Scorpions, Snakes and Horny Toads

I'm pretty darn proud of myself this week y'all!

Some groundwork, let me explain somethings. If you remember, I live in Texas and spring lasts about two weeks, meaning summer is in full swing here! Oh yeah baby, temps up in the 90's already! It is crazy stuff.

Having said that, with summer also come the various creepy crawly specimens of this climate, namely scorpions, snakes, and horny toads (oh my!) among other things. (The tarantulas don't show up much until July, so we don't have to worry about them for now.)

And, wouldn't you know it, I got to meet all three of these natives this week.

While digging up a flower bed for Mrs. P, I came across Senior Scorpion lurking in the brick pile-- there may be some who mourn his passing, but I'm pretty darn proud of myself for disposing of him with nothing more than a stick!

Encounter #2, while my brother and I were out cruising around in one of our new toys (a post on that later) I spotted a baby horny toad going across our path. We were able to safely capture him and bring him back for the rest of the family to see.

I made up my mind then and there to touch him, and before it was all said and done I was holding him, petting his little spiky head and, in truth, became quite attached to the little fella'. I felt a twinge of a 'free willy moment' when we took him back and released him where we found him.

Horny Toads look like a cross between a lizard, toad and small dragon.
Surprisingly, all the spikes you see weren't sharp, they were pretty
flexible, except for the head horns. This is a baby.

If you rub their tummies, they calm down and even fall asleep!
This one was so calm, you only had to rub his head.

Encounter #3 happened just this morning. We had a Sunday morning visitor, Sir Hog Nose Snake. They are a non-venomous snake, but look rather impressive and intimidating because they flare like a cobra and hiss rather loudly. I was pretty proud of the fact I was able to stand right next to the bucket he was in, standing there watching in, can you believe it, actual amazement as his entire body shrunk then expanded while he inhaled air to produce his menacing hiss. It may sound gross to you, but in all honesty, I was a little transfixed watching it, thinking how God's creation is amazing.

Wow, God does work miracles. I wouldn't have gotten within 10 feet of those creatures before, and certainly never would have looked upon a snake with anything but murderous thoughts!

Have you done anything recently you are proud of?

Coming Soon!

I've decided to incorporate a regular themed post each week starting in the month of April. Several ideas for other weekly posts are floating around in my mind, but I think we'll start of gradual and see how it goes. :)

We all know Mondays can be a bit gloomy and blue, right? What better to fix that (other than lots of coffee of course) than music!

I am a lover of music. Many types. Sweet symphonies, razzmatazz jazz, rhythmic rumbas, and  lots more including Christian, Celtic, folk, and soundtracks. 

I'll try to mix it up and hopefully you will hear something you like.

Photo by JD Hancock via Flickr

So, I hear by institute Monday Melodies...or should it be Musical Mondays? Melodic Mondays? Hmmm, what do you think? Let me know which name you like best, or suggest one for me! Do you think you'll tune it?

Field Trip

Today I had an early day off from work.

The sun was shining, the weather lovely, and I do so enjoy a good summer's day car drive.

So, by whim of the wind, I convinced my home-bound family members to go on a drive with me out to the old railroad track and bridge Mrs. P had shown me on one of our outings.


It was pretty country and a very pleasant little excursion.

Vibrant yellow flowers  dot the countryside

A beautiful wild flower.

The two young ones walking the abandoned tracks
 in search of rocks.

Stepping on the past.

Wild, Texas scenery.

The boys explored under the bridge.
Can you get a feel for how high it was?

A wee bit windy.

We came home with a trunk full of rocks, a couple railroad spikes, and these pictures. Hope you enjoyed 'em! 

Corn Bread Recipe

Hey y'all!

In my last post I talked about corn bread and buttermilk and I didn't think it fair to leave you in mouth watering wonderment! While I can't help you with the buttermilk, I can share our corn bread recipe, and the one I used that day with Mrs. P. It is pretty simple!

Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal (we prefer white, but there is also yellow)

1 cup flour

3 tbsp. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend together all the dry ingredients.

Add the egg, buttermilk and oil.

Mix together well, being sure you stir in all of the flour and corn meal.

