Please color my star

Out of the blue today... no where near the star (see pic June 21).

Mommy, the guy didn't paint the star very well.

Why do you say that, K?

It's just brown.

What color is a star supposed to be?

Oh, just all colors. Colors!

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Sunday afternoon in the beach

D laughter playing in the water worth every minute of the 60+ minute drive.

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A Hummingbird

Hey, it's a humming bird outside the window.

Yeah, right - if the boss says so.

We turn the corner and there it is. The boss was right. A humming bird seems to be "trapped" or puzzled by the glass jungle. It comes close to the windows in the building, sees the green across the glass walkway, but can't quite figure out how to get across the man-made barrier.

It was nice to spot the humming bird in its seemingly effortless flight, but at the same time it was sad to see it tangled up in the maze of our buildings.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of visiting Augusto Ruschi's nature center, after years of vacationing just a couple of hours away. Hummingbirds fly free all around the park. Augusto Ruschi devoted his life to the study of plants and animals, mainly orchids and hummingbirds.

Tiger Swallowtail butterflies

Tiger swallow tail butterflies make great running buddies. The black form to the left comes to greet me every time I run by the reservoir. Today was no exception. I took the time to stop and observe it - they are not ones to sit still for long- but it was fun to be able to identify them.

While in NYC, running in the trails I spotted the eastern tiger swallow tail to the right. I noted the blue in the wings and the similarity to the ones I routinely see in Houston, but could not mentally recall the differences.

I borrowed these from the web - the top ones represent their females very well! The males are mostly yellow with black details as the center-bottom shows.

http://www.butterflygardeningandconservation.com/butterfly/st/tiger.php

Photo art projects

Photography art projects... to be started, one day ...

= I-10 road cargo. There are very interesting and artistic loads out there.

= Road construction crews at work. The faces, raw materials and machines behind the scene.

= The fauna, flora and people of Brazos Bend State Park

The joys of commuting

Commuting to work has gained a new dimension since I switched jobs a couple of years ago. From a 1-person, 5-minute ride to a 3-person 30-minute ride across town. Daily entertainement include music, taking pictures of fellow comutters and their cars, trucks, school buses and city buses, spotting flags, watching highway construction and sometimes observing artists at work!

A few weeks back we spotted a guy painting a "Texas Star" on the newly constructed overpass. He was probably 3/4 of the way done. The following day he didn't show up to finish the job, the next day either, then we went out on vacation. Upon our return a couple of week later, K screams from the back seat ... he finished it, he finished it! I look left to find a complete star brightening up the scene. He finished it indeed!

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How does hail form?

Inside of a thunderstorm are strong updrafts of warm air and downdrafts of cold air.

A water droplet can be picked up by the updrafts and carried well above the freezing level. With temperatures below 32F, the water droplet freezes.

As the frozen droplet begins to fall, carried by cold downdrafts, it may thaw as it moves into warmer air toward the bottom of the thunderstorm.

But the little half-frozen droplet may also get picked up again by another updraft carrying it back into very cold air and re-freezing it. With each trip above and below the freezing level the frozen droplet adds another layer of ice.

Finally, the frozen water droplet with many layers of ice - much like the rings in a tree - falls to the ground - as hail!

From http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/cae/svrwx/hail.htm

Adventures in the City

Water play in the park. Stroller rolling.

Dora.

Origami hand puppet in the Library. Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? Bulldozer in the street corner repair.

Late afternoon beach. Sand castles only. No life guards on duty - no swimming.

Safari. Ferris wheel. Skipped nap. Icecream.

Papai.

In the City. Train. Drizzle. Ships. Rain. Thunderstorm. Hail. Lots of water.

Fallen Tree.

Airplane.
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Stunned

First you think it's a joke, then you realized it isn't but don't quite believe it, then you do. Not pleasant.

NYC running weather...

I thought... I'll be in NYC, running will be great - cool, low humidity, etc. etc... yeah, wrong!

As GPa said when he greeted us at the airport. "You came to bring a taste of Texas to NY. Yesterday it was nice and cool - but today, you'll see!" And he wasn't kidding. Hot and humid!

The upside was a great trail run on Sunday morning and a couple of runs through the main road in a forested park. New sights and sounds. It's nice to be startled by squirrels and chipmunks rustling leaves on the ground on their way up the treetrunks.

I must confess, though. I am still expecting a bit of cooler weather before I leave. Haven't checked the forecast. Hopefully I'll be surprised!

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Walking and running different "views"

I was out for a walk yesterday taking the same route as my run the previous day.

I was surprised how much I'd missed during my run - the details and diversity of the trees in the Park, the hidden paths coming out of the main road, the greater awareness of the sounds, the birds, squirrels, chipmunks.

I was happy to rediscover the rewards of walking with nature. D fell asleep to the birds' singing in the forest half way through our trip and also arrived home happy and relaxed.

Papai?!

D - Papai?! Papai!

Papai is travelling, my love...

I get a big big smile each time after this brief exchange that happens several times a day. It's not that we're happy that Papai is travelling, but that we understand that he'll be back soon.

Mommyyyyy, my eyes!

After 10h+ of sleep...

Good morning, sweety!

Hi, Mommy. (rolling around a few times)

Mommy, Mommy, Mommyyyyyyy!

What is it, sweety, what is the problem?!

My eyes, my eyes! They keep closing!? I can't keep them open. (Extremely frustrated, fighting and rubbing eyes, truly puzzled...) They keep closingggg!

Why don't you sit up. That might help you.

O.K. That worked!

A few secs later, back to lying down and rolling around. But this time happily in control of eyelids!

Soaring high

A hawk greeted me half way through my lunch time run today. What a graceous flight! Several white ibises lounged in the distance.

On this same route a few weeks ago, a beautiful black and yellow butterfly kept me company.

The heat and humidity makes running outside a bit more 'challenging', but you don't get butterflies and hawks by your side in the AC gym...

World Map Floor Puzzle

A new world map floor puzzle is sparking our imagination for future travels again!

We start with NYC to visit GpaG and GmaM.