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
Category: Texas Hill Country
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
Golf Courses Are Wasted On Golfers
Disclaimer: The following contains what might appear to be disparaging and/or disrespectful observations regarding that peculiar breed of humanity known collectively as “golfers.” In truth, no disrespect is intended; some of my best friends and many of my beloved relatives (two of whom are PGA Tour winners) are golfers. Nevertheless, even they will admit that… Continue reading Golf Courses Are Wasted On Golfers
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
Our Neighborhood Bobcat
Alert Gazette readers will recall that I’ve previously written about the bobcat that frequents our neighborhood [see here and here]. Both of those reports arose from images captured on my trail camera, all of which were taken at night. I have never seen the bobcat during the day, although certain of our neighbors have reported… Continue reading Our Neighborhood Bobcat
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
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 4): Circle of Life Edition
I don’t know whether it’s because we’ve been stuck at home more this year, but I’ve noticed more evidence than ever before that spring in our neighborhood is a matter of life and death…and I’m not talking about COVID-19 at all. If the Circle of Life was unrolled and laid flat in a trend line,… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 4): Circle of Life Edition
Leaving the Nest…Literally
Alert Gazette readers will recall that only two days ago, I predicted that the juvenile red-shouldered hawks next door would be leaving the nest “within the next couple of weeks.” Well, we discovered today that my prediction was off by only…well…a couple of weeks. I walked outside early this morning in time to see one… Continue reading Leaving the Nest…Literally
Checking in on the hawk family
It’s been about six weeks since I discovered the active red-shouldered hawk nest in a live oak tree adjacent to our property. At that time, the female raptor appeared to be spending her time incubating eggs, an assumption that was confirmed a few weeks later. Up until now, I’ve had to rely on my drone… Continue reading Checking in on the hawk family
Central Texas Flatworms
I was on our front walkway this morning and noticed what I thought was a really skinny earthworm inching its way across the pavers. Upon closer inspection, I decided it wasn’t an earthworm but I had no clue as to what it was. Its distinguishing feature was a flat, paddle-like head with what appeared to… Continue reading Central Texas Flatworms