Now, you can simple pour the corn bread mixture into

a greased 9x13 pan OR this is how we like to do it...

In a large, cast iron skillet, pour a little bit of oil,

enough that when spread around it covers the bottom.

Put this in the warm oven and let heat.

You know it is warm enough when you hear it popping.

Remove from oven and pour corn bread batter into the pan.

By doing this, is makes the bottom layer nice and crispy!

Give it a try!

Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until a knife or toothpick

comes out clean.

Fresh out of the oven, cut a piece and crumble it into a cup or bowl, drizzle just a little bit of honey over it, then add some milk, as much as you think you need (I like lots, and the corn bread will soak it up as you stir it in).

Enjoy!



Cown Bread 'n' Buttermilk

Photo from Flickr

Have you ever had a simple, insignificant moment in time leave an unexplainable impression on you, one that will last a lifetime?

Yes?

Me too. :)

In an earlier post I introduced to you to Mrs. P, whom I feel will be a reoccurring character in the stories of my life. If you haven't met her yet, hope over to my post Mrs. P outlived and I'll introduce you to her.

As Mrs.P's caretaker, I...well, care for her! Part of that includes seeing after her nourishment and meals.

On one particularly good day this week, after a rigorous span of house chores, I decided to whip up a good ol' pan of corn bread.

For those of you unfamiliar with this cuisine, google it, then make you some! It's nummy stuff, and common fair here in the Lone Star state.

It didn't take long before that pan of golden goodness was done and tempting my snack-prone tummy. Now, Mrs. P eats like a bird (have you ever pondered how absolutely ridiculous that statement is?! Birds eat at least half of their body weight each day!) anyway...as I was saying...she eats less than a bird, but today! Today she was ready for an afternoon snack!

In true southern fashion, she was going to eat that cornbread....soaked in buttermilk.

Now, fortunately for me, even though I grew up in the north, my daddy was southern and he had introduced me to this little southern treat years before, otherwise I fear it would have been strange indeed to me!

However, since buttermilk has much the same consistency of yogurt, you will understand why I opted for straight milk instead.

Mmmm, mmmm, mmm, that warm, oven fresh cornbread crumbled effortlessly into our tall glasses. As it steamed up the sides of our glasses, we drizzled a bit of honey, then finished it off with a generous helping of milk over top.

A better comfort food, I don't think there eva' was.

Corn bread is a great equalizer, because there, sitting at her kitchen table, our spoons sounding the tink of glass as we feasted, this dear lady seemed to view me not as young, hired help but as friend and fellow women.

Simple?

Yes.

Insignificant?

Not a chance.

Blackhawk Up

I wonder what your story is.

What have you seen...

what are the events that have shaped your life, made you who you are?

These are things I wonder. And today I had one of those wondering moments.

Today was a beautiful summer day, over 90 degrees!, and I decided to tackle that task know as 'cleaning the car'. It needed it...bad!

So, while sunblock-coated me was outside car cleaning, a deep rumbling sound hummed in my ears,  growing increasingly louder, and it wasn't the sound of the vacuum cleaner!

I looked up to the sunny blue skies and found my answer: two very low flying Blackhawk helicopters were fast approaching. Shielding my eyes, I watched them fly right over head (literally), close enough I imagine I could almost make out a human form through the windows.

Photo by David Jackmanson via Flickr

I'm sure they saw me gawking up at them, and I thought latter how rude it was of me not to wave, but I was in fact caught up in a world of thoughts which went something like this....

See I'm a romantic. A dreamer. Sometimes just *a bit* unrealistic. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?! And...well...I couldn't help wondering about the men who occupied that cockpit.

Where were they going?
                       Where had they been?
                                          What were they thinking?
                                                         What had they seen in their time of service?
                                                                                                                Were they lonely?

I wondered these things and thought how fun it would be to meet them someday and find out. And maybe, just maybe, one of those young soldiers had espied me out that window and thought the same thing. Maybe, he mentally noted this location and vowed someday to come back and meet this nameless face that watched him go by...and maybe...

But wait.

*Pop*

My imagination bubble bursts...

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Faceless Mr. Right will just have to wait...

                               the backseat still needs vacuuming. *Sigh*