Debbie and I hadn’t been to a dance hall this year, for a variety of reasons, but we decided to change that last Saturday. We made plans to head down Highway 281 to Blanco, where the historic (I know; it sounds trite, but when the building has been there since 1879, that’s a pretty accurate… Continue reading Fiddling Around
Category: Texas Hill Country
Random Thursday: The Pictures Edition
Hey, fellow earthlings and others…happy Thursday. Today is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, but it’s also National Reptile Awareness Day, and wouldn’t you know it — there are a couple of snake photos at the bottom of this post (following the grapefruit-looking mushroom pictures). So, here’s your mashed-up warning sign (aren’t I clever?): I do have… Continue reading Random Thursday: The Pictures Edition
Beer By The Bay 2021: A Strange Trip
This post is dedicated to mi amigo bueno who, along with his lovely bride, was scheduled to attend this event with Debbie and me. Unfortunately, they both came down with COVID a couple of weeks earlier and thus had to bow out (they’re recovering nicely now; thanks for asking). I promised him a report, and… Continue reading Beer By The Bay 2021: A Strange Trip
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 7)
Howdy, y’all! Today is National Intern Day and also National Chili Dog and National Chicken Wing Day, so we’ve sent the Gazette’s army of interns out for a junk food scavenger hunt. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is National Antacid Day. Boy, there’s a lot going on nowadays in the Wonderful World of Nature, so let’s… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 7)
Checking in on the [wildlife] youngsters
It’s springtime and love is in the air. Also mosquitos, but that’s not what we’re talking about today. What we are talking about is the appearance of babies of various non-human species. We’ve been monitoring the progress of the red-shouldered hawk nestling that’s in a live oak tree down the street from our house. I… Continue reading Checking in on the [wildlife] youngsters
As The Worm Dangles
Imagine, if you will, a pair of drunken-yet-paradoxically-overcaffeinated zombies staggering along a tree-lined cart path on a golf course. That mental picture is not far from the reality of my and Debbie’s morning runs lately. You see, we are well into the Season of Dangling Worms here in the Texas Hill Country, and the act… Continue reading As The Worm Dangles
When Birds Attack
Let me dissuade you from making the obvious assumption about the title of this post: it’s not about Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. It’s actually much scarier. We were finishing supper yesterday evening when I heard a *thump* and out of the corner of my eye saw not one but two birds fluttering next to one… Continue reading When Birds Attack
Golf Courses Are Wasted On Golfers
Disclaimer: The following contains what might appear to be disparaging and/or disrespectful observations regarding that peculiar breed of humanity known collectively as “golfers.” In truth, no disrespect is intended; some of my best friends and many of my beloved relatives (two of whom are PGA Tour winners) are golfers. Nevertheless, even they will admit that… Continue reading Golf Courses Are Wasted On Golfers
Steam Fog on Lake LBJ
Folks who live in close proximity to Lake LBJ no doubt noticed an eerie phenomenon yesterday. Even though it was not a foggy day, the lake was covered with a thick blanket of what looked like smoke or mist…and the windy conditions blew that fog across the sky so that at times it did resemble… Continue reading Steam Fog on Lake LBJ
Our Neighborhood Bobcat
Alert Gazette readers will recall that I’ve previously written about the bobcat that frequents our neighborhood [see here and here]. Both of those reports arose from images captured on my trail camera, all of which were taken at night. I have never seen the bobcat during the day, although certain of our neighbors have reported… Continue reading Our Neighborhood Bobcat