The Caregiver’s Tales
Tiny essays on life, nature, grief and other things that catch my fancy in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s how it all got started.
Select a category from the drop down menu:
Finding Flowers
I like to look down when I walk because that’s where the flowers are. Yesterday, as I walked through a patch of tall grass and wildflowers on my back lots, I noticed a flower I'd never seen before, Wingpod purslane. It has a pretty little bloom that runs and hides when the sun gets too high. I think today I’ll try to gather some of its seeds to keep it around, maybe move it to the front yard gardens.
Feeding Time
Storms have rumbled around the Hill Country all night, mostly to the west and north. The tail of one of them is dragging across me even as I write this morning. But it’s light and I doubt anything very heavy will fall. That’s okay. We’ve had a decent couple of weather weeks. And a half inch or so of another gentle rain is nice. I’m sure the plants and trees are in heaven, because everyone is putting on new duds in the form of foliage.
Night Rain
My goodness, we got another dose of rain last night. The big storm fell to the south of us, but we got a nice taste of the action. We have another chance tonight. That would be sweet. I like these seasonably cool mornings as we head into summer. The baking days will come soon enough and last longer than anyone really likes. So, the soft, cool touch of a rain soaked morning is a nice memory to carry into summer.
Ranchette Life
There are ups and down to living at the urban/country interface. Deer are the best downside example. Luckily, there’s enough country around me that the woods offer better habitat than my yard. Scorpions are another. Found one in the kitchen this morning. I took it back outside. Mostly I find their desiccated bodies in the house. There’s no water and little food. Once upon a time we had a pest control service spray the outside of the house, but stopped because of the dog.
Gone Cat
We appear to be down one cat. One of the feral kittens has disappeared, although she’s old enough by now to no longer truly qualify for that appellation. It’s just that her mother is still here and I call her momma cat, thus her kittens are still kittens. Everyone was fixed early on, so it’s unlikely to be for reasons of love. And food is always plentiful, so I doubt she wandered off looking for better lodging. I guess it will just be a mystery as to where she went. I do hope she’s in good health, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever know the story. And that’s the way of the country.
Brain Dump
Fed the cats this morning and on my way back into the house found a Walnut Sphinx Moth hanging on the screen. What a nice set of wings. Swept back. Ornate. Didn’t seem to be the type of guy to flutter aimlessly around a lit light bulb. It disappeared at first light, or so I imagined. I wasn’t there when it left. I’m not sure what it will eat around here, we don’t have many trees it might like. I guess the little cherry tree might be considered a nut tree. We’ll have to see.
Little Reasons
Yesterday I met a fox. He walked right up the driveway like he was heading to the cat food for a snack. I spoke to him. He stopped and listened, then continued on his way. He seemed relatively unperturbed that I was out there. I followed him for a bit as he walked around the pool, sniffing as he went. Every once in a while he stopped and looked at me, but he never got in a hurry. He just went on about his business.
Bird News
I took down my bird feeder. It went from being a high end place for titmouses, wrens, cardinals, and the occasional painted bunting, to being a dive bar for sparrows with raucous comings and goings and food on the floor. I’m going to investigate other options, but for now I want peace on the porch. I’m leaving the bird bath, because everyone needs a drink and a good dousing and it’s fun to watch the birds flop around in the water, and I imagine it will be ever more popular as the summer wears on. I’ll be back with food but I just need to find the right feeder style.
Pasture Pondering
It’s a lovely day in the neighborhood. It was windy yesterday and not so lovely. But it’s still now, and cool and that feels good. Springlike. Our need for rain continues, but I am beginning to despair. We have the month of May and most of June before the official start of summer. I’m afraid, however, we’re going to be in for a goodly stretch of hot and dry with only occasional showers. We need a monsoon.
Weather Day
Rain. Nice. Soft rain, too. The rain barrel that was nearly empty yesterday is now full. It would be good if it fell all day, but I have a feeling it’s a short term thing.
Future Thoughts
Sunday was a day of rest for me. I did find and fix a leak in the pool plumbing. Courtesy of a Mockingbird.
First Frost
Hooray for first frost. It came last night. The grass was dusted with bits of ice this morning. It didn’t last long. The sun saw it’s duty and did it. It’s good to feel a little cold in the morning, however.