§ Shadow Shot.

So, I'm taking the trash bin and recycle bin out to the curb for pick-up day. As I walked back to the open garage door, I glanced over to the next door neighbor's house. The "flood" lights were on and I was wondering what was going on. Usually, it's quiet and much darker. Then, I spied it. Do you see it too? I know if you listen to the news, Texas is an immigrant haven....seeking refuge here from other countries.  They are flocking into our territory...but I never knew that when the news anchors call them aliens, they're actually talking about those green little men!!!  I really was kinda expecting it to come forward off their porch and say "Take me to your leader".  But, I don't think it would have believed me if I took them to our kitty, Isaiah!!  Then, again, would it even speak American?

I mean, seriously, does he look like our fearless leader 'bout now?
Not so much.

I've been kinda lazy this week. The only thing I've really accomplished is getting my blood drawn for the cardiologist for metabolic and lipid testing. Results will probably show high cholesterol. Other than that, probably quite normal to excellent. In a couple days, time will tell. Then, I need to set up a phone conference with him. Ugh!!!

§ ...click your heels together three times and...

We're back home...I've been working on a few posts including photos to ready for this upcoming week, while unpacking and doing laundry, collecting mail and sorting that out...things like that, I realized this morning, after a couple of days this past week with horrendous traffic to contend with [metro population of the McAllen-Reynosa area of birding on the last part of our trip being 1.5 million], and then the Brownsville, Harlingen area... that there really is...

...no place like home!!!

Here are some of the calming effects of yesterday I saw in our yard---

...came home to our front and back yards filled with buds & blooms!!

linking to: WEEKLY TOP SHOT - SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY - Sundays in my City - Monday Mellow Yellow - I ♥ Macro

§ Yea, though I walk....

You may find it odd that recently we've been heading out to the largest cemetery here in town.  Reason?  Of course...what else but birding.  On the hot spot list of places to go birding during the Spring [and Fall] migration seasons is the Rosehill Cemetery.  The area is vast in size...and loaded with such a variety of greenery, from small ornamental bushes to colossal oaks!  There are quiet streets meandering throughout all the sections, and they're lined with the cooler shadows of the overhanging branches.  Now, to be honest, we've gone there at different times of day, without seeing much difference in bird residents than what we have in our own back yard.  This past week, tho, I saw at least what I think I saw was a migratory Mississippi Kite.  I stalked it from tree to tree and section to section only to have it take off long before I was within camera range.  Eventually, the last tree it landed in by the time I got even half way near, I saw just the shadow of it flying overhead and far away from the cemetery grounds.  Another day, returning in hopes the Kite returned also, Bud and I scared out a Chuck Will's Widow from some low-lying bush.  I think it scared ME more than I scared it!  Seriously?  Yes...'cause another time we were there birding, a woman cleaning up a gravesite of her family member was stung by a scorpion...and at the time the 'Widow' flew out of the brush...I was just thinking to "make sure you watch  where you step, Anni"!!  Okay, so to make this a short story instead of turning into a long recitation, the camera wasn't used enough...no new birds...so, I aimed it at this beautiful headstone.  The dappled sunlight and shadows were very  humbling - I found myself in reverie; lost in thoughts of the 23rd Psalm:

WEEKLY TOP SHOT - SUNLIT SUNDAY - SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY

§ ...day tripin'

The two of us drove up to Lake Corpus Christi State Park and spent a few hours there, walking around the reservoir [except for Lake City side]. This vast lake retains water for the city of Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. We enjoyed the quiet time of day. During the week, it's the best time to go to the reservoir...hardly anyone there except for the Winter Texans [out-of-staters]. The day was warm, sunny, a faint drifting breeze filtering the air...a perfect time to relax and walk and photograph the area for a blog post!! We saw very little birds while there -what we did see was one hawk, a couple of killdeer, ducks, egrets, cardinals, and a caracara.  While we were walking the banks of the lake in one area, a long-billed curlew flew in...that one I took several photos of 'cause it was so close to us!  But this time it wasn't about birding, it was more or less a road trip to get outdoors in the sunshine away from the hustle and bustle of the city traffic and noises of population...y'know? Here, I share a bit of our world just a 40 minute drive from home. Mainly of an 80 year old Pavilion [stones made by hand of a caliche and cement mixture] that still stands atop a cliff overlooking the lake and surroundings...

