§ May Day....May Day

Random Thoughts

Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes; come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller?

I don't trip over things, I do random gravity checks!

I don't have gray hair. I have "wisdom highlights". [and by the looks of things...I'm just very wise.!]

When did it change from "We the people" to "screw the people"?

Why do I have to press one for English when you're just gonna transfer me to someone I can't understand anyway?

- - -


Bud Recently had a Birthday

...awww, come on....where's your sense of humor?


- - -


Snow in Late April?
Yep, that's Colorado!

One of the many reasons [probably the MAIN reason] we retired to Texas is for the fact snow can fall in Colorado, where I lived for nearly 50 years [Bud is a native Coloradoan], in July.  We both, the older we got, got so tired of SNOW. Well, last week, it snowed, and a very heavy WET snow and Denver and cities farther south, were under a winter snow warning. DIA [Denver International Airport] was bogged down, interstates and highways were closed...it was a typical April day in the state. My sister, who lives on the Western Slope of the Rockies, texted me a photo of her yard and she told me the San Juan Mountain Range had been socked in for days!!  You can see the beautiful jagged peaks of the San Juan Range from her patio door.

...and here in Corpus Christi, while all that was happening to those in my 'home' state... it was boiling at a high of mid 90s.

Same day...different states
Colorado Spring Storm, Texas Sunshine!


- - -


They Call me Mellow Yellow




- - -


Kinda Like Ripley's Believe it or Not
aka - You Never Know What'll Wash Ashore!

...I'm glad there wasn't a head attached. I'd still be runnin' for the hill country. Not that I'd be guilty of any wrongful act...just not too thrilled seeing anything as terrifying as my first thought about heads. Instead of Ripley's reference, maybe I shoulda stuck with something like the Twilight Zone Theme.  No glowing, red eyes, I checked closely!!!!  Twice.

§ The New Year Brings Resolutions and More Stuff...

RANDOM

Just some random Bird Photos...Least Grebes
- - -

DOWNSIZING

My New Year's Resolution is something I've promised myself TO KEEP at it 'til it's accomplished! I've been downsizing/getting rid of all our junk. From clothes, shoes [for instance: I have 5 pairs of walking shoes/tennis shoes and only two feet?!!!?], old TVs that have been stored in closets, dishes...junk not used for over a period of years! Even my santa collection, AND witch collection. I've had dozens of large trash can sized trash bags that have been tossed for trash pick up, or stored in the garage for taking them all to Goodwill!!  The other day Bud and I built shelves in a closet for travel bags that have been laying on the floor in a closet along with trade in books, etc. That particular project took us both a whole day.

So far, I've completed

three closets
the hall bathroom cupboards
the dining room hutch and drawers.
The worst is yet to come in the days ahead. The master bedroom walk-in closet [I have plans on building storage shelves in that one], the computer room/library where I store some santa dolls [shelves pending here too] and bedroom furniture/drawers.
I'm in the middle of cleaning out the computer of photos! Once I get them organized by month I'll get them on a flash drive.
Then....the garage! What is it with us who have to 'save' this and that 'cause it may come in handy someday?!! Tons of storage boxes line the garage walls....IT'S GONNA GET DONE!

Bud petting our kitty, Tahoe: "Run and hide poody-kat, Anni is in a throwing away mood! If you get in her way, she just may toss you too."

I think I'll keep her!!

...working on the master bedroom closet now!  We're adding shelves in closets to be more organized once all the litter is gone.

- - -

READING

I also want to read more this year. My pastime of reading has been put on the back burner these past few years....all because I try to walk more and go outdoors on birding day trips. I'm still gonna go birding, but I promise myself to not forget to stop and read.  Lately when I am taking a break, I find myself playing games on my smartphone. My most recent novel is by Michael Blake I found in the clearance aisle for a dollar. His 'fame' as an author came with the book-to-movie Dances With Wolves. Marching to Valhalla is a first person fictionalized account of General George Armstrong Custer. Tho chronologically, it's not accurate, it's pretty darned good. The words just flow easily. It's like ol' Cus' himself is sitting by the fireside telling of his life leading the 7th Cavalry to the day of infamy...June 25th, 1876 where he and is army perish at the hands of the Sioux Nation in Montana. Bud is a Custer buff. I can't begin to tell you how many times we've traveled to Crow Agency to walk the battlefield during our marriage. Our daughter Irene was just a baby when we began our many, many trips there...Anyway, I got sidetracked....I recommend this book highly.

