A Walk on the Wild Side....

Wildflowers are amazing.  We have had so little rain this year.  It's really dry and it's really hot. 

But, look....the Prickly Pears are blooming this year, for the first time since we've lived here.

I didn't realize they only bloomed for one day.  This is one I moved up to the Tree Bed.

But, this one in the Deer Grove is about to bloom, too.  We have several Prickly Pears around.  Not all are blooming.  Some are much larger than this.  Not sure why some have blooms, and some don't.

More prickles from this Texas Thistle.  They're pretty, but they bite.

So does the White Prickly Poppy.  Another soft, tissue paper flower, with vicious prickles.  There was a little mist, when I took this photo.  It felt so nice.

But, the mist didn't leave us much moisture.  Last year, these Prairie Verbena were putting on quite a show.  This is the best I could do today.

The Mexican Hats are showing up.

Both colors have shown up. 

But, they're a bit sparse.

The onion looking things are back.  This is the bud.  The bloom is really strange.  I haven't  found out what it is, yet.  They're a bit shrivelled this year.

But, these guys like the hot and dry.  Euphorbia, Snow on the Mountain.

They get about three feet tall, and in August put on a very pretty white and green flower.   I tried growing some in the garden.  But, I don't think they like good soil and water.

In the thicket across the creek, I found this vine.  Pretty little green blooms.  It's not in my wildflower books.  Have to do more research.

I think this is Sneezeweed.  Last year there were lots more of these.

The Agarita has lots of berries left.  I'd like one of these in the yard.  But, I understand they don't like to be moved. 

There are a few Cedar Sage still blooming.

We have some new neighbors.  This is a nest made by a woodpecker.

A Goldfront Woodpecker, to be exact.

There are two of these, in the same tree.

They're so perfectly round.  Do they have little compasses to mark the circle?

Unfortunately, there are not baby woodpeckers here.  Starlings took over the nests.  When I looked up there last night, with binoculars, all I could see was a big baby mouth, open for whatever mamma was bringing.  I'd rather it was a woodpecker mouth.

There is more wildness out there.  I only see signs of them, mostly....like the holes the Armadillos leave.

And, of course, there are always these guys.  We saw our first fawn of the season last night.  So, the population growth has begun for the year.

Luckily, they don't know how to open the gate.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~