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LOST PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER

/ The Coastal Crone / 72 Comments

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS BY CHERYL LYLES SMITH

Some of you may remember my writing about the loss of my sister’s and brother-in-law’s home by fire the morning before Hurricane Harvey hit.  My brother-in-law had called me to invite us out to stay with them if we did not want to ride out the storm here on the coast.  They lived eighty miles west of here on the family ranch and in the house that I grew up in.

The above portrait of my father was painted by their daughter (my niece) who died of cancer at age 57 in 2012.  The  painting was done from a small photo of him in exactly the same pose taken probably in the late 1950s.  It hung in the entrance to her parents’ home.  A few years ago when we were visiting I had Husband take a photo of it because it was very special to me.  Now I am so grateful that he did as the painting was destroyed in the fire along with everything in the house.  Perhaps I should explain the painting for those of you not familiar with the practice of burning prickly pear cactus.

In the painting my father is filling up his pear burner with butane from the tank in the pick-up.  He would then strap it across his shoulder and go out into the pasture where there was plenty of prickly pear cactus.  As he turned it on fire would come out of the end of it and he would burn or singe the thorns off the cactus.  With the large thorns gone the cattle would eagerly eat the cactus as a good source of protein and contained water.  During times of drought when there might be little for the cattle to eat and feeding hay might be too expensive for a rancher, this method would help to get through the lean times.  Burning pear was most common in the fall and winter, but I have seen my father burn pear into the spring and fall if it was a really dry year.

Today times have changed and few people burn prickly pear.  The pear burner was invented in 1914 by John Bunyan Blackwell.  A photo of one can be seen at the Bullock Museum website.

As a footnote, my sister and brother-in-law built a new house on the same spot as the one that burned and were able to move in just before Christmas.  Husband and I went out Christmas Eve to see it and to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.  I had prints made from the photo Husband took as gifts for family members.  Life goes on.

       Here is a close-up of prickly pear cactus so you can see the sharp thorns.

 

Here is a cluster of them together with the red fruit or tuna.

SNOW ON THE COAST!

/ The Coastal Crone / 70 Comments

About three and a half months ago we had  Hurricane Harvey.  Today we had snow on the coast as did much of South Texas!  The last time it snowed was on Christmas Eve of 2004.  Early this morning neighbors were out again (as after Harvey but this time welcoming the change in weather) reveling in the magical wonderland that our neighborhood had become.  We were bundled up in coats, hats and gloves that had been stored away and seldom used.  The past couple of weeks have been very warm and air conditioners were still running and shorts were still being worn.  Kids and adults were trying to make snowmen but with meager results as most had little snow-making experience.

For those for whom snow is a normal occurrence, feel free to skip this post:  spoiler ahead, it is mostly of snow!  But perhaps I can be forgiven as it may not snow for another thirteen years.  Husband gets the credit for them.

EARLY MORNING BEFORE DAYLIGHT VIEW ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR HOUSE

OUR HOUSE

PARK NEXT DOOR TO US

HUSBAND ON OUR DRIVEWAY WITH NEIGHBOR’S BOAT IN THE BACKGROUND

CRONE WITH COFFEE

NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON

OUR BACK YARD

TREE LIMB IN BACKYARD HEAVY WITH SNOW

SAME TREE IN THE BACKYARD THAT LOST SO MANY LIMBS DURING HURRICANE HARVEY

HUSBAND AND CRONE AT THE PARK

By noon the sun came out beautifully and the snow began to melt, but for a time our coast was a magical place and children created memories of the year it snowed.  Cheers!

FRIDAY FOTO: POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN

/ The Coastal Crone / 48 Comments

On a recent overnight trip Husband and I stopped in Crystal City, Texas to check out a historical site (future post) and found Popeye the Sailor Man.  The city claims to be the “Spinach Capital of the World,” so it seems appropriate for statue of Popeye and a Spinach Festival that started the day after we were there.  The festival featured music, a beauty pageant, carnival,  a spinach cook-off and for the first time ever, a spinach-eating contest.   Contestants had to eat cans of spinach; I assume they did not have to open them Popeye-style.  It was 52 degrees that day so it was cold for us in November. The next day it was warmer.

 

DAY OF THE DEAD ALTAR (ofrenda)

/ The Coastal Crone / 33 Comments

Inspired by a El Dia de los Muertos Street Festival last year that I wrote about, I have created an altar(ofrenda) in my home.  These altars are to remember and honor the dead.  November 1 is All Saints Day and November 2 is All Souls Day.  The Day of the Dead is celebrated November 2  although some seem to combine the two days.

Day of the Dead –
Paths of flower petals and
burning incense guide
spirits to the house of the living.
Tables with favorite food and drink.
orange and yellow flowers,
all offered to the spirits.
Then the living go to
graves of the dead.
Custom says ill fortune, illness
death or worse
may befall
those who make no offerings.

Who will decorate my grave?
Who will bring me food?
Who will talk to me?
No one.
Cremation may be best f or me.
JH
Nov. 2016

Below is a closer look at my orfenda   The pocket knife is for my father; the clip earrings for my mother; the wine bottle for another relative; the carnations for a friend; matches with Mexican Loteria characters for those that loved to gamble; sage for cleansing.  I needed marigolds!  Maybe next year.

MAY THEIR SOULS FIND THEIR WAY TO MY ORFENDA EVEN IF ONLY IN MY HEART.