Linking with
SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY and Weekend Reflections and WEEKLY TOP SHOT and SUNLIT SUNDAY

§ Quilting, and drawing, and government..oh my!!

Watched a video this week that I wanted to see in the theater a long time ago but never did. "Take the Lead" starring Antonio Banderas. According to the beginning credits, this was based on a true story. About kids, troubled kids, who became a goal of sorts for the dance teacher [Banderas] to help them out by teaching them to dance. It was a typical movie; very predictable, but still a good family movie. It is more about the kids of "Harlem" in NYC, but the story, the story is also about the teacher...a dance instructor. Wikipedia has this:

Pierre Dulaine (born 23 April 1944)[1] is a well-known ballroom dancer and dance instructor. He invented the Dulaine method of teaching dance. He also developed Dancing Classrooms, a social development program for 5th grade children that uses ballroom dancing as a vehicle to change the lives of the children and their families. Notably, his early works with children was fictionalized in the film Take the Lead, starring Antonio Banderas as Pierre Dulaine.

Pierre Dulaine being the teacher of course. The DVD was found in the $5 bin at Walmart. It'll be one we trade in, but it was worth watching a one time.

It went like this...:::crash:::
"Oh man-n-n-n!" "It's probably busted." "Yep! I need a new one...."
Bud inquires: "What happened now?"
"The blender just fell onto the floor after I washed it by hand!!" "The base of the pitcher shattered...look at all the pieces on the floor."
As Bud helps pick up the shards [even flew across the room near the garage door into the litter box]...smirking, he asks: "How did that happen?"
"It just fell!"
"You should watch more carefully what you're doing Anni."

After the mess was cleaned up, Bud started to clean his coffee pot carafe since there was hot soapy water in the sink from my cleaning chore.

:::bang:::

"Dammit"
I come back into the kitchen, "What happened now?"
"I hit the sink rim with the glass pot, and it cracked."
In disbelief, I thought right away, "Irish Luck", but I think I was quoted saying "You should watch more carefully what you're doing..."

We had to make a trip to buy a new coffee pot and a new food blender before the next day's breakfast hour!!

Bought the batting for my quilt project. Pieced together a back side for the quilt. I added a hand cut witch's hat on the back quilt piece. On the panel with the little girl witch that instigated this whole project were some extras on the side of the panel...some Jack o Lanterns, bats, and a crooked, twisted witch's hat....I cut out the witch hat, one of the jack-o-lanterns, and pinned it on my back panel and 'appliqued' it with the machine in orange. All the front blocks are sewn, the batting is on the floor all stretched out...will begin the sewing after a few days' quilting hiatus. I find it better, if I take a day or two away, the project doesn't seem so demanding. Besides, working on the floor getting this all together takes a toll on the back muscles I forgot I had!!

During the days away from working on the quilt, I finished another bird sketch that I started a couple weeks ago after I drew the woodpecker. This time it's an American Redstart. I remember the first time I saw one in the wild. I was walking around the Audubon Society's preserved Oak Motte on the island near Packery Channel, and I saw this black and orange small bird fly from the outer branches deep into the motte. It never came back out. I didn't know what bird species it was as I had never seen the likes of it before!! For longer than a year's time I never saw one, again, 'til this past Spring!! I got several photos of the male [they're the black and orange ones] along with his mate...she is grey and yellow! Anyway, I wanted to draw one. They are beautiful. Of the warbler family I believe, and very flitty, busy, and one of the most difficult birds to photograph; never staying still long enough to get a proper focus on the camera. The male is so very handsome with its dark black plumage on its backside with bright red-orange in its tail feathers and partial breast...while the belly is near a pure white. When courting, the male and female fan out their remarkably beautiful tail feathers to display their breeding colors. Here is a link to the Ornithology website of bird IDs. And, here is my completed sketch [obviously I added a bit of red-orange colored pencil to my sketch this time 'round to match some of its coloration] ...

