Varmint Tales

For those of you who have followed this blog (and I must say that I'm truly thankful for those of you who continue to stick around in spite of my many absences), you may remember back in the fall I was trapping squirrels and relocating them to other areas away from our bird feeders.  I eventually trapped and deported 11 of those little critters and I'm happy to announce that we haven't seen a squirrel around our place since Thanksgiving.  Now I know that there are surely millions of them that live in these pine forests but why they've not been back I don't know.  I'm sure one day soon we will see those little rascals again.

In the meantime in the past week something has been actually taking some of  our feeders down and feasting on the goodies we put out for the birds.  My mother believed she had seen a raccoon one night so I set the trusty trap, only to arise the next day to find it empty and sprung but no critter inside.  I borrowed a larger trap from my uncle and set it one night earlier this week .

Rocky here was not a willing participant in my varmint relocation program. Here he's packed and ready for a trip to another county. He should consider himself lucky. Most trapped critters are the victims of capital punishment.

Our bird feeders were safe again.  For one night, that is!  Another bird feeder down.  This time a steel wire actually cut in half!

This morning I was happy to award Polly Possum with an all expense paid trip across the Attoyac River to Shelby County.  But Polly was an unwilling participant in my program.  She refused to get out of the trap!  Even a little prodding with a stick didn't convince her.  So we came back home and I tracked down a neighbor who went with us and helped coax Polly out while I held the trap door open.  We actually picked the trap up, shook her out but she managed to grab hold of one of the bars and hung on for dear life!  I know Polly was unhappy to leave her family (and my neighbor says based on her size she probably still has a mama and sisters and brothers around here) but I'm sure she'll make some new friends soon!

A little added note:  I have hired a certified nurse's aide to come stay with my mom one day a week to allow me to have a little time away from home.  This should allow me the opportunity to use my camera a little more often but it doesn't free up any more of my time for more blogging.  I'll visit and contribute a photo every now and then as time permits.

Iconic Texas

A Vatican of Cardinals

I hope the visitors to this blog don't tire of photos of cardinals.  Since the care of my mother takes almost all my time these days I don't have a chance to get away too often so most of my shutter time lately has been spent with the backyard birds.  For those of you who read my cardinal Super Bowl post of a few postings back and were amazed at the number of cardinals we have, I'll take this opportunity to tell you that on most mornings and evenings during the coldest days we have somewhere between 30 and 40 who congregate for a meal.

I believe they have come to know me since my mother is unable to feed them every day as she once was and I have taken over that duty as well.  This afternoon as I was walking back to our house from getting our mail, as I neared the cardinals started flying in.  By the time I got through the door and turned back around there were about 10 who were fluttering around the area, so I gathered up a handful of sunflower seeds and spread them out on our handicap ramp and by the time I went and found my camera there were about 10 who were feasting.  These photos were all taken through glass.

There are several names for a group of cardinals, including "college," "conclave," "deck,"  and "radiance."  I rather liked the "Vatican" description.

Males with the brightest red color are known  to feed at higher rates and have greater reproductive success than males that are duller in color.  My observation is that the brightest reds appear to be the most dominant in the male population.

Fights frequently break out when there is food involved.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who is the reddest of them all?

Unexpected Company

Country dwellers often go visiting in the late afternoon after all the chores are done and you have a few minutes to relax with friends.  A few days ago as I was looking out the kitchen window you can imagine my surprise when I saw these visitors clip-clopping down the driveway.

They just came right on in the yard and made themselves at home.  It was obvious they were looking to see what kind of snacks we had.

They were unknown to me and I thought perhaps they were new in the neighborhood.  So I called one of our neighbors who has a couple donkeys and jokingly asked him if his had escaped.  He said they probably lived in the adjacent property to our farm and advised he'd give the owner a call to let him know that this pair was out on an adventure.

Every time I tried to get close with a camera they would just head the other direction.  I got a lot of tail shots, to say the least.

It seems that someone left a gate open at their place so they just decided to take advantage of the fact and come visiting.  They found a few patches of green to nibble on until their friends came by and rounded them up with a couple of pickup trucks and headed them on their way home again.

Spring?

With a low temperature last night of 23 degrees, it's hard to say that spring has arrived here in Deep East Texas, but with highs tomorrow promised in the 60s and then the 70s on Saturday we're ready to say that spring is here.  And we have plenty of signs to prove it!

