Praying Mantis vs. Hummingbirds

The Praying Mantis was still here this morning only this time she was on the Hummingbird feeder...needless to say the hummingbirds were having a fit....

Praying Mantis up on the feeder...

Stand off between hummingbird and Praying Mantis...The hummers were literally harassing the praying mantis trying to get her to move.

Praying Mantis gave up and went under the feeder and the hummers seemed okay with this...

Fishing Fun!

Michael didn't go to sleep until 3am last night and then he tossed and turned most of the night...seems his allergies are acting up! This morning I heard Fred get up and said UGH!! I was just to tired to move...So Fred took off and said he'd be back in a bit and I went back to sleep...At Noon Fred still wasn't back and Michael and I had been up for a few hours so I told Michael lets go fishing...We drove the tractor across the swale hole and a fishing we went!! I caught something every cast and even caught the HUGE Catfish that got away from me this past spring and yes he got away from me today too!!...sigh...Someday I'll bring that Gigantic Fish in...he broke my line today!! I took a few photos of the better ones I caught today. Michael didn't catch a thing, he was to busy playing with his shovel and the water, sigh!! His boots were full of water and I was laughing because you could hear them squishing when he walked...didn't seem to bother him.

This is one of several catfish I caught...2lbs and 18 inches. I have to tell you I HATE catfish and I hate catching them...Fred loves it and if he had been there he'd have been tickled...

Michael with the Bass I caught...not a very big one but he was fun as he hit the worm as I was reeling it in....I love watching Bass hit the bait...it's AWESOME!!

I saw this praying mantis hanging from the fence this morning close to one of the Hummingbird feeders...Not sure what she thought she was going to catch but I think they are so cool...She was startled by me and the camera but didn't fly away...

That was pretty much our day...Fred is watching the cowboys and Michael is quietly watching Tom and Jerry cartoons...I'm going to go settle down with a good book!

Critters and other Interesting things from Saturday

What would a day be without Wendy's critter photos....

This is a Water Scorpion...I had seen one the day before when Fred and I were down at the swale hole and thought it was a walking stick and almost picked it up, really glad I did NOT pick it up...I was looking it up to see what it was this evening and yes it is a member of the walking sticking family but called a water scorpion because yes it does sting...UGH!! He was moving fairly quickly today and that is why I didn't get a really decent or close up shot of it and NO I was not going to pick it up either, LOL...
This frog was under the impression that he was hiding but I was laughing at him as I could see him quiet well and was having fun taking photos of him...

A blue dragonfly or as the book says a skimmer.

A rosetta Skimmer (dragonfly)...See Helen it's got purple on it and pink and red too...everytime I see it I think of Helen because she likes purple.

I saved the best for last....it's a Caroline Wolf Spider (I think) and when I first spyed it I thought it was a tarantula...This spider was HUGE!! I spent quiet a bit of time trying to get a decent photo without it jumping on me, LOL...It didn't appear to be aggressive so I had fun!! Isn't she beautiful!! The book says it is the largest wolf spider in the United States...

I hope ya'll enjoyed my photos today...I enjoyed taking them!!

Okay as you can see I left my job duties for a bit and walked down to the creek...Fred and Michael went back to the house for a bit and I shut the pump down and took off for the creek, lol...

The water is almost down to what I call normal and above is a photo of the what we call the kids pool...This is where Michael normally fishes and where all the smaller perch and bluegill hide out...I did see a very large turtle in it when I came down the path, probably the same turtle that scared the heck out of Michael and me this spring...Fred called it a mud slider turtle, all I know is the thing is HUGE and is probably in there eating our fish, Ekkk....
Above is a photo of my favorite fishing spot...there are some good sized bass in there...

Above is a photo of the tree with the fork and the one I use to compare the water levels when it floods...your looking at the gravel bar that is in the top photo of the kids pool...

This photo is my favorite of the day!!

I was walking the path and saw this MONSTER down in the creek...I was so tickled when I saw how well the photo came out...It is a Spotted Gar...They get to be 3 Feet long and can weigh as much as 8lbs...they can live up to 15 yrs. This one was about 2 ft long maybe more....just gorgeous.... here is a link if you'd like to read about them

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/spottedgar/

I showed Michael the photo and he ran to his fishing pole and said lets go get him Momma, LOL...I've never caught a Gar but from what I've been told they are fighters and to me probably like hooking a Northern Pike...I'm sure it would be fun!! I'm just itching to go fishing!

Butterflys ~ Birds and Wildflowers from Saturday

Taos Swallowtail Butterfly

Some type of pea wildflower, not sure and couldn't find it in my books.

Skipper butterfly on a Guara.

Golden Aster

Chickadee

Dusky Wing.

Viceroy with Gulf Fritillary fluttering by...I love this photo I made Fred and Michael stay back while I was taking photos of the Viceroy and as I snapped this photo I saw I caught another butterfly fluttering by....

Longtailed butterfly

Scarlett Sage with grasshopper.

Viceroy butterfly.

Mistflower down by the creek.

And the work begins...

Fred has been working on this old disc his father gave him for several weeks...He thought he could get away with putting a couple hundred dollars into it and use it...well after he found out how much everything was going to cost to fix it he decided to give it up...So today he tore the disc down to take back to his dad...I was in charge of pumping water out of the swale hole and in between watching the pump and water I wandered around and took photos...we are hoping to be able to put culverts and gravel in the swale hole in a couple of weeks so that we can have access to the creek and so I can go fishing, LOL....Michael was busy helping his father, sitting in the truck to keep cool and coming and checking on me every so often...On one of our runs back to the house I sat down in the truck and it seems there was a bee in my shirt and I got stung...sigh...I took a benedryl instead of waiting to see if it was going to affect me (allergy to bees here) and before long I was walking around in a groggy state...so after all my photo taking and watching the pump I went back to the house and Michael and I had a nap...

Saturday Morning Hummers

I couldn't resist first thing this morning grabbing the camera and going outside with the hummingbirds and taking photos...I think Fred was a bit disgusted as he wanted to get busy and go to work down at the property...Oops!! It isn't the first time he's had to wait on Me and my camera and I know it won't be the last...(grin)