FIGHTING THE DROUGHT HERE IN TEXAS

HERE IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS WE ARE FIGHTING A BATTLE WITH THE HORRIBLE DROUGHT WE HAVE THIS YEAR.  WE HAVEN'T HAD BUT ONE OR TWO SMALL SHOWERS SINCE NOVEMBER LAST YEAR!!  WE DON'T WANT TO LOOSE OUR BEAUTIFUL OAK AND ELM TREES SO WE ARE ON A WATERING SCHEDULE TRYING TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.  HERE IN OUR TOWN, THERE ARE DEAD OAK, ELM AND PINES EVERYWHERE.  I WOULD SAY ABOUT 15% OF THE TREES HAVE DIED OR ARE DYING.  IT IS SO SAD.  I HATE TO SEE THE BIG, OLD GROWTH TREES DIE LIKE THIS.

CHINCH BUGS HAVE INVADED MOST LAWNS DUE TO THE STRESS ON THE GRASSES.  IT IS A HORRIBLE SITE, BUT CAN EASILY BE FIXED NEXT YEAR.  I AM MOSTLY WORRIED ABOUT THE TREES AND THE CRITTERS THAT LIVE IN OUR FOREST.

SPEAKING OF CRITTERS, WE HAVE HAD A PAIR OF CROWS COME EACH SPRING AND NEXT IN SOME TALL PINES IN OUR NEIGHBOR'S YARD EACH YEAR TO HAVE THEIR BABY.  SEEMS THEY HAVE JUST ONE BABY EACH YEAR.  THEY ARE A NOISY BUNCH SO I ALWAYS KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE FLEDGED THE BABY AND ARE TEACHING IT HOW TO EAT AND HUNT.  THE LAST YEAR'S FLEDGLING SEEMS TO HELP WITH THE FAMILY ONCE THE BABY FLEDGES BUT BY SUMMER IS GONE AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE TOGETHER AGAIN.

ANYWAYS, THERE WAS A BIG, I MEAN HUGE RUCKUSS IN THE BACKYARD WITH THE CROWS CAWING.  A CACAPHONY OF NOICE.  HA HA  THERE WER SIX CROWS IN THE BACK YARD MAKING A FUSS SO I WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.  THEN I SPOTTED THEIR PROBLEM.  THEY WERE UPSET BECAUSE A POSSUM WAS WALKING ALONG THE BACK FENCE.  I GUESS THEY DON'T USUALLY SEE ONE DURING THE DAYTIME SO THEY WERE ALL IN A TIZZY ABOUT IT.  DO POSSUMS EAT BIRD EGGS I WONDER?  ANYWAYS, ONCE I SPOTTED THE POSSUM AND WENT NEAR IT, THE BIRDS DECIDED THE HUMAN HAD IT UNDER CONTROL AND FLEW OFF. 

IT TURNS OUT IS WAS OUR OWN MR POSSUM WHO WAS A BABY LAST YEAR IN OUR BACKYARD.  I KNOW THIS HOW?  DOESN'T ONE POSSUM LOOK LIKE ALL OTHER POSSUMS?  NOPE...OUR LITTLE GUY WAS BRIGHT WHITE AND NEVER GOT THAT GRAY OR GRIZZLE COLOR LIKE OTHER POSSUMS DO.  WE FIRST SAW HIM LAST YEAR IN MY WASHING MACHINE...YES, HE HAD FALLEN IN BECAUSE I LEAVE THE LID OPEN DUE TO HUMIDITY.  HE HAD COME INTO MY GARAGE AND SOMEHOW FALLEN INTO THE EMPTY WASHER AND WAS SLEEPING IN THERE WHEN I WENT TO DO THE LAUNDRY.  YIKES!!  THERE WAS POSSUM POO EVERYWHERE.  HE MUST HAVE WORN HIMSELF OUT TRYING TO GET OUT.  HUBBY PICKED HIM UP AND I SNAPPED A PHOTO OF HIM BEFORE WE SET HIM LOOSE.  A MONTH OR SO LATER WE SPIED HIM AGAIN IN THE BACKYARD AND WITH GLOVES THIS TIME HUBBY PICKED HIM UP AND WE GOT ANOTHER PHOTO SHOOT OF HIM.

SO, BACK TO THE CROW/POSSUM SITUATION---HE DID NOT LOOK WELL. HE LOOKED DAZED AND CONFUSED AND JUST SAT ON THE FENCE AS I TALKED SOOTHINGLY TO HIM.  I WENT INSIDE AND GOT HIM A PIECE OF BANANA AND PUT IT ON THE FENCE AND LEFT HIM ALONE.  I THINK HE WAS HUNGRY OR THIRSTY OR BOTH.  WHEN I LOOKED AGAIN, THE BANANA AND THE POSSUM WERE GONE.

IT WAS FUN TO SEE MR POSSUM AGAIN A YEAR LATER.  I BELIEVE HE WAS A RUNT OR HAS HAD A HARD TIME THIS PAST YEAR BECAUSE HE WAS QUITE SMALL.

SO THE CROWS WERE GONE AND WENT ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS, MR POSSUM WENT ABOUT HIS BUSINESS, AND I WENT BACK TO MY CRAFT ROOM TO GO ABOUT MY BUSINESS OF HAVING FUN WITH PAPER, INK AND SUCH.  AND WATERING MY TREES, AND ITTY BITTY GARDEN.

MORE SAMPLES TO SHOW YOU NEXT TIME! 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT CROWS, POSSUMS OR CRITTERS IN YOUR BACKYARD.  WON'T YOU LEAVE ME A COMMENT?

 WE ARE GROWING YARD LONG GREEN BEANS IN A LITTLE GARDEN THIS YEAR.  THEY ARE SO FUN TO WATCH THEM GROW.  I SWEAR THEY GROWN SEVERAL INCHES OVERNIGHT.  I PICK THEM WHEN THEY ARE ABOUT 12-16 INCHES LONG.  YUMMY.

 HERE IT IS A VERY SMALL BEAN JUST FORMING.

ALSO GROWING YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES.  HAVE TO DO SMALL CHERRY OR GRAPE TOMATOES BECAUSE THEY BIRDS AND SQUIRRELS GET THEM BEFORE WE CAN OTHERWISE.

INKY FINGERS Y'ALL.