Ok, now I have seen everything. YETI-brand 5-gallon buckets. $40 a piece! 😮 If you want a lid, that’s $20 more dollars. Wow.
After the sales clerk told me how much they were, he smiled and added, “Yeah, I know, you may as well just get one at Home Depot.”
Yesterday, I participated in the 118th annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for an area around the Pedernales River out in the Texas Hill Country. This was my second time doing it. The first time, last year, was my first real birding experience and I enjoyed it immensely. In the year since, I must admit that I have officially caught the birding bug and have many hiked many miles and logged hundreds of hours seeking out and identifying birds.
So, yesterday, I was a much better birder. And because of that, I enjoyed it more, and saw some new (for me) birds – aka “lifers.” Thankfully, while the collective consensus weather forecast was for downpours all day long, it only rained a bit in the morning, and we were left with just fog and humidity for the rest of the day. We hiked through woods, canyons, river and creek-side trails from about 8AM to 4PM. Our group logged 40-50 species, most of which I was able to spot in my binoculars.
Yes, the birding was nice, but it is just good for my soul to get out and experience places like this…
A damp and foggy overlook above the Pedernales River:
A sparrow-laden native prairie on an uplands section:
There is still time to join in on a CBC in your area – going on through January 5th. Check out the Audubon website to look for sign ups in your area.
We joined friends tonight to listen to music at Donn’s Depot downtown. Chris Gage is a favorite of mine, and he played Christmas songs and welcomed other musicians to join him. It was a fun night!
Very Merry!:
Chris Gage and Jimmie Dale Gilmore playing If You Were a Bluebird:
We headed downtown today to watch the Seahawks game at a bar. We grabbed a burger at Hut’s before the game; the number 7 “Hut’s Favorite.” Yum-my!
Sadly, my Hawks were decimated by halftime. Sniffle.
I attended Laura’s recital yesterday afternoon. She plays piano beautifully. There were a dozen or so other people playing a piece each; on either piano or violin. It was a nice way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.
I was taking a picture of this black-crested titmouse on the bark butter board when a red-bellied woodpecker flew through. 🙂
I made a tool apron for Monte about a year ago. I copied the design of an old, worn one he had. It was a prototype, but has held up nicely. He recently suggested a modified version to better fit the tools he most commonly used – a little bigger pocket on his right hand side. I sewed a new one today.
I cannot sit down at my sewing machine without flashing back to memories of my mom sewing, and teaching me to sew, many years ago. This isn’t a prom dress 🙂 but I enjoyed it as a small project.
Its made out of stiff cotton duck cloth. I edged it on all sides with 1/2″ polyester bias tape; triple topstitched to reinforce. I used 6 feet of 1″ soft cotton twill tape for the tying waistband, which I folded in half and triple stitched for strength. Start by making a trapezoid shape with the duck cloth – 16″ tall, 16″ wide at the top; 20″ wide at the bottom. The trapezoid gets edged on all 4 sides with the bias tape. Fold up the bottom to make a baggy pocket 7″ tall. Stitch the sides. Stitch the pocket divider. Stitch the waist tie on. And voila!
A neighbor gave Monte a pile of natural (i.e., untreated) cedar boards leftover from a deck that he just had installed. We planed them, ripped and cut them down to size; turning them into one hundred or so cedar planks for grilling. 🙂
And, I held out several boards to make a bluebird house.
I found the plan online here. I’ll have to wait until spring to see if an eastern bluebird pair find it and make it home. It’s more likely that the house sparrows will claim it. Stay tuned.
Snow flurries began at sunset tonight all across Austin. I know it won’t stick but just seeing these little flakes falling turns me into a middle-aged kid. It’s not enough snow for snowballs but it is enough for hot cocoa!
Nearly every day I see a Cooper’s Hawk in the backyard. I think there is a juvenile and an adult that visit. I watched this adult in the birdbath on Thanksgiving Day Eve. It may be a female, as they are larger than a male, and this bird is pretty big. Not a great quality photo because it was taken through a window, but what a beautiful bird.
Last night Mike and Lori joined us to watch the Lake Travis Christmas Boat Parade. We put a few lights on Nirvana and cruised along with the other boats. It was a beautiful, not-cold night; fun!
Pretty poinsettia. 
We are ready!
My sister and brother-in-law are visiting. This morning the guys are out in the shop making sawdust. The gals are in the kitchen listening to Christmas music making good things. 🙂
I’ve cooked a lot of cranberry sauce from the whole berries, but I have never seen a slice of cranberry before.
Sheila365 