on flora, on fauna

I suppose anytime you move somewhere you’ve never lived, you notice all items unfamiliar. Let’s start with the good ones: The flowers and trees of central Mississippi. Azaleas, flowering lantana bushes, knockout roses, magnolia trees, Japanese magnolia trees, redbud trees, Spanish moss, the list could go on and on. And on. When I walk my dogs in the morning, you’d honestly never know I live in the largest city in Mississippi. The streets are quiet, but the smells are lush. Decadent flowery in late spring. I wish I could bottle the smells here.

Photo credit: Joe Gatling via Flickr: A magnolia flower in bloom.

Now for the critters. Let’s talk bugs. Roaches… well, some of them have wings. To see a flying roach is nerve rattling. Fire ants? They’re the size of small horses. (I jest, but they are the largest darn ants I’ve ever seen.) As for animals, there are armadillos and gopher tortoises. And in my little corner of Belhaven, we have two nesting hoot owls in search of mates. Industrious woodpeckers in search of grubs. And I as I recently learned listening to Mississippi Public Radio, lots of snakes but I have yet to see many here in Jackson. Phew.