Swallows, Book Store, Murder Mystery Dinner

June 13, 2010
The swallows still do not have their eyes open. Here they look as though they are singing to the top of their lungs. The parents were especially protective today making it difficult to get good shots. Stay tuned.

This was a busy weekend. Saturday was our 11 wedding anniversary and a happy one, indeed. The first thing on the agenda was to visit Winding Roads Books and More in Joshua, Texas where they were having a book and craft fair. The owner, Lori Kinnard, is a highly respected book reviewer and I left "The Cherokee Advantage" with her for review. Shown in the photo below are Emily (Lori's Media Asst.), Lori and Carla.


We bought two books and a lovely piece of pottery before we left. I did not buy the book I'm holding in the photo below, but I was sorely tempted by the title.

We drove home, ate lunch and packed up the car for our trip to Wills Point, Texas where we met three couples from Dallas for participation in a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. My role was as a spoiled rich girl head cheer leader and Doug was a successful rancher. In the group photo below, Doug is far left and I am left front holding the megaphone with a blond wig on my head.

The theme for the mystery is the 45th reunion of the 1965 Bulldogs. This all takes place in the Rose Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast. This was a most interesting experience in and of itself. One could say this is bed and breakfast on a shoestring because it is like no other most of us had stayed in before. It was rustic and quaint with no frills in sight. I must say the bed was absolutely marvelous to sleep on, a large queen four poster that I needed a ladder just to climb into it.

Suffice to say, this could have been a disaster, but for the fourteen people in attendance who know how to make lemonade out of lemons. We had an absolute blast, never to be forgotten 11th anniversary as did another couple Ralph and Marjan celebrating 28 years. We played Canasta and Apples to Apples until midnight. The cost was extremely reasonable and the company exquisite. If one goes to this place without any preconceived notions or expectations, I believe they'll have a great time. The proprietor, Laura Kelley, is gracious and accommodating.

Above is Ralph (victim), Carla (head cheerleader), Geri (cheerleader) and the murderer, George.

This is all I have to say for now.

Barn Swallows, Book Club

June 10, 2010
The birds continue to progress as you can see in the photos. We discovered there are six, not five as we first counted. The way we take the photos is that Doug has our Canon SX110 camera mounted on a monopod. This is connected to a laptop computer. He hoists the camera up over the nest and I push the space bar on the computer to take the photo. The parent birds are still not too accepting, but not quite as fierce towards us as they were at first. In this first photo, the little guy looks like he's saying, "Feed me! Feed me!" Stay tuned.


I attended the PCWNC Book Club here in Weatherford, which met in Loretta Hale's home at 1:00 o'clock this afternoon. We read "My Life in France" by Julia Child this past month and had quite a lively discussion today. Some were of the opinion that she didn't reveal much of herself in her book and the French expressions, of which there were many, were somewhat distracting if one doesn't speak French. Ms. Child rarely interprets for the reader. There were certainly areas that were exciting, but one can only read about gourmet dinners and wines with each course so many times before getting bored. Our new assignment is to read "Grace and Gumption" by Katie Sherrod, a book about Fort Worth women.

This is all I have to say for now.

Baby Swallows, Wild West Women of Weatherford Red Hatters

June 9, 2010
Here I am back with the latest photo of the baby barn swallows. If you look at yesterday's blog with their photos and look at this one you will see that in just two days a lot of changes are already taking place on their little bodies. Soft feathers are beginning to cover their skin. Stay tuned.

Today was a terrifically fun day for fourteen Red Hatters of the Wild West Women of Weatherford Red Hat Chapter of which, Gail Box aka Queen Gabigail is the Queen. We carpooled to Mineral Wells, Texas for lunch at a charming restaurant called The Black Horse. The bill of fare is primarily Italian and it is well prepared. I had stuffed shells, a side of spaghetti with a giant meatball and a salad, the day's special for $5.50. Also enjoyed peach/mango ice tea and never to be forgotten, derby pie.


