Springtime Photo Shoot with Kay

The bluebonnets are in full bloom - a sure sign that winter is over and spring has arrived in Central Texas. Last Thursday my friend, Kay, and I drove to the Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area, located in Spicewood, Texas, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. This park sits along the shore of Lake Travis and, at this time of year, is carpeted with bluebonnets. It was a perfect site and a lovely day for a photoshoot.

As we drove out of the recreation area, after a successful day of photography, we saw one last scene that we wanted to photograph. We pulled the car over, trudged through some weeds and grasses to get the best shot, and then headed back to the car. As I was buckling my seatbelt, I started to feel fierce stinging and burning on both of my ankles. I hitched up the legs of my jeans and, with horror, found a party of fire ants dancing over both of my ankles. I opened the car door and poured a bottle of water over my ankles, which washed the ants off. I put up with the stinging for the rest of the day, because no fire ants were going to spoil our plans for lunch at the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls.

I understand that some days the wait-line stretches clear across the Blue Bonnet Cafe's large parking lot, and the wait can be an hour or more. But we were lucky. I think we only waited in line for about 20 minutes. This cafe has been serving up lunches and, most notably, delicious pies since 1929. We both enjoyed lunch, and made sure to save room for pie. I had banana cream, and it was great. I ordered a take-out piece of pecan pie to bring home to Dan.

Although we took almost all of our pictures at Muleshoe Bend Rec Area, we also oohed and ahhed at all of the wildflowers growing alongside the road as we traveled to and from the park. It was nearly impossible to find a place to safely pull the car over to take pictures. Kay did snap this one out of the passenger side window, and I think it's really cute.

This might have to be an annual trip for the two of us. I recently sold my DSLR, finding that I seldom used it any more, due to its weight and bulkiness. So these pictures were taken with my iPhone camera. However, I have my eye on a super little compact point and shoot with a great zoom lens. Maybe I'll have it in time for the 2025 bluebonnet season.

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In case some of you have never had experience with fire ants (lucky you!), here's a photo of one of my ankles the day after the attack. It's day #6 today. The stings still look ugly, but the stinging and itching have stopped.

Our New Astrophotography Blog

In an effort to keep track of our astrophotography images, I wanted to keep a journal. The more I thought about it, the more I felt drawn to documenting it all on a blog site, instead. So I have started that project ... still a work in progress. 

Please check it out at https://astrojudds.blogspot.com. 

It is titled "Lift Up Your Eyes and Look to the Heavens (Isaiah 40:26)". I hope you will come often to see what's new. Our most recent image is of the Rosette Nebula, and is featured at the top of the first page.

2023 Holidays

Where did the time go?! It flew by so quickly, and I neglected to keep my blog up to date. Thanksgiving passed, as did Christmas and New Year's Day. Each of those days were full of joy for us, and two of them - Thanksgiving and Christmas - were spent with family. 

Thanksgiving, for Dan and me, was spent in Houston, with Chris, Kelsey, Clara and Robert. Chris was still undergoing chemo treatments, but he was feeling well and able to enjoy the day along with the rest of us. In fact, it was he and Robert who prepared a charcouterie board, which kept us all fed throughout the day. We didn't try to do a big feast, but chose, instead, to keep the day low-key and calm, especially for Chris' sake. The day after Thanksgiving we all went over to the nearby park so that I could take some photos of the Houston Judds. Kelsey was hoping to get a few good ones to put on their family Christmas card. We were successful, and here is the card she made and sent out.

Christmas was spent at our house. The family all came here, arriving on different dates and at different times. Tim was first to arrive, on the evening of December 22. He drove straight through from Albuquerque, so arrived tired and hungry. On Saturday, Chris arrived around noon, along with Thor (Clara's corgi). That evening, as we sat at the table for dinner, I was struck by the fact that I couldn't remember the last time JUST the four of us - Dan, our two sons, and I - were all together. The reason that Chris came alone was because Kelsey and the kids had gone to Pecos to spend a few days with her family. She left Pecos early on Christmas morning, and arrived at our house mid-afternoon. After she and the kids caught their breath from their journey, we opened presents. The gifts this year were mostly for the kids. As Dan and I said many times, our gift was having Chris successfully through his chemo treatments and feeling well, and having the whole family together. It was a wonderful Christmas.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were both very quiet at our house. We didn't do anything special. I actually went to bed on New Year's Eve around 10:30. I read awhile and then fell asleep. I woke to the booms of fireworks, at midnight, so I did "see the new year in," though it was from my pillow.

2023 Christmas Letter