Monthly Archives: February 2017


Springtime in West Texas

From a distance it looked like a lilac bush amongst the mesquite, but no, it’s Texas mountain laurel, rumored to smell like grape Kool-Aid.  I wish I could ID the rest of these blossoms–maybe someone out there can help?  I also wish I could have included a picture of cavorting lambs, but Steve scared them away.


Wireless Bird Call

On a rickety, hundred foot tower in the Peruvian rain forest, our guide couldn’t spot the toucans he’d hoped to show us. “I’ll call them,” he said, and pulled out his cell phone. We all laughed and watched as he pushed an icon and…played a toucan recording. The toucans came. I recognized their beak shape, but they weren’t Fruit Loops toucans–just dark colored birds we might see anywhere except for their profiles…that and answering phone calls.