Brrr! It's cold outside!

This little hummingbird was here at dawn. Temperature was 24 degrees.They are amazing!
That's ice in the feeder.

a break from holidays

looking east  across the lake

a now you see him, now you don't loon

a man and his dogs

the watchful crow

 across the marsh to the treeline

I'd like a home here, but they get heavily damaged in every hurricane.

the eroding coastline

this erosion is happening fast

Purchasing gifts and wrapping them, days of food preparation, and being housebound were weighing heavily on my shoulders. So we drove to the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and inhaled the sharp, clean, cold air, and feasted our eyes on the winter colors in the waterscape.

Usually there are countless ducks and shorebirds to identify, but they were scarce yesterday. The wind had blown hard for several days, and maybe it had driven them to more sheltered places.
A crow surveyed us from a branch, and a loon dove repeatedly making the timing hard for a photo

100 Years

 

 

 

Today would have been my father's 100th birthday. We always went to my parents' house on Christmas Eve. He once confided that he wished it could be on another day because his celebration was lost in the Christmas rush. I always gave him two gifts, and we always had a cake with candles. When he was a child he must have felt cheated.

My dad was the kind of person who was constantly busy. He was a machinist/mechanic, and  I used to brag that he could fix anything--and he could. He worked hard all of his life, often coming home in clothes so dirty that my mom had to wash them in a tub outdoors first. Most of his jobs were in the great ships on the Mississippi River down in the engine rooms where it was dark, hot, greasy, noisy , and  confined. There were times when he worked in stretches that went on for days without him coming home. His job was not guaranteed, and he only worked when the company secured a ship that needed repair. As a child I would often see him looking worried and distant because he knew the jobs were scarce, and his was the only income.

He retired at 65 years of age in the month of December and died of a stroke in the month of February of the next year.

He was a good man who provided for his family--sent my brother and me to college, loved animals and children, and was a great husband.

My love of animals and the outdoors came from him. He always took us on walks in the woods and taught us about it as we went. Fishing, crabbing, hiking, we did a lot of outdoor activity. He also made toys and taught us games.

The last photo is of him and my older son on our bicycle. None of us wore helmets then, and my dad hopped on to give him a ride.

Happy Birthday, Dad. I still think of you everyday.

looking for Jesus

After much delay we finally decorated the tree! My brother's unexpected death, the Sandy Hook massacre, and the realization that one son can't make it here almost cancelled the whole thing.

But we brought the tree in, played the carols and captured the spirit. Most of our ornaments have a long history-- many are fragile and worn--made by my children, given by our parents and my students--some heirlooms from grandparents.
Each must be remembered and placed with care.

We stood back to admire our work and my husband asked, "Where's Jesus ?"
The boxes are all packed away.
Guess I'll be searching for Jesus today.

Rain on the way

After a beautiful blue sky day mares' tails race across the afternoon sky.

Frosty cold

25 F this morning and frost in all directions .

The hummingbirds have visited the feeders, and I am happy they made it through the cold night.

The peaceful scene from my bedroom window was shattered by the sound of gunfire as hunters blasted at deer or doves. Guns, guns, guns --they are always part of what used to be my nirvana
since there is now a firing range to the south of us. They often shoot until 11 pm.

No apocalypse!!! The earth goes on....Happy Solstice!

A clear cold morning--time to collect some mistletoe and celebrate the lengthening days.

a little bit of Christmas in Central Texas

 an old cabin ready for Christmas

 

Fischer store museum

reconstructed birth place of Lyndon B. Johnson

ranch house of Lyndon B. Johnson --the TexasWhite House

an unusual Christmas decoration


While in Texas last month we drove out to the Johnson City area and visited the late President Johnson's Ranch. It is a beautiful site with expansive views of the Texas hill country and the Pedernales River.
We were able to tour the inside of the home,  but photos were not allowed.

I only chose pictures this time with a bit of Christmas in them.

The deer heads on the tree were unusual to say the least, but the park service said that is how the president and his wife decorated the tree every year.

We also visited the Fischer Country Store Museum. It was unsettling to see that many of the products on the shelf were part of my life......when did they disappear from the shelves?

On the brighter side

A ray of light in the landscape-- blooming narcissus. Traditionally they are early blooming, but have started very early this year. It lifted my spirits and reminded me that we can find bright spots if we keep looking.

Farewell little brother.

 

My niece called this week with the sad news that my brother had died unexpectedly.
I had not visited with him in years, but we kept in touch by phone and email. I often scanned old photos, sent them to him and said, "remember when".

We had been very close as children and always played together--- no video games, television, computers--just our imaginations.

The realization that there is no one left to share memories of our childhood--our crazy roadtrip vacations, fishing trips, picnics and summers swimming in the lake--has been sobering.

He loved the ocean and fishing, but spent the last part of his life west of Atlanta wishing he could come back to Louisiana. Circumstances and finances kept him from returning.

His daughter has decided to have him cremated, and his ashes spread in the lake he loved so much.

4 years ago--December 11, 2008

 

 

 

A day late and a dollar short....this was to be the blog entry for December 11.

No matter how I attempted to send the photos yesterday, it always came up a fail notice. However, today there are about 6 sets of the photos on the lists of posts. 

The snow event was unexpected and so uncharacteristic of southern Louisiana in any winter. I kept snapping photos because I thought it would be over any moment, but the total was 8 inches. No color anywhere, it seems as though I shot them in black and white, but not so.

The large live oaks hold their leaves through the winter, and the snow collected thickly on them, bending the huge limbs to the ground. Sounds like rifle shots echoed through the woods as limbs broke from the weight. Many trees sagged over pulled up by their roots. There was more damage to the oaks from the snow storm than from Katrina.

Of course, we lost power for a week in frigid weather and that negated a lot of the beauty. I am glad it did not snow yesterday--we have plumbing difficulties to mend right now and don't need more emergencies to handle.

taking a break......

 

no time to post right now...

south Louisiana lunch

 

 a cup of seafood gumbo
 

crispy fried onion rings

half of a poor boy sandwich


Certainly not something to be eaten every day, but such a treat--especially when shared.

Gumbo is a type of soup made with almost any kind of seafood at hand--mine usually contains shrimp and blue claw crab--and also vegetables like onion, tomatoes, and okra.  There are other kinds with sausage, chicken, or even squirrel, rabbit, or alligator.  It is usually spicy and hot, and darkened with a roux (browned flour and oil).

Fresh cut battered onions fried crispy make a good side dish.

A fried shrimp po-boy on crunchy French bread is mouth watering good.

Argh! all this fried food--a big no no for us trying to be heart healthy, but hard to resist on occasion.

just nice to consider

 

the Christmas/ Thanksgiving cactus
 

 

hummingbirds in winter
 

a visit from a buck

It's always nice to have color and movement to consider on winter days.

The cactus explodes in flamenco dress blooms every winter after patiently sitting in drab green gray garb all summer. Thrown on the porch and given water rarely, for that's what it likes, it plots its winter extravagance.

For years I planted every winter blooming plant that was suggested, and finally I have been rewarded with hummingbirds in winter. They are usually the kind from the far west that have gotten off course during migration. However, I think one of them is a returnee from last year. It seems there may be as many as 3 of them, but because they are still visiting blooms it is hard to pin them down for a count.

Actually this buck came through last winter, but I glance out the windows every time I pass and hope another returns. There have been 4 does that sleep on our place in the last few weeks, and we startled each other on one of my "birding" walks last week.