Aw, look what 'twas'n the weed patch!

@crazyhorseladycx Thanks. Do you have any favorite animals?

@crazyhorseladycx Where can I read more about them shooting blood out of their eyes. Creepy.

@crazyhorseladycx I agree with you. I get really ticked at all those damn churches bein built in the name of their Lord, why are they destroyin what HE/SHE created for a stupid building?

@rebelann oh, we shan't get 'nto those houses 'f worship.... folks're entitled to such, ya know ;) 'mazes me how someone who led a life so simple 'n suffered so much 'd be needin' fancy things. nope, that'd be fer those that go, makes 'em somehow feel better??

"what the market will allow" - that'd be what they say. 'n what they really mean's they're gonna jack the prices'p coz they know folks've a need. kinda like groceries 'n critter feed. i hear ya'n the housin' prices. sadly though, usually cost double to get'n ol' home back'p to the new codes versus jest buildin' anew. we need to work harder 't returnin' the wilds to bein' wild 'gain. teach our young'uns the importance 'f all critters'n e'ery ecosystem.

he does? dang i need 'im out here to help me find 'em, lol. jest lucked out'n this'un. e'en more so when't stayed there whilst i fetched the camera. pesticides 've killed off so many, not jest here. i refuse to use 'em 'n 'fore all these folks started movin' out here, we'd quite the variety 'f critters. i really miss the lil ground squirrels....the black footed ferret 'n many others that used to frequent the place. yup, so many jest don't seem to comprehend their actions, 'r they jest don't care's long's they get what they wish. hey! ya might've some 'f these (dunno if'n they'd be'n yer neck 'f the woods??) hidin' out'n yer weed patch!

@crazyhorseladycx I was rereading . . . I was thinking horned lizards - but this is a horned toad! Well the heads actually look kinda similar - I know my kids would both dig this little fella! Yah, amazing he did not scamper away! We used to have toads in the neighborhood at my parent's house . . . when I was growing up. We are still not far from there, but we have not seen toads in YEARS. Only when we go hiking near a creek - and that's a maybe. Hairy caterpillars have been missing too. Where we live now, there are hawks and such - we definitely don't want to be using pesticides - and for it to be going through the food chain. I have no hope for humans anymore . They make me sick in more ways than one. I was walking through the weeds to get to the trash cans out in back . . . and I did see a couple lizards scampering away- real fast - but it was the typical species that live out here - no horned anything.

@much2say many humans aint very high'p'n the list 'f fav's fer me neither. their selfishness 'n cruelty seems to know no bounds. delighted ya got 't least some wee creatures there'n yer yard. goes to show ya that one's view 'f weeds 'tis diff'rent than that 'f others. i keep weed patches scattered all o'er the place. drives the city slickers a bit mad 's they continue to move out here'n put'n their pristine, golf course lookin' yards. all the while poisonin' the native grasses/weeds/wildflowers 'n thus the critters. such also seeps 'nto the ground (dunno why i'm badgerin' 'em, farmers 've been doin' the same fer years...). critters're like's all really. we all need food, shelter 'n water. the critters jest don't take more'n what they need.

@crazyhorseladycx sadly, most creatures these days have to fear humans more than their natural predators.

@simone10 so true :( predators'll take what they need to survive. humans jest take en mass with lil thought 'r care.

yes ma'am, most 'f our native critters blend'n purty danged good out here. got to 'nable to survive all predators, jest don't work with mankind.

a cutie fer certain with a most 'mportant job. yup, nearly stepped'n the wee'un, e'en though i always look down when walkin' out here (rattlesnakes). this's the biggest'un i've seen'n a few years, so hopefully they're makin' a bit 'f a comeback?? 'r 't least 've found refuge here from all the poisonin' folks who've moved out this way.

@crazyhorseladycx Do you know what they need? In terms of the sort of place to live, where to breed, what they eat? Maybe you can create a little haven for them!

@Fleura they've all they need right here 'n 're safe whilst'n my property. i do no allow pesticides 'n other chemicals, not e'en fertilizer. i've a compost pile fer the later. folks don't like red ants, their stings can be painful 'n some're allergic (my son-in-law, fer instance). i don't bother 'em, e'en 've a few red ant beds (nests 'nderground) near some horse corrals 'n the horses aint bothered. humans ought've learnt long 'go how to coexist with mother natures gifts. sadly they've not fer the most part.

@just4him yes ma'am :( sadly the law looked the other way, too. dunno why they bother with 'em (laws) if'n nobody 'tis gonna 'nforce 'em?

thanks, i'd hoped i'd not make't made's i stuck the camera'n 'ts face. ya know, coz they shoot blood outta their eyes 's a defense mechanism. so many're 'n so many don't care. when the folks bought the place 'cross the road, they started shootin' all the jack rabbits. i told 'im they were endangered 'n protected by law. he laughed'n did't anyhow. e'en 'ncouraged his son to do the same. which sadly he did....

@crazyhorseladycx That's terrible!

@crazyhorseladycx sooner rather than later would be good!

@divalounger half the dept 'f interior know me by name, 'long with congressmen/woman 'n senators from most states. yup, i'm that gal!

:) he was waitin' fer the red ants to come by, lol. there'd be a nest 'f 'em jest outta this shot. i 'gree with ya, i do the same 'n bug the heck outta our elected officials to hopefully, one day, force change.

@crazyhorseladycx So many animal species are extinguished and many disappear every day. We will regret this one day and it will be too late.

yes ma'am, we should. sadly such's not the case though there'd be those fightin' fer such. take a look 't all the critters that've already gone 'xtinct due to mankinds meddlin'. diseases that've caused 'dverse effects'n the natives coz 'f non-natives man's brought to diff'rent lands. hopeful folks'll wake 'p 'n realize that bio-diversity 'tis what keeps this ol' earth habitable.

blends'n purty good, eh?

bless yer heart, jest a wee lizard. i believe there'd be too many cats 'n what seems to be 't least 1 resident skunk fer the snakes to move'n. always'n the lookout fer 'em though, 'tis jest habit.

yup!

oh dear, they kill 'em? i know such's common 'n the big red ants y'all've there 're quite diff'rent from the ones here. surely they've natural predators? 'r 've those all been destroyed, to? good fortunes be with ya, i'm quite the fan 'f toads 'n frogs...'n dragonflies.

@oahuwriter such 'tis not native to yer lands. fer that i 'gree with their destruction.

@crazyhorseladycx These red fire ants are very dangerous and cause bad things even blindness in pets, so all infestation is stopped immediately.

aint 't though? i 'twas delighted to spot the lil fella/gal (who knows?) 'n then felt mighty blessed 't stayed whilst i fetched the camera. does the same fer me 'n i've been fightin' such fer years. sadly i aint made much progress, e'en with the city folk who keep movin' out here. they've no respect fer the native critters. claim such to be their land, jest coz they've got a piece 'f paper'n a mortgage.

yes ma'am 'n seem to deny such vehemently. we're also livin' with past generations discretions. 'nstead 'f correctin' those, we continued to compound 'em.

howdy, ms. ruby! so delighted to see ya, sweet lady! last i 'twas here, ya were nowhere to be found. i reckon the time 'twas finally correct fer's both to return? i've quite the population 'f toads 'n salamanders (they love the pond) 'n these horned toads used to be quite prolific. now, 'tis a rare treat to see 'em. folks keep poisonin' insects 'n such's 'n adverse effect'n those that prey'n insects. e'en birds 'n fish can become quite ill consumin' 'em. the 'powers that be' 're fully 'ware 'f the consequences but do nothin' to pull said products from the shelves voluntarily.

yer welcome :)