Yesterday, James told me that he could see the pink cactus bloom in our new cacti bed from the street when he drove by. So I followed him out there and was surprised to see that the bloom had REALLY opened since the day before. It was beautiful. So I ran back to the house for my camera....
As we were admiring the flower (and the beetle), James noticed an orange-and-black caterpillar with white spots, high-tailing it across the ground toward the cactus. It seemed to be in a big hurry. And it appeared to be heading straight for the cactus in bloom!
As you can image, we were surprised when the bristled fellow
did crawl onto the cactus. At first, we thought it might stay and gnaw on the flower. Not quite...
Well, it did pause and take a quick break, almost like it was posing for me. Then the caterpillar headed back down the cactus and onto the ground again.
And off it went, headed west with great determination and purpose. I wish I could identify the species, but I haven't been able so far. But this I know: our little caterpillar will be one special butterfly. And maybe we'll meet again.
I feel honored that we met in the first place.
UPDATE–Our blooming beauty is likely a
lace cactus (
Echinocereus reichenbachii). Just happened to spot a similar one in a borrowed book,
Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of Texas by Delena Tull and George Oxord Miller.
After last year's struggle with heat and few rains, we decided not to plant a vegetable garden this spring.
As we were admiring the flower (and the beetle), James noticed an orange-and-black caterpillar with white spots, high-tailing it across the ground toward the cactus. It seemed to be in a big hurry. And it appeared to be heading straight for the cactus in bloom!
As you can image, we were surprised when the bristled fellow did crawl onto the cactus. At first, we thought it might stay and gnaw on the flower. Not quite...
Well, it did pause and take a quick break, almost like it was posing for me. Then the caterpillar headed back down the cactus and onto the ground again.
And off it went, headed west with great determination and purpose. I wish I could identify the species, but I haven't been able so far. But this I know: our little caterpillar will be one special butterfly. And maybe we'll meet again.
For the past week or so, these beautiful little white flowers have bloomed across our adjoining lot and parts of our yard. Silly me–I was thinking they were a rain lilly. Though they are a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), they are actually false garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve), also called crow poison. As its name implies, it looks like garlic or an onion plant, but it's not! One way you can tell is that it lacks the oniony odor. 
Two kinds of agave (the top one came from our 11 acres outside of town)
Barrel cacti (from the 11 acres)
Unknown cacti (from the field)
A tiny cactus smaller than a toothpick
Native grass
Another transplant from the lot
The first bloom on our bearded irises opened today. I claim no credit; the bulbs were planted long before I moved into this home in April 2002 (James arrived in May 2006). But I had to take a few photos and share their beauty. These flowers are so very pretty.....
When the temperatures really heat up, we'll turn on our new hummingbird mister, a neat contraption made by our friend, Thomas Merritt. He got his inspiration after James shared the idea with him. James got his inspiration after I told him about rancher Dan Brown and the mister he made for his dozens of hummingbirds near Christoval, Texas. I wrote about Mr. Brown and his Hummer Haven (a guest cottage) a few years ago for several publications, including American Profile and Texas Parks & Wildlife. 
