Visit to Fossil Rim

With Chris working for a radio station, we sometimes have great opportunities to do fun stuff. Today we got to visit Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and get a guided tour from one of the Docents who is also a donating Power FM listener. He hooked up the staff and families for a special tour early in the day.







They offer overnight stays in tent cabins at the overlook area of the preserve. The cabins sit above one of the big watering holes and would be an excellent place to sit and watch the sunset with animals coming to water. Putting that on my to do list for sure.

Owl Update

An update on our resident Eastern Screech Owl - he seems to have moved on to the neighbors yard. I have to say this has made me a bit blue, but I believe he's chosen a mate and nest in the next yard, which would be a good thing. Because of this he is no longer roosting in our yard, but likely just a few feet from the nest. I've watched the owl house that we placed in our back yard closely at dusk, and later in the evening for a few weeks now. I got excited last week after seeing shavings on the grass below the house (we placed wood shavings in the bottom of the house for nesting material). I assumed that because the shavings were in the grass, that the owl had taken up residence. However, seeing no activity at all I'm pretty sure that the house wasn't chosen this mating season. Although I'm discouraged, I have hope that it will still be used, perhaps next year.

The reason I believe that a nest has been chosen in the next yard is the regular calling from a tree in the evenings after dark. Several times in the last couple of weeks I've sat in the back yard late at night listening to an Eastern Screech Owl calling with the A-Song. It seems to stay in one spot - a tree in the next yard - without moving. Tonight it was almost an hour that I sat and listened. The owl never moved from the spot, and called every minute or two. It would make sense that a female is calling from the nest. Probably to her mate asking him to hurry up and bring back some dinner. I've never witnessed our Mr. Spock calling from one place for so long. He would usually go from limb to limb calling no more than 2 or 3 times from the same spot. Last Friday night (Sat morning early) about 1am I sat out while one of the owls called from our Cypress and Pine trees, and even landed in the grass about 10 feet in front of me to pick something up. So Spock seems to still frequent our yard, just not roosting during the day. I should also mention that I'm still finding pellets in the yard - roughly 1 inch grey ovals composed of fur, feathers, bones, and other things that the owl doesn't digest. A sure sign that they are still spending some time in our yard.

I suppose my having shared all of this qualifies me as an owl geek. How else would you explain my sitting for hours in the dark listening to them talk, and picking up regurgitated owl pellets to examine. Hey, I'm even considering getting some night vision goggles for after dark watching.

**Disclaimer: I'm assuming that our owl - Mr. Spock - is a "he". It's difficult to tell the female from the male (at least for me). So for now, until I learn otherwise, our owl will be Mr. Spock**

Spring Evening Texas Style

This is one of the things I love about spring in Texas. The thunderstorms and cloud watching in the evenings are superb. Shortly after I took these pictures we enjoyed a brief, ferocious downpour from the back porch.

Lovin' this Weather

This evening we took a long walk with our nephews Seth and Chase.


We have a great park in our neighborhood that has a pond with a dock for fishing, and ducks to watch. It's pretty wooded in places too. I'm betting that's what helps our owl and hawk population flourish like it does. The boys were excited to go through the "forest" while Mavis and I stuck to the path.

The Bluebonnets are out too. Having been a life long Texan they always make me smile.

Mavis was also in attendance. She's in between hair styles and feeling very awkward. No pictures to see this time. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Home

I made a trip to Northwest Oklahoma this weekend with my Mom. A trip back "home". Really it's her home town, but when I go it feels like coming home for me too. The occasion was a sad one, we buried a very special loved one. Still it was good to be there.


We spent a good bit of time at the cemetery, visiting the graves of loved ones gone. Mom will be buried there one day. The trip had me thinking about that day. What I'll need to know and do. I was reminded that I'm getting a little older. A little closer to the time in my life that used to seem an eternity away.

Spring has sprung, I think.

