Nature – Page 11 – The Fire Ant Gazette

Texas Mountain Laurel

The Texas Mountain Laurel adds a bit of striking beauty to the generally stark West Texas landscape.

We didn’t exactly get a blizzard in Midland (although parts of West Texas did get just that), but it was nice to wake up to a snow-covered view on our day off. I suspect that the back yard horny toad – who, by the way, is attracting way more coverage lately than he merits –… Continue reading New Year Snow

Guardian Horny Toad

Doves don’t strike me as being the most intelligent members of the avian world, if only because of how often they seem to knock themselves silly by flying into our windows. But their silliness can also be sort of tranquil, in the right setting. This guy (gal?) apparently decided he (she?) was among friends, regardless… Continue reading Guardian Horny Toad

A Damp Tour Through the Neighborhood

I’m pretty sure we’re setting some kind of rainfall record in Midland, Texas today. While it’s not unusual to have monsoonal downpours in September, it’s been years since we’ve actually experienced one. I’m of the opinion that, except for reasons of bereavement or illness, there’s no such thing as a bad day off, especially in… Continue reading A Damp Tour Through the Neighborhood

Barreling Along

We finally broke down and bought a rain barrel. OK, I broke down; Debbie had been advocating for it for a long time. I didn’t want a big honking ugly contraption sitting in our yard, and what I’d seen seemed awfully expensive. But we ran across one at Home Depot for $99 – about half… Continue reading Barreling Along

Scary Prairie

According to The Weather Channel, the temperature in Midland today will hit 105° In recognition of this dubious achievement, I offer the following. If my lawn is already looking like this, imagine what August is going to bring. OK, just kidding (sort of). This is an overly bleak perspective of the grass the developers planted… Continue reading Scary Prairie

Comanche Springs 2012: Drought Update

Last February, I posted a series of photos and a video of the vigorous flow of water from Comanche Springs in Fort Stockton, Texas. You might want to take a moment and refresh your memory because this update won’t be as meaningful without the comparison. Fort Stockton has averaged about 14″ of precipitation each year… Continue reading Comanche Springs 2012: Drought Update

Record-setting Snowfall in Midland

Almost a foot of snow, and there’s never a ski lift when you need one.

Snow Report

We got 3-4″ of heavy, wet snow last night and today. It’s not that unusual to have snow in West Texas, but we usually get the dry variety that stays on the trees and shrubs only as long as it takes for the first gust of wind to blow through. But this was snow of… Continue reading Snow Report