§ Here, There, This and That...

Some years ago, I attempted to paint some rocks [called kindness rocks] to hide along some of the pathways [hide in plain sight] for others to find. There is usually a picture depiction on the top side with a kind word or passage on the back side. Well, the one time I did, I did three stones and that was the end of that. I also painted another rock to make it look like an alligator [or some thought a dinosaur] head. I shared it here a couple years ago, but looking through my post labels I can't seem to find it. [addendum: Found it! Photo of rock HERE, and the others in post HERE] Well, a few weeks back when it was still too hot to be outdoors, I started another stone to paint. I finished it finally...

I have a couple other ones in mind, but I have to find the "just right" stone.

I mentioned ordering a metal sign that is "me" through and through. It arrived on Friday as promised. It was hung on the kitchen wall for permanent display before the day was out...

For Sunday dessert I finally used up all the apples that we bought at a roadside stand. We had a peck of tart cooking apples. I made apple crisp the other day [I froze some of it]. And then while watching football games we dined on warm apple pie a la mode! Thing is the pie played a nasty trick on me. I would guess what apples were left totaled about 3 pounds. I used them all! Yep, you guessed it. The filling over-flowed in the oven while baking. Now I have an oven to clean. Oh, goodie. [self cleaning it is, but when it's done the cycle, I still have to scrap out the ash. I'm retired. That shouldn't have to be. Ohh-h-h-h Bud? Hmmmm, he seems to have disappeared!! Guess it's up to me to clean the ash...even if I did find him, I wouldn't be able to convince him the pie was baked for HIM.

With my heart health issues, I don't wanna be unprotected if I happen to have to make a trip to the ER. So, this weekend I also got a booster shot for Covid. What harm can it do? I know there are breakthrough cases reported, and the mandates are unconstitutional; but for me personally, it's playing it safe. Bud, the aged one has yet to make an appointment. He says he will, but that remains to be seen. Anywho....we went out to dinner afterward just 'cause I thought I deserved it being punched in the arm and all. The pain in the arm? Guaranteed I'll milk it all it's worth to get out of cooking! We went Mexican. A yummy LARGE margarita and Chili Rellenos!

It was delicious. And yes, my margarita has no salt on the rim....ordered that way by me. Again, with heart disease, I don't need MORE salt.

One more thing, then I'll let you go [if you're still here with me]...we finished the jigsaw puzzle Monday. And tore that one up to take to the senior center and started another one. This time instead of 750 pieces, it's 1000.

§ I wish NOT on my Worst Enemy!

Still bored. Working on the puzzle from hell a few minutes at a time. I tellya, being that it is 5D, I wouldn't want this for my enemy!! What a pain. I see a piece, think it's fitting for the place I think would fit, pick it up, and the whole design changes in front of my eyes. It's like I want to pick up my puzzle table and toss the whole shebang out the window. Then, again, I will keep complaining about it, and finish it...but, never again. On any "D puzzle" from now on, I'll pass.

Bud finished one of his Texas whiskey bottles the other day. I loved the shape of it...glass, and shaped like a royal crown. I got the sticky label off, soaked it in soapy water, rinsed it out, and filled it to the brim with clear, clean water then, added blue food coloring.

I've been crocheting a bit here and there. I have done ten more new pansies for my afghan. I think that makes 34 left to do, then crochet them all together. Maybe by September or October if we are to remain in lockup, I'll have it done.

Speaking of September...I've been shopping online for gaiters. Do you know what gaiters are? Not gators, but gaiters. It's what Nancy Pelosi wears to match her outfit. A face mask [usually for skiers or hunters.] I found some really pretty ones [who said I couldn't make a fashion statement like so many others are these days?!!], but the delivery dates for the ones that are pretty were all way beyond September into October! I don't think so. So, I spent a couple hours on the phone, searching and found three --buy three at that price and no shipping charges. They're to be delivered within a week's time [as I type this up...I may have them already by the time this is prescheduled to post].

Went for another joy ride over the past week...to Joe Fulton Corridor. This is an area between the river and the ship channel. Behind most of the oil refineries. There is a lot of standing water in this area after heavy rains, so I thought I'd find some birds...hoping to see the Wood Storks that return to this part of Texas in June/July. I didn't see any birds but red winged blackbirds and a couple of stilts in this part of my drive.  And being a Sunday morning, early, I was very surprised to have such heavy semi-truck traffic on their way to or from the loading docks at the port o'call or at the refineries.  There is no place but one [at the river bank] to safely pull over and off the road.  Believe me, those trucks slow down for no-one.

I did see lots of cattle on the hill tho.


I drove on...back on Carbon Plant Road, and saw one caracara...a juvenile bird.



