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| Lycoris Radiata - Author's Picture |
I grew up thinking these were called "naked ladies," and that's one of its names. I think they grow in the early spring, though some sources say late summer. They're also called "Red spider lily" and Lycoris radiata.
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| Fresh Chiles |
The image shows a description of fresh chiles in order of "hotness." Personally, the hottest I can stand are jalapenos. And some of them are mild, while others are extremely hot. I don't care for super spicy/hot peppers.
Source: Meta via Gardening Success Tips
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| Wild Petunia |
The picture was taken in July of 2025. It shows the Ruellia humilis, also known as the wild petunia, hairy petunia, or low wild petunia. I happened upon it accidentally in the backyard, and I don't ever recall seeing one before. It would be nice to have a flower bed with these in it. Edit: An insect is sitting on the very top leaf.
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| Crepe Myrtle - Author's Picture |
I couldn't tell what this beautiful tree was, as I'd never seen one exactly this color. Google Image Search states, "The plant in the image is a Crape Myrtle, specifically a variety with purple flowers like the 'Catawba Purple Crape Myrtle' or 'Petite Orchid' Crape Myrtle." I took this picture at the historic William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery.
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| The Well of Barhout |
The Well of Barhout, or "Well of Hell," is an ancient sinkhole located in Yemen, a natural wonder. Traditionally, it is the abode or prison of genies. Some locals believe it's bad luck to even speak about the sinkhole.
In 2021, a team from Oman became the first known expedition to descend into the hole and make it all the way to the bottom. They reportedly discovered snakes and other geological features such as cave pearls and stalagmites. The hole is about 820 feet deep and roughly 100 feet in width. Fortunately, no genies were reported as being present.
Yemen’s Barhout Well: A Dark History of the Supernatural Explored
From the channel of Mysterious Middle East.
"How real is the folklore behind the legend of Barhoot Well, a mysterious geological anomaly that exists in Hadramaut Yemen? In September 2021, ten explorers from the Omani Caves Exploration Team travelled to the neighboring country of Yemen, to find the truth behind its legendary Barhout Well.
Before the expedition the Barhout Well was famous for giving the impression of being a bottomless pit where the light of the sun itself cannot penetrate.
Till this day, the area has long been home to a steady stream of anomalous activity ranging from strange animals to unexplained disappearances, with both of these mysteries often being linked to the well.
So what did the Omani’s discover, and could there be way more to the story of barhout well than what the media is reporting?"
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| Eastern Copperhead |
The image shows a venomous eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix). I think it appears flat and wider because it's in a defensive position. Of all poisonous snakes in Texas, these command more of my respect because of how they behave. It can sit in plain view in the leaves, and you'll never know it's there until you step on it or accidentally pick it up if you're doing yard work. I almost picked one up one time. It sits still, possibly, because it's an ambush predator. Wikipedia states that "Copperhead bites account for half of the treated snake bites in the United States."
Image Source: Meta via Texas Snake Identification.
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| Walking Stick - Author's Picture |
"A walking stick insect, also known as a stick insect or phasmid, belongs to the order Phasmatodea. These slow-moving insects are green or brown in color and resemble twigs as a protective device. They are well-known for their impressive camouflage abilities, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. Walking sticks are herbivorous and feed on plants." Source: Britannica.
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| Exogyra Ponderosa |
The image above is a picture of the Exogyra Ponderosa, an extinct marine oyster. They can bring as much as $60 if you buy one (online). I found this one many years ago. It's 3.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches in length. It's in perfect condition. I'll never get rid of this one, as it was my first (personally) greatest find. Online, they cost at least $25. They're dated to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
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| Top and Lucas - Author's Picture |
The picture shows Top and Lucas. Lucas is a tabby, and Top was a flame-point white Siamese. Lucas is still around, at the time of this writing, while Top passed away around the age of 18. Top was "my" cat, by his choice. I still miss him and think about him quite often.
1. The ancient Egyptians worshipped a cat goddess named Bastet.
2. A group of cats is called a “clowder”.
3. Cats sleep 70% of their lives.
4. During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII condemned cats as evil.
5. "Miu" was the ancient Egyptian word for "cat." The word imitates the "meow" that cats make.
