The West Texas environment this time of year can be harsh and unforgiving. The temperature has reached up to 101 and the sky has not given one drop of rain. The dirt has been hard packed and suffocating.
Yet somehow, in the middle of this all, life and beauty spring up. This handsome dragon fly was enjoying the water pouring into the flower bed. The smell of the water making him unafraid of me as I snapped his picture. 
Rose moss is one of my favorite flowers. These delicate flowers spring up in the hottest and driest time of the season. There is always a new color each day. 
He only looks mean. He is really very shy and evasive. Only interested in large spiders. I have seen one of these drag a full grown tarantula to it's nest by itself!
These horned toads look like miniature dinosaurs to me{: They seem to be not bothered by the heat or dry spells that we have. What kinds of creatures do you have wandering around your grounds? I would love to see and hear about them!
13 comments:
Oh my, Kathleen- you've got some creatures there I've never seen in person before!! I've seen lots of dragonflies, but that thing you said could drag a tarantula- and ugh- if I saw a tarantula, I would DIE ON THE SPOT. The horned toads- are they lizards?
I have to know these things, because I may never come to Texas if I don't! LOL
Yeah, that horned toad is just a little freaky, to me! Shivers!
Aren't dragon flies so beautiful?
There was one on the concrete by our pool the other day that wouldn't move. I thought he was dead, until I came back with the camera and he was gone. Camera shy, I guess!
Blessings,
Julie
Hi Kathleen!
We really have had some hot weather over here. I have seen the dragonflies and the horned toads, well the horned toads when I was younger, no longer have been able to see any of them like I use to. The bug you talked about jumping on a tarantula sounds scary.
We have a lot of fire ants and those are very bothersome, they get into everything around here especially my garden.
Hope you have a great day.
Irma :)
Hey Kathleen- Used to keep horny toads as a kid. We had tons of them here, but they've been run out by homes, businesses. They've about lost their habitat around here. I miss them! My middle son kept a couple of tarantulas as pets when he was younger. He could even get them to stand on the flat of his palm! He loved to scare all his friends - Vickie
Great pic of the dragon fly. I miss getting to see the horney toad (lizard) around here. Don't see many in town, but we did see a dead snake on the road half a block from our house. That surprised hubby & me.
I'd seen the wasp looking bugs around here, & didn't know what they were. Nice to know they get the spiders. I'm tired of getting spider bit. We have quite a few wolf spiders.
If I saw one of those horned toads in my yard I would have a heart attack on the spot!
I love dragonflys, I like to sit and watch them by my pond....they always seem so busy doing nothing!
Love, Ann
Wow, you sure have some interesting wildlife around your place! That dragonfly looks about as big as a jet in the photo, LOL!
Love the picture of the rose moss--beautiful! It looks like something I've seen called portulaca here before. I wonder if it is the same thing by a different name? We don't have very many exotic creatures here, but I live in a small town in Ohio. Mostly I see rabbits and squirrels and birds with an occasional deer, groundhog, raccoon, or possum.
Wow! That dragonfly pic is awesome! (Used to call 'em "Skeeter Hawks" back in FLorida.) Those things totally do look like little dinosaurs.
Very neat animal pics! We have lizards that look like a miniature of your horned toad. Rabbits eating my garden, squirrels, birds, and my favorite-the tiny chipmunks or ground squirrels.
You have some wonderful pictures. It's amazing how much wildlife we have just in our yards.
I love dragonflies and see them zipping along all the time. I plan to installing a small pond and hope to attract more. You sure have a lot of little critters in W TX. We don't seem to have such a big variety here. Maybe I need to look harder...
Patricia :o)
Well I never though about running upon a horned beast while working my garden. I think my heart my skip a beat! LOL
Blessings,
Lea
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