Everyone loves a parade! The Annual Mountain City Fourth of July Parade led by the Kyle Fire Department moves to the beat of a unique drum – and (usually) a bagpipe.
The Independence Day Parade kicks off at 10 a.m., starting at the Old City Hall. Several streets and sections of streets will be closed to vehicular traffic.
Immediately after the parade comes the Lawn Mower Races. There’s no fee to enter. And, the winner takes home the cool trophy for one year.
Show up with your friends and relatives for a unique Mountain City experience.
•••
A beautiful mama fox with four kits took up residence this spring under a deck on Hemlock Drive. Just when her landlord thought she moved, she showed up on Saturday with another adult.
Hays County Animal Control will show up to haul away trapped nuisance wildlife. Just phone the non-emergency number for the Sherriff’s Office, (512) 393-7896. In the past two weeks, in an effort to trap a humongous raccoon, we trapped two raccoons and two opossums.
I asked Siri, “What should I use for bait for a raccoon trap?” She led me to an answer on the Internet – “marshmallows.” It’s working, and they cost much less than sardines.
Mika Scott phoned us for the phone number of “The Snake Rescue Guy” when David observed a snake (the shape of a rattlesnake) shimmy up into the undercarriage of their SUV. (The phone number for Rick Thomas is (512) 393-1986.)
Rick came over and located the snake and identified it as a rat snake, but he could not reach it. Non-venomous rat snakes perform rat patrol. We would be overrun with vermin without snakes. Ron recently shot, with a pellet gun, a huge tree rat (roof rat) that KissMe treed.
It’s our venomous snakes, Coral Snake and rattlesnakes, that pose a danger for humans. Animal Control will help trap these snakes during business hours. Rick can usually come over evenings and weekends.
RonTom saw a Striped Race Runner lizard, also called a Whiptail, last week. The description “green with black stripes the length of body” gave him enough detail to find the name. This one was about the size of our scaly lizards.
Cow itch Vine (aka ivy treebine), Cissus incise, is a native that provides cover for lizards and fruit for birds and other wildlife. With “leaves of three”, it is sometimes misidentified as poison ivy. The leaves are large and fleshy, and they stink when crushed.
Out past the Cowitch Vine on my kitchen window, I’m seeing many bathing beauty birds. With this hot weather, birds are flocking to water. Surely there’s nothing more beautiful than a splashing male Painted Bunting.
•••
Surely there’s nothing I need more in order to write this column than tidbits. Please send to [email protected] or 512-268-5678.
