Blog Entry #1

Welcome to my first official blog, composed in my wretched dwelling on the outskirts of the Big Thicket, deep in the swampy crotch of Southeast Texas.

Southeast Texas...As Rick said in Casablanca, I came here for the waters, but I was misinformed. Actually the water here has a funny (as in odd, unwholesome) taste to it, but according to a document I just received from our local utility district it meets all federal quality standards for regulated contaminants. Note the pivotal use of the word "regulated." That doesn't mean it doesn't contain other goodies. Reading further I find that the water here is a rich chemical broth of unregulated contaminants. Mmmmm...chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane.

Well, I've been here in the swamp for about 6 months, and I'm still waiting for the extreme summer heat and swarms of West Nile Virus bearing mosquitos to descend on me. By now I should be dead. Actually the weather has been much nicer than I expected, these frequent thunderstorms are a steady source of entertainment, and the insects haven't been so bad, with the exception of the inevitable ants and cockroaches. Extermination attempts are proceeding. I just smushed another of those annoying red ants on my monitor. Die Die Die! They seem to be invulnerable to my spraying efforts. Invincible super ants.

About the weather, it changes constantly. Now it looks like it's gonna rain again, although it's hard to tell. Never know what to expect. Strange things happen at night. My trees seem to be falling apart. Awoke this morning to find a big downed limb in the backyard.

Looking out the window I see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird probing the lantana, a Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouses on the feeders, a Blue Jay at the birdbath, and what looks like a juvenile White-eyed Vireo (without the white eye) in the crape myrtle... Spring migration is over, the summer doldrums have set in, and still there are plenty of birds around. But no mosquito problems yet. That's not just odd, that's queer.