Doing It On The Road

Fruitland Mesa, Staying At George and Vals

2010-08-11T05:50:00.001-07:00

The sun hasn't yet risen over the West Elk Mountains when the mornings stillness is broken by a sound that is kind of like a train trying to blow its horn. It starts and stops and wheezes and starts again, finally ending in a series of resounding hehaws. Its Dulcemia, Vals donkey, waking eceryone up as it greets the morning sun.
As you step outside you see a herd of ten large mule deer bucks, grazing in one of Georges hayfields. Each one is in full velevet and one is a truely spectacular buck with a wide spread and with thick beams.
Its early but its time to get up for morning coffee and to plan the days schedule, today its a float down the Gunnison, yesterday was antiquing and then a four wheel drive ride in George's 1972 two tone Bronco. That was a ride along two deeply rutted tracks on Black Ridge. We bounced along and tried to spot wildlife but they were hiding from the sound of the engine.
Each day is full of surprises as we enjoy the area, truely a little known destination that is empty of all the tourists places we have been. Its kind of surprising that it hasn't been develpoped as beautiful as it is.
The rains have been heavy and the fields are green, which really isn't the usual case as the area gets less then ten inches of rain a year. The only occupations here are raising irrigated hay and trying to cash in on the fall hunting season as nonresidents flock to the area for its elk and deer.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnsion is the one place really known outside the area but there are so many other places too enjoy. We have picked service berries at Kebler Pass, drove through the Crested Butte ski area, enjoyed the scenry of Blue Mesa and picniced along the North fork of the Gunnison.
Its been an really enjoyably week and I would write more but its coffee time at the ranch and time to plan the float trip. I am sure that will be another adventure worth writing so I need to go out for my morning chores,(which involves walking Molly and Dulcie). Its no wonder that George and Val love it here. Clear skies.

The North Rim of The Black Canyon of the Gunnison

2010-08-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

From a distance the Black Canyon of the Gunnison looks out of place. You see the green treeless landscape, and it is so green because of the unusual rains. Against it or really across it runs a obvious canyon with cliffs, but its only as you near the rim that you get any idea of its depth.
The canyon ranges in depths from 1700 feet at the narrows, to 2700 feet at Warner Point, over half a mile. It seems deceiving as you look down it, you have nothing for scale, so you have to compare it to something you know well. For me Devils Tower was the obvious choice.
The narrows is three times as deep as the vertical height of Devils Tower and four and a half times the height at its deepest. As I looked down into the depths, I felt the desire to feel the rock, the same feeling I got at Yosemite. There were many vertical lines and one that sat in a dihedral looked like such a clean and beautiful route.
I am nearing sixty years of age and yet I still feel the same as when I was younger and climbed the hard rock, pounding iron into cracks. I suppose the desire and longing for the rocks touch and the need to dance on a vertical rock dance floor, will never cease, never leave. Or at least I hope it never does.
Looking down we went from place to place, the Narrows, The Leaning Camel, Balancing Rock. The river far below was a series of whitewater pools and George told me how he had heard that it was full of big trout that had rarely seen a fly.
Across the gorge the south rim was busier, and we only shared the north rim with another couple, oh and a coyote. He seemed unconcerned with our presence and even trotted right past us, as close to a wild coyote as we have ever been. Stopping, he lapped water from a puddle on the granites surface. What could taste better or be cleaner then fresh rainwater on hard rock, high on the Colorado Plateau?
We both enjoyed the north rim and its solitude. It was so nice to share with our friends George and Val as they guided us to a place only 15 minutes from their ranch. Fifteen minutes and yet so far back in time then most of the tourist places we have been.
I thought again of the rock and the gorge and how hard it would be to climb out. The verticality of the rock still causes me to pause as I think of the gorges sheer walls and stunning depth. However such an attempt will have to wait for another time as this journey is really one in which we are merely sampling the area, and the area and its beauty is definitely a do over. Climb on, oh and Clear skies!

Crossing the Unitas and Douglas Pass on Colorado 139, OH MY

2010-08-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

It was time to go to Colorado and visit our friends George and Val. They have a hay ranch on Fruitland Mesa, near Crawford, Colorado and it looked like an easy drive with a mountain pass or two but no problem, right? After all the truckers atlas showed the route aa a truckers route and it had some squiggles on the map but still no problemo.
However the first pass on US 191 wasn't quite the pass I expected and when we saw the sign stating ten switchbacks and an eight to nine percent downgrade I started to wonder about my wisdom.
I shifted into low gear and prepared ourselves for the descent. After all we had been over lots of passes before and this couldn't be too bad, right? Notice my second use of the word right.
The pass was so steep that I actually had to use our brakes more then the usual two or three times as the truck kept wanting to pick up speed down the pass, The state of Utah had actually put up signs at each switchback telling drivers how many remained.
I wasn't quite as careful as I should have been and the transmission heated up. I actually had to pull over, luckily there was a place big enough for our rig, and let it cool down for awhile. It was something I hadn't done in quite a while the last time during our first year on the road when I misjudged our speed going down South Pass in the Wyoming Wind Rivers.
We finally made the last switchback and everything was cool so I relaxed as we arrived in Vernal Utah. From there we turned east on 40 and then south onto Colorado 139. We both relaxed, whew.
A sign appeared that said open range and we braked to keep some cows from causing permanent damage to our rig. Soon the narrow road started to gain in elevation as we took the first switchback and then another and another. Rocks lay strewn alongside the road as we passed signs warning of rock fall and in one place huge towers of sandstone stood ready to end someones journey, or at least block the road.
Renita keep telling me how beautiful it was as I kept my eyes glued to the road. Theres nothing more disgusting then your navigator telling about the beautiful scenry as you use all your wit and skill to keep your rig from hurtling over a thousand foot drop. Its not a road for flatlanders or first time mountain drivers and I took hairpin after hairpin, some as slow as fifteen miles per hour, the posted speed!
Trucks passed, all going in the opposite way, and so we knew the road was ok for us as if a truck can travel it we can and so we finally reached the top of Douglas Pass and started down the other side towards Grand Junction, Colorado.
The road snaked down the mountainside, reminding me of our drive as we crossed the Sierras and drove to Yosemite Valley. Switchback after switchback after switchback, some so sharp that I watched trucks go wide to miss the rocks and keep from wiping out another vehicle going the other way.
Again I babied our rig down the mountain and we soon gave up any attempt to count the number of switchbacks. I felt pretty good about it all as I kept the temperature down enough so we didn't have to stop for cooling and we finally reached the bottom of the pass and then Grand Junction.
The rest of the drive to George and Vals was uneventful. I told myself that any pass I would see in the future couldn't possible be any more fun to drive then Douglas Pass. It was a beautiful drive through gorgeous scenery but it definitely is not for the faint of heart. Would I take it again? To that I would probably say yes, but not this year as we will find another way to head back to the Bighorns, our next goal. Clear skies.

Floating the Green

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

"You shouldn't have any problem, just be sure to hit the chute straight down the middle. Its a class two rapids, oh and you will hit another rapids when you reach the water plant."
I asked myself if I really wanted to do this, but I was determined to float a short stretch of the Green River of Wyoming. After all, John Wesley Powell had started from Expedition Island in Green River Wyoming and so I needed to at least float a little of his journey,(in case you don't know his expedition was the first to travel down the Grand Canyon and a movie I used in class was called, Ninety Nine Days To Survival)
A strong current quickly took me downstream and I readied myself for my first test, floating past the cranes that were constructing some new whitewater for kayaks and tubers to enjoy. The current picked up speed and the river narrowed as I shot past the working equipment and into a broader stretch of the river.
The north shore was all white cliffs and there were spots along the south bank where the water was shallow. I scraped bottom in one place as I paddled through a small set of ripples. I reminded myself of what the local expert had told me, keep the boat straight and you should be ok.
The first rapids approached, the only warning being the noise. It dropped over a ridge of rock and I couldn't see the drop. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor I rowed over to the south shore and stepped out of the canoe to look the rapids over. Maybe next time I thought as I used my rope to drift the canoe past the rapids.
A little further I floated under a railroad bridge and the current picked up speed again. Two signs warned of the approaching white water park at expedition island and further stated that all floaters need to be wearing life jackets. No problem here as I had mine on from the start!
I passed some people swimming along a sand beach and paddled to the north bank as I had already decided not to shoot the chute, at least not this time. Renita appeared on the shore and we talked about how the canoe would float past the rapids. She had been talking with a man on shore who had told her about the drowning that had occurred there a few weeks earlier,(the person who drowned hadn't been wearing a life jacket).
The rest of the float went too quickly although the current slowed below the highway bridge. I passed a flock of Canadian geese who seemed displeased about my intrusion and a mule deer raised his head and watched me float by his island. His velvet antlers were still growing and he was completely unconcerned about my presence, just another one of those stupid people.
Another bend and I passed a gauging station. It looked to be in disrepair, which kind of surprised me as the water rights and water claims on the Green are tightly monitored. I thought about the idiot who wanted to take water from the Green and pipe it over the continental divide, to be used by Denver and Colorado cities on the front range. It reminded me of the Mono Lake diversion, how sad it would be if it happened here. Keep the Green flowing!
I spotted Renita at the take out point and she waved as I neared. She had decided to be my support crew and photographer for my short float and I couldn't ask for anyone better. It had been a fun float of the Green and I actually stayed dry. It was a definite do over, next time with my photographer in the boat! Clear skies.

The Window is Fixed

2010-08-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Three weeks after a rock smashed our back window, the lady from DJ's Glass called and sad the glaziers were coming out to replace our broken back window. Soon their white van arrived and in no time at all the old window was out!
I was kind of surprised at how easy it was to remove. They just took out the interior frame screws and then pushed on the window. Broken glass fell all over the ground, thank goodness it was tempered glass. and the glaziers quickly disassembled the frame.
In less then an hour they had the broken glass replaced with the new double pane and the window reinstalled in our fifth wheel. They made the job look easy but that's what professionals are supposed to do.
The glass tint matched perfectly and we are now ready to hit the road again! It was perfect timing as we had hoped to head to our friends George and Val and the Black Canyon of the Gunnision, Colorado here we come!

The Farson Fish Beds and the Opalized Wood of Big Sandy

2010-08-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

The dust was absent, for once. usually a trip down a road in the Red desert causes billowing clouds of fine white dust and sand and the dust seems to get in everywhere.
The road we were on was surprisingly good gravel with only a short stretch of dirt. Still we would watch for a developing rain thunderstorm.
I kept my eyes on the odometer while Renita watched for landmarks. We were looking for grey and brown piles of shale, left by collectors, and yes thieves, who had pillaged the Farson Fish Beds,(It is against the law to collect any vertebrate fossil on public land).
Just after we had drove eleven miles the piles of rock appeared alongside the road and stretched to a low rolling sagebrush covered ridge. We saw the BLM warning signs and we were at our destination, the Farson Fish Beds!
Knowing we couldn't collect anything but pictures we pulled over at a fork on the four wheel drive track. The ever present aroma of sage assailed our nostrils as we started to search the nearest piles of rock. At first we only found fish scales where the fish had exploded as they decomposed but Renita suggested we look further from the truck and I found my first fish fossil!
Soon the fish fossils seemed to jump out at us and I took images of them. I was pretty happy really as they were the first complete fish fossils I had ever found in thirty plus years of field trips with my geology classes.
We left the fossils where they lay, before the temptation overpowered our good sides. I don't think either one of us would do time well, and the real purpose of the trip was to find some opalized wood from Big Sandy.
The book said to turn around and head south until we found a four wheel drive track that headed west and Renita spotted it before me. I really doubted that it was the right path, but I turned off the main road and soon a stock dam and low ridge lay to the northeast.
As soon as I got out I spotted some petrified wood and we both were soon busy scouring the spaces between the sage. Beautiful quartzite slicks were everywhere, they are actually called ventifacts, which are rocks polished by the desert winds, but the days hunt was for opalized wood and it didn't take long before we both were near our twenty five pound daily limit.
Dropping the tailgate of the truck we shared a water bottle and handed each other our finds. We returned most of the quartzite to the desert after making sure they weren't jade slicks. I told Renita how I had almost stepped on a horny toad and she expressed her wish that she had seen it, of course she had the camera.
Backtracking we reached the main road, our next destination Big Sandy Reservoir and the agatized algae beds. The road skirted the south side of Eden Reservoir and we reached the Big Sandy Road and turned north. The dam appeared and we could see a highway, 191, in the distance.
There were campers parked on both sides of the lake and so we drove to the nearest campground where we parked. Renita showed me the pictures in the guidebook and I could see that the cliffs alongside the lake were the same ones pictured, we were there!
Renita found the first piece of agatized algae, but when I hit it with my rock hammer, the Eastwing easily fractured the rock and we both knew it was too soft and too fractured to work on the lapidary machines. Never the less we both found some interesting chalcedony, interlaced with opal, and so we added these to our days finds, more rocks for the fifth wheel!
The drive back to the campground was a lot easier as we weer able to cross the dam and reach the highway. I took some pictures and gps coordinates to submit to Days End, as the short bit of gravel road led to some nice boondocking spots.(Days End is an Escapee listing of free places to camp). We had just joined it and part of the price of admission is the requirement to add to the list of free or cheap spots.
Molly greeted us at the door, her tail wagging with happiness as the pack had returned! We had left her home as she had been sick and we thought that a day in air conditioning would be better for her then a day in the hot desert sun. We were both tired from hauling rocks under a hot desert sun and so we left the rocks in the back of the truck. it was time for a siesta! Clear skies.

Escapee Friends

2010-07-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we got an email from Mike and Loretta,(Mike and Loretta are fulltimers who have been on the road for ten years), saying they would be passing through Wyoming and wondering where we were at. So it was really nice when we heard their air horn and saw their mdt and fifth wheel out our side window.
Their original plan was to go to Frontier Days but they had changed them and weren't sure where they were going and so they spent a couple nights parked across from us at Buckbosrd Crossing Campground.
We actually were able to grill fresh caught salmon over a wood pit fire. Loretta made a pasta salad and we also had wood fire baked potatoes and French bread. It was a real challenge as storms roared past us and we were just able to cook the salmon and eat during a lull between the storms.
The plan for the next day was to go for a boat ride up Flaming Gorge, and to maybe catch some smallmouth bass for dinner. The next morning we loaded up and went to the boat ramp. The game and fish inspector actually walked to the campground road head to make sure we got our mussel inspection done and after the usual questions she okayed us and we launched the boat.
It didn't take long before we were heading up the lake, with our destination being Firehole and Chimmney Rock. The trip was nice and we chatted about the gorge, John Wesley Powell and the numerous boondocking sites along the shore.
We stopped at the mouth of the Black River and pointed out the road called Lost Dog. There was a large fifth wheel there, here you are allowed to boondock for sixteen days and so many haul their campers out and simply leave them for the entire time. They then come out on weekends and days off and no one sems to mind although they are supposed to be occupied!
From there we raced up to Firehole and Chimney rock. I wasn't really sure which rock was chimney rock as there are two large towers or pillars of rock that dominate the landscape. Renita pointed out a window on one of the buttes and of course we took more pictures.
We headed further up the canyon and the gorge narrowed with the water becoming muddy. A couple of boats passed by and I kept my eyes on the depth finder as it sh allowed.
We stopped at a point which was the futherest we have ever run up the Green,(the river that fills Flaming Gorge), and Mike suggested we use our gps to find the location on Google Earth, duh!
Heading back down lake we stopped and cast crankbaits and do nothing rigs but no smallmouths volunteered to be part of a fish fry. It didn't matter as we had plenty of cornbread for the nights meal.
As we neared Buckboard Marina we pulled into a sheltered cove foe a bite of lunch. It was a pretty sheltered spot and someone actually had a boat dock parked in one of the arms of the cove,(the rules for a dock permit are that anyone can use your dock). The dock wasn't attached to the shore however so we went past it before beaching the boat.
I looked for fish fossils but didn't find any. Cumulonimbus clouds were forming over the Uintas and so we finished lunch and headed back to the boat ramp. Renita drove the boat on to the trailer and hit it perfectly on the first try. She is really good at it and I know she is secretly pleased as others watch her load the boat as they are meant to be loaded.
It was a fun day and right on schedule the wind rose and began rocking our fifth wheel. The mountain and valley breezes here are almost like clockwork. Loretts said that she could understand why we like it here, not meaning that they were desert fans, but what do you expect from people who lived their lives in a place with trees.
It was a nice and pleasant time with Mike and Loretta and we waved goodbye as they fired up the Freightliner and headed east. They didn't know where they were heading and that's what you can do when you are fulltimers, just mosey on down the road. Clear skies.

Fishing and Catching at Flaming Gorge

2010-07-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

The sun had set but it was still light and the campground and surrounding sagebrush desert were filled with a soft yellow-red glow. The mountain breeze had died and it was as still as the desert solitude can be. Far different than the afternoons when we have been buffeted by strong winds or dry thunderstorms that seem to spring out of the Unintas.
I thought about the fishing and quietly shook my head.The fishing has been mixed, one day seven fish including salmon, rainbow, and lake trout and the next day only a small kokeenee.
We tried our hand at fishing smallmouth and also have had mixed success. On days when the wind blows too strong to go out we go down to the nearby bay and cast crankbaits for smallies. One day we actually caught three and I kept one for a fried fish dinner, to go along with a leftover walleye from Boysen.
We heard the salmon were at the pipeline and so we drove down to Anvil Draw. The first day was good, seven salmon but the second day we were stormed off in less then an hour and the third day we only boated a small shaker,(A kokeenee too small to keep and so you shake it off).
Sure enough we talked with our friend Steve from Lander, and he was catching fish at the cliffs, a spot only a few miles from our campground, but it is the weekend and we don't fish on weekends, too many boats and people. You get spoiled in Wyoming, after the crush of fellow fisherman in Texas.
We still have a couple more weeks and we aren't going anyplace till our house is fixed. The campground mower threw a rock into out back window and shattered it. Still time for more fishing and hopefully better catching as we have been releasing most of the salmon. Clear skies.

Horseshoes and Fishing, A Fine Day at Flaming Gorge

2010-07-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

Horse shoes is really a simple game, unless you have a German Shepard who insists on playing! Everytime Matt would throw a shoe his female German Shepard, Thunder, would walk over, grab the shoe and bring it back.
We were spending the day at Matt and Pattys, not their house in Rock Springs but their boondocking spot on Flaming Gorge. It was a great spot right on the lake and a spot that we could easily reach with our fifth wheel and truck.
Patty had called us on Friday night to let us know they were going to spend the weekend at Anvil Draw and to invite us out for fishing, horseshoes and barbecue.
So we got up early the next morning, hooked up the boat and took the short drive to lake access road number 1, Anvil Draw. We didn't see them at first, too many hills, and so we launched the boat and decided to look for their spot from the water.
The first bay was full of fifth wheels and motor homes but no Matt and Patty. It even had a race course set up for jet skis.
Heading south we went round the bend from the boat dock and there they were. We pulled up to shore and beeped the horn several times before they came out, still sleeping?
The hugs and hellos were the first order of business and we visited for a bit, but I was getting antsy to go fishing. So we got into the boat and headed to our first spot. There were quite a few boats fishing other places but I wanted to check out the place where we had caught so many fish the past two years.
It didn't take long to reach my secret fishing hole and quickly a pole wiggled and then released. As it was my turn I grabbed the pole and fought the fish too the boat where it fell off the hook before we could net it, hmmmmmm. Almost immediately the other pole released and I lost another fish, this seems like a familiar story.
We reset the poles and dwonriggers and soon had another bite. This time Renita fought the fish to the boat and the waiting net. It was a kokenee, but a small one and so we released it. Trolling out deeper we caught two more fish, both small, and I decided it was time to head to another spot.
There were quite a few boats fishing across from the boat ramp and so we got into the trolling pattern and watched as two of the boats caught fish. One was a really nice salmon and the fisherman hooted and hollered as the netted their catch.
We caught a nice fish ourselves and wanted to fish more but it lightened in the distance and so we headed in. Having had some scares from lightening we are the first boat in when weather threatens.
We loaded the boat and drove over to their camp. It was a great site, huge, with an easy turn around, and a view to die for. What could be better? We sat around the camp fire and talked about rving and life in general. Patty has a great sense of humor and entertained us with her quips.
We tried to play horseshoes but the dogs would always join us and Thunder would pick up the heavy iron shoe in her mouth! Deciding horseshoes would not be a good idea we looked for rocks and of course we found some. Agate was everywhere, along with some petrified wood, it was the usual story of trying to be selective.
Matt and Patty grilled some steaks, corn on the cob, and hobo potatoes. It was as fine a meal as you could ask for and we both dove into our food. After dinner we told the kids about retirement and I tried to keep a straight face as I told them that we would have worked more but that our health had caused us to decide to retire early, Renita of course burst into laughter and I had to join her. We both were meant for the retirement lifestyle! It was also obvious that I couldn't fib the kids and keep a straight face.
Too soon the sun neared the horizon and Molly kept going to the truck, time to go home. We had had soooooo much fun and we thanked Matt and Patty for sharing the day.
Everyone had a great time,(Molly included)! Clear skies.

