Careful what you wish for

Yep. Him too!

And then there is Gladys.

Gladys Spruill grew up on this place. She was “touched”. She used to pull all her clothes off, throw them in the fireplace, and run out in the woods screaming bloody murder. They put her in Terrell State Hospital when she was about 18 back in the 1930s.

She spent her entire adult life in Terrell. About the only treatment that they had for mental illness in those days was “Shock” treatment. I remember some of my cousins telling that Gladys had been given more “Juice” than Frankenstein and would never die.

When she was in her late 80s, her brother, Harmon, went to Terrell, picked her up, and brought her out here to see her home place. Now I’m not saying it’s fact or fiction, but some say she ran off in the woods and was never seen again.

When the weather is cool, my Bride and I like to sit out on the back porch and listen to the sounds of the woods. We generally hear wolves, hoot owls, whooperwills, hogs, and panthers. But every now and then, there is this blood curdling scream that we can only attribute to Gladys. That’s when we go in and lock the doors.

How long did it take for the water to drain, and how long before you were able to walk/drive on it?

It took a week to completely drain. The Beavers dammed it up the first night. After that, I broke them from that.

About a month to drive on it after that.

There are still a few mud holes left but they are drying fast in this 100+ heat and wind.

We had this family of Black Bellied Whistling Ducks (otherwise known as Tree Ducks) raise in one of our ponds close by the house.

I understand that they are native to South America. We don't know why they chose us but we are glad they did. The babies have really grown in the last 2 weeks.

I had never seen these before, but I understand that they are becoming plentiful in parts of the South.

Heckuva’ investment in your land, wildlife, your own mental health…..etc., Coach.
You put sweat investment time into draining the swamp, & doing some custom clearing and won’t it be sweet now seeing nature do her thing adding what naturally fills in the woodlands, waters & swampy areas, bird sanctuaries and migratory flyways. Nice…and thanks for putting up pics.

Excellent “catch” on them Coach.
Hopefully they will return next year if they migrate away.
Walker

Coach--

The whistling ducks are also in Florida. I don't know if they migrate but they are there during the winter.

We also get the white pelicans which migrate down from Oregon-Washington-BC...long trip, but I also think you get them in Texas.

Also saw 3 Egyptian geese last year. Turns out some years ago they escaped after being imported as a novelty, and apparently are doing well in their new home.

Larry

Possibly down closer to the coastal regions.

Here in north half of Texas, the only all-white migratory waterbird we see are egrets.