Wha-cha-doing?

Our days are pretty much the same.  We spend a lot of time on our computers.

We’ve been working on a few blogs.  I've been looking for new recipes to try, and looking for new crochet patterns.

I’ve been copying all our posted blogs into Word documents.  It’s a slow process but we’ll be glad to have copies if anything ever happens to Blogger.  I’ve already found that some of our earlier posts have pictures missing. 

I have a large stack of old photos that I’ve been scanning.  This is also a slow process and takes quite a bit of time.

 

Mark and I both spend quite a bit of time on a language learning website called Duolingo.  We’re studying Spanish.  I’ve been studying almost 2 years and Mark is going on 3 years.  There is so much to learn.  

You have probably heard the advice that when you get older you should learn a foreign language to keep your mind sharp.  It sounds easy right?  It’s not!  It is hard work.

 I’m still crocheting and have already made 20 afghans this year.

 

I also enjoy sitting out on the deck and reading (when it’s not 100 degrees).

We have this wonderful electronic picture frame that displays hundreds of photos.  I’ve been going through years of pictures to add to it. 

We don’t have a lot of wall space in our house (we have a lot of windows) but we have been doing a little decorating.  You can probably tell we really like to display our photographs.

I like to have a picture to go with the souvenir.

The middle picture shows me with the young lady

that made the blue parrot mask.  (Panama)

Panama and Costa Rica souvenirs. 

Louisville slugger museum.

Back in March we were supposed to travel to Colombia on a birding trip.  That trip has been rescheduled for October.  We study the birds for our trip using the flashcard method.  For our Colombia trip we’ll be learning 400 birds. 

400 Flashcards.

Booted Racket-Tail 

Staying home with a lot of time on our hands has got us thinking of future trips.  I gave these books to Mark for his birthday.  Can you guess where we’re going?

 

We have scheduled a 3 week trip to Brazil for next June.  We’ll have over 600 birds to learn for this trip! 

Mark also spends quite a bit of time on his computer.  In fact, he recently treated himself to a custom built computer.

They thoughtfully included instructions on how to take the computer out of the box.

The instruction manual will probably come in handy.

Do you know what you get when you order a custom-built computer?  

Well, you get an awesome computer that runs high-powered programs like Photoshop in a fraction of the time of even a good laptop. For you techies out there, the computer has the latest Intel i9 processor, 64 GB Ram, a 1TB solid state drive and an 8TB hard drive. Finally, a very high performance video card that is used by Photoshop and its accessories to speed things up even more. (This paragraph was written by Mark, in case you couldn't tell.  The paragraph I wrote said "Well, you get a computer").

Do you know what you don't get? Anything else.  No keyboard, monitor, not even a free mouse. I guess they expect you to use accessories of your liking. 

He has been spending a lot of time printing out the flashcards for our Brazil trip.  It’s going to take a lot of time to develop and print out 400-500 flashcards.  Some of the birds we already have flashcards from past trips.

He also got a new Canon "Supertank" style printer that uses ink tanks and ink refills instead of replacement inkjet cartridges. We have spent a ridiculous amount of money on expensive inkjet cartridges over the years and hope that this is a smarter answer. We'll see. 

 

He’s been doing some maintenance jobs like cleaning out the rain gutters and installing new rubber seals on the outside storage areas in the RV. 

He’s been very busy with consulting work and has spent a few early mornings flying his model airplanes and taking critter pictures around our place.  He hasn’t gotten back into disc golf since his back surgery.

After waiting (and waiting) for information about our summer volunteer assignment, we decided to go ahead and cancel.  

I’ve gotten my vitrectomy eye surgery rescheduled for June 24th.  Between having the number one surgeon in this area and our travel schedule, I was having a hard time trying to get a surgery date.  

We decided that staying home and getting this taken care of is the best thing to do.

Our days are pretty much the same over and over again.  We’re busy and the days go by very fast.

So, what are ya'll doing with your days?

Teri

Do Not Forget the Camera!!

I heard a lot of bird song this morning and stepped out onto the back deck to listen and watch. As I was standing there I thought, "I'll bet something good is going to fly in, and here I stand without the camera".

Sure enough, within seconds a beautiful Yellow-throated Warbler flew down to the bird bath and began to bath.  I watched it for a bit, kicking myself for not being able to take a picture.  Once the bird flew up into the tree I slid back inside and quietly returned with the camera. After about ten minutes the warbler returned and I got some nice shots.  Lesson learned, maybe...

Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Mark

More from the Game Cam

We have continued to run the Game Cam in our "backyard" every evening, and some days we let it run into the morning as well.

