The Hermits' Rest

Spring Beauty or Fairy Spud

What the heck?

I was delighted to discover that the woodland floor next to our house was covered in charming little flowers. I’d never seen them before, even though I walk in these woods each spring.

I had to look them up as soon as I went inside after my birding break. Their name was as lovely as their appearance: Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica). I happily read the excerpt of a longer article that appears in iNaturalist as had to giggle when I saw that one of their other common names is Fairy Spud. I had to learn more.

It turns out that the plants grow from tubers that were eaten by many indigenous people in the eastern US, you know, like potatoes! They were thought to cure convulsions and/or prevent conception. I assume the latter didn’t work well, since people ate it a lot. The whole plant is edible, but the Wikipedia article noted that the leaves are “not choice eating.”

Well, I learned something today! As a bonus I managed to see and hear a black-crowned night heron this morning. That’s a rare guest at our pond! So, it’s the Daily Bird.

Apache survived a hard workout at his lesson today, but in a great triumph, he trotted more than once correctly. He was NOT hollow, that dreaded word. I’m so proud of him. He also got his feet trimmed by Reagan, the new intern at Tarrin’s. He is growing hoof like crazy.

Apache was sweating away, since he hasn’t shed much yet. He will be very happy tomorrow, when it cools off a bit. So will I! Maybe I’ll cook up a batch of fairy spuds for dinner. Or not.

Spring Rushing In

Signs of spring start off slowly. A purple martin arrives, chicory blooms, the few bees that are around delight in the early dandelions and bur clover blossoms.

Then, one day, you realize that the spring rush is ON. Around here, that happens in the last week of February. Wow! In town there are redbuds, and plum trees blooming. Those really pretty orange-red bushes are blooming, and the highly scented narcissus are everywhere.

Since I didn’t get photos in town, here’s my noble Vlassic, who’s showing his age.

No trees bloom spectacularly here, but today is the day there’s a green sheen in the woods. Even the willows are leafing out. In a week or two they and the cedar elms will be blooming subtly and stuffing my sinuses. It’s ok. They’re cute.

I’ve been sharing the early flowers lately, but today I found the second wave is showing up. Very soon we will have Texas paintbrush all over the front field, and the little stick-like stems of cat’s-ear will wave around (sometimes I’ll catch them with their flowers open). I even found my first plantain blooming. The yard will be covered with them eventually.

Well, there will be fewer wildflowers this year, because Lee and his brother are itching to mow. I’ve conveyed my instructions as to the no-mow areas. They’ll have smooth expanses of green and I’ll have SOME of my “weed” buddies.

One more sign that spring is in full swing is that every day there are fewer and fewer sparrows. That bums me out, but I know the summer residents will be here soon to entertain me. And of course the house sparrows will never leave. Sigh.

It’s getting warmer, too, so I’m hoping Apache hurries up and sheds out. In the meantime, all the horses are getting curried (except Drew, who’s being good but not getting worked with).

I just wanted to share these happy thoughts of life around the Hermits’ Rest. We need to focus on that sometimes. The little good things.

Favorite Flower, Least Favorite Word

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

I’m gonna make random readers learn about my encounter with a new favorite flower and some historical land before telling you what word I’d ban. I want to share happy things.

Anyone who’s known me a long time probably knows my favorite flower in the pansy. I love their colors and their happy faces. I had no clue that there are wild pansies in the US, since I only knew them from flats in the garden store. But there are!

Hello! I’m the American field pansy – *Viola rafinesquei*

There’s no info on it in iNaturalist, which surprised me. But it apparently grows all through the eastern US. Have you ever seen it?

I was quite entranced by these tiny mini-pansies, which I encountered in Southeastern Milam County today on a hike with friends and their sons along the old El Camino Real de Los Tejas trail, leading to the panoramic views at the top of a hill, where Native American settlements at the Ranchería Grande were located. It’s gorgeous, with 360° views of the area. (Fellow Master Naturalists own the property and with the help of volunteers will make it accessible to the public.)

I found another new plant, called smallflower fumewort (Corydalis micrantha). They were all over the field, too. It has a charming, yellow flower shaped like tubes. I never saw anything like it before!

We had three young boys with us who were very new to the concept of observing and preserving nature. One young man was very proud to have cut apart the snail shell I gave him. Another one really enjoyed hitting things with sticks to see the sounds they made. They took great glee at destroying any animal tracks they found, but we convinced them to leave the cool leaf cutter ants to their business. I think ant lions sounded scary so their holes were safe, too.

Spider wort didn’t scare anyone. I was pleased my friend found one blooming!

I hope the younger hikers learned some things, though, and it was fun listening to them and hearing how they think. I’ll have a lot more boys next week, as we take Cub Scouts along the trail. Here are some things the boys found interesting.

We adults had fun, probably more than the kids. I was happy to have a chance to hang out with my friend, her spouse, and my fellow Master Naturalist. Next week I’m on my own with no backup naturalist.

