Spirit Animal in My Travels

 Have you ever wondered, 'What is my spirit animal?'

Or what would appear as your mystical Patronus guardian and protector if you pulled off the magic 'Expecto Patronum' charm?  

The 'Dillo, my spirit animal is conjured in Clayton, New Mexico

I have been conjuring armadillos for some time now, off and on; mostly brought into two dimensional reality to celebrate birthdays and other positive milestones. Perhaps the 'Dillo is my spirit animal, maybe even my Patronus guardian.

Having returned to Texas in March from my home-building project in Northwestern Washington; I reluctantly acknowledged my yet unfinished business in the Pacific Northwest. It was now the last week on June, I packed for my return to the construction site. I had enjoyed the renewed sense of being married, sharing a home and the underrated blessings of a mundane life with my wife. I found an appreciation in the normal tides of life's chores and the casting of plans for some special nights out together.

With Amarillo in my rear view mirror, I drove west on I-40, cutting north up the western edge of the Texas panhandle before turning west and crossing the border into New Mexico. Clayton, the small historic cattle drive town makes a good and frequent place to stop for lunch in my travels.

The Dairy Queen in Clayton is now closed. But, when it was open and serving throngs of Texans passing through, it had historic photos from early 20th Century Clayton on the walls. These photos included scenes from the 1905 hanging in town of the notorious train robber, Black Jack. If one were seated in a specific DQ booth, consuming a basket with a Beltbuster burger, fries and a DQ Blizzard; one of the old photos on the wall showed that the hangman had made the noose at the end Black Jack's rope too long. If one looked closely, it was apparent that Black Jack's head had popped off at the neck when he dropped through the trap door, leaving the formally dressed body slumped beneath the gallows and his head at the feet of the sheriff. Alas, that lunchtime oddity is no longer open for business.

While in Clayton I've enjoyed great chile rellenos at the old Hotel Eklund, roadside taco stands and Tex-NewMex at the Rabbit Ears Cafe. This afternoon, I was seated on the patio of the 87 Restaurant. I was hoping for a chicken fried steak. No dice, they just ran out. Note to self: next time drive faster.

While waiting on the back patio for my enchilada dish to be serve to my table, I noticed boxes of colored chalk available to the patrons. Most people who took chalk to hand merely wrote little passages extolling the virtues of their hometown. I opted to conjure a dining companion. I invited my chalk-rendered armadillo spirit animal to my table, where we discussed our travels. If my dining companion was a fabled magic Shuga Dillo, then he had the power to bless and protect my journey in the coming days. 

My spirit animal rode with me in imaginary form into Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and finally to Washington. I left the chalk dust visage of my spirit Dillo to remain behind at the table to delight later diners with his company. 

I expect he was hosed into oblivion at the close to the day. But I remember his traveling graces fondly from Clayton, New Mexico and the 87 Restaurant.

My advice: Enjoy the journey - and conjure your spirit animal to travel as your companion. But don't get caught robbing any mail trains in Clayton.

Backyard Baby

 Sue's backyard baby has been faithfully cared for; watered, cooed over, exhorted with plenty of CO2 over her dark and handsome foliage.

Hibiscus baby sat there taking it all in on the back deck. Plenty of tropical sunshine, pleasant temperatures, all setting the stage for a magnificent bloom.

She developed a healthy looking bud, teasing as the bud swelled with daily hints of being ready to unfurl her finery... each morning she seemed ready to open up -- but only another tease.

Sue had obligations scheduled far in advance to head-up a youth camp in East Texas, she packed and headed out the door Friday afternoon with the parting admonition; "Be sure to water my Hibiscus baby."

Of course Saturday morning was the long anticipated day of Hibiscus baby's first flower. And what a prodigious, showy first peek came into view with the morning sun.

I took a photo of baby's first steps and texted it to the expectant mother out in East Texas.

I love the rich, sassy beauty of this species. We've had orange and yellow hibiscuses before, but I think this one out shines them all. 

Al Fresco's Dinner Invitation

 The sun hangs low in the western sky. The early summer breeze is light. The intoxicating scent of the magnolia blossoms can faintly be detected.

I tell my sweetheart, "We just got a dinner invitation from Al Fresco, you wanna join me?"

"Al who?"

"Al Fresco. He's a fun, outdoorsy kind of guy. Com'on, it'll be fun!"

She catches on, "What should I wear?"

I wanted to tell her, "Just a smile - and you can leave your hat on," but we both knew that any of our neighbors driving down the alley could look right through our steel picket fence and see us dining al fresco au natural, and that would be inappropriate. Beside the mosquitoes would enjoy us as much as the neighbors. 

"Al Fresco says come as you are. I add, you look lovely in your purple dress."

She sets the table, I select a bottle of wine. With my shrimp alfredo cooked to perfection and served al fresco, we waltz out the back door to our patio and enjoy the company of Al Fresco and intimate little dinner party in the twilight of the Texas sunset. 

Fun al fresco dining & an empty bottle of red wine - with our clothes on

Foggy Bottom Fireflies Flashing for a Mate

 Fireflies, a shining, luminescent mystery of nature. 

I love a mystery. 

I love watching the fireflies flashing their mysterious abdomens in the dusk shrouded woods along Spring Creek, a short distance from our Texas home. 

Sue and I sometimes finish our dinner before the long Texas summer sun sinks into the west. "Leave the dished for later, you wanna go watch fireflies with me?" I ask my girl. She always says "Yep; just let me put some shoes on. Let's go!"

We like to sit on a bench along side the trail, just off the Cretaceous limestone meadow and a few steps into the darkening woods at dusk. It's a grand place to hold hands and watch the frequent warm yellow-green glow of sparking fireflies.

We had a nice thunderstorm pass through in the afternoon, driving away the Texas heat in a humid pleasantness. We skipped along in the growing darkness on a meadow path through wildflowers on the last day of May. Just as the sun goes down, the flirting frenzy of flashing fireflies lights up the undergrowth. 

 

Perhaps we were a wee bit late to the mating dance this night. The flashing males were either a bit spent or many had already gotten lucky, landing alongside a female winking in response to his signaling search. The light show was not as intense and twinkling as we'd seen in these woods on evenings past.

It's still a wonder to behold the cool, bioluminescence of these beetles, one of my favorite things in Texas. With the show winding to a halt as the night shade thickened about us, we left the meadow and the hanging tatters of ground fog. It was a worthwhile event to witness. Ah, the season for splendor in the grass.

For a spontaneous surprise, I took my lady to Feng Cha, a specialty Chinese tea and drink place, on our the way home.  Maybe I can't make my abdomen light up in a lurid, sexy flashing glow this early summer evening; but I have my own ways of getting my girls attention.

Let's go home and make me glow.