My parents live at the foot of Box Springs Mountain behind the University of Riverside under the embedded “C” that faces the eastside of the mountain facing Riverside. The Big “C” was built on Box Springs Mountain in 1957, approximately 1,500 feet above the University of California. It measures 132 by 70 feet and is a poured concrete block letter. Click on the Google map link to see it:

http://maps.google.com/?ll=33.971178,-117.302034&spn=0.004271,0.005096&t=k&om=1&z=17

Box Springs Mountain contains a variety wildlife habitat in the Inland Empire region. There are many populations of snakes, lizards, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and deer, some of which wander into the populated areas below. My parent’s yard is at the top of the street in the neighborhood. Can you see the “C” at the top?

Their yard butts up against the mountain. Because they're are so close to the mountain and have had coyote visitors – they have not had many pets in fear that they would be eaten or taken.

For my assignment I will soak in the environment around me. I will sit quietly and visualize a large imaginary sphere around me. I take in biotic and abiotic things.

This is the view from the backyard. I sat here in the quiet in order to observe the world around me.

I was hoping there would be a train.

That is a little bumble bee on the edge of the pool skimmer. In the distance I saw hawks cruising at the top of the hill. First I saw two hawks and then there were four. I was unable to capture a picture of them since they were so far away.

That is a plane in the center of the picture above. If you click on the picture to enlarge it you can see the plane.

As I sat outside on this beautiful day I could hear children playing in the distance from the nearby school. I heard birds chirping. After I sat there for a few minutes I could hear beetles. At first I only heard one from an area across the yard. Soon I began to hear beetles in many directions. Birds flew by and circled around. I even saw a plane pass by. The wind blew and I could hear the rustle of trees and plants. The yard contains many different types of plants. There are yucca’s, succulent’s, birch trees, orange trees and grapefruit.