Out On the Front Porch

Walking Stick Insect

When Tall Husband spotted this tiny insect on the front porch, he thought it was a broom straw. It's only about 2.5 inches in length and the diameter of...well...a broom straw. These twig-like little masters of camouflage can grow to be two feet in length. We hadn't seen a walking stick insect in years, so it was wonderful seeing one again.

If only those magical, luminous fireflies, or lightning bugs, of our childhood would also visit our front porch some evening, we would ecstatic!

Note: This stick insect appeared to have excellent hearing, as each time the beeper sounded on my camera, it turned its head in the direction of the sound. This could only be observed while looking through the lens, as its head was too small to see with the naked eye.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Synchrony

A funny thing happened on the way from the Porsche Dealer. I previously posted about our trip to San Antonio to pick up the only red Porsche Cayman that Tall Husband could find in Texas. When a long-time blog pal, who recently moved from Georgia to San Antonio, read the post, she realized that she had seen us in her new home town.

Tara of Design on Post commented: "Wow, I'm pretty sure I saw y'all yesterday. Were you driving down Durango near Hemisphere park around 4?"

It was indeed us, driving from the dealership, down Durango Boulevard, looking for our B&B . Even Tall Husband was impressed with those odds!

It's Raining, It's Raining!

In the event that you can't remember what it looks like, the stuff above is rain.

You all are some rainmakers...'cause it's raining! The big ole Texas skies just churned up some thick, dark clouds and emptied them on us here in Houston. It's glorious and smells heavenly. Thank all of you for your fancy rain dancing. Hope you got some of this wet stuff if you needed it.

I was about to run out into the downpour to take magical photos of my bare feet in the drenched grass, of all my wet plants, of drooping wet roses, but Tall Husband grabbed me, reminding me that my camera isn't for underwater shots; besides, lightening strikes aren't good for sensitive lenses, he went on to say. So, I tossed his umbrella out the door, shooting from the shelter of my kitchen...well you get the idea: it's raining.

Dry Spell

North

South

East

West

Alright, fellow Texans! Do any of you know how to do the Rain Dance? Any Zunis out there? If so, please get those feet to work and dance. This morning I searched the skies and there's not a cloud to be found. Our greenery is becoming brownery. Coastal birds are standing around the bayou looking confused, 'cause it's now nothing but a mud hole. And it's so hot that we all smell like goats after our morning walks. So, dance, dance, dance!

Note: If you're dyslexic, please don't dance, since you would probably get it backwards and do the Sun Dance.

Update: Classy Chassis 2009 Best in Show

This Morning, I just learned that this 1948 Delahaye 135 MS Faget Varnet Cabriolet, was awarded the 2009 Best in Show at the 2009 Classy Chassis Show here in Houston. This chic little French cabriolet is owned by Cathy & Jerry Gauche, Houston, Texas.

Tall Husband and I had attended the 2009 Classy Chassis Show early in the day, during the judging and left before the winners were announced. So this morning, the Best of Show was finally posted on the Classy Chassis website. Congratulations to Cathy & Jerry and thanks for letting us photograph your wonderful car.

It's Hotter Than...

As any homeowner knows, when things begin to fail, they go in threes...if you're lucky. Well, first the valves broke on our sprinkler system over at My Ranchburger; then the built-in microwave blew; now it's the A/C at The Bungalow, during a record-breaking heatwave here in Houston.

The sprinkler system is repaired (only $300); the new microwave and oven will arrive Wednesday and be installed (just under a mere $3,000;) so today, we wait for Tom, our A/C man. We will be waiting right here on the shady end of the front porch with tall glasses of ginger-peach iced tea, praying for a cool breeze.

Wait...I hope it's not threes per house. Ooh!!! Put something stronger in our tea, Tall Husband.

P.M. Update: The A/C at The Bunny Bungalow is repaired. Tall Husband wrote the check...I didn't ask. It's so cool now!

Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's.

Tagged!

Raspberries in Nigella Lawson's tiny, 2 ounce measuring cup (one of a set.)

An abridged quantity of berries (as Tall Husband ate most of them with his cereal this morning!)

I'm so honored; Frieda over at her wonderful, witty blog, Frieda Babbley, has tagged me.

Rules:

1. Mention the blogger who tagged you and link to his/her blog.
2. Post three lists of eight things about you that people don't know.
3. Tag eight of your favorite bloggers and don't forget to tell them they've been tagged.

