Ah, Texas my Texas—after
more than fifty years here, the state can still surprise this Chicago girl.
Case in point: this weekend there is a rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater and a
Wild Hog Festival in LaSalle County. Like all ranchers, my brother fights the
scourge of wild hogs that ruin his pastures. He shoots them, without apology to
animal-rights person me or the hogs, and I can see his point. I don’t dispute
the necessity, though I’m not wild about seeing pictures of dead hogs. But I
think next year, with a little advance notice, he should go to the festival—they
apparently serve a lot of wild hog meat. Sounds like eating roadkill to me.
My brother once
thought we tangled because I question the sanity of a law allowing shooting the
hogs from airplanes. I had to make clear I wasn’t concerned about the hogs—I was
worried that people would be shot by some trigger-happy yahoo in a plane.
This wild hog
business is serious. There’s an association of Texas Wild Hog Hunters I
recently read that they are opposed to the use of warfarin against the hogs. In
case you forgot, warfarin is the stuff most rat baits used until recent years
when some of the rodent population seemed to become immune. It’s a blood
thinner, known as coumadin and commonly used to treat humans. It prevents
clotting, etc.
One problem
already existent with warfarin is that birds and other populations feed on rats
and absorb it. It enters the food chain and could easily make its way to
humans. I see this as a danger in introducing into ranchlands—not only
pollution of hog carcasses but perhaps water and crop supplies.
Wait! How did a
this-and-that blog turn into a lecture on wild hogs and coumadin? Still, I
admit to the danger and threat posed by wild hogs—they multiply at a ferocious
rate. To hear ranchers talk, they may soon take over the world—or at least
Texas.
On a much more
pleasant note, I had a lunch visit today from son Colin, his wife Lisa, and
children Morgan and Kegan—on their way to the Colorado ski slopes. I don’t see
enough of that family and was delighted to see them. Kids grow so fast. They
brought lunch from Carshon’s deli, and I just enjoyed the last half of a
brownie after my dinner tonight. Colin grew up going to Carshon’s, and I swear
if he had to choose between the deli and my house on a Fort Worth visit, he’d
choose the deli. He wanted to rearrange my living area tonight—wait! This was a
quick stopover!—and was a bit displeased (understatement) when Lisa and I didn’t
think it was a good idea. He promised to put it all back after he saw what it
looked like, but I was worried about all the breakables on it and in it. Hated
to have a spat when he was here so briefly.
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My Tomball Alters four years ago
I need a new group picture!
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I put tomato sauce
on to simmer this morning and let it cook all day—no, not spaghetti sauce, but
plain marinara sauce. Discovered the wonders of San Marzano canned tomatoes—but
most cooks already know that. I will report tomorrow on the success of my sauce
experiment—and then give credit for the recipe if it turned out all right.
My neighbor
Margaret Johnson gifted me with a large tuna/noodle casserole—she makes them
during Lent. I love tuna/noodle any time and have pigged out on it two nights
in a row Tonight I made freezer bundles since there’s no way I could eat that
whole thing by myself.
I’ve been lazy
today, but now it’s time to get busy and write just a bit. Don’t forget to
change your clocks tonight. My kids, bound for mountain time, figured out it
would be a wash—they’ll lose an hour but gain it back going into Colorado. Next
week, when they return, they’ll have to face up to the loss of an hour.
