It seems I was just in Lake Somerville. I’m back, anyway, and glad to see some old friends at the church campout of my former church. Love those people, no matter what. And I sure needed a break after a death in the family and work challenges. Mother Nature provided me with just what I needed.
That’s right, I needed Wood Ducks.
I took a lunch break walk around the circle surrounding the interesting group campground here at the Birch Creek unit of the state park. I enjoyed so many flowers and birds. I even got photos of a Northern Parula and ducks.
Texas bull nettleWhite prickly poppy Forster’s Tern SandpipersDung beetleParulaCarpenter beeSpider lilies Spider wort Blue-winged TealsBaby blue eyesHoneybee on yauponGround cherry
After talking to friends, I went on a longer walk, but I’m too tired to share. I’ll try again in the morning.
I have lots more of these guys for tomorrow! Whee. More tomorrow!
Oh, it’s probably a tie for best thing about today. I enjoyed watching a cottontail standing very still while a juvenile bald eagle flew over. That was pretty special.
Be vewy quiet.
Just as good was the fact that I did a good job on today’s meeting for my new assignment while only letting my annoyance come through once during difficult meetings with my own department. You know it’s bad when you need multiple debriefs and still come out with no idea what to do next. But I got through it!
I rewarded myself by smelling the incredible scented white petunias.
Many of you will have been in situations like the one I’m in, where multiple people think they’re the decision makers, topped by workers who refuse to do what the deciders ask. All my cohorts and I can do is explain the consequences and listen. We aren’t the deciders. We’re the facilitators once we know what to facilitate. Guess that’s why we make the big(-ish) bucks.
Second reward: finding winecups in the front of the house.
Other hard decisions were made on other topics, so my brain is ready to shut down. I pulled together outfits for a trip to Oregon next week, but still have to pack for camping this weekend. I hope to have fun between all the driving and flying. I get to see favorite camping friends and coworkers I like, so that bodes well.
The purple ones smell good, too.
I feel confident I can deal with all the challenges and that remembering what’s good will be of great assistance. Ow I’ll make a wish for success in the next week!
Today had a big highlight. The day was fine, and I took a lunch break in the early afternoon between meetings. It was beautiful.
Now it looks more like spring!
I took a little walk down the road to see if there were any new wildflowers popping up. I’m happy to report a few old friends have returned.
Winecup mallow Green antelope hornsFuture Mexican hatsNot new, but still pretty Texas paintbrush A paintbrush with no redRoadside gaura, favorite of mothsDakota mock vervainTexas starBindweedEngelmann daisyGaillardia Silver leaf nightshade Pepper weed Zizotes milkweed
As I was pondering how pretty it will look when all the gaillardia is blooming, I spotted something vaguely familiar inside the horse pasture. I went to investigate and damn, there it was, one of Apache’s lost boots from last year, which disappeared after a hard April rain.
Can you see it?
I went through the pasture over and over last year, and finally guessed the boots had washed away in flooding. Nope. I just missed it. So I picked it up and headed back home through the pasture, looking at water in the arroyo and admiring pink evening primroses.
I looked over toward the pond and something black caught my eye. Damn! It was the other boot! Now, I know I’d driven and walked by this part of the pasture many times. But today was my lucky day. I found them both.
Hmph.
They’re a bit worse for wear, but still usable. one had a wasp nest in it (small and empty).
I headed toward the pens to put away the boots, and saw all the horses had been napping in there. Drew spotted me and headed right over. The two paints took their time joining him, then Mabel and Dusty wandered over. Everyone was very interested in the boots, but headed off to eat that nice grass that came up.
I’ll check it out, guysI must be the first to sniffThe boss horses are here!We just woke up. What’s going on?Ok, now let’s eat. I’ll just wait here for Suna to pet me.
That was certainly a nice lunch break. The mystery of the disappearance of the boots has been solved!
Still feeling sick, but I was able to take care of animals and sit in the sun a bit. Kathleen and I took a slow walk this afternoon to just get out of the house. I didn’t get to go to marches with my friends, which I really regret. But my energy is awfully low.
This pretty Texas star was a surprise on my walk by the front pond today.
Right now I don’t want to drive anywhere, anyway, thanks to wars and such. Grumble.
Grumpy is a good word for me, because I’ve not been taking NyQuil or anything, so my snoring and loud breathing issues keep waking me up all night. I must have sounded awful last night, but I didn’t bother Lee with his earbuds on.
Tonight I have Chloraseptic for my throat and will sleep with my head raised. I’ve had enough of this irritating minor illness.
Wild berry! That’s exciting.
I need to do some writing and other things that require an alert mental state, so wish me the best! And I know there are many friends out there dealing with MUCH more serious concerns. They have my thoughts, and they help me remember to focus on what’s good in life, which there is plenty of.
Look at all the pollen on this bee!
For example, the chickens are back to laying in their usual nest box! Woo hoo! Plus I found a new plant!
This plant with cool seed pods is wild tantan (Desmanthus acuminatus), the second sighting on iNat in our county!
There’s a lot on my mind this evening, so I’ll be brief. Today I enjoyed talking to my friends online, finding interesting flowers, noting the return of the Black-chinned Hummingbirds, just letting go and reveling in the flying horsehair while grooming Apache and Dusty, and some relaxing crochet. I have washed off the dirt and hair.
White version of blue-eyed grass“Blue” versionBuckeye on dewberry blossom Many stem evax (Diaperia verna) a type of rabbit tobacco One of my cultivated portulaca flowersFrom the same basketRed oak tree is not dead!
I did not enjoy finding out Star Fleet Academy was canceled, worrying about sick people, conversations that made me paranoid, nor finding out how expensive my car’s maintenance is.
