Behold, a scorpion

This fine specimen of a striped bark scorpion greeted us when we got home last night from the Texas Pollinator Powwow. He/she was on the dining room floor. Normally, I'd turn my head and let James flush a scorpion (I don't have anything against them, personally). But this time, I caught it in a jar and had a photo session this afternoon. Suffice it to say that I didn't flush it afterward...... 

Texas Pollinator Powwow

Students who attended the conference from Furr High School/Green Institute in Houston added a lot of high energy to the conference.

What a GREAT weekend we spent in Kerrville, meeting with and learning from nature experts and also monarch specialists at the Texas Pollinator Powwow. I can't begin to share everything here (I have pages of notes from the back-to-back sessions). James went, too, a first-ever conference for him. He LOVED being there (I could definitely tell)!

Those in attendance (left to right) included Ricky Linex–wildlife biologist, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Russell Castro–state biologist–NRCS; Ben Eldridge–education director, Cibolo Nature Center; Bill Neiman–founder, Native American Seed/Prairie Conservation; Scott Richardson–landowner/biologist; Kip Kiphart–monarch educator/landowner, and Randy Johnson–Randy Johnson Organics.

Gail Morris–Southwest Monarch Study; Chris Best–botanist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service;  Rebeca Quinonez-Pinon–Forests for Monarchs; Dr. Kristen Baum–Oklahoma State University; Catalina Trail–field assistant/Dr. Fred Urquhart; Randy Johnson; Dara Satterfield–University of Georgia; Cathy Downs–Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas; Wendy Caldwell–Monarch Joint Venture, and Kip Kiphart. 

Dr. Merlin Tuttle, who founded Bat Conservation International, spoke on bats and pollination.

Carrie McLaughlin, Texas Pollinator Powwow coordinator

 I LOVED seeing our friend Ysmael Espinoza from Medina Garden Nursery again! He remembered me! (And, oh, yes, I confess...I bought a few native plants from him. How could I not?)

One photo to prove that James really went with me.

Oxblood lilies

 James got some great shots of our oxblood lilies in bloom right now in the back yard. Aren't they pretty?

Four o'clocks

These native narrowleaf four o'clocks (Mirabilis linearis) showed up in some salvias the back yard. According to the Native Plant Database, they're perennials! Cool! I found some growing on the city-side of our property two years ago ("New-to-me native").

Still lots of hummers (and our tail-less wonder)

 Lots of hummingbirds still coming to our feeders right now!

 Our little tail-less wonder is still around, too.

My wayward beetle

I could swear (but I won't) that this is the same ironclad beetle that I found last month ("Ironclad beauty"). But it's not. I just compared images, and they're definitely not the same beetle. But what's funny about this beetle is that it seems to prefer the side of our house. I found one yesterday, crawling up the side of the house. I took it down, we chatted for a bit, then I let it go in the fragrant mistflower. This morning, I found it (or another ironclad beetle) climbing up the side of the house. Once again, I took it down and released it in the mistflower. It'll be interesting to see if it returns. 

Stock tank look-see

At the start of summer, I had my doubts about how our stock tank was going to shape up. But it's done quite well this year! I'm pleased. I think administering a fertilizer tablet to my dwarf water lily helped tremendously.