Speaking of witches-------I've been waiting on pins and needles all summer, actually an entire year from last August...waiting for August to arrive at Tuesday Morning! Each year, this store, after putting the Spring and Summer goodies on an unbelievable mark-down, make room for their Autumn, Winter [Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas] items to go up on their shelves. Yes, I know...some of you think it's way too early for this. I don't! And I'm one of those that shows up at the store front waiting patiently for the opening hour. [well, I'm not that much of a nut-case, but awfully close] Anyway, I ended up at the store early one morning as it's across the street from a Walmart [and yes, Shelly, these both are located in the Staples Street construction area! LOL] where I had to get some cat litter. I walked in and saw no Autumn stuff...I was in shock...nothing in the front of the store that even pertained to Fall or Halloween!! Ack!!! But, as I turned the corner to the aisle they usually display them, the witches called my name!!! "Anni!! So glad to see you again." I bought four. I tellya, last year we went in the middle of August and the witches were either sold out, or not much to choose from: The early bird........... I got pictures of my quad witch group, but I'll refrain from postin' them so soon.

Any baseball fans out there? What do you think of the NYY's fiasco with Alex Rodriguez? All I know is, the Yankees really suck this year!! What happened? They really should just kick A-Rod and his ultra-ego out of baseball for life and get on with playing ball!!!

By the way, for more than just a few months, I've been following the civil rights movement of our government/president -our American right to bear arms for protection of our property and lives...and I hafta admit...I'm all for this:

The national movement called "Come and Take it America".

Those who agree with taking our gun rights away should remember:

1. Guns set us free from the English Monarchy [Revolutionary War}
2. The war of 1812, and the Spanish American War
3. Guns set Texas free from Mexico...[The Alamo]
4. Guns freed slaves from bondage
5. Guns set us free from: The threat of Hitler, Japan, Middle East, etc. etc.
6. The use of a gun [locally] protected a young boy from being shot by intruders that murdered his parents in a prominent neighborhood...not just the poor where violence is a given and oftentimes wrong. But this is not about violence and gun violence...it's about the freedom to bear guns, not to have that right taken away because of what happened in Colorado, Texas, Arizona, California or any given area of America...it's about the right to carry a weapon for protection.
7. I admit, I'm scared to death of all the wrongs done with guns in the hands of some...The shootings in Houston and the colleges and universities just recently where my son teaches political science...a subject that could easily instigate an act of violence and random shootings. But, my son is a proud American, as am I, and our fore-fathers gave us this right to protect ourselves * in other words the 2nd amendment adopted in the 1700s is all about this "...a right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense, resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state..."
   

Taking away the right to bear arms/owning guns is NOT going to stop mass killings!! Look what happened with airplanes...9/11...is an airplane now considered a weapon then? And if I may, for those of us that know killing is wrong, I ask: What about all the killing by the hand of God? i.e., In Genesis 19:28 [turning Lot's wife into a pillar of salt] - the entire city of Sodom and Gomorrah in the book of Genesis - then there is, by the hand of God and his fire, hundreds of people burned [Numbers 16:35]- oh and flooding; killing many people AND animals ---to me, even with the commandment thou shall not kill ---seems a bit "do as I say not as I do". Murder and mayhem occurs in history [even the Good Book], fiction and non-fiction...it's a fact of life, and part of human nature---and it's not ALWAYS from the actions and repercussions from a gun.

Now, to abate the debatable here from my bill of rights fragment, I wanted to leave you on a much more fun frag.... Scenes from Goose Island near Capano Bay, in South Texas...the beautiful sky and the 'white hot' sunshine of summer, the sea coast, the shadows, the cooler temps of a shaded pathway and park bench...

§ ...you were always on my mind-

Bud and I watched an older made for TV movie from way back in the '70s this week.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.  I read the book long ago when our kids were just toddlers and still in diapers....but even today, it's still just as poignant as it was back nearly 4 decades ago!!  The DVD was found at Walmart for $5.  I couldn't pass it up.  I remember to this day just how the movie ends, and still this time around, tears welled up to see her walking in the fields by her beloved, and ancient, mighty oak trees!  I found that you don't need to buy the DVD set, anyone can watch it for free on HULU.  Cicely Tyson starred as Miss Jane Pittman.  Of course, at the end of the movie, Bud and I had to discuss her a bit....wondering if she is still alive.   That she is...born in 1933.  So, I guess  that makes her  nearing or at the age of 80!!  She just made a movie, in post production according to IMBD --in 2013.  My goodness, more power to her!!  She always was one of my favorite actresses.