Knobby-kneed baby calves are exploring their new world and can often be seen kicking up their heels in the greening meadows and pastures.

Fragrant paper whites are among the first flowers to bloom.  Their sickeningly sweet, perfumed aroma can sometimes be overpowering.

When you come across daffodils and jonquils in lonely areas throughout the countryside you know you're on the site of a once-loved but now gone home, one where the lady of the house lovingly tended gardens of spring flowers and summer vegetables.

Japanese magnolias are in full bloom, littering the floor beneath them with fragile heavenly pink blossoms.

Betty and the Super Bowl

For the past several days I've been trying to think what kind of a story I could make with some photos of my favorite cardinal, Betty White.  As I've mentioned before I've named her that because of her golden coloring and when I see her I think of a golden girl, i.e. Betty White, one of the famous Golden Girls of TV sitcom fame.

I know the Super Bowl is now in the past but that's the story line that kept ringing in my head, so just pretend that the Super Bowl was today or yesterday.  Here's Betty's story.

Betty hovers over the buffet table as the boys pig out during halftime.  They're literally drooling as they stuff their faces with the goodies Betty and her friend Kathy put out for them.

After the halftime show but before the start of the third quarter, the boys move outside for a little breath of air.  But Betty has been feeling somewhat neglected so she swoops in with ruffled feathers to have a chat with her man Charlie.

Unfortunately the guys are completely ignoring her.  This does not make Betty a happy cardinal.

After the game is over and all the guests have left, Betty gives Charlie the cold shoulder.  If he's thinking about cuddling now he's got something else coming.

Betty gives Charlie a lecture about his behavior during the game.  He looks very contrite, don't you think?  She eventually forgave him and I was asked to leave at this point.

This is Betty's official portrait taken in 2011.  This photo was chosen for inclusion in the 2011 Nacogdoches Photography Association's annual show that year.

Texas Ice

No snow this time - just ice!  I believe this is our third major winter storm this season and Mother Nature just keeps punching most of the country right in the gut, right where it hurts.  Having lived in the mountains of Arizona for seven years at 7,000 feet elevation I've at least had some exposure to winter conditions unlike most Texans.  I tend to chuckle when I see schools announcing closures the day before and when I hear all the chatter at the beauty shop about how cold it is and the fact that someone may have seen (or at least imagined) some snow flurries! Granted, most of us folk don't know how to drive in this kind of weather, nor do our high departments have the proper equipment to deal with it.

This morning I had a routine visit to my doctor's office scheduled for a blood draw.  In this office all blood draws are done on a first come/first serve basis between 8 and 9 a.m.  The only appointment you have is for the date, not the time. Upon awakening I decided the winter storm which rolled in last night with sleet and freezing rain shouldn't keep me from this necessity, and I sent a text to a friend who works for the Nacogdoches Police Department and who leaves home for work at 5:30 a.m. asking about the road conditions.  She advised there were some slick spots on our Farm to Market road but the major highway was clear.  My biggest problem was dealing with the rather thick layer of ice that covered my truck but I figured that would loosen up with a little bit of warming.  Of course I needed the strength of Atlas to force the door open.  It was frozen tight but with with some continual pulling and huffing and puffing I finally snapped the ice's grip and the door finally opened.  It took almost a half-hour with the heather and defroster blowing until I felt I could safely see out the windshield to start the trip.

The pine trees were the worst victims.  Their narrow branches can't hold much weight so they were pretty droopy under all that ice.

The little trees at a local Christmas tree farm looked like they were getting ready for another holiday season.

I arrived at the doctor's office at 8:45.  It seems that I was the only one brave enough to weather the storm.  Everyone else was either a no-show or had called to cancel.  They were so unprepared for my arrival that I had to wait almost 15 minutes while they got their act together.  I also had a bone density scan scheduled, which I didn't even know about, and I had to wait for the machine to warm up. Thirty seconds after completing that, the power went off!

 
Shortly after returning home the sun came out and the melting began and the sun's rays on all those glistening trees was absolutely magical.  I don't know how to properly capture such a scene, but the cows were certainly impressed that I came out the see their winter wonderland.

The rest of the day was bright with temps in the mid-40s and here in Deep East Texas we're hoping to reach the 60s by the weekend.  So all we big tough Texans got our little taste of winter and life should return to normal soon.  For the rest of you who have thick ice or deep snow or blizzard winds or power outages, my thoughts are with you.  Stay warm and safe, friends!

