Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Thursday, October 22, 2009

New Species!

I was just pining for a new species the other day, and I got what I wished for. Our yard has ugly black plastic apparently used as a weed barrier that shows when the dirt washes away. I bent down to rip off the plastic, when I saw something that at first I thought was a worm. Its head was buried in the dirt and it tried crawling under a stepping stone. I tried scooping dirt off with a stick to get a better look. Just then I noticed a deer, that stomped at me, like "Hey! This is my territory.". After my new species disappeared, I stood up and the deer made its alarm call to the other deer and ran off. I think the new species was a salamander. The closest thing I can find on the internet that looks like it is the Redback Salamander. It had a reddish brown stripe down its back, sort of the color of the clay around here. I never did see its head, but now I know its hiding place.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

The Surprise

 
 
When your husband brings you home a surprise, and it's a toad, would you be excited? I would! I love toads! This toad didn't even pee on us! What more could you ask for in a toad? The poor thing almost was going to get hit by a car in the road one night, til my husband happened upon it and rescued it. I released it in the backyard.
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Fruits and Nuts

 
 
 
 
No, I'm not talking about Californians. Here are those persimmons I collected, and some walnuts and hickory nuts. I was thinking if I had to survive in my own backyard, what would I eat? I came to the conclusion I'd have venison with a mushroom walnut sauce, poke greens, and persimmons for dessert.
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Persimmon Is Correct!

 
 
A year ago my father pointed out the persimmon tree in our neighborhood. About the second week of September I noticed it had persimmons on it. By the third week, they were littering the ground. I couldn't resist collecting them. I took them home and tasted one, which wasn't half bad, but it was mostly seeds and not much was edible.
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