WELL... AT LEAST IT'S NOT OIL !!

I just received a "Breaking News" alert on my computer, that the officials at British Petroleum have upgraded the impact of the oil damage in the Gulf of Mexico from "very modest" to "Environmental Catastrophe".

Gosh. Never saw that coming. RIGHT !!!

After over a month of oil pouring into the Gulf, I'm afraid we have no idea of the magnitude of the damages being done -- & will be done -- to our ocean, beaches, environment & wildlife. This is just one example of how man can -- & will -- destroy planet Earth. It will happen.

Not to trivialize the oil disaster, but I had my own series of "disasters" yesterday at my home ... one intentional & the other provided by Mother Nature.

The first one -- my doing -- was having my front yard torn up to replace the H2O line to the house. I've had "portions" of the line repaired previously, due to leaks. The last time a segment was replaced/repaired, the plumber & I agreed that the "next time" it would be best to replace the entire line. Yesterday was that time.

Ed -- my plumber -- started at the house & worked back towards the road. One good thing about all the digging, two tree stumps got removed in the process. Better than waiting for the termites to finish off the job.

The dirty work is done by Butch. He installed the new shut-off valve next to the house.

There was quite a lengthy ditch when all the digging was complete. Along with the two stumps, there were lots of bamboo roots to cut out as well. The only "find" in all the digging, was an old soda pop bottle. [I'd previously called "dibs" on any skulls or bones we might find. No luck.]

Well, now I have a new H2O line to the house, as well as a check book with a significant dent in it. Along with truck repairs & larger than expected Dental work this year, these are the "unplanned" expenses which arrive to screw-up the budget for the year.

Since the A.M. was dedicated to the front yard work, the afternoon started with cleaning up the John Deere mower & cleaning myself as well. A trip to "Wally World" was then in order, to get some grocery supplies, before the Memorial Day shoppers descended on the place.

I noticed driving to Lonoke, Arkansas, there were clouds to the North that had "potential" for some afternoon "Summer showers". [I know it is not officially Summer, but we have had high humidity & temperatures approaching the 90's for the past 10 days or so. It FEELS like Summer time already.]

Having done my damage in the store, I left there to find the "potential" clouds were now in the West -- the direction home for me on I-40 -- & were thick, dark & full of rain. Remembering that two of my cats -- THE WOBBLER & Nibblets -- were outside when I left home, I was anxious to get back there.

What I found arriving home, was the second disaster of the day ... the unplanned one by Mother Nature. The yard was littered with sticks & leaf clusters, indicting a major wind event had taken place in my absence.

NOTE: The two girls were the first priority & were found waiting for me in the storage building, nice & dry, wanting me to take them back to the house. Praise the Lord.

I found a total of three trees broken & laying on the ground during my property "inspection". Additionally, there were many tree branches on the ground & several sections of bamboo which will need to be cut & removed from their groves.

The biggest tree to suffer damage was a Bradford Pear, a species known for it's brittle structure in a strong wind. This particular tree had split several years ago on the opposite side of yesterday's damage. Even as it was still raining, I made an effort with the loppers to cut away sections of the Bradford Pear which were laying in a Leland Cypress next to it. The Cypress tree also has major damage to it, due to the falling neighbor.

SECOND NOTE: There is a lot of literature being written by gardening experts on the negatives of Bradford Pears as a landscape item. Although I have several LARGE Bradford's on my land -- including one on the North side of my house which "ate" my flag pole due to it's world record size -- I agree & would never add any "replacement" Bradford Pears to my land. They are a short-lived tree, which can be disfigured in a strong wind, such as was experienced yesterday.

Now, the clean-up begins for me. THIS would have been a good time for my Mother to visit, since she is so good at "stick picking". There are plenty to collect in the next few days, over & above the three fallen trees needing attention.

At least it is not oil & no "environmental catastrophes" took place, other than some (correctable) landscape & planting issues. If only BP -- & the Gulf Coast -- had it so easy.

