An Anahuac Avian Adios!

Alliteration, don’t you just love it?  I was off to the VIS this morning under cloudy, windy skies.  There were not many people visiting the refuge today, and my sales for the day amounted to exactly zero!  That’s the first time I’ve been skunked here.  At least I didn’t have any interruptions as I entered the data into a spreadsheet for all the bird surveys I’ve done.  :)  That took me about four hours to accomplish.

The territory of this mockingbird surrounds the VIS, so this afternoon I decided to try to get his picture.  His feathers are a little rumpled due to the wind, but he remains vigilant in defending his territory.  Soon, he’ll start singing 101 different songs to attract a mate.

After work, I decided to take one last drive on the roads at this end of the refuge.  I guess I startled this family of blue winged teals. (click to enlarge)

There was also a brown pelican fishing Oyster bayou.  That doesn’t happen that often this far up the bayou.

A crested caracara took flight as I approached.  He is one of nature’s garbage men.  If an animal dies, he and the vultures clean up the remains.  I think he’s a little more stylish looking than the vultures.

 

As I drove the road towards Frozen Point, I stopped to enjoy this snowy egret procuring his evening meal.

Good things come to those who wait!  Mmmm…fresh fish!

 

Adios amigos, and thanks for giving me such a wonderful display for the last three months! 

 

I probably won’t post tomorrow night, as I’ll be getting all those last things done after working at the VIS.  Guess you’ll hear from me again once I get to Louisiana.  That’s a new state for me.  I’m looking forward to trying a shrimp Po-boy.  :)

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy

Wahoo! I finally made it.

The winds changed overnight, and this morning were out of the northwest as I headed out of Corsicana, TX.  That meant a nice tail wind for a good share of my journey.  :)  Once I got close to Houston, however, the gulf wind prevailed and was really blasting me from the side.  One of the things I like about traveling around Houston is that they paint the road with pictures of what lane is for what highway.  I really appreciate that in addition to the road signs.

After about 260 miles, I pulled into the volunteer village at Anahuac NWR.  What a relief that was!  After a month, I had finally made it here.  Of course, I’ve learned to not expect everything to go smoothly, and I wasn’t disappointed.  :(  After corresponding with Stephanie, the volunteer coordinator, I knew that I had a choice of two sites, and because I’ve been here three times before, I knew which site I wanted.  Well, there was a refuge vehicle with a fire crew trailer attached to it in the site I planned to move into.  Okay, so I checked out the other site (on foot).  First of all, it had a picnic table that I couldn’t hope to move in the middle of it, and secondly, there was a tree that leaned over the rear of the site which meant I couldn’t fit into it.   Ack!!

I knew everyone was on a field trip today, so no one would be around.  I unhooked the toad, and Emma and I sat out at the picnic table in the 90* heat to wait for everyone to return.  In about an hour, Stephanie and all the volunteers returned.  Since I was parked smack dab in the middle of the entrance road, it was immediately obvious that there was a problem.  After another hour or so, a key for the truck was tracked down, and it was moved out of the site so I could move in. 

A couple of the male volunteers helped me get set up, which I really appreciated since I was feeling pretty wilted at the time.  :)  Once the basics were done, I turned on the AC and sat inside for a while until I stopped sweating.  Then I tackled the DISH set up.  I dragged all the equipment out of the trunk of the car, made some adjustments, and using a compass made my first guess of where to point it.  For the first time in over four years, I was right on the satellites without having to do any searching!   I always make a bet with myself about how long it will take me to find both satellites, but today, all bets were off.  I did a little happy dance and went back into the AC.

I’ve been in the high desert for quite a few months, so it will take a little time to adjust to the heat and humidity of the coast!  I was also reminded I was in a marshy area this evening when I took Emma out.  I had three mosquito bites in no time at all.   Ah, I’m just happy to finally be here.  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy 

Grounded again

After those storms and tornadoes moved through in the early evening yesterday, things calmed down, and remained warm overnight.  However, by this morning, the winds had picked up again, and there was a high wind warning that doesn’t expire until 7:00 this evening.

I had a couple of pics left of last night’s storm that I didn’t include yesterday, so I’ll post them tonight.  In this pic, I see a face on the right side looking at the swirling clouds in the middle.  :)   Can you see the wrinkled brow, eye, nose, and lips?  I enjoy cloud gazing.

