Update (10/11/19): The events described below reminded me that skunks are probably the most confident mammals on the planet. Here’s some visual evidence of that premise. ‘Cause what’cha gonna do with a cowboy When that old rooster crows at dawn When he’s lyin’ there instead of getttin’ out of bed And puttin’ on his boots… Continue reading Forget catnaps; it’s skunknaps we really have to worry about
Category: Texas Hill Country
Fowl Lurkers
I was sitting in our home office a few days ago, arranging books in the shelf by cover color in ROYGBIV order, as one does, when I received a text. MLB was in the den, and texted me, as one does when the other party is fifty feet away. Despite the critical importance of my… Continue reading Fowl Lurkers
The squirrels are driving us nuts.
It’s that time of the year when the pecan trees in our back yard begin to earn their keep by producing, well, pecans. We certainly look forward to a great harvest of that nutty goodness, with visions of pies and ice cream toppings and pecan-crusted tilapia dancing in our heads…which is where those visions will… Continue reading The squirrels are driving us nuts.
Four-footed Follies
Update (8/14/19): I guess I should complain about the weather more often. Shortly after posting this, we had a brief rain shower…almost two tenths of an inch. That won’t break the drought, but it certainly was enjoyable. We’ve gone more than a month without measurable rainfall and the creek will likely cease flowing within the… Continue reading Four-footed Follies
Patriotic Weirdos on Parade
Alert Gazette readers will remember how I teased them with this preview of potential Independence Day bicycle decorations in preparation for our participation in the local (Horseshoe Bay) parade. The final modest result pictured below belies the hour or so of toil in the sauna-like confines of a garage in the middle of a Texas… Continue reading Patriotic Weirdos on Parade
More Turtle Eggs…And An Unfortunate Twist
A couple of weeks ago I spotted something in the adjacent vacant lot that looked out of place. It was a turtle — a Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) to be precise — in the process of creating a “nest” in which to deposit eggs. Being the insensitive-and-nosy jerk I am, I immediately set up a… Continue reading More Turtle Eggs…And An Unfortunate Twist
Escalating the Critter Arms Race
Actual game camera footage from our front yard The weather isn’t the only thing heating up around Casa de Fire Ant. As I’ve previously documented — feel free to scroll through past entries; I’m too lazy to find the links — our newly sodded front lawn has been an irresistible siren call to armadillos and… Continue reading Escalating the Critter Arms Race
Raptor in Flight
Alert Gazette readers will recall that we have a[t least one] (possibly murderous) red-shouldered hawk living abiding in the trees adjacent to our house. He or she (or they) frequently fly around the vicinity and since we’re not small mammals, it’s a treat to see them and to listen to their plaintive cries. I’m hardly… Continue reading Raptor in Flight
The Mystery of the Murdered Fawn
It’s been an interesting week or so here at Casa de Fire Ant, thanks to the endless parade of wildlife traipsing past our abode, occasionally stopping to destroy our lawn on their way to whatever other endeavors attract them. Last week, we went out of town for a couple of days but I left my… Continue reading The Mystery of the Murdered Fawn
Channeling the Wily Armadillo
Note: The following contains critical armadillo trapping advice. Ignore it at your own peril. You’ve been warned. There’s also a walking stick gif. Alert Gazette readers will recall the account of my armadillo trapping woes, wherein the creatures were zooming in and out of the malfunctioning trap as if it were a port-a-potty next to… Continue reading Channeling the Wily Armadillo