You might be able to take the previously Texan from Texas; you may be unable to take all of Texas out of the previously Texan. Though I am Canadian, this armadillo reminds me, daily, where I came from.

As my blog title states I used to live in Texas. Like most, if not all, folks who grew up in, or lived for a substantial part of their life in any part of the world, there were traditions.
One of those traditions was eating ham and black-eyed peas on New Year Day, because it was a kind of tradition in the southern US that this meal was thought to bring good luck in the new year.
Carrying on a tradition can provide familiarity and a sense of ease in unsettled, unsettling, times. So we had ham and black-eyed peas for dinner yesterday. Behold.
And it was good. Although the presentation was different from my childhood plate, the gist – ham and black-eyed peas – was there.
We will see what 2022 brings. I hope it brings you good fortune.
A lovely flower, captured in radiant West Texas sunshine.
During our trip through Texas, we stopped for lunch at a picnic area near Sanderson. Using my eyes, the fence was the only evidence of human influence. Using my ears, the occasional car passing by was the only evidence of human influence. Otherwise, it was quiet except for the sound of the wind, and an occasional bird call. It was peaceful and induced contemplation.
It was wonderful.
This Laughing Gull kept a close eye on me during the ferry crossing from the Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston Island.
Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) carpet a meadow bordering Texas Highway 16 in the Texas Hill Country. Indian blanket (Gaillairdia pulchella) adds a pleasing contrast.
Another visual treat to help us through the dog days of winter. A gloriously blooming rose from my yard in Texas, on a December 17 many years ago. Coming across this photo after some years caused me to smile. Bitter cold days lie directly in our path to spring. I will do my best to appreciate them, to give thanks that I have a warm safe home, good dogs, and a partner, companion, best friend to share life with.
Faye learned about a farm that seemed to have a small herd of Longhorn cattle. A bit of research and driving around confirmed it and led to this photograph of an iconic image of Texas.
After a Texas summertime thunderstorm, near sunset. Gold is more than a metal, it’s all around us if we choose to seek it out.
This is one thing I puttered about today. We had some electrical work done and the prep work included unloading a bookcase. I re-stacked many of the books, roughly following the Dewey Decimal System, as well as found a restung place for a few of Faye’s gargoyles,
Faye recently found this bookcase at Sally Ann. It perfectly fits this space and is now loaded with our fiction collection, DVD and VHS (yes we will have VHS tapes!), and a few other things.