This will be an abridged version, sort of the Reader's Digest of memes, as I'm basically a lazy person who procrastinates (Frieda tagged me almost three weeks ago!)

List#1: Things I've always wanted to do:

1. Go to medical school.
2. Have a second home in Paris.
3. Visit all the famous houses designed by Philip Johnson and Mies van de Rohe.

List#2: Foods I love:

I'll eat anything, except smoked salmon and sushi. Come on guys, they discovered fire quite some time ago. Let's get cooking!

List#3: Things I love:

I am a blogger...bloggers love everything.

#1 Thing about me:

I'll come up with something tomorrow (I did tell you at the start that I'm a procrastinator.)

Tagging others:

Anyone who wants to play and have me link to them.

Longing

Home at 213 Madison, King William Area, San Antonio, Texas

What makes some of us long for old houses...the secrets held within the walls...the simplicity of their former days...the fact that they will always need our loving touch?

Is it the lush softness of mature landscapes...old touches like ironwork...things made by superior human craft?

Could it be the inviting doors that swing wide and big front porches that pull us in, as if to give us welcoming hugs? What is it about an old house that brings on such longing?

Recent conversation:

Tall Husband: "You've got to stop falling in love with houses."

Me: "You should be glad it's only houses and not men."

Tall Husband: "Oh! And I am husband number...?"

Me: Embarrassed silence.

Historic King William Area

107 Madison, The Jackson House, 1894 Victorian. This is the B&B at which Tall Husband and I stayed. If you are tall like Tall Husband, do not reserve a second floor room...it's really the attic and Tall Husband has bumps on his head!

431 King William, Edward Steves, Jr. House, 1884

The carriage house behind the Edward Steves, Jr. House; added in 1980

509 King William, Edward Steves, Sr. Homestead, 1876; Style: Victorian French Second Empire. This Home is now owned by the San Antonio Conservation Society and is operated as a house museum.


504 King William, Albert Steves House; 1883


422 King William, Ike West Home, 1887


419 King William, Elias Edmonds House, 1875.


414 King William, Ellis-Meusebach House, 1884


410 King William, Josiah Pancoast Victorian Cottage, 1900


Unidentified Cottage in the King William Area


335 King William, Carl Wilhelm August Groose home, 1880


309 King William, Charles Hummel Home, 1884


226 King William, Ernst Altgelt Home, 1878


Texas Historical Commission's Medallion-a common sight in the King William Area


217 King William, Alexander Sartor, Jr. Home, 1882


208 King William, Louis Bergstrom Home, 1882

209 Washington, Mitchell-Oge House, 1857/1882. You can stay here...it's a B&B!


The Jack Pancoast Cottage


303 King William, Stevens/James House, 1881

A charming Victorian Home at 215 Beauregard

425 King William, George Kalteyer Home, 1892. Style: Richardson Romanesque; designed by architect James Riely Gordon, known for his Texas Courthouses.

401 King William, Norton/Polk/Mathis House, 1876. Italianate Victorian. This house is also known as Villa Finale, the first National Trust Historic Site in Texas. It is scheduled to be open to the public in November 2009.

If you are a fan of old ironwork, as we are, the King William Area will not disappoint you.

What's better than an old Victorian? Your own tiny Victorian playhouse in the back garden!

As promised, here are some of the wonderful old homes in the historic King William Area of San Antonio, Texas. This beautiful neighborhood is protected by national, state and city historic designations.

San Antonio is the most historic city in Texas and boasts a beautiful area of historic homes, the King William Area. Tall Husband and I, wanting to experience the history of this beautiful neighborhood, stayed in the historic Jackson House, a charming Victorian B&B on Madison Street.

Development of what is now the King William Area was begun in the 1850's on land that was originally farmland owned by the Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). The majority of families who built their fine home here were German immigrants, thus the main street and later the area was named for Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia. In 1968 the King William Historic District was created as the first historic district in Texas.

To enjoy a walking tour of the King William Area, I suggest that you use King William Area-a Walking Tour, a brochure from the San Antonio Conservation Society.

So, enjoy these photos of some of King William Area's historic homes, as Tall Husband and I braved three-digit (Fahrenheit) Texas heat to shoot them.

Click on photos to enlarge.