- - -

"NEW" GAME

When Erik stayed with us over the holidays, he brought us a new board game. Well, it isn't a 'new' game, but an improved game! I mentioned getting rid of some of our junk above? The OLD game we had got tossed and this new one replaced it! It's really quite a challenge compared to the original version. It's SUPER SCRABBLE... there are twice as many letter tiles, and the board had not only the double and triple word/letter score boxes, it now had QUADRUPLE word/letter scores. And the board is much larger! [400+ playing boxes instead of 225 - 200 letter tiles instead of 100!] Also, the new version is an award winner.  We played several games...it lasts longer by about an extra 30 minutes to an hour.  And Erik was a whiz....I think he won them all!!

- - -


WORTHY OF A VISIT
It'll pull your Heart Strings!

I was checking out a new monthly meme, Scene and Story, the other day. In order for me to decide if I wanted to join in I felt compelled to click on some of the thumbnails. The very first one I saw was this precious image of a small infant, asleep with his arm wrapped around a rabbit. Cute, right? Indeed. And  while reading I felt happy and melancholy at the same time.  Happy to see such innocence, melancholy...tho melancholy usually comes without any reason...I think 'cause I don't  have small ones around me, it touched my heart in a true sense of days gone by.  My youngest grandson is 21 this year!!  Anyway, such a wonderful, wonderful narration and the image well..........it's priceless! The blog post is entitled "Mr. Bunny". You MUST stop by and read it. The story will melt your heart, and see if you don't agree with Nancy, the blog author, about learning from children.  Tell her Hootin' Anni sent you over to visit....MR BUNNY

§ Election Day...

I'm composing this post on Tuesday afternoon. Perhaps by the time you read it, the outcome of the presidential election will be known. Of course I could've voted early, or opted to vote by mail. But I stood firm and waited until Election Day. Even tho, I had my mind made up for whom [it should read for WHAT] I'd select on the ballot for president, I felt it necessary to wait it out and make sure...between the time I coulda voted and November 8th, there may have been something drastic happening to change my mind.   Some of you hinted at this "Who are you voting for"?  Well, to be honest, I was not [and still not] overly pleased with ANY candidate, that's why I previously stated, "for what instead of for whom".  Even those that didn't get the nomination!  No one.  Yep, no one.  I voted for the party, not the candidate.  Sorry to disappoint.  Personally, I don't think Cruz, Carson, Sanders, Trump, Clinton....any of them were/are worthy of leading our country. I went early...about 7:30 to the nearest polling station.  There were only 7 voters ahead of me.  Cool...no long wait time!!!  And then after I signed in and proved who I was with my ID...voted, and left the building, the line was clear around, and outside.  Probably over 100 anxious people.  As I got in my car, I was wondering who they were going to choose.  My county was approved by the state of Texas that you could vote in ANY precinct you choose.  That too was a big plus.  I like that law change and hope it sticks to the books for future elections.  I'M GLAD IT'S OVER [no more political email crap too!  lol]...

For Good Fences I will share these two:

UNDER THE SEA


I spotted this crab in the murky water of a creek bed.




BLUE SKIES OF TEXAS SHINE
on this, our Election Day!!  But then, a cold snap, and it rained






TODAY'S FLOWERS




Now for some more randoms in photo:



Now that is what I call an avid fisherman!!

Yep!  You can find these sunscreen dispensers around the trails here. I would think with the Summer's heat the lotion would break down and become worthless.  But that's my opinion

A cactus grows in a tree!  And...it bloomed.  But I missed all the beauty, only saw the blossom remnants on the ground


Sand Sculpture on the beach this summer...