This photo shows a huge leaf cutter ant colony. Dozens of connected nests.

So, what word would I like to make go away? I find the word “libtard” especially offensive and disrespectful. It insults people with more progressive ideas by using “-tard” which is something people try not to use to refer to those who have mental disabilities. I guess the word helps me remember to do my best to avoid name calling and pejorative labels when talking about the new far, far right factions in the US.

Hurling insults is a time-honored tradition in politics, I know. That doesn’t make it any less distasteful.

My Next Challenge

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

The next six months bring a lot of challenges. There’s no way to avoid changes at the macro and micro level. My main one will be to decide whether to retire or keep working. If I retire, my income goes way down, so I’ll have to change a lot. If I keep working, I’ll still be dealing with changes made by the company where I work.

I guess the good thing about being a “senior citizen” is that whatever happens, the consequences won’t last too long, because neither will you. Ha ha. Elder humor. And yes, I do realize I could drag on another 30 or more years. I plan to be ancient.

My fingernails will keep me alive by being so loud.

Today was fine, other than human beings disappointing me (vandalism at the nearby cemetery and getting a weird email from the city saying the Red House on Fannin had been reported for…something).

I saw the first bluebonnets on our road, had a nice ride on Apache, and enjoyed the moon for the second evening in a row. Lee and I watched it rise while we sat by the pool discussing our challenges.

Tomorrow should be fun, so I’ll just leave it there.

Renovation in Progress

I’d intended to update y’all on the progress my amazing family and team are making on the current renovation project in Cameron. At this point, I’m ready to move in! (But I won’t.) sorry for two posts today, but I couldn’t fit the two topics together.

I finally got a picture of the whole house. It’s wide.

I dropped by earlier in the week and saw all the insulation that got put in. Wow. It’s so much quieter in there now! Even the attic is insulated. I imagine the utility bills will be better, too, especially since the new heat pump is very efficient.

It’s cool to see how much is changing.

New rear entrance through laundry/utility room

Today Anita, Lee, and I all visited. I told my son to dig up violets and grape hyacinth to plant at his cabin. Then I looked around. Most of the insulation is now covered with sheet rock. They’ve made good progress. I got a demo of taping and floating, which was educational to me. It looks fun, and my drywall application pro child agreed.

The house is so light now. But the most light comes from the two new windows that have transformed the formerly dark and tunnel-like hall leading to the main bedroom. It’s awesome from the inside and out.

There will be really nice siding here, which will break up the width a bit.

More painting happens next week, and cabinets are getting worked on. The team will keep the mid-century charm while making the house comfortable and modern at the same time. I’m glad I get to help a little! But major kudos to our team and the excellent subcontractors!

Advice to Me, Then and Now

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

You’re not as special as you think you are.
But you’re worthy of love just the way you are.
Those are hormones talking. La la la la, stop listening to them.
You’re right; most of your relatives ARE mentally ill.
It’s okay to change your plans for the future.
Someday you’ll get a horse.

I’m Not Bored Easily, But

What bores you?

It’s hard to answer this question, because I’ve cleverly chosen my hobbies and interests to ensure that I’ve always got something interesting to do. I can knit, write, identify wildlife, or imagine what’s going on with people in cities, towns and rural areas I go through. At a basic level, I’m easily amused.

Some things to tend to bore me, so I escape them. They include:

Meetings held just to have a meeting.
More than 15 minutes of any TV news network where they repeat the same headlines with tiny variations.
Being talked down to, in person, in articles, or in books. My mind travels elsewhere.
Driving through metropolitan areas with the same chain stores repeating over and over. I counted four Rooms to Go stores driving from Denton to Hillsboro on I35 last week. Zzz.
Housing developments where all houses look alike. Yes, I lived in one once.
Being repeatedly subjected to quotes from the Bible to inaccurately argue a point. I’m no longer invested in debating that.
All white kitchens in houses with only black, white or gray furnishings.

Hey, I came up with more things than I thought I would. The good news is that all the things that bore me can be easily avoided or mitigated. I can either begin taking pictures of weeds or start knitting.

Important weed note: avoid picking up wildflowers that are blooming to get a better look without checking whether they might be nettles. Ow.

What bores you?

Mrs Cardinal says she is NOT boring. She’s a good singer.

(What didn’t bore me today was a nice, normal ride on Apache. We did all our homework and had a good time. )

At Least I Have Flowers

I’m still feeling pretty bad about my Droodles. I just can’t figure it out (nor will I be able to; that’s why I’m getting help). This evening, I walked into the pasture to say hi to the horses, and Drew walked right up to me, like he usually does. But instead of standing there to be loved on, he snaked his head right at me, with ears pinned back, and snapped at me. Damn. I walked off to go pick up a food bowl and he followed me, nipping my shoulder. Whoa! That was just so weird.

