Our tour bus parked on a side street. We got off the bus and headed up the hill, The Lorraine Motel sign as our beacon.
Side of Lorraine MotelMotel Sign With Words “I Have A Dream”
I got to the top of the slope and looked to my right. The sudden view of the hotel balcony was like a gentle gut punch. In my mind’s eye I could see the iconic image of Reverend Martin Luther King lying dead on the balcony, one man kneeling at his side and others pointing across the street.
Balcony of the Lorraine Motel-White Wreath in Front of Area MLK Was Murdered
I began to sob. I don’t like people seeing me cry and moved away a bit from our group and guide, my husband comforting me. I put my camera between me and the scene before me. I recorded the building and the bricks below my feet.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered April 4th, 1968.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was murdered two months later on June 6th, 1968.
Elvis Presley was preparing to film his Comeback Special for NBC in June of 1968. Since it would air in December of that year there was some suggestion of the special being a Christmas special and that the final song would be a Christmas song. Elvis was upset enough about the murders of MLK and RFK that he asked one of his writers, Walter Earl Brown to write a song. He patterned it on MLK’s I Have A Dream speech and it was titled If I Can Dream. It was the last song in the Comeback Special. Over 40 million people watched the special.
Background for Comeback Special (aired December 1968)
Link to You Tube video of Elvis singing “If I Can Dream”:
“There’s some part of me wants to see Graceland”-line from Paul Simon’s Graceland.
Graceland has not been on my bucket list, nor has Memphis, Tennessee. Not that I had anything against the city or the home. I always enjoyed Elvis as a singer and entertainer, but did not really appreciate him until I was an adult. I remember as a kid looking for something to watch on t.v. and when one of the few channels we got was showing an Elvis movie, we were not too happy. We did watch them, but I remember most of them being not very good, if mildly entertaining.
But, when my husband and I found ourselves in Memphis for a few days in early March, we saw the sights. And there must have been a little part of me that had always wanted to go to Graceland, because I enjoyed the whole Elvis experience.
First we toured the large museum devoted to all things Elvis. One room had his cars. One room had info on his Army years. Other rooms covered his first records, his movie career, his outfits, and the other singers that influenced him and those that he influenced.
Elvis CarElvis Outfits
Then we visited Graceland across the street from the museum. The furnishings in each room were amazing. He seemed to have a t.v. in every room.
Livingroom at Graceland
And we walked the grounds. There are 3 horses there (said to be rescue horses). It had been raining earlier and we didn’t see the horses at first. But, then they must have been released from the barn and we got to see them (all with braided manes).
Horse on Grounds at GracelandVisitors Have Left Their Mark On Wall In Front Of Graceland
Almost a month later I still hear snippets of Elvis songs in my head.
The next day we took a bus tour of Memphis with several stops: Sun Recording studio where Elvis and others recorded their early records; The Memphis Welcome Center that has statues of both B. B. King (the King of the Blues) and Elvis (the King of Rock and Roll) and exhibits on other entertainers with a Memphis connection; the Peabody Hotel where live ducks parade in and swim in the lobby pond twice a day; and the Lorraine Motel where the Reverend Martin Luther King was murdered. It is 7. 6 miles from Graceland.
Statue of B. B. KingExhibit In Memphis Welcome Center
Last month I was expecting Spring and actively looking for signs of the early anemones. I looked for them everyday in my front yard. On February 18th I saw the first ones!
AnemonesA Host of Anemones At The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (February 2024)Purple Anemone At The Wildflower Center
The first day of Spring is celebrated in North America on the Spring Equinox, I am celebrating Spring now because so much fresh life is emerging all around. Green shoots are coming up from the ground and sprouting from tree branches. And there is the blooming of flowers…from the pinky purple buds on my redbud tree to the purple spiderwort blossoms popping out every day. The days are getting longer and warmer. Birds are becoming more vocal and active. Some will soon leave to breed farther North (white throated sparrow seen below), while we welcome other species home from their wintering grounds in the South. I am guessing some of you have already seen some purple martins (early Spring arrivals). Other critters are emerging on sunny days (lizards, snakes, insects)
White Throated Sparrow At Wildflower Center (ready to fly North to spend the warmer months)Carolina Wren Wondering What Their Significant Other Is Up ToSignificant Other Taking A Dust Bath In Potting Soil In Our Raised Garden BedAnole Sunning On My Porch Glider
I am embracing them all in my heart and soul, these little joys of Spring.
