Update (4/2/2020): Add one more to the armadillo count below; another one became an involuntary guest early this morning. And, yes, succeeded in waking me up at 3:30 a.m. in the process. People have been clamoring* for a trapping update from Casa Fire Ant, and I respond to nothing if not clamoring. Here’s a snapshot… Continue reading Armadillos R Us: A Trapping Update
Springtime in the Hill Country (Pictures!)
Spring in this part of Texas is not really a season. If the year was a play, spring in Central Texas would be intermission…a pause between the dead brownness of winter, and the oppressive heat and mosquito swarms of summer. But that pause is, as they say, refreshing, because a lot happens during that brief… Continue reading Springtime in the Hill Country (Pictures!)
A minor diversion…
One of the silver linings in the COVID-19 stay-at-home protocol is that we have time to pursue trivial matters that previously would have been preempted by more important things like…well, don’t ask me. I’m retired; I can pursue all the trivial matters I want, at any time. But, perhaps you aren’t that fortunate, but you… Continue reading A minor diversion…
You might be a hoarder if…
These are strange times we’re living in, and in recognition of that fact, the Gazette is relaxing its rule against publishing material that might be considered thoughtful and relevant. We apologize in advance. Toilet paper not to scale. Or, maybe the man isn’t. It’s not important. We’re seeing reports that several of the major grocery… Continue reading You might be a hoarder if…
Random Thursday: The Tuesday Edition
Hey, it’s been awhile! Glad you stopped by, although I’m not fooling myself by thinking it’s for any reason other than you’re bored to death by social distancing and the continuous stream of bad news on the doorstep (quick…name a song with that phrase!). Regardless, I’m happy to see you and to serve you some… Continue reading Random Thursday: The Tuesday Edition
The Hapless Mechanic — Part 65,784
I think we can all agree that most new or new-ish cars are not designed to permit under-the-hood maintenance by the average owner. I suspect that’s not a big deal for most of us. Modern engines are marvels of complexity, but also are (usually) such paragons of reliability that the lack of specialized training and… Continue reading The Hapless Mechanic — Part 65,784
The Creaky Clarinetist
I pulled this bad boy out of the closet earlier today: This is noteworthy, at least to me, since it’s been approximately thirty years — THREE DECADES! — since I made an attempt at playing a clarinet. I was pleasantly surprised that none of the pads had fallen out, all the cork was still intact,… Continue reading The Creaky Clarinetist
A Baker’s Dozen of Instagram Images
If you follow me on Instagram, feel free to skip this post…unless you want to read about the context of some of the images I’ve posted over the past several months. And if you don’t follow me, I must remind you that I’m a very sensitive fellow and my feelings are easily bruised. As my… Continue reading A Baker’s Dozen of Instagram Images
When will the national tragedy of misheard song lyrics ever end?
A few days ago I attempted to impart some words of wisdom to someone about a situation — who and what are not important — and, after [re]discovering that I had no such words of my own (and likely never will; I tell myself that that’s the beginning of wisdom), I turned to the ultimate… Continue reading When will the national tragedy of misheard song lyrics ever end?
Random Thursday: The Friday Edition
It’s cold and rainy and dreary…and I’ve decided that I’d be the world’s worst arsonist. It might have taken hours to build, but it is cozy. I did finally get a conflagration going in the fireplace, but it took an entire edition of the Wall Street Journal and most of my kindling to accomplish that.… Continue reading Random Thursday: The Friday Edition