 

With a forecast of at least 35 mph winds that would blast the side of the rig as I drove I-45, I decided to sit tight and wait another day to make the final push to Houston.  Once again, I’m happy I followed my gut because the wind has been awful all day.  By 11:00, several rigs were pulling off the highway and checking into the park. 

I just watched the video of the tornado that occurred just a little ways from here on the NBC Evening News.  It went straight across I-45 where I had driven just a few hours earlier!  It made the National news.  Oh boy, I’m glad it missed the park I’m in.

 

I thought about doing a couple of loads of laundry today while I was stuck here, but decided against it.  I’ll have free laundry once I reach Anahuac, so that seemed like a good reason to procrastinate.  :)   I hope to be talking to you from the refuge tomorrow night.  Considering I left Oregon on September 26, it will be about time!

 

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Emma does Dallas :)

I perceived a small window of opportunity this morning, and got on the road before 8:00!  I’m so glad I did.  As the morning progressed, the miles rolled by and I found myself, and Emma, tackling Dallas shortly after noon.  Thank goodness it was a Sunday, and traffic was lighter than a weekday.  Without a navigator that can help read signs, it was a challenge today to keep moving to the correct lanes as I wove around from I-35 to I-35E to I-30E to I-45 to Houston!

I tried putting my destination address into the GPS, but it would have taken me on an awful lot of side roads, and added 20 miles to my journey, so I didn’t use it.  There were a couple of times when the directional signs were hidden behind overpasses!  Yikes!  There were also several car drivers that wouldn’t pass me, but wouldn’t let me change lanes either.  I hate it when that happens. 
Once I got through Dallas, I hit my easy button.  It helps dissipate my tension and makes me smile to hear someone say “That was easy!”  Of course, I talk back to it and say “That’s what you think!”  :)  Sometimes, I use even stronger language to disagree.  :)

Once outside of Dallas, the dreaded winds picked up, and the last 30 miles of my 287 mile journey was pretty white knuckle.  I would have stopped sooner, but there aren’t many campgrounds along this stretch of I-45.  I ended up at American RV Park in Corsicana, TX.  The reviews weren’t great on this campground, but I didn’t have much choice.  Actually, after stopping here and talking with the owner, I’d stop here again.  Best part of our chat was that after giving him some input about Escapees and workamping, he gave me a discount on my fee for the night.  :)  I was really happy to be off of the road, and get the AC going.  It was close to 90* inside the rig after I set up.

We are now surrounded by tornado warnings, and a tornado has touched down not too many miles from here.  The thunder is rumbling, and Emma is hiding under the table next to my feet.  :(  I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears tuned to the sky tonight!

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Still waiting to move on

When I took Emma out first thing this morning, I noticed that there was no rain, but, oh my gosh, the wind was a howling!  I really wanted to be on my way to get out of Oklahoma into Texas, so I prepped everything inside.  I turned on the TV to the local news station, and most of the news was all about the weather!  Lots of warnings and watches, so I checked my online weather source, and the radar for where I was going to travel was not good.  Once again, I debated with myself, but finally made the decision to stay put for another night.  :(

 

When I went to the office this afternoon to pay up for one more night, the gal at the desk told me that she had a call from a camper that was coming in from Texas.  They had called to say they didn’t know when they’d get here because they were just getting hammered with high winds and severe storms.  Whew!  I guess I made the right decision.  In the afternoon, the winds were so bad that I pulled in the slides because I was worried about the slide topper awnings.  We had some rain, but mostly winds.

Things calmed down a bit in the late afternoon, and I was able to put the slides back out.

After dinner, Emma and I were able to take a good walk about, and I looked for some photo opportunities.

Here’s some more old John Deere equipment.  It was a bit of a struggle to find anything interesting after three days.  :)

 

The forecast calls for sunny skies tomorrow, but increasingly high winds by afternoon.  So, my latest plan is to get out of here early tomorrow morning.  I’m even going to set my alarm!  Egad!  What a sorry state things have resulted in.  :)  I leave you with tonight’s hopeful sunset…

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Yellow fever?

