genuine verdict

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The family was featured in Mother Earth News lately in a feature entitled "Why We Dig Gardening". Mother Earth does not have an online version of the article so you’ll have to go buy a copy to read about all the families and their gardens. We didn’t win the contest but it was fun to see us in the magazine. Yours truly was the photographer and I would have ruined the picture anywhere but behind the camera. After all the magazine is called "Mother Earth News".

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so little difference between the beginning and end of a day, but its always one day that makes a difference

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A beautiful December morning !

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I caught this cicada hanging on its exuvium this morning. You rarely see this because it usually happens at night.

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This tree just keeps growing! It has easily doubled its height this summer. We’ll need a few more winters to determine if its viable in north Texas.

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Now I know. This looks like the most impossible and uncomfortable place to sleep. But this little bird has perched in the same spot for the last week. I’ve never been able to photograph him because early in the evening he flies away when the back porch door is opened. But last night, I stayed up late and woke him up for a portrait. I believe this is one of the baby birds that hatched in the flower pot on our back porch this spring. From the nest he probably became comfortable with looking out at the ceiling. I suppose that this spot is somewhat similar to their natural habitat of exposed roots on overhanging stream banks. I’m curious if the sound of water from our fountain draws them to the porch.

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Chiltepin is the official native pepper of Texas. (Legislators have to write laws about something, its their job.) Sometimes called the bird pepper because birds have dispersed the seeds from Mexico to the southwestern states. Its super hot, and my favorite pepper because the bite is sharp but it dissipates readily so your mouth won’t burn long. Great on eggs and rice. The first harvest is usually in August and they keep coming until the first strong frost. In my part of Texas, they freeze back but the roots survive and the plant comes back more vigorous every year. This is a photo of my oldest plant, already with the first peppers set! Its going to be a good year if this keeps up! Email me if you’d like some seeds from this year’s harvest.

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"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."  – Excerpt from the notebooks of Lazarus Long, from Robert Heinlein’s "Time Enough for Love"

I’ve been in Texas a long time and haven’t seen too many praying mantis. I found this baby praying mantis in the hawthorne bushes. Its not more than a quarter of an inch long.

As a kid growing up in Ohio, this was our favorite insect to catch because it requires a bit of skill to pinch them before they pinch you! In the fall, we would release them in my mother’s garden so that they would build their egg pods in the shrubs around the house.

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One of the joys of spring is the flowers. These Clematis were transplanted from our old house over eight years ago. Every year, they pop out of the vines along the fence for a few weeks before the heat puts them into a serious hurt. By the way, this photo makes a great wallpaper on your PC. Check out my photos on Flickr of the other flowers Jacqui and the girls have planted around the yard.

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One of the benefits of avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on our property is the presence of a large number of toads, frogs, lizards, and salamanders. They help keep the insects in check and create a balance that’s easier to live with then the chemical warfare alternative. The amphibions seem to be the first effected by chemicals because their skin readily absorbs the toxins. So when I see them in abundance, I don’t worry about the kids playing in the grass and dirt.

This is a Gulf Coast toad that I photographed yesterday in the flower bed near the back porch. Notice the distinctive ridge forming a valley between the eyes. The Gulf Coast toad can grow to four to five inches. This one was about three.

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"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." – John Steinbeck

For the first time in my working life, I own my ideas. Since they are mine, I’ve decided I’ll share a few on these pages in the coming days. It’ll be a change from the nature posts you’ve been seeing, so fair warning is due.

Now this little rabbit has been living in our garden. He finds a nice home there because we failed to weed the garden where it hasn’t been planted. The weeds are several feet high and provide a nice place to hide and some shade as well. Yesterday, Jacqui harvested the garlic and found an area laid flat by the rabbits nest. This rabbit and I have made our acquaintence over the past several days, so I was able to get within five yards to take this photo.

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All three of the remaining Louisiana Waterthrush hatchlings left the nest this morning, twelve days after hatching. I was in and out the back door frequently this morning while repairing my lawn mower and was lucky enought to catch the last two leaving. Their first flight was about 10 yards to the edge of the porch. Then their parents called them into the Hawthorne bushes. All day long you could hear the baby birds calling for food. It will be interesting to see how long the parents continue to feed the babies. The first bird out of the nest is still being fed by the parents.

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I mentioned in an earlier post the mallard ducks that have made swimming in our pool part of their daily routine. I managed to photograph them the other day. Its difficult to get close to them. Check out my other photos on Flickr and you can see what I mean. I forgot to turn off red eye reduction and the blinking flash sent them flying. We’re seeing them less often lately and soon they will move on until next spring. The water is warm enough for the youngest of our children, so “Pool’s open !” (Just as soon as I clean up after the ducks 🙂

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The first baby bird has left the nest this afternoon. About four days early by my estimates. Now that the biggest baby is out of the nest, I can see that there are three left and one egg that didn’t hatch. It didn’t take long for a pair of cardinals to start chasing him, but the parents drove them off. An avid reader of my posts (thanks Mom !) identified these birds as Louisiana Waterthrush. This little bird is used to having his picture taken and didn’t mind me getting so close.

DSCN5003, originally uploaded by trekr.

We’ve had to cut down a few oak trees over the years that died from hypoxylon canker. As stewards of the land, we’ve tried to plant more then we’ve cut. This is a Chinese empress tree in its second year. It’s growing about five feet a year so far. This spring, its doubled in size! I can’t recommend it yet. I’ll let you know what I think of it in a decade or so.

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There is a infamous story about squirrels and the previous homeowner’s wife. She claimed a squirrel came out of the toilet just as she sat down. She called the police and there was a big to do about it. So much fuss was made that the story continues to be retold by neighbors whenever the subject of squirrels comes up. I don’t know if its true. Its hard to imagine how a squirrel would get in a toilet. But I do know, that her husband pounded in the lead vent pipe coverings on the roof.

In any case, there is a free lunch around here if you are a squirrel.

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Today I caught of photo of one parent feeding the hatchlings. It wasn’t easy to get the shot because these birds are very careful approaching their nest. If you know what kind of bird this is, please let me know.

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Some of the birds hatched yesterday. They make a very quiet chirping noise. Their parents are busy feeding them. I’m amazed that they chose to nest so closely to our back door. We’re all used to each other I guess. My wife reminded me that I forgot about our other springtime visitor. A wild rabbit has decided to help us weed our garden. So far he’s been a good guest and hasn’t destroyed any of the vegetables. The beehive has divided as well and taken up residence in another pillar across the pool.

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Every spring this pair of little birds makes a nest in the same flower pot under our back covered porch. Welcome back. There are five eggs in the nest. We are hoping they all hatch. We have other regular visitors every spring. Check out my photostream to see the mallard ducks that have made our swimming pool their springtime home. This is their third year to camp out in the pool. They stay a few weeks and move on. There is a frog that lives somewhere in the landscaping by the pool. At night, he parks himself in the skimmer basket and catches an easy meal or two. The frog has been living in the pool for at least four years now. I make an extra effort to be careful about when and how I chlorinate the pool. My wife is an organic gardener so there are no man made chemical fertilizers or pesticides on our property. Works out nicely, because it would cost a fortune to use chemicals over our acre. Finally, a hive of bees decided to take up a home in one of the fence pillars around the pool. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to find a way to live with them or if I’ll have to call a bee keeper. I’ll keep you posted.