A Cappella Awesome

She stood on the stage of the Meyerson Symphony Hall and sang a cappella - For Good from Wicked. It was an amazing performance and a testimony to the acoustics at Dallas' premiere theater. Wow!

Idina Menzel is a superb talent and an entertainer. For one hour, she enthralled her audience with self-deprecating humor, charm, and a clear voice that interpreted sultry, sassy songs. Cole Porter's Life of the Party and Lady Gaga's Poker Face were just a few of the songs, plus she threw in some Police's Roxanne into her music mix.

I was the tall girl in the back of the church choir who never soloed, and realistically was never actually asked to sing. I was part of the charity program: "Here, you can ring a bell, when I point to you," said the choirmaster. Can't sing, can't dance. So what's a girl to do? Well, be a patron of the arts. I go to shows and support folks who can open their mouths and gloriously sing. Grateful for musicians, songwriters, and performers, I gladly pay to hear someone like Ms.Menzel, who shared her craft, never looked at her watch, and seemed to be enjoying her time in Dallas.

Idina Menzel did not disappoint. It was an astounding evening and of course she sang her showstopper from Wicked, Defying Gravity. I, along with everyone in the Meyerson, soared with her every note.

(I was in the cheap seats and I don't have a fancy phone to take pictures or record performances. Thus I'm grateful to the Dallas Morning News contributor above. I give him full credit for the photo and yes, by scanning it in I'm cheating. But we do pay a full subscription for the DSM and they keep raising rates. I hope they paid him for this picture. Thank you readers for understanding. The written part of the blog is all me.)

More Texas birding, part 3 updated!

After birding around San Antonio for a couple of days, Mary, the parents, my nieces, and I drove south last Thursday night to visit my brother Ricardo and do some birding in my old college stomping grounds, Kingsville, home to the former Texas A&I University (I come from a family of University of Texas Longhorns, so I won't mention the new name of the school). I hadn't been back to town in about 15 years, and wouldn't you know I forgot to go and check out the college campus? I was just too wrapped up in birds and family, not to mention getting back to San Antonio in plenty of time for my Saturday flight back home.

Still, I got quite a few birds including some more lifers! We birded in Ricardo's neighborhood first, where we saw three Harris' Hawks riding the strong Gulf Coast winds above an empty field as well as this Tropical Kingbird:I got a new book about photographing birds, so I'm trying new things like catching birds in motion instead of just while perching. This photo won't win any contests, but I'm happy with the composition of it all the same.

I don't want to sound snooty, but get a load of Ricardo's neighbor's idea of hardscaping:Yup, those are bowling balls around each and every plant in the yard. Curb Appeal, where are you?

We also caught this beautiful little Gray Hairstreak (thanks, Hap, for the ID) in his backyard:Ricardo's an avid butterfly buff, and he has lots of beautiful butterflies pinned (yeah, kinda cruel but still beautiful--even if I wouldn't do it myself) and displayed around his home.

After a delicious dinner (my brother is THE grill master) and a good night's sleep, reveille sounded at 5:45 and we were off to Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park on an inlet of Baffin Bay:We searched long and hard for the elusive (to me, anyway) Painting Bunting, but alas the PABU won again. Still, even Ricardo was in on the hunt for a while after seeing photos of the beautiful "Monet Bird." He couldn't believe it was a real native bird in his area. I'd seen an eBird report of PABU sightings as recently as last weekend in this very park, so I figured I'd HAVE to see one, right? Wrong. But like I said, we got some great birds.

Check out this beautiful Curve-billed Thrasher, the first lifer of the day:
I fought off some pretty serious backlighting here.

Early-morning birding = low light conditions!Check out that eerie orange eye!

For an East Coast birder like me, birding in a place like South Texas means that lifers can be found just hanging around on power lines:
An Ash-throated Flycatcher, as opposed to the similar-looking Brown-crested Flycatcher -- the most obvious (to me) difference is the placement and paleness of the yellow wash on the underparts. This guy's yellow was quite pale and covered only his belly, not bright yellow and starting at his breast and extending down.

Texas provides an embarrassment of riches along the coastal waterways. Get a load of this:Bucketfuls of Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Neotropic Cormorants, and other shore beauties. It was impossible to get very close, hence the super-zoom, but holy moly, the Gulf Coast is amazing. It makes me sick to think about the states east of Texas, those affected by the BP oil spill; it also makes me so thankful that at least Gulf Coast waters remain (as yet) pristine and teeming with birdlife.

Yes, that's (from left to right) two Black-necked Stilts, a Neotropic Cormorant, a Tri-colored Heron (thanks, Hap!), an American White Pelican, and another Neotropic Cormorant, all in the same shot.

Continuing my quest for action shots, here's a Laughing Gull scratching his cheek:


Another far-away shot of Roseate Spoonbills and Snowy Egrets (thanks, Hap--who noted the black beaks that equal Snowy, not Great, Egrets), as well as the elusive Green-Plastic-Chair Bird:Grrrrrr, pollution makes me angry.

Next installment: even more birds, butterflies, and an age-old story about the one that got away.

Arts in Fort Worth, Tony's on TV

Confession - haven't been writing much or editing either. No good excuses. Flat out - been swimming/water aerobics and exercise is beneficial and healthy. Been reading a lot - sometimes it goes in spurts and, currently, I have a pile of extraordinary material ( The Passage, Pretty in Plaid). Busy at work which involves me sitting at a computer screen for seven and a half hours straight. (okay, yes, I take thirty minutes for a bag lunch and peruse the Wall Street Journal).

Sunday - I chose to view other artists, and treated myself to a Fort Worth day. Strolled through the Kimbell and enjoyed their Asian art on display. Then lunch (!) - tasty turkey on walnut bread plus assorted salads. Yes, I chose their "small" platter and no dessert. Onward to the Amon Carter for a true treat. Ansel Adams:Eloquent Light featured sixty photographs from a master. Black and white vision, patience, and beauty.

Walked briskly back to The Magnolia Theatre at The Modern to see the film Please Give. Artsy angst. It did seem long, but it had some great lines and I love the actress, Catherine Keener. I'd say it was a mixed reaction from fellow film-goers. One man said to his wife, "Now can we go see the A-Team?" Yikes.

Finally, Sunday night, my husband relinquished control of the big screen and I watched the Tony Awards. Love them - great productions, excellent presenters, the winners gave eloquent speeches, and I'm ready to head to New York to see everything. Chatted with my father and we agreed - Come Fly Away - Twyla Tharp choreography to Frank Sinatra music - wow!

So, I might not be creating art at this juncture, but I'm sure appreciating others' talents.