Sven Loves Danger Girl

We had our first big freeze last night. When I went out with Max this morning our neighbor’s back yard was covered in this stuff:

It turns out that this stuff is called frost flowers. This only happens with certain plants and only under certain conditions. Basically, the freezing air causes the moisture in the plant stem to freeze and extrude in these forms that look sort of like cotton candy.

It looks like it’s going to be soft and sticky but actually it’s more hard and crunchy.

Because it’s frost, it melts as soon as the temperature gets above freezing. Amazing!

Texas Parks and Wildlife explains frost flowers in greater detail.

You can’t run alongside your grown children with sunscreen and ChapStick on their hero’s journey. You have to release them. It’s disrespectful not to.     ~ Anne Lamott

Stocked up on Candy Cane ice cream and Fresca – all set for Abby to come home.

We are finally getting some fall color in South Texas.

“How powerful a presence is his absence”

~ from a poem by Fred Chappell

Have I mentioned how much I love Haiku? Haiku is the Japanese short form poetry with a 5-7-5 syllable count,

I read this great article in the New York Times; In Japan, Haiku on the Rocks. They write about the town of Matsuyama, Japan the birthplace of the 19th century Haiku Master, Masaoka Shiki.

This town is all about Haiku!  In Matsuyama  there are 93 Haiku Boxes located throughout the town. Everyday folk can just stop to jot down a Haiku and drop it in the box!

Well naturally I’m in love with this idea. I may ask Paul to install some Haiku Boxes around our house – so I’m ready when the Haiku muse strikes.

I’ll close this with this Haiku…

Consider me
As one who loved poetry
And persimmons.
– Masaoka Shiki

Date night concluded with these intriguing fortune cookies:

Paul is getting the surprise. I’m getting the advice. I like that they are both pretty specific about the timeline.

We just got back from a quick trip to Ink’s Lake where we met up with our friends, Margaret and Jon. Camping in our respective RVs, we had front row seats to the incredible bird life on and around the lake. We nearly lost Margaret to a rather aggressive goose.

My takeaway from this trip: S’mores, made with marshmallows roasted over a campfire, on a chilly Texas day, in the company of good friends, are absolutely worth the calories!

Homemade pretzels and homemade mustard – a gift for my friend Liz who has earned her Ph.D. As smart as she is she will probably realize there are eight pretzels in this photo and she’s only getting seven. I ate one…quality control!