Weather...

Sorry I've been absent...I've been a bit under the weather and hibernating so I don't contaminate anyone else...I did sneak into town today for some meds and captured these photos with my mobile phone on the way home...

 

 

Cold North air combining with Warm Gulf air near Victoria Texas today...It was a bit scary but pretty awesome at the same time!!

 

 

 

This is the front moving towards Victoria and the coast...I sat and watched it and had two different people stop and ask if I was okay. I thought that was so sweet. Love being a country girl and know there are other country folk who are concerned when they see me sitting on the side of the road in the middle of no where...

 

Michael is on Christmas break and I'm feeling a bit better so hopefully I'll have more photos to share soon...

 

 

 

Typical Texas...

 

 

It was 66 this afternoon and I had shorts on...

 

This morning I had my snow pants on and the heater running and this afternoon I had shorts on and the a/c running, typical winter day in Texas, gotta love it!!

 

 

 

Ho ho ho Ha ha ha...

A wee bit frosty this morning...

Wow it was a bit chilly this morning!!! Coldest morning so far this year and I don't like it. Give me heat any day!!

 

 

Brrrrr....

 

 

A little frost on the fire pit...

 

 

Green house is a bit icy, ekk!

 

 

Frosted Fence row...

 

 

Crested Cara Cara warming itself in the sun...

 

 

I went and sat and watched the deer this morning but goofy me didn't dress warm enough and I got cold quick!! Now I'm home trying to thaw out my feet and waiting for the heat wave, suppose to get to 60 today!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Green Chair...

Wow I almost forgot our yearly photo shoot with the big green chair at the mall near us...Yikes! Michael groaned when I told him "Hey we need to run into town. I need photos of you with the Big Green Chair"...

 

 

He's really NOT into this photo shoot!!

 

 

Praying I will quit soon...

 

 

La tee da...

 

Oh Michael did you really have to wear your jeans with the patches on the knees and your old dirty crocs with no socks...sigh! Well put your hands over the patches and take off those crocs!

 

Then he started playing peek a boo with the patches on his knees, lol...Smart Aleck!

 

 

Ahh finally, that smile love it!!

 

 

And he was rewarded with two Cookies from the Cookie Factory!!

Thank you Michael for making me laugh and posing for me on the Big Green Chair!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This evening...

After cooking Fred Carne guisada, rice, beans, tortillas and an Apple Pie I decided to take a break. I went down to the property and watched. I saw the deer of course, and a feral hog that I'm going to name lightning, some birds and more deer...I got photos of the deer and none of the hog he was moving fast...

 

 

 

We call him the 4pt spike, he has a twin but he didn't show up tonight. He's not a legal buck but it is nice to watch him...

 

A few of the does and some of the fawns...Lop ear has her butt to the camera and is looking pretty plump. Glad she's healthy and we hope she has a healthy fawn or fawns.

 

Nervous Nellie's twin fawns. I got photos of them with their spots earlier in the year. They are growing and both are bucks as they have little nubbins!

 

It was nice to sit and relax this evening. The feral hog was on the neighbors property and then he crossed under the fence and when he did he was running full tilt...one of these days they'll mess up and I'll get them...This one was huge and was white with spots. I've also seen a large black hog too with a bunch of smaller ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Robin

The state that I grew up in, Michigan, has the American Robin as it's State bird. We were always told when the Robins turned up in the spring of the year, winter was over. We always looked forward to seeing them in the spring. (I've been told by family members that now there are Robins all year long in Michigan).

Now I see them when they migrate through Texas to warmer climates. This morning I was watching deer when I heard the little pitter patter of feet on the roof of the jeep. Next thing I know there is a Robin on the hood of the jeep and there are at least a 100 or more in the pasture and trees surrounding me. Wow! Normally I see this migration in the Spring when they are headed back North so I was a bit shocked. I guess the arctic fronts brought them together and pushed them South, I felt blessed to sit back and watch the show.

 

 

Hello Mr. Robin, nice to see you!

(I had the 300mm lens on the camera and I'm glad as I got some nice close ups but wished that I had one of the other lenses with me. Would loved to have shown you part of the flock out in the pasture, instead of individual photos. Seeing over 100 Robins is really cool)

 

 

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These birds flew in with the Robins. I think they are American Pipits. They spend the summer on the arctic tundra and fly South for the winter. I could not get a closer view and then a Robin chased them off. Still pretty neat to see.

 

 

I could have spent all morning down there watching them but I had things to do and people to see...So glad I got a few photos and was able to enjoy the flock coming in...

 

 

 

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Got one...

 

I finally got a buck the other evening! I know some of you may find this photo gruesome or the idea of us hunting awful but it is part of our life here in South Texas. We need the meat, it helps with the grocery bill. It is a lot of work though. I spent yesterday and today cutting the meat up and today I canned it. If you have never had canned venison it is really good. I can't wait to make Fred some Carne guisada with it. My girlfriend was telling me she makes pulled bbq sandwiches with canned venison, sounds yummy!!

 

 

Michael was with me when I went to feed and after I fed I was doing some things around the well house when I heard Michael whisper to me that two bucks came in to eat. We have 18 does and fawns that come in to feed almost every day but seldom do the bucks come in during daylight hours. I grabbed the binoculars and checked them out. One was legal the other one was not. I grabbed the gun and waited for the deer to settle back down and I got my shot. Michael was pretty excited and gave me a high five when he saw I nailed it. He wanted to run right out there but I told him to wait. 5 minutes later a vulture flew in and landed and I was like "I don't think so"...Goofy vultures were not going to eat my deer!! I went out and made sure the buck was down and Michael kept the vultures at bay while I got the tractor. Thank goodness Fred came home at about that time and I had help cleaning it and quartering it up...

Michael was a little disappointed as he wanted venison sausage, not canned venison. I told him if we get another one we'll have it made into sausage. So he's hoping we get another one before the season is over with. Fred got two does on a hunting trip to Bandera and we got some sausage from them but Michael says it isn't enough, lol...That boys loves his venison sausage!

I am just thankful we have venison in the freezer, what a blessing!