Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Split-tailed kites 2022-05-15

A flock of split-tailed kites wheeling above where I just cultivated the okra.

[Split-tailed kites]
Split-tailed kites

Here’s a movie of these Elanoides forficatus, also known as swallow-tail kites: Continue reading →

Pitcher plants blooming 2022-04-08

Never saw them bloom before.

[Sarracenia minor]
Sarracenia minor

“It takes at least 4 years to go from a just-pollinated flower to a mature, blooming plant.” Growing Sarracenia from Seed, International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS).

[Side view]
Side view

These pitcher plants grew naturally in our woods.

We do have bumblebees, so maybe they will pollinate. Then maybe seeds in August or September.

House burn 2022-03-28

If you want a southern pine forest, you have to burn every few years to keep the other trees back, and to keep the vines from climbing to the top as ladder fuels.

[Start, spread, finish]
Start, spread, finish

This was a burn around the house, also to reduce the likelihood of wildfires or our other burns getting to the house.

Might be prudent to do it in less than five years, since there was a lot of raking to be done this time. That’s why we took two days to do this five acres.

But we did it with one match. No gasoline or diesel to spread the fire. Just flaming pine straw on rakes. Continue reading →

McCoy turpentine cup 2022-03-20

Update 2023-12-29: Turpentine Afterburn 2023-12-22.

This is a McCoy turpentine cup collected some time back from my property.

[Top and side]
Top and side

As you can see, it is folded metal, so far as I know galvanized steel, although quite rusted.

Another of those is what you see the remains of on the fallen catface. Continue reading →