Girls' Weekend, Days 2 & 3

Continuing on with our weekend/adventure at Percy Quin State Park in McComb, MS.

One thing I did not bring was my tripod. It seemed like the car was too full to bring one more item, so I chose to leave it home. Big mistake. Even though the 100-400mm lens has image stabilization, I don't feel I get sharp shots unless it's mounted on a tripod. Oh well! Live and learn.

I don't know these boys, but they were so cute as they walked past our cabin.

Teeniest chapel ever.

Lake by the golf course.

Great Blue Heron

Same as above, flying.

Gray Catbird. First time I've seen one away from a tree.

Around the corner from our cabin.

Wood ducks. My tripod would have really helped in this situation. :(

Eastern Kingbird in flight.

Michelle practicing with Mabel II, my old camera that's now hers. 

Thank you so much for indulging me with my mini-vacation photos, and for your sweet comments and visits.

Please visit Anni at

Girls' Weekend, Day 1

Goodness, y'all! I'm so far behind on posting and editing I don't know whether to scratch my watch or wind my butt. :)

In March, my high school BFF, Michelle, planned a wonderful mini vacay for us the first weekend of May. Neither of us had visited Percy Quin State Park before, so we treated it like a grand adventure. We hadn't had a sleepover since 1975! The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. The evening was cool, so we sat outside on the picnic bench in sweatshirts drinking wine. Oh, how I wish Michelle would let me post the video of her singing "Hello Darlin'" by Conway Twitty, using the mosquito repellant as a microphone. She's so fun and crazy! We now refer to ourselves as Lucy and Ethel. Guess who plays Ethel? And I'm okay with that! :)

Since there are so many photos, here is day 1:

We met my dad and stepmom here the first night for dinner.

A few glasses of these and I had a talent show on my hands. LOL

View from our screened porch.

In typical Michelle fashion she insisted on tidying up the place!

Can anyone help ID this cute little butterfly? I'm thinking some kind of Hairstreak.

First bird to see, an Eastern Kingbird.

Stay tuned to Part Deux!

Linking up with the lovely Anni!

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Bridles, Blooms, Bayous and Birds

Happy Monday! Our weekend was jam packed and fun for a change. It began Friday when I was finally able to see my high school friend for a much-needed girls day. I watched her take a riding lesson on Carson, an American Saddlebred once owned by Carson Kressley (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy). Afterwards we went to lunch, then drove down River Road, stopping along the way for photographs. Saturday was spent at my aunt and uncle's new camp on Bayou Manchac, then later that night we joined my cousin and his wife to listen to their friends' band play at a local establishment. Sunday was spent birding at Bluebonnet swamp where I saw THREE rose-breasted grosbeaks, numerous indigo buntings, and Mississippi kites flying overhead. A wonderful, fabulous three days. Now back to reality and on with the show!

Michelle and Carson, 4/19/13
She is doing so well riding him and looks so sophisticated.

First ever sighting of an Orchard Oriole, female.
The male is deep orange and black, but my pics of him were blurry.
Near State Capitol, 4/19/13

A walking iris (neomarica gracilis) in Michelle's garden, 4/19/13

Gator sculpture that came with my aunt's camp, Bayou Manchac, 4/20/13

To get to the camp we were ferried across on a pontoon boat.
Uncle Bubba was our capable captain. :)

Indigo bunting at Bluebonnet Swamp, 4/21/13

Rose-breasted grosbeak posing nicely on a limb, Bluebonnet Swamp, 4/21/13

Male rose-breasted grosbeaks, Bluebonnet Swamp, 4/21/13 

PARAKEET UPDATE: Thank you ALL for the wonderful advice on the parakeet that found its way into my yard. Before receiving your advice I kept thinking of the line by Shelby in the movie Steel Magnolias: "I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful, than a lifetime of nothing special." However, many of you swayed me with the argument that since "Charlie" was domesticated he was ill-equipped to truly fend for himself. Despite my initial misgivings, I posted his photo on our HOA Facebook page and scoured the internet for "lost parakeet Baton Rouge" and came up empty handed. The parakeet's fate is unknown at this time since he has not returned to my yard. :( I wanted to respond to you all individually since many of you had taken the time to articulate such detailed (and respectful) arguments, but time got away from me and now I feel overwhelmed. So please know how much your comments meant to me.

I will catch up on blogs later today! Wishing you all a wonderful week, praying it's better than last week.

LINK

For Leontien

These Agapanthus are for beloved blogging buddy, Leontien Vandelaar, who is battling cancer. The name Agapanthus is derived from the greek 'agape' which means 'love' and 'anthos' meaning 'flower'. They are quite beautiful and showy, making a dramatic, yet graceful appearance, kind of like Leontien herself. :) Sending many good thoughts, prayers and wishes for good health to return to you, Leontien!

