SPRING.....again

Spring arrived here in North Texas the last week of February. The pollen has been extremely high, with that said, the allergies are full blown as well. However, the beauty of the Red Bud trees blooming, the bees buzzing, warm days, cool nights, butterflies floating along, mowing the lawn every two days, poison ivy, along with their cousin poison oak are growing and all the trees budding out is so lovely and enjoyable. In spite of the sneezing, runny alternating to stuffy nose, itchy watery eyes, spring is truly a beautiful time of year here. 

Here are a couple of Red Bud trees blooming. The captions are from a time I had no idea what these were.

The two pictures below are wild flowers that are beginning to appear as well. These are just a few signs of spring here in North Texas. This is the most colorful time of year!

 

Spring is harvest time. Soon there will be combines, balers, tractors, drills and all sorts of farming equipment working like ants to get the crops harvested, to turn around and plant the spring crop.

Spring is beautiful, until you get your first fire ant bite. Reality sets in quickly and you watch where you walk and stand.  Not truly sure the reason for fire ants, other than they do aerate the soil. Beyond that the fire ant is a stubborn, tenacious single minded critter. If allowed and I am not doubting their ability, they would sting/bite you until paralysis from their poison kicked in, then they would carry you to the mound for all to cannibalize you! I have witnessed this with large grasshoppers and a baby snake. Fire ants, mean business. 

Now you are wondering to yourself, I know you are thinking it, why don't you avoid the fire ant mounds?  When they look like this, I do!

 This is a short mound. It is about 3 inches high and 8 to 10 inches wide. This is a very active mound. 

This mound is almost as high but is 12 to 14 inches across. Again a very busy mound of activity. This mound was under a farming discs that was laying on the ground.

I usual see these mounds ahead of me. The the two pictures below is how the mound begins. These are the mounds you usually do not see. You may stand on it or next to it. Then the problems begin. 

You normally do not see these little beginning mounds growing to be big mounds you can see a mile off.  These beginning mounds are very active and once you get too close or stand on it, you will find your shoes, ankles, calves covered in tiny little warriors. They are actually very intelligent. The warriors climb up your shoes, down into your shoes, into your socks, up your leg, (you cannot feel them climbing all over you) and when all the ants are in place, the commander gives the signal, suddenly you are on FIRE!!  You do the fire ant stomp. You stomp to the left then to the right, jumping all around, yelling at the ants, using your hands to brush them off, realizing they attached to your hand and went between your fingers biting your tender skin. The last steps of the stomp are hopping, yelling, tearing your shoes and socks off and running for the garden hose, all the while brushing, slapping, hopping and jumping to get those mean fire ants off of your body! I told you they were tenacious. 

Oh mercy, you say to yourself, those hurt! Now you feel the fire of the bites as you scratch at them....Best thing to do, Do NOT scratch the bites. It only makes it worse, lasting longer and you will scar slightly.  How do I know this? My first year in Texas, I stood to close to a mound. Later that spring I had to turn off the water main and they were waiting for me down the hole with the shut off valve. I had fire ant bites up both arms past my elbows and down into my hands past my gloves. They are mean and merciless.

The best remedy we found is Monkey Butt Powder. Seriously! We make ourselves not scratch the burning spots, (hard not to scratch) sprinkle the powder liberally. You will do this often for days. If you leave the bites alone, which is difficult to do, after a few days they will look like zits with a white head. DO NOT pop them. You want to revert back to your zit popping days, but don't! Popping the poison head just makes the whole process start over! Leave it alone and it will dry up with no scar.

As I stated before, spring is beautiful in Texas. Sadly all beauty has an ugly side. Spring in Texas is the beginning of snake season. I hate snakes! Yesterday, I went out to clean the duck/chicken house.  I got to Oma's door to let her out and what do my wondering eyes behold? A doggone big ol' snake creeping across the boys pools heading for the girls enclosure.  The boys were way out of the snakes way frozen and not a peep out of them.  The girls saw it coming their way, began screaming and heading away from it. What did I do? I ran back to the house grabbed the shot gun and ran back. I could not get the ducks to come out of their enclosures, they did not want to run past the snake, don't blame them.  The ducks all head into corners, yelling the whole time. I think they were saying, "kill it, kill it, kill it before it gets us!"

The snake changed directions when it saw me. It headed to the chain link fence that separated Oma and Little Dude from the boys. I fired off a shot and shot it's tail off!? What?

I shot at it again, but it changed course again and headed for the girls enclosure. I needed to calm down!!!  I shot again blowing it open in its middle. It was still trying to move, I shot it again and blew the neck wide open! Finally it stopped moving.

I stepped out of the coop and all the birds at the same time ran screaming out of their enclosures!!  Do you blame them? trapped in there between the snake and one crazy woman shooting the place up! 

Here are two pictures of my first snake kill this spring.

 A good snake is a dead snake. 

Spring, snake season is open a month early, again this year! It is going to be another long season. 

Enjoy your spring!  Keep your shot gun handy with an eye out for snakes!