TOUR DE TORTUGA

I see/hear from news sources, they are trying to blame Lance Armstrong again with "doping" ... using drugs to win the Tour de France all those many times.

Give him a break. The guy had brain cancer. He took a lot of drugs !!

I ride my bike "drug free". Well, other than the prescriptions I take to keep my heart working & free of any new clotting. No steroids.

I rode my bike yesterday afternoon. I had a bucket full of the small turtles I have been collecting off the roads locally. I rode down to the creek which is East of here & let them go in a shallow part of the water. The location was good & the timing was right to get them started on their life in the wild.

Returning home, one of my neighbors -- Dennis Whitlock -- rode up beside me in his truck & confirmed my speed at 15 MPH. Take that Lance.

And like Lance, I crashed. Well, not then, but further up the road. The result of two dogs running after me, barking & looking to bite. I tried to avoid them & to keep control of my bike, while at the same time, attempted to throw the empty bucket at the lead dog. Didn't work.

I lost control of the bike; tried to slow down & stop, all in the same motion. I got one foot on the ground & actually fell backwards, still trying to get my balance. I ended up flat on my back on the side of the road ... busted mirror on the bike, skinned up knee & a sore left hip, which is turning a bit blue today. Go ahead -- drug test me !!

Of course, I never got bit. Stupid dogs !! CAT'S RULE ... DOG'S DROOL.

I fixed the the broken mirror on my bike. I'll heal up too. Now, I wonder if Lance Armstrong will do as well.

JUST ME & THE GIRLS

My Mother -- Hilda -- returned home to Florida early this A.M. We were at the Little Rock airport at 5:30 & her first flight -- to Memphis -- left a little over an hour later. She then caught her connection on down to Orlando. She called me about 12:30 P.M. to say she had made it home okay.

I enjoyed her visit. I was especially pleased this visit that the cats included Hilda when they were ... being themselves. They can be a fun & entertaining trio. They can also drive me to heavy drinking.

Yesterday afternoon, my youngest cat -- THE WOBBLER -- AKA, Wobs -- did the usual cat disappearing act. She was in the yard when Mom & me returned from lunch. Then ... gone.

The other two cats were in the house & a major thunderstorm was arriving. I searched the yard & looked for Wobs in all the "usual" locations. No cat.

After the storm passed, the other two cats -- Precious & Nibblets -- went outside. I kept my eye on the two, knowing that might attract Wobs to join them. No luck.

Hours passed & I was VERY concerned about the missing WOBBLER. The other two cats were still the only ones I could see in the backyard. It was starting to get dark & I was beginning to fear the worst for my sweet Wobs.

Just then ... Wobs came down the stairs from the loft. She'd been in the house the whole time. Make mine a double.

I've realized the "landscaping" I've done through the years has not dealt with too many flowers around the house or in the yard. I have lots of flowering TREES, but not much in the way of plantings for "beds" & walkways. I'm planning on changing that in the future & add to the limited "color" I now have.

Above is a picture of the Clematis vine I have growing at my mailbox. I bought it via mail-order years ago. It flowers every year with NO effort on my part.

NOTE: The boots my Mother is wearing in the picture are mine. We had a lot of rain & everywhere it was wet & muddy.

I've always liked Iris & have some nice blooms each year. I bought both plants pictured also via mail-order; these from a speciality nursery in Oregon.

I also have some nice Daylilies, several which are just now getting ready to bloom. I'll have some photos of those up on the site in the near future.

So ... now it's just me & the cats again. I know my Mother had a good time & enjoyed being here. I'll visit with her, in August, when I go to Florida for my annual vacation & the Reptile Breeders Expo. I wonder if the oil spill will be there too ??

NEED STITCHES ??

It's been a bit different around here the past few days. On Tuesday, Hilda -- my Mother -- flew in from Florida for her annual Spring visit. I'm used to living alone & keeping my own schedule, so having a house guest -- even my Mother -- is cause for major & minor modifications in my daily activities ... everything from sleep arrangements to eating times & menus.

