More patio visitors . . . leapin' lizards

The green anole (Anolis carolinensis) is a native to our "backyard" and they keep us entertained day and night.  During the day they leap from trees and shrubs to sun on patio furniture and fence rails.  At night they chirp and "twitter" as they feed on insects and look for love.  This guy, we'll call him Larry (the lizard), is as common as Floyd and Jenny (the squirrels).

These wonderful friends have the ability to change color as they move from green foliage to tree trunks and to patio furniture.  Notice the change in color as Larry moves around.

As Larry moves down the tree trunk, his skin begins to darken.

Your can see more about these guys here and here.

Three and a half

Three and a half,

A big boy now!

(last year only two)

Now there's almost

More to be done

Than a big boy

Like me can do

Cars to race

Tractors to pull

Bugs to find

Kingdoms to rule

No time to nap

Can't sit on a lap

Got to know, and

Got to do.

But wait . . .
Is that a cookie I see?
Did you make that cookie
Just for me?

I like cookies very much

They're quite good

With milk and such

Got to go now

Much to do

After all

I'm no longer two.

Go spurs go!

Last stand for Spurs fans in Richmond.

More patio visitors

Who am I? I live in Bexar County, TX.  I am the color of new copper.  I have four wings . . .

more clues . . .

http://www.odonatacentral.org/

http://books.google.com/books?id=FEgujVH7GM4C&lpg=PA18&ots=cqCYlLZN2v&dq=dragonfly%20texas%20san%20antonio&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

Can Penny come out and play?

No, we're so sorry . . . Penny doesn't live here any more.  But we'll let you know if we hear she is coming to visit.

Every day we learn something new (Not everything is bigger in Texas)

So here’s the deal . . .


It’s Sunday afternoon, Debbie is sitting on our newly refinished glider on the patio, reading, writing in her journal, enjoying the beautiful weather and watching our furry friends drop in for a corn treat (cf. previous post) . . .

when much to her surprise (and my delight) a Texas thread snake leptotyphlops dulcis appears on the patio, only to be promptly whacked by her handy sandal. We’ve seen these critters before and thought that they were baby snakes, but, this being a quiet Sunday afternoon, and with nothing more pressing to require my attention, my curiosity drew me to see if I could learn more about this creature. So if you are curious too, follow these links to learn a little more about the wonder of God’s creation (what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?)

http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/epubs/eee_00002.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptotyphlops_dulcis

(Now that we know how beneficial they are, Debbie has agreed not to be so quick to whack the next one she sees [but the snake had better be quick to move on, or she might change her mind])

Jenny dropped in for lunch

While we were sprucing up the patio furniture today, our furry friend Jenny dropped in for lunch.  If Penny were here, our friend Jenny might have been lunch.  So for Penny, here's a tasty sounding squirrel recipe:

Squirrel Casserole
4 Squirrel; quartered
4 Ham slices; very thin
4 md Onions; thinly sliced
4 Carrots; thinly sliced
4 lg Potatoes; thinly sliced
4 sl Bacon
4 oz Apple cider
4 tb Flour
Salt and pepper
Water
Rub the squirrels with salt and pepper. In the bottom of an earthenware casserole with a tight lid, arrange the slices of ham, then a layer of squirrel, then a layer of onion, a layer of carrot, and a layer of potato. Continue building up layers, seasoning each with salt and pepper until casserole is filled. Arrange slices of bacon across the top. Add the cider. Place the lid on the casserole and seal it with a paste made of flour and water.
Place the casserole in a 250-degree oven for 3 hours.