"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Sunday, July 16, 2017

The Texas Horned Toad.........Lizard or Croaking Toad??

Those of you who have been reading my blog over the years , 
are familiar with this rugged looking miniature dragon
that I often post photos of.  The horned toad.........that is what 
I have heard it called all of my life.......
so many of you have asked........."does it croak like a toad or frog?".....
so to clear it all up........
this is actually the Texas Horned Lizard........and no
it does not croak.......or even make a noise......
or at least I have never heard it.

this is our common rain toad........they are never seen until
a heavy rain has come.........then they unbury themselves 
and croak loudly across the fields. As soon as it dries up
they disappear back into the earth.

this is a skink.........much like a lizard......but not as friendly,
I have made the mistake of catching one
and it furiously snaps with it's strong little mouth.

this is a common lizard that is often seen in the flower beds
and rock garden here .

These are bullfrogs that hang out in the pond.........
as you can see, they grow to be very large.......
I am amazed with the fact that it is so hot and dry here
yet they always find the pond.......
where do they come from? .....I wonder.  

The " horned lizard" looks as tough and prickly as it's photo, it's spikes protect it from predators.......
however, it is very docile and never aggressive.
Children here in Texas, often pick them up and carry
them around throughout the day. 
The best thing about this creature ....... it loves to 
eat red ants. It can eat up to 200 ants at one 
sitting.  


another visitor to my flower gardens and pond
is the dragonfly. 
So tell me.........what strange and wonderful 
creatures are hanging around your flower beds or ponds??


Monday, July 3, 2017

It's time for family and friends to gather for July 4th holiday-----

feed them something cool and delicious.........
a Strawberry Icebox Sheet Pan Pie!
This is such a rich creamy and cool dessert.......wonderful for any hot afternoon and perfect for guests for a July 4th celebration........for it makes a large pan......enough to feed and cool off a crowd!
It is like a very soft cream cheese pie with fresh strawberries. The crust sets it off perfectly!
Always beautiful to serve in vintage dishes of course!
You can find this recipe on my cooking blog at this link
there are also many more wonderful recipes........
from fluffy biscuits, cakes, pies, candy, 
and main dishes.......all of it wonderful and delicious!
Have a safe and happy holiday!