Warning: Some extreme band geekiness layeth ahead. Alert Gazette readers will recall that part of my shelter-in-place regimen is re-learning to play the clarinet after a longer-than-many-of-you-have-been-alive layoff. I’m semi-happy to report that I’m getting semi-better due to my semi-disciplined approach to practicing semi-regularly. Despite the optimism expressed in that post, I was not at… Continue reading Étude de clarinette
The wonders of a suburban wilderness: corvids and frog spit
For the past few weeks, we’ve listened to the conversations (and monologues) of crows, originating from somewhere to the southwest of our house. They don’t sound close, but their calls can carry long distances. And every now and then we could hear something crow-like, almost like the pleading of a young bird. But I’m far… Continue reading The wonders of a suburban wilderness: corvids and frog spit
Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
Apologies to the Queen of Soul for the post title, but the question is a valid one today, albeit for different reasons than Aretha anticipated. And the answer seems to be…pretty much everyone. One of the few beneficiaries of the COVID lockdowns is the maker of the videoconferencing software, Zoom. I guess it’s been around… Continue reading Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
Neighborhood Nature
Something in the half acre vacant lot next door to ours caught my eye a couple of days ago. lt turned out to be a really pretty and unusual mushroom…toadstool…ground-dwelling fungus. I’m not a mycologist and I have no skill whatsoever in identifying these organisms, but I do find them fascinating. We’ve had a very… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature
A Minor Diversion, Part 2
A few years ago — four, to be more precise — when we lived in Midland, a dove built a ramshackle nest (to our eyes; for all I know, it was a masterpiece of dovish architecture) atop a shelf on a wrought iron baker’s rack on our back porch. At some point, Nature did its… Continue reading A Minor Diversion, Part 2
Armadillos R Us: A Trapping Update
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