Saturday, May 16, 2009

Random stuff...

I didn't have anything around to merit a real post, but I did have to let everybody know that I was still around, so here's some random pics that are in the camera... thought I'd go ahead and post them before I deleted them...

This is Spectre... (yep, another black cat. It's been a theme since I was a kid. Grandma said 'If there's a black cat within a mile of that boy, they'll find each other!' ) Spectre is a cat that wanders the neighborhood and has decided that sleeping on top of my shade-porch is a good thing... I have a love-hate relationship with random cats... On the one hand they can cause a certain amount of trouble. On the other hand, if there aren't any cats in the neighborhood, there are rats... given the choice of cats or rats... I'll take the cats... Spectre is nice enough, as long as you don't get in her face. She tends to watch me a lot as I work in the yard, but I can't get within 6 or 7 feet of her. She may tame up eventually though...
This is the Pereskia aculeata v. godseffiana that I saved from Home Depot. I had it in a previous post when I first got it... Pereskias are cactus, even though they have leaves, and aren't succulent. The godseffiana is the more colorful cultivar of the plain green standard species. Normally, the plants bloom in the spring, but there is sometimes a second blooming in the fall... since this didn't get to bloom in the spring, I'm hoping I'll get a couple of blooms about October or November. He was barely hanging on when I first got him... but now he's recovering from the chain store... It's almost enough to make you break out into a chorus of "We Shall Overcome"
These are a couple of Scissor-tail flycatchers that I snapped when they were perching on the fence at a warehouse I delivered to... These are the state bird of Oklahoma, but they're common through Texas too... This is probably a mated pair. They hunt by sitting still till they see a bug, then swoop down and attack, a process refered to as 'hawking,' so often when people see them, they think they're seeing some type of barn swallow. However, the scissor-tail can hover in place for short periods, about 5 seconds, which I've never seen a swallow do.

And here's Phennig, sitting in the yard. He seems to be giving me an opinion on what he thinks of this unmowed grass. Obviously, I'm going to have to get to work.

And that's about it for the moment.



3 comments:

  1. Hmmm...interesting that you and black cats have an affinity for each other! LOL! They sure are cute! Love the light colored eyes...looks awesome with the black fur!

    The Pereskia is actually named after a Claude! Did you know that? Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a 16th century French botanist!!!

    I think it is so beautiful with its multi-colored leaves...I must find one for myself! Love the pink pot you put it in also!!! It looks so healthy already! Great rescue!!!

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  2. I think this was a "real post"- Will a cat get rid of my squirrel? I have a new one here!He is eating my plants!!!

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  3. I've never paid much attention to Pereskia, but it does look interesting. Maybe I'll look for one next time I'm out.

    Normally I like cats but not enough to have one (my hubby HATES them) but I don't like stray cats in my yard. At least Spectre is pretty! The one that hangs around here is a mangy gray one.
    Aiyana

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