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| Smoky - Author's Picture |
Smokey's face looks quite offended. She didn't like that we were paying attention to a puppy rather than her. She's a tabby; maybe mixed with something else. Not my cat, but it is my picture.
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| Timber Rattler |
I've found several of these (but none this big) at our place. "The timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) is a large, heavy-bodied pit viper species native to eastern North America. It is also known by the names canebrake rattlesnake and banded rattlesnake. It is a very poisonous snake with a deadly bite." Source: Google. Image: Meta via Texas Snake Identification.
Find out more on howstuffworks.
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| Popcorn Stand - Author's Picture |
I took the picture of the popcorn stand, but I don't remember the exact location. Curiously, while I was thinking about this post, I was traveling to a town. I saw something ahead on the road and swerved to miss it. When I got closer, I saw that it was a container of popcorn that someone had thrown out onto the road. Or lost, I don't know.
1. Popcorn has been enjoyed for thousands of years in the Americas.
2. Cracker Jack, a type of caramel-coated popcorn (and peanuts), was created in 1896.
3. It is estimated that corn was domesticated c.a. 9,000 years ago.
4. Americans consume about 17 billion quarts of popcorn every year.
5. One cup of unpopped buttered popcorn will give about 28 cups of popped popcorn.
Sources: Google, ctrlcalculator.com.
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| Unknown Type of Bottle - Author's Picture |
I can't find an exact match on Google Image Search. There is embossing on the bottom, but I can't tell much about it. I think it's just numbers; the bottle is made in such a way that you can't do a tracing on the bottom (I tried). I dug this bottle myself, out of an old trash dump in a certain wooded area. Many of the other items I found date back to the 1940s and 1950s. I suspect this one does, too. Anyway, if you're looking to buy something like this, they're going to be pretty cheap.
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| Daisy - Author's Picture |
In this section, I post more pictures of a visit to the Sam Houston Memorial Park, in northwest Red River County, Texas. I think I took these pictures in May of 2025.
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| General View - Author's Picture |
The image shows a general view of the grounds, looking northeast. Mrs. Jane Chandler Gill's head is located right of center. It's the white color, or maybe off white, image. Further back is a monument to Sam Houston. The very large plant in the middle of the picture is a cactus. Learn more here.
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| Pine Tree - Author's Picture |
It can't really be seen, but this image shows one of the largest pine trees I have ever seen. The larger visible branch is, in itself, as large as some pine trees.
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| Jesse Bowman Marker - Author's Picture |
This historical marker commemorates Jesse Bowman (1785–1836), a pioneer who volunteered for duty at the Alamo. He perished there with many others. The marker is transcribed below.
"Jesse B. Bowman was born in Tennessee about 1785. By 1811 he was living in Illinois where his son Joseph T. Bowman was born that year. Bowman and his family settled in Ouichita County, Arkansas, until it became more populated and they moved to Hempstead County. In the 1830s Jesse B. Bowman and his family moved with his brother and other family members to this area of Texas, where they soon qualified for a league and labor of land. On February 23, 1836, Bowman answered the roll call at the Alamo garrison in Bexar. He was listed as a private and permanent volunteer under the command of Jim Bowie. On March 6, Jesse Bowman lost his life at the fall of the Alamo. His body and those of the other Alamo defenders were burned by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna."
Learn more about Jesse Bowman here.
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| Moss - Author's Picture |
The pictured flower is called moss, or Portulaca. 2025 was the first year that I got it to grow, because (in previous attempts) I didn't give it enough sunlight. It's native to South America. It's a plant that survives/thrives in full sunlight. Check out the Martha Stewart website to learn all about this very pretty plant. The picture was taken in June of 2025.
"Dimple, TX. Dimple is six miles north of Clarksville in north central Red River County. It had a post office from 1901 until 1921. From 1914 through 1986, the estimated population of Dimple was reported as twenty-five. In 1990 and 2000 it was sixty." Source here.
