terrier terrors

 

Here are two of the terriers that brought fun and terror into my life. Maggie, we guessed, was a cairn terrier. We found her wandering on a remote highway with no homes near and "rescued" her. It could have been that she was on one of her big run abouts that she continued to do even after we claimed her. Fearless and full of energy, she roamed great spaces and would attack any varmint. She once had her throat torn by a nutria, a beaver type rodent that inhabits wetlands in Louisiana. And she almost died from the wounds inflicted by a pit bull that dared enter her space. She could always hear my car returning and would race across fields to be there to greet me when I arrived, pretending she had been there all along.

Toby, my first wire fox, was full of so much energy that he chewed up several doors and stainless water pans as a puppy. He could bounce up to 3 feet when greeting visitors, and never learned how to walk on a leash without gagging himself. Actually, he needs an entry all his own to detail his exploits.

Enchanted Rock

 

A huge rock comes into view in the distance. Pink, bare and rounded, it is Enchanted Rock, a granite pluton that rises from the surrounding plain and is visible for many miles. Located in central Texas, it is a destination for all kinds of explorers who want to clamber over it and feel it powerful presence. On weekends and holidays the park that surrounds often has to be closed because there is no room for parking or camping. We have tried to make it early, but failed twice. I still hope I get to make it to the summit one day, but as I get older it begins to seem less likely. 

out on a limb

The sun perched on a limb and showed me the way.

Along my walking path.....

Otter

 

 

 

Since birding has been slow around the house lately, I decided to take a drive to the lake and look for ducks and shorebirds. It was rather barren there, too. But as I scanned the canal I noticed a roiling of the water and up popped a whiskery head. An otter! He was swimming quite close to fishermen and crabbers, and my first concern was that he would get harmed. He seemed to be doing well, though.

 My next concern, and one that makes me grieve for him and all wildlife, is all the plastic and trash that humans are throwing into the canal when they are finished with their day of recreation. Bottles and plastic fishing lines, fast food containers and boating trash float along the margins of the waterway.

Orchard Oriole

 

 

 

Singing boldly all day long and scolding me whenever I walked thru the yard, an orchard oriole gave away his nest site. It has been years since I had one nest so close to the house. The nest is about 25 feeet up on the outermost limb of a live oak.

Carolina Wren's nest

 

This busy little rusty bird built its nest in a hanging basket on my patio.

Texas hill country wildflowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many flowers--miles of them--a fascinating surprise in what most would consider a harsh landscape. I really didn't realize I had so many posts about wildflowers. I do love them!

Weekend at Lake Pontchartrain

 

 

 

 

Water lapping at pilings under the bedroom for a lullaby, endless whitecaps rushing to meet us, crimson sunsets, dawn greetings from a bald eagle...a perfect weekend!

Bluebonnets

 

 

 

 

Beautiful, beautiful Texas......where the beautiful bluebonnets grow..

No photo can quite convey the magic of fields filled with these fragrant blue wildflowers .. I hated to leave because the season was just beginning.

She did it again!

 

 

A great horned owl peeks over the top of a planter at the entrance to the Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.  Last year she raised 3 owlets in the same planter. In the bottom photo you can barely see her tufts above the edge of the corner container. Dozens of people walk beneath her nest everyday. What a great view ....for her and all those who pass that way.

Happy first day of spring!

 

The leaves are still tender, the skies a bit stormy, but the Easter egg colored poppies promise more to come.

Peach trees are blooming in Texas

 

 

The peach trees are blooming in central Texas.....pink clouds on the hills. Visions of juicy golden fruit, ice cream with flecks of tart peach goodness, and crusty rich peach cobbler.....yum!

Searching for the golden-cheeked warbler

 

 

 

 

 

Searching for a tiny bird on a gray and overcast day doesn't usually lead to success. Reports of their presence here in good numbers drove me to give it a try. Turkey Creek runs through this area and  the walking trail crosses the creek 15 times. Recent rains made the trail slippery and I had to look down as much as up to avoid falling into the creek.

The endangered golden-cheeked warbler breeds in a oak/juniper woodland and seems to favor slopes and ravines. Several large tracts of protected woodland have been set aside for it in central Texas .

After hiking several miles and staring into canopy for a few hours I was only rewarded with its wheezy song, always somewhere just out of binocular range. So no good look again so far this year. But spring is still young, and I will be watching for more reports of my elusive nemesis.

I included an early blooming bluebonnet to brighten up the gray, gloomy photos. I am not complaining though because the rain is still needed so much.