Copperheads (plural)

We've found that one good thing our dog does is bark to warn us about snakes near the house. She barks all the time though. At a bird. At a squirrel. At a truck passing out on the road. But this bark is a different bark. More of an alarm type bark. It's hard to describe here but we recognize it now. We've heard it a few times lately. Three times to be exact.

The first time was one afternoon when it was just me and our college daughter here. Thankfully she was brave enough to get the hoe out and deal with it. If I'd been here on my own, I would have just watched it through the window from the safety of the house, and wished it to slither away somewhere else. And plug up the hole in the weatherstripping under the front door. The first two photos were taken from inside the house, through the window.

Someone has said that the smaller they are the more venomous they can be. I'm not going to test out that theory.

The second time was at night and the photos weren't very clear. The snake is hovering next to the stone pillar by the water bowl.

And the following morning - the ants had taken over.

And then two days later, all that is left is the skeleton.

And then the third time, I only arrived on the scene with my camera after it was dealt with.

Okra

After being encouraged, once again, by my cousin who gives me East Texas gardening advice, I decided I'd have a go at growing okra. I have been hesitant to try it, not because I didn't think it would grow well, but because I thought I was the only one that liked eating it. It turns out several in the family actually like it when it's battered and fried and crispy. 

So here we go. I think I planted a little late in the season because other locals are already selling their okra in farm stands. But we have a long hot summer so I'm pretty sure there's still time for it to produce.

The packet says the plants will grow to 4 feet high in 53 days. Yikes, that's almost taller than me. After about a week they were sprouting. And now five weeks later, they are about 6-8" tall. Doesn't look anywhere near producing anything in three weeks. But I'll be patient.

(The egg is just for reference for the size. It's what I had  in my hand when I took the photo.)

Turtle or Tortoise

We had this visitor in the front yard the other day. The dog was barking and going crazy so we had to go see what all the fuss was about. We encouraged him along the way and eventually he found a little pond of water.

This little episode created quite a controversy in the household while we took sides debating if it was a turtle or a tortoise? What do you think?

Lima Beans

My cousin sent me some lima beans to try growing here. The variety is called Christmas and the beans are red and variegated. They like full sun and hot weather. I planted them a few weeks ago in one end of the raised beds. So far they've sprouted and come up nicely. They haven't flowered yet. 

Baby Shower

We hosted a baby shower recently here at our house. For a special couple and their baby boy. We planned it for a Saturday morning and decided on a Texas cowboy theme. Others did most of the planning and execution. I made a few food items to contribute. 

The guest book was a children's book that the ladies signed and added comments. We had a short quiz asking who (mom or dad) would most likely do various simple things. The ladies "decorated" newborn disposable diapers with notes to encourage the mom and dad when changing baby. We had brunch and then later cake and pie. Mom-to-be opened the gifts and we all enjoyed commenting on them.

It was a fun morning with the ladies and I think we managed to "shower" the couple with love and gifts.