we mow around wild flowers

Tex-Mex fifties style

 

A ceiling hung with hubcaps from classic cars of the 1950's, Formica tabletops, and much memorabilia from that era make for great ambiance while eating a spicy Tex-Mex meal.

Blue corn tortillas stuffed with veggies and topped with queso and a rich chili sauce -- the refried beans and Spanish rice as side dishes --is one of my favorite meals in Austin.

To wash down the peppery fresh salsa and chips I chose dos Equis -- I don't always drink beer, but when I do.........

time to leave

Another season of purple martins has come and gone. I wait anxiously for them in January , in the midst of winter, wondering if they will return. The first stalwart scouts return to the Louisiana coast then. Generally they won't make an appearance at my place until about Valentine's Day though.

Mostly it's one or two mature birds ----others will follow later when insects begin to fly.

We've had a few years without them lately due to predators--hawks, raccoons and snakes. This year we added the tub like guards to the poles and it seemed to work. There were 3 pairs that raised young.

It's already time to go---the journey to Brazil is a long one, and there are stops along the way as they gather into ever increasing flocks sometimes roosting in groups of tens of thousands .

dependable flowers

Since I have not been able to do much work in the outdoor gardens this summer, I have had to enjoy some old friends , the potted plants.

The blooming cactus is about 45 years old and started from one tiny "barrel".  It now fills a 18" pot. The blooms last only one day, smell heavenly and take absolutely no special care on my part to produce. I never move the plant---it endures drought, freezes and neglect. Such a joy!

The geranium is only a few months old.  I have to replace them often. They don't thrive in the hot Louisiana summers. The glowing neon fuchsia is my favorite. I can't resist them.

This is the third year for this supermarket orchid to bloom.  Some fertilizer, but not a lot of pampering, and it gives me these glowing flowers in late winter.
Encouraged by this over achiever I bought more plants, but none have bloomed a second time. I'll give them a bit more time---and then they may have to make room for something else.

a walk in the fields

It's been a while since I visited this page, though I still read other bloggers. A series of health setbacks and 2 new grandchildren have kept me away.

A reaction to a skin cancer surgery on my face,  and an attack by yellowjackets  while working in my garden that led to a nasty fall has kept me closer to home and not able to roam with my camera like I did before.

I really miss my walks and hope I can recover enough to continue rambling these fields. 

I did manage to climb the road up the hill a few days ago and gaze back at the tree covered hill that is home.

waiting for a wave

Even on cold days in January surfers are waiting for a wave.

at last the great ocean

Through desert, dunes and mountains and then down to sea--it seems quite miraculous to have this beautiful verdant wet paradise come into view!


The great Pacific--heaving itself against the cliffs and with a seemingly never-ending coast that beckons me to walk on forever.
Birds that are "lifers" for me --waders and shorebirds, gulls and all that mysterious stuff that used to be published in separate guide books called the western birds of the United States.
WHALES!!!! blowing great clouds of mist into the sky and roiling the water as they feed just off shore.
Seaweed that I have never seen before--rocks on shore ( no rocky shores in Louisiana).
Lagoons fed by the sea and teeming with birds that make me dizzy with the challenge of identification.

All this in the middle of winter--no wonder so many land on this shore and dare the earthquakes to shake them off.

growing crops in the desert

Various salad greens, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, dates, almonds, pecans, walnuts and pistachios are growing in what is actually a desert.

The water for irrigation comes from canals that divert the Colorado River or from deep wells. It was fascinating to see the green in the desert, but made us realize how tentative our food supply is during this period of the big drought.

on the road to california

Traveling to southern California through the desert states is a great adventure--- cactus and dunes, wind turbines and solar panels,  roadside kitsch, and amazing farms where a great percentage of American vegetables are grown with the water diverted from the Colorado River.

There are checkpoints where we are quizzed and scrutinized as the contents of our car are quickly scanned for aliens--no, not those from other planets--that would be more fun.

My family made this trip once when I was a pre teen in a car that had a bad radiator which overheated,  especially when climbing mountains. So we did a lot of the desert at night and missed seeing the cactus and dunes. Nevertheless, it was a great adventure then too--one we never ceased talking about and reliving.

We did this trip rather quickly because we were on schedule for the birth of our grand daughter--a California girl. My dad, deceased for many years, would have been delighted. He always loved the California dream.

Whales!

Out beyond the apparent slick or area of smooth water there are whales.

Sorry I couldn't capture them as they came up to blow huge sprays of water, but I'll never forget the sight!!

We were told they were probably grey whales migrating now off the coast of California.

A bucket list item for me.

Whales and a new grand daughter----a fantastic beginning to a new year!!

Merry Christmas!

May the joy that is Christmas be yours throughout the year!

gifts of Christmas

The glowing blooms of my Christmas cacti and bottles of California wine and olive oil.  Bright spots in the dark days of winter.

mountain bluebird

A female mountain bluebird--must have taken a wrong turn to winter in southeast Louisiana amongst piles of raw materials at an asphalt plant.

#174 on my year list

feather skies

a weather change on the way

air show

wingspan of B-29



On a bright cool October day we recently enjoyed a trip to the lakefront in New Orleans to see the WW2 airshow.
The aircraft are amazing, kept in great shape and still flying. Visitors can still ride them for a fee, which seemed rather steep until we were told it takes about $10,000 a month to keep the B-29 maintained and flying.
Business was brisk and there were many customers waiting for their chance to experience these old warriors.

Why? you many wonder would a old chick like me be interested in old planes?

I guess my interest came from raising 2 sons who were besotted with them and their history. Still hanging on the ceilings of their old bedrooms are models of the planes in the photos above. We often traveled to airshows then and watched history documentaries for hours.

Of course, in my generation we were raised to admire the men who flew those planes at great peril to save the world . Some of them were family and friends of our parents.

It was a beautiful day--full of history and memories, both  bitter and sweet.