contributed by Donna Otto
Author: Justin Case
In August 2023 we enjoyed 16 days in western Costa Rica. We spent some time exploring nature around our condo in the northwestern coastal area and in the central, mountainous part of the country on guided trips. The wildlife was amazing! I was fascinated by the beauty and variety of the plant life, the animals that I’d never seen outside a zoo, the amazing birds, and the sloths. We knew it was a lot different just from the road signs.
When I first started gardening two years ago, I never put much thought into planting annual plants in my yard. Not to say that the colorful array of annual flowers like marigolds, pansies, and mums never caught my eye, but the thought of having to replace annuals after a season or two did not appeal to me. I wanted to brighten up the yard with attractive foliage and blooms that would last a few years.
I ran across this book at a garage sale and bought it having previously heard of the Snake King. I am glad I did because a recent search located only one for sale on the internet for $500! That’s because of its limited distribution, having been published in Brownsville by the son of the Snake King who wrote the memoir. All the editions advertised as sold were signed by the author, as is mine. They must have all been sold by him. I found it valuable in describing Brownsville from the 1910s to 1930s.
In August my husband, Paul, and I had the opportunity to stay with our daughter on the Pacific coast of western Costa Rica for two weeks. My activities there reminded me of some of the experiences and surprises I had while living in Texas over the years.
With the recent increase in cochineal, I now have plenty of scale insects available to be harvested. This will now afford me the opportunity to pick up with a natural dyeing experiment using cochineal that I put on hold about a year and a half ago. There are many resources, both in print and online, for dyeing with this dried insect. I have a personal favorite, which is a paperback that I purchased many years ago at the Valley Nature Center in Weslaco, Texas, titled “Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest: A Practical Guide,” by Delena Tull. Ms. Tull gives her reader a synopsis of dyeing with cochineal on page 350 of her book.