Thank goodness everyone else was fine, or I’d think it’s what Avery (a blog friend) suggested, some kind of grass poisoning. But Apache’s still friendly and takes his meds like a pro, and Dusty is friendly as ever. Mabel is Mabel (I dreamed I found her walking down the street in a residential neighborhood last night, happy to see me, but not planning to follow me anywhere).

But hey, spring is coming, and I’m enjoying the tiny flowers coming up while I listen to the birds every day. I’m happy to say the barn swallows are coming back. I’ve missed them. Maybe they’ll chase off some of the house sparrows. Maybe?

I’m not sure why I am thrilled every year when the flowers start blooming and the bees and butterflies start to appear. It’s always like a miracle. I was especially pleased to find the violets at the house our family is renovating are in bloom. I hope we can transplant them somewhere.

So, I’m going to stop here, and maybe do another post about renovation progress tomorrow. I am just not myself today. My head is so fuzzy, and I’m so perplexed about my horse. I’m sure things will get better!

Off to Equine Remedial Education

Droodles is not himself. My sweet, talented, and gentle colt has turned into an unsafe young horse. I’m really sad, but he’s just not recovering well from whatever he did that hurt his head and neck so badly. Last week we had a couple of good workouts, but today when I tried to get him ready for our lesson, he was a mess.

He was okay walking from the pasture to the pens. But things went downhill fast. I couldn’t groom him, because he kept coming at me with his teeth. So he was covered in burs and had dirty feet.

I tried exercising him, since that had helped earlier. I smartly put him in the round pen. He just cantered in big circles in a wild way, only slowing down when I got his attention and exhaled. He let me pet him when he stopped, but was a bit scary when I asked him to go the other way. When he stopped after that, he kicked me (grazing my wrist) then pulled the rope from my hands and ran in uncontrollable circles. I approached him to get the rope back, and he came at me flailing his hooves.

I did stop him, then calmly as I could, I exited the round pen, shutting the gate before he could follow. He then flung himself at the pen a few times. I did get him out and back to the pasture. He then galloped like a racehorse as far away as he could. Damn he’s fast.

That ruckus got all the other horses stirred up and racing around. I used that opportunity to get Apache out, hoping to take HIM to my lesson, but Drew started pushing and Apache got out without a halter. Off he went all over the property until he found the greenest, shiniest grass we have. Just what he should not eat. Of course, not being completely bonkers, he settled down and I got him in a pen. Whew. He then happily ate his applesauce/medicine combo, let me groom him, and got some exercise. We did not go to lessons, though.

No, I drove myself over to Tarrin’s to discuss each other’s woes and figure out a plan for Drew. We discussed whether to take him to a vet, wait it out, or have him come back to her place for a while. We decided to do the latter. Remedial Education.

At Tarrin’s, he can get daily pain killers, frequent visits from Jackie for bodywork, and daily training sessions to help him build back whatever muscles are messed up. If that doesn’t work, we will re-evaluate. I don’t want to spend too many more thousands of dollars if he can’t be helped.

He looks so innocent. Just eating like nothing happened.

I am concerned that the kick in the head damaged him. Or maybe there’s something growing in the pasture that got to him (and maybe the others?). The spring grass? I don’t know but I’m worried about him. Maybe I’m just not meant to have horses for anything other than petting and feeding. Ugh.

Traveling Shoes

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

Today’s question is well timed, as I traveled back home to where my favorite shoes were waiting for me. Fair warning: I’m not feeling 100%, so I’m less coherent than usual (scary).

These are Ariat slip-on waterproof riding/barn shoes. I wear them for at least part of most days, when I’m out with the horses. I love them because they don’t come untied, they don’t get my socks wet, and they have smooth soles with a notch in them. Once you’re around horses you quickly learn that shoes with tread get hard-to-remove poop and mud stuck in them.

If I’m riding a long time, I need boots to protect my calves, but for most of what I do, these shoes fit the bill.

Now back to travel, for which I wore my Skechers slip-ins that are comfy and practical. I had many technical difficulties that made working in the RV a challenge. My headphones stopped working (again) so calls were hard. They still aren’t playing sound, though people could hear me, so the mic works. I guess I could record if I have any time tomorrow.

I could have recorded this Bewick’s wren. It was really close.

At least I got a little walk in today. The highlight was a bald eagle flying right over me. I carefully checked to be sure crested caracaras don’t live that far north yet, and eagles live near water. And it wasn’t an osprey either. I feel the need to justify my observation! It’s a good one for the Backyard Bird Count. So was the brown creeper that Lee watched from the RV window while Merlin identified its sound. Score.

Here are Carolina wren photos, so you can compare and contrast — I do wish my camera were better.

I was glad to get home with my horses, dogs, chickens, and wild birds. Doing my back exercises by the woods and hearing a weird sound that turned out to be a migrating rufous hummingbird made my stomach and head feel better.

Good news: Lee didn’t mow the tiny bluets. He did mow my bluebonnets. Wah.

I’ll stop here and save stuff for tomorrow, when I hope I feel better and survive some tough meetings. I can DO it.