New list

[Maverick Poet]

Thanks, Mike! This looks like a good idea. Now it's just a matter of
getting everyone signed on!

Carol Cullar

[whitedove]

Hey Mike, Carol and others out there! I will have to send my
granddaughter's mother a link!

Hugs and thanks,

Carole Jordan

[Harlen]

Howdy, see a couple that we know. Completed a trip last week (went up
Wed and came back on Sat) to the land of the windmill generating fields
about twenty miles south of Abilene ... h'mmm! The windmills stretch
from US83 (north of Winters, Tuscola?) far to west and are spinning
their hearts out.
We have made the trip three times since May 12 and what was dry and
parched is still dry and parched. Has improved a bit around Cuero and
Gonzales. Greener but there still is no substantial grass in the
pastures, just looks green and beqins to turn to brown from along 46
from Luling to I-10. The stock tanks are all dry and we could see they
are trying to feed the cattle they are trying to keep for stockers next
year if they can keep them that long. Every once in a while there is a
spot that got an inch of rain that did green out for a week or two. It
is very green the first two counties in from the coast and I hear much
of east Texas. Talked to some of my rancher and farmer friends and
they may be out of business ... oh, they will push on and try one more
year ... at least they are planning to.
The fall monarchs don't have much of any native milkweed in
central Texas right now. We saw very little
viridis and asclepias and what we saw in mid-May was gone last week
where there had been no rain.
Saw Mary's (of TMI) setup at Boerne in mid-May and it was
fantastic!!! Stop by there if you are in the area ... I promise a
happy surprise for you if you get out and take a tour.
We traveled thru a 800 mile long black snow storm of snouts last
week. Picked them up at Cuero going up on Wed and lost them again this
side of Cuero on Saturday. Had to wash the windshield two and three
times a day!
It is the beginning of August and we still see monarchs. Altus saw
a fresh female this week. About ten days ago we had two males and a
female in the backyard. She was depositing eggs. All were in good to
medium good shape. While in Winters back on May 15, we had a monarch
fly from SW to NE out in front of us over a field of wheat for a good
quarter mile before we lost sight of it. We have been reading
sightings on the butterfly list in June of monarchs in DeWitt Co. and
in Austin. Usually August is the tough
month for us to continue to have monachs ... we'll see.

Take care ... Harlen

Harlen and Altus Aschen Port Lavaca