Stimulating the economy

Well, after contributing close to $200 to help the economy ;) , Emma and I returned from the vet. She got her nails trimmed, got shots for rabies and distemper, got seven months of heartworm medicine, and got two kinds of medicine for the yeast infection in her ear. So, we're set for another year. Oddly, it appears that I have internet capabilities this evening.

Saturday, we had a cookout up at the Flying X with the other volunteers. The food and the company were good. I got some ideas where to stay in Arkansas in May on my way to Missouri. One of the couples is from Arkansas and the other suggested a Corps of Engineers Park to stay at while I visit Hot Springs Nat'l Park.

Yesterday and the rest of today was spent doing household chores. Not very exciting, but necessary. I had planned to call some volunteer coordinators today to try and firm up what I'll be doing next fall and winter, but I couldn't get any reception. I may have to drive into town to do my phone calls.

The forecast for this coming week includes 2-3 inches of rain. That will be most welcome in this area. Rainfall right now is at a 25" deficit. Rain would certainly green the area up and decrease the very high fire danger.

Not much else is new.

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

Off to the vet

It's about time to load up and head off to the vet. I haven't been able to get internet reception for the last few days, so there haven't been any entries. I'll try again later today. Wish me luck. ;)

Reading my list and checking it twice

The plan was to leave this morning at 10:00 and head to Cedar Park for a day of errands and shopping. Diana and John drove this time and we headed out on schedule. First stop was the vet in Lago Vista to make an appointment for Emma to get her rabies shot, get her nails trimmed, and have her left ear checked out. The appointment is set for Monday morning.

Then it was on to visit several Goodwill Shops to see what they had to offer. Diana was looking for picture frames, John was looking for some shorts, and I was just wandering around with nothing in mind. We stopped at three different places, and we were all successful in our quests. I ended up buying a dictionary, a book, and a wok. There have been a number of times since I've been on the road that I wished I had a dictionary. Spell check is fine, but sometimes you need something more. I had been wanting to fry some rice noodles, and a wok for $1.99 was affordable. I may try it out later this evening after cleaning it up a bit.

Then it was on to Walmart after stopping for lunch at J&J BBQ. I ordered a baked potato and it had to be the biggest potato I've ever seen. I just couldn't finish it all. I wanted to stop at Walmart to get two new tomato plants and some planters. Then it was on to HEB for groceries. We're having a pot luck up at the Flying X tomorrow and I will provide the salad. So, I accomplished everything on my list for the day, and checked everything off. It was six hours before we got home and the dogs were all anxious to get out of the rigs.

After transplanting the tomato plants, I headed inside to feed Emma, and I'll spend the evening watching TV.

My brother reported that he saw his first robin of the season up in Rolling Meadows, IL. Time continues to march on and spring is on it's way. Don't forget to "spring ahead" with your clocks tomorrow night....

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

How to clog your arteries...

A little after nine, Diana and I headed out to take the refuge van to Liberty Hill, TX, for an oil change. Volunteers here have to take their vehicles into town for the oil changes. At other refuges that I've been at, the maintenance staff takes care of these routine services. There is only one maintenance staff here, so we handle those chores for our assigned vehicles.

On the way to Liberty Hill, we stopped at the Shin Oak Observation Deck. This is in the area where the endangered Black-capped Vireo nests. They have not arrived from Mexico yet, but I wanted to see the type of habitat that they favor. It is vastly different from the Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat. The vireos favor brushy dense oak areas where they build their nests at eye level or lower. The Golden-cheeks, on the other hand, prefer old, tall Ash-juniper forests in the canyons.

We were able to get right in for the oil change and afterwards decided to look for a place for lunch. Hobo's restaurant had been recommended, so we stopped there. We both ordered the lunch special which was chicken-fried steak. I had the sides of French fries and fried okra. For those of you in the North, the chicken-fried steak is a lightly breaded cube steak that is smothered in white gravy. The okra is breaded and deep fried, and you know what French fries are. This was served with buttered toast...so this lunch was a once in a while indulgence with artery clogging goodness!

We tried a different route home, and kind of got lost in the hills. We came upon a man on a horse, and as Diana pulled the van over, I told him we were lost. He was very helpful in directing us to a road we recognized, but proceeded to give us his life history. I would guess he was about forty years old, and had recently told the CEO of the company he worked for in Dallas, to take his job and shove it. It was an interesting encounter.

I enjoyed the scenery while wandering around the countryside. The hills are similar to upstate New York, but the cactus and lack of hardwood forests make it much different. It has its own beauty. It's obvious that water really plays an important role in this area.

