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?
Category: Nature
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
Sunset
So, how was your sunset yesterday? Ours was pretty good.
Rain: Too much, not enough…it’s always something
It borders on heresy to complain about rain in West Texas, but that’s exactly what I intend to do. Well, it’s not so much the rain itself that gripes me, but rather the timing. Yesterday, much of Midland experienced record-setting rainfall. The airport recorded just over 2″ and street flooding was a serious problem. I… Continue reading Rain: Too much, not enough…it’s always something
Pomegranate Life Stages
Our pomegranate tree is simply loaded, and we’ll have to do some serious thinning of the fruit in a month or so to protect the overall integrity of the tree. I have no idea whether pomegranates in the wild are this prolific, and if so, how they get through a season without many broken branches.… Continue reading Pomegranate Life Stages
American Basket Flower
I love these big flowers, with their mix of delicate fronds and business-like spines.
Flaming Sky
It’s going to get ugly
I predict war will break out within the next few months, and I’ll probably be on the losing end. A mockingbird is building a nest in the live oak tree planted in our front yard. Last Sunday I noticed the bird flying into the tree on a couple of occasions, seeming to pay no mind… Continue reading It’s going to get ugly
Deluge Aftermath
If you live in West Texas then yesterday’s torrential rain is old news, but a 3″+ rainfall is still rare enough in these parts to make it worth writing about…or at least worth posting a few photos. Our neighborhood didn’t sustain any damage from the rain or the hail, other than leaves knocked off various… Continue reading Deluge Aftermath