Nowadays, the chief historic feature of Dimple is the New Haven Cemetery. The cemetery used to be located alongside the New Haven Missionary Baptist Church. Years ago, the church built a new building that is located just across the road from the cemetery. Walking through the cemetery, for me, is troublesome, as I once knew several of the people who are buried there, both young and old.
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| New Haven Cemetery - Author's Picture |
This is the sign you see just before you enter into the cemetery. It needs repainting, badly.
"New Haven","Cemetery","1859","New Haven","This cemetery is located in the northwest quadrant of Red River County, Texas. GPS COORDINATES: Datum WGS84: 33 Deg 42.866N, 95 Deg 04.834W. From the Dimple Community proceed west on FM 2120 about two miles. The church and cemetery is on the north side of the road. RED RIVER RECOLLECTIONS page 52: Acreage, 2.75 acres 'situated on the waters of Pecan Bayou and upon which said Church and School House now stand' for a community church, school, and cemetery was deeded on 6 May 1859 by George M. Sargeant. A later deed dated 14 Feb 1898 and filed for record on 4 Jun 1898 in Book CH Vol 33 Page 593 for 5 acres of land on the E. H. Tarrant survey from John M. Jamison et ux to New Haven Baptist Church. The oldest marked burial is for George W. R. Rolston who died in 1859. This cemetery was surveyed by Lawrence and Sue Dale on Sunday 19 Jan 1997. We visited on 14 Jan 2004 to take GPS Coordinates. We also did a re [sic] walk of the cemetery adding new burials and noting marker changes." Note: The church is no longer on the north side of the road. It is now on the south side of the road. Source here.
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| Sarah Jane - New Haven Burial - Author's Picture |
The only thing I could make out on the marker is that it's for "Sarah Jane." She was 30 years old at the time of her passing. At some point, the stone seems to have fallen over. Someone came along later and poured concrete to support it. It's still lying in a "turned over" position. Edit: I found Sarah Jane Roberts Walker on the Find a Grave website. She possibly died in or shortly after childbirth. She lived and died in the 1800s, so long ago and a world away.
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| Squirrel - Author's Picture |
At some point, I noticed a visitor who was just as quiet as I was. He was very dark for a squirrel. He didn't stick around for long, and I couldn't get a better picture.
Ship Wrecks The Sinking Of The SS Vestris
From the channel of Old Shipping lines.
On the twelfth day of November, 1928, the SS Vestris sank in the Atlantic Ocean. She was overloaded and her hatches were not secured. On the eleventh of November she encountered a storm that was so severe that she began to list (lean) to starboard (right side of the vessel). Over 100 people were lost in the accident. This accident is notable not only because of the death toll, but also because the disaster was photographed by pantryman (a butler) Fred Hanson.
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| Sinking of The SS Vestris |
Image Source: Wikipedia; Public Domain Image.
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| New in the House |
I recently posted about my Ghost Secret Mission Unboxing. It came in a large box. As it happens, I found a use for the box as well. The cats claim it as a sleeping spot.
Well, the New Year has begun, and it's amazing how quickly Christmas 2025 came and left. I had a voice appointment with my VA doctor. Tomorrow I see my physician (I don't really know why; they said to be there, so I'll go). On Friday, I have to drive my mom to her annual eye exam. Above all that, I'm beginning to be worried about my wife's health, which consumed much of my thinking and worrying in 2025. I know better than anyone that it does no good to worry about anything. I do it anyway.
In the online world, or in matters related to the online world, I've been using AI to create monthly graphics to add to the blog, well, monthly. I've also started fleshing out the character of Izzy. I'll need to work on Tiffany Williamson before too long. It's fun creating a literary universe. It's falling together without really any effort.
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| Eastern Rat Snake - Author's Picture |
My mom's dog, Chaos the beagle, found a rat snake on the front porch. The picture was taken in the summer of 2015. It had dropped by to try to steal the eggs from a bird that had nested on the porch. These snakes can grow to be 7' long. This one looks like a long one.
Eastern rat snakes used to be called black rat snakes. When I was little, we called them "chicken snakes." When (as an adult) my daughter raised some chickens, we frequently found them raiding the nests for eggs. They ate little chickens, too.
