§ ...and all that Jazz?

In October, for the last 59 years, the city of Corpus Christi has held an annual JAZZ festival. And, both Bud and I attend one of the three days and nights. Thing is, this may have been the last one we go to since the music for last year, and then again, this year, has NOT been to our liking. There are three stages and a long time ago, each stage actually had JAZZ ans SWING...the oldies but goodies! The last two times the bands have played very little JAZZ and more rock and rhythm and blues. Bud and I like the likes of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. When we sat at one stage this weekend, the bands were playing classic rock. This is not JAZZ. Of course another purpose of attending is the beer garden, the tents set up showing and selling T-shirts, jewelry, crafts and cultural things....candles, dolls, children's toys and more. I always check out the displays of jewelry....

Here is part of our Sunday...

You'd think these old duffers would've played Sing, Sing, Sing or Night Train....but nope, they were playing Old Time Rock and Roll at the time of me taking photos!!!  They were so exciting....NOT!!!!

And we shopped [Bud in blue t-shirt] the different vendors lined up and made use of the beer garden afterward...it was getting hot outside.

I stopped at 'em all...and this particular piece I liked at the Catholic Church Booth. A very contemporary .929 silver crucifix. Eventually, I will most likely have it blessed by a priest. For now tho, I'm wearing it.

§ Just for the Hell-uv-it

This post is truly nothing but random photos and thoughts! So, leave if you must, or stick around. Maybe you'll find something a bit fun, oddball, or way out of the park. Here goes. Remember, just eclectic, random stuff---

I was fascinated and stayed around to view the images taken by this little drone!!!  May be a good way to get nature noted photos that no one can see by just standing alone on a path!!!

If you're into photography [or birding like I am], you may come across someone with a new 'popular' toy! It's actually a robot camera....video or slide photos. It's called a drone. A few weeks ago, when I was on one of my solo outings when Bud stayed home instead, I was intrigued by this couple at a birding refuge. Of course, you are supposed to get permission to fly these from the FAA. Most people probably don't realize that. The drones can become a liability suit with the government agencies and there have been known incidents of harming other animals AND pedestrians. So, be aware of the rules.  With this husband and wife duo playing around with their new hobby, I viewed the photos taken from the drone that loads the images to the laptop computer instantly.  I must say it needs a bit of improvement in quality photos, but it may be a good investment if you're into something like this.  Who knows.  Me? I'd prefer a first hand look and get better angles and zooming in when I want....with a hand held camera.  You can buy them online.  But I caution anyone who is thinking of purchasing these...Read the Rules of the FAA or your laws of your country first!!!  Fines, lawsuits, jail time may not be in your best interest.




I find it a bit "odd" that Mexican Tradition, like Day of the Dead, and their seasonal/celebratory jewelry is MADE IN USA while American Tradition [like red white and blue fireworks] are MADE IN MEXICO?!! *Yes, I bought the ring AND the earrings. At the Jazz Festival!!




...speaking of Jazz Festival. This year it was a bit of a disappointment. The bands, while we were there, weren't playing the "good" jazz of our era, like Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington...but, the music at the other stages set up for the festival, were for the most part way too modern and more rap tempo than jazz!!! Several areas with the likes of the rose garden, etc. were cordoned off to 'non-members'...why? And unless you're musicians, a lot of the grounds were fenced from us commoners. The only open areas were of the vendors and seating areas around the stages unlike those in years past. Oh well. That's a sign of the times I guess. But, I don't have to like it.




...this 'side show', seen below,  I liked a lot. Such a cutie. And she entertained us with her jiving and clapping. In sync and full of rhythm!




Monday I was not home all morning. But I wasn't birding. I was test driving new cars. I finally picked one out of those I drove. What a hassle. In my teens, I used to like the fast sporty cars and loved driving them, racing them, checking out the new models that came out each year. Now, at my age, a car is a car. It isn't the need for speed and the sleek, shiny look any more; it's the need for comfort more than anything. lol Blah, blah, blah. Cars and all the computer gadgets, on star, syncing my phone to verbal commands, etc. The car I now call mine even has heated seats!! In South Texas? Why? That might be well and good in the snowy wintry Colorado...but here? I'd much rather have cool air, from the seat, blowing up my arse for SUMMER!! I say, who cares about all this extra stuff that is sure to break down once the warranty expires? As long as it's reliable and runs. No need to 'sell me' on all the extras. And the price of one automobile...my goodness....back in my teens, I could've had TWO homes built for the price of one front bumper on a car today!!! And they're not built as sturdy or last as long as they did back in the '60s either. :::sigh:::

....more oddball stuff coming right up!!


