The blue, blue skies of home
The blue, blue skies of home
By: Jon Hammond, Tehachapi News Columnist
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Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments I walked outside this morning and while admiring the stunning cobalt blue of an autumn Tehachapi sky, I heard the sharp staccato call of a woodpecker. Not the dry knocking caused by the bird drilling into wood with its reinforced bill, this was its actual voice, making a woodpecker noise referred to as a “whinny call.”
I let my gaze slowly search the spreading tree limbs superimposed against the crystalline blue sky. There are 13 different species of woodpeckers that have been spotted in the Tehachapi area, including the recent addition of a first-ever local sighting of a Black-backed Woodpecker (Piciodes arcticus). Which one was making the bbrrt-bbrrt-bbrrt call?
I had my suspicions and they were confirmed when a 7-inch tall bird with a black-and-white barred back, a white speckled belly and a striped face with a red cap suddenly appeared in the sunlight: it was a Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii) and the red marking identified it as a male.
These are charming little woodpeckers who tend to forage for wood-boring insects by spiralling their way up tree trunks and limbs. The Nuttall’s is the only woodpecker whose range is essentially limited to the state of California, though they do stray into extreme southern Oregon.
There are eight different species of Picoides woodpeckers found in the West, all ranging between 6 and 9 inches tall, and six members of the genus have been seen in Tehachapi: Ladder-backed, Nuttall’s, Downy, Hairy, White-headed and Black-backed Woodpeckers. Be alert and you may see them now, since they are easier to spot with most of the deciduous leaves already off the trees.
The black locust tree on which the Nuttall’s Woodpecker was hunting for insects is host to bright colonies of lichen, which were especially vibrant in the autumn light with the blue sky backdrop. The rough and seldom-changing bark of locust trees provides a stable and ideal home for lichens in the Tehachapi area.
Nearby, a thriving cottoneaster (usually pronounced ka-TONY-aster) shrub was loaded with Christmas red berries. Cottoneaster shrubs are small-leaved, drought tolerant plants that have long been popular around homesteads and old farms because they’re tough, survive neglect and still produce beautiful berries.
The remaining photo on this page pays tribute to a rare pumpkin. Surrounded by Indian corn, little pumpkins, a butternut squash and a white pumpkin named Jack Skellington, the large orange pumpkin in the middle of the photo is special: it was grown in 2006 and is still in good shape over one year later.
I am a particular fan of pumpkins. I bought my first car (a 1971 Pontiac Firebird which I still have) with money I saved from selling pumpkins my brother and I grew with help from my uncle. A field full of all sizes of pumpkins in shades from light yellow to deep orange is a distinctive thing of American beauty.
I also love pumpkin pie and jack-o-lanterns, but we can’t bring ourselves to carve our favorite pumpkins — they quickly wizen or rot once you cut them, so we leave the best ones alone and enjoy the sight of them as long as they last.
And the large pumpkin in this photo is from LAST year and was still in great shape when I took this photo this morning (Nov. 24, 2007). The ability to store well for so long is one reason why pumpkins were such an important food source for the Native Americans who first grew them. The willingness of the Indians to share with colonists the seeds of these amazing vegetables speaks highly of the character of the First Nations people.
Enjoy the blue skies and vivid hues of Tehachapi now before hard freezes and winter weather bleach some of the color from our surroundings.
Photos by Jon Hammond
Margie Johnson Finley
The Tehachapi community lost a well-known and longtime member last week with the passing of Marjorie Johnson Finley. “Margie,” as she was known to the hundreds of Tehachapians who knew her, was the daughter of former Tehachapi News publisher Walter Johnson and the sister of later News publishers Warren and Dick Johnson.
Margie possessed the delightful Johnson sense of humor, quick wit and rapid conversational skills. For many years she worked with Esther Frietag at the Tehachapi Flower Shop, and her intricate knowledge of Tehachapi, its residents and her discretion and diplomacy made her perfect for the job. You could tell when Margie was working because of the frequent laughter coming from the back of the store.
She was a devoted wife to her equally devoted husband, J.C. Finley, and she was proud of and adored her son Mike and his wife Peggy. She had faced health challenges and diminished vision in her later life with courage and tenacity. She probably covered 10,000 miles on foot through her daily walks in her beloved hometown.
Our thoughts are with the Finley and Johnson families.
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