Castor Beans

Castor Bean is a pretty little shrub with beautiful red flowers.  The bean which contains ricin is very poisonous. Castor oil is made from the beans but the ricin is removed in the process.

My dad always had a few Castor Bean plants in the chicken yard. I don't know if chickens are smart enough to not eat the bean but I don't remember any poisoned chickens.

The Boling Jail  is an almost forgotten landmark from the boom town days.  It was used to lock up an unruly drunk or smart-alect teenager.  The Deputy or Constable would  let them out in the morning.

Yucca treculiana, aka Spanish Dagger or Spanish Bayonet is native to the Texas Hill Country and also extends it's range well south of San Antonio. I brought this one to Boling from Kerrville. It has done well and puts on huge blooms every year. Unfortunately there are no Yucca moths in Boling to pollinate it so the seeds are not viable.

Two more of Boling's finest.

Houses in and Around Boling, TX

Some examples of homes in and around Boling.

It has been over six years since I have updated this blog. My, how time flies.  I will try to do a better job in the future.  Many things have changed. Many things are the same. My owner, Molly B Good, has passed away. My EdithColea grandis died in a freeze. I have now taken my picture every day for over 3000 days; they call them selfies now but I don't think that was a word when I started.

I was born in Boling and the town is about the same size that it was then. I live in the same house where I lived as a teenager. It has served me well. My garden is on the banks of Caney Creek, some of the best soil in the world, also known as Caney dirt.

As the Walrus said................

More to come.

It's hunting season around here. Hunters are wearing camouflaged clothes everywhere. That includes stores, churches, schools, weddings and funerals. Only in Texas. One guy even has a deer stand in his Christmas tree.