Canyon walk to Hamilton Pool and Pedernales River

On a beautiful mild winter day we enjoyed a hike along Hamilton Creek and out to the Pedernales River in central Texas.  Along rocky canyon paths that are shaded with foliage and bordered with ferns in summer, but brighter and more open in winter, we enjoyed a slightly challenging outing. Over rocks and roots, up and down slopes, the views were worth the effort. A canyon wren's spiraling song echoed off the rock walls.

 Hamilton Pool was once the hippy secret place where free spirits swam in a green Eden during the 60's and 70's. It is still a favorite destination for those who love old swimming holes, but is regulated to preserve it's pristine nature.

A hike in the opposite direction brought us to the Pedernales River which has a limestone rock bottom with crystal clear water.  Severe drought has diminished the pool and river, but recent rains have brought them up a bit. In the past the pool had been filled by cascading waterfalls.

Cold Morning

Brrr! Frost covering everything, and the hummingbird feeder turned into a frozen slushee. The rusty hummer fluffed up his down underwear and made it through.
I was trying a new gift camera for the bird photo, but I don't seem to have mastered it yet.

Catfish dinner

After weeks of turkey, dressing, pies, cakes and leftovers, we decided to have a change of pace and headed to Manchac for fried catfish. Fried foods are something I don't tolerate well, but there aren't many restaurant choices that don't feature fried foods in my region.

Middendorf's is on a pass that connects Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. For many years the catfish served came from the local waters, but I am sure that is not the case now. The restaurant was flooded during Katrina, but has recovered nicely. My son and his wife joined us, and we enjoyed the afternoon at the waterfront.

King Cake

Last evening, January 6, King's Day, we enjoyed the first King Cake of the season. In the Gulf south, we often take down the Christmas tree on this date, have the cake, and celebrate the beginning of the carnival season or Mardi Gras. King Cake parties are given, the little plastic baby is hidden in the cake, and whoever "gets the baby" must host the next party or treat to the next cake. It is popular in offices, etc. throughout the region. All of this will culminate on Good Friday with the start of Lent. King Cakes were originally very simply made of twisted dough with colored sugar sprinkled on top, but have now grown into gourmet delights stuffed with cream cheeses and fruit fillings. Last evening ours was filled with apple.

Muffuletta

On a recent trip to the French Quarter in New Orleans we indulged ourselves in a guilty pleasure...a muffuletta! Tons of cheese and meat on crusty, chewy bread and saturated with olive oil and olive salad----the olive oil must make it healthful....no?
The store still smells great. It used to be even better when there were barrels of salty cod stashed in the aisles.

winter

Poinsettias that brighten the window sill, Christmas roses, the first narcissus, holly berries dripping from the bush, and a waxy mushroom.....all add interest and color to the winter landscape.

winter hummer

winter hummer, a photo by andromeda2006 on Flickr.

It's been quite a while since a hummingbird has shown up here in winter. It appears to be either a rufous or allen's hummingbird.

There are still blooms in the garden which is heavily planted in hummingbird favorites. However, the weather is turning much colder and last evening I had to cover some of the flowers in an effort to save them for the bird. Of course, winter will eventually catch up with me and the rusty hummer will only have the feeder if he decides to linger.

last gardenia of summer

A last gardenia to enjoy this year. One of the real joys of living in the deep South is having these beautiful fragrant flowers thru late spring and into summer. The fragrance wafting through the air brings to mind high school proms and summer vacations. We have many planted all over the garden in several varieties--the dwarf ones form a border across the front of the house and larger ones are specimen plants under the live oaks. When blooming they envelop the house in sweet clouds of scent that are captured under the umbrella of the oaks.

The last bloom was a surprise, and I picked it to extend the sweet memories of spring and summer.

a walk in a Louisiana marsh

Recent cold fronts have made walking in the marsh and swamp more comfortable again. Record heat and a large crop of mosquitos and gnats chased us from there this summer. Teeming with wildlife and composed of vast marshy wetlands , it can be a real adventure made safe by the wooden walkways and cleared paths.

The cooler weather had also made the alligators and snakes dormant. When we last visited in the spring the place was crawling with them. This time we were content with common moorhens and American coots.

Birthday in the New Orleans French Quarter

We had a delicious jazz brunch at the Court of the Two Sisters. Then browsed the quarter listening to street musicians that seem to be on every corner. I always visit the St. Louis Cathedral and usually light a candle for my family though I am not Catholic or very religious. Before we left we made a stop at Central Grocery, an Italian deli that has been there for decades, and bought muffelettas to take home.

Happy Birthday to me!

early morning, a photo by andromeda2006 on Flickr.

It's a big one!

The above is a picture of one of our magnificent oaks with the sun rising behind it on a foggy morning.

looking out the front window

looking out the front window, a photo by andromeda2006 on Flickr.

I am trying a new way to upload photos to blogger. Everything I have done lately has been futile. Since I live in a rural area and have limited access to the internet uploading photos is problematic. The satellite service cuts us off if we view any videos or try to upload any photos.

This fawn has been in our garden for weeks. We haven't seen a mother lately, and she may be an orphan. However, mother deer rarely stay with their babies through the day. It's been quite entertaining to watch it amble around the yard--ok as long as it doesn't nibble roses.

Monarch butterflies

Sunny October days become even more beautiful when the Monarch butterflies migrate through the countryside. The fields of golden rod, purple asters, and yellow sunflowers are alive with the movement of the orange butterflies as they drop down to nectar. Driving along the highways becomes hazardous as I hate to crush the fragile creatures and dodging them is out of the question.

Wildseed Farms

On a visit recently to central Texas we visited one of my favorite places, Wildseed Farms. It specializes in wildseed mixtures that are specific to different regions of the United States and various flowers that look good in large plantings. The growing season is winding down now, but this field of zinnias was breathtaking on the bright autumn day. Migrating Monarch butterflies were floating through nectaring on the rainbow sea of flowers. It was heavenly.

A Visit to the Five and Dime

In a small central Texas town we stumbled upon this piece of the past---a five and dime. The wooden floors creaked as we walked through. All the products were separated by glass partitions, and there were lots of small inexpensive toy selections--the kind of stuff that made it so much fun for me when I was a child because I was always able to find something that I could afford.