Lizards can't swim

How do I know that?  Well, we took a down trip to the farm and spent a couple of days.  The area is in a terrible drought at the moment, we have had very little rain proceeded by an unusually warm, dry winter. The pasture is dried up and the dust is constantly swirling.  The mustard weed that covers the pasture in early spring with a blanket of yellow flowers didn't even break ground.  The nutrient rich, high in protein, kosher is only about 2 inches tall, stunted, struggling to survive.  The large Russian Thistle weed that completes it's yearly cycle as Hugh tumble weeds stacked 10 feet high in the yard will not be blocking the pathways this year........that at least is good news!

In a typical spring usually thousands of tumble weeds are blown into the yard

I cleaned out the weedy debris from the neglected fish pond and filled it with water.  As the water splashed over the rocks surrounding the pond several very thirsty lizards came out of the shady crevices to lap the water off the rocks.  One lizard simply ran to the edge of a rock and preforming a graceful SWAN lizard dive, it dove right into the pond!  I grabbed a shovel and fished him out and explained to him that lizards can't swim.  Not his species anyway.

 As I continued watering the half dead trees and shrubs around the dead lawns, the lizards came in droves to drink the water before it was soaked up by the thirsty earth.   Several lizards, scorpions, and even a few baby birds met their demise in my fish pond over the next few days.  The summer monsoon  season will soon be upon us.  Hopefully, it will revive the pastures ,refresh the lizards, and settle the dust.
GREAT news, according to people living at the mobile home on the farm, we have had almost a week of rain.  Good news for me and the lizards, now they can just splash in the puddles and will not need to learn how to swim.

POCKETS

 

The last time I was down at the farm

it was snowing.  I threw on my old, heavy work coat and 

 stuck my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. 

 

This is what I found in my pocket:

 

metal buttons of various sizes,

an "ugly" rock....hum, I usually pick up the ones that have a variety of colors and

 interesting shapes so I can put them in the thick glass,  rock collection jar.

A real glass, vintage crystal from one of my chandeliers.

Nails, screws, and one ear plug,

and something I have in about every pocket I own,

bits and pieces of seed packets.

I carried around a hand- pieced quilt square for the longest time,

never could figure out why it was in my coat pocket.

 I don't know what happened to it,

now I will need to make one more to have enough for the quilt.

 

 

Made me think about the "good ole days"

I reminisced of the many things I have carried around in my pockets over the years.

 

 

Tucked into my shirt pocket you would often find

 

 snakes

the small water snakes from McGregor's pond wouldn't climb out

 like the blow snakes would

 

 

 

 

 

horned toads

 

 

lizards

 

 

In my bib-overall pockets would be:

bits of rope,

bent, twisted, pieces of wood to whittle on

a small, single bladed, bright yellow pocket knife to do the whittlin' with.

Always had a piece or two of balin' wire

you could fix anything if you had a piece of balin' wire,

and also used it to unplug the nozzles of the hand sprinkler lines when they filled with dirt.

Broken pieces of thick, colored glass -purple, blue and green- to look at the sun through.

(probably not a wise idea)

 A big chunk of clear, salt rock I'd busted off the large chunk of salt rock out in the cow pasture to munch on.

(probably not very sanitary)

A sling that was made from the tongue of an old leather shoe and it's long leather laces.

(oh, the stories I could tell)

 

Aren't pockets a wonderful invention.