 

HARVEY AND THE HUMMERS

/ The Coastal Crone / 70 Comments

FIGHTING FOR THE NECTAR IN OUR BACK YARD

September is the time of year when thousands of hummingbirds  make their way south for the winter.  This section of the Gulf Coast seems to be right on their migratory path.  The 29th annual  Hummerbird Celebration that was scheduled for Sept. 15-17 was canceled as the Fulton-Rockport area is recovering from Hurricane Harvey.  The festival provides education about the visitors as well as an opportunity to see them close up; many people put up dozens of feeders up and open their yards to the public. This year residents and businesses are busy  making repairs and trying to get back to normal so a festival in the midst of chaos was just not possible.

A few days after Harvey left I saw my first hummingbird in the back yard and got out my three feeders and mixed some nectar for them. I was sure there would not be a Hummerbird Celebration this year and worried about these tiny jewels that normally feast on flowers and feeders in the area.  Even in my neighborhood we were still dealing with downed fences, repairs and downed trees.  But the birds were not forgotten.

As they began their annual descent upon the Fulton-Rockport area volunteers started to help and donations came in for them as well as those affected by the storm.  Wild Bird Unlimited stores collected donations and sent feeder kits complete with poles for hanging.  Winter Texans sent money.  The crew from the King Ranch’s nature- tour brought 100 Best-1 Feeders  made in Poteet , Texas.  Outdoor writer for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times David Sikes wrote:

                                    “The ranch’s nature staff decided not to burden Rockport residents with DIY hummingbird kits, white they were in the throes of the storm.  So the King Ranch crew began filling and putting out feeders themselves at six Aransas Pathways nature sites.

    Aransas Pathways is a collection of sites in the county aimed at creating and preserving nature area and historical treasures for locals and visitors.

     Attached to the feeders is a laminated note, explaining how folks can adopt a feeder.  This would involve keeping the feeders filled and clean.  Within a week or so seven had been adopted.”

WHEN THE FEEDER WAS NOT SO CROWDED

Some locals have put up feeders amid the debris  just to make it more normal and help restore life to the community.  Most of the flowering plants and shrubs that the hummers feed on were torn apart by Harvey’s winds.  The mayor of Rockport and local companies have encouraged aid for the hungry travelers.  In the fall they come south and cross the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico and Central America; in spring they make the return trip north.  I will keep my feeders up until they are gone.  Usually the last ones move on by the end of October but I always leave one up for the stragglers.  When spring comes I will welcome them back!  Right now they are keeping me busy refilling them at least twice a day.

THIS ONE SHOWS MORE OF THEIR IRIDESCENT COLOR.

RECIPE FOR ARTIFICIAL NECTAR (SYRUP)
1.  Use 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.
2.  Boil the water 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the sugar while the water is still hot.  Let cool before filling the feeder.
Store unused syrup in refrigerator for as long as 2 weeks.

  PHOTOS BY HUSBAND

MABON AND THE AUTUMN EQINOX

/ The Coastal Crone / 29 Comments

 

Mabon is a harvest festival, the second of three, that encourages pagans to “reap what they sow,” both literally and figuratively. It is the time when night and day stand equal in duration; thus is it a time to express gratitude, complete projects and honor a moment of balance.

 

 

POST-HARVEY

/ The Coastal Crone / 64 Comments

View of our back yard with a bedraggled oak tree. Back fence is leaning slightly but that can be easily corrected.

Harvey made landfall in the middle of the night here with rain and shrieking winds as we listened through the night in darkness with storm shutters down. The power had gone off hours before.  The morning brought gentle rain and stillness.   Our neighborhood was fortunate with little damage other than downed trees, limbs and fences.  The eye of the hurricane went in a little to the north of us so we did not experience the strongest of the winds which damaged and destroyed many homes.  Flooding took its toll also.  Harvey worked its way up the coast to the Houston area and into Louisiana.  Relief and rescue efforts are ongoing.  I am sure many of you have seen the devastation in the news.  Our power came back on Monday evening.

FAMILY UPDATES

Daughter across town had little damage to her home beyond downed fences and broken limbs.  The USS Lexington Museum where she works held fast anchored just off North Beach in Corpus Christi.

Son in Houston had no loss of power and no flooding.  He works for United Way of Greater Houston and was able to volunteer taking 211 calls.

My 81-year-old sister is staying with us as her home in Victoria still has no power but little damage.

Ironically, on Friday my brother-in-law called to check on us and invite us to ride out the storm with him and my sister on their ranch outside of Freer (80 miles to the west of us and 60 miles from the border of Mexico). I declined as we wanted to stay.  Two hours later I got a call that their house had been completely destroyed by a fire; they got out unharmed but could save nothing.  They will rebuild, but at 89 years and 86 years old it will not be an easy transition.  Thursday we drove out to see them.  They are strong people with a proud Texas attitude.  My brother-in-law could joke that he really hated to lose those new boots and hat he had just bought.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Life goes on.  I am grateful for all that I have.  My heart breaks for the loss of life, damage to property, and hardships (financial and emotional) that the hurricane has brought.  It has encouraged the best in people as neighbors and strangers help each other.  Governments, military, non-profits and volunteers have pulled together to help.  May it bring our country together.  Thanks to all who have shown concern for this Coastal Crone!  I am far behind in responding and reading blogs but life comes first.  Sending good wishes to all!  The sun is shining brightly today.  Cheers!