Cleaning the stock tank

It's March. Time to tackle our stock tank pond. First, James lifted out the dwarf water lily and lemon bacopa from the bottom, where they overwintered. Then he pulled out the horsetail rush. Alas, the parrotfeather did not survive. Using a fish net, I mucked out the bottom but not completely.

Look what I found in the muck...a dragonfly nymph. (I felt so bad for disturbing it, which is a big reason why I quit mucking.) I know you can't tell from the photo what it is. So click on this link to see a similar nymph. I set it in the water lily pot and covered it back up.

I've got my fingers crossed the leopard frogs and other wildlife critters don't disturb my plants like they did last summer. Please let me keep my stock tank pond, y'all!

Another milestone

In October 2018, I posted when I hit 500 species in our yard using iNaturalist for documentation. This past week, I've surpassed 900 species! My goal is to reach 1,000 by year's end.

New owl box

In March 2008, we hung up our first owl nesting box for eastern screech owls on an abandoned utility pole in our back yard. It's an Owl Shack built by ornithologist Cliff Shackelford. The following September, we hung up this one in the Meadow (another Owl Shack). As you'll see in the photos, it has held up well through 12 years of wear and tear. Yesterday, James took it down and replaced with a new Owl Shack that we'd originally bought for my parents. We never got around to hanging it up for them (bad me) so it came back to us. James plans to repair the original one.  

Maybe we'll get baby owls again like we did in 2009! Stay tuned!

Peach blossoms!

Elderberry dilemma

In October 2014, we planted a blue elderberry that we bought from the native plant sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For the first four years, it grew very little. I didn't know if it'd survive. Then last spring, generous rains made it grow grow GROW. Wow! 

Since March 2019, it kept going and SHOT UP. So much that recent breezes and winds sent it topping DOWN. I picked it back up and braced it as best I could, using a tomato cage. I added more topsoil, too. But it fell back down. Yesterday, James brought over two big rocks and tied the elderberry to them. We shall see. I'm wondering if it'd be okay to top it off because it's so darn leggy. Any thoughts out there?

Notes to myself

This year, James pruned back the trumpet creeper vines. He cut them back hard. I'm usually more lenient. I'd like to see if there's any difference with their grow-back.

And this afternoon, I made the executive decision to cut back the Texas barberry. We purchased that in April 2013 from the Medina Garden Nursery. It'd gotten tall and leggy. Here's hoping it turns a bit more shrubby.

Owl box occupied!

We were showing my cousins and mother around the back yard Saturday when James exclaimed, "Look, an owl!" Everyone jerked their heads up and sure enough, an eastern screech owl stared down at us. James was able to get two photos, then he/she dropped down. We've seen the owl once more since Saturday.

Last owl box has been up since May 2008. It was our first Owl Shack, built by Cliff Shackelford. We had an owl that roosted but no babies. That September, we put up a second box. The next May, we had owlets! It was so fun, especially when James did his owl rapping. But that was it. No more baby owls after that. That box needs some floor repairs. Which is probably why our "new" owl is roosting in the original box. Stay tuned!