We arrived in Mineral Wells before the restaurant was open for business so we visited Sister's Quilt Shop on the corner. A couple of the gals bought purple tulle to decorate hats. The rest of us just nosed around. She has beautiful fabrics and numerous sewing notions. As we were leaving, she said, "Be sure to get your dessert first. It doesn't last long around here." Since Red Hatters are famous for eating dessert first, we took her up on her suggestion and many of us thoroughly enjoyed our desserts while waiting for lunch to be served.


We rarely ever just dine out. There is always something to see or somewhere to shop. We all drove over to the Outlet Mall to visit a couple of stores, mainly looking for purple and red clothing (our Red Hat colors). The main store we shopped in was Bonworth and we were happy to find a lot of red and purple on sale. I came home with several pieces of clothing as did most of the other gals. When we were ready to leave, we prevailed upon a gentleman, wandering through the mall, to take our picture. He was so gracious, had just gotten out of the hospital and still had the bandage on his hand where the IV tube had been inserted. We believe his wife was probably shopping in one of the stores. Look at all those bags of loot in that photo!

This is all I have to say for now.

Barn Swallows, Day of Beauty, Recipe

June 8, 2010
The barn swallows made their way back from Argentina. We left their nest untouched from last year so they started right away on their reproduction plan. The first setting only produced one egg and one large baby bird. We witnessed his solo flight as did many area barn swallows, a scissor tail sitting on one of the patio chairs and a wren standing on the patio table. Apparently, the word was out that Junior was making a break for it and everyone came for the show.

Mr. & Mrs. Barn Swallow evidently couldn't handle the empty nest syndrome and as you see in the photos, they really got serious this second time around because there are five babies in that nest. We will take photos periodically to keep you updated on their progress although, every time we take photos we are dive bombed. Momma is especially irritated at the camera being aimed over her nest.


Their nest is made of mud and they've added three layers of mud to the old nest already. See how beautifully lined it is with soft feathers? We have decided to take photos every couple of days and these were taken June 6.

Today was my "day of beauty" and I spent several hours getting my hair cut and styled and my nails done. My hairdresser is Michelle and she hangs her shingle at The Havens Spa on Otto Road in Weatherford, Texas. Otto Road is the first street to the left on Highway 180 after you pass Highway 730 going toward Hudson Oaks, Texas. You must make a u-turn to get to it. If you need someone to cut and style your hair to your liking, I recommend Michelle, a widow with two teenagers, and a great sense of humor. My manicurist there is Megan. She is young, a single mother of four children, an aspiring writer, and an excellent manicurist. I promise you won't be disappointed and you'll feel beautiful when you leave there.

This is a recipe I discovered in Doug's Diabetes Forecast Magazine. This only thing is trying to find the exact types of mushrooms they recommend. May one possibly assume a mushroom is a mushroom is a mushroom?

Four-Mushroom Salad
4-servings
Serving size: about 1 cup
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes plus cooling time

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. mixed fresh mushrooms (at lease four varieties , such as button, cremini, shitake and trumpet) quartered or roughly chopped (I quartered mine).
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on high heat.
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Stir in white wine, cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove pan cover and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
Transfer mushrooms and their juices to a bowl and stir in rest of ingredients except for cheese.
Let mushrooms cool to room temperature. Divide among 4 salad plates and sprinkle with cheese.

We had these mushrooms with spaghetti tonight and they were delicious. I was unable to find trumpet mushrooms so I used more of the others to make it come out the same weight.

This is all I have to say for now.

Dining, Yucca plants

Yesterday. June 4, 2010 Doug and I met our friends from Arlington, Texas, Sally and Ted Dysart for lunch in a darling restaurant called Bistro Louise. Louise is a cute tiny French woman who is a fabulous gourmet cook in the Mediterranean style. We all chose vegetable lasagna along with various salads and it was exquisite. I highly recommend Bistro Louise.

Sally and Ted are two quite fascinating people. Sally is originally from Mexico and was employed by the Dallas Independent School District in Dallas, Texas for many years, now retired. Ted was born in Cuba of Scottish parents. Both of them have marvelous stories to relate and it's never boring in their company.


