Helen of the porch;
promoting native plants

By Bebe and Sissy Fenstermaker

There is a new tenant on the screen porch. Her name is Helen, better known as Hell-hen. Yes sir, the hen from hell is living on my porch. A small brown thing about a year old who, on Valentine’s Day, hatched out four chicks. The chicks are all that could be called charming about her. One of the three fighting chickens given me by our friend Manuel, who never keeps many hens, she is one tough cookie. Sissy and I have been on the receiving end of Manuel’s largess; we don’t mind the nice medium-sized green or tan eggs they lay, but, look out if they become mothers of those eggs!
Helen isn’t even the mother of the chicks. Several hens layed their eggs in the nest before she decided to set. One of the chicks is black (he got thoroughly run over his first day of life), two are yellow stripped, and one is mostly yellow. That means there is a lot of Minorca and Rhode Island red in the group. I am glad for that, I don’t need any more with that mother’s temper. She was a big grouch right from the beginning. I wanted to select the eggs for her to hatch but she’d have none of it, whacking my hand if I got near with a substitute egg. Then the lovely morning cheep-cheep greeted me in the chicken house, we all had a big go-round before I finally got them down on the porch.
When I approach the fortified brace of chickens the little ones all sifted through the chicken wire while "Mother" took shots at my ankles and face (when I bent down to nab a chick). They all got so upset I left them alone until nightfall when I thought I’d have a decent chance. It was better but Helen was able to do damage even in the near dark. I shoved her in the cage, collected tiny chicks in my jacket, and we yelled and cussed all the way to the house. Once installed in her new domain, the hen from hell has ruled our exits and entrances. The dogs, cats, and I move pretty fast on and off the porch. We say "Yes’m and no’m" and whizz on through. I have the date marked on my calendar when the family is moving to the dog run. It will be in about a week if all goes well.
We are nearing the end of our Black-Capped Vireo habitat enhancement. Cooperating with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, we have removed all the cedar and all live oaks ten inches and under in width from 22 acres and all cedar from 18 acres of field. This has been a monumental project and it will greatly enhance our existing habitat for the bird. One of the two endangered birds still hanging on in Texas, the vireo requires nesting habitat about "door-handle high," in dense brush. We are proud the two birds nest here and by good ranch management our family has always provided for their presence here. We know our forebears did things right since the birds are still found here. We are proud they were the kind of ranchers who wanted all native wildlife to exist right along with the ranch herds.

Bebe Fenstermaker

I thought spring had sprung. Anemones were blooming, some agarita buds had burst into flower, the cypress next to the barn and the possum haws had begun leafing out, and a few redbuds were beginning to pink.Then out of the frozen north came a blast that sent one night’s temperature hovering between 12 and 14 degrees. I figured the blooming was over. However, walking about I saw anemone flowers, blue, white, and pink, and an agarita bush under an oak with yellow blooms. Warm weather set in again, March arrived, and everyone prepared for spring. Then ka-boom; another blast roared through like a freight train. Again, temperatures fell into the mid teens. In less than three days, the thermometer began rising and we again enjoyed the luxuriousness of the sun warming our bones and joints. The dogs rolled in the dry thatch of the grass and the cats plopped down in the dusting divots of the chickens and guineas. The latter were stretched out on their sides sunning.
The Boerne Native Plant chapter has established a new committee called NICE. It stands for "Natives Instead of Common Exotics." Our members are working with the nurseries in the area to promote using specific natives in place of specific exotics. For instance, Texas mountain laurel, Mexican silk tassel, or evergreen sumac are recommended rather than ligustrum (also called privet) and pyracantha. With time we hope to compile a list of natives, perennial flowers, trees, shrubs, and vines to recommend in place of exotics. It seems like a daunting task; however, the committee is up and rolling. Some of the nurseries have already been contacted and they have responded favorably and are willing to work with us. All this comes right before the Cibolo Nature Center’s "Almost Native Plant Sale" April 20. Meanwhile plant rescuing continues on the site of all sites along IH-10 every Thursday morning and any other time one can get by there to dig.

Sissy Fenstermaker