Run, Bertha, run!

My weekend was very busy with property cleanup and a gathering of family at the property. Fun was had by all with socializing and playing on the quads. But I believe our new visitor caused more interest than anything else. This is a wild hog — a sow — with her four or five piglets. She is a domestic breed. More than a 100 years ago, her ancestors were brought to Texas by farmers. During that day and time, pigs were allowed to run free. Over time, the pigs became wild and some of them evaded capture. Now, their descendants run wild all over East Texas.

Her cousins, the boar-hogs, run all over the Hill Country of Texas.

I believe I’ll call her Bertha. She just looks like a “Bertha” to me. I’ve enjoyed watching her run all over the property and area with her piglets. This photo was taken by a young lady named Nina, who was visiting at the moment and had her camera with her. My camera didn’t have a strong enough zoom to capture the image. Thank you Nina for the photo.

Last night, just before dark, Hubby and I hid in some bushes with my camera and waited on Bertha to appear with her little ones. As we waited, we saw a hunter and his kids drive up on four-wheelers. After catching a glimpse of Hubby and I, I heard the small group discuss the sow and what time she should appear in that particular area; they were specifically searching for the wild pig. The hunter again eyed Hubby and I warily before the group turned and left.

Bertha appeared just a few minutes later just like clockwork with her piglets and gorged on clover while I snapped photos at my leisure. A couple of photos turned out clear but I was so far away to get great shots. Bertha stood there next to the road and ate her fill while the mosquitos tore Hubby and I up as darkness descended. We left our hiding place in the bushes and she just watched us. Not wanting to get her too used to humans, Hubby barked at her, like a dog, to frighten her some. She slowly returned to the woods with her little ones and I returned home a happy woman, with numerous photos on my camera.

My happy mood didn’t last for long as Hubby reminded me of the hunter who had shown up earlier in the evening. The big great hunter would be back, that was for sure with his big rifle and passion for killing. And sadly, Bertha is an easy target, with her timed eating schedule and easy-to-follow trail. I’m saddened to think that I’ll probably never see her again but I’m not sure what I could do to stop her demise. I do not live on the property so I can’t sit outside and stand guard on the property against hunters. Furthermore, the wild hogs are causing problems in the area by rooting around in their search for food but in their search attempts, they are tearing up the lawns. Homeowners are becoming angry about their pretty lawns getting torn up, forgetting that they are in the country and that’s what wild hogs do. If you live in the country, you have to put up with critters and the problems associated therewith. But instead, the landowners are becoming angry and setting out hogtraps and pulling out their hunting rifles.

Bertha, I wish you well and hope that you wizen up quickly before the great hunter returns.

Hey, whose property is it anyway?

The above thumbnail (click on the image to see the full image) is an aerial view of the property.  The white line going down the middle of the property is a road.  At the bottom of the photo is another road, the major subdivision road, specifically.  To the left of the little road is my property.  It begins at the major road and ends at the end of the small road.  The green line going around the property is a small river, called “long pond”.  So, the property is between the small road and the river–it’s an acre wide and six acres long.

This shot is of the caterpillar sacs which I spoke of in “It’s raining caterpillars!” several weeks ago.  I guess the caterpillars develop in these sacs, then leave the sacs during the Spring season.  The host tree is then stripped of the tender vegetation that has just sprouted and when the caterpillar has eaten his fill, he falls out of the tree spinning a web as he falls to the ground below.  Thousands of the caterpillars eat and fall from the trees before either getting eaten by lizards, frogs, and birds or making their escape to another tree to strip its vegetation also. 

    

Wooded areas of the property.

Hubby on the 4-wheeler

A magnolia tree we found on the property, approximately ten to twelve years old, planted by the previous owners.

  

GS1 is learning to drive a 4-wheeler.  I had never seen a more serious student, if only he would pay as close attention to his homework.

 

This little guy nearly scared me to death as I followed a trail on the four-wheeler; he was on a branch of a tree, approximately eye level.  When I ran to the truck to grab the camera, I was supprised to find him in the same place.  After the racket I made with the 4-wheeler, most little creatures would run, he didn’t try to strike at us or act aggressive in any way.  Hubby thought he was digesting food which kept him from running away from me.  He was nonpoisonous and as far as I could tell, he was a Garter Snake.  After taking some horrible photos with a camera that I wasn’t used to yet, we left him alone to slither off into the brush several minutes later.  “Nice to meet you little guy, also thank you for staying still for the photo-ops, but you know we’re moving here eventually don’t you?”  I’m wondering how harmonious our relationship will be when that time comes.