Texas Master Gardeners...

My cover article on the Texas Master Gardener program has been published!

C'mon...it's January?

 I spotted a Gulf fritillary caterpillar yesterday on a passionflower vine! Can you believe it?

And a black-eyed Susan is blooming.

Backyard beekeeping workshop

Early morning guest

Hey, look who wanted to share the bathroom with me this morning! Yes. I know. Most folks would likely grab a towel and smash this guy to smithereens. Not me. The sight of eight legs anywhere always thrills me. So I grabbed a camera and got some shots of this handsome wolf spider. Then I escorted him outside in the glass we keep by our sink. Happy travels, Mister!

Cold temps equal suet balls

This morning, I dug out what was left of our packaged lard and whipped up some suet for the birds. It's our first batch of the season. I shared the recipe I use a few years ago in a post, "Suet day." But here it is again:

Charlotte's No-Melt Suet
1/2 cup lard
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup cornmeal
Melt lard and peanut butter in a glass container on low in the microwave oven. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Chill in refrigerator until firm-ish. Form into balls. Refrigerate leftovers.