Showdown at the Hummingbird Saloon

Standoff at the Hummingbird Saloon this morning.
(Don’t worry, the little guy came back later and got his drink.)

Easter in the Ouachitas

There are legends about the Dogwood and Good Friday, but it is still a beautiful Eastertide sign, blooming wild in the Ouachita understory.

White dogwood in bloom on Holy Saturday.

The Ouachita Herpetarium

With morning temps in the upper 50s and highs in the 80s it’s not hard to see why the snakes and anoles like spring so much.

Hognose snakes warm themselves in the sun.

A green anole takes in the sun.

Violet’s eye view

Violets, white and purple peek out as spring hits the Ouachitas.

Oaks tower over a single backlit violet.

A lone white violet in the sun.

Fire season

Although wildfires can occur anytime, springtime and late summer/early fall are especially high risk due to drier air and dry vegetation. Throw in people who burn thatch in their lawns in spring or let grill embers get away from them and poof! wildland wildfires.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The smoke cloud below, from March 29, originated with a prescribed or controlled burn in Perry County — meaning the fire was set to eliminate material that could quickly give rise to a highly destructive fire.

Fire is nature’s way of renewing the forests in the Ouachitas. Pictures from the 1800s show vast burned out areas. If you live in a forested area, be sure to stay tuned to http://www.arkfireinfo.org/and www.arkansasfirewise.com. The National Weather Service also issues fire watches when conditions are right for wildland fires.

The setting sun shines through smoke rising from a prescribed, or controlled, burn in Perry County on March 29.

Here’s lookin’ at you

Sunshine and temperatures in the 60s are bringing out all the usual Ouachitanian suspects, including this green anole.

Possum straight up. With lemon

This animal proves the possum-bilities are endless. No idea whether he was stuck or playing possum or just plain confused, but this possum just hung on the fence, seemingly oblivious to the scores of people walking by during lunch hour. The lemon, well, it appeared sometime during the lunch hour. No telling whether it was meant as food or decoration.

This possum was hanging around with the lunch time crowd at UALR. It was quite alive; but its actions or lack thereof, are inexplicable. Maybe March in Arkansas comes in like a possum. (iPhone photo)

Crow. Snow.

A crow in the snow. There are still a few snow boulders around on Feb. 19, but little else. The daffodils are emerging, the pears appear ready to burst forth and the rest of the trees buds are beginning to swell. 

No apologies to William Manchester

A world lit only by headlights.

Oaks at night. (iPhone photo)

Eat your heart out, Joseph Mallord William Turner

January sunset,

Spectacular color. Danged,

inadequate  pixels.