Today, June 5, 2010, Doug and I discussed the over abundance of the yucca plant in our area and the fact that we've never seen so many blooming at once. Evidently, the heavy rain we had this year caused them to blossom profusely. We drove down Azle Highway 730 until we came to a field of the lovely plants and Doug took photos to share with you.


In the field of yuccas was a darling little pony who was having a bad hair day and I just loved the way she looked so Doug took a photo of her as well.

If you are not familiar with this plant, there is much information about it on the Internet. There are around 40 species of yucca, but the one most prevalent here in North Texas is the yucca glauca. The yucca plant has long fibrous stalks at the tips of which its pale cream-colored flowers bloom during late spring and early summer. The flower clusters are up to 6 feet long. The plant has wide leaves with sharp edges at its base. Some yucca plants can reach the height of a small tree.

The yucca has a symbiotic relationship with the yucca moth. Each spring, male and female yucca moths emerge from their underground homes and fly to the nearest yucca plants. The pregnant female collects pollen grains within the yucca flowers and assembles them into a pollen mass which she tucks under her chin. She then crawls into flower and lays a single egg into the ovule chamber. After this, the female moth, still carrying the pollen mass, climbs to the top of the ovary and puts the pollen into the flowr stigma by moving her sensory organs back and forth above it. This pollinates the flower in which she has inserted her egg. The germination of the pollen sends many sperm-bearing tubes inside the flower ovary which fertilize hundreds of immature seeds.

This not only insures the perpetuity of the yucca flower but, the relationship is equally vital to the yucca moth. The moth larva hatches within the developing flower ovary and starts feeding on the maturing seeds. This is an important stage in the life cycle of the moth as it later develops from the larva; in the fall the larva comes out of the capsule and lowers itself to the ground where it burrows into the soil and assembles a cocoon. It hibernates over winter and emerges in spring as an adult moth, thus starting the whole cycle all over.

The yucca glauca is the state flower of New Mexico. It is sometimes called Spanish bayonet for its long sharp leaves. Other nicknames are beargrass and soapgrass. Yuccas are native to the West Indies and the word yucca comes from the island of Haiti.

The yucca has a long history of use as a folk remedy employed for treatment of arthritis and rheumatism and is cultivated as an important medicine plant and staple food in South America. Native Americans used the soapy leaves as poultices or for baths for skin sores and sprains as well as to treat burns and abrasions. It has been reported that Native Americans washed their hair with yucca to fight dandruff and hair loss. The stalk, root and leaves are commonly used to make medicines.

I must thank my darling husband, Doug, for all his photography work in my behalf.

Thanks also in order to Sherry Dell, Claire Jeffreys and Kimberly Johnson for their contributions on the Internet to this information on the yucca plant.

This is all I have to say for now.

Eye Doctor, Doss Heritage Center, Laverne Pritchard

Had an appointment with my eye doctor today to check my left eye for the second time after having cataract surgery. My eye is so well that I can wear eye makeup again until I go to have my right eye done on June 16th. Being able to wear eye makeup means a lot to me.


This afternoon, Doug and I went to the Doss Heritage Center (a lovely history museum here in Weatherford) to meet Jamie Bodiford. She is the facilitator of Discover Parker County, an activity of PCWNC. Today we went through the Parker County Sheriff's Posse Historical Exhibit. This group was formed in 1947 and I get the idea that belonging to it is quite prestigious. They have a rodeo every year and this exhibit is a forerunner to the rodeo.

Carol, the docent, also related the story of the chuckwagon in early-day Texas. The first chuckwagon was developed by cowboys working for Col. Charles Goodnight, co-founder of the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail. Cattle drives were started up the Chisholm trail in 1867 with over nine million head of cattle driven from Texas to points north. Cowboys were scarce and Goodnight decided he'd have a hiring advantage by serving quality meals along the trail. Remember that old adage - The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. So, what he really needed was a good cook and a mobile kitchen.


