Friendly Neighborhood Insect & Mouse Killer

Wiki says:

"Tarantulas mainly eat insects and other arthropods, using ambush as their primary method of prey capture. The biggest tarantulas can kill animals as large as lizards, mice, and birds. Tarantulas are found in tropical and desert regions around the world. Most tarantulas are harmless to humans..."

That last sentence is very nice to know. Especially when I walked into the guest bedroom one morning and found this guy just sitting there in the middle of the floor. Not sure if he was sick or just REALLY slow, but he didn't even react to me at all when I gently escorted him outside. Figured I should do that just in case some future guest did not appreciate his help with insects & mice.

Starry Starry Night

I recently acquired this telescope from my somewhat over-telescoped friend Mark, figuring Wimberley would be the perfect place to put it to good use. By pure coincidence, Alex has just started taking a college astronomy class and was able to get it set up and pointed toward Jupiter and four of it's moons. The four moons that Galileo could see, but I'm sure we have much greater clarity.

I grew up in the country and always saw tons of stars. But the starry night I remember most is one after living in the city for years and then taking a trip to the country. Going outside late at night and being struck dumb by the countless expanse and pure beauty of something that's out there all the time. There but unseen because I had forgotten how to look. So Wimberley to me represents a great chance to look again. Look closer. And doing that with my family is just about as good as it gets.

Painted Bunting

Someday I'll get a really good photo my favorite but elusive bird, but this will do for now.

Oprah goes to Wimberley

Oprah Winfrey made a short visit to our kitchen in Wimberley yesterday. Just long enough for me to get this picture. Her show was all about a 900 pound, eighteen year old lady. Great, just great. Maybe I should invite her back again someday to be the first person to host a special remote show about something a little more enlightening. Anything else, please.

Nature Wins Again

The great drought of '09 has taken another victim. After six years and lots of pampering, this live oak in our back yard is now a dead oak. Although the drought has been bad enough by itself, it's been coupled with many weeks of temperatures over 100 degrees. Someday maybe I'll go back to the drawing board again and plant another one, in another spot with even more topsoil brought in. But for now I'll just sigh and hum the song "It's Nature's Way".