Feral Hogs ~ Captured

As some of you know we here in South Texas have a Feral Hog problem! They are everywhere and very destructive. It is frustrating when you have a beautiful hay field or pasture and you wake up one morning and it is a dirt field and looks like several bombs were dropped on it in the middle of the night...In one night a group of Hogs can destroy everything you've worked so hard to build over time...makes you want to cry!

Lately the hogs have been in the pasture around the house and making a mess of things. So we set up a Hog trap and for the last few days I have been in wait...This morning before daylight I could hear the hogs but wasn't sure if I caught any in the trap...I was so excited when it was light enough to see and with the binoculars I could see I had caught some Feral Hogs in the trap, YEA!!

Not the big ones we would like to catch but two 40lb ones and two less to tear things up...My Father In Law is on his way out to take them away...We sell them and the extra money comes in nice...

They are none to Happy and squealing up a storm but soon they won't have any worries...I haven't been taking my nature walks because of the Feral Hogs. They are very dangerous and will attack...So maybe as soon as we get the little darl'ins out of here I can start walking again...There are at least 20 of them hanging around here and hopefully I can catch some more.

Photo Challenge ~ Abstract

This weeks photo challenge was hosted by Lotti and she chose "Abstract" photos.

I had an appt. this morning at the dealership and while I was waiting I had fun taking abstract photos...below are my examples!

If you would like to check out the photo challenge blog click here.

Awwww so cute......

Fred has a rule in our house...NO dogs on his chair...absolutely, positively NOT!! Well Scarlett for some reason loves FREDS chair...So to keep her out of it I put one of Fred's old cowboy hats in it...It's always worked....NOT anymore...I walked out into the living room a little bit ago and this is what I found.......UH OH!! But isn't she just the cutest little thing...Awww...

Shhh don't tell Fred, LOL...

Labor Day at the Zoo

Fred had to work Labor Day, supposedly? So I decided to see if our Library Friends wanted to join us at the Zoo and they did and we had a GREAT time!!

Everyone in the Aviary checking out the different bird species...very cool!

We arrived early and the animals were all up and about...

Yep even these lovely animals were awake and laughing...Oh I mean lovely ladies!!


H here is your Coyote photo, lol....You asked and me being such a dear sweet friend took it just for YOU!!

Ahh well it also seems Love was in the air too!! We all had a good laugh as Kaden informed us the turtles were wrestling...We had a good chuckle and didn't tell the young'ins any different!!

What is a visit with my friends without getting a Bumble Bee photo?

My favorite photo of the morning was this one of the badger...

Checking out the S. American Tapir...

Posing in the playroom in the amphibian house...

Lets see, we have ~ Ashley, Toby, Bobby (he got his haircut, Yea!), Nicholas, Quinton, Kaden (lost a tooth, another Yea!), Michael and goofy Jordan!! Thanks for posing everyone!!

And what would my blog be like without some type of Critter in it...Sorry Mom couldn't help myself...This is a Python!!

There are more photos up on my Flickr site if you would like to see more...

Thanks for stopping by it is greatly appreciated!!

Scrapstreet.com magazine

Jorinde has done an article about the Photo Challenge blog for an online magazine called Scrapstreet.com

If you click the image above it will take you to the article and also check out this wonderful online magazine with fantastic Digital Scrapbook ideas.

Thank you Jorinde!

Photo Challenge ~ Symmetry

This weeks photo challenge was and is...

sym·me·try \ˈsi-mə-trē\ noun,
1: balanced proportions; also : beauty of form arising from balanced proportions

If you would like to see the photos from the other participants you can go to our

Photo Challenge post and click on the names in the right side bar...

I love your Blog...

My Dear sweet friend Helen has honored me with this award. With out her inspiration you wouldn't even be looking at my blog...She is the one who got me started in blog land, lol...I am so thankful for her and feel so blessed to have met her on Scrapbook.com...Thank you Helen!

Below are a few of my friends in blog land that I think deserve this award too!

Helen - of course, my dear sweet Aussie friend!!

Karin M - I adore her photos and love that she is also an animal lover too!!

Erin - Never a dull moment in her household

Kelly - With 3 boys there is always something going on...

Angie - Another busy Mom who also has her hands full.

Colleen - has a great sense of humor

Pioneer Woman - Beautiful photos and a life I would love to be living

Kristen - A busy Mom who does beautiful scrapbook layouts

Lenore - She takes beautiful sunday drives in Colorado

Jodie - Another Aussie who does awesome scrapbook layouts and 2 kids to keep her busy.

There are so many other blogs in our photo challenge group that I really enjoy too...so skip on over to the photo challenge post and check out the blogs on the side-bar...I promise you will see some awesome photos and learn about different areas on this planet Earth!

Nature walk at the In-laws Ranch...

Fred decided after last week that I needed a quiet walk in the woods with my camera so we went to visit his parents at their ranch today...

This is a plant my Mother in law has that I love, the blooms look like little butterflies...

Crablike spiny Orb Weaver...I almost walked into it's web, Ekk...I think they are so cool!

I always check out this Old Oak to see if anything is hiding in it and nothing today. The woods were really quiet today, not sure if it was due to the oppressive heat or maybe there was something bigger out in the woods?

It was definitely quiet until I found the family of noisy Green Jays...I have so wanted to see and get a photo of a Green Jay and I was able to do this today...Yea...But I was disappointed as the lighting wasn't the greatest and I am totally NOT liking my telephoto lens either...but I reminded myself to enjoy the jays and I did...There were two juveniles and their parents. I was watching them from a distance and trying to get a good photo through the trees when the youngsters spotted me. They came right over and perched above my head and chewed me out noisily and were also scrutinizing me and the camera...I couldn't help but laugh at them. The parents stayed further away but were watching...

My photos do not do them justice as they are beautiful birds, with green/yellow bodies and black and blue on their heads...The juveniles were kind of scraggly looking as their adult feathers were just starting to come in...

Ekkk...I didn't see this on my nature walk but back at the ranch house, lol...Grandpa bbq'ing his delicious Brisket...

Thank you for stopping by and taking a peek...