The common name of cacomistle (cacomixtle) for the ringtail is from the Nahuatl language. It translates to “half cat.” I can see that, especially when you watch them scurry around. “Look a kitty!” Another common name is miner’s cat, from the fact that miners/prospectors liked to have ringtails around for the same reason I do; they eat rodents. Yay!
The photos are Ms. Mesquitey’s and taken one early morning in our greenhouse. Yes, that is a scat on top of the irrigation clock. Well, I took that photo… of course.
SPECIAL BONUS! Here’s a link to another episode about some nearby ringtails:
https://kxci.org/podcast/literary-ringtails/
I grew up in Kentucky and the state flower of the state is goldenrod. The particular species that has that honor is Solidago gigantea....
Hummingbird trumpet (Epilobium canum) kicks into bloom in late summer and early fall and the red flowers are spectacular! Until then it sits around...
I think that if I went back twenty or so years and looked at my notes, I would probably be waxing poetic about fall....