Red Agate and Banded Flint, The Southeast side of Cedar Mountain

2010-07-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

Last year we met David and Nancy, two full timers who camped next to us and who were also rock hounds. They were interested in finding agates and so we showed them our guidebook, Rockhounding Wyoming, and they decided to check out a couple of sites on the southeast face of Cedar Mountain.
That night Nancy came over and showed us the beautiful agate that she had found! She excitedly told us it was the best agate she had ever found and thanked us for heading them in the right direction. Of course we were as jealous as you could be and so all winter we talked about going to the southeast face of Cedar Mountain.
Now the guidebook tells about finding red jasper on Cedar Mountain and also about the banded flint of Mckinnon and as both are on the same road, we packed our lunch and headed out for a day looking for more rocks.
Turning on Sweetwater county road 1 I forgot to check my mileage and so things were already kind of shaky, but luckily there are very few roads off the blacktop and so we found the right gravel road.
It was actually a pretty good road for the Red Desert, thank goodness it was dry, and we soon started seeing nodules of red and black cert everywhere. Stopping we walked the first spot and both had quite a bit of red chert. Being selective we threw most of it away, keeping some for a closer inspection at camp, and continued down the road.
Badlands topography appeared, caused by eroded horizontal rock layers forming a dendritic pattern, and as the book talked of finding fossil turtle shell, we had to stop and look. In the distance we could see a lonely ranch house and we both wondered at the toughness of the people that had homesteaded such a remote spot.
I parked the truck and headed to the badlands while Renita looked near the parking spot. Of course red jasper was everywhere and I lifted a ten pound boulder that showed some promise. The question was, did I really want to carry it all the way back? Deciding it wasn't that impressive I left it and continued on looking for the elusive turtle shell.
I crossed several ridges and walked draws looking for small pieces of shell. See one way to find fossils if to walk the draws and look for small fragments and then to follow their trail, looking for the in situ site,(the place where the main shell was still embedded in the rock).
No fragments and no shells jumped out in front of me and so I made a loop and walked back to the truck. Of course Renita had a pile of rocks on the back bumper, but nothing spectacular and so we released them and headed to the main road.
Our next goal was to find the high line and the banded flint of Mckinnon. It was pretty easy spot to locate and I didn't have to use four wheel drive as we turned off the main road by driving into the steep ditch and down the two track path.
Stopping at the first hillside we parked the truck and found the hillside covered with banded flint. Black chert, with swirls of yellow were everywhere and it became a question of looking for the perfect piece. See we pick first and then only take the best pieces back to Texas and the lapidary shop. Even then we end up hauling a lot of, "Junk", as our friend Dick Cline, kindly descibes it.
Black storm clouds began to threaten and so we left the site heading for Mckinnon and Manila, Utah. A forest service road beckoned but there was no way we were going to travel it with a storm and heavy rains approaching. We have heard too many stories of friends who took such roads and ended uo being ,mired in mud, sometimes even for days!
It was a pretty drive, Mckinnon actually has a school, and we found another road to Spirit Lake. We arrived back at Buckboard crossing and looked at the samples we had collected. It really wasn't an impressive haul for a day and we agreed that the road to Butcherknife Draw had the same rocks and more promise.
Still, just about any day in the field is a good day and so we were glad we had traveled the southeast face of Cedar Mountain. While we wouldn't go back to the sites we picked, the four wheel drive road near Mckinnon is another question. Is it worth the return drive or should we go next to the Blue Forest? Clear skies.

Matt and Patty's Rv, A new Generation

2010-07-03T06:15:00.001-07:00

Our son and his wife, Matt and Patty, have been among our biggest supporters of our lifestyle and so it was no surprise when we heard that they had purchased their own rv, a 22 foot toy hauler.
Having three german shepards, two of which are rescue dogs, and having a four wheeler made their selection of a toy hauler easy. Now they can boondock in the Red Desert and the dogs can go up and down the ramp! We hadn't ever looked at many toy haulers before and we really like what they have chosen.
Their pride in their new second home was evident and their stories were so familiar, going out and sitting in the camper and enjoying the peace and quiet. It was obvious that they got a new toy that they really needed.
Matt showed us around while Patsy sat and listened and of course telling us her insights and happiness with the rv. They have a tv but don't use it and its such a nice escape from their busy lifestyle.
We talked about diesel trucks versus gas engines and gave them some pointers from our experience. We gave them some items for their new house, a set of Bal chocks and a clear sleeve for their dumping. Ah yes and of course we talked about dumping and other fun aspects of live on the road.
Now we just have to plan a weekend of camping together,(maybe we can suggest a spot near some petrified wood or a place where we can prospect for gold or diamonds)? Regardless of the spot we are happy for them and like their new home. Clear skies.

Butcherknfe Draw and the North Side of Cedar Mountain

2010-06-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

The old saying is that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the desert sun, and I guess Molly, Renita, and I have to be added to the list! We have wanted to return to Butcher Knife Draw and so when the the forecast was for clear skies we decided that today was the day!
Now Butcher Knife Draw is listed as a site for finding crystals of chromium diopside and pyrype crystals and it also is the site of lamprocite dikes, which bring up material from deep in the Earth's mantle,(diamonds), so even though we had visited the site last year we just had to go back.
At least we knew where we were going this year and so the only difficulties were avoiding the heavy ruts in the road and a traffic jam as a herd of cows was being driven by two cowboys and a cowgirl.
The only sensible thing to do when you encounter a cattle drive is to pull over and watch the herd go bye. Molly of course hates cows, unless they are in her food dish, and so she tried her best to cause a stampede. It was neat to watch the herd being driven by and see a cowboy head off a cow and calf that were tring to stray form the herd.
They soon passed and we continued avoiding washouts and the deep ruts left by someone who had traveled this way while the road was muddy. Before long we reached Big Dry Creek and turned onto a four wheel drive road tha parallels the draw.
Now the first place you look is in the ant hills as the ants bring up small gemstones. Last year we had only found one as the Treasure Hunter Show had aired and every ant hill had been carried away by all the treasure seekers, so we had hoped that there would be new hills and a lot more gems.
We had just started up the road when we saw one and then another ant hill. Stopping and inspecting them we were both disappointed in that there were no gems visible and so we drove further north looking at ant pile after ant pile until we found one with several small pyrope crystals.
Now the pyrope crystals were small, as that's what the ants bring up, so the idea is to look away from the ant piles and hopefully find larger gems. Finding several, we were both soon distracted by all the chert nodules.
Black chert, black and yellow banded chert and a deep red chert was everywhere. The difficulty was in finding really good pieces for our collection. I had also wanted to look for a lamprocite volcanic tube, as the materials I had read said they were often blue or green in color, and that they were the source for the gems.
Crossing a ridge I spied two green outcrops and so I went down into the valley. I looked at the lower one and inspected the rock for xenocrysts,(A Xenocryst is a fragment picked up by the molten material and carried to the surface in the eruption), and it appeared that there were numerous small crystals in the rock.
Breaking off a piece I carried it back to the truck and as I neared Renita I could see she had a pile of rocks to add to our collection. Now we do live and travel full time so more rocks always present us with a dilemma, should we actually carry the piece all the way to Texas and the lapidary shop? Looking at her samples and mine we left about half of them on the ridge and saved the coordinates, in case we want to come back.
Leaving the draw we returned down the road stopping and looking for more rocks. Again chert was everywhere and so we made three further stops. At one of the arroyos we found a fairly large piece of gold moss agate. We already have a bunch of gold moss agate but we don't have any from Wyoming and so we kept it as we really want to specialize in Wyoming stones.
Molly had already decided that it was too hot to be in the sun and crawled under he truck while Renita and I picked the differentt washes. Again the chert was everywhere and so we passed up sample after sample, only keeping the best.
Arriving beck at the campsite, my arm had started to swell up from where several ants had attacked me in defense of the home,(I hadn't destroyed them but had just altered them slightly). We both appreciated the air conditioning and it felt good to be back home,(Home of course is wherever we park our fifth wheel), with mor epurope andsome neat japser and agte ofr our winter lapidy hobby. Clear skies

Wyoming Gem and Mineral Show, Powell, Wyoming

2010-06-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

One of Renita’s many hats, is that of entertainment director,(if it were up to me we would probably fish or stay around the fifth wheel and grind rocks). So I was surprised when she found that the Wyoming Gem and Mineral Society was having its annual show at Powell, Wyoming!
We briefly thought about pulling our house,(fifth wheel), there but instead opted to stay camping at Boysen State Park and make it a day trip. Now the distance may seem a lot to you but it was only 300 miles round trip and people that live out west, especially Wyoming, don’t think much about driving that far for a day’s excursion.
So we started towards Powell, taking the short drive to Thermopolis, and then turned up Wyoming 120 to Meeteesee and Cody. From there it was only 30 miles to Powell. The drive was easy and quite nice. The Absoraka Mountains stood to the west and it was kind of fun to realize that Yellowstone was just over those hills.
We didn’t see any wolves or bear as we drove but soon after passing Meeteesee, Heart Mountain dominated the skyline. Now Heart Mountain was the site of a internment camp for Americans of Japanese descent, and as we passed the historical site I saw some of the original buildings used to house the prisoners.
The houses brought back memories as when I spent the summer in Wyoming, during my two months of Geology field camp, the dormitories were actually surplus detention camps from the Heart Mountain site. They were flimsy cheap structures and the mice had no problems invading our shelter and feasting on anything edible. Winter time must have been so hard.
Finally reaching Powell we had to ask the location of the Fairgrounds as it wasn’t on the main road and we found the Gem and Mineral Show after driving all around the perimeter of the Fairgrounds Site.
The very first dealer had a display of Wyoming Jade, but oh my the prices! One piece, had a price of 1800 dollars and I was almost afraid to touch it for fear that it would somehow shatter in my hand! That was a piece of apple green Jeffery City rough and the rock was less then a pound!
Declining the exhortations of the dealer we moved on, where another dealer had more Wyoming Jade, including some apple green Jeffery City jade for about 40 dollars a pound. Thoughts of acquiring some were evaporating from my mind, but at least we were getting to see lots of rough jade.
Edwards Black Jade, pink jade, apple green jade, all Wyoming stones, were pretty common and we did buy several slices, along with some Wyoming snowflake jade. We did actually buy a piece of the apple green jade, spending more that we had planned but we dipped into money from our jewelry sales as we just had to have some for our winter lapidary.
The society had display cases exactly like the ones the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society uses and so we were able to enjoy the cases, filled with Wyoming treasures. We were both surprised at all the different minerals we didn’t realize could be found here, and so our thoughts were turned to more days and new spots to hunt for rocks.
The club had a silent auction booth and we won several specimens, some bubble gum agate, three fossil mammoth teeth, although they looked more like large cat canines to me, and I narrowly got outbid for some Guernsey agate. A club member was making cabochons and what was really wild is that he was blind and making them from the feel of the stone!
We watched another dealer as she wrapped a cabochon, and while her technique was almost identical to ours her wraps were more elaborate, with swirls of wire finishing the pieces. She gave us lots of advice about tools to buy and she does use a finer gauge wire then we do, so it was really informative.
Probably the biggest difference was that she used 26 gauge round wire for her wraps instead of the half round half hard 21 gauge sterling wire we prefer. It was nice to see a fellow wrapper who makes the complete piece form hand, so many people buy already made cabochons and the quality is usually inferior.
We talked with another couple who fulltime and travel from show to show, and it’s pretty obvious that we need to go to the Tucson and Quartzite winter shows. We really aren’t interested in turning our hobby into a business, we are mainly selling so we can afford more rocks, silver wire and equipment, (we also want to start using gold filled wire but the prices are so high).
The drive back home was uneventful and Renita drove so I could enjoy the scenery. It was a fast trip as there is nothing but the small town of Meeteesee for 100 miles and so we made it back in time for supper and some unwinding before bed. Clear skies.

The Powder River Pass, Crossing the Bighorns

2010-06-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

A line of blue sky appeared and for the first time in days we could see the sun. As we drove to the top of a hill, just past Wild Horse Road, the Bighorns appeared in all their glory and my heart leapt. I told Renita and I could see her face brighten. We had so many memories.
She pointed out all the snow and it was pretty obvious that winter still held the mountains in its grip, and it shouldn’t have been any surprise. We both had been in the high country before and the lakes were still frozen at altitude.
Normally we wouldn’t have taken our fifth wheel across a mountain pass, when we could avoid it, but we have been on the road for three years and have crossed many passes. So, we decided to cross the Powder River Pass, and a flood of memories waited patiently for us.
I pointed out Bighorn and Darton Peaks, and remembered my climb of Darton, many years ago. That day one of our team came down with altitude sickness and we had to get him low before we could summit. A storm hit us unexpected and we felt the worms crawling in our hair. Luckily we were able to retreat from the summit before the lightning struck.
On the west side of Darton Peak was my daughters favorite place, Lost Twins Lakes. Jenny and I had back packed there on a father daughter trip and so it was one of my special places too. If you are ever in their cirque in August you can see the shadow of the bear, cast by a protruding truncated spur. I didn’t see it until Jenny pointed it out.
We stopped at the welcome to the Bighorn National Forest turnoff, and we pointed out Cloud and Bomber Peaks. I had climber Cloud Peak twice and Renita and I had day packed into the Cloud Peak Wilderness area, just after we had both retired.
Pole Creek hove into view and we both pointed out the many places we had skied in for our Christmas trees. Places and times filled with love and family and happiness. The North Fork of Crazy Women Creek looked as inviting as ever, but our fifth wheel was just too big for that campground.
We reached the Powder River Pass and stopped for a bit to relax and remember. Not too far away was the spot where we had sledded, insanely it turned out as there were hidden rocks. Our normal sledding hill had been bare that year and so we had driven high in search of snow. I hit a rock so hard I couldn’t sit on a chair for a month.
We headed down the west side , past Meadowlark Ski area and Willow Park. Willow Park was our favorite place to cross country ski. The snow was so much better on the west side of the Bighorns, as the windward side usually is.
Past Meadowlark we headed down Tensleep Canyon and I remembered the time I skied the old highway. It was amazing as you could ski for eleven miles and only had to pole twice. It was scary too as the old road had no guardrails and no way out once you had started down its trace.
I pulled over for others to pass, as we were in no hurry, life is about the journey after all. We passed Leigh Point where a British member of the royal family had fell while hunting. We wanted to stop and look for rocks, stromatolites this time, but the melting snow pack had raised the level of the creek to flood stage, and the rocks were all underwater.
We marveled at the mansions being built on the outskirts of Tensleep, progress I guess, or monuments to money. Why do people need so much space, when we are happy in so little, each unto his own. Worland came and went and it didn’t seem to have changed much. Kirby passed by and then Thermopolis neared as we saw signs for the dinosaur center.
The Wind River Canyon is always a treat and we saw the sign for the Wedding of the Waters. There the Wind River becomes the Bighorn. Early explorers had given two different names for the same river and neither name won out. We couldn’t see where a train had been derailed from a rock avalanche, earlier this spring.
Boysen Dam neared and as we passed through the third tunnel we left the reservation land and arrived at Boysen State Park, and our friends John and Flo Wheeler. It had taken longer to cross the mountains a lifetime of memories. We have been truly blessed. Clear skies

Morning Parades and A Typical Day at Keyhole State Park

2010-06-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

Every morning we are treated to several parades. The first ones are pelicans and geese and then we do our own parade. The days here are peaceful ones nicely interrupted by friends and the nights are usual quiet.
Soon after first light a flock of American white pelicans swims out from their roost in search of food, I don't know who leads who but they all fish in unison and its really special to watch. They swim as a group and all turn forming a hook, herding a school of fish toward shore. When the time is right they all dip their bills into the water in an exhibition of synchronized feeding that any group of Olympic swimmers would envy.
Soon after a pair of Canadian geese swim from across the lake herding their ten goslings and keeping them on the straight and narrow. As they approach shore the female checks out the shores safety while the young ones swim in circles, anxious to wade ashore for that tasty grass. The male then follows and both parents stretch their necks watching for danger, a hungry coyote or even a viscous shi-tzue!
Soon after Molly and I go for our morning walk along the cement path. There are so few people in this campground that we almost always have it to ourselves. We often disturb a feeding pronghorn antelope, who snorts his warning to his harem of does.
Our days are filled with quiet sometimes broken by the welcome sight of friends stopping by. A daily bike ride or a stroll along the lake shore, although more often we simply sit and read. We don't have electricity here so we make do and often wrap stones,antique pottery, or sea glass.
Renita and I started to sell our work on Etsy as its either sell some or stop collecting more rocks and so we part with our pieces, reluctantly. Our goal is to sell enoug for a grinder polisher machine that has been designed for rvers,(the size of a shoebox).
We have made more campfires this past week then we usually do in a year and I have tried to cook chicken, steaks, hamburgers, and bratwursts over the open fire pit. Its worked surprisingly well, with only a few burned pieces here and there.
In the evening the sun sets and we are sometimes treated with a still reflection of the far bay on the water. The evenglom,(last light after sunset) is always special and then the stars come out in the thousands.
Soon afterwards our dog, Molly goes to the bedrooms steps and turns and looks at me, as if she is telling me its time for me to go to bed. She lays down when I do but then goes back downstairs after I am sleeping to wait for Renita to quit reading and come to bed.
So the day is filled with peace and then nights are so quiet. Its great to be spending two weeks here after our long journal north from Texas. Two weeks at our old home lake. Clear skies.

Our shop is at the following address.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/markandrenita

Grand Terre, I saw the Birds dying....

2010-06-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

I saw the news tonight and watched the pelican coated with oil trying to lift it wings. I saw the news tonight and watched the cormorant unable to lift its head above the oil sludge. I heard the newscaster talk about one of my favorite places, Grand Terre, and realized it wouldn't ever be the same.
No more otters swimming amd playing, no more dolphins feeding off the bar of the pass. no more redfish tailing by the thousand. It didn't seem possible that we had just been there, walking the beaches and feeling such peace...
My sister emaled me that the oil had finally reached Grand Isle and that they had watched it come ashore. We had spent so much time with them sitting on their front porch and watching the dolphins playing and now they were watching the oil come ashore.
She wrote us that the stench from the oil is strong, even inside their house. The authorities had talked of evacuating the Isle but where would they go?
She wrote us about the President going by in a motorcade at fifty miles per hour. She wrote about the oysterman telling her how his beds were all coated in oil and that BP(bullshit petroleum as cousin Janet calls them) was slow paying the shrimpers.
I saw the news tonight and watched the pelican dying on the beach...........

Prairie and Fairburn Agate Hunting

2010-06-01T03:22:00.000-07:00

We were both excited as we put on our day packs and headed towards the stream. It was our first real day of prospecting for Fairburn agates and we had just been at a rock shop in Hermosa, Sd. There the owner had shown us what the rough Fairburn agate looks like and had told us how to get to the BLM Agate Beds.
We found the road easy enough but recent rains had turned sections into mud and we passed several deep places where trucks had been stuck. Reaching the stream we saw that it had flooded big time and while it had receded it was still of unknown depth. There were fresh tire prints in the mud and we watched as a four wheel drive truck crossed the deep water. The water reached above the bottom of the door and so we decided to pass on the famed beds this trip.
Several outcrops were along the way and we did stop and collect some Prairie agate, which is the state rock of Nebraska. We just didn't collect any Fairburn Agate, which is also called fortification agate as it looks like the old time forts of the 18th century.
The next day we decided to head towards Rapid City and look along the terraces of Spring Creek. Now its all private land and so we would be limited to looking in the road cuts, but we have found some nice rocks in the public places before, so off we went.
Our first stop was at a cut along South Dakota 79, on the south side of Spring Creek.It didn't take long before we found more Prairie Agate. While its not composed of the sharp bands as Fairburn is its still pretty bands of gold and white and even has some reds and purples. I found a few small pieces and by the time I got over to Renita she had a large pile of possible keepers.
Sortng through the pile was really hard as she had a lot of good agate. So I added it to mine and we already had enough Prairie Agate to keep us sawing, grinding and polishing for quite a while.
Returning home we washed the agates and sorted them into a keep and don't keep pile. There was a lot of keepers and so our long long long trailer has gotten some more weight added to it, and these rocks are round. Perhaps you should call us Luci and Desi, from now on! Clear skies.

Crossing South Dakota

2010-05-30T03:33:00.000-07:00

It seemed that all the turtles in Minneapolis had been quite busy this spring and as we left our campground Renita spotted a snapping turtle laying her clutch of eggs.
It didn't seem like the best spot as it was next to the dump station and terribly exposed but it was her spot and so we stopped the rig and ran over to take pictures,(As if she was going anywhere).
Pulling out of the park we took Interstate 35 south and then Interstate 90 west and it seemed like deju vu as we have been on this particular stretch of road so many times.
Of course as we crossed into South Dakota the wind picked up and I fought gusts all the way to Mitchell, our planned stop. It was with relief that we pulled into the parking lot of Cabelas and I was pretty tired, 330 miles), so we rested before checking out the big Memorial day sale.
The next morning the wind had abated slightly and so leaving early, high winds warnings were in effect for latter in the day, and poorer we headed west. The wind was steady and gaining but we made it across the Missouri River and it actually eased a little so the drive across West River was pretty easy.
Of course South Dakota had to let us know that her winds were only sleeping and by the time we got to Rapid City the winds had switched to the north and had gotten pretty strong. I had to fight the rig to keep it going down the road but with no place to pull over, we didn't have a lot of choice.
Turning south at exit 20 we now had the wind to our backs and the driving became pleasant. It had been another long day but we were at our planned nights stop, near Fairburn, South Dakota and the famed Fairburn Agate beds, more rocks for the fifth wheel! Clear skies.

Loves Labor, A Mother Turtles Tale

2010-05-23T04:31:00.000-07:00

Last night Renita and I were treated to a very special sight, that of a turtle preparing a nest and laying her eggs. Its the first time we have ever seen such an event, other than on the internet or tv and so we feel that we hve been treated with a special gift from God.
Now Renita had been telling me to check the rear stabilizers legs as it seemed to feel like there was some movement. Of course I had ignored her for a while as I would never forget to lower the rear stabilizers.....
So I went out last night and saw a dark oval shape next to our campsite. As I looked closer I saw it was a turtle and that she was digging quite a deep hole with her hind legs. Slowly she would reach down the narrow opening and then scoop out a small amount of wet dirt and mud,(it had just rained hard in the afternoon).
Going inside and telling Renita she came out and we both watched her slow movement as she would stretch and dig and then switch legs. I took several pictures and then we left her alone, not wishing to disturb her as it was her time and her place.
Later I went out and saw that she was motionless and covering the hole. Surely she was laying her clutch of eggs, but we couldn't see them and so I took another image and then went back inside.
The next morning she was gone and the hole had been covered over. It was such a good job that we would never suspect that a nest had been made and filled and covered. If not for the slightly damp looking earth it would be almost impossible to find. Her nest was on a south facing slope and about 50 yards/meters from a pond.
We wonder if we should tell the park people or if we should leave well enough alone? All I know is that we have been blessed to see such a sight. Clear skies.

