by Texas Homesteader ~
Sometimes mama rabbit makes a nest somewhere that’s not ideal. That’s when I try to protect the baby bunny kits until they’re old enough to be out on their own.
For instance, planting time is almost here & I’ve been in my veggie garden a lot lately. A LOT!
Unfortunately with all my coming & going I accidentally left the garden gate open for a few days. In a golden moment of opportunity, a mama rabbit got into the garden, made a nest and had babies.
by Texas Homesteader~
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Topic Warning: Snake Catching. Now before I begin, let me say that I realize not everyone sees snakes the same way we do. Some may be terrified of snakes and feel they all must die – friend or foe. If that’s you, I respect your feelings.
But for our home, I personally feel they’re an important part of our ecosystem. Especially living out in the country, they keep mice & rat populations in check. A venomous snake must go of course. But around here, non-venomous snakes are simply relocated away from our home.
But getting up close & personal with a snake – good or bad – can make ya nervous, you know?? So we needed a way to be able to catch snakes safely. For us and for them.
by Texas Homesteader~
Uh oh, something has burrowed beneath the rosemary by our back porch. We’re guessing it’s an armadillo. What a mess! So much dirt has been kicked up into the rock border of our porch and the burrow is obviously into the roots of my beloved rosemary plant.
A live trap will be set to capture and relocate whatever it is because it simply cannot stay! Not only is it tearing up our landscaping but we don’t want to chance our mini-schauzer coming into contact with something that could harm her.
Due to the size of the burrow, we’re trapping based on the premise that we’re dealing with an armadillo. Come see what worked for us.
by Texas Homesteader ~
I have a super-smart friend from whom I always learn oh-so-much. Recently we were at a luncheon together & she mentioned that she uses soapberries for shampoo – no conditioner required.
She puts dried soapberries in water and lets them sit for about 6 weeks before she removes the berries. Then she adds a bit of baking soda and uses it to clean her hair.
Well color me intrigued! I found a Soapberry Tree on our property several years ago. So I decided to give it a try.
~by Texas Homesteader ~
When RancherMan & I found this little piece of paradise, we were smitten that’s for sure. As we looked over that old fence at the dilapidated 1880’s barn and overgrown property, we saw something beautiful. We saw where our future would be found. We saw HOME.
It’s been lots of work getting our property where it is now, and we’re nowhere near done. You see, there’s a prolific tree growing here called ‘Honey Locust’. For the most part we find these trees troublesome. But out of a useless tree, at least there are some useful features
by Texas Homesteader ~
We have many Bois d’Arc trees (aka: Osage Orange trees) on our property. I guess I’ve always just assumed people throughout the U.S. had them on their property too.
But isn’t it funny when you’ve lived somewhere all your life you just naturally assume others across the country enjoy all the same stuff you do.
For instance, our daughter was shocked with she moved from her home state of Texas to North Carolina & found out they had no Braum’s Ice Cream Stores. (gasp!) Or Whataburger. WHAT?
She soon moved back to Texas, thank goodness. North Carolina was too far for her to live from her beloved Texas with all its fineries! LOL. Every state has their specific things, #amiright??
But here on my website I’ve been surprised to hear readers say they’ve never seen nor heard of the Bois d’Arc tree. (pronounced bō-ˌdä(r)k).
They pretty much grow wild here and we have these trees scattered throughout our property. I love ’em, so I thought I’d write a little about these magnificent trees and how they’re used.
by Texas Homesteader ~
Summer is here for sure in NE Texas y’all. It’s HOT! Now I love Texas, but we have some pesky things to deal with here. The heat & humidity are certainly something to contend with. And some of the bugs & pests are too.
Out here on the Homestead I’m constantly on the lookout for copperhead snakes, stinging wasps, scorpions, fire ants and to me the worst offender – the tiny chigger.
Oh the chiggers are brutal this time of year. You stroll out into your pasture to check the cows and before you know it you’re covered with maddenly itchy red bumps. This discomfort can stay for 2-3 weeks in some cases. YIKES!
There are many home remedies for chigger bites, and much misinformation as well. Today I thought I’d address the chigger and its tormentious bite.
by Texas Homesteader ~
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We have a wild hog problem here in NE Texas. Bad. So bad in fact that there’s no official ‘season’ for hunting them because they’re such an invasive, destructive nuisance.
Their sheer numbers are astonishing. They come through like a cloud, leaving nothing but tilled ground & deep holes behind them.
So terrible that the game warden says you can hunt them at any time day or night, in any season.