(Japanese something or another in our backyard)

We've had crazy up and down weather. I like having a winter, and we've barely had one. It's been in the 80's for weeks, then we had highs in the 30's and rain all this last week. The plants, trees, and grass are really confused. I'm confused. Would it be too much to ask for just a few straight weeks of winter? I'm getting exhausted with switching out the summer clothes, no wait the winter clothes, no it's the summer clothes again. If it's gonna be spring, then I'm ok with it. Let's stick with it. Alrighty? I'll get over the lack of winter if it means my backyard will green up and Mavis can run around in lush grass and I can hang with her out there.

(Bradford Pear blossoms out front)

The spring also brings mating season for the Eastern Screech Owl. That means that Mr. Spock should find a mate and move into the house we hung for them. Owlets! That's what I want. Okey dokie? Got that?

Now that I'm done being bossy and airing my grievances with the seasons, I'll leave you with today's Mavis pic. I know the internets have been missing her. She's been busy with an obedience class. We're getting all prepped to try for Therapy Dog Certification. Maybe. We'll see.


Oh yeah, and I still have my Christmas Tree up. Could be the lack of winter. I may be in denial, or just crazy. I kind of like having it there.

Read in a Fortune Cookie....

If you continually give, you will continually have.

JUST SO YOU KNOW

So I was shopping today, and as usual I had my reusable shopping tote. At the register I told the cashier "I have a bag here, you can save that one for the next person". In her best self righteous tone she says (practically yells) "JUST SO YOU KNOW, OUR BAGS ARE MADE OF RECYCLED PLASTIC. SEE? IT SAYS SO RIGHT HERE." I politely informed her that I'm sure that they were, but that my choice was to save the bag. And then she says "BUT YOU CAN PUT THESE IN YOUR RECYCLE BIN, IT SAYS SO RIGHT HERE." She seemed really irritated. I really wanted to say "JUST SO YOU KNOW, if given the choice, the best option is to prevent or reduce the amount of waste that is generated in the first place. While recycling is an important component of the overall waste management hierarchy, it is still the least preferred option because you first have to generate the waste in order to recycle it. Reuse falls in the middle in that if an item can be reused, either by the original user or by someone else before it is disposed to the trash or recycled, then the waste of that item is prevented or at least delayed." But then I might have lost her, it was a complicated thought. Or, I could have said "JUST SO YOU KNOW, I found that when I started living in a more environmentally conscious way, it felt good. It made me feel like a better person. Give it a try and see if it works for you." I first heard these words from Roz Savage. It does feel good. Every time I do it. It all adds up, JUST SO YOU KNOW.

Read in a Fortune Cookie....

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Fun in My Backyard

This weekend we invited our nephews Seth and Chase over for a slumber party. We had a blast, and we are looking forward to doing it again. In the morning after breakfast, the boys and I went out to check on Mr. Spock. I offered them the garden hose to help me water the plants on the porch. That was all they needed to entertain themselves pretty much until their mom came to pick them up. Plus the Pine Tree got watered.


I love sharing my backyard with the people I love. It is my favorite place to be.

Spock.....I..Can... See you.

I spent a little time in the backyard at dusk capturing these pictures of Mr. Spock. I'm still trying to learn how to use my new camera, and this was my first successful attempt at low light no flash photos with the zoom.

I have so much to tell you...

But SOMEONE is pitching the biggest hissy fit so I'll have to take care of HER instead of telling you all about my trip to the opera, the fabulous dinner, and our right up close AC/DC rock star sighting. Excuse me while I go and detach a small dog from my big toe now.

We like the new Vet!

Today Mavis went to check out the new Vet. We LOVE this guy! He spent about 45 minutes with us going over every little thing. He even had a book with pictures to explain everything she has going on. It also turns out that her health might not be as bad as we thought. Go figure, the medically obsessed mother of the dog (that's me) had made up her mind that the doglet was already an invalid at 2 years of age. She does have a little bit of a collapsed trachea, but a lot of her problem is likely allergies. Duh. We live 5 minutes from a ginormous airport and 3 major freeways. Who wouldn't have allergies. He personally trimmed her nails, and plucked the hair from her ear canals. Yorkies grow crazy amounts of hair down in their ears. Old men got nothin' on them.

