Adventures in Suburban Gardening...

Was out digging up a creole garlic for my lunch of pasta and at the same time checking to see if they were ready for harvest. I got the peculiar feeling I was being watched, so I looked over my shoulder...about came unglued. Think I've finally narrowed down the culprit of who has been eating my Green Zebra tomatoes (apparently he has discriminating taste--leaves the others alone). Then I start in on the "shoo, shoo get out of here" and the creature just stares at me with those beady black eyes. And looking at me like he/she is rather upset that I removed that tomato plant Monday (hey it was choking my rangoon creeper).

Now mind you I live in the suburbs--I'm not used to dealing with this much reality this early in the morning. Then he/she starts heading for the cucumbers. Now my sleeping teenage daughter will simply KILL me if anything happens to her cucumbers--she loves them. OK, about this time I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. The discharging of firearms in Houston suburbs is generally frowned on...so I pick up a small rock and 'chuck it' at the fence. I'm really a bad aim and miss by about 15' but at least the creature is picking up his/her pace and leaving the cucumbers alone.

On down the fence rail and into the neighbors yard. I think I may need a little wine with my lunch.

Great pix, Deb. Wonder what that mockingbird is thinking?

Probably either defending a nest or what's left of the tomato plants...lol

Yes, they are around, we see them here quite often.
Neat pictures Debbie.
Josephine.

This message was edited Jun 7, 2006 5:00 PM

I have at least one resident possum. Last year it was a motherly type usually with a baby on her back. They are quite brazen in their thievery, and just about fearless of people. They will root in compost piles for kitchen scraps like cantaloupe rinds. They have lots of sharp teeth and will eat just about anything. A couple of weeks ago I saw that a stray cat had died at the back fence line. By the time I got out there with newspaper and a trash bag, a possum had arrived - in broad daylight - and was gnawing away. Ugh!

That's hilarious. I can just see you throwing rocks at her while she is trying to get away. She sure was up "late". Must have just gotten caught up in the delicious free meal. LOL

I have them here, they are the nice ones.. you dont want the jumping rats - not they are a pain.

jumping rats? do elaborate!

They hop - something like a kangaroo... very cute the first time you see them until you see their work in the garden... Here is a good link - http://www.calmzoo.org/stories/storyReader$229

Rat? Isnt That is a Opossum! what in the worls is it doing in the city limits. that thing is a scavenger and will eat anything dead or alive. Thank goodness he is not hanging by his tail in tree! ...and they carry rabies! eckkkk!

I guess he didn't read the city limits sign Sylvia--we have a lot of fields around here--I guess he came in from the fields.

lol..Debbie yours was the first post I read this morning ... and at 6am the first thing I see is a opossum ... I jumped right down to the reply box. LOL I thought mabe you didnt know what it was.

Sylvia@work

Wow Debbie. I can't imagine how that must have surprised you to see that hanging on your fence...we have something rooting in my garden for grubs I think..I'll make lots of noise before i venture into the backyard now...don't want to be surprised myself...nancy

I'm all for wildlife but.....that nearly made me come 'unglued' and so early in the morning (I sleep late and stay up late in the summer).

Ok in my last house, that had a huge field/cow pasture behind it, I noticed that somebody was rooting in my yard! And it was annoying me because whom ever it was was digging up things I wanted to stay planted. Turns out that it was a - well could have been more than one- skunk! I believe that skunks and opossums (can't we just drop the "o"?) do that sort of thing w/o regard for the rarity of what you might have planted!

so far he/she's not rooting any plants out of the ground--no signs of rooting. But I have a sneaky suspicion he might be residing in my compost pile which really is just a pile of brush. That's why I started sheet composting...with mulch.

Well my little rat friend has been trying to find other more suitable locations in my yard. May have to let my husband have his way- bbgun!

I seriously thought of 'dispatching' him. Unfortunately, I don't own a bbgun.

My husband used to hunt as a child- I am not a gun person, have never shot one but hey might be fun- anyway once I saw my DH shoot & kill a rat- single shot right to the head, I knew that if we ever got lost in a jungle or forest or whatever, I'd always have food- maybe not what I want but I guess if you got hungry enough...hmm I sort of feel the same way about raw fish and it's all the rage!...Bubba might get a run for his money; "April's Rat Bar" LOL.

In theory--my MIA friend is supposed to come back to town tomorrow; first priority is hunt down and remove possum if living in brush pile. I'll not hold my breath; but possum removal has inched its way up the list and surpassed hurricane wood in importance. After all, he will have to go back to work and I don't foresee hurricanes coming prior to going back to work. Then I wouldn't have the joy of a 3 hour commute from Gessner and Bellaire to hwy 6.

Yep he's a good shot too. ;)

Bubba's is on the agenda for next week.

Debbie, you live at Bellaire and Gessner? I grew up in Bellaire, but I graduated in 72 and only went back for the summer of 73 and 74. After that I had an apartment at Texas A&M and dreaded going back to Houston. We lived on Palmetto street. My Dad sold the house, the buyer bulldozed our little house and built a huge house. I hear the house is so big there is almost no grass. What a waste.

I work near there--I live off of hwy 6 north of I10--pretty near the farm and ranch club.

Ok, that's near Cypress? I have a cousin in Cypress/Fairbanks.

Well, yes. Depending on what part of CY/Fair. Houston is, geographically speaking, very spead out--urban/suburban sprawl at its best. :)

Yea that's true. When I was growing up we used to go out there quite often and Houston was a long way away. It was actually out in the country. I forget that's it's mushroomed all the way out there.

...myyyy goodness Marylee, you just graduated form high school in 72? you are even younger than I thought! lol

76 here...lol

you guys are babies! Debbie who is Bubba?

Bubba_MoCity--he was at the spring RU--lives in Missouri City and has a restaurant there.

This message was edited Jun 8, 2006 11:52 PM

Well thanks Sylvia.:) It's nice to hear somebody thinks I'm young. My bones don't agree, but oh well. Btw how is your knee?

I'm looking forward to seeing you, Debbie and April. And anyone else that wants to have a good burger and cold beverage. It shouldn't be a hard comute if you can use the Westpark tollway - thanks to that, we have shaded parking.

The family of opossums we had seem to do a good job on lots of bugs. TX wood roaches were fewer than they are now. And I have not seen many toads this year, hmmm.

I haven't seen many toads either--and you would think right after all that rain we would. What cross street are you near? Off West Park I mean?

5230 -Between S.Rice and Loop610 - North side - Just a "Shack" as advertised.

Since the construction, I think we are on "negative" land. If you measure 25' from US59 and 25' from the WP Tollway, there probably isn't any land left.
Love "grandfather" clauses. Besides, we support 8 taxing agencies, so noone wants to see us leave.

If you take the TW to the end and do a U-turn in the middle of Westpark we are just a few hundred feet away.

Oh good--I can hit "Teas" nursery at the same time--Haven't been there in years!

I do shacks good...lol...I'm a pretty casual kinda person!

Teas is great! Always good advice there, too.

I'm hoping they got as much stuff as they used too--you know I work on Bellaire and Hillcroft not real far from there...

My knees are fine Marylee...it was my hips that was giving me problems. But that fine too ... now that I had that aspration(sp injection.

Deb/Bubba I am available Tues or Wed- heck possibly both.