And, No, I didn’t forget! The Blue bonnets are starting to bloom!
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (February 2024)
I am getting old. I have seen many Springs, but these days I often wonder how many more I will see before I pass from this life and dissolve into the great mystery. I push these thoughts away before I move into despair and fear. I am determined to concentrate on the joy to be found every day…especially the abundant little joys found in the Spring. Some of these little joys are the early flowers. Specifically, I am talking about the little anemone flowers that bloom before most other flowers. I have looked in my front yard and in the nearby greenbelt, but no luck so far.
Here is what I am searching for:
They can be white, pink, purple, or blue. The flower heads are on a tall, slender stalk up to a foot high. Anemones are perennials and are in the family Ranunculaceae (Buttercup). They occur in prairies and woodlands from January through April.
               Flower Fly On Anemone
We have at least 4 species in Texas and I don’t know if the ones I have seen in past years are the Carolina Anemone (Anemone caroliniana) or the Ten-Petal Anemone (Anemone berlandieri).
Fun Facts:
What look like the petals are actually sepals…don’t ask…I need to learn more.
The “petals” close up at night or during low light days.
Although Indigenous peoples used parts of the plant as medicine in healing wounds and others made a tea from it, the plant is considered toxic (neurotoxin).
The word anemone is from a Greek word meaning wind. Some say the spring breezes cause the flowers to open. Others noticed them swaying in the wind.
There are about 150 species of related anemones in the world in both the southern and northern hemispheres.
Folklore associated with the plants range from those who say anemones are the “lilies of the field” in the New Testament to them representing blood in Greek mythology. In China there is an anemone that is associated with death. My favorite story is that when it rains, fairies sleep in the closed up petals.
I will keep looking every day and when I see my first anemone, I will smile and welcome another Spring.
Sources-
Wildflowers of Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi
Legends of Texas Wildflowers by Elizabeth Silverthorne
Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country by Marshall Enquist
Recently, a friend dropped by. She was having a horrible day, one of those days when nothing goes right. She had failed at making a special cake, one that she had made a thousand times before. Everything she tried that day became a frustration. The biggie was earlier in the day, when she bent down and picked up what she thought was a brown leaf on the floor by her bed. She put it on a counter to toss out later. She was not wearing her glasses at the time. Later, while wearing glasses, she passed by the counter and was appalled to see a dead scorpion on the counter! She had picked up a scorpion with her bare hands! Was this a bad omen? A symbol of the bad stuff to come? I told her that I had done that before…picked up what I thought was a leaf while not wearing my glasses. In my case the object was a large dead roach.
I told her that things would get better, that we all have days like this and it would pass. And she should be happy that the scorpion was dead…maybe that was a good sign. After she left, I googled “what do scorpions symbolize?” thinking that negative things would come up on my screen. But, the websites I checked out had positive things to say about scorpions, such as: “Scorpions can be a symbol of rebirth, power, independence, and passion.” (1)
A few days before that, another friend had texted me a link to a story on what it means when a cardinal appears. I had heard about cardinals being a sign of a passed on loved one visiting from beyond. And some people believe they are a sign of love and hope and loyalty. The 30th of December was when I started writing the draft of this blog. That was my late father’s birthday and I kept looking out the window at my trees and feeders, hoping to see a cardinal.
But, I like to think of myself as above all this superstition…that I am a student of nature, ever in awe of the beauty of all species that inhabit the earth with us…and how special they all are, but in a scientific way. Well, I pretend to think like this, “Look at me! I don’t believe in that magical hooey!” If I am honest with you, I admit to giving special significance to seeing certain critters, especially positive significance. If I see a hawk as I set out on a trip, I consider this a good omen…that the trip will be safe. I never think a particular critter represents badness. That is my personal choice and fits in with trying to “think positive thoughts”, something my mother used to say.
Driving home from a recent luncheon a scissortail flycatcher flew over the road in front of my car! I thought I might have hallucinated it because they are not supposed to be here in the winter. They are an unmistakable bird with their long forked tail. So, I looked them up online…what they might symbolize. The website said “something has ended in my life- an ending that has been necessary for quite sometime.” Okay…not yet sure what this is referring to.
I have many wrens visit my yard. They apparently are associated with the ideas of staying joyful while moving forward in life, and kindness. I like that.(3)
Anyway, these ideas come from our human imaginations and can be a source of amusement and inspiration. I think they can coexist with science…just so we know the difference.
