Caretaker's note: 2008 is a year of extreme to exceptional drought in Central Texas. Supplemental watering helps to keep last years new plantings alive. All new plantings are native species that are selected to be drought tolerant, but it does take a few years for new plants to become established to withstand harsh drought conditions. There were no new plantings this year due to the drought. To conserve water, it is advised to water early in the morning or late in the day.

Caretaker's note: A Jackrabbit is actually a hare and not a rabbit. It is larger than a rabbit and they typically have taller hind legs and longer ears.

Caretaker's note: Due to colony collapse disorder (CCD), bee populations are declining nationwide. watersto_jennystone caretakers are glad to see healthy populations of bees on the land. However, their competition with hummingbirds over the sugar water in the hummingbird feeders has caused concern for the hummingbirds. The bees are attracted to the color yellow. To deter bees from taking over the feeders, caretakers swab a bit of olive oil on the yellow feeding ports of the hummingbird feeder.

Caretaker's note: Because large numbers of bees completely surround the hummingbird feeders for the sugar water, the hummingbirds avoid those feeders. To deter bees, the bee covered feeders are removed and emptied of the feeding solution. The sugar water was poured into a large pot some distance from the hummingbird feeding area. Once the bees were relocated, the hummingbird feeders were treated with olive oil on the feeding ports to further deter the bees and allow the hummingbirds to feed easily.