fox (I’m afraid he was the victim of poison) with the most beautiful coat of fur I’ve ever seen on an animal. Long, red, immaculate. I felt sad for that lovely animal’s unfair and premature demise.

We also have a pack of coyotes that live across the field from our land, and we often see one particularly handsome coyote sauntering among the trees in daylight hours. Of course, these sightings remind us to keep a keen eye out for our little 2-year-old Ethan, who is small for his age, and our small dogs. But with the large number of rabbits on the property, I don’t think our coyotes are hungry, which is a great relief.

In addition, two owls live in a nearby tree, and we can hear their hoots at night, which are calming and reassuring. We have an occasional blue heron who visits, a white egret that can sometimes be seen in the nearby field, and a family of deer that wander out from the protection of the trees occasionally. I’ve seen one small rattler, which reminds me to watch out when poking under rocks or going too far into the wood pile, and we have ground squirrels, regular squirrels, field mice, and wood rats that are very happy to call this orange grove home. Plus, Ron’s bees are happily busy as the orange blossoms open.

We have 250 Valencia orange trees, a few Cutie orange trees, several kumquat, Satsuma tangerine, lemon, lime, and pomegranate trees, and around 50 oaks that we planted twenty years ago, which are now good-sized trees. We have three alpacas, four hens and a rooster, a tankful of koi, and a few frogs. That is not even mentioning the whole murder of crows who live in a nearby tree whose riotous caws sometimes make us wonder if they are mourning the loss of one of their number or the plethora of worms and bugs that thrive in the mulch we use to fertilize and keep moisture in the ground around our trees. Also, many birds migrate through. Some little guys who may be finches show up a few times a year, and a bright yellow-breasted fellow whose appearance is quite impressive.

For someone who loves the natural world, the orange grove is a treasure trove of discovery. I stay busy every day enjoying our many residents, and at night, I can listen to the sounds that let me know I am surrounded by a whole community of friends.

Red-Tailed Hawks

Blue Heron