A big thanks to Buttons, TexWisGirl, and A Rural Journal for coordinating and/or hosting this beautiful event!

Conquering the Chaos

We have been working on our house nonstop since last Thursday to get it ready for market. I am TIRED. My arm is sore from scrubbing the oven, scrubbing scuff marks off the stairs, and scrubbing blinds. Paint has freckled my hands (permanently, I fear) and a big blob ended up on my favorite jeans. Why did I wear those even after I said to myself "Now don't wear these, you'll get paint on them!"? I'm so mad at myself. No matter how careful I say I'm going to be with paint, it always ends up in places it shouldn't.

Moving on, the curling wallpaper is glued down, windows are washed, the ceiling fan blades are dust-free, and the window sills are painted. A carload of my son's belongings were moved to his dad's storage space, and the smelly dog toys are in the trash. The listing for our house goes "live" tomorrow and I still have 2 more bathrooms to scrub, doors to clean, and more touch-up painting. I'm starting to think we may never get it all done and it is going to have to be okay if we don't. We have three family gatherings to host and church and work, so I'm about to put this thing on cruise control and coast, cher.



I met my favorite girlfriends for dinner last week. When I see their faces I light up because I know we are in for lots of laughs and sharing and dog talk. Friends that allow you to be who you are and accept the less-than-perfect you are rare, and I am so grateful that we are friends, journeying through this life together.

I was presented with a beautiful heart necklace, a book called "Joys of Friendship", and a card that says "Your strength may surprise you". Wow, I totally did not expect any of it. The necklace says "A True Friend Reaches For Your Hand But Touches Your Heart". Awww! I was a bit overcome, I could hardly express myself properly.

I've known these girls since my days at the animal emergency clinic 10 years ago. I was a newcomer to animal medicine, green behind the ears with a weak stomach.  These two girls helped me through countless nights of frantic "parents", dying animals, irresponsible animal owners, smells, vomit, and doctor idiosyncrasies. I honestly don't know if I would have lasted as long as I did without their expertise and guidance.

Even though we no longer work together we continue to have our girls night once a month or whenever our schedules permit. I'm going to miss them so much, for our bonds have grown beyond animal medicine; laughing and crying and sharing personal heartaches. It is not uncommon to have 3 hour dinners and try to solve the world's problems over margaritas, or lately, ice tea. :) Missing them already....

Hope everyone is preparing hearts, minds, and homes to receive the true gifts of the season. Peace and blessings to you all!

Tessa Mae

My sweet friend's 13 year old Great Dane, Tessa Mae, passed away on Friday. Tessa was a special, beautiful, sweet girl, living much longer than the average Dane.  I think her longevity is a testament to how very much she was loved and cared for by her family. This is the slideshow my friend created to celebrate Tessa's life, which she gave me permission to share here. Rest in peace, beautiful girl.

Our Weekend at Lago Vista

Our friends have retired to a beautiful community in Lago Vista, Texas. They built a gorgeous home on the edge of Lake Travis with stunning views. My friend's daughter is an interior decorator so this home is a real show stopper, beautifully appointed down to the tiniest detail. We had the entire downstairs to ourselves which consisted of 2 bedrooms, an office, 2 baths, and a den--all overlooking the lake. 

To say that we did not want to return to our humble home is an understatement. Although that little taste of luxury was intoxicating, I don't know if I could handle the upkeep on a home like that. Or the taxes. I like to keep things simple. Still...this lifestyle is very tempting... 

Views from the 2nd floor balcony

Turkey vultures are in abundance there.

We dined at the famous Oasis restaurant. Trying to eat chips and hot sauce in 100 degree temps
is not as fun as it might sound.

The Oasis has hundreds, maybe thousands of these umbrellas, but they did little to shield us
from the intensity of the sun's glare. I think I lost a couple of pounds that night.

All of us have been to Italy so we pretended that we were dining on the Amalfi Coast.
It was easy to imagine. I wish this picture had come out better, but you get the idea.

As we left the restaurant a little girl no more than 10 years old was letting this tarantula crawl all over her hands and arms. She had quite an audience, making it difficult for me to get a good shot. She must've felt a little like Lady Gaga at that moment.

Besides turkey vultures, there were plenty of these. I think it's a grackle. This was shot at The Gnarly Gar, a restaurant that sits on the water. It is clear that these birds have come to expect a steady diet of Gnarly Gar fare from clumsy and/or generous patrons.The restaurant rocks back and forth as boats and jet skis go by, and made me a little sea sick. 

Hundreds of the biggest catfish I've ever seen float up to the front of the restaurant. People dump their french fries or whatever is left over into the waters for them to greedily devour like pigs. Personally, I think it's disgusting and unhealthy, but it seems to be a custom, so I kept my trap shut.