In the hills above Ramona in San Diego County lies beautiful desert country.  I went for a walk there last weekend.  It was hot and and still even in the early morning.  Lovely vistas of Chaparral and bare boulders.  The air was full of  the smell of sage and the sounds of birds calling and feeding. Fire tore through this area a few years ago and dead trees peer out of the scrub making excellent perches for jays and woodpeckers.  Turkeys meandered through the dried river bed and  vultures soared overhead.  Towhees, Oak Titmice and Wrentits scratched in the leaf-litter. Bluebirds perched on a nearby house.