Jillie and Wagnon Playing

 

Cholla Cactus

Moved my cholla cactus into my Texas pot. Mom got the original start of this from Jon who brought a piece back from his trip to Cibolo Creek Ranch years ago, and I got some pieces from her last year.

Autumn Sage 'Lipstick'

Autumn sage by the front door is blooming up a storm!

Barricades for TNR Cats

Vicious dogs on the loose killing cats in the neighborhood since at least 11/29/2023. They killed Black Jack on 12/23/2023 and attacked another cat (not one of my TNR's) on my property the following day, 11/24/2023.

I am using this system of livestock panel, fencing, and the benches Scott built to help barricade the shrubbery where the cats live. Their shelters are back behind the shrubbery up against my fence. This may not completely stop the dogs, but my thought is that will will slow them down enough to give the cats a chance to escape. It would be very difficult for a dog to navigate the interior of these Sea Green junipers which I planted in this spot 25 years ago. It is like a labyrinth up in there.

The openings in the bottom of the livestock panels are large enough for the cats to pass through but too small for the dogs to get through. The cats like lounging in this area anyways, so now they lounge just behind the fence of protection under the overhang of the junipers.

The benches are places near the cat entrance to the junipers with their food and water inside to give them a slightly protected spot to eat and drink and where they don't have to emerge far from their hidey-hole for sustenance.

The roll of livestock fencing is just to provide another obstacle for the dogs for the dogs to go over or around if they run up to this area. Again, just trying to slow them down.

I got the livestock panel at Tractor Supply years ago and have found many uses for it over the years. It comes in 16' sections which I cut in half to 8' sections. I've used them for temporary dog corrals, trellises for climbing vines, even for holding down mulch in winter months on my garden (they keep the leaf mulch in place while still allowing precipitation to penetrate).

Ty emerging from his hidey-hole as T.J. and Noobs eat:

The benches won't completely prevent dogs from getting through, but they are large dogs and I'm hoping they'd have to bang and scramble to get past them (as opposed to just having open access). This might give the cats the few extra seconds they'd need to escape in the event of another attack.

Ty lounging behind the fence:

Big Boy, Noobs, and D.J. (in back) lounging:

D.J. deeper back in the junipers:

Three 8' sections of livestock panel used to surround most access to the shrubs. I had to use an old t.v. console I found in the alley this past summer to block the additional space between the shrubs and the neighbors' house. I have notified them that all of this mess is just temporary until both dogs are caught, and all of the neighbors have been very nice about it. They witnessed the dogs killing Black Jack, and everyone is pretty disturbed by it and are worried for the safety of both pets and children. Neighbors on both sides reported the dogs before I even returned home 15 minutes later to learn what had happened.

Not all dogs hate cats...

Pups Tonight

 

Rock Garden in 2023

We've had a boatload of rain this year, and the rock garden is loving it! This is year 3 for the rock garden (est. spring 2021).

Mainly 'Moonshine' yarrow and Mexican feather grass with a bit of Spiny Goldenweed and Threadleaf Groundsel mixed in.

Jillie gnawed off several of my Red Yucca spikes, so now they're "weeping," lol.

Grandmother's purple Larkspur in the background.

The lawn gets some evening shade, but the rock garden is full sun all day, every day. Lawn was installed from seed ('Highlander' bermuda) in 2021.

Cody in the Larkspur

 

 

Jillie's New Home in Lubbock

Chewing on her pheasant toy:

 

 Watching the basketball game with Dad and Dexter:

Napping next to Mom:

On her bed surrounded by her toys:

Whenever she sees me trying to take her picture she always gets up and moves!

 

Napping after Mom and Dad left and she got done chewing on her Nylabone (Dexter commandeered her bed, ha ha! But it's okay, there are enough dog beds here that everyone always has one available):

 New dog tag:

Early Days of Spring!

Did lots of work around the yard today since we're finally having some nice weather without all the WIND!

Planted sedum tiles along the front sidewalk. I bought two and broke them up into pieces. The bright green stuff is blooming! This area tends to be hot and dry in the summer although it is getting more and more shade as the Cedar Elm in the front yard gets bigger.

The flower bed in the front yard... I planted a packet of hummingbird seed mix here last year, and it was really pretty! There are a ton of seeds in here, but nothing much has sprouted with the drought conditions we've been having. The larkspur established last fall and is starting to bloom. Also, the ice plant looks good, and I added in some Grape Hyacinth today.

And the kitties helped me a lot in the front yard today...

In the backyard, I planted 3 Pincushion plants (Scabiosa; two purple, one pink). 

In and around the rock garden...

I transplanted some pink yarrow I got from one of my neighbors:

The Mexican Petunia are starting to sprout:

Threadleaf Groundsel overwintered (surprised!) and is starting to bloom!

Prickly Pear is putting on new growth:

'Moonshine' Yarrow is budding up:

Spiny Goldenweed also survived (also surprised!) and is bushing up:

And Cody helped me in the back yard... overlooking his kingdom!