§ Wax ON, Wax OFF

Have you heard of or perhaps have the now 'popular' wax warmers? Have you noticed the dozens of wax cubes boxed? With dozens upon dozens of different fragrances and scents? To be honest, I've seen only the wax cubes and really, then, never paid any attention. Until I was at the grocery store, in the 'seasonal' asile to check out the Autumn wares on sale. I spied something that was destined to come home with me. A ceramic owl in tones of brown and gold. I inspected the owl even further and noticed the ones in boxes, behind the display, that they were WAX WARMERS!  And, since then, I've actually seen many many more scentsational figurine warmers in all shapes, all sizes, and some are really quite cute.


"Hmmm, so that is what those little cubes of wax are!!"



Well, me being me, I just couldn't just sit the little owl out in the open, all by itself. I went to the dollar store, and bought a clear glass bowl and salad plate. Along with blue glass and natural tone rocks. Then, filled the bowl and glued the plate to the bowl, and after drying, I then placed some more brownstone rock along the salad plate to surround the owl. Here's what I came up with:



Lights on....lights off
And the first wax cube I tested was Moonlight Walk...very nice, subtle fragrance. Not over-powering at all, And, the cube can be used over and over once melted. Only clean out the melted wax when the scent is no longer noticeable. Oh, and use as according to directions...let the warmer work only an hour at a time to avoid burning and/or fire.

§ Hawk Watch Platform...

Through August and November the annual hawk watch takes place daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the little town of Calallen, TX [part of the Corpus Christi annexation]. It takes place at Hazel Bazemore Park...the Nueces River, two ponds and the elevated platform for hawk watching. Daily, they have someone there; they're counters with their binoculars and little tickers...counting over the hours and recording the volumes during migration of hawks, osprey, egrets, anhingas, kites [bird], eagles, etc. - By the numbers at the end of the season, they are given grants for resarch through the following year.   Also, keeping track of the smaller migrants such as warblers, titmouses, many many kinds of sparrows, etc. and with luck, any vagrants that may fly over or decide to stop-over.

But, I get there earlier! First, if I wait 'til the counters arrive at 9 a.m., it's too hot this time of year. 2nd...I don't like crowds [they talk too much and too loudly for my birding experience]....Once it turns autumn-like with cooler mornings, I may stick around a while and see what flies over on their migration path. On Wednesday of this week, I was greeted at 7 a.m. with a lot of ground fog---

...as I observed the watering drip systems utilized to attract birds and wildlife, I saw a few birds...cardinals [in molting season and not very attractive] a yellow warbler, a blue-gray gnatcatcher, several white winged doves, hummingbirds, starlings, a cotton-tailed rabbit, and a green jay. The green jay is not rare but can be quite scarce in our area [more seen the closer you get to Brownsville, TX and Old Mexico].

Stepping off the platform to walk around the trails, I spotted a family of three white-tailed deer on the golf course fairway that is on the other side of the park's road...

By this time, the fog was lifting and I headed toward the river. As I rounded the bend, I thought I noticed an owl perched near a deer feeder [a long, long, way away from me!!] I lifted my binoculars to get a better view and sure 'nough...an owl!! [perched on the 'white' box in the field] I was thrilled!!! I don't see them much. I used the zoom lens and took a few photos, knowing all too well, the pictures wouldn't be clear 'cause so far, far away. As I snapped the shutter over and over, I realized something was amiss! The owl wasn't moving...

...I'd been had!!! A decoy!!!


- - - - -

It was time to leave. I took another way home from Alice/Robstown highway. Here's another time, I'd been had [it just wasn't my morning!] ...this highway edges the international airport just outside Corpus. And, I hit the area just as Vice President's motorcade was leaving to go and visit the town of Rockport...a year after he came for support of those residents in the town that was hit so hard by the hurricane. Snipers on the air terminal's roof...security high...we had to wait. Oh lordy!! And, the worst part of the whole scenario, I HAD READ HE WAS COMING HERE. I shoulda known better than to come home that way.

§ Title-ing

Monday, again, it was cold. The chill factor was in the high 30s low 40s even tho the thermometer told us it was high 40s to low 50s for most of the day. The sky, again, was overcast. My house work was done, I had concocted a rigatoni and sausage soup for dinner in the slow cooker....I wasn't in the mood to read, nor being on the computer. Bored as I was, I popped me some popcorn to munch on, and, I took out my sketch pad and began another pencil work of a favorite bird [one of a whole slew of 'favorites']. This time an owl. I had saved this image on my smart phone's gallery in hopes of someday to open the image and draw it. I worked on it off and on during the day and finished it this morning...

I had Silent Sentinel, The Fortress Guardian, and Command Post listed in my thoughts for giving this new sketch of mine a title.

I finally picked one....