We also talked extensively about her diet. He actually gave me a high five on my choice of dog food. It's all natural, grain free, and mostly raw meat. Dogs are carnivores! We talked about the horrors of commercial dog food. It's mostly filler and grains, and even if you buy the big name brands at he grocery store, you'd be horrified to know where some of these ingredients come from. If it takes you more than a couple of seconds to read the ingredient list, it's probably not healthy for your dog. Unless you are brave and really interested, don't read this article. It will freak you out I promise. The whole website is helpful and full of information, and echos what I read in other places as I did my research, and the Vet agreed. He even feeds his dog raw meat and bones for the most part. We discussed how even the often Veterinary prescribed Hills Prescription Diet is full of filler and additives. Many Vets push Hills foods because they are a big contributor in Vet school text books etc. While I didn't obsessively research cat food like I did dog food, I did run across similar information about it. Cat's are carnivores too. I get sad thinking about Beaux Kitty and Pee Wee, and how I might have helped them live a longer and healthier life had I known then what I know now. They both had kidney failure in the end. Hallmark illness for animals fed a sub-par diet.

My hope is that I will keep Mavis healthy, and prolong her life by feeding her the good stuff. It makes sense. You wouldn't stay healthy eating only Cheetos and Ding Dongs every day now would you? The same goes for your furry friends.

**If you live in the DFW area, Metro Pet will deliver for free, and that's where we get our food**

Mr. Spock and My New Camera

We took advantage of the Circuit City going out of business sale this weekend, and I finally got a camera that would take close up shots of the birds that inhabit my backyard. Here are a few that I took of Mr. Spock, our resident Eastern Screech Owl.







I still have much to learn about shutter speed, etc. I took lots of other shots of Chickadees and Gold Finches that just didn't work. I'll read up and keep trying. You can be sure I'll share when the shots get better.

One more thing.....

My friend Joanne just helped jar me back into reality with her post today. It's not Christmas any more. Our tree is still up, and the stockings still hung. Maybe it's denial, I love Christmas so much. Or maybe it's the hope that Saint Nick is still looking for my house.

The year that could be.

I'm one prone to phases, and I'm wondering, am I a big flake? (don't answer that) Or can we call it spontaneous living? (I like that better) For instance I've put on my life list that I'd like to live in a small historic town, like Stars Hollow. And then other days I decide I'd like to live in the big city within walking distance to everything I need, like Pittsburgh. And there is my proverbial "van down by the river". My constant back up plan. The odds are there I tell you, as I am sure we have a relative somewhere that will let us park our van down by the river when the time comes.

I think the core of who I am doesn't waver, but my favorite things seem to come and go in season. Like, this month I've been on a peanut butter and banana kick. I have it every day for breakfast. A couple months ago it was egg white breakfast tacos on whole wheat tortillas, and then the next month oatmeal from scratch. Every day. I mean, I don't stop liking egg white tacos on whole wheat tortillas, I just become taken with the next one, the oatmeal for instance. I read a magazine article and decided I would eat oatmeal to save my life, and loved it. I'll get back to the tacos eventually. This habit of not having a habit makes for a very cluttered kitchen, pantry, and refrigerator. It also causes me to wander through the grocery store, sometimes going down the same aisle 3 times before I'm done. I do some of my best thinking there. But that is another discussion for another day all together. It makes my husband CRAZY.

Music is another area that I wander in and out of. Jazz, Miles Davis for days. Or I get on a Billie Holiday groove. I once listened to the same Superchick CD for over a month straight every day. I've been craving opera lately. Chris is taking me to see Roberto Devereux next weekend. I have referred to the variety I have bookmarked in Pandora in this post, so I bet you get how far my taste in music varies. And I have to be in the MOOD to listen. Can't mix it all up. I have music phases.

Maybe all of these are symptoms of the clutter disorder I seem to have. I think I thrive on it. I'm constantly zooming through the clutter in my mind, and in my immediate world. So I ask you, might this be the year that I get on one track and stay there? Get organized for once and stay focused? I don't know if I would be me if I did. I'm not sure that life would have the same zest without my clutter.

