We had a rather uneventful Memorial Day, without much to report. We did go on a couple of walks around the neighborhood, and I thought I’d share a few sightings of local flora and fauna. The first was actually last night, and not local at all, at least not in the “neighborhood” sense of the… Continue reading Random Holiday Nature Scenes
Category: Nature
Front Porch Update (or, “Doo doo doo, lookin’ out my front door”)
It’s important to keep the Historical Records up to date, so here’s what’s happening in the front part of la hacienda: Barn Swallows – When last we checked in on the little #@*%& fellows, their nest was almost complete. It’s now finished and positioned so close to the ceiling that we can’t see inside the… Continue reading Front Porch Update (or, “Doo doo doo, lookin’ out my front door”)
Fire Map
I’ve been tracking wildfires in West Texas via Weather Underground’s interactive mapping feature. If you’re not familiar with it, check it out when you have a moment. When you initially visit the preceding link, you’ll see a generic Google Map. Use the “Map Controls” located beneath the map to select which options you want to… Continue reading Fire Map
When life gives you lemons…
…make, uh, pomegranate juice? As I may have mentioned, our big pomegranate tree didn’t survive the Big Freeze of Ought Eleven. We discussed digging it up and planting something else, but then noticed a very healthy and vigorously growing batch of shoots coming up from the base of the dead tree. We decided to let… Continue reading When life gives you lemons…
Redefining a Day
In anticipation of the watering restrictions scheduled to begin on April 1st in Midland and several surrounding communities, I reprogrammed my sprinkler system control box on Saturday, determined to get a jump on things rather than wait until the last minute. Our home address ends in an odd number, meaning that we’ll be allowed to… Continue reading Redefining a Day
Tracking Comanche Springs in Fort Stockton
Last Monday, February 21, we made a day trip to Fort Stockton to visit family, and were pleased to see that Comanche Springs was again flowing. This is a fairly dependable annual occurrence each winter, when the agricultural irrigation west of town ceases and the water level in the aquifer rises sufficiently for the water… Continue reading Tracking Comanche Springs in Fort Stockton
Back Yard Visitor
I glanced at the backyard just before lunch this morning, and my eye caught an unusual shape in our Mexican Elder*, which has been significantly denuded by the winter cold. I looked a bit more carefully – the figure was definitely bird-shaped, but much larger than the usual vagrants. I moved to another window to… Continue reading Back Yard Visitor
Pomegranates, anyone?
Or, should I say, everyone? Our tree is loaded this year, as the photo below proves. And this is after we thinned out the crop a bit. From the street, the pomegranates look like those big red Christmas tree ornaments. I don’t remember the fruit being quite this red and shiny last year. I think… Continue reading Pomegranates, anyone?
Barn Swallows: Winning the battle, losing the war
As you may recall, I was successful in convincing the local barn swallows that our porches were sub-optimal for nest placement. That battle was messy and frustrating for both sides, as battles always are, and neither side emerged feeling entirely satisfied with the outcome. During the aftermath, it became obvious that barn swallows are masters… Continue reading Barn Swallows: Winning the battle, losing the war
Isolated Thunderstorms and Targeted Destruction
In this part of the country, “isolated thunderstorms” is weather-speak for “you’ll get rain approximately at the same time the devil goes ice skating in Hades.” Except for tonight, when our neighborhood found itself squarely in the cross hairs of one of those isolated incidents. We got a nice rain, which was greatly appreciated since… Continue reading Isolated Thunderstorms and Targeted Destruction