Wherein a beautiful bird sits for an involuntary portrait, I retract part of my admiration for possums, we study the mysterious porcupine, and snakes are the reptiles of the day.
Category: Nature
Snapshot Saturday…
…because Foto Friday was already spoken for. Plus, I’m a procrastinator. Here are some pictures I took. Where’s a pair of Wayfarers when you need them? The green tree frogs have been numerous lately (or perhaps there’s just one and he/she is someone ubiquitous). But it’s a bit rare to see one in the bright… Continue reading Snapshot Saturday…
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 7)
Howdy, y’all! Today is National Intern Day and also National Chili Dog and National Chicken Wing Day, so we’ve sent the Gazette’s army of interns out for a junk food scavenger hunt. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is National Antacid Day. Boy, there’s a lot going on nowadays in the Wonderful World of Nature, so let’s… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 7)
The Miracle of Metamorphosis: Black Swallowtail Butterflies in the Making
Debbie and I have been monitoring the life cycle of black swallowtail butterflies, and it’s a pretty fascinating process. But, first… I started writing this accompanied by the dulcet tones of a just-now-repaired clothes dryer, and it’s a good feeling to know that we won’t need to employ the makeshift fan-in-garage approach (which, I will… Continue reading The Miracle of Metamorphosis: Black Swallowtail Butterflies in the Making
Got Ticks?
We’ve had a lot of rain recently here in the Texas Hill Country, and the combination of rain and warmer weather has brought on a seasonal nuisance in the form of ticks. And, apparently, we Texans have plenty of company in that regard. Last week, NBC’s The Today Show ran a segment on dealing with… Continue reading Got Ticks?
As The Worm Dangles
Imagine, if you will, a pair of drunken-yet-paradoxically-overcaffeinated zombies staggering along a tree-lined cart path on a golf course. That mental picture is not far from the reality of my and Debbie’s morning runs lately. You see, we are well into the Season of Dangling Worms here in the Texas Hill Country, and the act… Continue reading As The Worm Dangles
When Birds Attack
Let me dissuade you from making the obvious assumption about the title of this post: it’s not about Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. It’s actually much scarier. We were finishing supper yesterday evening when I heard a *thump* and out of the corner of my eye saw not one but two birds fluttering next to one… Continue reading When Birds Attack
Geese Today, Ghosts Tomorrow -or- An Eggstinction Drama Unfolds
Alert Gazette readers will no doubt remember the pair of Egyptian geese that resided last year on the golf course nearest our house. They left for parts unknown after their lone progeny reached maturity, and we wondered if we would see them again. Based on my cursory research, they’re not migratory so they’ll keep to… Continue reading Geese Today, Ghosts Tomorrow -or- An Eggstinction Drama Unfolds
Steam Fog on Lake LBJ
Folks who live in close proximity to Lake LBJ no doubt noticed an eerie phenomenon yesterday. Even though it was not a foggy day, the lake was covered with a thick blanket of what looked like smoke or mist…and the windy conditions blew that fog across the sky so that at times it did resemble… Continue reading Steam Fog on Lake LBJ
Caterpillar Complaints and Captures
Alert Gazette readers will recall my lament from last spring regarding an infestation of walnut caterpillars and their fecal flotsam. Well…lucky us. It turns out that these creatures make twice annual appearances — spring AND fall — and we’re now in the middle of their curtain call. This is also the time of year that… Continue reading Caterpillar Complaints and Captures