Mockingbird

No, this is not an old photo.  The flowers are artificial and were placed at a grave in Oak Grove Cemetery in Nacogdoches.  I occasionally take a drive through this historic cemetery which contains the final resting place of several Texas heroes from our revolutionary days and other pioneers.  I saw this little mockingbird and I felt certain that I wouldn't have enough time to grab the camera, zoom in, focus and shoot before he flew away but he must  have been intent on something because he sat for several minutes and allowed me to take several shots.  I didn't dare open the door of my vehicle because then I knew he would be frightened and leave.  As it turned out, I actually left before he did.  Maybe that stump was just a good perch.

Snow in Texas

Very little snow by most of the country's standards but two inches of that white fluffy stuff is a rarity here!  I finally got motivated to at least take a few pictures of birds at our feeders.

This is my favorite female cardinal.  I call her Betty White because she is a true "Golden Girl."

Another pose of Betty.

I think the Tufted Titmouse is my favorite bird.  They are just brimming with passion and attitude.

Did you know that cardinals can live up to 15 years in the wild?  I was amazed to learn that information.

Bottoms Up!

Waiting

Doesn't she know I've been sitting here waiting for 10 minutes?

What is she DOOing?

She said we were going for a ride.

This is NOT riding!

I'm getting REALLY bored!

Maybe I'll count the rocks on the ground.

She says that will help pass the time.

1 ... 49 ... 716 ... 3,682

Come on already!  Can we go now!

You said we were going for a ride!

Haven't you talked enough?

Karle Wilson Baker

Living in a rural area, our go-to place for most everything - groceries, doctors, pharmacy, and of course Wal-Mart - is the historic town of Nacogdoches.  The oldest town in Texas is full of history and historic architecture and it's also famous for being the azalea capitol of Texas, if not the entire world, and for its beautiful red brick streets in the downtown area.  The Friends of Historic Nacogdoches (pronounced nakka-DO-chez for those of you who didn't already know) has done a wonderful job of bringing some marvelous sculptures of famous citizens to the downtown area.  This bronze piece honoring Karle Wilson Baker was erected this past year on the grounds of her former home, Tanglewood.

Mrs. Wilson (1878-1960) received more honors for poetry than any other writer in Texas during her lifetime.  She was also a celebrated novelist, historian, and educator.  She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her last collection of poetry, Dreamers on Horseback, in 1931.

She often wrote about the rich history of this oldest town in Texas.  Her best selling novel, The Star of the Wilderness, was set in Nacogdoches during the years just before the Texas Revolution (1835-'36), and brought further fame to the city. She is buried in the famous Oak Grove Cemetery less than a mile from Tanglewood.

46/100 Dogs - Pug

One day not too long ago as I was leaving home on some errands I spotted this cute character along with his buddy, a big white Great Pyrenees, trotting up the hill toward our house.  I pulled Truck over and got out with my camera in an attempt to take their photo.  Easier said than done!  They both were just all over me, licking me to death.  I did manage a couple shots of this little pug, who doesn't have a corkscrew tail!  I still haven't figured out where they live or who they belong to but they were definitely a precious pair.

Update:  My mom is home from her latest hospital stay and rehab recuperation.  There's very little time left in my schedule after taking care of her and still trying to do my part-time work.  I've dropped two of my proofreading clients and I still feel overwhelmed.  Picture-taking is a special occasion these days rather than a staple in my activities.  I've tried to get by to see most of my blogger friends in the past couple of days but if I've missed you I promise to visit as soon as I can!

Old Nacogdoches University Building

Back in 1845 (when Texas was its own country - some people think it still is) the Republic chartered Nacogdoches University to fulfill East Texas settlers' ideals for higher education.  The building was completed in time for classes in fall 1859.  During the Civil War it housed a Confederate hospital and later in the days of Reconstruction a federal regiment.  It continued as an educational facility until the 1960s when its care and use became the charge of the local historical society.

Today it houses a small museum dedicated to education in this oldest town in Texas and is available for community functions.

It is currently decorated in a Victorian Christmas theme which beautifully displays some of the wonderful antiques which have been donated by local citizens.

Most of the woodwork, including the mantelpieces and hardwood floors, are original to the structure.  The painting above the ornate piano shows what the surroundings were like when the university was the only structure on the hill.

I love old typewriters and found this relic in one of the rooms upstairs.