A Whole Lot of Peeping Going On!

Brand new
Barred Rock chick!
That's her head and beak at the top
and her little wing sticking
out on the right!

Good morning!  And let me tell you, I sure was surprised when I got up this morning!  I let Chi outside to "potty" thinking "Man, those birds are noisy this morning!"  My sleep fuddled brain thought that an outside bird was sure unhappy and loud at 6:30 am on a Monday morning.  But wait, when I finally made it into the computer room to sit down to work on the blog, Lo And Behold! a brand new baby chick!  Poor baby, she was stuck in the turner of the incubator, no wonder she was so unhappy!  So, you could say I woke up to "Help, help, help, help, help" in Chicken language!  The "surprised" part of this tale is that the chicks are not supposed to start hatching until Wednesday!

Foster's Place, Pickton, Texas.
This is a photo from their Facebook page.
And, no, it was not snowing on Sunday.  This
photo was taken Jan. 9, 2011.

Sunday, L and I went to Foster's Place in Pickton, Texas for lunch.

We really enjoy this little restaurant!  They have great food, a warm atmosphere, and friendly management and staff.  How many restaurants can you go to these days and have the owner come and sit at your table for a chat?  Whether he knows you or not, Mr. Foster stops by all the tables to have a friendly "Howdy do" with his new best friends.  The food is great!  Foster's is located on Highway 11, between Sulphur Springs and Winnsboro.  Check them out on Facebook, and better yet make the trip out and have lunch or supper.  Their hours:
Sunday and Monday 10:30-9:30 pm
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Thursday 10:30-9:30 pm
Fri and Sat  10:30-9:30 pm

Mr. C (another, down the road neighbor) took me scouting for wildflowers this week.  We found several of them on Saturday. I was kicking gravel around the parking lot at Fosters waiting on L and found quite a few more.  So, let me get the photos loaded and and the field guides found!  Now here we go!

Field of Wild Jonquils
They are not only beautiful
but they smell devine!

Wild Jonquil, Daffodil
Narcissus jonquilla

Narcissus jonquilla
Wild Jonquil, Daffodil


Texans are always a little surprised when the beautiful Daffodil shows her face, this flower is a sure sign that Spring is on the way!  Around here she makes her appearance in February and March.  "The Jonquil is an old world daffodil that has naturalized throughout Europe and the United States.  It is one of the Narcissus species used in Narcissus Oil, a component of many modern perfumes." wikipedia  I received some information this past week about our friend the Wild Jonquil.  The author called them Lent Lilly Narcissus pseudonarcissus.  The author states that the Lent Lilly or Wild Trumpet Daffodil has been in cultivation since the 1500s and all our hybrid trumpet daffodils originate with the Lent Lilly.  Interesting.  According to the website www.naturalmedicinalherbs many if not all members of this species are poisonous but there are no known records of poisonings.  There are  no known medicinal uses.  But, this website also states that the flowers can be eaten raw or candied and used in desserts. ?????  I really am not so excited about munching on this one!  Personally, if I get the hankering for a flower snack, I will have a Dandelion!

Carolina Anemone
Anemone caroliniana

Carolina Anemone

Anemone caroliniana

One of the wildflowers Mr. C and I saw this weekend was the Carolina Anemone.  "Anemone is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning "wind" (another source said "daughter of the wind"); the flowers supposed open with spring breezes.  Pretty! The plant contains anemonin, a poison that affects the nervous system.  Some Native tribes attributed great healing power to the roots, however, and used them in treating wounds." Wildflowers of Texas by Ajilvsgi

Callery Pear
Pyrus calleryana

Callery Pear

Pyrus calleryana

In bloom now is a tree with white flowers named Callery Pear.

"The Callery pear is an invasive species in many areas of eastern North America, out competing many native plants and trees.^[2] In the northeastern United States, wild Callery pears sometimes form extensive, nearly pure stands in old fields, along roadsides, and in similar disturbed areas.

Callery pear is reported as established outside cultivation in 152 counties in 25 states in the United States.^[7] While these wild plants are sometimes called "Bradford pear" (for the 'Bradford' cultivar), they are actually wild-growing descendants of multiple genotypes of Pyrus calleryana, and hence more correctly referred to by the common (or scientific) name of the species itself.^{[2]"wikipedia}

Callery Pear Blossoms

The fruit of this pear can be eaten raw or cooked but before you begin dreaming of a pear pie you had

best wait til the fruit has been exposed to frost.  

According to www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net the fruit then will have softened and the the flesh will be sweeter.

There is no know medicinal use or no known hazards associated with this plant.  Except that those lovely blossoms may get your sinuses in an uproar.

Now, we saw a lot of flowers this week but you probably need to get busy and do something around the house or in the garden.  I know I do...but I would like to share 3 mushroom photos with you.  The only thing I know about mushrooms is they are beautiful.  And unless you really know what you are doing, and have basically been studying mushrooms for your entire life......well, let me put it this way......I am not ready to be the one pushing up the anemones and daffodils!  Slang for being on the wrong side of the grass!

Well, 2 chicks have hatched since we have been blogging!  And there are quite a few that have pipped.  Pip means they have cracked their shell and want out of the egg! Sunshine and Bugs, here we come, those little chicks are peeping!

This beautiful mushroom is only
one inch tall and growing on
a horse apple!

I will continue letting you know what wildflowers and plants are springing up around the ranch!  Until then, think Spring and Green!......Susan

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

Jimi Hendrix