Backyard Spring

Our two Desert Tortoises, Isaac and Chomper, tucked themselves in under the secretary in the kitchen nook back in October for their winter's hibernation.  On the 10th of March, Isaac had his internal hibernation alarm clock go off, and he propelled himself into the center of the kitchen where I found him blinking his sleepy eyes when I came in to make my breakfast.  I carried him outside into the morning sunshine and plopped him down in front of a patch of bright yellow and tasty dandelions.  His brother Chomper, followed him out from under the secretary 3 days later.

It was The First Day of Spring.

I was enjoying sitting in the backyard and taking in the Texas sun before it got too dang hot and miserable - which it will sooner than later.  I saw that an American Anole had also come out to catch some rays and perhaps some bugs.  I got my camera and snapped a photo of these backyard spring day denizens.

Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) suns himself in the backyard wisteria
The First Day of Spring

Chomper one of the Desert Tortoises
Comes out for a Dandelion Feast
on the First Day of Spring

Then old Strider with his creaky joints decided to come out and lay on the lawn with his master, so I got a photo of him as another one of the Backyard Critters on the First Day of Spring.

Pi Day

March 14, 2015
3-14-15
3.1415
Pi = 3.1415926
π

And also a pastry.

Pi Day
Pie Day
Make mine rhubarb!

It was all over the papers, and radio and TV and everywhere.
March 14, the numeric calendar date coincides with the constant value derived from the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter: 3.14.  A mathematical/calendar and pastry pun!  It works on so many levels.

This year was all the more special because the representation of the date when you include the year ran the value of pi out to 4 decimal places. 3.1415

Kind of nerdy and kind of tasty.  Sue asked, "What kind of pie for pi day?"  I suggested using the jar of rhubarb in the pantry.  Baked at 350 degrees and done! Umm, Ummm.

Out of the oven and served at 9:26; all the better because this runs the pi decimals all the way out to 7 places - how cool is that? 3.1415926.

Make it Stop

It was a dark and stormy night.  
I cleaned up the kitchen and pressed the button to started the dishwasher into action.  Now, Sue is inspired to do something fancy-special in the kitchen.  So she goes about messing up the newly cleaned up kitchen work space.  

She selects a recipe for a rich chocolate on chocolate tort.  The basal layer of a crunchy chocolate scone, piled with chocolate mousse and covered with marionberry & chocolate cake.  Set the timer and wait.

The chocolate tort comes out of the oven.  The layers are assembled and she carves me a piece to indulge my sweet tooth.  It is rich and oh so good.  Eat too much at once and die - but what a way to go!

While in the process of baking one of the layers, she yellers upstairs to where I am slaving on taxes; "Hey, remember awhile back when we couldn't get the timer on the microwave to stop beeping?  Well, it is doing it again.  Do you remember how to make it stop?"

Truth is, we did have this issue maybe 2 years ago.  And as I recall, I logically figured out how to make the beeping stop.  I was a hero.  But, this time, I stare at the control panel of the micro wave - and nothing I try makes the beeping stop.  

24 Hours a Day.  Every bleeping minute. There it goes again, every 60 seconds; a piercing "beeep".  I look, I think, I try everything.  I unplug the microwave oven and yet it continues it relentless attack like a beheaded serpent.  Beeep. Beeep.  Beeep.

After a couple of days, Sue returns to the internet.  Google: "Incessant beeping, microwave."  Google fails us.  
Fall back position; Whirlpool Appliance Helpline, "Can I help you?"
No mam, I've never heard of that before. 
Have you tried unplugging the appliance?  
Let me ask around. [pause for several minutes to mix 'on-hold muzak' with background beeping]  
Sorry mam, nobody around here has ever hear of that problem, sorry and good luck.  

We discuss our dilemma after dinner.  I figured this out before - why can't I make it stop this time.  What did I do last time?  This is driving me loco.

We discuss our failure to make it stop out loud while I head to the microwave panel one more time.  I say while en-route,  "What if it ISN'T the microwave?!"
The wife yells, "It's the damn dishwasher!!!  Get it!"

Sue had opened the dishwasher to retrieve a needed implement while baking the tort, prior to the appliance finishing its cycle.  There it sat with a malicious 'one-eyed green light' glowing at the end of the counter; beep, beep, beep...

We reset the dishwasher panel and collapsed in peace. 

Always check your assumptions.  As it it said, to assume is to make an ass of u & me.  Now, how about another piece of that triple chocolate tort.  I can eat it and die in peace.

February Quite Contrary

February can be oh so contrary:

February 2, Ground Hogs Day.  Sue came to downtown Garland and met me at my office at 11:30.  We walked to the downtown square and waited for Gretchen, a Georgia ground hog (Marmota monax) to make her noon appearance.  It was a brisk cold and sunny day.  His Honor the Mayor, read out the proclamation that Gretchen had seen her shadow and thus the prognosticator had promised six more weeks of winter.  There was a food truck that served sandwiches and barbecued sausage.  So we had lunch downtown al fresco as well.
   That evening we stepped into the Plaza Theater off of Garland's Square to attend a free cinematic showing of Bill Murray's, Ground Hogs Day.  We sang, Sonny & Cher's hit; "I got you babe" on the drive home.

February 11, our first daffodil blooms in mild 60 degree day - about average for these parts.

February 14, Valentine's Day.
We have a picnic lunch and do some hiking around Collin County Prairie Hill Preserve in near 80 degree sunny weather.

February 22. Washington's Birthday.
I fly the Stars and Stripes from the front porch.  The following day brings a half-inch of sleet and freezing rain to glaze the roads and frost our budding saucer magnolia and cover our daffodils.













February, a short month.  But a huge variety of weather has been packed into a short span.  Everything from sunshine in 80 degrees to rain, sleet, ice and snow with wind chill factors dropping the February air into the low 20's. 
Oh so contrary is February.