Monthly Archives: August 2010

Hill Country Happenings

A Great Step Forward

Our young barn swallows have started flying! Three of them ventured out from the nest, flew around a little, then landed in one of our mesquite trees, but two of the little birds hadn’t yet taken the chance.

Sunday afternoon all of them were flying around, but as I posted two days ago, they won’t start catching insects for a few more days. In the picture shot on Sunday afternoon, the little ones are lined up waiting for Mom and Dad to get back with the evenings chow.

Then they moved around a little bit, pushing one of the little fellows to the back.

 

Monday afternoon there were three still on the nest.

 

Then there were two.

 

And Monday night, only one, probably the one that got pushed to the back, remained on the nest. The other four have learned how to hunt for their food, leaving the “runt” by itself.

Now, this morning, there were none. Even the “runt” has cleared the nest!

Hill Country Happenings

Out Of Room

On June 2, June 24 and July 5, 2007 I posted a three part, saga, “[Home Improvement]” about two young barn swallows, (Hirundo rustica), building their nest, rearing their young and then flying off to their wintering grounds in South and Central America. Again we have witnessed this same occurrence, but on a much grander scale.

Each evening when we are at home, we, Layla and I, feed out cat, Bo, and dog, Spike out on our back porch. Heavy rain or cold weather will drives both of us inside, but our pets will try to eat outside even in the worst circumstances. This spring and summer we’ve had additional guests joining us, our nesting pair of barn swallows. As soon as we go outside each night both of the birds “attack’ Bo and spike for one or two swoops, then they retire to their nest knowing that at meal time our pets are no threat to them.

But now, their attacks have become real because there are five, yes five, young barn swallows as pictured, in and out of the nest. Their first try this spring netted us two more birds, but this round of breeding resulted in five off springs. Max eggs they will lay are seven, but these young birds, almost ready to fly, have outgrown their nest.

Yes, Mom and Dad still feed them and will for two or more days after they begin flying. The young birds have to learn how to catch and eat the many flying insects we have around here.

Sitting out on the porch Thursday evening, the male, barn swallow was sitting in the top of a nearby mesquite tree making sure the pets didn’t stray too close to the little ones.

Fishing

A Theory Proven

Driving home that afternoon in the mid August heat, I had decided that a quick fishing trip was in order and it was time to try something a little different. Why not try to catch a redfish or two on my trusty old yellow, Piggy Boat, pictured below? It worked so well on bass, why wouldn’t it work just as well on reds?

The fishing trip was a real easy task since Layla and I had recently moved out of northwest Houston, down to our “canal” house in Bayou Vista. We made this move in the spring of 1996.

The multiple canals in our subdivision fed into a main canal that flowed into Highlands Bayou that then, one half mile down, emptied into West Galveston Bay at Jones Lake. All of the canals had good water movement so, based on the wind direction, I envisioned starting at the top of the main canal and using my trolling motor, just ease on down until I hit the bayou.

My boat was in its sling behind my house, no need for bait, so all I had to do was grab my rod and spinning reel, a new combo that I had just purchased, a Quantum 4000 reel packed with eight pound line, hooked on to a Shakespeare, seven foot, medium action rod. This was my favorite for bass, but little did I know about the excitement I would have with the reds!

Launching my boat, electric motoring down to the main canal and casting the Piggy Boat into the grass along the side, I began my retrieve. Nine or ten casts, nothing, then bam! A solid strike and the fish, unknown, but probably, from the strike, a good sized, red headed down the canal towards the bayou. On the light stuff, the fish ran for a good fifty yards, then headed for the bottom, the main canal is ten to twelve foot deep and I could feel the fish trying to rub the plug out of its jaw. That didn’t work so it took off again. This run wasn’t as long, so I knew I was winning the fight. It wallowed near the top and I saw that it was a nice, red, a seven or eight pounder. A circle of the boat, a few more “wallows”, I slid the net under it and admired the redfish for a moment, before releasing it.

More casts toward the grass lined side of the canal and another bam! Same song, second verse, but this red was only a five pounder, but, before I released it, it put up a whale of a fight! I was about half way down the main canal, two reds to my credit, when I had another big strike. This one ran down the canal, then hugged the bottom, again trying to rub the plug loose. Another long run, these fish are really fun on this light stuff, more “wallows” like it was trying to clear the water and I saw that it was a bigger red that the first one. Finally slipping the net under it, I weighed this one, nine pounds and a good one to end this last second trip on.

My theory was proven, I had caught and released three, big reds on a yellow, Piggy Boat, a known fresh water “killer”. Cranking up the big motor, I creped, a 5 MPH limit on boats in the canals, back to our house. Since it was almost dark Layla was waiting outside for me and when I told her of the great fishing in the canal and the three big reds I had caught and released, her only comment was, “Grilled redfish would’ve been good tonight!”

Pictures

More Outdoors Pictures, August 4, 2010

My friend and former business partner, Bob Baugh, lives in an area south of Rosenberg, Texas. Last week he sent me some pictures of white wing doves on a telephone line, behind his house. They feed these birds and it looks like it’s chow time!

The white wings are lined up.

More of them.

And, here’s the whole bunch.

Years ago, my Dad befriended a farmer in this area, Vasilav Vacek, and he arranged for us to hunt on his and several of his friend’s property, almost a thousand acres. See my November 17, 2008 post,[Vacek’s]. The white wings didn’t move into this area until twenty, or so, years ago, now they are everywhere and have taken over, except for the panhandle, most of our fine, State. I’ve even seen them as far north as Plano, Texas.

Back in the 50’s and 60’s this provided my Dad and I with some wonderful mourning dove and duck hunting, but now, the area is built up with shopping centers, homes, industrial sites and very little farming. All we can do now is admire the wildlife.

Sports

Hot Springs Was Hot

Stumpy and his Texans overcame the high heat, 100’s, and high humidity, 80’s to 90’s and won the Senior Softball tournament held this past weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Texans opened the tournament with a victory over the Texas Greyhounds, making it ten in a row over their rivals, but on Friday The Texans couldn’t overcome a rash of errors and lost a close one to the Greyhounds, 13-12. Both teams had a 5 and 1 record, but the tournament championship was decided on a “runs given up”, tie breaker and resulted in a victory for The Texans!

Here, The Texans, the smiling victors, pose for a championship picture.

In the tournament there was an 80 and over team, The Southwest Stars, pictured below.

Counting the Stars, there are four other 80 and over teams in the U.S. In the Hot Springs tournament, battling the heat and humidity, the Stars played three 75 and over teams and ended up with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. The losses were both close games, one runners, and could have gone either way. Over the years, I’ve watched these men play, played with some of them on championship teams and still marvel at their skill and endurance!

Over the next two weeks The Texans will decide about their next tournament. They’ll either play in the Southwest National Championships held in Irving, Texas on August 12 and 13 or the SPA National Championships in Dalton, Georgia, September 2 through 5, or both.