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JOHN CAYDEN

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A ROCKET TALE Copyright 2021 By John Cayden All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews This book may be purchased for educational business or sales promotional use For information please write to johncaydenbooks gmail com First edition published 2021 Written and Designed by John Cayden johncayden com Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Is available upon request if applicable ISBN

for little protectors of Earth in the making This is a work of fiction Animals trees rocks plants locales and incidents are either the products of the author s imagination or used in a fictitious manner Any resemblance to actual critters living or dead or actual places or events is purely coincidental

Desert dwelling mammals have evolved a wide variety of ways that allow them to live in areas of extreme temperatures with little water In the summer months temperatures in a desert can reach over 110F degrees or higher and ground temperatures may rise above 160F degrees The ways in which animals cope with heat include leaving an area either by moving away during the hottest times or moving to higher ground where it s cooler being active only at night when the air is cooler and burrowing into underground shelters or homes where the ground and air is cooler below the surface Many of these animals are losing their homes due to human development and fire By educating yourself on the needs of these beautiful and unique animals you might discover ways to help them someday Although tough places to live deserts are very delicate and fragile ecosystems and can use all of our help to thrive

It was the time before rain when the bright stars shine out and each night creatures stirring all watched by this mouse Fat seeds and nuts were stored nice with care In case early winter would soon arrive there

My little furry children were snug underground where most mammals live and the cool air is found My name is Rocket and this is my tale A story about neighbors and the place where we hale

I m a Kangaroo Mouse with big eyes ears tail and head but my body and hands are both small ish instead I m the size of a peanut and hop like a bunny but I m fast as a Rocket and I run when it s sunny

One night started off with a rustling crunch only my ears could hear someone looking for lunch It s a Pack Rat named Gemini who is looking for water he drinks from some cacti cause thorns just don t bother The pack in his name is from the stacking of duff used to cover the entrances and hide his home kids and stuff

On such nights I notice groans moans roars and sighs as creatures big and some small thunder toddle and waddle on by Next was a Kit Fox that some here call Aries He s smelling for pack rat or squirrel in the breeze He has three ways for dealing with the high heat One is his ears the second his home and the other his feet His ears shed the hot and his home keeps him cool While the soles on his feet are like thick pads of wool

After the fox it s usually Grus a Black Footed Jack Rabbit who hops just us His family is huge with the cutest of kits these babies stay hidden unless the parent permits When their babies are born They open their eyes and start hopping around like they re older and wise

Grus s little ones leave after eight weeks or so But Carina s hang around and after decades don t go She s one of the oldest of the Brown Leaf Nosed Bats who loves bugs and most fruits and eats small frogs and gnats Her nose is a point that s shaped like a leaf thought to help her find food when it s dark and with ease

Unlike Carina who uses sound to find food Dorado looks feels and tastes to find something good This Mohave Ground Squirrel collects leaves twigs and nuts to take to her pups that are wiggling their butts They make some loud peeps sometimes in the dark alert or alarm it sounds like Horned Lark