Goodnight purchased a Studebaker war-surplus munitions wagon. He outfitted the wagon with a kitchen on the back and, with the help of his cook, developed an efficient layout that was soon adopted by trail drovers across the west. It was soon realized that the wagon was much too long and heavy. It also carried munitions and about 2,700 pounds of food supplies. As a result, it was killing the animals pulling it. You will note in the photo here that this is a short chuckwagon. They built a shorter chuckwagon and used another wagon behind it to carry munitions, bedrolls and tools. This was a more satisfactory arrangement for the oxen or mules to last through a cattle drive of 1,000 miles.

Many behavioral rules were in place for the cowhands and woe to the one who broke a rule. He didn't eat. Most of the rules were just common sense and courtesy. The cook ruled and the wagon boss even stepped gingerly around him.

They have several ongoing exhibits and I highly recommend visiting the Doss. If you don't live in Weatherford, but happen to be driving through, make a point to visit this fine museum. You'll learn a lot about the history of Parker County and the West.

As it was already 3:30 p.m. and Doug and I hadn't eaten lunch, we decided to dine out. We went to a great restaurant called Booray's in Hudson Oaks. They primarily serve Cajun food and it's always delicious.

We came home long enough to catch the news on TV and headed out again to the Galbraith/Pickard Funeral Home for visitation for Laverne Pritchard. She had a bad fall in her back yard which she didn't recover from. She was a nice lady who had a lifelong love of politics and worked very hard for her favorite candidates. Rest in peace, my friend.

This is all I have to say for now.

Newspaper Quiz, Recommendations

June 1, 2010

Every Tuesday morning in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram is a column titled “Issac Asimov’s Super Quiz”. One is challenged to determine just how brainy one is. Sometimes I do well, but today I did not. The subject is authors and it is a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. I share this obscure information about these authors because one never knows when it will come in handy on Jeopardy or Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The answers are in red.

1. Edgar Allan Poe is considered the first writer of detective fiction. 2. Mark Twain was born and died during Halley’s Comet events. 3. Ezra Pound spent 1946-1958 in the asylum of St. Elizabeths. 4. Ben Johnson was branded for killing a man in a duel. 5. Dante Alighieri spent the last 20 years of his life in exile. 6. Miguel de Cervantes was captured by pirates, enslaved, then ransomed. 7. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first person to be buried in Poets’ Corner (Westminster Abbey). 8. Beatrix Potter was a noted botanist. 9. At college, Lord Byron kept a bear as a pet.

Joe Horner from Little Jack Horner’s Furniture Refinishing in Willow Park, Texas came by this morning and took our game table top to refinish. It has a motley brown finish marred by many nicks and scratches. We’ve decided to have it done in a black satin because the table base and chair frames are made of a gray metal that will look marvelous with the black color. They refinished our dining table two weeks ago and it is beautiful. We highly recommend this company should you need this service.

While I’m in the recommendation mode, I want to tell you about a highly touted book for children that I recently purchased. It is titled “How to Clean a Hippopotamus” written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. The book is about unusual animal relationships. I believe this is called ‘symbiotic’ in some circles. The illustrations are stunning and the information is beautifully presented. Now, I’m not a kid, but I am young at heart and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this little book. I plan to send it to my grandson, Joshua, who is 6 years old and he is reading quite well. If you have children or grandchildren, please consider this book for them. I ordered mine from Amazon.com.

We are thankful this is not another 95 degree day in Texas. We woke up this morning with our air conditioner running constantly and it is apparently low on refrigerant. The serviceman came, cleaned the unit and brought the refrigerant up to par and $224.00 later we have proper air conditioning again. As Gilda Radner said, “It’s always something.”

Have spent another part of this day doing research for “Cherokee Wanderings”. Even though it is historical fiction, one must have the facts of the particular place and time correctly depicted. My research includes the middle 1800’s right after the Civil War and the Missouri/Indian Nation area of the country during this time. Successful authors tell me I must protect the credibility of the story at all times or it will lead to loss of readers.

This is all I have to say for now.