Radically Retired

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  • Welcoming Spring 2026

    Welcoming Spring 2026

    Because the official first day of spring fell on a Friday, hubs and I decided to spend the weekend welcoming the new season by doing new things.

    On Friday, we visited the Veterans War Memorial of Texas in McAllen, TX.

    Hubs and I have passed this park many times over the years, but have never stopped to take it in.

    The 3.5 acre site was opened in 1990 and pays tribute to the 1.4 million Americans who were killed or missing in action in every conflict the nation has been involved in.

    There are 160 tall granite panels, each engraved with a plethora of historical information. To read it all, one would have to spend several hours there. Because it was a hot day, we browsed and read a bit from each plaza and I took photos of every block, so we could read them later.

    Each plaza is made up of several granite panels arranged in a circle and has its own theme.

    At the centre of the site is a 104 ft tall granite monolith. It’s named the American Spire of Honour.

    There is a statue of a female officer at each entrance
    A Sobering experience
    Memorial to WAC and WAVE members
    General Bernardo de Galvez
    Patrick Henry
    George Washington
    Martha Washington
    This shows the amount of engraving on each panel

    This was well worth the stop and we’ll definitely visit again on a cooler day.

  • A Decadent Treat

    A Decadent Treat

    This is a late post for me. We had a busy day finding ways to celebrate the first day of spring.

    We’ve actually decided to do something special each day over spring weekend 2026. More on that Monday.

    Yesterday, I found a forgotten loaf of homemade focaccia bread in my freezer.

    I defrosted it in the fridge overnight and this morning, set it out on the countertop to soften in the bag. When we got home from our day out of the park, I cubed up a slice for a decadent late afternoon snack. .

    The slightly sweet and tangy notes of the aged balsamic vinegar floating in light olive oil made the perfect dip.

    It was a bit too good.

  • Sneaking Up …

    Sneaking Up …

    Spring weather in deep south Texas basically happens all winter long.

    One hint that spring is sneaking up on us here is the flush of white blossoms on our back yard orange tree.

    Soon, we’ll be heading back to our home in Canada, where spring will become glaringly apparent by about mid April to early May.

    There will likely still be snow when we arrive home in a couple of weeks. The nice thing about driving home vs flying is that we have time to acclimatize on the way north.

    Jumping (via a flight) from the current mid 30° C (mid 90° F) temperatures in South Texas to our near or below freezing temps at home in Saskatchewan, Canada, would be too much of a shock to our systems.

  • It’s That Day …

    It’s That Day …

    Happy 3.14 to all of the mathematicians out there!

    Pi day is the only day all year that I bake pies.

    Hubs likes homemade pie a wee bit too much, so I always wait until March 14 to bake a couple for him.

    This year, it’s homemade coconut cream from scratch.

    I predict that at least one of the three will be completely gone by morning.

  • Thoughtful Tulips

    Thoughtful Tulips

    On Wednesday this week, hubs and I hosted a dinner party for two couples in our park who we consider to be friends.

    Sherry and Den are from Wisconsin and Sue and Pete from Minnesota. It was a bittersweet evening because Sherry and Den are moving to Italy soon. It’s always difficult to say goodbyes to friends, especially when you don’t know when or if you’ll ever see them again.

    I decided to do a raclette meal, as it’s a fun way to dine and visit, while everyone prepares their preferred foods on the table top raclette grill.

    I requested that our guests bring nothing besides their appetites because we had lots of everything.

    Sherry did bring something … a beautiful bouquet of tulips. These have been my favourite flowers for a very long time because they’re the first sign of spring at home. Sherry had no way of knowing this, so that made the gesture all the more special.

  • A Watchful Eye

    A Watchful Eye

    I recall a nature photography class where the instructor (a professional photographer) said, when photographing birds, the key is to get a good shot of the eye and to be sure that the eye is at a junction of two grid lines. He said that this would give the most impact and that if that junction wasn’t set exactly in the photo, a post-processing crop could be done to make that happen.

    I was fortunate that this pelican rested perfectly still on the pier railing, so that I could get close enough to set up the shot.

  • “I Can’t Believe You Just Did That!”

    “I Can’t Believe You Just Did That!”

    Some photos just beg to be captioned.

    What would yours be for this one?

  • Great Gentleness

    Great Gentleness

    Most people with whom I have discussed pigeons hold them in low esteem. I have history with pigeons, or perhaps I would not even have noticed the small creature. The great gentleness I have found seems to have escaped most people’s notice. Of course, like most humans, I did not recognize their true worth at all until I got to know one very well.”
    ― Kathleen Knight, Sanctuary – Exploring the Magical World of Birds

  • Here comes March

    Here comes March

    My March edition of French macarons is St. Patrick’s Day themed, of course.

    I decided on Irish Coffee for my first flavour profile.

    The shells are flavoured with espresso powder. The dam is Dark Chocolate/Irish Cream Ganache. It surrounds a centre of homemade salted caramel.

    Finishing touch: Edible Gold Leaf to tip a hat to that famous pot at the end of the rainbow
  • Vitality

    Vitality

    vi·tal·i·ty

    the state of being strong and active

    Every morning on my walks here in our South Texas park, I pass this poinsettia plant.

    Because it’s so full and lush and perfect, I wondered if it’s real.

    A few days ago I checked and sure enough, it’s as real as you and I.

    To see the bracts still as red at the end of February as they were at Christmas time made me think of the word vitality.