WormSpit

The package which replaced the first one has fared MUCH better.  On instruction from Laura (my bee dealer) I confined them in the hive for two days, and then gave them a tiny entrance starting the third day.  They have been eating their syrup like good little bees, and carrying in pollen of many colors.

I [...]

After much calling around, visits to stone yards, and sampling of various rocks, we decided to trim our beds with four-inch chopped “Blanco” limestone. It arrived today, on a huge muscular truck with a built-in hook lift.

I was puzzling over how they would get the skids off the truck – the guy said they [...]

As part of our ongoing efforts to be the Weirdest Guys on the Block, we decided we needed yard birds.

I have had a couple of chickens once before, back when they were legal in the old neighborhood. Farmers Branch decided to crack down on them, probably on account of many roosters, and [...]

The garden continues to thrive. I’ve been drenching the soil every two weeks with an aerated compost tea (thank you Chris for the bubbler!) with molasses and fish emulsion, and so far the only insect treatment we’ve used is BT. BT makes me really nervous – it’s effective specifically against lepidopteran larvae, like [...]

Chris and I drove to Austin, got the package of bees, and brought them home. It was a really pretty six-hour round trip through the hill country in wildflower season. The Weavers, who sold Chris the bees that he gave me for Christmas (this was a time-delay Christmas present… hive and kit, and [...]

Look tough.

I saw this bumblebee flying around the garden. Except, kind of like the SpiderAnt – it wasn’t moving quite right. It didn’t land heavily on flowers, secure in its huge sting-y power… it hovered delicately, sipping nectar. Like the HUMMINGBIRD MOTH that it is! Busted!

Chris planting irises.

The [...]

If nobody here ID’s it, I’ll actually post it to What’s That Bug… but I figure someone in my LJ friends might know!

We live by a creek.  It didn’t seem to like being out on the concrete; it ran and hid in the mulch as quickly as it could.  It’s about an inch long, and [...]

We have three cats.  One of them, Greysie, is a voracious killer.  She’s very deceptive… fluffy, sweet, affectionate… but she brings down everything from large grasshoppers to full-size turtle-doves.

I moved a kitchen towel that had fallen on the floor, and SURPRISE, it’s a snake!

These tiny snakes, called DeKay snakes, are common in much of Texas.  [...]