Juvenile Crested Caracara

I then hit Tule Lake...still only a stilt or two and some swallows. So, I ended up at West Guth Park and walked there a bit. Very humid and by the time I arrived it was getting hot too. I saw parakeets, curlews, ducks, seagulls and more. I watched some men playing a round of disc golf...

and then noticed as I climbed the hill back to the car a lot of people congregating with no masks and groups of more than ten. Time to get out of harm's way. I headed for home and made a pumpkin pie with crust from scratch.  While it was baking in the oven, the scent made the whole house smell delicious.  Besides Blackberry pie being my favorite, I think pumpkin is my 2nd choice.  But if given an ultimatum, I think I'd have to sample BOTH!

§ Ready Set Action...

I've been trying to keep busy with so many things these days, Spring cleaning, birding, helping Bud with yard work, reading, and playing with my new toy I received from Amazon. [and another book ordered]

Let me begin with my new toy...

Many times since we adopted Isaiah as a 3 month old kitten, his antics and play time can be hilarious as well as "awwwww, cute". Mostly hilarious. Then, getting up and grabbing the cell phone to move in closer to him as he plays to get a picture of his actions, he quits doing what he was doing!! I figured, if I had a good zoom on my CELL phone and not having to rely on the 8x auto zoom built in on the phone that blurs the image too much to begin with, I could keep it in my pocket or tote it around a bit easier, and yet, keep my distance so as to not distract him at all. I got online...off to Amazon I went. I found a very inexpensive [$21 before shipping and tax] 20x zoom lens that attaches to the phone. It fits most all smart phones and according to the site, any and all iPhones. Wooohoo. Well, it arrived the other day and I stopped what I was doing, opened the package and experimented.

By the way it comes with a tripod, an owner's manual, the lens, clip to secure the phone and a remote shutter button. You ready for this? The two of us, Bud and I, spent nearly an hour trying to figure out how to open and extend the tripod. The 'idiot sheet" was no good, 'cause it was all about the lens - not the tripod. Hmmmmm, Both of us were afraid we'd break something before I even got a chance to connect it to the phone. Then, as we sat and watched the local news for the evening, I could see Bud's brain in high gear. The wheels were turning. He got up ... went to the box which the lens was shipped in...stayed there for just a minute or two, came to my side by the couch....the tripod was open!!!! Trust me, as the Geico commercial goes, even a CAVEman can do it. Or a toddler!! But, no....not us!!

Anyway, I got it hooked up and Snoop Dogg Catt was watching me from a distance, a bit bored with the whole thing...



I tested the zoom when he started being himself. The pictures are blurry - I didn't have it on the tripod; hand held. I think I'm gonna like it...

Now onto the last of my post for the day.  The books.

THE BEAST'S HEART

I finished reading another novel on the subject of Beauty and the Beast.  This one is published in paperback in February of 2019.  The author is Australian, I believe, and the story is the famous fable of Beauty and the Beast.  This time, the story is told, and unfolded through the eyes and thoughts of the BEAST.  Very well written.  She combines the Disney version AND the original French story.  This love story that is never one I shy away from {I am not one to read romance novels, but Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera I can read over and over again}.  I just couldn't keep my hands away from it for long.  I wanted to see what lays in store for the reader from one page to another.  You have the sisters from the original, the magic mirror from the movie, tho the teapot and armoire, the candelabra, piano, clock etc. from Disney doesn't exist as characters, yet, the kingdom and his castle is quite magical.  There are the roses and the connection with them and the young daughter, and the father.  For anyone who likes this story....it's a 'must' read.  And safe enough for a young teenager to read.  No adult themes except for the love and happily ever after ending.  SPOILER Oh...and also through the eyes of the Beast, an epilogue enhances their life in the 'ever after'!!!  You'll have to read the book to find out the end of the story's ending.

DEAR GEORGE DEAR MARY

 “Love is said to be an involuntary passion, and it is, therefore, contended that it cannot be resisted.” —George Washington

Other than what was required of me through school, I don't believe I've ever read about George Washington.  This book, is a newly published historical novel.  I haven't opened the pages yet to begin reading, but I do look forward to doing so.  I can only give you a short synopsis of the 'theme'.  From the publisher, Macmillan 

A novel about heiress Mary Philipse's relationship with George Washington, based on historical accounts, letters, and personal journals by nine-time New York Emmy Award-winning journalist Mary Calvi. >Did unrequited love spark a flame that ignited a cause that became the American Revolution? Never before has this story about George Washington been told. Crafted from hundreds of letters, witness accounts, and journal entries, Dear George, Dear Mary explores George’s relationship with his first love, New York heiress Mary Philipse, the richest belle in Colonial America. From elegant eighteenth-century society to bloody battlefields, the novel creates breathtaking scenes and riveting characters. Dramatic portraits of the two main characters unveil a Washington on the precipice of greatness, using the very words he spoke and wrote, and his ravishing love, whose outward beauty and refinement disguise a complex inner struggle. Dear George, Dear Mary reveals why George Washington had such bitter resentment toward the Brits, established nearly two decades before the American Revolution, and it unveils details of a deception long hidden from the world that led Mary Philipse to be named a traitor, condemned to death and left with nothing. While that may sound like the end, ultimately both Mary and George achieve what they always wanted.