Biking the Grand Round, A delighful day on Minneapolis's Bike Trails

2010-05-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Still excited from yesterdays close encounter with the Lake Calhoun Monster, we arrived at our daughters house intent on a bike ride. She asked us how far we thought we could ride, suggesting several routes, and we decided to try to ride to East Cedar Lake Beach and back on the Grand Round. It's a trail that is about 20 miles, which would be a personal record for us.
Leaving her house we rode down the bumpy streets of east Minneapolis and connected with a bike trail that crossed Minnehaha Creek and headed upstream. The bike trails here are by far the best we have seen and it was an easy pedal, compared to the ride around hilly Lebanon Hills Park.
We rode steadily and didn't stop for a break until we reached the southern edge of Lake Harriet. There we connected with the Grand Round and Jenny pointed out the location of the band shell at which we had attended a free concert several years past.
She also pointed out that there was a bike trail and a walking trail and to be sure to avoid the pedestrians. A good warning for us as we are not use to the numbers of people. Everywhere we looked people were riding and walking and jogging! There were also fishermen and lots and lots of sunbathers.
We started our ride along the west shore of the lake but soon stopped to visit the home of the Gnome. Unfortunately a sign on the door said he had moved and that people should stop leaving him gifts. Don't know if it was a winter move to Texas, but it did seem like there were lots of Minnesotans there with us.
Passing the band shell we continued on the trail, crossed Lake Street at the light, and rejoined the trail along Lake Calhoun. I pointed out the location of the monsters lair, and shook my head at all the swimmers, some mothers with small children.
We continued on our ride reaching East Cedar Beach, to see two police cars at the trail entrance. Hoping for some excitement, the beach had been a nude beach several years previously, or at least getting to watch a drug bust, we were somewhat disappointed as a park policeman had actually driven onto the beach and remained there for over an hour.
As we ate our lunch several young women came rushing from the water and told everyone of seeing a huge fish! Of course I jumped up and forced my way through the throng of bikini clad women, as its rare to see a huge fish. Renita even commented on my bravery to help others in need, oh and I got the look from her.
Seeing no fish I waded back to shore and we finished our lunch. Taking our bikes up the beach Jenny asked us if we felt ok as we could take a shorter path home, but we demurred and chose the scenic route. We were soon at it, riding past the monsters lair and heading south towards Lake Harriet. We rode the east shore this time, so we got to see the other side, and again the trails were really busy!
A detour prevented us from seeing one of Jenny's favorite parts of the ride, where the trail rode under a railroad bridge, but it was still a beautiful ride along the creek. It amazes us here in that cars stop for you as you cross a street. Not so in Texas where the car drivers delight in running over bikers and pedestrians.
Arriving at Jenny and Vitos house the gps said that we had rode for 19.63 miles, a personal best for both of us. We were both a little sore but not bad. It was a great day in Minnesota! We both agreed that Minneapolis was our favorite city, in three years of travel, and that it would be a nice city to live in if you had to live in a city. Clear skies.

The Monster of Lake Calhoun, A Day Canoeing in the Twin Cities

2010-05-20T02:59:00.000-07:00

Some may doubt our story of a monster, but we have seen it rise from the clear depths and swim alongside our canoe. It paused as if to say, this is my home and I am hungry. Do people here in Minneapolis know such a monster exists? Know now and keep your pets and children from Lake Calhouns waters........
Jenny and Vito were both working so we decided to go canoeing at the Chain of Lakes Park. Its in downtown Minneapolis and consists of three connected lakes, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Lake Calhoun.
We launched the canoe from a dock, near the eastern end of Lake of the Isles and headed west toward Cedar Lake. We quickly passed a mother duck and her ducklings and Renita snapped pictures of bluegills.
Passing under a bridge we entered the narrow waterway that connects Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. Its pretty overgrown with aquatic weeds, from all the lawn fertilizers, but still an easy paddle. We were going without the stabilizers and the canoe sliced through the water. like a racing kayak, or so it seemed to us.
Entering Cedar Lake we headed to Hippie Beach,(East Cedar Lake Beach), for lunch, where a small group of sun worshipers were getting their vitamin a in mega doses. No drums beats echoed across the water, had the drummers been arrested(see last years blog)?
Eating lunch we headed towards the far shore and as we paralleled the edge Renita pointed out a long large fish, a muskie. I kind of wished I had a fishing licensee but the sight of the fish and its tiger stripped sides was enough to make the day. Little did I know!
We neared a pair of loons that were diving and feeding and watched a mother duck swimming across the lake. She had in tow nine newly hatched ducklings, and we wondered if she knew the danger she was exposing them to.
As she neared the loons the male rose in a threat display and then another. She frantically quacked to urge her ducklings to swim faster, when the male loon displayed again and then charged. The mother dropped back to protect her brood and to provide a shield for her little ones.
Seeming to escape the loon's ire they continued to paddle when the loon dove and then reappeared attacking the small babies. The mother duckling turned and fought the much larger loon as the little ducklings seemed to walk on water.
She didn't win the fight, she was so much smaller then the loon,but she did manage to turn his frenzy, allowing the brood to escape. Rejoining it she led them across the lake and into the safe haven of a small beach.
We glided back into the narrow passageway where a muskrat swam past us, dove and then resurfaced. It started to lunch on some of the water vegetation and seemed unconcerned with our canoe passing nearby. It must have been really tasty seaweed!
Entering Lake of the Isles we headed toward the larger islands. One is a wildlife refuge and landing on it is prohibited, so we paralleled its shore and watched the many geese and green headed mallards.
Our next goal was Lake Calhoun and so we rowed through the canal and under the two bridges. Now lake Calhoun is much larger and last year a sailboat class had provided entertainment as we watched them overturn their boats and crash into one another. Only one sailboat was out and we were getting tired so we paused before heading back, when the monster appeared.
Now I have caught shark and bull black and red drum. We both have caught and released large northern,(my best is 43 inches and Renitas is 42 inches long, and so we have seen many large fish under water.
This brown shape appeared alongside the canoe and I know it was over 50 inches long, and that's being conservative. It was the largest fresh water fish we have ever seen, and it lives in the Twin Cities. We talked with a fisherman on the bank and he didn't act surprised as he said he had seen it attack bluegills as fisherman were bringing them in.
The fish swam lazily around us and Renita tried to take its image but it was too deep and all you can see is the brown looking log in the upper part of the image.Believe us if you want to or not, it makes no never mind to us for we both know that a monster lives in Lake Calhoun. We have seen it! Clear skies.

Minneapolis, Our First Week

2010-05-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

Our reservations for Lebanon Hills Regional Park didn't start until the fourteenth, so we arrived in Prior Lake and stayed two days at Mystic Lake Casino Rv Park. Its about as nice an rv park as you will find anywhere and not bad for 26 bucks a night.
Jenny came over and visited us the first day and we pretty much spent it resting and visiting about family and friends and her new job,(She is an LPN at a cardiac unit in Burnsville and will finish her RN this fall).
The next day we moved to Lebanon Hills Regional Park, in Apple Valley. Its really a nice place but very pricey, 31 bucks a night. There are not a lot of options, however, as some of the other parks ban dogs but allow horses,(The drive was all of 19 miles).
After setting up our house we drove to Jenny's. She lives in Minneaoplis, in a downstairs apartment house. She's got a huge deck, and Vito and her have already filled it with plants and deck chairs and a barbecue grill. She proudly told us that her lawn furniture were all rescued items.
Inside, the living room is dominated by the Christmas Cactus. This was the plant that had been passed down to us as a cutting from my Gramdma Brackins plant. We actually have a picture of it in the window of the Brackin Family Farm near Elgin, Iowa. As you can see the plant is huge, and I am sure my brother and sister are both amazed at how large it has become.
The next few days were spent at Jenny's and Vito's, barbecuing and resupplying. Its been awhile since we have been in a big city and we won't see one again as we head to Wyoming so we have been stockpiling stuff from Trader Joes.
We also attended our first Art Crawl. This is an event in which many of the artists in Minneaoplis and St Paul open their studios and allow everyone to see and buy their work. We were really interested is seeing other peoples jewelry and we realized that our work was as good as any we had seen. So the next day we opened a store on Etsy,(our stores name is markandrenita). Now if I can just figure out how to take better pictures of our work!
Yesterday we finally took a bike ride around one part of the Park. It was on the bike trails that are all throughout the Cities. As we rode we passed joggers and other bikers. The people here are so fit, compared to down south.
It was so nice to ride again and our bodies both protested a little from the inaction and lack of riding. We both have a long way to go if we are going to enter the Senior Olympics, but that is our goal. We don't really care if we win. we just want to participate, and so we must commit to getting in better shape. Clear skies.

North to Minneapolis, Part 2, Iowa Memories

2010-05-11T02:05:00.000-07:00

Our trip in Keosauqua was of course filled with family time as we saw Pam and Roy and our niece and nephews. We even taught the whole family a workshop on wire wrapping and they all turned out beautiful pieces that were much nicer then the first piece I ever wrapped.
It is so nice to relax in Iowa, and eat breaded pork tenderloins. I am so surprised that the people in Iowa look so fit, compared to some of the southern states, especially Mississippi. Roy has become obsessed with lapidary and so we had a great time showing our rock collections and even traded some pieces.
Heading north, we took 218/27 and the road was pretty good with little traffic, so our drive was easy and uneventful. Arriving at Black Hawk County Park we got a great campsite. A humorous incident happened to us here when we were dating. We got stuck in the sand and had to call a wrecker. In a moment of panic I had first called my future brother in law Roy, and in one of my biggest mistakes I called my Dad for advice. Oh my was that a mistake as we were supposed to be at a dance and I had the family car..........
Arriving in Waterloo we both felt the same emotional tug. The next day we had a huge list of to do things, visiting family, decorating our parents graves, and even driving by the houses where we grew up.
The first place we drove by was Renitas house on Division Street. The trees her Dad had planted were huge and the house looked pretty much the same, with the exception of the two car garage. I didn't ask her how she felt and I just listened to her talk aloud, sometimes you just need to listen...
Next we drove to Waterloo and headed up fifth street. Of course we passed my elementary school and we had to stop at the Johnson Bakery. The bakery has been in the same family for a long time and the lady behind the counter laughed with us as I bought way too many doughnuts and cookies and even a pie.
My house seemed so old compared to when I lived there. The owners had torn off the screened front porch in which my brother and I had slept during the summer months to escape the Iowa heat and humidity. The massive elm tress had long since died and had never been replaced and what can I say but you can never step in the same water twice.
Both of us have been blessed in life to have had stable homes and loving parents. Not a day goes by without thinking of them and how much we miss their kind words and loving touch. We both know that we will be reunited with them in time and that thought sustains us as we continue our journey. Clear skies

Our Springtime Migration to Minnesota, Part One

2010-05-05T03:02:00.000-07:00

We left Grand Isle in amid strong winds and blowing sand. The oil spill hadn't reached the Isle and so our thoughts were about the days trip. The bridge crossing went easy as the wind was behind us and the roads hadn't yet flooded from the unusual high tides.
The wind was at our backs and so we got great mileage, 14.1 mpg, not bad for a traveling house! We had been told of a beautiful state park in Mississippi, Percy Quin, and so that was our goal for the day.
Arriving about noon we checked in and found it to be as pretty as we had been told. The spots were large and all full hookups and so we parked and rested. Cardinals and bluejays flew about, with the forest dominated by the towering longleaf pines and red maples along with nutall oaks,(note that my tree identification is a bit shaky).
The next morning we headed further north, taking Interstate 55, and passed the tornado's path of destruction at mile marker 152. We have seen tornado damage before but the path,149 miles, and width of this tornado was larger than most. I wondered how quickly the Mississippi forest will hide the damage, compared to the tornado trail we saw in Pennsylvania.
Our planned spot for the night was at Enid Lake, the Corp of Engineers Campground at Wallace Creek, and the place was so beautiful that we decided to stay for two nights. The spot were huge and new and mostly empty and so we camped on another lake shore.
Shortly after setting up our fifth wheel an eastern bluebird landed near our doorstep. Again we saw cardinals and bluejays and lots and lots of eastern bluebirds.
A great blue heron waded along the shore and Renita wondered if it was one we had seen wintering along the coast.
After an extra day we headed north, crossing into Tennessee, The streams and rivers were all in flood stage and we were glad we weren't heading to Nashville. The roads in Memphis were some of the worst we have seen and crossing into Arkansas didn't seem to show much improvement. Signs of future roadwork due to stimulus money promised improvement and so we won't cross this path off of our list, yet.
The miles flew by and we reached Cape Giradeau and the private rv park, Cape Camping and Rv Park. It was a letdown after two days at Lake Enid but it really wasn't a bad place and it fulfilled our needs for an easy overnight place.
The next morning we left bright and early, 8 am, and headed towards St Louis, Mo. The road was ok, but a bit bumpy and so we took it slow. Flooded fields told of the passing storm front but it seemed to dry out as we got further north. We took 270 around ST Louis and so didn't see much except trees and cars. I did have the usual idiot try to play chicken with me as they entered on a ramp but they backed off before I forced them over the railing,
Northward we continued and the signs for Hannibal appeared. We actually want to visit there someday but not this trip and so we passed it, only stopping for fuel and necessities. The road actually improved a bit as we headed north and after a long 330 mile drive we arrived at Lake Sugema.
We found our reserved spot, it didn't have a notice, but we set up anyway and soon a lady came by and asked if we were the Brackins. I assured her we were and so she joked about it a bit. She had been moving a pile of rocks when we drove by her and it struck me as funny that here people like to joke around and have fun, not all places are so relaxed. The people here and Iowa kind of remind me of hobbits and the Shire, only without the furry feet and much nicer looking people(Note the lady was movind rocks by hand!).
We called Renitas sister Pam, and told her we had arrived and set up our house. She had already told us she had prepared dinner and so we are taking four days to rest and visit with her and Roy and their family.
Traveling with your house is really nice. Some people mow lawns and do yardwork and we just move to new places and let the park personal keep our yards spotless. When I think of all the beautiful places we have stayed and all the family and friends we have visited we both feel lucky,but I have already said retirement is good. Clear skies.

Big Fish and the Stench of Oil

2010-04-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was trying to fish two poles but it was simply impossible. As soon as I would put one on the rail and tie it off the other would double over, fish on! There wasn't anyone else on the fishing pier and so I would fight the fish, while carefully lowering the net on its rope, and then trying to get the fish to swim into the net before hoisting it the twenty feet to the rail.
It actually worked quite well, but I was tired from fighting big fish and then watching as the other pole jerked with a fish on! I had just fought and released a large stingray and hoped that this wasn't another. The fish rolled and I saw a huge tail, it was a bull black drum!
The fish didn't really fight as hard as I had expected and I was able to get it in the net and raise it to the deck. It measured 40 inches in length and had a girth of 25 inches, a fish of about 30 pounds.
Releasing the fish my new friend Bryon and his wife arrived and I showed them how I was fishing cut mullet. I gave them some and left, I was just too tired and sore from fighting so many big fish.
Returning home the stench of burning oil reached the campground. The Coast Guard was trying a controlled burn on the oil and the smell was bad. The next day the smell had disappeared but a layer of dark grime coated our fifth wheel. I washed it and it came off, hopefully another burn wouldn't happen for a while.
The wind picked up the next day and the stench returned but it wasn't from a burn, it was just the smell of oil. It abated at night and we anxiously awaited the morning hoping that the oil would move out to sea.
This morning the smell was gone but the southeast wind remained. The radio said it was too windy to try another burn and that the oil wouldn't reach Grand Isle. A report told of the first bird found and being cleaned and it made me wonder about the otters that are so common here.
A radio talk show was taking calls from Gulf Coast residents and the blame was being passed. One caller said that the Bush administration had caved to oil lobbyists and had rescinded a ruling requiring three blowout preventers. Another blamed Obama, a third British Petroleum.
A navy veteran suggested that the numb nuts of the Coast Guard should hand it over to the US Navy. It wasn't a surprise when he stated he was a fisherman and it made me think he must have got a ticket for some boating violation.
All the ranting in the world won't help the problem and so I turned the radio off. We all are addicted to oil and so we will continue to suffer such disasters. I shake my head at the hypocrites who contribute to the oil demand but don't want drilling in their back yard or beach.
You all see the images on CNN of the oil disaster just off the coast but you don't see the destruction of the Red Desert that has taken place in the past few years as the frenzy of gas drilling has scarred the desert with countless wells. Most drive across Wyoming on Interstate 80 and see none of it, but it is still there over the horizon.
The oil spill hasn't yet reached us and so we are staying till Sunday morning, when we will leave the coast and head north to family in Iowa and the newest nurse in Minnesota, Jenny! A feeling of relief and yet a feeling of guilt will travel north with us! Clear skies

Birding on Grand Isle and A Louisiana Black Panther

2010-04-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

The large black cat was in the sun and you could see its long up curved tail. It was a ways away and it silently moved into the thick underbrush. I hurried ahead trying to catch another glimpse, as my sister yelled a warning.
Connie had suggested we go birding on the two birding trails on Grand Isle and so after lunch we loaded into our truck and drove to the first trail. Heading down the path we really didn't see a lot at first until we passed the cemetery and neared a mulberry tree.
A scarlet tanager perched above us and stayed posed for the longest time. Renita commented on the many birds flitting in and out of the mulberry tree and we were soon rewarded with a summer tanager as well as a scarlet. An American pipit showed itself and we even got a new bird for our list as a rose breasted grosbeak stayed long enough for us both to spot it.
Returning to the truck, Connie took us to the longer birding trail, the one owned by the Nature Conservancy. We had just started on the trail when we spotted the large cat, and Renita even got a picture of it. Now I don't think its a black panther, and I have seen one in Wyoming, but it wasn't a bobcat, just an unusually large black cat.Renita and Connie both disagree with me and Connie even asked her friend who's house borders the trail to keep a lookout for it.
Now news travels fast on a small island and the next day we heard that several locals had seen the lion and were going to hunt the panther with a pack of hounds. I say let them as I can't imagine a black panther actually being on Grand Isle. Why, because there is nothing for it to eat except for the many feral cats, sun bathers, and birders that roam the island.
Anyway the birding was really fun although the women kept looking nervously into the dense brush. I charged ahead knowing that a panther usually attacks the last person in a group. Its like being around grizzly bears in Wyoming, always take a slow person with you, so you can run and get help.
Continuing along the trail a blue grosbeak sat in a dead tree and allowed us to add it to our life list, Indigo buntings were everywhere, and we even got to see a magnificent frigate bird soaring over head. It was a really nice short hike and well worth repeating, the next time we visit Grand Isle. Clear skies.

The cat or panther is in the first image. Its at the end of the trail surrounded by trees. The image is our property and we do not grant anyone the right to reproduce it or use it.

A Black Tip Shark on Grand Terre

2010-04-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

As we left the marina three least terns took to the air. The smallest North American terns their white undersides and black wedge of the outer primaries made the identification easy. Forester terns flew by, one clutching a minnow newly caught and we enjoyed watching them dive as schools of bait fish were everywhere.
Dolphins played and brown pelicans made their plunge into the sea. its so amazing to see them make a sudden veer and then a headfirst dive. We crossed Batarria pass and Gary drove the boat past oil and gas platforms.
Landing at the east end of Grand Terre we looked for tailing red fish but the schools weren't feeding yet. A single large tail was near shore and I debated if I should cast to it or take a picture. The fisherman in me won over and I made an unsuccessful cast. The red swirled and swam away.
Casting out into the shallow bar on the pass my fresh mullet was quickly picked up by a hard head catfish, and then a sting ray. I cast further out and was looking for sea glass when my pole doubled over, fish on!
Calling to Renita I fought the fish as it made a long run and I thought it must be a red fish, but after the initial run it came in fairly easy and I noticed the distinctive black tipped caudal fin of a black tipped shark.
Being leery of its teeth I held it away from me for pictures before successfully releasing it. It was 44 inches long and my first shark. I later learned that shark season was closed and that the black tipped sharks must be 54 inches, from snout to the fork of the tail so it was a good thing that my discretion overcame my thoughts of grilled shark steaks.
Rain clouds threatened and Renita and Connie returned from their walk, just in time to see Gary fighting a bull red fish. Soon the churning white water told of an approaching school of reds and we both hooked up our first double. As we fought the fish my mullet pole bent over and Connie grabbed the pole, we now had a triple!
Like the day before, the reds keep coming, as school after school of reds worked the shallow bar.
I handed Connie my jig pole and told her to watch and cast for a red fish. Jokingly she told Renita she saw one and dropped the jig next to the shore. You can guess her surprise as a red inhaled the jig and tore off on a typical sustained run for the pass.
Heading back to the marina we talked of the fish and birds and the history of the area. You could almost see the pirate ships replacing shrimp and pogey boats on the horizon. Helicopters flew overhead and one could see oil rigs in the distance as Grand Isle reminded us of its double role of a park like atmosphere opposing the busy oil fields that surround it. Clear skies.

That night the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and the next day the Coast Guard Ship was gone from its mooring. We pray for the men who lost their lives and for their grieving families. The Lord is my shepard. I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters......

Tailing Redfish

2010-04-20T04:03:00.000-07:00

We had been fishing for several hours and not much was happening. Gary had caught a keeper flounder and we had both caught some hard head and gaff sail catfish. The day was wearing down and Gary suggested we head to another spot.
As we cruised out Gary pointed out the schools of bait fish. Looking toward shore he suddenly told me to look at the huge school of tailing redifsh! I couldn't see what he was talking about as all I saw was a patch of water that was being splashed about, kind of like a white water trout stream, but this was level ocean.
I watched some more in disbelief and soon even I could see the tails sticking up in the shallow water. We anchored the boat ahead of the school and watched as they passed out of casting distance. Gary was berating himself for not beaching the boat and following them on foot, when the school turned and headed our way.
He told me to wait until they were near enough for both of us to reach them with our casts. Saying now, we both cast into the golden colored water and large spotted tails. The fish were in an absolute feeding frenzy! There were over a hundred fish and everwhere we looked we saw more schools.
As soon as my jig hit the water a nice red inhaled it and then took off on a run for the Gulf. I looked towards Gary and saw that he was fighting his own bull red and so we jockeyed back and forth, trying to keep our lines from crossing.
We released both fish and cast to another school. They were so thick that they were actually forcing each other out of the water. Another double and another fight to the boat, This school was smaller so we keep two for a redfish on a halfshell barbecue, and then started the boat up to get ahead of the fish.
Gary expertly guided the boat and he cut the engine as he neared two more schools. Another double and then another! Every cast got a pickup and then the strong and powereful run for the open sea. Each fish was the same beautiful golden color.
Now I have been fishing for fifty plus years and I have had days that were truely amazing. Days that brought fish on every cast, but nothing like the bite we were in. The fish were almost all ten to twenty pounds and we both grew tired from the bite. We both caught over a hundred pounds of redfish, releasing all but the two we had keep for dinner. Dark storms clouds were approaching from the west but the dolphins and redifsh continued their feeding.
It was time to head in and so we made the short run back to the harbour. Gary explained how the fish had been running like that for most of the winter and I felt blessed to have seen over a thousand redfish tailing. Of course I didn't have my camera and so you can chalk it up to a fish story, but that's ok as I know its a true story of bull redfish on every cast. Clear skies

A Day on Grand Isle, 2010

2010-04-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

Gary called me over to look at the nest he had found. It was a small concave depression among the oyster shells and of course the eggs matched the color and pattern of the shells. Their off white color and black uneven spots were a perfect camouflage. It would have worked if we hadn't been slowly scanning the beach for sea glass. I took a picture and then we noticed two American oyster catchers flying nearby so it was time to leave.
We had arrived on Grand Isle the day before and boon docked in Connie and Gray's, front yard as we were waiting for our spot in the park to open up. Connie had fed us her signature blue crab quiche and home made sticky buns and so the food onslaught fron the Boerne rally continued.
Connie showed us her sea glass collection and before too long we were on Gary's boat and heading to a beach that had yielded some good glass during a past trip. Renita found an old bottle and Gary and I were collecing some well rounded sea glass, when he discovered the nest.
Reembarking, we headed east for Gran Terre and Renita was soon taking pictures of all the dolphins. Continuing, we stopped and fished a cut in the rocks but no speckled trout or redfish reacted to our jigs. It was ok as it was so nice to be with family enjoying the sunny day.
The talk turned to family and friends and of course we talked of our new found passion for rockhounding. Connie had some pieces of sea glass she wanted me to wrap and we discussed that as Renita pointed out a willet.
Gary directed our attention to a tricolored heron, also called a Louisiana heron and he proudly stated that not too many states had a heron named for them. Of course we saw brown pelicans and dunlins and forester terns wheeling in the air.
As we crossed back over Bataria Pass a flock of brown pelicans dove into the water, feeding on a school of fish forced to the surface by the ever present bottle nose dolphins. It was so Grand Isle and I thought again of how this place could have been a national park.
Pulling into the harbor we watched as they lifted the boat in its cradle and so the day ended with us tired and wet from the day on the water. Another fond memory of Grand Isle. Clear skies.

The All Class Rally at Boerne 2010

2010-04-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

I listened to Lora talk about Alaska and her descriptions of the flowers of the tundra made me so want to go. John added to her presentation with stories of bears and fishing and past family camping trips and our appetites were further whetted. He told of the bear that stood up and faced him at close quarters.
We were at Boerne, Texas attending the All Class Rally. Its a gathering of Escapees, which are people that have sold their stick and brick houses and gone full time. The rally is filled with food and workshops and most important, the opportunity to meet new friends and remeet friends that we talk with on the Escape Website.
The food is ever present and overflows the tables in the rally room. Each morning we gather for fresh donuts, and one morning we were treated to Jay and Fays famous biscuits and gravy, not to mention at least six different platters of fresh homemade sticky buns. Heavy appetizers night, light appetizers night, tacos in a bag dinner, casserole dinner, they all caused diets to go flying out the window.
The workshops were of course top notch. Its always a pleasure to listen to people discus their passions.
Molly started off with her Picasso and blogging workshop and computers were booted up as we shared our gadgets and favorite tidbits with each other. The blogs are so important for all of us to keep connected with each other and with all our family and friends.
Linda and Ron Fleeger told of their volunteering experiences at National Wildlife Refuges. They discussed the details of how to find a refuge and how to volunteer. It really opened our eyes to new possibilities and another road we have discussed before.
Our star party was rained out but we held a wire wrapping class and all the attendees ended up with wrapped stones. They all did so much better then we did with our first attempts. Renita laughed as she described how she was being called for help by ten people at once.
Bob and Greg gave a workshop on Geocaching. It was really nice to listen to their stories of past hunts for elusive caches. They led a group out into the rain and found the prize on the grounds of a Catholic Convent!
John and Lora finished with a workshop in which they shared their favorite Alaska places. Places they had found while they lived for twenty years and places that the typical visitor would never find. Oh and the bear stood up and and faced John who shouted at it and watched the bear retreat.
One always leaves with a sense of regret. The stories of traveling down the road and shared experiences all combine to make you look forward to future chance meetings. I won't list all the people we have met, but I do want to thank the Cat Herders, the ones who organized the rally, Norah and Howie, and Linda and Molly. A good time was had by all. See you down the road! Clear skies.
.

Back to Choke Canyon State Park

2010-04-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

The original plan was to go to Matagorda Bay but we enjoyed Goliad so much that we decided to head to Coke Canyon and do some more birding and fishing. It wasn't a hard decision as Choke Canyon is one of our favorite places to stay. I took a wrong turn near Beeville and so a short sixty mile jaunt turned into 110 miles. Added to that was a strong wind and some of the worst Texas drivers we have seen.
Avoiding a head on collision with one that was passing on a curve and in a double yellow no passing zone. we arrived safely at Choke Canyon and registered with the park rangers. We got a great spot, but they are all great spots and set up the fifth wheel.
As soon as I got the bikes out I had to ride to a fishing spot and sure enough the fisherman were catching big fresh water drum. They were averaging five to ten pounds so the next morning I took some shrimp out of the ice box and headed to the place(Its right in the campground).
I had a few bites from small catfish when the pole twitched a few times and then headed for the gulf coast! Grabbing it in time I soon had a six pound drum on my stringer and dinner was assured,(Now dinner was always assured but now I had fish to go with the cornbread).
The next day I returned back to the same spot and got another drum and some more catfish. The main entertainment was watching three large men working a trot line from a small flat bottom boat. I swear it didn't have over four inches of clearance and they all were on the same side so that the back of the boat was actually out of the water! I waited for them to swamp the thing but they actually managed to finish without sinking.
A birding group was supposed to meet at the Seventy Six Acre Lake and so we arrived and waited but no one showed up. It was still ok, as we knew where to go and headed to the first levee. Blue winged teal and northern shovelers were in abundance, as were snowy egrets and black bellied whistling ducks,
We didn't see the northern jacuna, don't know if the gators got it or if it simply went in search of a mate, but we did see American coots and several common moorhen. Not a spectacular day but a good day none the less. Did I say that retirement was good?
Our last day in Choke Canyon was rainy and so we stayed in and watched Rockies baseball. We also tried to watch the Masters but the between the crappy coverage schedule of CBS and the crummy tv reception we spent most of the time enjoying the baseball game on the satellite. All in all a nice rest day and that's always needed when you are full timing. Clear skies.

The Flowers of Goliad

2010-04-08T03:16:00.000-07:00

The woodpecker hopped up the branch and I strained to identify it. Not being able to see good enough I went inside and got the binoculars but when I returned outside the bird had disappeared. Going back inside I told Renita and then looked out the back window hoping to see the bird.
We were ending our stay at Goliad State Park and it had been a delightful time in one of my favorite towns in Texas. One day had been spent riding the bike trail that runs form the Fallon Memorial to the town of Golaid. Another day we went to the historical tour of the Goliad Mission. A third day was a doctors trip to Portland to get our blood work results, as we had both been placed on statins and needed to check that our bodies were responding properly.
It was surprising to actually have a bike trail to ride in Texas! Normally one takes their life in their hands if you attempt to walk or ride your bike,(Renita and I both have had close calls in other Texas towns), The one in the state park crosses the river and goes to the Memorial and then returns and one can ride all the way to town.
The ride was easy and delightful as we traveled through woods and fields of flowers. It even included a section that was constructed of boardwalk with switchbacks as it ran parallel to the river along a bluff. The flowers were still at their peak and we photographed so many that we haven't yet identified.
Another day and we listened as the park interpreter talked of the history of the area. One part of the tour included a live weaving demonstration by a volunteer couple and it was top notch! The colors were all from natural plant and beetle dyes and I learned that my red yogurt was actually dyed from an extract from beetle exoskeletons that live on prickly pear cactus!
Oh and the woodpecker? It returned and we got a great view of our first golden fronted woodpecker. Two green jays joined it, along with the ever present cardinal and a couple of mockingbirds. All were in our backyard by our picnic table!
We have enjoyed it here and plan on returning so we can canoe the river, maybe next winter? Clear skies.

The Flowers of the Aranama Trail: Goliad State Park

2010-04-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

The flower was a beautiful bright red and it was easy to find in the book, a wine cup poppy. The parks interpreter had carried the book along as he is new to Texas and was trying to learn the plants along with us. He showed us the persimmon trees and described the bumpy corky bark of the hackberry.
We were hiking on the Aranama Trail, a very short loop, which begins and ends at the Mission Nuestra Senora Del Espirtu Santo De Zuniga. The trail winds through the trees and brush to the San Antonio river and takes one to the quarry and brick kiln used during the construction of the mission.
It was built in the 1700's and then abandoned due to indian raids and a general loss of interest by the Mexican Government and the Church. It fell into disrepair and the materials were cannibalized by locals for their own needs. Reconstructed in the 1930's it stands as a beautiful example of what the archaeologists thought it should have looked like when new and one wonders how much is really accurate?
The Aranamas Trail was named for the local Native American tribe who were assimilated into the local population and the mix of races that makes up the friendly people of southern Texas.
We stepped over large mounds of carpenter ants and walked along fields of a beautiful blue flower that wasn't in the book. I gave it the name puppy face so if anyone who reads this knows its name please help us.
Indian paintbrush grew in large patches and we walked under a large anaqua tree, which was in full bloom. The anaqua followed the settlements north from Mexico and is a draught resistant tree that is actually a series of separate sprouts that grow together into a large trunk. The leaves feel like sandpaper and that's the name the locals give it, the sandpaper tree.
Hackberrys and persimmons were everywhere and Spanish Dagger's were in full bloom. A century plant was sending up a tall spike full of separate branches, with buds soon to open. Renita and Jasper posed under the plant to give it a sense of scale.
Butterfly daises were also numerous along with many other flowers which we couldn't identify. It was simply a beautiful walk among the spring flowers of Texas, a time of year here which everyone should see. How could we spend the day better? Clear skies.

A last Day of Birding On the Coastal Bend

2010-04-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

The small flock of birds whirled down to the waters edge and flew tantalizingly close to the ground. It didn't seem possible that the birds wouldn't crash but they were more agile than a crop duster and so they landed gently in the sand.
We had dropped off our fifth wheel for its yearly maintenance, which included wheel bearing, brakes, refrigerator, and propane service checks and had a day to spend.Renita wisely came up with the idea of going birding and so we first headed to Paradise Pond, at Port Aransas.
Now Judy and Lannie had told us about the huge schools of redfish at the ferry crossing but the water was too murky and so we didn't see any. Parking at Paradise Pond we walked along the boardwalk and stopped to read the bird list. Nothing really new on the list but there was a Northern Parula seen that morning and that would have been a new bird for us, but it wasn't meant to be.
Next, we drove to Charley's Pasture and strolled along the boardwalk. A pair of black necked stilts entertained us with their mating ritual, but we were to surprised to take a picture! As we walked we saw several reddish egrets and some shorebirds. nothing new but a nice stroll.
We ate lunch and then headed across the ferry only to discover that we had a bad set of bearings and that the dealerships was having problems finding parts. Renita reminded me that it is what it is and so we went to the Rockport City Park for more birding.
We watched as black skimmers flew off the water and dove down to the ground in an amazing aerial display. Their black wings barely cleared the ground on the down beats and their larger lower beak seemed to almost touch the ground.
We watched them perform as singles and doubles and even large flocks of a hundred or more would come in and then swoop down to the beach. As the day waned I became less concerned about getting our house back and really started to enjoy the moment.
Of course when we returned to the dealership everything was fixed and we were able to hook up and drive to our new location, Golaid State Park. I think the most important lesson I have learned since retirement is that it is what it is. Clear skies.

Spring Flowers at The Rockport Cemetery

2010-03-27T02:48:00.000-07:00

When I think of cemeteries, I think of well cared lawns and tombstones. We visited one in Boston that was really old and filled with winged angels. I usually try to avoid them but Renita had been asking if we could go to the Rockport, Texas, cemetery and see the spring flowers. What a surprise it was!
Everyone had been telling us about the profusion of yellow flowers but when we neared the cemetery we were both amazed at the solid yellow carpet! See the cemetery is quite simply filled with wild flowers, or at least seeded ones and they are everywhere!
The tombstones rise here and there and I can think of no better tribute to ones loved ones then the sea of flowers. There were quite a few other visitors there and cameras were out as all were taking pictures of the wild arrangement. Hidden among the yellow daises were patches of blue and purple and red and orange, Texas bluebonnets peeked through in places but the daisies were the winners.
For once I am at a loss for words so enjoy Renita's pictures. Clear skies.

Birding Paradise at Paradise Pond, Port Aransas

2010-03-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

"Did you all get the birds?", I could see that the instructor was from the University of Texas and that she was leading the group of birders. I meekly asked what birds and one of the students told me to look over there and see the hooded warbler.
Another chimned in and told me to look for the Louisiana waterthrush. Oh and make sure to see the prothonotary warbler another added. My mind was reeling as I tried to remember the names and at the same time glass the dense wooded pond.
I caught the hooded warbler and wood thrush, I even got a picture. Renita came up and asked me what was happening and we both saw a black and white warbler. Yellow crowned herons were everywhere and we both keep adding to our list.
Roy was trying to get a picture of the black and white warbler, when a green throated warbler landed on a nearby branch and dared me to take its pictures. I clicked and clicked and clicked and hoped all my efforts would not be in vain.
Pam calmly asked me if I wanted to use the binoculars and I almost ripped them from her grasp as she lifted the strap from around her neck. Apologizing, I got them just in time to see another black and white.
We were on a birding adventre and had just came from the Birding Center. There we had walked along the boardwalk and watched the green and blue winged teal display their breeding colors. Renita pointed out a cinnoman teal, so aptly named for its brown head and flanks.
Over fifty roseatttes preened themselves as a black stilt waded between them. What a day and what beautiful breeding colors! Roy spied a common moorehen and we just kept adding to our list.
Our plan was to go to Charleys Pasture and continue birding but we were to tired and so we had a picnic lunch and threw out some poles for the huge black drum, that were in their spawning run. None disturbed us but it was ok as it would have been to much to ask for such a great day. Spring had finally arrived and with it the warblers! Clear skies.

A Week With Family

2010-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

"The bird sounds like its laughing", Pam said, and she described it exactly as the laughing gulls song is so distinctive. It was the first day of a week long visit with Pam and Roy, Renita's sister and her husband, and we were showing them the sights of Rockport and Little Bay.
Temporary escapees from the Iowa winter they had fianlly come down to visit us and we were glad to see them. We were playing tour guides and it was really easy as they are two of our most frequent blog readers and so had a menu of things to do along the coastal bend.
The weeks plans were to go birding at the Aransas National WIldlife Refuge, try fishing at the jetty, do the beach of course, and just see what was happening. So our first day was just going to be a quick jaunt around the area. Of course things happen and so after leaving the Rockport City Beach we drove to Lamar and saw the whoopers.
Two were feeding along the bank and as we watched them six more flew and landed near the pair. It didn't take long before the male charged towards the interlopers and raised its wings in a threat display. The six teenagers, two year olds, quickly flew away and so we got to see whoopers flying.
Anothe day and we went to the beach at Padre Island National Seashore. There we were a little surprised by the crowds of people, it is spring break after all, but we were able to find our own piece of beach.
Roy and I cast out poles which were quickly hit by whititng. We reeled them in and rebaited as Pam and Renita headed down the beach looking for shells and seadollars. Pam found quite a few including a really large one and so we had a good day of fishing and catching and shelling.
Another day the girls went shopping so Roy and I headed out to the jetty. We took along fresh and live shrimp and frozen mullet so I really had high hopes but the fish weren't biting. Dolphin's entertained us along with a loggerhead turtle who was feeding on the jellyfish. The jetty was crowded with fisherman and boats and no one was catching any fish so we didn't feel bad. It was a nice quiet day and a day of fishing isn't counted as a day of your life, its just a bonus day as my Grandpa Huber used to say.
We spent a day inside as it rained. Another day we traveled to Corpus Christi where Renita and I worked in the rockshop while Pam and Roy toured through the USS Lexington. Roy told us he had actually fueled it while he was in the navy and aboard a fleet tanker.
We also went rock hounding as we bought more rocks from a minister and his wife who are selling their business and moving into a retirement center. Looking at all their stuff it made us glad that we had sold our house and went full time,(and no our house doesn't look like Lucy and Desi's trailer in the movie the Long Long Trailer, at least not yet).
A good week with family, another blessing and we have been so luckily so far. Kind of a simply blog entry, but a really nice one of good times and good food and time with family. Clear skies.

A Week With Friends

2010-03-12T02:37:00.000-08:00

I use to refer to our friends as new friends, those we have met since full timing, and old friends who are our friends in Gillette. Its not that the old friends or the new friends are any more or less, it was just a way for me to keep some order. The distinction, for me at least, has blurred now to simply friends.
The weather finally warmed here and so our thoughts turned to fishing and canoeing. Renita and I have been anxious to go beach combing on the spoils. There we hoped to find beach glass, shells, and maybe even some fossils, like our rock friends Jerrold and Linda shared with the society.
Both Val and Rosie agreed to accompany us on a day of beach combing and so we launched our canoe and kayaks at the Lighthouse Trails park. The wind was blowing from the east and we fought both the wind and a strong incoming tide to paddle to the Lydia Ann Channel. There a series of high bluffs marked the spoils where material had been dredged up to deepen the channels and where the promise of finds drew us.
As we neared the shore it surprised us to see a beach almost covered with shells It was obvious that no one had shelled in the area and so we walked and shelled and even found some nice beach glass. Renita did find a piece of fossilized bone and so it was really pretty neat!
The girls continued to search as I fished but the fish were pretty uncooperative. Some whiting stole my bait and I finally did catch one on my 5/0 circle hook. Jelly fished floated by and as we paddled we were amazed to see so many large white jellies, their bells full of water while swimming but collapsed along the sand.Renita spotted one with a red fringe on the mantle and we wondered what it meant?
The next day the wind blew stronger and George and I went to the south jetty. There we hoped to hook a big redfish or black drum but they didn't cooperate. I did catch a large sting ray and some small sheepshead but the days entertainment consisted of
watching jelly fish and ships and loggerhead turtles.
No one really did much, fishing wise, even though a number of large redfish had been caught the day before. The spring breakers have started to arrive but we made it onto the ferry in pretty quick time.
Another day and more friends as we had lunch with Bob and Molly and Howie and Norah and Tom and Pauls, just to name of few of the escapees athat gathered together at China "Eh", as a Canadian friend describes it. We enjoyed the buffet and each others stories of travel and adventure.
Another day we got a chance to visit with Jim and Nancy,(Running Down Our Dream). They are heading to Louisiana and their favorite rv park, Betty's. I warned Jim that if they went back to many times he would turn into a "Cajun Coonass", a term that a Grand Isle Resident used to describe what can happen to people that visit there to often.
We talked of our future plans and trips and discussed going to Alaska, but not this year. We also talked of the many places we have been, since fulltiming, and how it has allowed us to renew so many friendships with people we have exchanged Christmas cards through the years.
I often use the phrase, "We have been truly blessed," and its not a phrase that I came up with but a phrase heard many times from another friend, Frank Sanders. It really describes the many people we have met as we travel down the road in a lifestyle that most can't understand. Clear skies.

48th Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Show, Robstown, Texas

2010-03-08T02:48:00.000-08:00

We had been anticipating the annual gem and mineral show ever since we joined the Society, and especially since we agreed to put up a display of our rocks. So it was with a little trepidation that I took off early Friday morning to setup our display and to help with the show.
The first thing we had agreed to help with was to help load the display cases from the storage unit in Corpus Christi. Leaving early, 6 am, I arrived at the Navigation exit off interstate 37, took it, and proceeded to get lost.
Now I had been told to take a right and then a left, or was it a left and then a right? Figuring it couldn't be that hard I drove and drove and turned and turned and didn't find the group. In fact I managed to miss any storage units in the area. Disgusted with myself, I decided to head to the fairgrounds in Robstown as I could help with the unloading.
Now I had forgotten the gps, not like I had any address anyway, but the fairgrounds were supposed to be obvious. As I entered Robstown there was a train that blocked my view, and you guessed it, I drove right by the fairgrounds and towards Kingsville.
Stopping to ask directions, don't tell Renita, I was told that I had driven past it and sure enough there it was!
After I arrived at the Exhibit Hall A, I recognized several familiar faces. Soon the trailer arrived with the cases and props and it wasn't long before the cases were assembled and lined up. Calvin and Dick were in charge of making sure everything was straight and they installed the electrical works.
I joined in and even got our case set up. We had decided on a Wyoming Rocks Display of the Elimia Tenera, fossilized freshwater snail, and the Opalized wood of the Blue Forest. Renita had suggested we put the Rockhounding Wyoming book in and of course she was right, We had a nice display!
The next day we took off and headed to the show. We had volunteered to help with the tickets, and had just got settled in when the doors opened and the show begin. It was a little confusing at first, was that a ten or a twenty the lady gave me, but I soon figured it out. We took turns manning the entrance tables and even got a chance to check out the other displays and the vendors.
The displays were impressive, trilobites and sharks teeth, lots of petrified wood and cabochons. everyone proudly sharing their love of rocks and minerals with the public. The food table was really neat as all the food was actually rocks! It took us two days and a lot of help to finally figure it out.
The Six Points Rock Shop had incredible petrified wood and stunning minerals for sale and The Flowers wire wrapped cabochons were the most exquisite wire wraps we have ever seen.
We were both surprised at the value of the rocks we had so patiently been grinding and shaping and the displays also made up realize that we were doing a pretty good job for being such newbies!
We returned and helped on Sunday, even though we hadn't signed up for that day and it was really nice to meet so many Society members and to see how everything came together. We watched as the annual scholarship was awarded to a college junior, majoring in Earth Science,(if you wondered what the club does with the money it raises, wonder no longer).
Five o'clock finally arrived and it was time for the tear down, and so we retrieved our rocks from the case and helped a little with the tear down before heading back to Fulton and the ever vigilant watchdog, Molly. It had been a very enjoyable weekend and we both felt good about helping with the show! Clear skies.

Deep Sea Fishing Aboard the Kingfisher Party Boat, Port Aransas

2010-03-05T02:52:00.000-08:00

It was still dark as we loaded aboard the Kingfisher, a seventy foot Port Aransas party fishing charter, and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico. Gerry and I were both a little concerned about motion sickness but it was a needless worry as the Gulf was like glass. Too excited to go inside we watched the jetties glide by and the headed east.
We passed an anchored fleet of tankers and then two groups of gas platforms. All the while the deck hand worked patiently on tying lines, making steel leaders, cutting bait and rigging poles. Watching his hands I was able to figure out how easy he made his work seem. It was obvious that the boat was lucky to have such a talented crew member.
The plan was to head out about sixty miles to a place called Bakers Rocks. Now Bakers Rocks are near the edge of the continental shelf, where the ocean plunges to its depth, and we were heading there to catch vermilion snapper. The ride was a three hour journey and it seemed endless, although another fisherman told us that the ride home would be the trying time.
As we neared the spot the deck hand brought clothes baskets and placed them along the rails, He also brought bait buckets of squid, already cut into pieces. We all lined both sides of the boat, baited our hooks and waited as the boat slowed and the anchor was set.
Dropping the line, we were using an eight ounce bell sinker with two circles hooks above on drop lines, I waited for the bottom but never felt it. It was about 200 feet deep here and so the deck hand brought us all another eight ounce sinker. We were now fishing with a pound of lead! It still tok a count of sixty five before the rig hit the bottom and my reel stopped and make an ugly backlash.
Clearing the line I asked what the bite would be like and my neighbor said it would be a slight tick. Jigging up and down, I felt a slight bump and then another. Reeling in I definitely felt that a fish was on but it was so hard to pull up the heavy rig that I wasn't sure it was still on as it neared the surface. I had a double, two blue runners! It turned out that they were bait fish and so the mate unhooked them and tossed then back overboard..
I rebaited and dropped again and as soon as the rig hit bottom I felt another bite. This time it was a vermilion snapper, the desired fish and so the hand unhooked the fish and brought a rope stringer. Placing the fish on the stringer he told me to remember number 65, so I could retrieve my fish at the end of the day.
Another drop and another fish. They were biting as fast as you could get to the bottom, when the work would began as you reeled the fish and the bait back in. The next fish was quite a bit larger! It was a beautiful red snapper, about five pounds, but red snapper season was closed and so it went back overboard.
Soon everyone was catching red snapper after red sapper and so the captain decided to move the boat to another spot. There we found more vermilion snappers but the red snappers were almost as plentiful.
One of the fisherman who had brought his own pole caught a bonita tuna, and was jigging a minnow when he suddenly yelled shark and ran to the back of the boat. There a pole had been rigged with a pop bottle for a bobber and tow large baits placed for just such a fish.
Grabbing the pole the shark took the bait and the fight was on. I was amazed to see such a large fish as the mako made a run near the back of the boat. The fish was about seven feet long and 140 pounds and it was all the hands could do to gaff the fish and bring it aboard.
With the excitement over they quickly dispatched the shark, so no one would get injured or bit. They bled the fish and we all went back to fishing for snapper.(It was really a mess and I won't post my picture of it as it was well, a mess).
Now the red snapper moved in again and so we went to another spot. Here I added to my stringer, but all to soon it was time to make a run to a place and fish for king mackerel.
As we rode to the next spot the mates went up and down the boats putting wire leaders and prerigged hooks on each pole. They then baited each hook with a large sardine like fish. Arriving we all took our positions on one side of the boat and as we started to drift we put out our lines, about thiry feet away from the boat. Chum was thrown into the water and a bonito swam up and grabbed my bait. The circle hook missed and the fish swam away.
When no mackerel appeared we moved to another spot and then another. Each time the process was repeated with no success. One of the deck hands baited a rig with a heavy sinker and dropped it down lower. He quickly had a fish and he handed the pole to a kid next to me who fought the large mackerel for about ten minutes before it pulled free and swam away. Just then my pole twitched as a fish grabbed my bait, but again it never got hooked. I was zero for two!
No more mackerel appeared and so the boat headed to another spot for shark fishing. As we moved the mates retied all the poles and baited them with cut up pieces of the bonita tuna. Arriving we dropped our rigs to the bottom and in no time at all my neighbor was fighting a shark. Two others soon had sharks on and I watched with envy as they were gaffed and brought aboard. Now my friend Lannie had told me how to clean shark and I had brought my knife along for such a job. My pole jerked and I waited for the circle hook to work but the fish got away. I was now 0/3 on big fish.
Too soon it was time to head back to port and so we woumd in and sat down for the long trip back.
The sun was setting as we arrived back at the docks and we were all tired from the long day. The weather had been perfect and the sea calm. Hundreds of dolphins had swam alongside the boat on the way in, and it had been a day to remember, even though I only had enough fish for one meal.
Now it may seem that I catch a lot of fish but I usually release most, only keeping enough to eat, and so it really had been a great day for me. Gerry and I both agreed that it was an experience that we both had enjoyed, even with the six hours of running in and out from the port.
We cleaned the fish and split them into two packages as it was the right thing to do when you share an adventure. I have been blessed again to have so many adventures and to have such good companions! Clear skies.

Fishing the Fina Docks, Naked Mans Cove, and The Red Roof Bar

2010-03-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

George and I were already loaded up to go to Tin Can, when we saw Lannie and Judy. Stopping to chat we instantly changed our plans when Lannie invited us to go out on his boat, and so we unloaded poles and gear and we were soon launching the boat at Conn Brown Harbour.
Now the fish had been on, the day before and Lannie had caught and released red after red, so our first stop was South Bay, We set the Cajun anchor and power pole and cast out dead shrimp. There wasn't any wind blowing or current from a moving tide and so it didn't surprise us when we didn't have a bite,
It didn't help matters at all when a stupid person roared in and ran right over our lines. Luckily George wasn't armed and so no one was shot. I tried to calm things down by mentioning that there were two things you can't control, the wind and stupid people.
The sp then got stuck in the shallow water and proceeded to rev his engine tearing up the seagrass. Now the sea grass is protected and the stupid person was lucky that no law enforcement people were there to arrest him.
We pulled up our poles and anchors and headed to another spot,the Fina Docks. This is a place where the sheepshead move in during March and is almost wall to wall boats. While there were a few boats there, it was soon obvious that the fish hadn't arrived. George did have a monster black drum on, and he fought it for quite a while before it pulled him into the sunken structure. Breaking off we all agreed that he couldn't have done much else and the chances of landing the fish were near zilch.
Our next run was to a place called the Naked Mans Cove. Here a Vietnam Vet man lives in a tent and the place gets its name when he is sunbathing in a tan colored speedo. I didn't take any pictures there and we didn't get any fish. A barge passed us and Lannie asked if we were in a hurry to get home.
He said that the barge can sometimes move so much water that the water will surge and withdraw, causing movement and turning the fish on. Heading further on the Intercoastal we passed the barge and set up on an oyster bar called the Red Roof Bar.
We waited and hoped, all fisherman are optimists, but the barge didn't displace much water and no man made surge happened. It was still good as I had learned a new trick.
We loaded the boat without catching any redfish, and thats ok, as we would have just released them anyway. Some days are great fishing and some days actually have some catching, Today was simply a day of great fishing with friends! Clear skies.

Learning from the Masters at the Gulf Coast Gem and MIneral Lapidary Shop

2010-02-28T03:16:00.000-08:00

In every martial arts flick the master always berates the student, tells them how worthless they are, and then proceeds to punish them, again and again. Mentally flinching, I knew what the end result was going to be, as Dick moved around the row of machines and headed my way. He wanted to see my cabochons and see how I was progressing. He picked up the first one, looked at it carefully and calmly said, not the proper shape.
The next cabochon got a comment that it needed more sanding. A tiger eye stone caused him to shake his head as he said that it was too bad it had been cut wrong and probably should be thrown away, as the stone was junk.
I was batting zero for four as he picked up a piece of Texas fossilized palm wood that I had cut and shaped into a tear drop cabochon. He looked at it for a long time and finally said, "I guess this one is okay". His words of begrudging praise actually lifted my spirits as it was the first time I had received an okay from the master! Another piece and another no comment which I figured was praise in itself,(or at least he had gotten tired from all the problems he had seen).
Now I am kidding around a bit here, at Dicks expense, as I am really lucky to have the chance to learn from him and Jerrold. The two shop foreman represent over fifty plus years of lapidary expertise, and so I value their comments and suggestions.
Renita and I both are lucky to find the society, go through their lapidary training, and be able to work on gemstones. We are actually turning out some nice pieces and its hard to believe its only been a little over two months since we took our first class.
We highly recommend the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society to anyone living in the area and to other winter Texans like ourselves. There are very few places in the country where you can truly learn from two such masters,(and meet so many nice people)! Clear skies.

Looking for Wilsons Cut and Paradise Pond on Mustang Island

2010-02-22T01:55:00.000-08:00

See the plans had been to go kayaking with Val and Rosie but the fog moved in and hadn't lifted so we decided to spend the morning looking for a new place to paddle. A place that we had wanted to try was on Mustang Island, but it involved finding the put in spot, so we decided to spend the day looking for it and doing some birding.
On the way to the ferry the fog increased and it started to rain pretty hard. Luckily it stopped as we loaded onto the ferry and crossing and disembarking we turned right down Port Street in Port Aransas. The paved road took us past warning signs about dangerous wakes caused by large ships and we were a little uncomfortable as we passed Charley's Pasture.
Now the town of Port Aransas had just finished the construction of a new park and Port Street ended at the parking lot! A large covered shelter allowed us to glass out the ponds and staying dry we saw gadwalls, roseattes,green winged teals, and northern shovelers feeding unconcerned in the mist.
Crushed red granite trails led everywhere, and surprisingly they kept us out of the mud so we walked down one for a bit but the rain started again and we retreated to the truck promising to return on a better day.
We turned right again and actually missed the small sign for a place called Paradise Pond so we made a u-turn and drove back. The sign was small and nondescript but Renita and Val both spotted it. I turned into a restaurant parking lot and behind the building a small parking lot had been constructed for birders at the pond.
Now Lannie and Judy had told us about the multitude of songbirds that visit the place each spring, but Judy had also told us that the pond had flooded and that the birds hadn't yet arrived,(and maybe wouldn't as the place usually has feeders).
A wooden boardwalk took us to the small pond and the first thing we saw was a flock of black crowned night herons roosting in the drizzle! Red eared turtles were perched on every log and the small lgbs,(little grey birds), flitted in the dense undergrowth.
The black crowned herons seemed to be all males and sported a pair of long white head feathers that gave them a regal look. Joining them were an immature black crowned heron and a great blue heron, all completely unconcerned with our presence.Walking to the other viewing spot we pointed out more red eared turtles and several yellow rumped warblers.
It was such a small place but such a neat place that we added it to our places to return and so we headed back to the truck and on to our original destination, a launch site called Wilson's Cut.
When we arrived at the cut we saw that a lot of people had drove through the road ditch to launch their boats and it didn't make sense as a dry but typical bumpy Texas road took us to the same spot.
I locked in a gps waypoint and we studied the map of the Mustang Island Paddling trails. A family fished nearby and their kids were catching fish and falling in the greasy mud, as you would expect happy kids to do!
Eating our lunch we discussed the days finds and made plans for future birding and paddleing adventures. The ferry wasn't busy and as we loaded the sun tried to break out of the clouds, promising a great afternoon. It was too late to go back and load the boats so we returned home to the ever grateful watchdog, Molly. It had been a good day finding lots of new places! Clear skies

Fishing South Bay at Aransas Pass, Texas

2010-02-18T03:24:00.000-08:00

Probably the worst kept "secret", fishing spot in Texas, is the red fishing at South Bay. You can see the gaggle of boats as you drive across the causeway, heading to the ferry. I had always wondered what they were fishing for and now thanks to Lannie, I now know its redfish.
With the cold front finally passing, it had warmed up and a strong high pressure moved into the area. So it was no surprise that my thoughts turned to fishing. Pete. John, and I had gone out the day before and had caught a mess of big sheepshead, three were about 23 inches! So I had planned on going back when Lannie asked me if I would like to go out fishing in the Baby Cat.
It didn't take me much time to agree and so the next day we headed out for Conn Harbour. Stopping at a fish market we bought some fresh dead shrimp, and when we got to the harbor we discovered that they had live shrimp! With a quart of them swimming in the live well, we launched the boat at the Marina.
It was a really short run up the Aransas Channel and we then turned north to join about fifteen boats at South Bay. The area is amazingly shallow with sea grass everywhere, or almost anyway, and so taking care to not disturb it we used a Cajun anchor to hold the bow.
Casting out Carolina rigs, Lannie quickly had a fish on! He wound in a small red, called a rat, and had just released it when his other pole doubled over. This one was a keeper and as I wanted to grill redfish on a half shell he strung it up.
Another red hit his pole and another keeper. Meanwhile my two poles were acting like they had the most unpleasant tasting bait anyone could possibly have on. All the boats around us were catching fish and it was amazing to think of how many fish must be in the hole.
Lannie, ever the teacher, filled the air with stories of the area while I continued to not catch any fish. He suggested that I put on a popping cork with an eighteen inch leader, and showing me how to hook a live shrimp. I cast out to the area where he was catching his fish and the bobber went under!
Three casts and three redfish later I was feeling pretty good as I had learned a new technique, although it was one that I had used in Grand Isle, when fishing with my family last Christmas.
Putting a couple of more reds on the stringer, we had enough for dinner and released the rest. Most were just rats but it didn't matter to me as the catching was great and the circle hook was working, keeping us from injuring any fish.
The fish were so active that they were jumping around the boat and we could see them flashing nearby.
A flock of snowy egrets and white ibis joined us and everyone seemed pretty happy, except the dinner on the stringer. The tide changed and the fishing finally slowed. The birds soon left and we followed their lead, heading back home. We stopped at Palm Harbor. and I cleaned the fish, while Lannie visited with his guide friend.
It was a nice feeling to return home and have a fish story to share. The others had all gone out to Goose Island and everyone had stories of fishing and fun. Renita greeted me with her days beach glass wrapping, and so that afternoons happy hour was even more festive, at least for the fisherman! Clear skies

A lazy St Valentines Day in St Charles Bay

2010-02-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

The steely red eyes of the black crowned heron watched us canoe nearer. It seemed as if we could hear him say, "Not those two again, canoeing in my private canal." Renita took more images and I gently paddled us past his perch.
The weather had finally warmed and the wind was dying as we launched our canoe at Big Tree. We headed north and entered the canal looking for birds and a little fishing Another boat was already where I wanted to try fishing so we beached our canoe and I cast a dead shrimp into the channel, but no fish bothered me.
Leaving the canal we reentered St Charles Bay. A yellow kayak seemed to appear from nowhere and we headed towards the spot hoping to find a hidden channel. Sure enough it appeared at the last moment and we entered its narrow mouth.
The brush closed in and I stood up looking for sunning alligators but none were in sight. The water was quite shallow and I had to remove the outriggers. Renita used her paddle to keep us in the center and guided us in the narrow channel.
A larger opening appeared and we were able to enter a small bay but the tide was falling and we quickly became stuck in a deep soft mud bank. It was too narrow to turn around and so I prepared myself for a muddy mess but we both leaned on our paddles and were able to free the canoe.
Blindly pushing backwards we finally we able to turn around and retreated to the main bay. A wading egret greeted us and posed for more pictures. You could clearly see his wedding veil plumage, ad it seemed so fitting for the day. I had to laugh as Renita had been steering and pushing us while still maintaining a grip on the cameras in an ultimate multitasking display.
Moving out a bit, I dropped our anchor and cast a shrimp. The calm waters of the bay and the blue sky seemed to merge together, as it often does on the Texas Coast, and I was barely able to stay awake. Nothing took my bait and so I raised the anchor and we oared back along the shoreline.
Whoopers called to each other and we saw two fly and land. They were too far for a good picture bu it didn't matter and Rentia happily snapped away. The water was pretty shallow and we headed away from the shore. Stopping I tried another shrimp and cast a plastic imitation jig, but no speckled trout took my offerings.
It didn't really matter that the fish weren't biting, it was a great afternoon and a Valentines day that we both would remember. We have been truly blessed. Clear skies.

The Whooping Cranes of Lamar

2010-02-11T02:53:00.000-08:00

The pair of whoopers had taken over the fenced field and were not going to give up the ground to any lesser bird, especially the sandhill cranes that stood nearby. Every now and then a sandhill would try to sneak into the feed but the male whooper would lift his wings and flare at the trespassing sandhill.
The threat display worked as the sandhill would fly a short distance away, but only a short distance, before it landed and stood vigil looking for another chance. Again and again it would try to work its way in, but the crimson top of the whooper would seem to redden as the magnificent bird would drive the sandhill away.
We had read in the Rockport newspaper of the desperation of the whoopers. That due to the low blue crab numbers several had moved into the town of Lamar, Texas, and could be seen along eighth street, but our previous attempt to spot them had been for naught. So as we drove along the shoreline, towards Big Tree, the large white wading birds couldn't possible be whoopers. Surprisingly they were and as as we parked at the canoe launch site they stood and napped, seemingly unconcerned with human presence.
To the west two other pairs were in a field and the story of their desperate search for food were all to obvious as the three pairs were in a small area. Each pair of whoopers normally takes and defends a territory of about 250 acres, but here were three pairs in a small part of the town.
We watched the wading pair preen themselves as they stood in the shallow water, before driving to the next pair, across from the Big Tree parking lot. They were working their way towards a small fresh water pond and seemed to ignore the feeding cattle.
The last pair captured most of our time as we watched them feed while keeping a vigilant eye on the sandhill interlopers. It was almost surreal to watch them be so close to the houses and we both felt somewhat helpless about their desperate plight.
A federal wildlife expert had been quoted in the Corpus Christi Times, and had told of a possible large die off of the whoopers, due to the lack of food. The flock was down about twenty some birds as the wildlife people had fond the remains of the dead birds last spring.
At least EL Nino has ended the Texas drought and the high water levels have brought the promise of an increase in blue crab numbers, but that's for next year. So we hope and pray that the birds will be able to survive the year and their long migration north to Canada. Such magnificence and such graceful beauty in Americas largest crane. Go whoopers! Clear skies.

The"The Long Long Trailer", Fulltiming with a Rock Collection

2010-02-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

When ever we tell people that we have started to collect rocks, the first thing other Escapees,(Escapees is a club of fulltime rvers), ask us is if we have seen the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez movie, "The Long, Long Trailer". The answer is yes we have, as fellow escapees Bob and Sue loaned us their dvd copy and we watched it last night.
Its funny that things haven't changed much in sixty years. Rving across the country still poses the same pitfalls and challenges as it did back then,(Although the passes across the mountains are a lot better). While it may not be so funny to others, its well worth watching.
So the next question usually isn't asked but we can tell what people are thinking, "why would you collect rocks?". Knowing what they are thinking we explain how we take rocks and saw, grind, and polish them into cabochons, and then wire wrap them.
We then explain how we found and joined the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society and how we use the clubs equipment to shape the rocks. We also are taking classes on wire wrapping, a hobby, or obsession, that we both enjoy.
Its funny how now we are aspiring artists, or at least trying to become ones. Its something that I for one never thought I would ever be able to do,(Kind of like writing a coherent blog).
So as you think about rocks rolling around our fifth wheel as we travel, realize that we don't have round ones, or at least not as many as Lucille did in the movie! Clear skies.

A Week at Winter Camp on the Coastal Bend

2010-01-29T03:04:00.000-08:00

The past week flew by and I just realized we hadn't posted, so I will try to touch on the weeks activities. Fishing of course is a given,(and the black drum are biting), but we have also been working in the lapidary shop, wire wrapping, metal detecting, and of course eating at the ever present campground buffets.
I've already talked about our wire wrapping and lapidary classes so I thought I would start off with Renitas metal detecting. Now Renita got a metal detector for her birthday, and she hasn't used it much so when her friend Val got one for Christmas it was off to the beach and a day of hunting treasure.
It didn't take them long, before their detectors started to beep. Val was selective and had hers set on coins but Renita was quite happy to dig any metal that set her machine off. Of course she dug up, and brought home an assortment of bottle caps, screws, and other odd shaped debris but she also brought back several pieces that her detector said were silver. She hasn't done any detailed analysis, they do look like chunks of metal, but that's ok as she is happy to add them to her collection.
Val didn't find any coins but she had found .76 cents the other day so they both were happy as they had a great day digging in the sand and dirt.
It was finally our turn to help with the ever present buffets and so we volunteered for the cleanup crew on the Saturday Brunch Buffet. The buffet isn't a weekly thing but was organized by our friend John and his wife Nina. Periodically the rv park puts on a feed from the money donated at the weekly Thursday night buffets, so with the mention of free food over 107 of us showed up.
The menu was all you could eat biscuits and gravy, and there were egg casseroles and fruit so no one left hungry. In fact there was a lot of food left over! Renita cleaned the tables and I washed dishes, so we both felt good to help with the meal.
It was also the week of the Happy Hours first fish fry and for that Wayne and his wife Betty were the hosts/organizers. While the fish from the groups surf fishing was nonexistent I and others had plenty of fish to donate and so the fry was on.
Now the job of the men is to fry and bread the fish, along with moving tables. Meanwhile Loretta glides around and organizes the table setting and food placement and it all went smoothly, as it should.
We sat near the desert table and I of course made a pig of myself. The fish were excellent and it was a real sea food buffet as there were fried oysters, speckled trout, sheepshead, whiting, redfish, and even some black drum. Did I say that it all was a healthy deep fried?
Again no one left hungry, and I vowed to get back on my diet but we will see how that goes. Now that we are retired we both wonder how we ever got anything done while we were working. Thank goodness we don't have to waste time on yardwork. Fulltiming in an rv also lessons the honey do list and so we are free to spend our time on more fun activities. Clear skies.

The Lighthouse Trails, Taking the Redfish loop to the Lydia Ann Lghthouse

2010-01-23T01:36:00.001-08:00

Ever since our first canoe trip on Cutters Loop, we wanted to try to go to the Lydia Ann Lighthouse. We had tried once before but had encountered a very low tide and so with the tides and weather both agreable another attempt was in order.
We met Val and Rosie,(See the Lighthouse Trails, Cutters Loop), at the usual put in spot. A shrimp boat was heading our way so we paddled quickly across the Aransas Channel, and entered the first Lighthouse Lake.
It was an incomming tide and so we had plenty of water to clear the oyster bar and we steadily paddled north, looking for trail marker 21. We heard shotguns booming in the diatance, duck season was still on, and so we carefully looked for decoys and hunters as we passed the many blinds.
After about a mile we neared the yellow post for marker 21, but no marker! There was a duck blind next to it and it was apparent the duck hunters must have removed the sign as it interfered with their field of fire,(or maybe they shot it off). Regardless we decided to check out the next sign and sure enough it was marker 20 so we went back to the signless post and entered a narrow and shallow channel. It took us in the right direction and we spotted the island where we had eaten lunch the year before.
Heading east across the lake we tried several narrow paths before finding marker 13 and connected with the Redfish Loop. Thirteen and then fourteen and then a decision. Shoud we go right or left? Right would take us to marker 15 but left looked like a possible was through the cut and maybe would connect to the Lighthouse itself. We choose left and followed a string of crab traps, finally reaching the main channel that led past the Lighthouse and to the Lydia Ann Channel.
As we neared the Lighhouse we saw that there were several large cisterns for holding rainwater. It made sense and the weathered look of the cypress siding added to the charm of the structures. We could see that lights were on and it was obvious that the buidings were occupied. A sign told us and any others that the area was private property, but we knew that already.
Gliding past the dock we reached the point and stopped for lunch. I cast out some cut mullet and soon a hardhead catfish attacked my bait. We ate and talked and I kind of zoned out the conversation as hard head after hard head bit. It was fun catching fish but I really had hoped for a redish.
We headed back into the mangroves and a school of speckled trout exploded around our boats. Mullet jumped everywhere and Rosie neared a reddush egret that seemed to be in a trance. It finally woke up and flew away. It was probably upset with those darn kayakers.
Taking a left turn we found marker fifteen and it was really easy to follow the sign posts. I was tired from all the exertion and so Renita and I decided to pass on the Electric Loop, but Rosie and Val headed off to explore it. Their kayaks are a lot easier to get around in then our canoe and again I though about how nice a kayak would be.
I had to get out several times and wade the boat over oyster reefs but both times were only short traverses. Renita was able to sit in the boat and she used her paddle to steer us right and left and I was soon able to get back in the canoe.
We reached another missing sign post but the path was quite obvious and we turned south,(left), heading for signpost 1 and the Aransas Channel. I threw out my pole and we sat and soaked in the sunshine. It seemed like all the fiddler crabs were on a migration and we watched them march past our beached canoe.
No fish bothered us and I almost fell asleep before Rosie and Val reappeared and headed our way. We saw them get out of their kayaks as they grounded on the numerous oyster bars, but they were to far away to hear our shouts of left, go left! They finally reached us and so I wound in my bait and we headed into the channel where we were greetd by a pod of dolphins! One dolphin breached the surface only ten feet away and I almost jumped as he spouted water into the air.
Renita was turning this way and that as she tried to get their picture, and she did but not of the close one. The temperature was in the mid seventies and a breeze came up, but we were already across the channel and nearing our trucks. We had done it and we both felt good but tired from the six mile trip.
Loading our boats we talked of future paddling adventures. Val and Rosie told us that the ELectric loop was really shallow and that Renita and I should wait for a really high tide before trying it. Saying good bye we headed home from a day well spent. Clear skies.

Surf Fishing with the Happy Hour Group

2010-01-22T03:33:00.000-08:00

The star fish were everywhere. They were scattered on the beach in piles and as you waded out it seemed like you were walking through a starfish school. Our friend Judy picked some out and laid them on their tailgate. Picking up a live one, it quickly started to move, quick for a starfish but slow to us, its legs bending as if it was searching for the ocean.
We were at the Gulf on our Happy Hour Groups monthly surf fishing outing. The goal is to grill and consume as much as we can take to the beach, and then catch some fish so that we can have a fish fry at a happy hour at the rv park.
The fish weren't cooperating, but the beach driving was great and the surf was low so the fishing became secondary. We were trying to catch redfish, pompano, and whiting but every cast brought a hard head catfish. The hard head are about the worst tasting fish in the ocean, they don't even use them for school lunches, so back they went.
It didn't matter as the food was great and Renita caught some fish. The group fished and talked and beach combed, Even though the sun never came out, it didn't matter. The ever present roar of the surf, even though it wasn't large, worked its usual magic on all of us. We packed up our poles and chairs and called it a day. It was time to head back, for happy hour! Clear skies.

No starfish were harmed during the outing.

Canoeing and kayaking St Charles Bay, from Big Tree towards Cavasso Creek

2010-01-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

The weather finally warmed and a week of forecasts in the seventies had us loading our canoe and heading to St Charles Bay. We had always wanted to canoe the west shore of the bay but had never had such a good forecast, both warm and calm. Among other things we hoped to see the Whooping Cranes that we had heard from Big Tree and I wanted to explore the area for fishing.
We launched our craft and Val quickly took off. Her kayak glides so quickly compared to our canoe, and it makes us want to get kayaks. We headed north and quickly came to a man made channel that took us along some old and run down summer cottages.
Wanting to explore it we decided to wait till we came back and instead paddled past its opening and towards the Aransas Wildlife Refuge.
An obvious point stood out and it turned out to be an oyster reef that scrapped the bottom of our canoe so we went wide around the projecting reef. Large white birds appeared on shore, a flock of seven birds but we didn't think they were whoopers as it would be unusual for seven to gather in such a small territory. Later we saw two large white birds away from each other but of course we didn't bring the binoculars and so they also remained unconfirmed.
A belted kingfisher provided us entertainment as we ate lunch. It was perched above the water in a grotto of live oak trees that told of the prevailing wind direction and hinted at storms past. It was upset with us for invading its favorite perch and flew away before returning to stubbornly claim its special place.
We had traveled about two and a half miles and of course the wind came up so we turned back south and fought against the wind and waves until we reached the point. The wind then died completely as if it had decided we had had enough exercise for the day.
Paddling easily we turned into the man made channel and had a very close encounter with a some roseattes. They finally flew away but a black crowned night heron stood its perch and simply glared at us as Renita took its picture. A snowy egret waded in the back of the channel as we passed broken docks and once nice camps, but now forgotten.
Heading back into the bay we headed south and passed our trucks. I cast a jig, tipped with a pumpkinseed and chartreuse tail but nothing bothered me. Mullet were everywhere and I was surprised that no trout or red fish seemed to lurk beneath the surface.
We stopped rowing and simply enjoyed the warmth of the suns rays and the stillness of the water. Tired from our five mile journey we headed back to the trucks and waited as two other kayaker's loaded their boats and a couple of small red fish. It had been a great day of canoeing and we thanked Val for joining us. As always, we wish you clear skies.

A Black Drum Bite at Goose Island

2010-01-16T02:20:00.001-08:00

The tide was ripping through the cut at the fishing pier at Goose Island State Park. So much that I needed to put on a half ounce barrel sinker on my Carolina rig. I threaded the dead shrimp onto the hook and cast up stream but only about 60 feet, as there seemed to be a hole.
It didn't take long before I had a couple of quick ticks and then the fish picked up the rig and swam with the tide. Setting the hook I fought the fish , finally bringing it to the surface and then to the net. It was a legal black drum, a fish that is one of the best eating fish in the Gulf, and the fish I had hoped to catch!
There were already three fisherman on the pier as we pulled up and Pete was putting on his waders and going after the speckled trout. Dave, George, and I wanted to concentrate on the black drum, so we didn't need to wade, just fish from the wooden walkway. As we started out, one of the fisherman set the hook and reeled in a nice black drum. It made me walk even faster!
George was the first to catch a drum and it didn't surprise me as he is one of the best bait fisherman I have seen in action. Dave set the hook with a strong sweep of his rod and pulled in a huge sheepshead and with a little coaxing I was fishing next to George and setting the hook on my own black drum.
We were soon joined by Pete, who had only had one hit and had a nice speckled trout in his basket,(although the trout bite had stopped and didn't return). The bite was on and fish were being brought in on both sides of the pier. The fish were mostly black drum but a few sheepshead and red drum were intermixed and it was turning into another great day.
Before long we all had our limits, of five black drum each and it was time to head back to the cleaning station. It felt great to finally be on the Texas Coastal Bend with a hot bite, something I had heard about but had not yet seen,(At least a hot bite for all three species of black drum, speckled trout, and sheepshead). Clear skies.

A new,(for us anyway). and easy recipe for Black Drum.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Take a baking dish and spray it with olive oil and arrange a single layer of black drum fillets.

Cover them with sliced onions and pour a half of a bottle of blue cheese salad dressing on top.

Bake for about a half an hour until the sauce is bubbling, the onions are done, and the fish flake easily.

(Be sure to taste the dressing before hand as some blue cheese dressings may be overpowering so if its really strong use less dressing)

Clear skies

Speckled Trout at Goose Island, Even a Blind Pig.....

2010-01-13T04:43:00.000-08:00

Every cast had produced a fish and I was actually growing tired from fighting them in. The plastic tail on my jig was pretty ripped from all the teeth marks, but they still hit! I cast again and it was another keeper and I was in Texas speckled trout heaven! It seemed that all the trout in St Charles Bay had concentrated in front of me in the deep water channel. My cajun brother in law, Gary, likes to say that even a blind pig, finds an acorn now and then, and my. did I find an acorn.
I had hoped to go fishing as I had been busy with classes in wire wrapping and lapidary and just plain busy. Now Jed Clampett is purported to have said that, "A man who is too busy to go fishing is too busy", and I was actually feeling bad so when Renita and I finished our Walmart run I drove out to Goose Island State Park to meet George and Dave who had earlier invited me with them.
I decided to walk out and see how they were doing and I saw George set the hook and then Dave followed, a double! I helped George net his keeper sheepshead and watched him put it on the stringer as Dave hoisted his fish over the railing. The fishing pier was lined with fisherman and everyone was catching trout and sheepshead and black drum!
Hurrying back to the truck I put on my waders and grabbed a pole with a 16th ounce jig. I decided to wade out to the first cut where the water was draining out into Aransas Bay. I didn't want to fight the crowd of fishernan on the pier and figured that the fish would also be stacked in the deep waters channel north of the pier. I figured wrong as I waded out to it and slowly worked my way casting and casting and not a single hit.
Returning to the pier I decided to wade under it and fish downstream from all the others. I didn't want to bother them and I hoped that I would find the fish were all along the deep channel that flowed from the pier.
A flounder scooted out in the shallows as I waded from the oyster bar, and I made my first cast. It stopped with a telltale tick and I set the hook and caught a nice keeper trout,(in Texas they have to be fifteen inches). Another cast and this time the trout was huge. I fought it for a while before the jig popped out and it swam away, Upset at myself for not bringing a landing net I cast again and another fish inhaled my jig.
It was a good as it gets as I caught fish after fish and all but two were keepers. The pier fisherman were also catching fish but they were sharing their spot while I was all by myself. I wish I could have sold waders as I am sure it would have been a great day, but I was too busy catching fish! Clear skies.

Wire Wrapping Class in Rockport

2010-01-10T01:55:00.000-08:00

See the deal was that if Renita took the lapidary class with me then I would take the wire wrapping class, and it seemed to be pretty fair deal to me, but as the class drew nearer I started to quaver a bit. It didn't help when another resident of our rv park told Renita that the first class would be on making earrings. Good grief, what have I gotten into?
So before we entered the building,I told Renita that if I said that I was going fishing with George tomorrow, it would mean that I was going to fake a headache and leave. Prepared with an out we entered, found the class room, and got comfortable.
Our instructor, Mary Beth Orrision, came in, sat down and introduced herself to us. She then cut a piece of wire and told us to get close and watch how she made the head ring.
Three hours later we both felt almost overwhelmed with all the information she had taught us. We had learned how to make an ear wire, hammer a paddle, give the bends strength, or temper , and form coils, spirals, loops, and headrings. It was really amazing how she showed us to turn a simple piece of wire into so many things.
A former student of hers stopped by and showed us her wire wrappings, using beach glass, and I could see that we could do the exact same technique with our lapidary specimens. It was obvious that we had taken the right class and that Mary Beth was a really good teacher!
The instructor had made us feel welcome and guided us as we made mistakes. Her patience, gentile demeaner and expertise made it a fun session. I felt chagrined as I remembered my trepidations about making earrings and the wire wrapping class. We both agreed that the class had been excellent and that we were looking forward to the next session. Clear skies.

The Lobstick Pair, Riding the Skimmer 2010

2010-01-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

The male crane stretched his neck and seemed to pose for us. We were only about fifty yards away and the pair were totally unconcerned but the two whoopers were the most photographed whooping cranes and were quite used to the adoration. Together they had reared sixteen chicks and two sets of twins. The last time we had seen them, also on the skimmer tour, they had a pair of twins but this year they had failed to raise a chick.
We had bought tickets for the birding trip on the Skimmer and again it exceeded our expectations. Jenny had expressed concern about the forty five dollar price, but I assured her that it was actually worth it,(and it was). The boat was quite full and we were layered in all the cold weather clothes we owned as the day promised to be clear and cold.
We stayed inside but still had to brave the cold air streaming threw the open door. A couple of fellow birders were so excited they stayed out front on the bow deck and I shivered as I watched them. We passed the Blackjack Peninsula, and I pointed out to Jenny how far we had canoed. It was good to see the view from the water again and I felt that I was getting an understanding of the bays.
Our first stop was at the area that had been constructed for additional habitat and we saw the usual, a reddish egret, a black bellied plover, and of course the ever present blue heron.
We could see a pair of whoopers in the distance but after teasing us for a while the tour guide said that there were two cranes up close and he sped the boat up the intercoastal. I am sure he knew all along that the Lobstick pair would be in their territory and of course they were, but they were so close!
We watched them for a while and there was another pair in the distance. The boat captain pointed out some roseattes and a little blue heron. Some mottled ducks fed busily and a couple of snowy egrets stood and watched it all.
Heading further up the intercoastal we stopped and watched a family group feed, also unconcerned with the boats passing by. Again another pair was in the distance and we had now seen eleven whoopers in all! What a day.
The return trip was through another channel, the old intercoastal, and we saw an osprey and a really huge group of blue herons. It had been another great day birding and we were glad we had Jenny along with us. No new birds, but more like old friends, who were also wintering along the Texas coastal bend. Clear skies.

Making Mud by Grinding Rocks: Our First Lapidary Class

2010-01-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

I was working on the older diamond grinder and Renita was making her own cabochon on a new Genie work station. We had first sawed a slab of our rocks and then scribed it with an aluminum scibe, to mark the outer limit of the pattern.
From there we had gone to the trim saw and cut off the edges and using the edge of the diamond blade we were able to work the rock closer and closer to the oval shape.
All total I had been working the same piece for about one and a half hours when the first fracture appeared. I continued to grind away hoping to remove the imperfection when the cabochon broke into two equal pieces. Jerrold, our instructor and the Gem Society's shop foreman, walked over and said, "Happens sometimes with turitella", and so I started over on a new piece.
It was really ok as I had gotten to turn some rock into powder, which mixed with the cutting water formed a nice mud! It was about what I expected on the first night and that's fine as I had learned so much already.
Renita mean while was patiently grinding her cabochon nearer and nearer into shape and I remembered what Jerrold had said, "The man often finishes first but the women usually makes a nicer cab". I didn't doubt it at all and really expected his prediction.
The new piece worked a lot faster then the old and after two and a half hours in class we both were finished with the coarse grinding and secondary sanding. Jerrold told us that we could store the future cabs in the shop and said that eventually we could make a cab in twenty minutes. Hmmmmm.
We both agreed that it had been a lot of fun and we both look forward to next weeks class. Oh, and if my cabochon self destruct again, that's ok. I will just use a different rock,(and it was a nice colored mud)! Clear skies.

Another Day at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, 2010

2010-01-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Renita of course, spotted the gator. It was about six feet long and sunning itself on the bank,(In my defense I was scanning the trail for western diamondbacks). She pointed it out to us and I could see the nervousness in Jennys eyes. It was still wet from crawling out of the water onto shore and seemed to be sleeping......I pointed out an alligator trail that intersected the path we were walking, the Heron Flats trail, and Jenny's nervousness seemed to increase.
We had driven to the Aransas National Wildlife to spend the sunny afternoon hiking and birding. The wind was dying and the temperature was in the fifties so it was a pleasant day to hike the trail. During the drive we spotted a white tailed hawk, several crested cara caras and the ever present vultures.
Arriving at the park we checked in and while Jenny and Renita checked out the displays I read the latest bird list. There wasn't anything unusual but there had been whooping cranes spotted at the tower, so that was good.
Our first stop was Heron Flats overlook and the Heron Flats trail head and we were rewarded with views of feral pigs and white ibis. Several little blue herons flew and landed and a white egret fished in a nearby pond.
We hoped that the gators would be sunning themselves so Jenny could see one and, as the opening paragraph says, we were rewarded with a nice size one right away. The next two pond each held a progressively larger gaters and an eight footer watched us, but he(she), was too comfy in the warm sun to make any moves. You could see its large teeth, without the binoculars, and I was reminded of the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
We hiked the trail and saw snow geese resting on a point of land that stuck out into a backwater. An armadillo ate bugs and was totally unconcerned with our presence as we tiptoed by. We were so close we could see scar marks from where something had tried to have an armadillo sandwich.
Reaching the truck we drove to the Tower and luckily found a parking spot as the refuge was really busy with holiday birders. Climbing the tower we spotted a crane on land. It was so far away that it was really only a small dot but at least it was a crane. A mans loud booming voice came from below the tree tops and he and his wife soon joined us.
He asked if we had seen any cranes and then almost yelled at Renita to tell him how to see the one we had spotted. A totally obnoxious jerk he soon started to yell at me for directions and I took pity on him and told him where to look. He didn't thank me but instead started to yell at everyone that climbed up the tower, telling them the location of the bird and describing his ideas as to the life history of all whoopers.
Luckily he finally left and we spotted two whoopers that were wading nearby. They were feeding on snails and crabs and were the closest we have been to them while viewing from the tower. Now, Jenny could say she had seen the whoopers, besides hearing them at Big Tree.
We were chased by mosquitoes at the wooden birding trail. The sun had warmed things quite a bit and the wind had died down. Returning to the truck we took the eleven mile loop but the sun was setting and we didn't spot any wildlife.
Several deer were feeding by the park headquarters and Jenny commented on their small size. I reminded her of the relationship between temperatures and mammal sizes but I didn't need to as she is a Brackin and knows everything,(she had remembered it from her ecology class in high school).
It had been an easy day for the start of the new year. Whoopers, gators, and best of all a day spent birding with our daughter. On the way home she talked about her bird list and we could see that another new birder had been hooked. Clear skies.

Padre Island National Seashore 2010, Sanddollars

2010-01-01T03:57:00.000-08:00

Before I even got the first pole out Jenny came back and showed us her shells. She said that besides the handful of sand dollars, she had also seen several living ones! It didn't take Renita long before she joined her and I could see that it was going to be a good day for shelling.
The rain had finally ended and the weather forecaster promised us a nice day in the upper 60's, so we packed a lunch and headed for the beach at Padre Island National Seashore. It was a nice drive and we even had to swerve to avoid some turtles enjoying the sun warmed asphalt road.
Arriving at the park headquarters the ranger told s that the beach driving was good as the recent rains had firmed the sand and she was right as it was the best beach driving day we have ever had! It was even easy getting onto the beach which is usually the difficult part.
We drove along the waters edge and passed a lot of people, in other words about one car every 1/2 mile. After about 7 miles we stopped in an abandoned stretch of beach and set up for the day.
I put out two poles, one with cut mullet and the other with shrimp, but the fish weren't cooperating, only the sea grass. Both lines quickly loaded up with grass and I soon came to the realization that fishing was futile. Time to go shelling.
Now Renita and Jenny had both returned with handfuls of sand dollars. It was amazing as we had never seen so many! I stowed my fishing gear and started walking down the beach hoping to find at least one.
They were everywhere! It didn't take long before I had both hands full and I had only picked up perfect ones. Live ones were also numerous but we left those to their own fate as we had so many.
Driving to another spot I cast out my poles and again no fish. Maybe the red tide had wiped them all out or who knows, maybe they just weren't biting. I wasn't bothered by the grass and the surf had laid down so I was able to cast out and hold my lines in the second and third cuts.
Again the sand dollars were everywhere and it must have been natures way of helping us to forget all the rain and cold weather we had had since Jenny's arrival. We ended up with over 100 sand dollars between us. Now to figure out how to make stuff out of them. Clear skies.

Port Aransas and the Birding Center

2009-12-28T02:07:00.000-08:00

Our daughter Jenny, had arrived from Minneapolis and we wanted to show her some of the Coastal Bend area. We packed a picnic lunch and headed to Port Aransas and Mustand Isand State Park. Our intent was to visit the jetty and then drive onto the beach at the state park.
On the way from Aransas Pass to the ferry, we saw several roseatte spoonbills but always just a glimpse. Crossing the ferry we saw our first dolphin and Jenny excitedly pointed out a brown pelican, sitting on a pier. We drove off the ferry and parked along the sea wall of the jetty.
The waves were breaking on top and it was pretty cold, fifty eight, with a biting north wind. The dolphins were posing and so we spent a little time walking out on the cement walkway, where Renita and Jenny concentrated on watching and photographing their antics.
I threw in a couple of poles with some cut mullet but nothing picked them up and of course I lost both rigs in snags, but that wasn't unexpected. We got back in the truck and drove along the beach front, pointing out the camping areas, before heading to Mustang Island State Park.
At the entrance booth the lady told us that the red tide had cleared and that the beach driving was a little iffy, but ok once you got onto the beach itself, in other words pretty typical. We drove out toward the park jetty and we immediately found that the tide was really high. That, plus the strong onshore wind was not giving us much room to keep dry yet out of the soft sand.
We parked with some other cars and walked along the beach looking for shells and stuff. The beach was littered with starfish, which was the first time we had ever noticed them. Renita asked me what the bird was, as we walked by a flock, and we took some photos as we couldn't identify them. We thought at first that they were elegant terns but we decided that they must be royal terns, which was a new bird for our life list.
Returning to the truck we headed back toward home. I asked Renita if she remembered the name of the park in Port Aransas, where our friend Judy went for birding, and she couldn't remember but we neared a sign that said the Birding Center and we turned down the road.
Unexpected pleasures are usually the best part of any day and we certainly had one as we arrived at the wooden walkway. A sign told of the dangers of alligators and of course we had to pose as other birders walked by and gave us strange looks.
A flock of blue winged teal greeted us, then a roseatte flew and landed just on the other side of some turtles. Jenny noticed that there appeared to be another and so we climbed the wooden observation tower to discover not two but six spoonbills preening themselves and washing their wings. It was quite a sight to see them shaking all the water off and we had quite a display that we had never seen before.
We continued down the wooden deck and watched green winged teal and northern shovelers paddle by. A least grebe busily paddled and swam under the water. It was such a tiny bird and it was so fast. We were barely able to get a photo.
The girls told me of a much larger birding trail they had noticed while on the tower and we watched as a turtle tried to sneak by our position. More teals, and shovelers, and even a little blue heron paraded by us, all unconcerned with the birders. They quacked and made other calls that I had never heard before, there is so much to learn and so little time to do it in.
Returning to the truck we headed home and talked about the great day we had experienced and the joy that birding has brought Renita and I. Jenny mentioned that she had seen a lot of colorful song birds since she moved from downtown Saint Paul, to a house surrounded by trees in Minneapolis. A day with our daughter, enjoying birds and beach, what could be better! Clear skies.

Merry Christmas to All, and a Happy New Year!

2009-12-25T02:59:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to All!

Just a short note today to thank you all for all the good times we have had with many of you and that we are looking forward to more good times down the road.
We have been blessed with our family and friends.

Clear skies,

Mark and Renita

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, 2010

2009-12-23T04:29:00.000-08:00

It was good to see the changes, or most of them anyway, as we made our first birding trip to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. It was obvious that the drought had finally ended, or at least eased, a new viewing tower stood next to the old, and we saw Whooping Cranes!
As we checked into the visitor center, the volunteers asked us if we had mosquito lotion. Having some in the truck we purchased another bird book, a field guide, so that we wouldn't have to share a single copy.
Our first stop was at Jones Lake, where last year the lake had almost completely disappeared. With so much water we didn't spot any alligators, deer, or feral hogs but the rooting damage from the hogs was quite evident. We did see a pied grebe, and some greater scaup, all in all it was apparent that the water was allowing the wildlife to spread out and that the viewing might be tougher.
Driving on we reached the viewing tower and climbed the long ramp to the top. There, blocking our view was a new viewing tower, with no one on it! Whats this we asked? There was a man walking near the shoreline and we hoped he wouldn't scare the birds away, Some birders can be a bit selfish at times.
It didn't take long before Renita spotted two large white birds across the way and we were able to confirm them as whooping cranes. The spotting scope was a real help and we steadied it on the cement railing, which was like night and day in keeping it rock solid. We watched as they fed, unconcerned by a passing string of barges, pushed by a tug.
Moving the scope we were able to spot another whooper feeding further on the same peninsula but the bird was so far away that we really couldn't see much. There really weren't a lot of birds out, the time of day perhaps, and so we descended the ramp and walked out to another viewing trail.
Plastic ribbons blocked the entrance to the new viewing ramp,(stability problems perhaps?), and so we continued on spotting a willet, and a flock of marbled godwits.Their long bicolored bill was slightly upturned and it made it an easy identification
form the long billed curlews we had at the Bartel Islands.
We met another birder who asked us how many whoopers we had seen and she informed us that she had seen five, three adults and two juveniles. She also told us that there had been two near the tower, maybe they had been flushed by the man mentioned earlier.
We returned to the truck and turned onto the one way road. Stopping at the first turn out we watched as several green wing teal and northern shovelers fed. The mosquitoes swarmed us and we were reminded of Spirit Lake in Utah. They even attacked me with the bug spray I had generously applied!
We drove further when Renita,(Gator Girl), yelled at me to stop and back up, and sure enough a large gator was pretending to be napping in the high weeds. We drove and stopped but didn't see many other birds, some black vultures, some northern mockingbirds. Perhaps the recent deer and feral pig hunt had temporarily moved everything away from the roads, or maybe it was simply the much higher water.
The scenery along the eleven mile drive was so different then that the dry parched earth we had seen last year.
We stopped at the fishing pier and ate lunch before continuing on to the Heron Trail.
Several little blue herons posed, along with a great egret. Just a lazy day perhaps.We attempted to walk down the trail, but the mosquitoes swarmed us again and we didn't see any alligators,only their trails where they had sunbathed or perhaps waited to prey in unsuspecting deer or birders.
Our final stop was at the alligator viewing below the visitor center. No alligators posed but a American coot and a common moorhen fed greedily and several turtles basked on the far shoreline. It had been a good day, it always is when we spend the day together, and spotting the whoopers adding the icing on the cake! I think back to the long hours we worked to be able to retire early and sacrifices we made. I wish we had worked less but now is our payback and it s good. Clear skies.

Canoeing and Birding the Aransas and Sailboat Channels

2009-12-21T02:33:00.000-08:00

Our original plan was to launch at the Lighthouse Lakes Park, cross the Aransas Channel and then wind through the maze of channels until we reached the Lighthouse on the Lighthouse Channel. The plan quickly went south as soon as we entered the first cut and discovered the water was at low tide. Rule number one, check the tides and don't plan anything in the Lighthouse Lakes at low tide!
We struggled against the outgoing flow much like struggling against a strong current in a river. Passing a beached kayak, whose owner was fishing, we quickly came to a stop in the shallow flats. Val explored further, looking for a channel but it wasn't to be. We were tired already from the great exercise and so we turned around and floated easily with the outgoing water. We watched the fisherman catch two reds on three casts, and I cast a bit but to no avail.
Renita snapped images of a reddish egret, a little blue heron, and some white ibis, and reaching the Aransas Channel we decided to head under the bridge and explore the Sailboat Channel and Brown and Root Bays. Passing under the bridge Renita yelled to hear the echo and with the wind at our backs we easily floated west as two Great Blue Herons engaged in a fight display over the fishing territory.
We tried to canoe up a cut but the water was too low and so we turned back and headed further west down the Sailboat Channel. Val spotted a roseate spoonbill standing asleep on one leg and we got quite close as Renita snapped image after image.
A little further down was the old channel which Lannie had showed me as a possible canoe fishing spot and a guide pulled up with his clients and begin to fish.
We felt a little bad about disturbing him, but we also felt a little sorry for his clients who were paying big bucks to fish next to the highway, in a spot we could so easily reach.
The wind kept floating us steadily towards the East Shore,(I know it sounds confusing as we are paddling west), but thats the name on the map. Reaching the end of the channel we saw oyster bed after oyster bed and another roseate. Renita took the camera out of the waterproof bag and took more images as I gently steered the boat near the bird.
The roseate seemed pretty unconcerned with us as it lowered its head again and again, occasionally lifting its ping pong paddle shaped bill and swallowing its prey. It was quite pink in color and we were surprised to see that the legs were also pink!
Passing by, Renita put away the camera and we headed under another bridge to enter the Aransas Channel and head back to our put in and take out point. We fought the current and turning east we also fought the not so gentle wind. The mile and a half turned into some great exercise as we couldn't stop paddling or we would be blown backwards. Renita pointed out a pod of five dolphins and she tried to take some pictures but she soon put the camera away as we struggled east.
Finally reaching the truck, I was a little angry with myself for going so far in one day. Two lessons learned, plan the trip better and check the tides. We loaded up our boats and talked of the days adventure. It had been a fun day, with warm temperatures, lots of wading birds, and blue skies. I hadn't been bothered by any fish and that was ok as it was another day of acting like kids! Clear skies.

Clear skies! Canoeing the Blackjack Peninsula

2009-12-19T04:29:00.001-08:00

The weather finally broke, the skies cleared, and it warmed up so we headed out to Goose Island State Park for a day of fishing and canoeing. George and Val and Dave and Jane all joined us for the adventure.
Getting live shrimp for bait, we drove to the park and walked out onto the fishing pier. It wasn't long before Dave had a sheephead and then a nice one! Val kept casting for trout and George was fishing live shrimp but it didn't take long before Renita and I switched to sheephead fishing.
Soon Renita had a fish and then another. She caught a keeper and it went on the stringer. The fish were biting as fast as we threw in, it was really crazy! Most of the fish were undersized but it was fun to catch so many fish, and we did end up with enough for supper!
Stoping for lunch, we decided to go canoeing and kayaking with Val. She launched ahead of us and soon disappeared around the bend, her kayak is so much faster than our canoe! We pushed off and headed towards the Bartel Islands. The water was so much deeper in the bay than last year and we glided across oyster beds that would have grounded us.
With the water so high it made the trip much quicker and with no wind we soon reached the Blackjack Peninsula. Paddling further than we planned we rounded a bend and could see the intercoastal and some large white wading birds, whooping cranes perhaps? We were along the Aransas Wildlife Refuge so it was certainly possible but without our binoculars we just couldn't be sure.
Stopping, our peace and quite was disturbed as several air boats roared by. Air boats are a Texas tradition and the local guides use them to take their clients to duck blinds. There have actually been close encounters with kayaks and air boats and the air boat are blaming the kayaks for close misses! What a joke.
We canoed back on the outside of the Bartel Islands. The water was so smooth it was really amazing to have such perfect weather! We passed several islands that were crowded with birds and Renita took images of Dunlins,(a new bird for us), and long billed curlews. We even got near a rosette spoonbill that watched us warily as we paddled by!
It had been a great day of fishing and exploring and birding, all reasons why we are here on the Texas Coastal Bend. Arriving back at the landing we met George who had been patiently fishing the pier, while we explored the islands. Life is so good! Clear skies.

Rainy Days on the Costal Bend

2009-12-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

Our friends Dave and Jane,(see Michigan posts), told us it has rained fourteen of the first eighteen days of December so we are seeing the effects of a strong El Nino here along the Coastal Bend. Its quite different than the dry and scorched Texas we have been used to seeing for the past two years and its a welcome relief from the extreme drought.
Not surprisingly we haven't been outside as much as we have would have liked to but the fish have been biting when we are, everything is green and its bitter cold where our kids are so no complaints.
The speckled trout are running large this year and nothing I like better then speckled trout, well maybe grilled pompano or black drum. Renita and I had a feast of fresh trout, sheepshead, and black drum which we cooked the same way and were able to compare on the same plate. Our favorite was the black drum, followed closely by the speckled trout.
Our friends around the park have kept themselves amused and a rubber duck has appeared in Vals Lake, a pool of water that collects in a low spot if front of their fifth wheel,(She didn't put it there it just magically appeared while she was cooped up inside and sick).
Dave baked a blueberry pie with blueberries that Jane picked in the UP and brought us two pieces and Pete stopped by to give us a jar of his and Wernas homemade red raspberry jam. Others have left for the Holidays and the park has a lot more empty spaces,(economy?), than last year but the happy hour bunch still meets at four pm, when the weather permits.
The weather is finally breaking today and dry and clear skies are forecast along with a warming trend,temps have been in the fifties and even as low as the forties for daytime highs and sixties and seventies are forecast, so we are all excited about the nice days and hopefully some canoeing and kayaking. The water level in the bays is really high this year and the oyster beds are not as obvious a hazard, Big black drum are coming from the campground shore at Goose island State Park and our friend Wayne even caught pompano back inside Copano Bay. Not much more to report, basically lots more water and that's always good to us as we spend so much time in the desert. Clear skies.

Fishing the Texas Bays on a Baby Cat!

2009-12-14T03:14:00.000-08:00

Imagine running at full throttle across water only a foot or so deep. Forty miles per hour and you are on a boat the size of two sheets of plywood and only a foot deep! Patches of sand and grass and oyster beds intermingle and there is no protection from the elements, thank goodness for goretex! The boat weaves in and out of small islands covered with mangroves and you are lucky because you are being guided by a friend who is as knowledgeable as there is and so you can relax and enjoy the ride!
Yesterday morning I was preparing the canoe for our first canoe adventure. It was suppose to stop sprinkling, clear off and warm up, never happened, when our friend Lannie stopped by and asked if I wanted to go out on his Baby Cat. He said he would love to show me some places to fish in our canoe and after checking with Renita I jumped at the chance,(Lannie has fished his whole life in the Texas coastal waters and his wife Judy is the best bird photographer we know)!
We drove to Cove Harbour and unloaded the 16 foot boat. It has no sides, I mean none and runs with a 90 horse power Yamaha on a jack plate,(a device that raises and lowers the motor). This setup, combined with a tunnel hull, allows you to run full speed in as little as three inches of water! This also allows you to run across grass flats and not disturb or damage the protected seagrass.
The Intercoastal, Sailboat Channel, Aransas Channel, the Klondike, the California Hole, Talley Island, the names kept coming and my brain was going into overload trying to remember it all. We stopped and fished and Lannie's equipment was so much better than mine so I used his, but it was to no avail. The fish weren't biting, even though we had a strong current flowing though the passes.
It didn't matter a bit, it was a ride and a day of instruction on the water from a new friend. A dues day but what a dues day! We talked about how our wives drove our boats and fished with us and it reaffirmed how lucky we both were. The discussions were about techniques and tackle and fishing opinions, to which Lannie said, "Opinions are like noses, everyone has one".
The day never cleared, the fish never bit, the fog made my glasses useless, oh and it was cold, especially at forty miles an hour standing on an exposed platform. Thank you Lannie and yeah I want a baby cat of my own, hmmmm maybe if I add it to my Christmas list........
Clear skies

Progresso Dental Work

2009-12-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

Well the day had finally arrived and we were returning to Nueve Progresso, Mexico, so I could get my new crown. We had made the first trip while in Mission and now was the visit so I could get the crown installed. I was excited as I have a whole box of salt water taffy and I couldn't eat it and take the chance on my temporary coming loose.
One of the problems with fulltiming is keeping up with our dental work. I had, what I thought was a good dentist in Spearish, South Dakota, but when I told him I was going fulltime and that I wanted to stop once a year for checkups and the usual stuff, he told me he simply couldn't be my dentist. Hmmmmmmm.
So when I lost a filling this summer I planned to wait till Mexico so I could save some money but the tooth started to hurt and I was fortunate to have a dentist in Lander, Wyoming, squeeze me in and perform a root canal and a temporary filling.
The main reason we went to Mission was for my dental work, and to see chachalacas, and so once we arrived I got online and googled dentists, Nueve Progresso. It turns out there are about 800 and so trying to pick one seemed pretty daunting.
I finally was able to read reviews and so I made a list of 4 possibilities, all near the bridge and all with nice looking offices.
Arriving early, there was no one in the waiting room and the receptionist took my information and told me to take a seat. It wasn't very long and the room filled up with snowbirds, most chatting like chachalacas. One told Renita that Dr Muestra was very good, he has eight dentists or so working for him.
My turn came and I was led into a room that had a familiar looking dental chair and the usual looking equipment, although it wasn't as massive. Even though I had an x-ray the Dentist wanted to take another, for 10 bucks, and he then proceeded to get to work. He seemed fascinated and worked and worked. It seemed like he was doing a lot but he wasn't any slower than my old dentist in Gillette, (whom I bit by the way and was the worst dentist I have ever had), and he eventually finished the prep work, molds, and then left. A technician(?) then came in and she made and fitted a temporary crown.
Renita had talked with our friends Mike and Loretta, and she told us her crown was costing her 700 dollars, yikes that a lot of fishing equipment! The final cost, including an x-ray was 180 dollars, you can find dentists that are cheaper, but I was satisfied with the result. The office was clean and bright, the dentist and the assistants spoke enough English and I will return again.
After I left the office I met up with Renita and our friends George and Val, who had ridden down with us. They had decided on eating at a store/restaurant called the Canada Store, and we went upstairs to find a large and fairly elegant room. The prices seemed a little high, 8.25 cents for a meal but the food was good and the service was excellent. All in all it had been a good day and I now could check dentist off my checklist of things to do this winter. Look out fish! Clear skies

ps The day before I lost the biggest speckled trout I have ever had on but that story will have to wait, sufice it to say that its a weird cold front bite that few are crazy enough to go out in.

pps Three out of four of us got sick the next day, water or ice cubes? We all had the same menu item.

Goliad and Presidio La Bahia, The Fort of the Bay

2009-12-07T03:59:00.000-08:00

It seemd somewhat of a dicotomy, on one side of the fort a monument to the Texas Revolutionaries slaughtered at the massacre at Goliad, and on the other side a monument to the hero of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo. Its kind of like seeing so many Texans with Mexican heritage and then seeing all the Border Guards driving everywhere in there white and green swiped trucks trying to keep Mexicans out.
We had been invited by George and Val to go to the Christmas Merchants Bazaar at Goliad, Texas, and never having been there we climbed into Vals truck and took off for a new adventure.
Upon arrival, we parked and only had to walk a couple of blocks to the center of town, dominated by the beautiful county courthouse. The streets around the plaza were blocked off and flled with tents and merchants and food courts. Renita and Val turned towards the first tent and I stopped in my tracks as I read the menu on the first food stand.
Which to eat first, it was quite a dilemma! Opting for the sausage on a stick, and then being talked into having it served inside a tortilla, I took my first bite of a greasy hot and somewhat spicy sausage. It was great. Wanting another I resisted the temptation as I had to leave room for a chicken fried steak sandwich or maybe a greasy cheeseburger, both cardiologists nightmares.
We walked around the towns square and while the girls perused the tents I took photos. Its really a neat town! It didn't seem to have changed into the usual tourist trap and the town, seemed to me to actually be filled with real working people, the kind of town I admire.
Before lunch we got a special treat! Santa Claus had arrived atop his Texas Longhorn and he was the star of the parade of Cowboys and Cowgirls, and a small horse drawn buggy. Only in Texas! The longhorn was being led by its handler who kept saying, "Don't get to close", a warning that was heeded by everyone but Val,(Val and George have a ranch on the west slope of the Colorado Rockies).
As soon as the parade passed by we headed to the Empressio Resturant, where we were treated to the best chicken fried steak and cheeseburgers we have had, period. It was a delightful time in a Texas town.
As we walked back to the truck, Val asked us if we wanted to see any other place in the town and Renita spoke up and said, "The Presidio". I was my usual grumpy self after lunch and just wanted to take a nap but I agreed and so we drove to the edge of town and parked in front of the fort.
As usual Renita had made a great choice. As soon as we entered the fort and saw the displays I perked up. The first were of relics dug by archaeologists and then a display of Jean Lafeytte, which told of his use of Galveston Island. Sure enough the next cases held piece after piece of old china fragments just like the ones that litter his main base at Gran Terre.
Entering the main grounds we turned and walked into an alcove and then up a ramp to view the view from a cannon emplacement. Next we entered Our Lady of Loreto Chapel, which is the oldest buiding in the compound. Its also one of the oldest church's in America that has its original groin vaulted ceiling. The fresco above the altar was painted in 1946 by Corpus Christi artist Antonio Garcia and the statue of Our Lady of Loreto was sculpted by Lincoln Borglum of Mount Rushmore fame.
From the fort we next visited the rebuilt home of General Zaragosa, who was born there in Texas and went on to lead the Mexican forces in their surprising defeat of the French in 1862.
Finally, we visited the Fannin memorial. This monument is a tribute to the remains of the Texans slaughtered by the Mexican Army after they had surrendered. About three hundred and fifty died and this was in addition to those executed at the Alamo.
It had been a long day and a day that we had really enjoyed, good food, shopping, a beautiful church, and lots of history. We both strongly recommend Goliad and plan on returning there another day. Clear skies.

Whooping Cranes in St Charles Bay

2009-12-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

The birds were really far away but they were simply too large to be anything else. They were jumping up and flaring their large white wings, their black primaries showing. A flock of American white pelicans flew by and so we were even able to compare their size. Definitely whoopers!
We wanted to check out Goose Island State Park, before the cold front blasted through and kept us indoors, so we invited Val and George and they agreed to join us! It was a short drive across the Copano Bay turning onto the Lamar peninsula and we were at the park entrance in no time.
We went inside to show our pass and the park ranger told us about the whoopers, visible from the Big Tree road shoreline. He also said that we could hear them, if we were lucky, from the Big Tree itself, and so we loaded into the truck for an afternoon of birding and sightseeing.
Our first drive was through the campground, checking out the campsites and looking for any birds. As we drove through we realized that many of the sites were actually large enough for our fifth wheel to fit into. The only sites that wouldn't work either had a low oak tree branch or were two narrow for our slides.
Not seeing any birds we did find the resident birding experts campsite, site 141, and we noted it for future visits as we learn so much when we go birding with an expert.
Leaving the oak trees we headed to the fishing pier. A cold north wind blew and it was pretty nasty but there were three people out fishing! Walking out to them they informed us that the ,"Trout were biting on plastics!, and we watched as they measured a nice and legal 15.5 inch speckled trout.
We walked out further and saw a willet, a new bird for us, and watched a ruddy turnstone feeding on the oyster reef. The tide was going out and it was really too cold to be there so I pointed out to George some fishing spots we knew and showed him where we had paddled to Black Jack Peninsula, on a better day.
Our next drive was to the Big Tree shoreline looking for the whoopers, but we got a new life bird on the way, a red-shouldered hawk! It was perched nicely atop a nearby tree. It seemed unconcerned with us and stayed there for my attempts at images, hmmm reminder to self buy a better camera!
A belted kingfisher posed on a gate to a fishing pier, as if to say, this spot is mine, keep out! As we neared the bend in the road we watched two fishermen wade out just where I usually wade and fish. Stopping to glass the far bay we quickly found the whoopers. It was only the second time we have seen them and it was really nice, even though they were quite a ways away.
Our last stop of the day was at Big Tree itself and we walked to the back edge hoping to hear the whoopers. The wind was still blowing and we didn't have any luck, as they were too far away. It didn't matter, we had a nice day with friends, had added to our life list, and even got a firsthand fishing report! Clear skies.

Red Fish on the South Jetty, Port Aransas Pass

2009-11-30T03:56:00.000-08:00

I had already broken off eight rigs at two different places, typical for jetty fishing, when the red fish picked up my cut mullet. I saw the tapping on the pole and picked it up just as the red took off on a run! It ran like a nice fish and I knew it was big but not giant. Two fisherman stopped their walk out to watch and one got out his net to help. Please don't get in the rocks, I thought, as the fish swam along the edge of the water!
Since my first trip to the jetty, with Pete, I had wanted to go back and fish for reds. So Saturday I threw my cast net and caught some nice finger mullet and I headed out early Sunday morning, to avoid the crowds. The wind was blowing fairly strong from the southeast and I knew the waves would be pretty big at the jetty.
Arriving I was surprised that there were only two others out on the rocks. The waves were pretty big but maybe, just maybe I could safely fish the end. Walking out, I set up in the same place where the family had caught their six reds the other day, but the conditions were a lot worse. I broke off two rigs in as many casts, and then two more. The waves grew larger and one broke near the top of the jetty. Not wanting to get stranded out at the end I reeled in and carefully walked back over the wet rocks.
Passing the low spot I reached the next area of sheltered rocks and fished "Petes" rock. Its just a rock that my Watersedge friend Pete loves to fish and its the same spot where I caught a 38 inch red last year. The tide was still going out and I really thought that this was it but all I got were snags on three successive casts.
Somewhat discouraged I headed further in, when I passed an excited fisherman who was dying to tell someone about his big red! He told me that this was his favorite spot for big reds and that he had broke off on a monster red and landed this smaller one. He lifted the stringer and I was impressed, oh my!
He told me what he was doing and I thanked him some more and continued on, asking other fisherman how their luck had been. I passed a family, where the father told me he had just lost a big red, also broken off, and I decided I needed to fish some more so I found an empty spot and cast out some cut mullet.
I put out a second pole, using shrimp and a slip bobber and caught a weird fish,(I think it is a juvenile atlantic spadefish), that I couldn't identify. Casting out again, the bobber floated into my other line just as the red fish hit. Go figure.
The red fish finally came in and the man with the net tried to net it tail first. His friend yelled at him to net it head first and he turned the net and in it went! He handed the net to an onlooker and the fish and net were quickly hoisted up to where I was standing. Thanking them I asked if they would take my picture as I was going to release the fish. It was way over the slot size and I hate to kill a big fish when someone else could catch it again.
Tossing it back into the water the fish had difficulty as its air bladder was extended and it couldn't get back down. Another onlooker asked if I knew how to fizz the fish but I am not convinced that the fizzed fish survive. I think they just swim to the bottom and die as its quite a shock to the fish.
We watched the fish for quite a while and finally it gained its strength and dove down. I felt good as I never intended to keep the fish as once you put the fish on a stringer its a goner. Don't get me wrong, I love reds on a halfshell, barbecued redfish, but the big ones well they are big ones and deserve to live and spawn.
Rentia was impressed with the picture and I could tell she looks forward to catching a big red herself. It was a great day and a great return to the jetty. The redfish I have dreamed about, for the past year, are still there! Clear skies.

ps Texas Game and Fish should be commended for their two tag limits on big reds. If you do want to keep a trophy you can, and thats fine, but as far as eating one, I have yet to talk to anyone who says the big ones taste good. The smaller ones are another matter!

Aransas Pass and Mustang Island

2009-11-29T03:36:00.000-08:00

As I stepped out onto the sand beach the roar of the surf seemed to instantly put me at peace. Renita joined me and said, "It feels like home", and it did indeed. One of many homes that we have now that we are full time travelers.
Every place is special and has its own feel. Three that come to mind are the Red Deserts solitude, the sound of a cascading stream in the Wind River mountains, and of course the surfs roar on Mustang Island. All places where time has seemed to stop, at least for a little while, and each place has given us the peace we have been searching for.
We are at Aransas Pass, waiting for our winter camp reservations at Watersedge Rv, on December first, and exploring the town and the surrounding area. Our first trip was to Conn Harbour, another day was spent fishing the south Jetty, and a third at Mustang Island State Park, walking on the beach and wading in the surf.
Now we have been to Conn Harbour, and I even fished here with George and Gary. but we had never stopped at the seaman's memorial and so we parked and walked to the tower. The inscription told of loss and heartbreak and sacrifice. It told of a Coast Guard plane that crashed with its crew lost, searching for a ship in distress, and of course we felt special pangs and said a prayer for their souls.
Shortly after we arrived here Pete called and I met him at the south jetty. We didn't catch much, just a few small piggy perch, a croaker and some small mangrove snappers. Others had much better luck as we watched a family pull seven large redfish from a spot that Pete had been fishing. Two other fisherman caught three nice pompano, my favorite fish to eat, and so I planned to return as soon as possible.
Renita suggested a drive to Mustang Island State Park and as usual it was another great idea, the girl is full of them. We drove to the ferry and saw dolphins and Renita was happy. Crossing we drove to the park and heard the roar of the surf, but I already talked about that.
We have been so many places in the last year that if it weren't for this journal, ok blog, we would never remember them all. Of course each was special, not just the places, but equally the friends we have touched and greeted. I don't think we could live in any one place as the others all call to our souls. May you all find your own places of peace! Clear skies.

The International Butterfly Park, Butterflies Gone Wild

2009-11-23T03:18:00.000-08:00

If you look up near the junction of those three tree branches, you can see a Florida Purplewing! Over here is a Guave Skipper! Look at the beauty of the Red Bordered Pixie. It was obvious we were at the International Butterfly center and it was also obvious that the people there knew a lot more about the butterflies then we did!
There weren't a lot of people there, the center is a work in progress, but it was really nice to wander among the flower displays and try to take closeups of all the different butterflies.
I had really expected it to be a series of domes in which captive butterflies were kept, to provide an easy access for the visitors but it wasn't that at all. Instead the paths were lined with wood chips and the butterfly were free to fly away.
The feeders and flowers kept them at the sanctuary and I had to laugh when we were told the feeders contained a mixture of sugar, fruit, and fermented beer. Who would figure such a strange brew for a butterfly feeder.
We both appreciated the expert advice as it was really hard to try to identify the butterflies with Renita's butterfly book. We also had a checklist, which helped a lot when trying to figure the exact species one was watching.
The Gulf Frittary and an Empress Leilia were two of my favorites. Renita pointed out the different types of Monarchs, a queen is pictured, and both a Pipevine Swallowtail and a Giant Swallowtail posed for our images.
We were finally driven away by the mosquitoes. Be sure to apply mosquito repellent before you go there. All in all it was well worth the price of admission. You can also purchase a year long membership and if we wintered here we probably would do so.
It was fun to see Renita, butterfly book and binoculars in hand, chasing the wild and inebriated butterflies! Clear skies.

Beautiful Churchs, Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe in MIssion, Texas

2009-11-22T03:59:00.000-08:00

You can see the white dome and the steeple from quite a ways as it towers above the trees in Mission, Texas. Inside the old church is just what you would expect, a simply yet beautiful wooden altar, with a old but large and elegant painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The service started with a country western song and four dogs ran down the aisle and climbed the stair before laying down in front of the altar. The priest followed the cross procession and we knew we were in for an unique service, one of the joys of full timing and visiting different churches in our travels.
We never really planned on becoming church junkies, it really started long ago when we visited the beautiful cathedral in Toledo, Spain. As we began traveling we began to go to services and even started visiting churches, which are really a statement on the technological advances of their day.
I have already talked abut the hand carved altar in the church in Mesilla, but there are so many other places that deserve to be mentioned. The basilica of Natchez,Mississippi has the most amazing and beautiful statues of the saints. Somewhat of a dichotomy in a town filled with beautiful churches and mansions funded and built by slavery.
Of course the spiral staircase in the church in Sante Fe, and its story, is another spot not to miss. There the story is told of a carpenter showing up and building the staircase without using any nails. He then left and was never seen again. In Surprise, Arizona we attended mass in a brand new church, with a most unique design, packed full with all sitting on temporary folding chairs. The church in Rockport, Texas is one of Renitas favorites and has a traditional tee shape with side wings for the choir and parishioners.
Grand Isle, Louisiana has a new church rebuilt from the destruction of hurricane Katrina, if I remember its called Our lady of the Isle. There as many places the priest works a joke into his sermon, although he does need to work on his delivery. Its so nice there to enjoy the service with my sister and her husband, Connie and Gary. He didn't use any fish for props during the services we attended but Palm Sunday was special as he used local fronds from the islands trees.
The mass, at Our Lady of Guadalupe, continued and the priest interspersed his sermon with parts of country western songs. Not surprisingly an appropriate tune played during the collection. It was really nice and well done. The dogs fell asleep in front of the altar as the mass continued.
The church was packed and the mass schedule told something about the services in Mission, Texas. One mass is in English, another in Spanish, and there is even a service called Tex Mex, that sounds really interesting and unique. As the service ended the dogs rose and stood expectantly before leading the procession outside the church. It had been an unexpected blessing and another church we will remember. Clear skies.

Biking and Birding at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park

2009-11-19T03:26:00.000-08:00

Ever since our friends Nancy and Jim,(See the blog on our list Runnung Down Our Dream), had written in their blog about the plains chachalacas we had to see one. So when my tooth went bad and we had to plan a trip to Mexico for a new crown, it seemed like a perfect chance to check out the Rio Grande Valley and do some birding at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park.
We pulled into the nicest rv park we have ever stayed at and eagerly awaited the next day for a biking and birding adventure. The next morning it was all of one block to the park's visitor center and we asked the poor ranger the question, "Where can we see chachalacas?"
He looked somewhat bored and said that we would see them at the feeders along the road and the proceeded to highlight other areas of the park that contained feeders and bird blinds. He did seem to gain some enthusiasm and told us of other birds that we should look for.
Climbing on our bikes we peddled past the road block and by the Border patrol, ever present in the area, and reached the first set of feeders. Sure enough there was a flock of chachalacas and several green jays. It was like watching greedy chickens, as the chachalacas would chase the green jays away time after time, as if there wasn't enough food for both!
We discovered that chachalacas is also a term used to describe people that talk too much, a new term for us that I am sure we will use many times! Finally growing bored with the chachalacas we rode to the next set of feeders. There the green jays were the dominant bird and a collared peccary, with her new born piglet fed on the spilled birdseed.
Watching them, the sow finally had had enough of us and barred her teeth, as if to say watch it, so as discretion is the better part of valor we continued on our ride. The next stop was at the kingfisher overlook. There we hoped to see a green kingfisher.
Several neotropic comorants were drying their wings and flocks of coots and shovelers, swam in the resenta,(a spanish word for an oxbow lake). Renita, of course. spotted a larger bird perched in a tree and sure enough we could easily see that it was a Ringed Kingfisher, a new bird for us. She pointed out that it was a male with no white marking on its front and we were both amazed by its size, its the largest kingfisher! We continued to look for a green kingfisher but didn't have any luck so it was time to push on.
The next stop was a blind where we watched several doves and green jays, while a peccary fed nearby. It seems so unusual to us to see bird feeders placed in parks, something you don't see in most other states. It seems like such an unnatural way to observe, but it does make for great closeups.
We continued on riding by turning into the inner loop, which is the old campground loop. Next we rode the roadrunner road where we didn't see any roadrunners. Peddling along hawk drive we were lucky enough to catch a brief but good view of a white-tailed kite. It was another new bird for us and we were having a great morning.
A border USGS marker post shows the official US Mexico border, or at least where it was before the Rio Grande moved its channel. I had to take a picture from Mexico, or at least the southern side of the marker. It seems so artificial, the idea of borders in our internet age,(On my morning walk with Molly we saw two border Patrol agents moving a captured Mexican women from one car to the next. It made me think of my Irish Ancestors immigration).
Finally finishing the loops we decided to call it a day and head home for lunch. It had been a nice ride, we had gotten to see chachalacas, and had the best views we have ever seen of green jays. We talked about returning and hiking the footpaths and spending some time looking at the bird center displays. A highly recommended birding park and an easy bike ride! Clear skies.

The Days Routine at Choke Canyon State Park

2009-11-16T04:08:00.000-08:00

We have settled into a nice rut. Each day we pretty much do the same three things, go fishing, take a bike ride, and go birding. Its such a nice routine and its small wonder that this is one of our favorite places to camp.
I get up quite a bit earlier than Renita and so as morning breaks I walk down to the lake and search for bait. The fish love clams here and so I wade in the shallow end of the bay and look for the tell tale track of a clam.
As a clam moves, using its fleshy leg, it makes a vee shape and so you follow the plowed path and then dig around with your hand until you locate the clam. They aren't sharp like an oyster so you don"t have to wear gloves,(Of course you keep an eye out for any nearby alligators and luckily the quicksand isn't too deep).
Then you put on a slip sinker rig and cast out and go into your patience mode. So far I've caught bluegills, fresh water drum,(big ones), and catfish. I have also found two crankbaits.
The bike rides here are along the paved road but there is hardly any traffic and so we stop and bird as we bike. We road to the seventy six acre lake and watched the jacana and the birders who are still flocking in. Walking along the dirt road I somehow noticed a walking stick, can you see it in the image? Renita spotted a Harris hawk and it posed for our view but flew off when I got out the camera.
We also rode to the Birding Trail where a park ranger was giving a lecture on Native American uses of wild plants. We were both surprised to learn that prickly pear reproduces by cuttings and that it grows new roots from its spines. He showed a prickly pear that had grown roots after only two days!
The birding here is what draws us back. A simply walk through the campground is a visual treat. Brilliant vermilion flycatchers are a guaranteed sight, along with green jays, scissor-tailed flycatchers, and golden fronted woodpeckers. We have had the added pleasure of seven deer and a herd of javelina surprise us.
Its so nice to have your biggest problem, one of trying to identify a little grey bird! Such a far cry from our previous life where Renita lived with the pressure of checking how much coal was filled in train cars and I dealt with drug crazed teenagers. Each day is a blessing and this place is filled with beauty, so much that I am sure,God willing, we will return again. Clear skies

Choke Canyon State Park and Birding Ethcs, A Northern Jacana

2009-11-13T03:09:00.000-08:00

The bird took a step and you could see its long toes. It was amazing really to watch a bird walk across the top of the pond, stepping on floating water plants. It raised its head and looked at the photographer, visibly upset with his nearness. With wings uplifted it glanced at the photographer and then at the alligator, swimming nearby. The poor bird was surrounded!
The yellow flight feathers were unmistakable as it flew to a new spot only to be chased by the photographer and two more who joined him. Others in our group commented on the lack of ethics of photographers who were harassing the bird.
Apparently some people feel that because they have an expensive camera they have the right to become bird paparazzi.
As soon as we entered Choke Canyon State Park we registered and asked the Ranger if there were any unusual bird sightings. She told us about the Northern Jacana, which is usually only seen in Mexico and Central America. We left for our camping spot, hoping to set up quickly and then go birding at the 76 acre lake.
Spotting a least grebe we at least had a new bird. It was late afternoon and the sun was in the west so the light was bad as Renita spotted a bird about the size of the jacana across the lake. We watched it a while and talked with a birder/wildlife painter, Maren Phillips, who had driven from San Antonio for the rare sighting.
Cars came and went as birders were flocking in, pun intended, to add the bird to their life list.
We decided to come back the next morning, when the light would be better, and hoped that we could see the yellow underwings. Renita had thought she had seen them but she wasn't sure if it was real or her imagination.
We got a late start and didn't return until nine am and sure enough the parking lot was almost full with birders cars. Walking down the dirt road, which we learned from a posting on txbirds.org, we saw people on the first jetty and joining them we asked and were told that the jacana was directly across the lake.
We watched the bird for three hours. It got quite a bit nearer as it was being driven by the photographer. I was reminded of the fools at Yellowstone National Park who surrounded a mother grizzly and her cub taking pictures as the bear became distressed and charged though the people seeking safety for her little ones.
Now several others had went around the lake and taken stands. They also got images of the jacana but they waited patiently for it to come near, instead of crashing in on the bird.
Now don't get me wrong, I have friends who are photographers and wildlife advocates. I even try to get close myself for a decent image, but when the animal sees you and goes on alert, its time to back off! We both were amazed that the jacana was still at the lake, and hope to return today for another sighting, at least if it hasn't left from being harassed. Clear skies.

The Bats Of Balmorhea State Park

2009-11-09T03:38:00.000-08:00

Renita and Molly returned from their evening walk and told me, well at least Renita did, about the clouds of bats that flew out of one of the campsites ramadas. The next day she showed me the ramada and it seemed pretty hard to believe that bats could actually be hiding in the small spaces in the baked clay tiles.
However Renita is a Junior Ranger, duly sworn and badged, so I had to believe her and the next evening I went out and took a seat across from camp site four. People were walking their dogs and they kind of looked at me inquisitively but I just said hello as I didn't think they would be bat lovers. I waited about half and hour and then it started to happen. A bat flew from the other side of the ramada's tile roof. I moved to that side and was soon rewarded with a steady stream of bats leaving their day time lair.
They flew up and foamed a small cloud before dispersing for their evening meal. More bats flew out of the other side of the roof and then another stream swarmed out of campsite two's covered picnic table. It was awesome as I was right in the stream and the bats flew above and around me!
You just never know what you are going to see when fulltiming and the bats of Balmorhea are going to provide me with a Halloween story for years to come! That reminds me, did I ever tell you about the time when I had seven black widow spiders crawling on my shirt? Clear skies

ps The bats were too fast and the light too low for our little camera. This is the first time I wish I had a digital video camera. It was darker than the images show.

Balmorhea State Park, Snorkeling with Endangered Species

2009-11-08T04:01:00.000-08:00

It had been so long since I had donned a snorkel and fins that I wondered what it would be like. As soon as I kicked with my new fins I could feel the power and drive and as I dove below the surface I could see fish everywhere. Silvery flashes were everywhere from Mexican Tetra and I could see a small fish near the bottom. It had a mottled color pattern somewhat like a bass, but it wasn't a largemouth.
We had arrived at Balmorhea State Park after a fairly long drive,(towing our house of course), of about 300 miles. All the way I had wondered about the wisdom of reserving a campsite for four days but it was a needless worry as there was so much to do that we barely had time for it all.
The first day, I took Molly for a morning walk and was rewarded with a black phoebe, drinking water from a canal that drained the swimming pool. Later Renita and I biked to the pool and we were both surprised to see so many fish and ducks swimming around. Now Balmorhea State Park bills itself as the largest spring fed open swimming pool in the world, about two acres in size and it looked big to me. We biked outside the park and almost reached town before spotting a large dog watching us from the middle of the highway.
The afternoon couldn't come soon enough and I could barely contain myself as I readied my new snorkel gear. I had purchased it at a K Mart at Rock Springs where it sat with a 50% off sticker. There isn't a lot of snorkeling opportunities in the cold waters of Flaming Gorge.
We drove to the pool even though it was close as I had too much gear to carry. The pool is 29 feet deep at it deepest and I brought along a life jacket, so I could float above the deep water and watch the fish,(I am a really good swimmer but I am also a cautious one, when it comes to deep water).
We had the pool completely to ourselves as we both waded in. Renita started in the shallow end and was immediately surrounded by a school of Mexican Tetra. I started nearer to the deeper end and dove down testing the new equipment. Everything worked great and I was rewarded with the sight of a Comanche Springs Pupfish, an endangered species, on my second dive.
We both played in the shallow end for a while and it reminded us of the time we were in the Bahamas, surrounded by colorful fish and crystal clear waters. I put on my life jacket and swam to the deepest part of the pool, amazed by the water clarity, I could see all the way to the bottom!.
Large catfish swam among flashing schools of Mexican Tetra and deeper roundnose minnows. I didn't see any green sunfish or Pecos Gambusia, the other endangered species here, but that was ok as I wasn't really sure what they looked like and there is another fish, a largespring gambrusia, that makes it difficult to distinguish.
The next day we drove to the nearby Balmorhea Lake hoping to find more birds. Now the lake is privately operated and you have to pay four bucks each to drive the roads so we payed as it seemed like a pretty cheap ticket for birding.
Driving across the dam we saw a osprey and some northern flickers. A Clark's Grebe was a new bird for us and we had to stop to keep from running over several coveys of scaled quail.
A belted kingfisher sat on a telephone wire holding a fish in its beak, as if it was trying to attract a mate, but it isn't breeding season. We drove further and the roads became rutted but luckily it was dry so we didn't have to worry about becoming stuck.
The four wheel drive road narrowed and soon large thorny bushes were scraping both sides of the truck. Crossing a primitive bridge, made of railroad ties we continued on and met an incredulous local who waved and smiled and said that the road would soon get better.
We took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of a padlocked fence, with no way to get around it so I backed the truck through more thorny bushes and turned down a muddy road. I could feel the tires mushing through the Texas mud but we made it to drier ground and the road became wider and actually had gravel!
We continued our drive past the lake front homes and people waved as they couldn't imagine someone from Wyoming visiting their small lake.It was a nice day and we returned home tired and still sore from our previous days biking and swimming. We have enjoyed it here and hope to swim with the fish again, which seems pretty strange as its November! Clear skies.