Neighborhood Field Trip - The sights of Lois Court, plus my home.

I figured since this was a field trip and I live in a Small neighborhood in the country I would include my home, animals, and plants in this little blog.
While walking through I firstly noticed that people need to have more self respect for their homes. I hate sloppy yards with trash, weeds, and messes, but that is besides the point. Me and my pups love to go on walks around the neighborhood, they love to animal watch and I just enjoy the walk. Cricket especially loves watching birds, Bandit is more interested in people and who might possibly pet him. So as we walk and notice things, I realized one of my neighbors put in a pond, I am curious how this will effect our snakes in the area, especially water moccasins.

The ten questions I came up with are:
1. Before our neighborhood was built it was all family farm land, why when builders create subdivisions do they trash the rich soil and bring in sand?
2. Since there is "wet lands" behind my across the street neighbors home, how come the only thing I see growing is tall grass (over seven feet tall).
3. Therefore, what constitutes it as wetlands?
4. What kind of animals are in my immediate area, I know there are many hybrids, for example wolf-coyote, are they my only "dangers".
5. I have this strange spider at my house, it looks like a small tarantula, he is furry but the size of a nickel, I noticed he eats other spiders, what is he?

6. What are these nasty yellow flowering weeds that smell like turnips and why does everyone have them in their yard? (picture will come later)
7. How many inches are rain are needed to properly sustain life here, for example maintain creek levels for fish and animals, maintain vegetative growth for food and beauty, and keep shade?
8 . Where does the skink that frequents my garden reside daily?
9. Why is poison ivy so difficult to kill?
10. How do yard chemicals effect our high water table?

**Pictures**

Babies! Bandit and Cricket

 My neighborhood is on the left

 My Street and Crooked Mail box :(

 Favorite plants, green flowering helenborous (Lenten Rose)

 Patio Peach!

 Salamander

 My perfect white rose from my garden

 Pommegrante Flowers

 Mine.... Mine....... Mine... 

 Angel loves shoes, what girl doesn't?

 Dippy, meet, Chicken

 Big Ziva, hunting. 

 Baby Ziva

 My Discus Tank

 During our Tornadoes last month

 ME!

 Goodbye, for a little while. Me and my Husband

 Front Garden

 Peony

 Bandit and Cricket

 Chick, Chick, Chickens!

 My husband's pup, Bandit

 Bandit and Cricket in our "shade garden"

 Home Sweet Home, How I love you snow. 

 Neighbors tress and fences in our snow

The old 1800's home behind my property

 Our main road snow covered...