Even though the sun was shining when I got up today, I decided to spend the day at the rig.  That was a good decision, as it turned out, because my intestinal fortitude wasn’t up to snuff.  :(  (I know, TMI!)  So, I spent most of my time today on the computer. 

One of the things I did was download the Guest Ticket Booklet for my upcoming repositioning cruise from Barcelona, Spain, to Galveston, Texas.  That little booklet was 26 pages long!  I haven’t read all of it yet, but as it was printing, I noticed something about immunizations.  They suggested possibly getting a yellow fever shot.  I know I’ve never had one of those.  I remember having a small pox vaccination before I went to college that was very unpleasant, but yellow fever?  I’ve never been on a cruise before or gone to Europe.  Does anyone know if this is a real danger?  I asked the person setting everything up for the cruise, but her only comment was to check with my physician.  My doctor is in Minnesota, I’m stuck in Boise, and will be heading for Texas soon, I hope.  What a dilemma. 
Get a load of the problems with this rig that has been here for about a week.  It left today, but with the front looking the same.  Kind of makes me glad I’m just waiting for levelers!  I don’t know what it is they fixed, but it sure wasn’t cosmetic surgery.  :)

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time lately mulling over my future plans.  Everything’s taken care of for this winter, but what about next summer?  I’ve been volunteering pretty solidly since I hit the road in 2006, but this summer outside of Yellowstone made me appreciate the fact that I am retired!  I’ve also felt a tug inside to become better acquainted with my five grandchildren.  They’re all under the age of five, but growing up, I remember how important my grandmothers were to me.  They were both gone by the time I was 12, but I still cherish their memory.  So, I’ve just about decided to purchase a site at the Woodhaven Lakes RV Resort in Sublette, Il.  That would put me fairly close to all of them during the summers, and within two hours of my sister and brothers.  I’ve been offered a pretty sweet deal on a site thanks to my daughter Robyn’s in-laws.  So I spent this afternoon surfing the web about what there is to see and do in Northwest Illinois.  I’m thinking this could be a good plan for me, and if it doesn’t work out, I can always sell the site and move on.  :)
I’m not sure this plant or bug will be around tomorrow, as the forecast is for a frost tonight.  I just hope I get out of here before that white stuff starts falling down out of the skies!  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Leaving already??

Some folks have commented that it seems like I just got to Malheur NWR.  In a way that’s true.  When I leave here next Friday, I’ll only have spent four weeks here.  I usually spend three months at a time at one our refuges.  Turns out that this time I was just filling in for someone who had to leave early, so it was only a one month assignment.  I don’t feel like I’ve had a chance to truly see everything I wanted in the area, but considering I’m stuck inside the Visitor’s Center for all my work days, I’m ready to move on.  I don’t mind working the Visitor’s Center, I just don’t care to do it every day.  This is a great refuge, but it didn’t turn out to be the assignment that I thought it was going to be, and if I’m fair about it, it’s probably because I was filling in for someone.

Others have asked where I’m going next.  Well, I’ll be making my way to Anahuac NWR which is near Houston, TX.  I can’t believe I’m volunteering there for the fourth time; my usual limit is two times (because there are so many places to see in this country).  However, Anahuac has been gracious enough to allow me to store my rig there while I go on my almost three week cruise in November that culminates in Galveston.  I also really like what I get to do there, and Stephanie, the volunteer coordinator, is super to work for. 

The big question is how will I get to Texas from Oregon.  I’m a very planful person, and this question is weighing heavy on my mind.  The problem is getting the leveling jacks repaired.  I’m awaiting an email from the manufacturer to find out the nearest repair facility.  That will determine my direction of travel.  With only six days to go before departure, I usually have my route pretty well mapped out.  Not so, this time.  I have about a month to get to Anahuac, so I’m really not stressing out about it, yet.  :) 
As Joanne, another volunteer, and I headed out early this morning for the farmer’s market in Burn, I noticed a golden eagle on a fence post as I was zipping down the highway.  I planted my foot firmly on the brake pedal and did a U-turn to go back and see if I could get a picture.  Of course, just as I slowly approached the fence post, it decided to not pose for me.  There was also a raven on a neighboring post, and they both headed for the hills together!  Kind of an odd couple, as the raven was not trying to harass the eagle.  Dang!  I sure would have enjoyed getting a good close up of the eagle.  :(

