Robert (gurdonark) wrote,
Robert
gurdonark

New Trails and Species 81

Mid-morning Saturday I drove to Story Park in Allen. I got there many weekends, because this park features wide open fields and few visitors. I saw a number of species there, and in particular the Blue Jay. I then went to Green Park with similar results. In the late afternoon, we walked on the trails near the new high school STEAM facility not far from our home. But we figured out that some trails were for school kids only.  This marks a change from most public parks, which are open in non-school hours to everyone.  But we found the E. Rowlett Trail, a city trail, and had a very nice walk of over two hours. Most walkers maintained wide space, though a couple of bicyclists wore no scarf and came too close. I wore my scarf and kept my distance. Fortunately, few people were on the path, despite the lovely Spring weather.

We ordered Thai food for pick-up from Thai Pan. I picked up our meal. The restaurant remained take-out only, and had  6 foot spacing requirement. I noted with approval that the restaurant maintained an aquarium of red wagtail platys. The size of some platys indicated that the platys raised young in the tank. I much prefer freshwater aquaria to saltwater aquaria. The platys looked pretty good, except for the one that had departed this life.

. The packaging leaked, but we got dinner done without too much trouble. I had pad gratiem prik and monsoon rolls.

Years ago, I purchased a computer program called Fleximusic Composer. It cost $ 20 as shareware, maybe fifteen years ago. Recently, the man in India who created it sent out an email asking for donations for a new effort. I decided to see if the program would work on Linux via WINE. It did, but for the manual. So as a matter of good will, I sent in another $ 20. The author wrote me to say he would try to get me a .pdf version oft the manual.  Of course, asking for a .pdf of anything is like admitting one's jurassic heritage.  I actually would accept any format I can read. I played with the program, which is a sample-based looping sequencer. It is easy enough to use, but I will have to practice to remember how to use it well. I would like to create my own sample library eventually, as well, as I prefer wind instruments made of root-beer-bottles-half-filled-with-water to flutes when I make music.

I got a good night's sleep. At some point, I installed Tome, a Rogue-like game, on my laptop. But I dislike any game in which I am to be pestered by a village idiot unless I slay this non-player-character. I must find a Rogue-like game without violence or rogues.

My weight stayed exactly the same this week. The  fix I worked out for Zoom, a USB microphone and headphone connector, solved that problem.

Today is Mother's Day, and I feel a wave of grief. But I still like this holiday.

This morning I walked around Glendover Park. I saw my first Yellow-Crowned Night Heron of the year at the pond. It was struggling in its effort to open a turtle shell and eat the turtle inside. When I passed by, its efforts remained unsuccessful, but the operations remained underway.

I dined at lunch on scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, and two 4 x 4 waffles without syrup. 

I went back today to the trail intersection on Exchange Boulevard that we visited last night. This time I took the other trail that branched at that point, the Ridgeview Trail. This trail turned out to be a trail that existed there for a long while, as far back as when we moved here roughly 18 years ago. When I first began my walk, I saw a set of Cliff Swallows.Later I saw my first Eastern Kingbird of the year. I took a photo of a huge Red-Tailed Hawk in a bare tree. A man and his small son came by. I kept a distance. We had a nice discussion, as I identified the bird for them and assured that it was supposed to be here.

Near home, I saw in the sky my first Common Nighthawk of the year. This brought my Collin County count to 81.

I worked on organizing some paperwork late this afternoon, but I have much to do on that score to finish this year's tax spreadsheets.

I picked us up El Pollo Loco for dinner. It was good.





from Dreamwidth, because two posts of the same text are twice as nice
Subscribe

  • Al Stewart Friday

    Friday night we drove to Dallas to see the Al Stewart concert. We arrived early enough to be able to park in its 8 dollar parking lot. The Grenada…

  • Change of Weather

    After a day or two of record high temperatures, we got some chilly, breezy and wet weather. Tonight after work we go to the Grenada Theater. I hope…

  • Paging Spencer Atwill

    I had a dream in which I was driving on a superhighway in the American South. I stopped when I saw some boxes off the road. They turned out to be…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

  • 0 comments