Here is a new beer Bud and I tried. Bought it for the jug more than anything. Just 'cause. It's called Mississippi Mud. "Little Brown Jug How I Love Thee"! Oh, maybe you're curious of the taste?!! Smooth, dark stout - pilsner. No bitter after taste. I recommend you try it, if you like a cold icy beer with your deli sandwich! That is, if you can find it in your area. By the way, have you heard about the pirate who went into a bar>>>>

A pirate walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender looks down and says "You know that you have a steering wheel in your pants?" The pirate replies "Ay, it's drivin' me nuts!"

 Ready for another?  I'll leave it up to you to figure it out.
A termite walks into a bar and says "is the bartender here?"



...Argh!! That 'bout does it fer me message this day, matey. woe ye enjoyed ye visit. Don't be a scurvy dog!!!

pirate translator







*bar  tender

§ Foggy Sky, State Park, and a bit of JAZZ!

This weekend is the Corpus Christi 55th annual Jazz Festival; Bud and I will be attending if weather cooperates, tho, we've been there rain or shine in the years past. It's always a fun-filled event, with this year to celebrate 55 years in Corpus,....fifty five jazz bands will be performing with live celebration of America's music!! There is food, drinks, and vendors, along with the bands. Big crowds are always expected in the area, parking spots are hard to find....etc. etc. etc. But worth getting there to enjoy the music and New Orleans style ambiance as you sit under the tented stages, or walk around to shop for trinkets or unique clothing. Beer Gardens, grilled greasy food is also on the venue, if you dare to partake!! The shows run late into the night and reopen the next morning. For three days.

This past week Bud and I drove to Harlingen, Texas and headed toward a small city west of there via the interstate to stop at a Texas State Park in search of a rare bird that has been reported in the ponds on the park's property. Altho, we failed to spot the bird, for the most part [explained more in depth in a bit] we enjoyed our walk around the many waterways and viewing other wildlife. It was a quiet morning when we arrived. The visitor center was closed being that it was a Monday, but that's okay. It saved me money I'm sure since I'm positive I would have found a book or a pair of earrings with birds to purchase. There is a huge, vast amount of small ponds intermingling with heavy wooded areas. All reachable with paths and boardwalks. The entire chain of pedestrian trails are surrounded with reed filled ponds, beautiful oak trees, manicured lawn areas with picnic tables, gazebos/observation areas, and a more arid landscaping of chaparral areas dotted here and there. The kiskadee birds were giving a chorus of their one of a kind song...."KISS ka eeee". Altho we didn't see the Jacana bird [pronounced shuh CAN ah] from Old Mexico, we were kept busy finding ducks with the likes of black bellied [photo below] and mottled, alligators, kiskadees, flycatchers, jays, woodpeckers...and a new photographed bird also [vermilion flycatcher which I'll share at a later time on my bird photo blog], the nasty explosion of gnats in our face whenever we stopped to take photos or look through our binoculars kept us quite mobile and made our 'trip' shorter than expected. That's alright, we know where to find it again another time. The park is called Estero Llano [pronounced es TARE oh LAWN oh ---which, to me the double "L" should be pronounced like a "Y" in the truest form of the Spanish Language....when in Texas??!! - just like the city Amarillo which means yellow in Spanish and pronounced correctly it's AM a ree oh. In Texas it's pronounced Ama RIL lo - or the monument just outside Houston...San Jacinto.  In Texas,  Texans pronounce it San sjhuh SIN toe...when in the true Spanish language it should be San ha SEEN toe.  There are so many towns, historical areas that are mispronounced here, it boggles my mind.] The park's name translates loosely to Esturary of the Plains. It is located on the outskirts of a little town called Weslaco, Texas [a suburb, kinda, of Harlingen]....real close to one of many International Bridges on the border of Old Mexico and the Rio Grande.

On the prior weekend to our day long trip to Estero Llano, I walked my 10,000 steps around Port Aransas birding areas on Mustang Island. At the beginning of the morning hours, the island was drenched in heavy fog!! It made for some pretty, but a bit eerie, photos. We stopped at three different areas. By the time we made it to our last trail along the channel-pasture-salt flats, the fog was lifting and the heat was on!! But, I thought I'd share the foggy morning here, now. First photo is of the white picket fence at the entrance to Paradise Pond:

Thru the misty air above Paradise Pond, this Great Blue Heron was spotted...and it was joined with a 2nd one as they both flew off to the west:

In the remaining photos, these are of one area at Port A's Leonabelle Turnbull's Wildlife Sanctuary. A Foggy Breakdown. Some photos are taken from the boardwalk [more ground level] while others are taken off the two story, elevated, watchtower. The 4th photo [if enlarged] you can see a small white object in the tall reed grass -left center- that is a egret, which I zoomed in on with photo #5. A bunch of cormorants thru the fog and looking toward the gulf which you can't see this particular day, a couple of other birders are seen in the foreground on the boardwalk...