I scored big time at the farmer’s market, and carried back about twenty pounds of fresh produce to the car for myself and Sue.  Sue is another volunteer, but she always has to work on Saturdays, so I shop (and haggle) for the both of us.  :)  She is a vegetarian, and is always excited to see what goodies I’ve been able to find for her and her husband.  You sure can’t beat the fresh veggies I’ve been able to get every Saturday!  This week’s haul included tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, squash, pears, plums, apples, carrots, cabbage, and broccoli florets.  Mmm!
Late this afternoon, Emma and I hopped in the car and took a drive down the Northern half of the auto tour route to see what we could see.  There was one lone Western meadowlark still singing his heart out.  :)
Two feet away was a song sparrow enjoying the concert.  :)
As we turned down a side spur, I spotted two families of sandhill cranes feeding in one of the fields.  Each pair had one juvenile with them. (the juveniles don’t have the red on their foreheads yet)
They all suddenly looked to the right, and the second bird from the left began to call out.
I thought they were just communicating with another bunch of cranes further down the field.
But what I didn’t discover until I got home and was editing the pictures, is that there was a coyote watching them looking for his supper!  The young of the year are able to fly now, so it was probably wishful thinking on the part of the coyote.  It’s survival of the fittest out in the wild, so you just never know…

Speaking of coyotes, Emma is now pacing the rig with her hair up as we are being serenaded by some very close coyotes.  They have been leaving “calling cards” around the rig for Emma in the middle of the night.  Isn’t it nice to have friends come calling??  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Another lesson learned

Sunday is laundry day for me.  I got that accomplished in the morning.  Skies were overcast all day once again, but at least there wasn't any rain.  I had a couple of interesting comments on my post yesterday.  It looks like I'll be meeting several people when I stay at Red Rock RV Park in Idaho when I'm there in June.  One of the comments was from RV Guy who is the webmaster for the campground.  After reading his comment, I spent a good share of the afternoon reading his nature blog about Red Rock.  Almost makes me want to extend my one month stay there.  :)  I could do that.  I guess I'll just see what happens.

In the afternoon, Emma and I headed out to see what wildflowers I could get pictures of.

This Antelope Horn may not look like much from afar, but...

...close up I just love the mathematical symmetry of the blossoms.  After columbines, this is about my favorite wildflower.

This bloom reminds me of morning glories.  I guess I should get a wildflower guide to go along with my bird and butterfly guides.  :)

After our walk, I sat outside with Emma and witnessed a real hummingbird war!  A dozen of these little might mites were buzzing all around the feeder.

The black-chinned hummingbirds have had pretty much unlimited use of the feeder, until a couple of ruby-throated hummers decided to visit this evening.  Then the skirmish erupted!  This male black-chinned posted himself just behind the feeder to keep watch for intruders.

It wasn't long before a male ruby-throated tried to come in for a sip.  That's when the acrobatics began!  It was a melee of tiny dive bombers chasing each other like a World War II  airplane fighter dogfight!

What a colossal display it was!  I took so many pictures that I filled my 1 GB memory stick on the camera!  (that's 333 pictures)

So, what was the lesson learned?  Out of 333 pictures taken today, only those that I've posted weren't deleted, and a couple of those are below my normal standards.    Heavily overcast skies means there is not enough light for me to get good pictures; especially with the fast moving hummingbirds.  Dang!  They looked perfect through the view finder.  :(  Oh well, I'll give it another try if the sun ever shines again.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Busy, busy, busy....

What a day this has been!  I'm not sure I can remember everything that happened today, but I'll try.  :)  It started with spending a couple of hours working with a group of home-school kids; teaching them about binoculars,birds, and a birdwatching hike.  The challenge with home-school groups is that they are all ages, so the presentation has to be interesting from the youngest to the oldest.  Keeps you on your toes!

Then it was back to the rig to take Emma out, eat lunch, and head for the Russel tract to show Karen, the local volunteer who is a professional photographer, and Mark, the hummingbird expert from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the hummingbird nest.  As we approached the nest, the skies opened up and the rain began once again.  We didn't stay long since they didn't want their cameras to get too wet, and we wanted the female to return to incubate the eggs.

