December 27,2011   9pm cst    52 degree

Black neck stilt

Mexicans just do things a little differently...... especially cemeteries.

 There are several sites here with these iron cages all around them.  I don't know if it is to keep vandals out or the departed in.   I am leaning toward keeping the departed in after seeing this message apparently from one who was not happy with his living relatives.

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 . Some relatives, however have left messages back saying they will not forget.  Note the broom leaning against the tree.

I have no explanation for this  bench, but in my imagination it is the grave of a cheating wife who died at the hands of an angry husband.

 We have been seeing a few more birds when we actually have sunshine.  Today it was in the 80s, but most of last week was overcast, rainy and low 50s.  I love that these ducks are called whistling ducks.

  You can see that he is concentrating on trying to pucker up that beak for a whistle.

Neil thinks there is someone very sick in the house just next to this tree that has 50 or 60 vultures sitting and waiting 

 Can you guess the name of the book I am reading?   This picture below  is a a clue.  

Yes, you got it!  Howards End

Tuesday Dec 20, 2011   10 pm cst   61 degrees

Mississippi Kite

Last night we went to the 100th anniversary of the San Benito Christmas parade which started at 6 pm.

  It had been postponed twice because of rain but Monday was beautiful and warm.  We both  have had the flu, me first then Neil so we had been  shut in for over a week and it rained  all of that time.  We were so ready to do something  fun.

Lots of High School bands from surrounding areas and the kids got into the Christmas spirit.  There is  a saxophone in there someplace

This was sponsored by HEB Supermarket.  I thought he was cute..

But these junior high drummers just took my heart.  It appeared to me that those who did not have a drum used trash cans which gave it a sort of  Blue-Man-Group-sound. 

But................but.......just look on the far right    the  boy carrying a desk-type wastebasket right side up.  I could only surmise that he misunderstood when the leader said they could use trash cans.  My heart broke for this little guy.  He looked very uncomfortable

Road Hump?  I like the term Speed Bump better

I don't know, but palm trees don't lend themselves to Christmas decorations very well, do they?

Who's brilliant idea was this?  Well, at least it is in English.

December 8 2011   10:pm cst    55 degrees

Spotted Sandpiper

Finally we are seeing a few birds.  Maybe I should say a few kinds of birds.  If you have ever wondered where the starlings go in the winter, I can testify that they are all here in the lower Rio Grand Valley.

Hundreds and hundreds in a single flock.  I don't know how the crop can grow

Which of these is the lemon?

It was a bad year for the citrus  (no rain), and the Mar oranges that I love because they are low acid grew no larger than a baseball.  Although the fruit is ripe on the inside, they range from dark green to yellow-green.  They do taste good, but it takes a lot of oranges to make juice in the morning.  The lemon is on the left, the middle is a Mar orange, and the right is a grapefruit.  The variety of lemon is called ponderosa lemon and is a cross between a citron and a lemon.  The grower tells me that there is enough juice for two lemon pies.  I'll never know.

The town of San Benito has few inhabitants whose first language is English, (and most of them have only 

one language) so it is my own fault that when I walked into the salon and asked for a haircut, I discovered too late that the dolled-up stylist probably only understood every other word and I understood less of what she said..  Result: I probably won't need another haircut  this winter.... well, certainly not this year.  I could have tried another shop like this one

With a Texas name like big hair, I think she would have left some of it on my head. 

I could have tried this one too, but .I think this one woud have shaved me bald and told me I had the illusion of hair.

I'm pretty sure  Joe isn't happy about running for constable.

Stinking dog thinks that is funny.  Pull my paw!

December 2, 2011 Rio Hondo, Texas 7:30 pm cst  74 degrees with a light breeze

 

The boy who likes snakes has  plenty of snake here.  Matt's friend's boa constrictor is  about 12 or 13 feet long and weighs about 60 to 80 pounds.  Neil wanted Max to see this picture so Cinny or Betsy,.if you think it is appropriate..

 I want to point out that I did not take this pic as I didn't get  in the same building with that snake.

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I am happier with Matt's dogs who are:  Fippy on the left,  Hack in the back, Oso, the big head in foreground, and the grand old lady, Sadie,on the right.

 Oso can jump the half door in the kitchen without even half trying.  He is a big doggie and a real sweetie. If I could, I would have brought him home with me.

On our last night in Fort Worth, Matt and Lori took us out to Papadeaux's  for supper. That gumbo  looks good and my Lobster stew was great.  We also had some kind of smoked oyster fondue that was three times better than it sounds .  

After dinner, we helped decorate the tree but my stomach was full and we were having a good time and I completely forgot to take a picture.  You'll have to take my word for it, it was pretty

We were really in no hurry to leave Fort Worth , but Howie, who does not play well with others, was reading the map and getting in the car so he would not have to share our attention with other dogs.  He's so spoiled.  

This is a view of the city from the street next to Matt's and Lori's...really nice quiet neighborhood but within view of downtown.

This picture was taken as we approached  Raymondville, the first big town after the King ranch area. We saw all these palms that have recently been trimmed.  Neil said, "Barbie! I think we made a bad turn.  This looks like an Indian burial ground."

All settled in  for a long winter of sunshine.

Did I mention that I love this dog?