Texas Fall/Winter thread!

Western · Mar 8, 2014

Rick, sounds like a fun getaway, been along time since I've been to NY, over 37 years, early 70's

HEY y'all, I saw a rain drop!!! WOOOOT

bindian · Mar 8, 2014

NativeSon said:
Jim- I think that's for all of us as we keep advancing in years. Every once in a while I like to do something off the chart in front of her. She'll look at me and say "You're scaring me......". You got to keep those "Trophy Wives" on their toes.

Charlie

:yawn:
hugs, Brandi

blueriver · Mar 9, 2014

So much for the rain event in my area .. Light mist all I got out of the 60% chance!

Bird · Mar 9, 2014

blueriver said:
So much for the rain event in my area .. Light mist all I got out of the 60% chance!

NWS says Denton got .02" of an inch and my rain gauge shows about the same. So that brings me up to 1.03" for the year.

Western · Mar 9, 2014

blueriver said:
So much for the rain event in my area .. Light mist all I got out of the 60% chance!

Yep, I feel, well,,,, A BIT RIPPED OFF

We got what Bird did, a whole .02

Forgot to change my clocks:shocked:

Western · Mar 9, 2014

BTW, went to Home Depot in Weatherford yesterday, fruit trees I saw starting to bloom and leaf 10 days ago, looked like they had been sprayed with a total weed killer! Looked at mine yesterday and I think I may be better off, some of the brown buds are opening and I still see color:thumbsup: Maybe the freeze just hurt the exterior of the buds and they still go on to bloom. Fingers crossed.

pacerron · Mar 9, 2014

Western said:
BTW, went to Home Depot in Weatherford yesterday, fruit trees I saw starting to bloom and leaf 10 days ago, looked like they had been sprayed with a total weed killer! Looked at mine yesterday and I think I may be better off, some of the brown buds are opening and I still see color:thumbsup: Maybe the freeze just hurt the exterior of the buds and they still go on to bloom. Fingers crossed.

Need those buds. The poor bees up here are still collecting carbohydrates from bird seed.
Look at the pollen sacks on this guy.

Western · Mar 9, 2014

Ron, that is (from my generation) far-out!:laughing: Never seen honey bees go for bird food. I have seen them on meat and most other natural liquids, but not seeds!!

During the winter months when the bees are out scavenging, we put out molasses or honey on a dinner plate for them, sometimes the boss will put flowers out if she has some.

Bird · Mar 9, 2014

I've never seen bees going for seed either. When I was a kid, and we had bee hives, Dad would mix up sugar and water and put it out by the hives. And of course, the bees were always after water at the cows watering trough.

Western · Mar 9, 2014

Bird said:
I've never seen bees going for seed either. When I was a kid, and we had bee hives, Dad would mix up sugar and water and put it out by the hives. And of course, the bees were always after water at the cows watering trough.

We have done that too Bird, they need water almost as much from what I understand. I was told by a beekeeper that they scavenge the most when they have a brood to feed? If they cant find the nutrients, the young will die.

jinman · Mar 9, 2014

I see bees on our birdbath whn algae forms and starts growing. They seem to like the algae or perhaps it's a mold they are after to help them further digest the honey. At times, I see almost 100 bees on the birdbath, but they don't seem to be drinking water.:confused3:

pacerron · Mar 9, 2014

jinman said:
I see bees on our birdbath whn algae forms and starts growing. They seem to like the algae or perhaps it's a mold they are after to help them further digest the honey. At times, I see almost 100 bees on the birdbath, but they don't seem to be drinking water.:confused3:

They probably get plenty to drink buzz bombing your sprinkler heads.

bindian · Mar 9, 2014

We got a half inch of rain yesterday. It was raining while I slept, so I will check the gage again today. Friday afternoon, I walked around the barn and noticed the wet weather springs were seeping, so the ground is soaked here.
hugs, Brandi

NativeSon · Mar 9, 2014

pacerron said:
They probably get plenty to drink buzz bombing your sprinkler heads.

Ron-That's a good one. On point.

Charlie

lostcreekranch · Mar 9, 2014

3" in rain gauge this morning plus had another 3/4" while were in NYC. With our sandy soil it's like quick sand here today. Tractors staying parked.

jinman · Mar 9, 2014

pacerron said:
They probably get plenty to drink buzz bombing your sprinkler heads.

They have to get in line behind the hummingbirds,; however, the bumblebees take over my yellow squash when they are in bloom. The bumblebee's legs look like Popeye's arms with the pollen hanging off of them. Even so, I've never had a bumblebee or honeybee that was aggressive in the garden. I try to teach my grandson that he need not be afraid or try to fight them, but he is so bug-a-phobic that he goes nuts if there's one within 20' of him.

jinman · Mar 9, 2014

Rick, check out this drought map. We are just south of Wichita Falls in the extreme drought area. Wichita Falls is in the exceptional drought category and looks like a tinderbox everywhere.

View attachment 364569

farmgirl19 · Mar 9, 2014

No rain here either. The sky looked dreary all day, and again this morning, but nothing in the gauge.

Cool photo of the bee and pollen sacs, pacerron! Like jinman, I have bees when the squash are blooming, and have never been bothered by them. All that buzzing can sound daunting though!

Bird · Mar 9, 2014

jinman said:
I see bees on our birdbath whn algae forms and starts growing. They seem to like the algae or perhaps it's a mold they are after to help them further digest the honey. At times, I see almost 100 bees on the birdbath, but they don't seem to be drinking water.:confused3:

We had a concrete trough for the cows and horse, so for the bees to get to the water, they landed on a vertical surface (wall of the concrete trough) and since there were 7 hives nearby there would be hundreds of bees there. That would have been alright except that hundreds also fell into the water. If left in the water long enough, they'd eventually drown, so a couple of times a day, I had to skim them off the surface of the water with just my hands. I'd scoop up a double handful and then just stand there while they flapped their wings to dry off enough to fly. I did NOT want that job at all to start with, but Dad didn't give me any choice and I soon got used to doing it, and I never got stung doing that.