Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Around OakMeadows



We have had temperatures all over the scale this week. Down in the 20's a couple of nights and now we are supposed to hit 80 tomorrow. We have signs of spring--the dandelions have sprung up deep green blotches on an otherwise brown yard. It is also the time of year to be thankful you are not a male mockingbird. He begins announcing his territory well before dawn and spends the rest of the day chasing other mockingbirds away.  It must be exhausting.

My bedroom painting project is well underway. JMM very kindly does the brush and roller washing up for me and that is the only part of painting that I don't enjoy doing. It always surprises me how much better the wall looks after painting than before. The other side of that, of course, is how awful it makes the wall beside it look so you can never stop with just one wall.

It has been too cold to quilt much of the week as the cold just makes my fingers too stiff. But I should be able to get a lot done before the next cold front comes through. I hope to have the table runner finished by the end of March so I can get going on the Travels Quilt.

We have had the usual Blue Jays, Cardinals, Collared Doves, Titmouse, and Chickadees at the feeders; the Goldfinches are still with us and I am glad because the weather is still so horrid up North. We were very surprised to see a group of Cattle Egrets last week; they usually stay down in South America for at least another month.  The gorgeous Sand Hill Cranes are still out in the rice fields; JMM counted 30 in the flock. I wonder when they will leave.  Mammal sightings have included a small skunk, a rabbit, and the usual deer.

The flower beds look horrid with the dead lantana and milkweed stalks. I am thinking of paying someone to just come clear it all out and be done with it and have it all ready to plant. JMM will burst a blood vessel though--but he will get over it.

I read an absolutely fantastic book, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I just couldn't put it down. I will write a review later this week as I am still digesting it. Other reading: I finally finished all 700+ pages of Empire of Liberty by Gordon Wood; it was an excellent history of the years after the American Revolution through the War of 1812. It was so well written and such an interesting period about which I knew zip, zero, zilch. Just getting started on Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder and am wandering through Winter Hours by Mary Oliver.

Daughter and SIL are looking to buy a house.  I always enjoy house hunting. My friend (and realtor) Vicki Haislup and I are having lunch to discuss what is available. Houston is a booming city and it is a sellers market. I am not sure if they will be able to put it all together and be out of their rental by June 1. We shall see.


4 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Oh, I love to paint the interior walls too!!! I'm thinking this time 'round I'm gonna do two colors on the living room instead of two-tone of one color. Be different. And I understand that one wall done---gotta move on to the next wall to have 'em be the same.

You get BLUE Jays?!! Lucky you. Our neighbor said he has seen them, but the habitat maps show they rarely come this far south...dunno for sure...but I do know I'd love to have 'em.

Florence said...

Yes, we have bluejays. For several years in the early 2000s, there simply were none. DH said that they were mostly wiped out in our area because they were very susceptible to West Nile Virus. The populations are slowly recovering here. I suppose some must have had a native immunity b/c WNV is still here. It is so nice to see those gorgeous blue,white, & black beauties again.

Rambling Woods said...

I like to paint, but do not like clean-up.. hubby hates it so we hire someone..it is Ok with me..Lol

Florence said...

Michelle, I'm thinking about hiring someone to clear out the flower beds. I'd rather paint than pull weeds. lol.