A Happy Valentine's Day!

The camellias have been blooming profusely since January
I never knew camellias were so magnificent in winter months until we moved here

Wow!  Four weeks have gone by since starting the new semester and it is Valentine’s Day.  David and I are all settled into our new schedules and new classes.  Right now David is studying for a test next week in his Vertebrate Natural History class.  He has been having fun getting in touch with his ‘inner fish’ but soon he will be moving on to salamanders, skinks and lizards.  Forest Ecology is also keeping him busy as he attempts to grow loblolly pine seedlings in the lab.

 

David in action with other birders at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center's
Backyard Bird Count Event

 

I, on the other hand, have been struggling with a digital media class.  I say struggling because I had hoped I would be learning more about photo editing programs.  But so far anyway, we are making collages and drawing and painting with Photoshop.  Believe me when I say there was a good reason I chose photography when I attended art school so many years ago.  However I am learning some new things and if you promise not to be too critical, I’ll show you the edgy, arty, sort of valentine collage I made for my first class project.  (Remember, you promised…)

 

Does the camellia look familiar?
I picked the flower and scanned it at the digital lab and it made
a big mess.  I may be banned from using the scanner...

 

 

The weather has been so spring-like this past week.  Nights are pretty cool, but the days have been gorgeous.  We’ve gone for lots of walks in the SFA woods near campus, the Pineywoods Native Plant Center and just around the neighborhood.  Not exactly worthy of David keeping ‘stats’ on, but we are moving.  Gotta get in shape for this summer’s adventures, after all May is not that far away!

 

Bird table with real (but dead) specimens of birds common to East Texas

 

Yesterday (Saturday) was the annual Great Backyard Bird Count and the Pineywoods Native Plant Center had a Birding Day Event and Bird Count. Poor Maya had to stay home since she is a bit of a distraction when one is counting birds, but David and I took part in the event and had a great time birding and meeting new people.  And we made it up to Maya with a long walk on Saturday afternoon.

 

The kids had a blast learning to use binoculars and looking for birds

 

On our walk around the neighborhood earlier this afternoon we noticed so many things blooming or seriously budding.  Not only tulips and daffodils, but iris and even redbud trees were starting to bloom.  I don’t know about your part of the world, but down here in East Texas, spring seems to be on its way.  After all the snow in West Texas around Christmas, winter seems to have spent itself out.  But we will see -- Mother Nature is always full of surprises.

Happy Valentines to all!