Dave’s eightieth Birthday Party, another day of birding in Lamar, and enduring the pandemic

It is not every day that a dear friend turns eighty and so that called for a birthday party. Of course, with the pandemic we had to social distance and hold the party outside. A cold front passed though, and the high temperature was just in the upper fifties, and with strong winds it was quite cold. Still the party went on.

Dan and I bought a half sack of about one hundred oysters, they cost just thirty-five dollars, and with another friend Dennis, we shucked and prepared them for the party. Of course, we had to have them on the half shell, but we also wanted to grill some, and bake some making Oyster Rockefeller.

While I love Oyster Rockefeller, I had never made them, but they turned out to be quite easy. It was simply a mixture of caramelized onions, wilted spinach, butter, and grated Romano cheese. Making the mixture before the party, our friend Barb put them in her oven and baked them just as the party started!

Dave and Jane were so pleased that we helped to celebrate Dave’s birthday and it was especially nice as he did not have to cook. We did not have any problem eating all the oysters and neither Dave nor I had gout the next day!

A few days later, after the wind died down Renita and I drove to Lamar for another day of birding. We go over there quite often, after all where else can you see endangered whooping cranes, feeding, fighting, and flying.

That day we also hoped to see eastern bluebirds and we were lucky enough to see them land nearby on a wire! We also saw cardinals,

(plentiful here), cara caras,

rosettes, black belied whistling ducks, a red-tailed hawk, 

a belted kingfisher and of course flying whoopers!

Birding is also an activity which allows for social distancing, besides being outside.

We try to keep a positive note about all the troubles going on. Our kids have all had their shots as our daughter and her husband work with covid patients and our son is a first responder. Our sister park had a covid spike a few days ago as they held an indoor dance with live music, (at least three have been taken to the hospital by ambulance, what were they thinking?).

Renita and I do not know if we can ever get our shots here in Texas or if we will have to wait until we get back home to Wyoming. We hope there will be a national policy that all states follow. At least in five days the craziness will end. When the weather gets bad, we make jewelry, besides binge watching on Netflix and Prime. Having avoided the covid for ten months we will keep our guard up by wearing masks, not going to restaurants to eat, and not going inside of our clubhouse for the weekly buffets. We also say daily prayers for those that are sick and those that have passed, (we know of two).

Clear skies and stay safe