March 2023

It seems like a long month, which I guess it is compared to last month. Wylie women were our guests for spring break. The weather wasn’t great for the most part, too cold and windy. No one seemed to mind much. Jill worked a couple days but took time off toward the end of the week. Wednesday was the only day that wasn’t chilly, but it more than made up for that with wind. In spite of that, we trekked down to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument. I needed to make my quarterly inspection, so I killed two birds, so to speak. Nothing had changed that the state would be interested in for the Great Texas Nature Trail map but we were able to get out of the house for the afternoon.

I thought the girls might like to see Dolomite Point, so after spending a little time at the Alibates HQ where they got their national park passports stamped, we drove down Dolomite Point Road. While at the HQ I spoke to a Ranger who told me which of the two geological features I saw when I was there last year was the Dolomite Point. The other feature is called Chimney Rock and we visited both. We climbed the Point and managed to avoid getting blown off of it. Not wanting to get incinerated if a grass fire got started, we didn’t stay too long in that area before heading for McBride Canyon. It wasn’t too windy down in the canyon, but we were running out of time and didn’t stay long before heading back home for dinner.

The next day it snowed, a little. Would have been a good day for a fire, but I didn’t have any wood in the rick, only some underneath a tree and getting wet. The next day the tiny bit of moisture from the day before was gone. I got a fire going and popped popcorn while the ladies played games. That evening we enjoyed a weenie roast at 2005. Though the air was cold, the wind stopped blowing, the skies cleared and Kari wisely thought we should take advantage. It was pleasant in the sun which made for a nice evening activity. Jill and them returned home Sunday, leaving the same time we three left for church. Sophia and Vivian have volleyball tournaments that will occupy them at Easter, so they won’t be coming back before Red River week, I suppose. There was talk of Kaylee flying here for the Easter weekend since everyone else in the family will be involved with volleyball. However, she decided not to. Guess it will be just the three of us; don’t know if we will hunt Easter eggs.

We attended an Amarillo Symphony concert this month. The concert hall had been damaged around Christmas when the fire sprinkler system malfunctioned and soaked a lot of things that shouldn’t be soaked. The January and February concerts were performed in the Amarillo civic center, which was okay, but we were glad to be back in the symphony hall. The orchestra, Amarillo Choral, a youth choir and the WT choir performed Carmina Burana and I got to tell you, they were magnificent. Most of us are probably familiar with the music, or parts of it, since it has been used in movies, but to hear the whole piece in a live setting with information about the composer (Carl Orf) and what the music is about was very entertaining. They even had an electronic sign that translated the words, which was helpful because the lyrics were in a medieval German dialect. At least, I think that’s what it was. I was a little disappointed when George Jackson was chosen as the new music director last year, but Georgie boy is growing on me.

Some 30 years ago a fellow I worked with gave me a print, why I don’t know. It was an interesting picture, stagecoach and cowboys and stuff. Anyway, all this time I’ve been thinking I should get it framed and hang it somewhere. For the last 15 years I’ve left a spot on the east wall of my office for it and I finally got it framed and hung. When I took it to the framer, she remarked that it was a G Harvey, which didn’t mean anything to me, but after I looked it up, I found his paintings are worth something. I like the picture and the framer did a nice job, looks good on my office wall and learning it has some value doesn’t hurt my feelings.

The mallard pair that, for a number of years, would show up around the first of April and hang around for a month or two haven’t been around the last few years. Rebecca took the above picture when a wood duck couple visited the pond recently. We’ve never seen wood ducks before, only mallards. They didn’t fly off when one of us came around although they kept their distance. I have read they nest in hollow trees, ideally close to or even over water. The hatchlings bail out of the nest right away after hatching and make their way to the water where their mother is quacking encouragement but offering no help. It seems that, because they are so light and fluffy, they don’t suffer from even a long fall from their nest. We don’t have any trees that would qualify for their nesting purposes, that I know of. Now, they could nest in the treehouse. That would be just right, but I doubt they would agree with me. On the other hand, with the drought and all, they may have a tough time finding an ideal nesting spot and opt for something a little different. Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Looks like we will come in under the March moisture average, which isn’t much. The area is still in the throes of a drought. Maybe that will change. Only time will tell. I continue to dig up yucca and trim mesquite out at the Bluff. This week I took my chainsaw with me and whacked off several large limbs on a big mesquite and an even bigger Russian olive that prevented mowing a large area around the trees. I try to make it easier to mow around the trees, figuring that if it’s easier to mow, the nature center grounds will be maintained better. Mowing closer to the trees reduces the amount of trimming necessary.