After we returned home, I started investigating Fredricksberg and decided I'd do best to drive the motorhome there for a few days to fully enjoy the area. More on that later.

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

Internet woes

Once again, I'm having issues with my internet connection. This is a challenging location!

During my bird survey at Warbler Vista, I heard the first Golden-cheeked Warbler of the season. That was definitely the highlight of the day. The rest of the hike was uneventful, and the hike around Post Oak Creek Trail was also less than exciting.

I spent the afternoon working on ideas for an education program on invertebrates of caves. How's that for excitement?

After returning home, I enjoyed sitting outside in the eighty degree temperatures and working on one of my hiking sticks. Not much else to report for today.

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

Deer, BS, Loose dog, & Bird Antics

I was rudely awakened at 6:30 this morning by Emma's barking outburst. When I looked out the window at the head of my bed, I knew the cause of her excitement. There was a deer almost close enough to touch. Emma had seen her out the front windows.

So, I got up and readied myself for another bird survey. I did the three and a half miles of trails at Doeskin Ranch and saw a greater variety of birds than I did last week. It was pretty windy, but it was warm enough to remove my sweatshirt by the last two trails. I do enjoy these morning surveys and look forward to discovering the new species each week as the migration season begins.

When I got back to the rig for lunch, I first took Emma out for a walk and then hooked her up to her outside cable. As I was putting together the final touches on my lunch, I noticed that Emma was walking around right outside the door. The cable shouldn't have allowed her to walk that far. Sure enough, she had slipped away from the cable some how. I casually stepped outside and called her over. She took one look at me and headed the other direction. She went over to Diana and John's rig with me in fast pursuit. The only reason I got her back on the leash is that Buffy went berserk and Emma went up their steps. She is a frustration to me at times.

After that little interruption, I sat down to lunch with Emma inside. She was very interested in something right outside the front windows. When I took a look out the front window, I saw two birds literally attacking my car. On one side was a mockingbird and on the other side was a cardinal. Both were very active trying to peck their reflections in the windows and the outside rear view mirrors. The result of all this activity was an abundance of bird poop on the windows and mirrors. Breeding season can't be far away with this demonstration. Maybe I need to cover the whole car before they knock themselves out!

This afternoon I attended a meeting with Rob and all the volunteers. I have worked with some random thinking type people before, but Rob really takes the cake. This meeting went on for over two hours and should have only taken about twenty minutes. Oh well, tomorrow it's on to Warbler Vista for another survey. I'm hoping to find the first golden-cheeked warblers of the season.

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

A busy day

Yesterday, Diana, John, and I headed for Marble Falls. I wanted to check out another Walmart to find some rugs, and Diana and John wanted to get some indoor/outdoor carpet to put down outside their rig. We stopped at a sit down (not buffet) Chinese restaurant for lunch that was pretty tasty.



While we were in Home Depot, I decided to try a green outdoor carpet that I could use inside for the dashboard. It doesn't look like grass, and will go with the green carpeting in the motorhome. I bought a piece that was 6' X 8' that I can cut in half and have an extra one for less than what it would cost for the two area rugs I had planned to buy at Walmart.



After chilly overnight temperatures, I turned up the furnace when I got up. After breakfast it was a busy and productive day. Emma and I went for a long hike and then I started on the chores for the day. I cut the green outdoor carpet in half, and with Diana's help, we fashioned a covering for the dashboard that conforms to its shape and will be easy to care for. It looks much better than what I had before, and Emma seems to approve.



Then I went outside and washed the front of the motorhome and the car. I wanted the front windows clean before I put up the sun screens.

John brought over his longer ladder and I was able to put them up without any trouble. They snap on the outside, and I can't quite reach the top to snap them on with my ladder. These black outer shades keep the inside cooler. I can also see out from the inside, but you can't look in from the outside. I didn't want to try to put these up when I was the only one on the hill. I have to balance a footstool on top of my ladder to reach the top, and were I to take a tumble, no one would know if I took a header.

I also did the laundry and worked on several walking sticks. All in all, a productive day.



Emma has a few words to say today:

"Boy oh boy, this is the best place we've been at so far! I get to spend almost all day outside and if I bark occasionally, it doesn't bother anyone. I'm not sure I like those coyotes howling....it makes my hair stand on end. My human and I take long walks everyday and I've found lots of sticks to chew on. We were the only ones here for quite some time, but now my friend John is here and he really likes the way I jump and flip around. Now if I could only figure out how to get Buffy and Lilly to play with me. I can't figure out why they don't like me....."



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