Around OakMeadows

It has been a pleasant week here at OakMeadows.  The weather is moderating and we are able to get outside more. The yard is green with clover and thistles and Joe has been busy finishing clearing out the freeze damage. The live oaks are loaded with yellow pollen which should be coming down any day now. Achooo! The first hummingbird arrived Saturday. I was pleased that we had the feeder up and filled with sugar water. So we have the swallows back and now the hummingbirds are starting to come through. Spring is well under way!

I made Shrimp Jambalaya for the first time yesterday. I really should give half the credit to Joe because he did all the chopping and helped get it all together.  It was really good.  Usually when I make something for the first time, there are changes that I want to make the next time I do it. But this really doesn't need any changes at all.  I will post the recipe next Monday.

We went to the Houston Symphony last Friday and it was wonderful! The violin soloist was Frank Huang and he was perfect! They performed Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Vivaldi always makes me smile. Just a beautiful, beautiful evening.
Tickets for next season are on sale and I am once again getting our season tickets.

Almost finished with the quilted table runner. I should start binding the edges this weekend and will post a picture as soon as it is finished. I have so many quilts and wall hangings floating around in my mind that I'm not sure what to do next. Maybe get the fabric and start the travel quilt? Maybe do a scrap hearts lap quilt? I have an idea for a wall hanging...So many quilts...so little time...

I finished reading The Walnut Tree by Charles Todd. It was a light historical romance set during WW I.  Good but not outstanding. The two outstanding books that I am still plowing through are To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild and The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.

Travel plans are:
     1. Birding trip to Louisiana
     2. Wedding/Birding trip to central Texas
     3. Alaska cruise
     4. Yosemite May 2015

Winter Birding in the Rio Grande Valley

The pictures aren't as good as I'd like because it was overcast and we didn't have the tripod with us.

Black-necked stilts

 

 

Blue Winged Teal

 

 

Great Kiskadee

 

Green Jay

 

Ladder Backed Woodpecker

 

Northern Shoveler

 

Orchard Oriole

 

American Coot

 

Chachalaca

 

Around Oak Meadows

Around Oak Meadows

We went to the Rio Grande Valley to do some birding in the warm, sunny south Texas parks. Ha! We froze our buns! But we had a good birding trip anyway. One thing that made it so pleasant was that I have discovered the Marriott Residence Inns. They are wonderful! I could watch television without disturbing JMM, there was a buffet breakfast and dinner, and best of all there was a handicapped accessible bathroom so I could shower easily! 

We went to the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and the Estero Llano Grande State Park. My favorite is the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park where you are able to watch the beautiful Green Jays, Great Kiskadees, and Chachalacas up close and personal. Another thing that made this trip so pleasant is talking with the volunteers at the parks. Without exception they are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.  Most of the ones I visited with were from the north, down to escape the northern winter. I bought tee shirts and mugs and JMM bought pins for his pin board. I had the bright idea of stitching park patches from our travels onto quilt blocks and making a travel quilt. We shall see how that idea progresses. 

As always, it was wonderful to get back home. Pictures will be up this afternoon.  In all honesty, the pictures are not all that great. It was overcast and we didn't bring the tripod but how could you not take pictures of green jays and Kiskadees? 

Reading this week:
     Empire of Liberty by Gordon S. Wood.  This is taking a long time to read but it is excellent. It had no idea what a turbulent, interesting time the post-Revolutionary period was!!
     Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. I am listening to this one audio CDs and can certainly understand why it won a Pulitzer Prize. What a complicated, interesting, brilliant man! 
     The Leafcutter Ants by Bert Holldobler. Beautiful book, full of pictures, diagram, and charts. Learning a lot about ants; first of all, how many millions of years they have been busily doing their thing. 
     The Rule of St. Benedict by St. Benedict of Nursia. I like to read this every year. Just nourishing to the spirit. 

Spring Trip

We have been planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the museums. But I have been hesitating about making reservations because with all the turmoil in Congress over the budget, I didn't want to go only to find the government (and museums) shut down.  Now it is looking now like we will have a (semi-) functional government through September.  So I guess it is relatively safe to go ahead and make our travel plans for early May. JMM pointed out that there will be an exhibition of Durer master works at the National Gallery through June 9.  I am thinking a day at the National Gallery, a day at the Smithsonian, and a monuments day with a travel day on either end.

  I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to my full body frisking at the airport since I am unable to walk through the scanners.  And how I look forward to United crushing my luggage again. But that will all be minor as long as my scooter gets to and from Washington undamaged. 

Maine Fall Foliage Trip

I've been busy planning our fall foliage trip to Maine.  JMM has wanted to go to Acadia National Park for ages so we will combine the two.  We will fly into Boston and drive up the coast with the first stop being at LL Bean in Freeport, Maine. JMM wants to get some new hiking boots and I want to get a couple of pairs of warm slacks and a heavy pullover.  We will spend most of the time in Bar Harbor and make trips out from there.  The weather is of course the unknown element--it can be clear, cool, and crisp or it can rain the entire week.  Oh well, we will play the hand we are dealt.  I was able to use our Mileage Plus miles to pay for the round trip tickets which is nice. I found good hotel rates since we are going so late in the season.  The rental is to be a Toyota Rav4 and was no bargain but not too bad.  We are taking 2 bags so that JMM can take his pillow and I can take my quilting.  This is going to be such a pleasant trip. (I hope.  )