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?
Category: Nature
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
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 6)
Happy Friday, folks! We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today so try to keep up. (Just kidding. If you’re here for the pictures, there’s plenty; if you’re a former Playboy reader and have just stopped by for the articles, there’re a few things for you, as well, but none of it requires your… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 6)
A few photos for your perusal…
It’s been a stressful week around here, for reasons that I won’t go into. I tell you that simply as an excuse — as if I really need one — to not tax my brain by attempting to come up with with any of the witty, pithy, and wise words that I know you all… Continue reading A few photos for your perusal…
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 5)
Editor’s note: The Editorial Board here at the Gazette has grudgingly come to accept that rudimentary animations in the form of gifs — pronounced with a soft “g” — must be tolerated, much as one tolerates the annoying-but-inescapable social behavior of toddlers and politicians. That said, the Board has put strict limits on the use… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 5)
Texas Spiny Lizard Nesting Behavior
One late afternoon last week, Debbie was looking out a dining room window and spotted a strange sight in the courtyard. She called me over to have a look, and for the next couple of hours, we watched a fascinating process unfold. Alert Gazette readers will recall the previous post in which I described, by… Continue reading Texas Spiny Lizard Nesting Behavior