Please delete me. Please let me go.
A Sustainable Life
A Very Special Bond
Anyone who knows me, knows how important our native Opossums are to me. They are such beautiful, intelligent creatures.
I was very honored to get to know Mel the Opossum and his human and assist when he needed medical attention from trying to survive in his wild urban home.
He never became tame and would only tolerate my assistance, but he deeply loved Michelle, his human.
Take a moment out of your day to watch Mel’s uplifting journey.
Grapevine’s Hidden Gem
If you’re out and about in the Grapevine area, I can highly recommend you stop by at MiDia Restaurant. They have THE best iced tea, a fabulous grilled salmon salad, and knowledgeable and attentive wait staff.
Chef Gabriel DeLeon has created a truly harmonious menu, fusing traditional Mexican City recipes with modern Santa Fe and Tex Mex flavors. I am very lucky, not only to have this fabulous eatery right on my doorstep, but to have formed an excellent friendship with the proprietors who always go the extra mile when it comes to satisfying their clientele.
Order on line or book a table by clicking here
Aerial Spraying
As a West Nile survivor from 2012, I would never want aerial spraying to be a solution to mosquitoes.
Broadcast spraying MIGHT hit the intended target but it WILL fall on people’s lawns, pools, bird feeders, beehives, and possibly pulled into the attic air space of homes through the soffit and gable vents.
As children and pets roll and play in the grass will the residual absorb into their skin?
One solution to the issue is using nature itself. The following wildlife species are particularly helpful because they are excellent at consuming mosquitoes!
Dragonflies can stop the problem before it begins! Mosquitoes lay eggs in bodies of standing water, and dragonfly larvae happily eat the mosquito larvae before they develop into mature adults. Dragonflies on the wing also eat adult mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are easy targets for bats to catch, their sonar skills make them the perfect predator for hunting tiny insects. A University of Wisconsin study found evidence of mosquito consumption in over 70 percent of the guano samples from little brown bats, suggesting that bats in their natural habitat eat far more mosquitoes than previously thought.
With their wide, bristle-lined mouths adapted to easily scoop prey from the air, and long, pointed wings and tails for precision aerial manoeuvring, the common Nighthawk is a huge threat to mosquitoes. Other birds known to dine on mosquitoes include purple martins, Eastern bluebirds, red-eyed vireos, yellow warblers, downy woodpeckers, house wrens, Baltimore orioles, and hummingbirds.
They may not be able to fly, but that doesn’t stop the Red Spotted Newt from being a dangerous predator for mosquitoes. Insects are a mainstay of their diet and these newts help control mosquito populations from Nova Scotia south to Georgia and as far west as western Tennessee by eating mosquito eggs and larvae.
I recently came across an article where a reporter commented that aerial spraying would have to occur if “Mother Nature doesn’t step up”. Maybe Mother Nature could gain a foothold if we stop poisoning the insects they eat.
Expert Tree Trimming in Coleyville
I wanted to take the time out to say a huge well done to Asplundh Region 068 for doing some excellent tree trimming work for Oncor in Colleyville, TX.
The employees went above and beyond to address our concerns for nesting wildlife and careful and minimal pruning of the trees while keeping electrical lines safe.
They were efficient, respectful, and took pride in their work.
Amazing what a difference a few extra minutes spent effectively communicating to address concerns and having a liaison make door to door pre-trimming contact makes!!!
Well done guys!
Daisy: The Most Photographed Duck in Grapevine, TX
Hi, I am Karen, broker/owner of Urban Green Realty, specializing in sustainable lifestyle real estate for pets and their people and coexistence with our urban wildlife and natural resources. I am also a wildlife rehabilitator. Today I want to share a story of compassion, community and coexistence that spotlights MiDia Restaurant, a local favorite and to introduce an unlikely patron affectionally named Daisy, who became the most photographed mallard in Grapevine TX.