Spring time in Arkansas is a good time for my Mother to visit. The weather is still somewhat mild, everything is green & fresh when it comes to the landscape -- showing off what a beautiful state Arkansas really is -- & most important ... the mosquito's are only just beginning to make themselves known. [They are real vampires from June till the first frost in the Fall. Their major presence has to be due to all the rice growing fields in this part of the state.]

Hilda, of course, likes her visit here so that she can check up on me, view first hand the changes I may have made to the property & get her hands "dirty" from helping out in the yard. [Hilda is a "Stick-Picker-Upper". Sure helps.]

When I write that I live "alone", it only means no human companionship. My three cats are "companions" in every sense of the word & many times dictate much of the daily activity I am involved with.

I am always concerned with the cat's interaction with my Mother when Hilda visits. In past visits, Wobs has been very skittish of my Mother's presence, as Wobs & Nib's are with most "outsiders" who come here. I'd rather all the cats be suspicious of people ... for the safety of the cats.

THE WOBBLER ... AKA "Wobs"

Nibblets ... AKA "Nibs"

Precious ... AKA "Momma Kitty" ... "Chubs" ... "Lumpy" ... "Baby Momma"

Well, being cats, they fooled both my Mother & me with their reaction to her presence this visit. Rather than keep their distance or run from Hilda as they have in the past, they ALL -- even Wobs -- soon settled in to having my Mother around & quickly figured out there were double chances for lap sitting, ear scratches & tummy rubs.

Hilda, Wobs & Precious

Since both my Mother & me spend quite a bit of time outside, "the girls" have enjoyed the additional company & follow us around the property, or, when we start to settle down & sit in the yard, the cats enjoy the attention they receive from us both.

I'm always concerned about my Mother rushing about & possibility falling. [She is almost 83 years old after all.] I often encourage her to "slow down". With her visit here, I want to be sure she doesn't lose her footing in the yard, like tripping on tree roots, or slipping in the muddy ground.

So ... for all my worry & concerns about my Mother ... it was ME who has suffered an injury !!

Scarface

I'm sleeping on the couch while my Mother is here. About midnight Friday, two of the cats must have gotten into one of their usual "disagreements" in the chair where they were both sleeping , next to the couch. I was asleep when one of them -- don't know who -- bounded off the chair, to the couch, & used my head & face as a launching pad over the back of the couch. It's not a good way to wake up, that's for sure. I was a bloody mess.

My Mother goes back to Florida early Tuesday morning. I have enjoyed having her here & it has been a pleasant surprise to find "the girls" too have related well to Hilda's visit. They truly are my "babies" & I am glad my Mother has seen the cats in the positive way that I enjoy having them in my life.

Well ... at least when one or more of them is not trying to mess with my handsome face.

BILL'S BIG BOX TURTLES

I've received e-mails & blog comments on my Box Turtle writings. I can provide some history to my long fascination with this species & add some information which may help with the questions that have come up.

Growing up in Rochester, New York, the turtle most common in that area of the country -- & thus the turtle species most often in my position -- was the Painted Turtle.

The Painted Turtle can be found in almost any body of water. Like the Red Eared Slider Turtle so common in Arkansas, the Painted Turtles are often found -- dead or alive -- on the roads of upstate New York. I am sure my father rolled his eyes while driving the car if he spotted the outline of a turtle crossing the road coming up ahead. He knew it would shortly be followed with my shouting demands from the back seat of the car to: "STOP. STOP. Let me out ... let me get it". Which he always did.

Again, like the adult Red Ear's I retrieve now days from Arkansas roads, the turtles of my youth were always transported to "safer" locations.

Also native to New York State is the Eastern Box Turtle, a more colorful example of the species than the horn colored Three Toed Box Turtle common in parts of the Mid-South.

As much as I "searched" the fields & woods in my youth, I never came upon a Box Turtle in the wild in New York. So much for the turtle being ... "common".