...let me ask y'all this: "Is it hot enough for you?" The last few days here in South Texas we're looking at the reminiscence of our desert dwelling days...by mid-afternoon, look up and see: the Arizona White-hot sky!! 'Bout now, I'm ready for Autumn. LOL

We did venture out last Saturday morning to the very first release of the Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle Babies!! But we left too late from home and by the time we got to the National Park's Gate, the line of traffic was way too long. Being the first release and it was held on a WEEKEND...the crowd was immense!! And, once we finally got within the park's boundaries to park the car at the release sight, we kinda figured we were too late for the beginning. Indeed we were...but I prevailed, and waded out to sea so I could turn around and get the last 'stragglers' trying to make it out into the Gulf waters. It's a bittersweet event. Knowing that they were 'saved' from harm on the beach by vehicles running over them...yet, all knowing that maybe one from a thousand will actually survive in the water to return next time to lay eggs. They're so cute!! It was worth trudging out to the sea; getting up to my waste in salt water, fighting the surf to remain upright while the sand beneath my feet gave way to the currents.. trying to zoom in on the little ones!! And yes, my clothes were soaked; luckily the camera didn't get wet...

...and being so hot outdoors these past few weeks with the humidity so high, I've kept myself busy somewhat...indoors, with the A/C running full speed, by sketching a caricature of a favorite Country Western Performer. We've been to his live concerts...and what a charmer he is...can you guess who it is?
The first steps of sketching to framing:

...the finished project:

And on the 22nd and 23rd we hoped beyond the miracle of nature that the coastline would be free of clouds to be able to witness the moonrise of the Summer's Super Moon. Of course, being summer and the evaporation of the bay waters, it's highly impossible to have a clear sky unmarred from the rising mist at the horizon. By the time we were actually able to see the full moon, the moon was into the skyline long after moonrise. But I did stick around and took some photos after sunset. Then, at 7:23AM on the 23rd, the actual full moon time frame, it was above our home! I took the camera outdoors and from the backyard I photographed it. I'm hoping to share some of the photos in a day or two. I have them off the camera SD Card, and on the computer, but once again, they need to be re-sized and readied for a blog post. The next time the moon is closest to earth will be August of 2014.

Okay, the dryer wasn't drying the denims well. It took two cycles to even get them partially damp!! The outside of the dryer's walls was extremely hot to the touch. I was afraid of an internal fire hazard. Bud pulled the dryer out, unclamped the air vent from the dryer and the outer wall ---guess what? A BIRD NEST was in the dryer vent hose!!! Everything is peachy-keen now. And a new cover was purchased for the outer brick ... to keep this from happening again.

On Wednesday, Bud and I went to the movie theater to see the newly released flick: A MAN of STEEL. Not bad; typical comic book hero movie tho...redundant in so many ways comparing it to the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, etc. ---Same outcome, different effects and scenes. Quite a few 'oldies but goodies' starred in this with the new [and I may add eye candy] Superman. The likes of Diane Ladd [she never ages...what's her secret?], Crowe, Fishburn, and Costner. With Kevin Costner's scenes, his demeanor and style made me think perhaps in the corn fields, he'd go out and build a baseball diamond, but it never happened. The best part for me, the whole gist of the movie, it explained a lot of the home planet of Clark Kent, and his history of Kyrptonite, etc. I'd give it a Roger Ebert thumbs up, but save your money and get it on a DVD to watch later.

One more thing before I go...in the South there is a famous/popular fast food restaurant...in fact its origins are in Corpus Christi...the Whataburger. Yep, just like it's spelled...What a burger. I noticed about a month ago, the local chain store, H E B's had on their shelves, a new product...Whataburger's ketchup and mustard in a bottle. Now, this past week, another new product made it to the store...in conjunction with Whataburger...their french fries!! In a bag. [like chips] They're crunchy...you bite into them and you're expecting the hot soft, greasy, french fry and you're gonna be surprised. They're crispy. The taste is VERY close to the french fries you get in the restaurants, but for me...after trying them, they left an aftertaste I wasn't too 'crazy' about. I'd much rather drive to the bay and sit at the multi-level place and eat HOT food, with the view of the marina!!

Oh, and in case you were curious to where the sandpiper was 'hiding' in the photo I shared on my previous post, here it is outlined with pink arrow pointing to it. And the black necked stilt is 'highlighted' in pale blue tone to the top left.





Man of Steel image courtesy of Google Image Search [no copyright infringement intended]