I came across this picture this morning. I took it some time ago in a rest area on a Texas Interstate but I forget which one. I may have even put it in a previous entry on this weblog but every time I look at it, it piques my curiousity.
The marker reads ‘Kramer, my travelin buddy’ and I find myself wondering if Kramer was a dog or a cat or maybe even a parrot. I suppose I’ll never know.
If the government bails out people who are not making their mortgqage payments for whatever reason, then people who are keeping up with their mortgages should not make one more mortgage payment.
There is no reason, however much widows and orphans tug at your heartstrings, to bail out folks who should have known better.
This is the scissortail flycatcher. When the bird flies, the tail splits into two parts, enabling the bird to do some incredible maneuvers.
The first bird showed up about a week ago and everyone was excited about the event. We heard a report about where it was hanging out and kept our eyes open until we finally caught a glimpse of it. By the next day, we saw several more and by the day after that, there were dozens hanging around the refuge.
I think the title of this post might be a line in a song and if it’s not, it ought to be.
I wasn’t even aware that cactus bloomed but then, ornithology has never been one of my strong suits.
Last Thursday evening, we attended a volunteer appreciation dinner here at the Wildlife Refuge. The staff provided the meat dishes and the volunteers brought side dishes. The meat dishes included spicy sausage, beef tips in gravy, a roast and chicken fried steak, all of which were delicious.
Uh, this doesn’t mean I tried all of them. I mean, it sort of sounds like I did but I wouldn’t do that. I know that I’m not supposed to be eating all that. Some other people told me about it. Yeah, that’s it. Somebody else told me the meat was good.
As the evening went on, I learned that the meat had all come from one animal and it wasn’t a cow. It came from an animal called a Nilgai. It’s a large antelope that was imported by the King Ranch about 75 years ago for hunting purposes.
The staff members that are hunters also know how to fix the meat. They convinced me of that right off the bat. I’ll be throwing rocks at Venison from now on.
Since we arrived in South Texas we have been attending mass at the San Juan Basilca, a Catholic Church that seats 1800 people. It is always full no matter what mass we attend. Perhaps one reason is the Mariachi Band that serves as the choir. They are pictured below the Crucifix.
The Mass is quite inspiring because the music is beautiful and many of the prayers are in Latin. I sort of suspect it’s actually Spanish and that I don’t know the difference but when I hear the Kyrie, it sure takes me back.
This is the 45th Easter that Susie and I have spent together and as a matter of fact, our first date was on Holy Saturday before the First of our Easters. We went to see the Movie ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ in downtown Indianapolis at the Lyric theatre. I had to talk to her for quite a while to get her to go with me.
I sat down to write a whole bunch of stuff about this because it was really a turning point in both our lives but I decided it is really only interesting to us.
Susie and I went to Mexico a few days ago with a friend of ours from Indiana.
I was going to find a new cowboy hat and to possibly investigate the price of a new pair of glasses. Susie was wanting to take pictures of little girls dresses for our ganddaughter and our guest, Marguerita was hoping to find a cowboy to take back to Southern Indiana with her.
I did find a hat and I also found an opthamologist who gave me a price of 150 dollars for an eye exam, new frames and new lenses with progressive bifocals (no lines).
The doctor was a Chinese fella who lived in Mexico. His Spanish was superb, not that I understood any of it but I listened to him converse with some Mexican ladies.
I couldn’t pass up the deal. During the eye exam, the doctor informed me in impeccable english that I had cataracts in both eyes and would probably need an operation within two years or so. This old age stuff is beginning to wear on me.
He suggested I come back in 2010 for an operation somewhere south of the border, probably Reynosa. Susie said no.
We also did not find a cowboy for our friend but we did buy a cheap bottle of whiskey.
Today is the first day of spring, the day when the sun shine directly on the equator. I’m not 100 percent sure of that equator business but I did hear something to that effect on the television this morning as I got ready for work. I was pretty busy concentrating on putting a double knot in my shoelaces so that’s why I’m not positive about what the guy said.
When we spent our winters in Indiana, I always looked forward to this day because if it was not already warm, I knew that warm days were not far away. I also knew that the first Robin would soon be chirping it’s way into our hearts and…….
Whoa, hold it a minute. I’m actually making myself gag as I’m trying to wax poetic about what spring means to me .
Just forget everything I said.
A few days ago, I watched a news report about some guy in Florida going into a Wendy’s and opening fire on a restaurant full of people killing one before killing himself. A couple of weeks before that I watched the northern Illinois university shooting where a young man shot up a lecture hall, killing others before doing himself in.
In both cases, there is no information why these two would do something like this. I know people do themselves in everyday but why did these two feel the need to take others with them??
There was obviously something missing in their lives but what the hell was it? I wish I knew.