It was not until I ventured South, to attend college in Memphis, that I found my first Box Turtle. Naturally, it was in the middle of the highway, on the Blue Grass Parkway in Kentucky. And "yes" ... I stopped & retrieved it off the road.

I've encounter quite a few Box Turtles since that time. They are still -- & always will be -- a favorite of mine, although I do not keep any in my collection of turtles. As I've described previously, my turtles are all "exotics" & I do not -- with two exceptions -- keep domestic species of turtles.

I would like to try my hand at finding a Box Turtle nesting & retrieve the eggs; to incubate the eggs & allow them to hatch. I'd have to find the female Box Turtle in the act of digging her nest -- as I did last month with the Red Eared Slider -- or find mating pair -- like my friend Bubba -- & keep the female for the 45 or so days it takes for the eggs to develop prior to egg laying.

Like other species of turtles digging their way out of the earth, it is usually about sixty days after egg laying that the baby Box Turtles -- above -- make their way to the surface. Unlike the aquatic turtles, the hatchling Box Turtles do not have to make it to a body of water to survive & thus can quickly hide in the under brush. They are well adapted for hiding & are not frequently encountered by humans for the first several years of their lives.

There ya go ... everything ... anyone ... would need to know about Box Turtles.

Maybe I need to rename this blog, from bamboo to: Bill's Big Box Turtles.

XXX-RATED

One of the facets of blogging I enjoy are the comments which are shared on each site. I often leave comments & observations on other blogs. I also read the comments posted on those blog sites. Interesting reading.

I [mostly] enjoy the comments I receive on my blog. A few have been critical or pithy. So be it. All true artists have our critics.

My friend Bubba left a comment attached to yesterday's post. Apparently he was a bit of a "voyeur" ... secretly watching a couple turtles mate outside his window. Maybe Bubba picked up some helpful hints. I'm not sure. He did have questions in his comments.

Since aquatic turtles mate in the water, & there are no true tortoises in his neck of the woods -- Tennessee -- I can safely guess Bubba was looking at a mating pair of Box Turtles.

This is a photo of a pair of Three Toes Box Turtles ... "in the act". This is the species commonly found here in Arkansas & similar -- if not the same -- to those in Bubbaville. In the wild, the male can easily be identified by the vivid coloration of the head, neck & legs, as well as -- in most all cases -- having red eyes. The drab colored female -- obviously without any make-up on -- will usually have brown eyes.

And ... YES ... the male will sometimes get "hooked" on the female while mating & the resulting dragging of the male by the suddenly disinterested female, is a common sight. [Even turtles have "disinterested females". I don't feel so bad.]

There you have it. More [important] information on turtle mating than probably everyone -- including Bubba -- knew about at the start of their day. Be impressive with such knowledge around the water cooler.

MORE VISITORS

It does seem rather odd that with my life long fascination with turtles, so many of the local shelled reptiles seem to find their way on to my property each year. It's not as if I live on the shore of a lake or river. "Major water" is at least a quarter of a mile from here, as the crow flies -- or in this case -- as the turtle crawls.

Still, turtles are not my only reptile visitors.

This morning -- while doing my daily "A.M. inspection" -- I encountered this three & a half foot Blue Racer Snake. He, or she, is a "regular", as I have met up with this snake -- or it's twin -- on several occasions. It's pretty calm for a Racer; the species is known to be aggressive at times & will try to bite. They will even sometime appear to "chase" people. [I've had such encounters. But that was in New York State. (Ya all know how those Northerner's can be.)]

With some prodding -- as I tried to get the photos -- this snake did do one of it's noted defensive traits: It vibrated the tip of it's tail very fast, producing a sound in the bamboo debris much like a Rattlesnake's defensive rattle.

Sometimes the equitation is: Snake + sound = some people claiming to have had a close encounter with a "Black Rattlesnake". All it really means is a harmless, beneficial snake gets killed for being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. They are safe with me.