Once the fog lifted, I walked my remaining steps along the salt flats of Charlie's Pasture. There, I sighted in on stilts, various sandpipers, and ones I always look for in this area and found on that day...horned larks. Those photos I'll share on my bird blog soon.

P.S. I was chosen a winner!! I received this email from an author I had recently posted about. I had signed up for an autographed book give-away, The Ripper's Wife, and my name was chosen:

Brandy Purdy .email taken off for privacy purposes.

To :email taken off for privacy purposes:

Today at 12:53 AM

Hello Anni, Congratulations! You are the winner. I hope you will enjoy the book. Please send me your full mailing address and I will get your book right out. P.S. I took a look at your blog and I love your witches.

Best Wishes,

Brandy Emily Purdy

§ Monster Mash...

Random 5 Friday
Link found on my sidebar

Going through my photo folders on my computer, I tried to come up with 5 random --weenish 'monsters' to share - for a Halloween Theme:

1] This past summer while walking along the shores of the Padre Island National Seashore [National Park Entry Fee required], there is an old tree that somehow, sometime long ago, washed ashore and eventually settled in the sand-bed just a few yards from the beach. Most times, when we have been there, the brown pelicans are seen perching on the branches that jut out of the sea. On this particular day, early in the morning with the sky color dreary, the tree silhouette was baren and looked "monstrous". Of course, being who I am, I saw it right away and thought like Stephen King...a good subject for a horror story!! What do you think?

2] This year, driving along one of the main thoroughfares to get to shopping areas...off the street a bit, and into a residential area, a couple of homes had their yards decorated for the season. Naturally I stopped and took some photos of their yards. One home, the residents had their yard an entire graveyard with tombs all over plus some gory monsters swaying in the breeze from their trees. The house across the street had a HUGE Pirate Ship....

3] Naturally my witch collection. Tho most are not 'monstrous' in any term, I thought I'd add the newest in form of "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"....just boots:

4] Now these next two photos, you really MUST use your imagination. Dig deep within yourself and you just may see what I saw on this one late September day [photo 1] at a city park here in town. Yes, it IS a tree. A live tree. In fact, the tree is called a Live Oak. But has nothing to do with it being dead or alive. Obviously at one time in the past the city grounds' keepers trimmed this tree and cut off a large limb that no doubt was in the way of the pedestrian walkway. Over the years, the remnants took shape. And here comes the imaginative part...does it look like a skull to you where the cut was; surrounded by tree bark? [to me, the mouth area even has rotted teeth].  And the 2nd photo is of another tree cutting remnant at a whole 'nother park.  In Port Aransas, Texas this time.  Does it not look like a Grim Reaper with its head covered in a hood?!! ---

5] Lastly, a monster from a TV series. Do any of you watch GRIMM [this year, in fact, on the 25th of October, the 3rd season premieres on NBC]? Bud and I do. We have the 1st and 2nd season DVD collection and will be catching up on the season opener Saturday sometime, online. We were caught in a season finale that will be continued with Friday's episode. Anyway, GRIMM is based on some of the Brother's Grimm 'fairytales'. But in a very unusual, and kinda macabre form. The beasts from the Grimm tales are REAL in this television series. The very first one Nick [the main character] sees as a Grimm, he sees a HEXENBIEST [German for Witch Beast] take form. From there, it moves forward to many more bizarre creatures. And the morphing of regular people into the Grimm creatures is amazing. Okay, on to the Hexenbiest. I love the fantasy, the bizarre, the eerie, the spooks. And the make-up of said beasts. I was compelled to drawing one in pencil!! WARNING tho - the completed sketch is...well, it's creepy!!  My version of the GRIMM's "Hexenbiest" as seen on the program....a real live person in make-up.  Awesome.

BONUS RANDOM I know this is supposed to be random FIVE, but I wanted to share the photos I took with my cellphone while perusing the annual October Jazz Festival. Tho the bands are all amateur, they are for the most part pretty good. Bud and I would prefer more of the Big Band Era music tho. These days it's mostly Blues and what they call "Oldies" --which for us at our age isn't!! LOL Anyway, I prefer to walk the grounds to all the vendors while the music drifts through the park from all the stages. If there is a good song being played we'll stop and sit down under the covered seating areas and listen. So, here are a few of the bands and an artist that I stopped to watch while he did his work...the piece he was working on was all DOTS [he's in the photo] ---oh, and the artwork behind him is done by him!!! Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil, See no Evil. He hailed from San Antonio and was selling his art work for $15 a piece. Bud also bought me the cute little LOVE BUG in a box....its legs move/jiggle continually....