And here Chris, April and Mavis are on New Years Eve. I began this year surrounded with love, one of the things in my life that does not waver. No phases in the love I have for my family.

Read in a Fortune Cookie....

Be careful! Bees with honey in their mouths have stings in their tails.


*Whaaaa? I thought all bees had stings in their tails?*

Read in a Fortune Cookie....

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

The full moon and a dozen other things that have been on my mind...

The moon was a beautiful full one tonight. And as I read here, the closest to us it has been all year. Had it not been so cold, we would have done some moon and star gazing from the back yard tonight after the nice little dinner date we had. This is the time of year that I miss spending time out in the back yard. If I had a pile of money, I would build a gas fire pit like the one we sat around in San Diego. Nice, that would be real nice. I miss Bernie Mac. I digress.

Speaking of cold, did you hear about the snow in New Orleans this week? Crazy. Have you ever said "when hell freezes over"? You should be careful saying that from now on. I'm not saying the NOLA is hell, I'm just saying that if there is lake effect snow and the lake is Pontchartrain, then hell could be next. I have family in NOLA. They hollered about the snow on Facebook. It sounded like fun.

Speaking of Facebook, I've gone now and done something foolish..got a Facebook page. I barely keep up with this blog, Twitter, and my 2 email addresses. My plan is to manage it all from the iPhone. I will go blind trying to read the tiny screen for extended periods of time, but I'll look cool.

Speaking of the iPhone, I love my iPhone. I have an addiction to the App Store on iTunes. I have 4 pages of Apps on my phone, and 5 of them are weather apps. 4 Twitter Apps, 3 for restaurants and points of interest. I have Ebay, Amazon, and of course the voice activated Google - for when I'm driving down the road and need to Google. I love Google. I've got a novel by E.M. Forster that I'm reading in drive thru lanes. I only have 2 games, but they are my favorites - Ms. Pacman and Crash Bandicoot. There is the virtual Zippo lighter, just in case I'm at a concert and feel so inclined. Ooh, and Shazam. I've never used it but I might need it some day, at a concert. And then there are the Apps I use to listen to radio stations, and Pandora. I love Pandora. I have a Mazzy Star station on Pandora and that's just the best. I also have a KC and the Sunshine Band station, a Family Force 5 station, and a Mozart station. My neighbors at the office hate me. Chris says that Pandora and Satellite Radio are going to kill his career. Why can't they all just get along?

I have achieved electronic clutter. And I'm OK with that.

There were a few other things on my mind, but Mavis has chewed off one of my toes and is starting on a second. Jealous dog. It's probably for the best, the rest was going to be a rant. Nobody likes a rant.

The month that got away.

I let November get away. It just flat went. I have to say that since I've gotten an iPhone, and use it to keep up on Twitter, I've really neglected the blog. It's not that I don't have anything to say, I just am saying it on Twitter more. Shame on lazy, lazy me. I go days without cranking up the laptop too.

I've enjoyed the changing of the season - and everything that goes with it. A couple of weeks ago we spent the weekend up at Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Chris, Mavis and I rented a cabin along with our good friends Johnny and Kellie. Since they moved to Tulsa we don't get to see them nearly enough. It was a good time to unplug and just relax. They are avid game players and taught us a new game - Settlers of Catan. You usually have to drag me kicking and screaming to play games. I have a huge allergy to competition. But I really had fun playing this game. The good company certainly didn't hurt. See Chris and Mavis totally focused on the "rock for wood, no I mean sheep for brick" strategy? Yeah, that didn't work. Johnny beat the crap out of us.

We (I)also spent quite a bit of time eating marshmallows by the fire.

So there you have it, I spent November playing games and eating marshmallows. Or so I wouldn't mind remembering it that way. It's been a tough November. Maybe someday I'll feel like writing about the rest of it. Here's to a better December.

PS.. I did go to see the new James Bond movie this month. I have decided that I want Dame Judi Dench to play me in the movie of our lives, the later years. Also went to see "The secret life of bees". Loved the book, and it was a great movie. From that movie I've decided that Dakota Fanning will play April as a young teen. So really I didn't lolly-gag all of November. I also did some casting for the movie of our lives.