Another good defensive technique this snake can utilize is in the photo above: Stay in the Poison Ivy !! The "Leaf-Of-Three ... Let-It-Be" is directly below the snake & in the upper right hand corner of the picture. On my land, it's not the animals to fear ... it's the plants.

NOTE: If some scientist ever finds some medical value for Poison Ivy -- such as a cure for Cancer -- I'm going to be a multi-millionaire !! I grow it everywhere on my property.

Everyday is an adventure around here. I never know who/what/ where & when "visitors" will arrive.

GUESTS ... AND VISITORS

So far this Spring, I have "rescued" seven baby turtles off the local roads. Several I picked up while exercising -- jogging or biking -- & several I spotted while driving & stopped to get them. I picked up two turtles in almost the same spot ... two weeks apart.

I have also found dead turtles; squashed by traffic. I hate to find them like that.

I consider any baby turtle I encounter to be doomed unless I take action. Either the turtle will die on the road, or there is a good chance it will not survive unless, or until, it finds water to sustain it.

I keep the turtles with the idea of "head starting" them; raising them to the point were they are larger, have a stronger shell & can better survive in the wild.

The little ones I have this year are in dish pans, set up with a few inches of water, with some aquatic plants & a piece of cork bark to climb on & dry off when needed. [I removed the cork bark to take the pictures.]

They are fed daily & growth should be rapid. Depending on their size, most will spend at least the Summer with me, although I may keep them until next year, depending on how they size up. Each turtle may develop at a different pace.

This baby Snapping Turtle is kept by itself in the same type set-up. These turtles are more aggressive & can be "snappy" when it comes to sharing food & lodging. As with the other turtles, the Snapper is only intended to be a "guest" in my reptile collection.

Sometimes turtles find their way to me without any effort or traveling on my part. Maybe the word got out in the turtle community that my property is "turtle friendly".

This morning, doing my daily "tour" of my land, I found two "visitors"with shells. Not surprising, but it always makes me realize I must be in the right spot, at the right time, to find these creatures.

This is a large female Snapping Turtle, making her way up the bank of the creek which divides my property. She's about 150 times bigger -- with a shell about a foot long -- than the baby Snapping Turtle in the prior photo.

She was on her way to ... well ... who knows where ?? No doubt to lay eggs, but instinct is in effect & the where & when the nesting will occur is up to her. As with many adult turtles -- unlike the hatchling turtles -- as long as they are in no danger, I leave them alone to continue their journey.

As I moved away from the Snapper -- who was not too happy with my presence -- I encountered ANOTHER shelled visitor ... this one only about twenty feet away from the first one.

This is a female Three Toed Box Turtle, digging into the litter in a bamboo grove, trying her best to look inconspicuous. This may be the same turtle I found wandering around about three years ago. Their "world" -- since they are not aquatic -- can be limited to a several square mile area.

I don't find or see very many Box Turtles in the area where I live. I assume it is because so much of the land is farmed or too swampy. I've encountered more Box Turtles in the Northern & Western parts of Arkansas.

In the photo above, the turtle -- as a defence from predators -- has closed up the bottom shell tightly, keeping all "soft parts" protected. Thus the name, BOX Turtle.

This turtle did have some shell damage, as seen above my thumb in this picture. It appears at some point the turtle was bitten, as there are old indentations on both sides of the shell. This was probably done by either a dog or coyote. Certainly, not a cat !!

Shortly after I took the photos, I returned to find both turtles "gone". They may have been hiding, or in the case of the Snapping Turtle, simply continued on life's journey. They were no longer to be found. I had been there at the right time -- or just "lucky" -- to see these shelled visitors travel into -- & out of -- my life.

MEMPHIS ... IN APRIL

I was a bit surprised to see a major article on Memphis, Tennessee in the Little Rock newspaper -- Arkansas Democrat Gazette -- last Sunday. Despite being the closest major city to Little Rock -- St. Louis, Dallas & New Orleans are all further than the 130 miles it is to Memphis -- we really don't get much news locally about Tennessee's biggest city.