I never did see a real cardinal on my dad’s birthday, but I did see one in my kitchen. I spotted a cardinal magnet on the refrigerator. That will have to do. Am wishing you all a wonderful New Year filled with signs of goodness in many forms!
p.s. Word of advice: Before you pick up something from the floor, please put on your glasses!
I remember my mother’s matter of fact voice as she quoted Robert Burns to me:
“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men
Gang aft agley,
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy!”
My usual words to myself are “When Life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” But, these words usually come to me later, after my initial anger at the thwarting of my well laid plans. I am still learning how to muddle my way through disappointment. Recently, my significant other and I embarked on a long anticipated vacation. Well, Life events eclipsed my plans…or in this case it was Death (more about that later). I thought I would share some things I learned during the recent thwarting.
When the normal 20 minute drive to the airport takes more than 3 hours through unusual routes and gridlocked traffic:
Enjoy learning how to take the toll road the long, long, way around town to the airport. And be glad that you are driving and that your cell phone savvy spouse is navigating.
Be happy you are not alone. You have someone to talk to in your car. You have a radio to tell you that you are in a traffic jam and what caused the jam. Everyone else on the road is with you, a bonding experience with your sister and fellow travelers.
Be grateful for drivers that let you merge when your lane ends. Don’t curse too much at the ones cutting you off. And pat yourself on the back for pushing your way in front of other cars when needed, and for letting others move in front of you. No one is getting anywhere fast anyway.
Enjoy learning about the neighborhoods that you usually speed past without seeing. There are taquerias, tire repair shops, and convenience stores with bathrooms for a needed pee break during this long commute. And again, be thankful for the car that lets you back onto the road after the pee break.
Take advantage of the slow, slog to bird watch as you move only 6 feet every 2 minutes past an undeveloped field. There is time to dig out the binoculars and watch hawks hunting, little sparrows foraging in the grass, and a shrike at the top of a tree. You can focus on Nature and calm your “I am going to miss my flight!” agitation. Pretend you are one of the Monarch butterflies fluttering over the freeway towards the airport.
Admire the gumption of the young travelers wheeling their suitcases the last mile and a half to the terminal after ditching their ride shares.
When you finally get to your car park and are on the shuttle to the terminal:
Enjoy competing with the other riders in one-upping each other in how long the commute took.
Enjoy your shuttle driver telling you that this hours long road shutdown is not as bad as the 8 hour road shutdown that happened a few months ago.
Once you get to the airport terminal:
Once again, enjoy bonding with the thousands of other people who missed their flights and with whom you will be in line with for at least the next hour.
Be proud you asserted yourself when a woman with an angry face cuts in line in front of you. She will back off and yell at you, “Well, move it then!” She will not apologize. A sister passenger in line supports you in your assertiveness and points out that the angry face attempted line cutter is wearing an airline uniform. “They are supposed to be courteous!” she says in a British accent. Be thankful you didn’t miss an international flight like the sister passenger did. Don’t report the angry face lady to the airline she represents. After all, she missed her flight too. You have that bond.
Enjoy people watching. There are people from all walks of life and nationalities and most of them are being civil to each other. Smile at the antics of the bored little kids in line and be glad that you are not trying to get out of town with a family of 6.
When you get a flight that leaves 7 hours later and will get you to your destination after midnight, enjoy more people watching and maybe a really good sandwich (airport prices be damned!). And be thankful that you and your traveling companion find a place to sit down. At your age, sitting on the floor like the younger travelers might be an option, but getting up off the floor will be much harder.
Accept that not all plans work out. Let go of trying to continue on despite your exhaustion.
Be thankful that it is just your trip that has been snuffed out and not your life. The roads had been closed and traffic rerouted because a person on a motorcycle died in a collision that morning, before sunrise.
(Eclipse photo was a screen shot from an online live stream of the October 14, 2023 solar eclipse over Albuquerque, New Mexico from NASA)
(Poem excerpt from To a Mouse by Robert Burns; from wwwlpoetryfoundation.org)
Sunday morning, I was too lazy to take the rain cover off my usual porch chair, and instead sat on the glider. My normal morning view is of the backyard squirrels and trees and birds and bees. My view on Sunday was the back of the house, the sky above, and the cement floor below. I sipped my coffee and looked up at the blue sky gradually being covered by clouds. I saw a pair of doves fly over. Once in a while I would look behind me to try and catch a glimpse of a chattering wren or to see what the squirrels were up to.