When I got back to the rig, I had an email from John Tharp, one of the people on yesterday's bird tour.  He had taken my advice to hike the trail at Warbler Vista to view the golden-cheeked warbler after the tour...

and sent me this great photo that he was able to take of a beautiful male.  You can see how they got their name!  (double click on any photo to enlarge)

Next thing you know, I got a phone call from Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.  If you remember, I was told last week that there were no openings there for any more volunteers this coming summer.  Well, it turns out they had a cancellation, and were wondering if I was still available for the month of September.  You betcha!  So, I guess I will be going to Oregon after all.  :)  I'm pumped about that.

A little while later, after answering several inquires about the bird tours through emails, John and Lynne came over.  John had purchased the needed clamp for the radiator hose, and wanted to get it fixed while there was a break in the rain.  As he crawled under the motorhome,  Lynne and I visited outside rehashing this year's experiences at Balcones.  While we were talking, I glanced skyward and was surprised....

This is what I saw right above my site!

Hundreds of migrating white pelicans!  They don't make any noise like geese, so you don't know they're coming.

They just kept coming and coming!  I estimated that there were 850 birds in all.  What a great sight.

John was able to get the hose fixed.  I started up the engine and ran it for about twenty minutes, and guess what?  No more leak!  What a relief that is.  I am in your debt, John....thank you!

Just as he finished, some light rain returned, so I headed inside.  I got a Skype call from my son, Andy, in Minnesota, and for the first time (on Skype) was able to see and talk to my two grandsons.  What a way to top off a fantastic day.  My daughter, Robyn, was up in Minnesota for her Army Reserves weekend, and installed it on Andy's computer.  The boys are old enough now to remember and recognize me.  Guess what their first question was....have you got any marshmallows?  I'll be sure to have plenty when I visit next month!

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Gag me with a spoon!

Remember that phrase from back in the day?  Well, I didn't need a spoon this morning.  :(  I bought some new toothpaste last week and started using it this morning.  OMG!  It caused me to literally wretch during what is usually a refreshing moment.  It's by Crest and is their PRO-HEALTH, whitening paste for sensitive teeth.  It upset my stomach until the afternoon.  Yuck!  I read the tube and one part says "if more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away."  I usually don't swallow my toothpaste, and I don't think I swallowed any this morning, but Holy Cow, what a reaction I had.  Why would a product like this be on the market???  So, I made a special trip to Lago Vista this afternoon to get a new tube of toothpaste.  I dumped the whole tube I used this morning.

I switched out refuge vehicles this morning in preparation for the first bird tour tomorrow morning.  Looks like I'm going to have to set my alarm for six, so I can get everything done and eat a nourishing breakfast before heading out.  :-0  I sure hope we find what we'll be looking for!  Some of the folks signed up are from as far away as Virginia.  Wish me luck.......

Can't end tonight without a couple of shots of the female black chinned hummer.

These mighty mites really fascinate me.  They move so fast that it's a real challenge to photograph them.  Notice how this little gal is getting her tongue ready to sip the nectar in my feeder.  She hardly gets a chance to eat with all the males pursuing her.  Their U-shaped pendulum displays this evening were at least forty feet from end to end.  I could almost feel  the wind from their wings as they swooped up and down within inches of my nose!  So cool......

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Welcome to spring....oh, boy

Ah, the vernal equinox!  It must have happened somewhere other than the hill country of Texas.  I awoke to rain coming down in buckets, accompanied by thunder and lightning.  I suppose thunderstorms are a sign of spring, but once the front passed the temperatures took a nose dive.  I just turned on the furnace to supplement my two electric heaters!  Dang, I shouldn't have to do that this late in the month.  A freeze is forecast for tonight, so I'll have to try to remember to leave the water faucet dripping so the hose doesn't freeze overnight.

Because of the rain, I tried to put Emma's first outs off as long as possible.  It worked for a while, but when she began pacing, I knew the time had come.  Boy, did we get soaked!  She finished her business pretty quickly and fairly pulled me back to the rig.  She's a dainty girl, and doesn't like to get her hairdo wet.  :)  I must say, that she is very good at waiting at the top of the stairs while I wipe her dry.

