I’m proud to live in Mountain City, a little city still somewhat out in the country, where neighborly Burna Erwin brought her umbrella to the street when RonTom, KissMe, and I got caught in a shower last week.
Montage brings me some friends who do not live in Mountain City. One is M.C. Forister. She noticed last week’s tidbits on our roadrunners and remembered past comments on our rattlesnakes. She reminded, “Roadrunners do kill rattlesnakes.”
Kevin Garraway on Maple is quite sure one of our roadrunners eats frogs from his pond. Daniel, who won the recent race through the city, saw a roadrunner in the road ahead of him with something flopping out the beak. Shortly thereafter, Kevin saw the roadrunner sitting on the rim of his pond.
Last year, Kevin saw roadrunners mating right there on Maple. Maybe we do have more roadrunners this year!
”Old Lady Forister” (that’s what her friends call her) remembers that, back in Kenedy, her dad’s boss’s yard had baby roadrunners. Her father said, “They’re the ugliest looking babies!”
Let me tell you what we have now in Mountain City! The most beautiful Painted Buntings!! Yes, even now as I’m typing this column on Monday, RonTom whispered, “Look!” Right in front of our eyes, on the feeder on the office window ledge, a Painted Bunting stayed for several minutes, gorging on seed. This fellow flew up from wintering grounds somewhere between Central Mexico and the Panama Canal.
An Ash-throated Flycatcher just took a look at a front yard “bluebird” nestbox. Eastern Bluebird and Black-crested Titmouse and Bewick’s Wren have already completed their first nesting of the season here. The Ash-throated Flycatcher will start nesting soon.
An Eastern Bluebird couple is inspecting The Garraway’s bluebird nestbox. Sometimes bluebirds move to a different spot for their second and subsequent nestings of the season.
James and Dianne Polk’s bluebirds fledged this past weekend. They have several other species nesting now.
This past week we saw our first 2016 fireflies. Our grandsons grew up catching fireflies during their visits here.
We heard a lovely Chuck-Will’s Widow (sounds like “Whipporwill”) as we started a walk under the full moon last week. A Northern Mockingbird followed with a poor imitation.
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Recent storms brought hail. If you have an older composition roof, get a free inspection by a roofing company. Roofers will meet with insurance adjusters and make the case for a new roof, if such is merited. In the Mountain City directory, you’ll find an ad for a 10% discount for Mountain Cityians. I cannot mention names. But, feel free to email or give me a call.
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The next date on the city’s calendar is the May Council Meeting on Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m. Find the agenda the weekend before at mountaincitytx.com and the message boards at City entrances.
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Feel free to email or give me a call if you have any sort of Mountain City tidbit. ptom5678@gmail.com or 512-268-5678 Thanks! Love, Pauline
