It all started during the pandemic, a vision for an Eagle Scout service project created by his love for nature. Robert “Zeke” Schmidt presented his vision to The Meadow’s Home Owners Association and obtained permission to proceed with a small community garden located off Sugar Road, between Vance and McKee Streets in Edinburg. His vision involved a place for reflection and meditation, a Serenity Garden filled with native plants to attract
butterflies and other pollinating insects.
New to the Rio Grande Valley, I set off to beautify my surroundings with trees and shrubs that are native to this area. After surveying a number of yards and plant nurseries, I decided on the addition of a Texas wild olive tree (Cordia
boissieri), also known as a Mexican olive,
Anacahuita, or Anacahuite. The genus name, Cordia, is named after Valerius Cordus, a German botanist, while the species name, boissieri, is dedicated to the French botanist Boissier.
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.
On November 12, 2023, bird enthusiasts and wildlife officials were saying that the first rare and recorded sighting of a Cattle Tyrant in the United Sates was reported in Corpus Christi, Texas. Birders posted pictures of the bird on rooftops, ledges and sidewalks, and a particular dumpster of which it seems to be fond.
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.