Friendship Bracelet, Rockport Beach, Texas April 2019
Found this friendship bracelet in the wrack line during one of my beach strolls last week. I suppose this means I am now besties with some stranger somewhere. Fine by me, we can all use more friends…
I beachcombed these toys during my daily walks along Rockport Beach over the past couple months. I found them in this order, from left to right, and it made me chuckle when I realized they formed a pretty accurate timeline of the modes of transit in my life.
I grew up with ponies and horses but my favorite was Pancho. After school and on weekends (basically, any chance I got) we’d meander trails through the desert. I preferred riding bareback as it was the fastest way to freedom. On our way home I’d drop the reins around his neck and lay back to watch the sky. I’d share my young cares and worries, as well as my farfetched dreams, with my sweet pony; my head lolling side to side on his rump as he’d carefully walk us home.
Later, as a teenager I spent one summer zipping around a small town in Illinois on a moped. Okay, so it wasn’t a motorcycle, but I still loved that feeling of the breeze flowing freely through my hair. I’ll admit the coolness factor of my moped was lessened by the basket up front but at least it came in handy. After I found a momma dog and her puppies at an abandoned farmhouse, most of my time was occupied collecting bottles along the roadside and redeeming them for the deposit so I could buy her dog food.
A few more years passed before I finally had my first car. The lure of the open road was (and remains) strong. I love that feeling of liberation when I open a map and follow a blue highway to anywhere. I’ve driven in all 50 states as well as through huge chunks of Canada. Along the way, I’ve logged 750,000 miles in ten different vehicles (yes, one of them was red and a couple were SUVs). Since I still love to explore, I have a shot at hitting a million in my lifetime.
Funny what you’ll find on the beach…
I call bs on the phrase, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Setting aside my aversion to roses, anyone who believes that saying has never been called pulchritudinous. Instead of making me feel beautiful, the word gives me the creeps. Try saying it out loud, it sounds like someone hacking up a hairball. It should be a description for a nauseating odor. (Ed. Note: I’ve never been called pulchritudinous. This is just the kind of thing I think about while feverishly fighting a cold. So I thought I’d share it with you. You’re welcome.)
Prickly Pear Flower, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, Brownsville, Texas March 2019
I collect sunsets. I suppose I take after my dad in that regard. He collects clouds. He’s especially fond of the towering thunderheads that are good omens of rain. That penchant is understandable, since he was born and raised in the arid Sonoran Desert.
Our collections differ in that I capture mine digitally and store them on a hard drive for potential later use, whereas his exist only as mental snapshots, stored in his mind palace. To each his own.
My beachcombing career really started reaping rewards this week. Literally:
Beach Comb
Figuratively:
Fishing Lure, Bracelet, $.41
And don’t forget the little gifts that artists leave behind for me to find:
Shark!
The downside to strolling the beach every day; sand everywhere. I am constantly finding sand in the most unusual places (no comment). And yes, I can feel your sympathy for me all the way over here…
I was fortunate to recently attend the Luck Reunion held at Willie Nelson’s ranch outside of Austin. The music festival derives its moniker from his fortuitously-named ranch. At first glance, the appellation seems appropriate considering Willie’s long and tumultuous career. But when I mull it over, I really think a better epithet would be Perseverance. During his 86 years, there were a multitude of setbacks:
Instead of giving up, Willie persistently pursued his passion; music. Over his 75 year career 46 of his albums charted in the top ten, he co-authored several books, and acted in 30 films. Oh, and remember that trouble with the IRS? While working to resolve his debt, Willie continued his involvement with Farm Aid (a benefit concert series he founded with John Mellencamp and Neil Young).
I’m not claiming Willie is a hero (though his album Heroes is fantastic, you should check it out) but I do admire how hard he worked to follow his passion. His life brings to mind the title of a book by Pema Chödrön, “Fail, Fail again, Fail better.” I would call it moxie or grit or even perseverance. But it damn sure wasn’t luck.
I am no fan of eating oysters but I am now a fan of the Fulton Oysterfest! The party kicked off with a carnival, live music, and foggy fireworks on Thursday evening. Every day was jam-packed with performances and events (like oyster eating and shucking contests).
This was the 40th year for the event which raises money for the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department. My favorite part was watching my friends of the band Whiskey Bent take the stage on Sunday afternoon.
I didn’t have much time to rest as I was on the road by noon on Monday. A month ago I learned that the Zac Brown Band was playing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and I jumped at the chance to see them. My concert ticket included admission to the rodeo so I went early to check out the scene.
I grew up with horses and helped show Quarter Horses as a teenager, so it was a trip down memory lane. The band rode the stage as it was wheeled out to the center of the arena after the last event. The lights went down and the sound went up. I had heard they put on a good show and they did not disappoint. It was a rowdy, toe-tapping evening!
I wrapped up my musical week by attending the Luck Reunion, a festival held at Willie Nelson’s ranch outside of Austin. To keep it intimate they only sell 2,000 tickets which they make available by a series of lotteries. I stumbled upon a link from Southwest Airlines three weeks ago and was over the moon to get a ticket. I knew it would be a lot of events in one week but when you get a chance to hang out at Willie Nelson’s, you’d be crazy to pass it up.
The layout was fantastic; six stages were spread out among an Old West movie set which included a saloon, jail, and chapel among other buildings. Scattered around were sitting areas and places to spread out a blanket. Food trucks had a variety of vittles available for purchase. Of course, there was a ton of merch. Amazingly, the beverages were free (Lagunitas beer, Patron Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Tito’s Vodka, as well as cold-brew coffee and bottled water).
A light breeze kept the warm and sunny day from becoming uncomfortable. And comfort was the theme. The mellow vibe felt like a big family reunion. Musicians strolled through the crowd, joining friends on stage for impromptu jam sessions. Each and every act I watched mentioned how grateful they were to be there. The hardest part for me was choosing which group to watch; The Marcus King Band, Nathaniel Rateliff, Steve Earle, and Mavis Staples, among two dozen others.
As the sun went down, the other stages went dark. Everyone gathered around the main stage to watch the talented Nelson family. Paula Nelson started off with a set of country classics; Micah Nelson played his unworldy music as Particle Kid; Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real followed with their recent thought-provoking hits; and after one last set change, Willie walked out to a standing ovation.
The family was clearly up there to have fun, mixing standard Willie songs like On the Road Again with newer ones like Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die. They cheekily sang It’s Hard to Humble before filling the stage with other musicians to wrap up the show with Will the Circle Be Unbroken. I feel lucky to have attended such a phenomenal event!
I was fooled by these two aptly named Tropical Leafwings (Anaea aidea). If they hadn’t opened their wings I never would’ve noticed them, their camouflage is that good. I wish I had been able to get a better look at their vibrantly red open wings. However, this pair was too busy flirting to accommodate me.
A male Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) showing off his reddish dewlap. Though not true chameleons, anoles can change colors. The change from green to brown is not used for camouflage but in response to stress or other environmental factors. This one appeared pretty relaxed as he regarded me.
Spring is here, according to the flowers that are popping up. The Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is, quite fittingly, the state flower. I remember reading about bluebonnets as a child and yearning to see them. I think the name added a certain allure.
I was rather disappointed when I later discovered that they were just lupines (which we have several species of in my childhood state of Arizona). Not to detract from their appeal, they are still lovely splashes of color.
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