We've gone from cute to gruesome...

 

Halloween sure has changed around here...

 

At 4 yrs old in 2007 and cute as can be as a little dragon...

 

 

to 10 yrs old and gruesome!!

 

Fred and Michael went and got Michael's costume yesterday. He finally got to buy the costume he wanted and wow it's going to take awhile for me to get use to it!! He said he wasn't going trick or treating this year but now since he got to get the costume he wanted he's changed his mind. He's going to scare the poor little ones half to death, ekk!!

 

 

 

 

 

Bee Butts and Butterflies!

I managed a few photos this evening...

 

 

 

Nice to see some bees. Our bee population is almost non-existent so I was excited to see a few this evening...

They weren't cooperating for the camera so no pretty poses

 

 

On our West fence row I spotted these Pipe-vine Swallowtails breeding, cool!

 

 

And on our Red Oak tree I always manage to find a few butterfly chrysalis hanging!

 

 

It was rather a quiet evening at the property until the bullets started flying. I had just finished walking the West fence line and had sat down on the steps of the deck when projectiles from the West side of our property starting flying at me...I could hear them whizzing by and thunking into wood as I took cover! I was terrified and started Screaming and Cussing for them to stop Shooting!! They must have heard me and stopped, thank you God!! There is no one on the property to the West but further West there is a road with houses and I am sure that is where they were coming from...I ended up calling the Sheriffs Dept and they sent out a deputy and Game Warden. I haven't heard anything so not sure if they found out who was shooting, I highly doubt it. I don't have much faith in our sheriff dept or Game Wardens. Fred came down and we looked to see if we could find where they had hit but didn't see anything. I'm glad they missed me, the jeep and the pool and I told Fred God was watching out for me as they were flying and going everywhere! I am amazed at how stupid and ignorant people are though, you would think before you start target practicing you would know what is around you!! Idiot People!! I am also thankful Michael was not down there with me tonight. I guess I know how a deer feels now too, it wasn't fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Productive day...

 

We had a pretty productive day here. There were a few things we wanted to get down before this next Cold front blew in (It just blew in too 9:20pm CST). We collected and cleaned a bunch of junk and trash up around here and filled the back of the pickup truck and took it all to the dump...

 

We burned brush piles of dead trees we had cut down and cleaned up. Nice dry wood burned fast and Hot...It was a hot day but beautiful. I mowed with the riding mower while Fred shredded (mowed with tractor) and the property is looking nice. I still have a bit more to shred as Fred ran out of time.

 

We had a nice dinner out and then all of us sat at the property after I fed the deer and watched them come in and eat. Couldn't ask for a better evening with my boys.

 

While Fred was cleaning up the tractor and shredder I grabbed the camera....

I spy the legs of a Green Lynx spider...

 

 

Just because I liked it, the petals of a Zinnia

 

Fred and I have decided we need more of these...

 

 

A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.

 

 

It is estimated that a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird takes about twenty hours to fly across the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tip of the tongue to help lap up nectar.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope y'all are having a good weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Creek this afternoon...

 

I wasn't going to go down to the Creek today, it's just too Hot and to Humid. But I heard that the wind was going to be picking up this weekend and I wanted to get photos of the dragonflies.

 

 

Water Primrose

 

 

I loved the reflection I caught

 

 

Just imagine he's about the size of your thumbnail, so tiny

 

 

My favorite photo of the day!

 

 

A different point of view...

 

 

 

And of course the Peacock butterflies were down there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look closely it has another spider under it that it killed, yikes!

 

 

Snout-nosed Butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

Rattle bush bloom

 

 

 

 

Ragweed and one reason my allergies are acting up

 

 

Tansy-aster

 

 

Michael spotted this red-shouldered hawk by the pool. I tried to sneak a bit closer but he spotted me and flew off.

 

Here's hoping y'all have a good weekend. I see there are blizzards, tornado's and a Hurricane in the forecast for the U.S., crazy weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goliad State Park this evening...

 

I had to make another trip into Goliad this evening and decided to visit the nature trail at the State Park...

 

 

 

The spider webs were catching the evening light just right and were gorgeous!

 

 

There were a few different flowers and I enjoyed those too.

 

 

A few butterflies I hadn't seen before...

 

 

Some really strange looking fungi

 

 

Texas Kidneywood or Vara Dulce, this is a shrub and smells really good.

 

 

Last photo session with these I called them wild petunia's but my favorite book says that this is a mistake commonly made by others and this is actually a Violet Ruellia. 7 wildflower books and not one is the same, sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

It's from the Aster family and I loved the little curls.

 

 

This was a first for me too, it's a Satyr butterfly.

 

 

I think he's a little Nut!

 

 

Over in the picnic area I watched a family of Eastern bluebirds hunt for bugs.

 

 

They are so pretty

 

 

It was getting dark but so glad I got to enjoy the bluebirds.

 

It was really humid and before I finished I was soaking wet. The weather people say we have a cold front coming in and our temps next Monday will be in the 60's, Wow! That will be a relief and I will believe it when I feel it.

 

 

 

 

 

Down at the creek today...

 

I took the camera with me while I went to investigate if the creek's puddles had more water in them, but I had the wrong lens (18-200mm) on the camera. Maybe tomorrow I'll try my 300mm lens and get some better photos? Oh and yes the puddles in the creek were a bit bigger, still not enough to flow. 

 

 

I couldn't figure out if these dragonflies were trying to breed or were fighting! The blue/green guy had the other one by the neck, ouch!

 

 

Bordered Patch Butterfly

 

 

I was glad to see the spotted Gar were still alive. They aren't in very much water but they seem to be tough and surviving. This one pictured was about 2.5 ft long and I had fun watching it jump out of the water and try to catch dragonflies. The bass are gone and I didn't see any catfish either.

 

This Anole lizard was trying to hide from me but obviously he wasn't doing a great job!