When the temperature began it's plummet, the winds picked up as well.  We're having forty-five mph gusts.  I mentally thank Dub, once again, for placing this site where it is.  The rig is pretty well protected from the winds from the north by the stand of Ashe junipers next to us.  I saw Peggy today, and she said the winds at the Flying X are even worse.  I'm glad I haven't moved up there yet.  :)

So, today was a relaxing inside day.  I spent most of it on the computer.  I did fix a nice dinner of rib eye steak, though.  It was half of the steak that I bought at that little butcher shop in Liberty Hill a couple of weeks ago.  They do have good meat.

That's about it for today's excitement.  Hopefully, the clouds will dissipate and the sun will return tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Woohoo! I can't believe I did it...

Remember a few days ago when I said I was day dreaming about taking a cruise?  Well, this morning when I got up, it was pouring rain outside which eliminated my plans to do a bird survey.  So, instead I gave the Peterson Travel Services a call about the Escapees Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise HOP.  After talking for quite a while with Dorothy Peterson, I bit the bullet and made reservations!  I really can't believe I did that.  ;)

Traveling solo, as I do, I had to pay almost the same price for the cruise as two people traveling together.  That kind of bites, but maybe I can find a traveling companion.  My cabin on the ship will have two twin beds and I chose to get a birth with a balcony (on the outside of the ship).  They were the most expensive, but I decided if I was going to do this, I was going all the way!  Actually, it's a good thing I called today as there were very few cabins left. 

What an exciting year this is going to be!  Yellowstone, Oregon, and a cruise!  Now I've got seven months to figure out the logistics of how I"ll do this.  I don't know anything about cruises....like what to bring along, how many suitcases and what kind of clothes should I pack, what to do with Emma for three weeks,  where to store the RV, etc., etc., etc....  I have some ideas, but I'm open to any suggestions anyone has.

The travel service also made the airline flight out of Houston for me.  I'll leave on November 3rd for Barcelona.  That's a few days before we embark, so I've expressed my interest in a three day pre-cruise tour of Barcelona.  I've not only never been on a cruise, but I've never been to Europe.  Again, any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

I guess by the end of the year, I'll be able to call myself a world traveler.  :)  Wow! 

I can't say that anything else that went on today is as exciting as this decision for me.  So, Pam, Kurt, Wynetta, Dan, Jack, Andy, Robyn, Dianna; any of you up to joining me?

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

The Furbuster

One of the unwelcome side effects of traveling with a canine companion in an RV is the abundance of hair that seems to accumulate everywhere.  It seems to me that most dogs should really be bald if you considered the amount of hair that they shed.  But alas, they are not bald and the hair continues to be a never ending challenge.  Last summer, while I was volunteering at Swan Lake NWR, I noticed that Pam Wood, a fellow volunteer, was grooming her dog with something that didn't look like an ordinary brush.  She told me that she swears by the Furminator dog grooming brush.  I needed to look into that.

What I found at a local Pet Smart store was the Furbuster.

It's about half the price of the Furminator and does the same job.  It has really been a help to me in keeping a lid on Emma's shedding.  If I use a regular dog brush, I don't get much hair, but with the Furbuster, it really catches hairs that would otherwise fall inside the rig.  So, if you travel with a dog, I'd recommend this product.

As was predicted, the skies were blue today and all the snow melted away.  I headed out first thing this morning to take all the education boxes up to the Flying X for tomorrow's training.  Peggy and Paul were ready when I arrived, and we spent the entire morning setting things up.  There will be about 32 people coming for the training tomorrow, and we're ready for them!  I will set up my station on bird banding outside in the morning. 

I had packed the extra propane tank into the van this morning, so after everything was set up, I headed for the small town of Liberty Hill to get the tank filled.  I am so happy that I have the extent-a-stay option for propane since the temps have been so unusually low.  After almost four years of really conserving on heat, I am basking in 70* temps inside since I got the e-a-s setup. 

Of course, since I was going to Liberty Hill I had to stop at the local market.  It's a small grocery store, but it has an excellent butcher shop.  I like this place because they have excellent meats, and I can choose exactly what pork chop or steak I want, and can buy only one of each.  It's hard to find a grocery store where you can purchase only one of a certain meat item.  They are also known for their excellent rib eye steaks, so I splurged!  That steak will give me two delicious meals.

I'll close with tonight's sunset....

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy