I escaped the poison ivy

This past weekend I trekked back to Goliad and went camping.  I love camping.  A lot of work, yes, but I always get there and wonder why I don’t do it more often.  This particular weekend the wildflowers were out in force.  If you don’t know this already, know that wildflowers are third in priority behind friends and family for me.  Don’t know why, but they are.  However, the flowers are (mostly) for tomorrow.  Today’s photojournalism is South Tejas camping (with a recipe at the end).

This stuff goes under the heading “stuff that I find inspiring.”  At some point in my life, I might actually learn how it is, what switch in my brain I have to flip, so that I can take the things I love, that I find inspiring, and actually do something creative with that inspiration.

Pretty place, Goliad.  Going in February actually made me want to go back.  I didn’t visit the mission this time, as I had the pup along (not allowed on mission proper), but the grounds are quite nice.

IMHO, one should not go camping in Texas, generally speaking, between May 1 and September 30.  It’s miserably hot.  And there are too many bugs and poisonous snakes around here.  For example, this area of south Texas has an abundance of cottonmouths, copperheads, rattlers, scorpions, black widows and tarantulas in the hot months. Yipe!

There have been days in my life when I was tempted to try out some kind of survivalism thing.  Camping, however, reminds me that I am indeed a modern person, and entirely ill-equipped to handle such a challenge.  It’s all right to rough it for a weekend, but a true lack of modern conveniences would surely kick my ass.

Nevertheless, cooking over fire is eminently preferable to anything else.  And if you give me mesquite or apple wood, I’ll be even happier.

There were lots of onion flowers out.  Humble plant, really, with a very strong onion/garlic smell and taste as well as a simple, pretty flower.  It’s what the onion was before it got genetically modified.  I was reminded of my dad picking these and cooking the bulbs with mushrooms in a wine reduction sauce when I was younger.  I recommend that.  Highly.

Pet Peve about Tents:  you cannot stand up in many of them.  I hate trying to put on clothing in a tent.  I don’t like the idea of getting a larger tent than what is absolutely necessary, but … well, sometimes it’s the small things that make the biggest difference.

I find the out-of-doors and small towns to be more inspirational than anything else.  However, I have to admit that’s probably because I live in a relatively large city.  Still, it’s nice to see the stars at night, and I think a lot of inspiration is about getting out of your element, and seeing textures and objects that are new, instead of getting stuck in the same ol’ rut.

Always remember 3 things:  bug spray (Off), sunscreen and a first aid kit with benadryl.  Guess which one I didn’t have?  That’s right - SUNSCREEN.  Ow ow ow crispy.

Leave time to sit in the shade and sniff the flowers.

Recipe for simple, yet tasty stuffed jalapenos follows:

Mix 1/2 small tub of lowfat vegetable cream cheese with about 1/3 cup ham that’s been finely diced.  Crab will also work.  Wearing gloves (as in latex gloves), cut 6 large jalapenos in half and remove the stems, seeds and membranes.  Spoon cheese mixture into empty jalapenos even with the top.  Line a baking sheet with foil (or just use foil) and line the jalapenos up in 2 rows.  Cover with foil.  These can be baked at 275 or put on a grill.  The key is to bake them slowly until they are soft and no longer bright green.  Eat!