Beep, Beep...Roadrunners Need to Relax, Too!

This summer is just getting more and more interesting. As if making my first okra pickles wasn't Texan enough, this week we saw a roadrunner drinking out of Nana's pool. It seems the roadrunner might need a little drinky out by the pool too, given the outrageous 100+ degree days we've been having here since May. For those who don't know, the roadrunner is the Texas State bird. That alone elevates its lot in life from being a pretty strange bird (a member of the Cuckoo family, nonetheless...shhhhhh...) to being a state treasure. Amazing what a title can do for a creature.

If you also went to The School of 1970's Saturday Morning Cartoons, you too may have some opinions about the clever roadrunner for whom, apparently, the coyote is no match. These birds have been illustrated correctly in the speed with which they run (and a very odd, lower-body-only type of run the roadrunner has). But, contrary to popular belief, they don't say "beep, beep" as they zoom past. I found the call of the roadrunner linked through Wikipedia for anyone who might want to know what a real one sounds like.

And, while absorbing some Wikipedian info, I found that the Texas roadrunner's Latin name is the Geococcyx. Impressive sounding. Even better, the type of roadrunner found in our area is the Greater Roadrunner...and, yes, the other type of roadrunner is called a "lesser roadrunner". Back to my original thought; it's amazing what a title can do for a creature. For the great and powerful Greater Roadrunner, that's Mr. Geococcyx to you, is a noble beast which deserves to relax by the pool too. And so he shall.

Curly Red Okra

This red okra was part of our CSA produce a few weeks ago. I won't say much more about it other than it brought to mind my previous post about never judging a veggie by its looks!



I made okra pickles out of it, if you can believe that! This was my first foray into the world of pickling okra...or pickling anything for that matter. I used a recipe out of an old vintage cookbook I scored at Half Price Books, and the recipe contributor was Former First Lady Ladybird Johnson. After 26 years in Texas, perhaps I'm finally turning into a Texan! I've also discovered this summer, after all those years, that okra is delicious raw on its own or dipped in ranch dressing for a treat. Hmmm...who'd have thought? And there's something particularly satisfying about eating it fresh from the farm on the way home and flicking the okra tops out the window. Organic littering--just doing my part.