Lunch With The Masters

 

That was me! Yesterday, I presented my "Spiders of Central Texas" program at the McLennan County Emergency Services Education Center in Waco. I was the August speaker for "Lunch With The Masters," a monthly series that the McLennan County Master Gardeners host. My invitation to speak stemmed from a hearty suggestion given by member John Sponenberg, who has followed this blog from nearly the beginning. 

 

Darn, John, why didn't we think to get a photo of us together? I'm so glad we finally got to meet in person! And yes, I'll do better at posting more here. 

 

UPDATE An email from Laynie M. with the chapter: "I have to tell you what a great hit your talk was. Yesterday we had a work day at one of our gardens, and everyone was on the lookout for spiders. Then when one of the ladies found one, they all had to come over and see if it was a boy or a girl!"

 

My work is accomplished.  

Last woolly ironweed...

This is the story of our last surviving, full-blooded woolly ironweed (Vernonia lindheimeri). We planted our original one in October 2013 in the back yard. A year later, we planted western ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii) in the front yard. When the deer began to eat those, I attempted an ironweed rescue and planted the westerns on the other end of a small bed where the woolly ironweeds lived. (Are you keeping up with which ironweeds are which?) Well, the western ironweeds ADORED the back yard. In fact, they fell in love with the woollies and produced a hybrid. Well, the hybrids took over and crowded out the woollies. This past spring, I noticed one surviving woolly and decided I'd swoop in and rescue it.

Finally, that happened today. But it was a JOB! In the top photo, you can see how long the root was. I poured water into the hole and dug and dug and dug and got it out intact. Then I replanted the woolly WAY across the yard, where hopefully it can grow and reestablish the species in our yard. Stay tuned!

New digs for the woolly.

Circle shows where the woolly was growing, surrounded by hybrids.

Western in the foreground, hybrids in the back. 

Milkweed transplant

This is a photo of one of the many plateau milkweed (Matelea edwardensis) vines that grow on our rural land. When I spotted what I thought was a seedling vine, I decided I'd dig it up and take it home. Why not? 

 

WOW, look at the root! It's older than I thought. And it sure is true how milkweeds establish thick tubular roots. Somehow I managed to get nearly all the roots of my "seedling." I've put it in a pot with dirt that it'd been growing in. That should help it feel at home when it gets established. Then later I'll find a place in our back yard to plant it.  

 

UPDATE I am sad to report that my little milkweed died. I failed to keep it watered because we've been out a lot this past month, helping my mother move out of her house. Win some, lose some. 

Notes to myself

Last Saturday I collected just a few seed heads from American basket-flowers (Centaurea americana) that grow along County Road 102 not far from Blanco. I didn't take many. Later I tossed the seeds in the Meadow and my flower corner in the Pasture.

Another treasure on the land

James recently found what's likely the nest of a black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) on our rural land northwest of Blanco, Cool, eh?  

Liberal Ladies

What fun today! The Liberal Ladies came by to tour our gardens this morning. Then they had me join them for their monthly potluck and meeting. After lunch, I read excerpts from my middle grade novel, Charnell, and they loved it! They gifted me with their enthusiasm and encouragement for the book. I am honored. Thank you, ladies (and one husband who came for the garden tour)!

New tumbling flower beetle species

Yesterday this teeny tiny critter caught my eye on a Mexican buckeye leaf. I snapped some photos for iNaturalist and discovered that it's a tumbling flower beetle by the scientific name of Paramordellaria carinata. It's a new species for my list. It also ups my tumbling flower beetle species to seven in our yard. 

 

Entomologist Mike Quinn noted that it's a first for Blanco County on iNaturalist. (So was my recent Mecas marginella, a flat-faced longhorn beetle). I'm always excited to get a "first" in our county! 

Cool Christoval critters

While I was visiting with Cathy Brown at the Hummer House, James sent me a text. When I saw the tarantula photo, I excused myself for a few minutes and RAN out to see him. Naturally, I had to get a photo of this handsome fellow crawling on an outside window of her home. He's likely a Texas brown (Aphonopelma hentzi) but hard to know for sure.

This giant mayfly (Hexagenia limbata) landed on my arm. And below is a firefly (Pleotomus pallens) that I found outside our cottage door. 

Hummingbird nesting material

We spent a night this past week at the Hummer House in Christoval. More on that wonderful visit another time. From the gift shop, we bought this Hummer Helper Nesting Material kit and a refill. Dan and Cathy Brown put this out during breeding season at their place. We saw hummers and a few other bird species pull from the cottony fluff. If you look at the label, you'll read that this was tested at the Hummer House. We're going to try it!

Jagged ambush bug

Meet a jagged ambush bug (Phymata americana). You gotta look hard to find these guys. They measure about a quarter of an inch long. I found this one on a Texas kidneywood blossom, waiting for a meal (insect) to show up. 

 

When I spotted my first one in 2018, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So prehistoric looking! On my iNaturalist list, I've got nine observations of jagged ambush bugs. As their common name implies, they lurk on vegetation and ambush their victims. 

A new name, and a new sign

First there was The Meadow. Now there's The Pasture! After we had the new cedar fence built last month, neighbor Michael Green stopped by while he was out walking his dogs.

"So," he said, "what ya gonna put in your pasture?"

I laughed and said, oh, not much. Later I relayed the story to James, and we both laughed. Then I suggested why not? Why not order a sign, like we did for The Meadow? Well, THE PASTURE sign arrived today, and James hung it up. Then we invited Michael to drop by because we had something to show him. He laughed, too. We love our new sign! Plus, now we have a name for the other part of our property. 

Spectacular masterpiece

Last week, James and I visited Mason for fun and business. Along the way, we stopped by the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library. I popped my head into the Stribling Room and by chance saw a truly wondrous sight hanging on a wall. This 3.5-foot-by-7-foot masterpiece (thank you for measuring, librarian Cristi Slocum) showcases 47 Texas wildflowers embroidered by the late Mytle Willman Wade of Mason. Since I’ve embroidered in my past, I can especially appreciate and admire the many hours that Mrs. Wade worked, meticulously stitching on this spectacular piece. 

MWade 1993

One of my favorite species

Bats on radar!

Last night around 9 o'clock, I observed these "clouds" rippling outward on weather radar. They were bats emerging from a cave somewhere between Leakey and Uvalde. Cool!

Naturalist visitors

 

What a treat! Three naturalists from San Antonio spent the morning, exploring our native plant gardens and photographing wildlife. Thank you, Jerry Morrisey, Claire Carter (above) and Tami Reed, for taking the time to come up. They even saw some new species, like purple milkweed vine and a planthopper (photo below).  

 

Claire, me, Jerry and Prima taking a break.

Tami knew my uncle Dudley R. Dobie Jr. 20 years ago MD Anderson!

Possibly Thionia sp.

James photographs the back yard....

In the past few weeks, Mother Nature has blessed us with nearly five inches of rain (then we got another inch this morning). Yesterday morning, James wandered around our back yard and took photos of our (mostly) native plant friends. So beautiful and GREEN ...