Mt. City Montage
by PAULINE TOM
Jenni Shaffer tidbitted on Tuesday, July 10, “… almost 2 l/2 inches of rain in my gauge this morning. Thank you Lord!” Bunco Ladies that night brought word of readings varying between one and one-half inches to over three inches. With recent rains, some residents have seen a significant difference in rainfall between their front yard and backyard.
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Our July 4th Parade and Lawnmower Races conversations brought word that the Jamails have watched owls that hatched in their yard. Add that to the Tarr’s, and Mountain City has at least two screech owl families this summer. KissMe, our Great White Hunter with red spots and splotches, killed a baby opossum recently. With the long tail and whiskered snout, it looked like a rat. Screech owls eat rodents, so it’s probable they’ll eat opossums.
It was also on July 4th that word came that we have at least two beautiful foxes. An elusive varmint nightly rips up the Babbitt’s new lawn on Maple Drive. Two traps have been set for about a month. Usually, it’s armadillos that tear up lawns. Our city’s huge herd of white-tailed and axis deer also tear up lawns with their hoofs and pull up lawns and new plants when grazing. It’s not at all unusual to see two to three dozen.
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Two to three dozen live oaks (or more) have perished from oak wilt (since 2004) in yards near the intersection of Live Oak and Maple, as the disease creeps through the roots of interconnected trees. It claimed the magnificent tree in the Live Oak Drive cul-de-sac. Readers implore me to once again repeat the Texas Forestry Service’s precaution as residents prepare for the Annual Limb Collection: Risk is greatest from February through June; but, year-round tree wounds (including small branches) should be painted with wound dressing or latex paint.
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