The squirrels have been busier than usual with gathering and burying nuts and keeping each other away from their perceived territories. Their activity reminds me of myself. If I am not busy and feeling productive, I tend to spiral into worrying about unfinished chores. I have much to do and little time, I think. There are so many things I should be doing and a long list of future projects. How can I possibly get everything done?
Then I looked down and spotted a snail moving across the damp cement. It would move about an eighth of an inch and stop. Then it would move another eighth of an inch and stop…and so on. I watched it until it had made it’s way all of a foot and disappeared into the garden. Watching the snail grounded me and cleared my mind. I took it as a sign for me to slow down a bit. To take small steps and progress will be made. And that I don’t have to do it all today…or ever. And it reminded me of my new personal mantra: Keep It Simple Sweetie
(this is my first blog post without a photo. I was in such a contemplation of the snail and my life, that I didn’t think about getting my camera and grabbing a photo until after it had disappeared into the leaves. But, that is okay…)
It has been a long, hot summer and I think that is why we have more cicadas than I have ever seen before. Not sure when they first appeared this year, but they sure made their presence known by July. They like the heat and are gone by October.
If I am not mistaken, these critters are Cicadidae Tibicen, known as Dog-Day Cicadas. Even if I never saw their shedded skins or the live ones, I would know they were here because of the extremely loud buzzing calls of the males trying to attract a female. The rising crescendo of sound can be almost deafening. But, it is a familiar sound and brings back memories of summers past.
The females lay eggs in tree bark. The larva emerge and fall to the ground and burrow underground, sustained by liquid from tree roots. They go through several stages until they emerge from the ground and then shed their outer skin. They are bumbling flyers and easy prey for hawks, squirrels, opossums, and other critters. Dogs and cats enjoy playing with them.
The following images are from my yard in southwest Austin, Texas. If you are freaked out by insects, stop scrolling now.
Cicada Exuvia (Shell) On Window Screen
Clinging to branches…
On Neighbors House
Ground Hole One Emerged From
Live Cicada On Driveway
On Back Porch
Shadow On Porch UmbrellaOn Inside Of Umbrella Above My Head
There are other species of cicada in Texas, but this is the type I see the most. Apparently they are not considered a real plant pest. Some people find them creepy. People that are afraid of insects might find their size intimidating. They get at least 1 and 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. I like them and am already missing them.
I googled “what do kids do with cicada shells” and came across a website called stayathomescience.com for parents that home school their kids. They have activities that involve going on a cicada shell hunt, gathering the cicada shells, and then painting them and adding glitter. They also have downloadable coloring pages of cicadas and their life cycle. If you go to the site, click on Biology to find this. I suppose you could make holiday ornaments from the painted and glittered up critters. I will leave that to the little ones.
Our security cameras have photographed some interesting critters coming to our yard. We have recorded visits from opossums, coyote, rabbits, deer, rats, an owl, raccoons, a ringtail cat, and rodents. And over the years we have had neighborhood domestic cats appear on film, a few that we recognize as return visitors. But, on the night of August 18th, 2023 around 3:00 a.m., one of our cameras got triggered 3 times and recorded a most extraordinary visitor:
Cat 1 Still and Video
I had been hoping that one day we would record a bobcat or even a cougar. The first thing my excited brain said was “Bobcat!” But, then I realized that the tail was long.
Cat 2 Still and Video
Cat 3 Still and Video
After looking at my North American field guides and striking out, I went to the internet searching for small cats with striped tails and came across the website of the International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada (WildCatConservation.org/wild-cats/asia/jungle-cat/ )
According to their site, I think it is something called a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) native to Africa, India, S. Asia, S.E. Asia, and China.
There is another cat called an African Golden Cat (Caracal aurata) that looks similar.
I haven’t seen any notices of a lost exotic cat. I still need to check with local zoos. I did talk to my local Texas Game Warden and sent him the videos. My best guess is that it was an exotic pet that escaped. Our heat and drought have been intense and I imagine it slurped up some water from our pond and maybe nabbed a toad for dinner.
If any of you have a better i. d. for this critter, please let me know.
It is no news to any of you that this has been a really hot summer so far. Here in my Austin suburb our thermometer reads 100.6. I know it is even hotter in town. Any outdoor activities are pretty limited to evening and morning. No walking in the nearby greenbelt. I can’t even sit in the shade on my porch in the afternoon. We make sure we put out water for our little feathered friends and others. I am sharing a few photos of some visitors to our backyard. They are making my summer enjoyable.
Natural Musings 