The large article -- complete with many photos -- was a very informative description of the festivities & goings on in Memphis during the annual celebration of "Memphis in May". Included were the BBQ Championship, the Beale Street Music Festival & Sunset Symphony ... all events which draw thousands of people to downtown Memphis & the Mississippi River.

The beginning of the month of May has done no favors to Memphis. The storms which brought so many killer/damaging tornado's to Arkansas, brought major rainfall & flooding to Memphis. Not a good way to begin any kind of "celebration".

In regard to those storms, I spent about 30 minutes this past Friday night huddled in one of the bathrooms of my house, with two of my three cats in their carriers. [The third -- Nibblets -- avoided capture but was safely in the hallway.] The TV weathermen were showing my road on radar as being in the direct path of an oncoming tornado.

For the years I've lived here in Arkansas, I have been lucky to have several "near misses" when it comes to twisters. Friday night was no exception. The tornado destruction -- as seen first hand Saturday -- was about two miles away & damaged several houses & totally destroyed dozens of large trees. Really amazing to see it all up close.

Arkansas got the wind & furry of the storms. Memphis -- & the rest of Tennessee -- got the watery results of storms which for all their rapid movement & intensity in Arkansas, decided to position themselves for several days in one general area & drop all their moisture at once.

I won't be going over to Memphis this month. I've been to many of the events when I lived in Memphis. Besides, I already did ... "Memphis in April".

That ... ah ... "planned" ... two trips/two visits to Memphis & my Dentist, Dr. Midyett, turned into THREE trips over to Tennessee. The planned second trip was to get the permanent crown placed in my mouth. Due to a foul up in the office -- everyone blamed Jessica, the receptionist -- I was there for my appointment, but the new tooth was not. So ... third trip required.

Actually, the third/last trip back to Memphis turned out pretty good, for several reasons, including the chocolate chip cookies Jessica gave me as an "apology". [None needed.]

Since I did not require any "major" work done in my mouth for the last visit, I had the time & energy to make several "visits" while over in Memphis.

I did "damage" at my favorite Memphis bookstore -- Davis-Kidd. I've been buying books there for as long as they have been in business -- about 25 years. I try to go there when I am in Memphis & these "trips" allowed me to do so once again.

I'm not a fan of very tall buildings, but wanted to visit some people I worked with at my last job -- Caboodles Cosmetics. That meant going to Clark Tower in East Memphis. To the 31st floor !!

I've never had problems with heights ... as long as I don't look straight down. I won't get too close to a window either. I like to keep my distance. Still, I like to "look" out the windows of a building like the Clark Tower.

The fact that Memphis is on a major earthquake fault line DOES have some negative impact on my feelings about tall buildings. And ... I don't want to be up high in a wind storm. Not when the buildings start to "move".

PLEASE NOTE: Years ago I did travel to the observation deck of the World Trade Center. That was 107 floors up, if I remember correctly. I can't begin to imagine the horror the people in those buildings must have felt & gone through when terrorists attacked the buildings with airplanes

It was good to see & spend some time with Charles Beech & Candy Rose. Mr. Beech was one of the owners & major investors of Caboodles Cosmetics & owns several other companies. He travels a lot -- think world wide ... like in China quite often -- so it was good to catch him in town. Candy is his "assistant" ... but probably runs more of the business than even Mr. Beech realizes.

Since my dental work had been limited & my mouth was in good working order, I stopped at one of my favorite restaurants for lunch before the long drive home -- Panda Garden. It was known as Formosa when I lived & worked in Memphis. New owners bought it when I worked for Caboodles & I would eat there weekly. Either name -- the food was, & is -- GREAT.

Three round trip dives on Interstate 40 -- about 260 miles -- with dental visits, shopping, seeing old friends & having good food, proved to be my ... "Memphis in April".