The Finches are here. . .

The Gold or Yellow Finches have returned. And they are in a feeding frenzy, we have two finch feeders loaded up with Thistle seed - their favorite food.

The feeders are tubes about 2 - 3 inches in diameter and 10 or 12 inches long suspended from tree limbs. Each has four feeding positions, very small slits that the finch can fish out a long thin thistle seed. And yes, they spill a lot of it, but no matter, the remaining finches gather round underneath the feeders and go at it. Nothing is wasted. We get up to 50 or more finches!

A couple of White Wing Doves came in to see what's going on. Where there are other birds, the White Wings come by to lord over them. White Wings are exceedingly greedy. But since they can not fit on the short pegs at the feeding positions, they are then regulated to the ground to feed. I have seen Yellow Finches all summer in Tucson; many think Tucson, in the desert like it is, as a hotter place. It is not, the elevation at Tucson is around 2,000 feet, some areas much higher others slightly lower. But the average temperature in Tucson is less than the average temperature in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Phoenix on the other hand has an elevation around 700 feet similar to Dallas/Fort Worth. And Phoenix is much hotter than Tucson and Dallas/Fort Worth. Phoenix and Tuscon are much drier than Dallas/Forth Worth but then neither one of them is too far from the mountains. Tucson sits right under Mount Lemon which believe it or not has a ski slope.

And the squirrels don't like the feeders either, they are real pigs. I call them "tree rats." They will eventually eat through the plastic to get at the seed. Doesn't matter to them whether it is most desirable, it matters that they can not get to it.

So the little guys win out. The big guys eat off the ground.

The finches will feed for a couple of weeks, maybe a month, then fly off. We know not where, but when they return they are golden - bright yellow. They then stay a while, until it gets hot, then they are off to cool climes.

Oh, that our lives could be so simple.

Rats . . .Snow Again

As predicted, woke up this AM to snow falling and snow on the ground. The stuff keeps coming back. Damn this Global Warming, I am getting tired of being warmed up, not. I read where one Senator is calling Al Gore back to Congress to explain all the skewed data and false reporting on climate change. It is beginning to get nasty. Cap and Trade does not have a chance to pass.

Fortunately, the snow is melting as fast as it is falling. That means it is warming up, not down. But it is damp and thus a penetrating cold surrounds us. Unpleasant at best, wet at worst. Maybe a slick freeze this PM. Went to the Dentist and came straight home to hunker down.

At any rate, it is no good for RC flying and cools the garage below my comfort zone, to cold to work on models. Double drat!

Birthday Food . . .

Okay, its a few days before James' birthday but you know it is an opportunity with both LSU Amandas here to help celebrate. So it was not to be missed and was enjoyed by all of us.


Here is the entree - home cooked prime rib roast(bone in).

Judie uses this special receipe from a famous Texas actress(whose name shall remain secret or otherwise, it will not be a secret recipe). It was 9 pounds to start and delicious at the end. Brookshires provided the meat, we provided the oven and they provided the appetites.


We had fresh asparagus, mashed potatoes with gravy (if you wanted it), mushrooms, horse radish and salad. (with anchovies too). It was tremendous. Look at those mushrooms! Huge pot of them to grace the fresh carved prime rib.

It was superb!


Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday, James . . .

Its Official . . .

Its official, the recorded official snow measurement is 12.5 inches of snow here in Weatherford. A record for this area and this time of year. I guess the name fits, Weatherford.

Doesn't that ensemble look very comfortable? Nice cool seats and even cooler Chimera. Really tempting isn't it?

Listening to the TV in the back ground, lots of downed power lines, the trees are over loaded and are crashing down on the power lines. So quite a few folks do not have any juice. I knew there was a reason to buy in an area with underground utilities. No downed lines for us. The major lines got cleared around here a while back. Yep, the power companies butchered the trees but now we are all happy with it.

This is truly an unusual event, its not getting snow, its the amount of the snow. Good that it is beginning to melt. I am sure it will be gone soon enough.

I wonder how many roofs caved in? I do know the car deals had those awnings covering their wares, some of which are not collapsed on the vehicles. I guess they can not win for losing. Bad year, topped by this crappy weather and top it off with collapsed awnings.

I sense the sun is about to come out. That will really make things change.

SNOW . . .

The snow is coming down so hard here the satellite TV is off the air. The mass of the snow falling blocks the signal. Add the lack of TV sounds to the already deadened atmosphere caused by the snow fall, makes things pleasantly quite.

The stuff is stacking up though. Pretty sure we are gonna be snowed in for a day or two. Saw some school kids out making a snow man down the street. They are enjoying their snow day off.

I could fly in it, but not for long. Collect to much on the wings and she just will not go. So while there is little or no wind, the same signal blocking for TV will do in any Radio Control too. Thus this becomes what we call a "build" day - you get to fix and repair things. You get to work on you kit or whatever turns you on. But for sure you are not gonna fly. Only the birds can do any flying and even then they are kinda hunkered down too.

So its suck up and enjoy time!

Super Bowl Sunday . . .

Who Dat Nation is on the prowl. Saints and the Colts are gonna go at it at 5:25 PM. And sure enough, it is too cold to do anything else. We ate out last night, at Pappadeaux's - place was packed, the end of the stock show crowd.

Eating in this evening, early dinner getting ready to watch the game on the big TV. Judie is preparing a culinary delight - baked chicken with baked vegetables. I know there is a sweet potato and a squash involved along with a chicken. Me thinks it is going to be delectable.

And the damn cold persists. So there is no reason to venture outside. Overcast day and the weather gurus say rain later today, maybe tonight. We have had quite a bit of water lately, notice standing water in the pastures and low spots. Lake Weatherford is pretty full, maybe 6 or 8 inches from the tippy top level. Any more rain will lead to a run off, flooding in places, and maybe Lake Benbrook will get pumped up too. We will need the water come summer time in this semi arid area.

Hunker down and fire up the TV . . .

Refreshing Walk . . .

Yep, just made it around the neighborhood. A little breezy but warm enough for a jaunt. Had to put my hood up on my LSU hoodie, it was enough. Ran into at least two neighbors doing the same. We were enjoying the sunshine.

Listened to Rush as I walked. Open line Friday, a few interesting callers. Lot of talk about today's unemployment numbers, many saying they are unbelievable. They will be adjusted later such as the November and December numbers that went further down. We are in the tail end of the cycle and employment will come in last. Seems like all the billions spent went down the drain, costing like $50,000 per job created/saved. Unemployment insurance extension would have been cheaper and perhaps more effective.

It is almost comic but certainly sad at the present administrations incompetence. And their answer is blame it all on Bush. Geeze Louise, Bush came into office with a recession, albeit this one is the worst since the great depression but all the present administration has done is make it deeper and longer. They can not seem to get over blame the current conditions on Bush. They have been in office for over a year, the honeymoon is over, time to be effective, don't you think?

Fortunately both Cap and Trade and the Healthcare Bills are all but dead. President Obama said he did not do enough about explaining Healthcare bill, huh - he made 29 speeches on the subject. I guess his golden tongue abandoned him, ya think? I guess reality has not taken hold yet.

I just pray no one assassinates the President, Vice President Biden is worse than incompetent. He is just a good ole boy from Delaware. Seems his son can not even get the guts to run for his upcoming vacancy.

Pray for the President . . .