Caretaker's note: Texas is known for its unpredictable weather. The ice storm hit central Texas for three days between January 13th and 16th. This was one of the most severe ice storms recorded in Texas weather history. Reports of power outages were widespread. The storm affected a huge area in North America, from the Rio Grande valley to New England and Canada. watersto_jennystone damage consisted of broken limbs on large oak and juniper trees. The pretty winter wonderland melted on day 3. Walking through the woods was risky as huge ice chunks fell and tree limbs cracked under the weight of the ice. See more photos.

Caretaker's note: A raccoon was seen listless in the road in the afternoon. Raccoons are normally nocturnal. It was picked up in a thick blanket with caretaker wearing thick gloves. There was no struggle indicating its illness. It was kept in a box in the house during the extreme cold weather and given food and water. The box was cleaned out daily until travel was possible after the ice storm.

It was taken to Wildlife Rescue where it was diagnosed with distemper. Raccoons can contract both feline and canine distemper. It had evidence of blindness and a limp. The eyes had a greenish color instead of black. It was given a distemper vaccine, which arrests the progress of the disease. It was left at Wildlife Rescue. Caretakers were advised to redesign the feeding area so that raccoons would not share feeding in close proximity to one another. Instead of one large pile of black oil sunflower seeds, the seed is scattered in a broad area.

Caretaker's note: This Monarch butterfly was flying south to its wintering grounds in Mexico. They cannot survive freezing temperatures and in the fall travel in large groups to warm winter climates. The

Caretaker's note: The cup of water hung above the feeder keeps ants out of the hummingbird food. The water guards also provide another drinking place for thirsty birds in the drought.

The hummingbird feeding mixture is 4 parts water to 1 part plain white sugar. Do not cook to dissolve, just stir very well and keep refrigerated. It is not necessary to add red dye to the feeding mixture because the red color on the feeder will attract the hummingbirds.

Caretaker's note: Continued feeding stations. Animals benefit from supplemental feeding, black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite for many species. Using 900 pounds a week

Caretaker's note: Central Texas summers are naturally very hot. This year the long drought added to the extreme heat, causing stress on both plants and animals. Even though watersto_jennystone has full access to the Blanco River, birds and animals benefit from a variety of watering sources scattered throughout the uplands. This water spray is simple and inexpensive. Set the water hose spray nozzle to a wide pattern, point upward and leave on for a few hours in the afternoon to water both plants and birds. Many species of birds frequent the spray, frolicking and bathing.

Caretaker's note: The Greater Roadrunner is in the Cuckoo family, able to run up to 15 miles per hour, and is rarely seen flying. It feeds on insects, snakes, lizards, rodents,small birds and some fruits and seeds. It runs on the ground in search of prey.