PS....two days in a row now, we've had SUN and warmer temps. Yay.

§ A Morning Walk at Low Tide....

It was yet again a chilly, blustery, day. The gentle rain didn't begin tho, until after my walking was done for the morning...then, the rain became heavier, and a bit of measurable amount fell.

Beforehand,  I decided to go to Indian Point and Sunset Lakes near Portland, Texas. i stopped at the fishing pier first. The chill factor kept the bird life 'at bay' [no pun intended] ....seen only were two seagulls and a few well-hidden [in the mangrove] black crowned night herons protected from the cold...

A couple of mottled ducks rested on the leeward side...

An inlet by the pier pilings showed dowitchers, red breasted mergansers, a snowy egret, some grackles on shore, sandpipers, and pintail ducks.

Getting back into the car, I then drove a few miles northeast along the shoreline to Sunset Lakes. I only walked a short distance and found dozens of both immature and adult spoonbills with white ibis mixed in the gathering by the first observation deck from the parking lot. I was a bit shocked to see the high numbers of them. I took several photos for my other blog, and then mounted the deck via the ramp; startling them off but for a short distance where they landed just a few feet from me.  Flyovers consisted of terns, herons, egrets, godwits, curlews, avocets and  more ibis and spoonbills...

Since, at the time, the tide was very low, it gave me an opportunity to walk along the bay's sandy shoreline; which most times I'm there, the surf is right at the mangrove and juniper banks keeping me or anyone without wader boots or any aquatic gear from traversing the area.

It was overcast and gray, but still quite quiet and a very enjoyable, peaceful walk. Sea grass swayed in the gentle breeze. The oyster beds were exposed and several turnstones [birds] were busy inspecting underneath, turning the shells over for crustaceans and sea life that was exposed to the elements; sparrows and tiny phoebes [flycatchers] were flitting through the bush growth along the banks, while willets, herons and other waders ignored me as they searched for their morning meal. At this hour, even the gulf waters were empty of any ships coming into port.  One tri-colored heron greeted me; stopping short of where I was; statuesque, then flew further out and landed on a shoal that was partially above the water line.  An osprey flew over and disappeared all too soon...

With the weather as it was, and plans of a lunch with Bud, I left for home to change clothes and we had brunch at Cracker Barrel, then went to the store for some fresh veggies for dinner ... tossed salad fixin's to go with my Italian Goulash that I prepared before leaving for my walk. I bought a loaf of crusty Italian bread for garlic toast and for dessert we planned on frozen yogurt topped with pecans and caramel sauce.

When we got back home my Amazon packages had been delivered. I can't wait for a good, sunny day to experiment with my new purchase [relating to photography]. Also delivered to me was a new book...a true story published in Sept 2018 ---about the Tower of London. I started reading that and will get back to posting about my camera fun experiment [I hope it'll be fun eventually], and about the books I just finished; a critique.

§ This and That...

Back in mid November I ordered a shirt [knit, long, to wear with leggins] with a tiger print. I ordered it through Amazon. That very hour I placed the order, I received a confirmation email that the order went through. Next morning, I opened my emails and saw that it was shipped. But the delivery date was November 28th through December 18th!!! I went back online and logged into Amazon since my email told me that there was no tracking with the seller. I wondered why on earth it was going to take so long?!!! Well, to find out it was being shipped from Taiwan. That explains the delay. Now the other afternoon I again received an email...this time from the seller. It advised me that they changed carriers and this will have a tracking on it!!! Good to know. I couldn't wait for it to arrive as I love anything and everything with tigers,

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And again, I get bored sitting at home. I can only read so long before I feel the need to get up and move around. I have a small stash of driftwood pieces I have from walking along the shore. So, I thought I'd start a new wood carving. Driftwood is usually a very soft, porous, wood that I can take a knife to with just a minimal chance of stabbing myself or slicing some skin off my fingers. lol Naturally, I go with ideas of birds...any kinda bird.   I wanted to use this small, thin, piece of root for a fallen tree and then choose a thicker piece for the 'bird'. I started out with the concept of a wader...preferably a heron or egret. But, as I carved, more and more it resembled a flamingo. So, that is what I stuck with; continuing chiseling away....



Once I get it stained and painted and glued onto the 'tree', I'll post photos.  That is....IF IT TURNS OUT DECENT.


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Now, personally, I have never liked Google Plus. It's way too cliquish, and 99% of the time those that have a blog through this, a 'regular' blogger can't view or comment on their plus 'cause you can't see their posts unless you too are a 'member' of Google Plus. What is the use of having a blog when so many can't view it?!! Anyway, I read this online with our national news via my smartphone, that I am not the ONLY ONE who dislikes it. Google has now decided that Google Plus will be discontinued. And, with that news, they are going to do away with it earlier than was first announced. Yay. Whole thing is, I hope the ones that have blogs through this medium, that they won't lose their blogs!!!!!


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A new close-up






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Tarjay [Target] Sale!!!