'Tis the season for fawns, and with the large number of deer around here we've seen plenty!  This mom brought her twins by for a drink of water this morning.

The bucks are also starting the grow their antlers. This one is starting to fork and you can see that they are covered with the fuzzy "velvet" that grows the antlers. It will dry up and they'll rub it off when their antlers stop growing in late summer/early fall. 

Here is a picture from about a week ago of a smaller buck in the daylight. 

This opossum has decided to act like a raccoon and walk around in the bird bath. 

Otherwise, life goes on.  As my Mom says, we are having "rerun days".  Good description!

Mark

The Hill Country - Part 2

Several people have asked to see pictures of our "home base" here in the Hill Country.  This will give you a little glimpse of our place.

There are many beautiful wildflowers and cactus blooming.

Cactus and Rosemary - about the only plants deer won't eat.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Cholla Cactus

Twisted Yucca

Rosemary

There are a lot of options for your site.  Some folks just back in their RV and they’re finished.

Some people build enormous covers over their RV’s.  In the Texas heat a cover is almost mandatory! 

Some people go all out with outbuildings and decking.  Any improvements must be approved by the management.

There is a little yard art on some sites.

There are a lot of deer!

We bought our place in December 2010.  It is a 400 square foot park model home with a 400 square foot deck with a small building that Mark uses as an office.  We can park our RV right next to the deck, with full hookups.

When we bought our place, we thought it would be a place to stay a couple of weeks a year.  We would drop off winter clothes and pick up summer clothes.  Drop off bird books from one area of the country and pick up bird books for another area.  It has turned out to be a perfect place.  It's small but very comfortable.

Hope you have enjoyed our little tour.  

We have heard that some people have not been able to leave comments.  Mark has looked into this and discovered it might be a privacy setting on certain cell phones.  You can always e-mail if there is a comment you would like to make.

Teri

This Is Why We Call It The Hill Country

When I was young, I thought the hills of Austin were mountains.  It wasn’t until I left Texas for the first time in 1980, when Mark and I went to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, that I realized what a mountain really looks like.  So, even though we don’t have mountains we do have hills - a lot of hills.

Mark and I started walking a few months ago around our RV resort.  This is a nice area on about 75 acres with very few RV sites.

We have a couple of routes picked out that Mark has GPS’s so that we walk 3 - 3 1/2 miles.  Typically, we don’t walk together.

One of my favorite walks is “up the hill” to the water tower.  We’re having to get up earlier and earlier to get out before the brutal heat and humidity make it almost impossible to be outside.  Right now, we start walking about 6:15.

We have beautiful sunrises (and sunsets too). 

Sunrise off our front deck.

I leave the house and walk down the road toward the entrance to our resort.

 

Someone spent a lot of time outlining this 

flowerbed in the shape of Texas.

Along the way there are plenty of flowers and even a fig tree to look at. 

Little figs just getting started.

Vervain (Verbina)

Mexican Hat

The gate opens at 7:30 but can be opened manually if you know where the hidden button is, or opens automatically if a car drives up to it.

I turn around at the gate and keep going.  Past the office/clubhouse. 

There are critters to see. 

After passing the pool and exercise building, the road starts heading up.

 

It’s a little steep but not too bad.  After a little while the road turns right and goes up a little more steeply. 

Up to the Inn on the Hill.

 

The Inn is a beautiful house that the past owners built.  Their plan was to have a cooking school.  Their plans fell through and the house was never used for that purpose.  There is an apartment on one end, a huge open area with a large kitchen and living room in the middle and two private bedrooms with baths on the other end.  Both bedrooms are very large.  There is another kitchen on this end also.

The only way to get a reservation at the Inn is if you are a family member or friend of someone who lives here. 

A little way past the Inn the road makes a sharp left and gets even steeper.

 

Finally, with the water tower in sight you know the up-hill struggle is almost over. 

The water tower is in the upper right hand corner.

You turn around to start back down and the view will take your breath away.

Unfortunately, my little camera doesn’t really capture how beautiful the Hill Country is.

See that house on the next hill?  If you’re interested, it’s for sale for $1.7 million. 

The house is on the right side of the hill.

After enjoying the view, while catching my breath, I start back down.  

Going down is a lot easier on the heart but a lot harder on the knees!  That little red dot is Mark going up the last leg to the water tower. 

There are 52 RV lots.  There are no RV sites up the hill.  All the sites are in the lower, flat area.

I walk back to the gate, turn around, then have a decision to make.  Back up the hill or around the RV resort?

I make my decision next time.