But, hope springs eternal, and the wheel of the year keeps turning.
Spring at last! Ostara greetings to all! Maybe no more freezes to kill our grass.
I even painted a rock
Since it was a pretty day, I took a walk at lunch and even read for a few minutes on the porch, next to my lovely petunias that smell so good (white petunias are impressive!).
They are tiny but aromatic!
After work and poultry and equine feeding, I enjoyed some time with Apache, just walking around. My son had come over to get some eggs, so we were chatting, when we noticed what Apache was munching on.
This is good.
Was it grass? No! It was prickly sow-thistle. These plants are like ugly dandelions with big thorns on the leaves.
Don’t step on one barefoot.
Yep, Apache was methodically mowing down all these non-native plants. I was impressed. After my son left, I watched Apache’s grazing pattern. Somehow he was able to avoid all the other wildflowers (other than field madder, which he also liked) and just focus on his favorite greenery. I wonder how they know? Scent? Feel? This is when I wish I could ask my former horse trainer. She’d know.
This is the good stuff.
After we ran out of armored dandelions, Apache kindly switched to weed-eating around the garbage dumpster. He even provided fertilization services (not pictured). It turns out, my new lawn maintenance tool is pretty good! Too bad it costs so much to keep it up and running!
Excellent long grass around the dumpster to trim!
I helped him burn off the calories from all that snacking by getting some good exercise in before returning him to his herd. Our pleasant walk ended the week on a good note!
This was yesterday’s blog prompt, but I waited to address it until today, because I really had to think hard about the answer. I dutifully ran my mind through a long list of people I know, trying to figure out who could be the most confident.
Just a pretty fern. I hope it stays healthy.
Every single time I thought about anyone who portrays an air of confidence, I’d stop myself and say, no, not that person. I know all their struggles and feelings of inadequacy. Or I know they have imposter syndrome, or they put on a confident shell to hide under.
And in every case, I realized how much I admire them. How impressive it is that they go out and do what needs to be done with an easy, confident manner. That takes strength and most important, self awareness. Anyone who knows themselves well can see their strengths and weaknesses and choose how to behave in ways that bring out their best.
I also admire those who don’t act confident but try anyway. I value their insights and contributions, too. There are lots of us out there!
This stink bug introduces the bad side of confidence.
It seems to me that the only people I know who act confident when they really shouldn’t be are those who really don’t know themselves well, either because they’re incapable of it or don’t care to try. They always want to tell you how interesting they are and are extra fond of the sound of their own voices.
I can do without those over-confident types, whether they hold high political offices or stalk you on Facebook.
This fine wolf spider stalked me on my chair. I let it be.
What’s my conclusion? I guess it’s that acting confident in what you do, even when you have nagging doubts, is the kind of confidence we need more of.
I didn’t work but a couple of hours today. Instead I drove Anita to Georgetown so she could have a medical procedure. It was good to spend some time together, even if she wasn’t 100% at her best.
Three dogs on a couch wish Anita well.
While she was at the snazziest medical facility I’ve ever seen, I went out in the beautifully landscaped area to see what native plants I could find. I discovered that whoever did the landscaping used primarily native plants, which pleased me.
And I heard many birds, including some Sandhill Cranes, which pleased me greatly. I didn’t even mind that the procedure was delayed, because that gave me time to walk to the really beautiful grocery store next to the surgery center. It must have replaced the old one that was there when I had a child in college there.
Fancy roundabout leading to what I assume is a nice new neighborhood.
I got a tasty Mexican torta, plums, a dessert, some snacks for later, and my favorite bread. Of course I got Anita some flowers.
Fancy waiting room
Then I came to the empty waiting room and took a nap. Yes, in the chairs above. What a treat!
Getting Anita home was challenging thanks to the after-effects of the procedure and anesthesia, but we made it back to Cameron, fed the ancient dog, and got food into Anita. Success.
Late afternoon trees greeted me at home.
Tomorrow is ranch chore day, since what I’d hoped to accomplish this afternoon didn’t happen. And I’ll have a book report, too.
Finally there’s a blog prompt that I can answer and it comes right when I’m doing my best not to buy things…except peace symbol jewelry and shoes. Shoes are what triggers my pleasure receptors or something like that.
Look how cute this shoe is! And it has a little charm!
I guess I can’t forget my love of nail polish strips. Today’s shipment made me glaze over with pleasure at their beauty, especially the one with green highlights. Ooh.
The one on far right. It will look so great on!
That doesn’t answer the question of where I’d go on a shopping spree, though. I can only wear so many Skechers and ColorStreet (no, I’m not compensated).
And wildflowers are free.
I think I’d go to the Navajo Nation and buy some turquoise jewelry, rugs (in the styles I like best), and some churro wool I could weave or crochet with. I’d get some pottery and paintings by artists I admire or ones who are new to me. I would prefer to buy directly from the artist. Maybe my spree would include commissions just for me, but allowing the artists freedom to do whatever they want.
This is the closest I have to a real Navajo rug. I don’t know its maker, but the colors and pattern are right.
If I’m going to spend a lot of money, I’d like to contribute to a culture I admire and purchase handmade items. So, if anyone wants to send me on a spree, that’s what I’d do! I’ve certainly bought enough jewelry and from Native Americans and other people I know. It brings me joy to wear these things and see them in my home.
The necklace distracts you from my scowl.
There’s not much other news, because I worked both jobs today (all interesting) and the only other activity I did was go on a walk with Kathleen. We found some flowers and a scary branch that looked like an angry snake in the creek.
The Hermits' Rest 