Out on the lake we have lines in the water but mostly we’re just soaking in the beautiful morning. The raspy squeaking call of Western Grebes carries from far across the lake. A young loon floats by – his blotchy juvenile plumage more like grey camo than the tuxedo-like look of an adult. Osprey circle above on the hunt and an egret expertly maneuvers into the shoreline reeds. Puffy bright white clouds
Amazingly quiet for its size,
a large turbo-prop slides by low over the lake. He banks hard nearly overtop us once then again. By the third pass I realize it is a wildfire fighting tanker and he is out on a training run. It is a great perspective to watch as they first do touch and goes on the water then pick-ups then scoop and drop. Very cool.
The burros are here snacking on hay pellets now instead of carrots and decidedly less pushy than I recall. 
burros and check out the poppies. It is magnificent. Clusters of bright orange California poppies dot washes and combine to create blankets of color that seem to splash up hillsides. We off-road on a two track (we can do that now in our high clearance 4-wheel drive pick-up…nice) then walk to make our way toward a lovely orange bloom. It is amazing the dozens of other flowers found along the way. If you are in the desert in the spring, get out and walk (carefully of course).
60 ft boardwalk to the bunkhouse at the office complex. We did this one entirely on our own and it came out pretty nice – we think so and so did the Refuge staff. Tear out was good practice for a later project to remove a much longer boardwalk on a trail further out in the Refuge.
In total we hung or rehung 8 signs. All looking good!
(or at least persistently present) in a low fork of a live oak along the entrance road, a guard alligator who lolls on a small dock at the entrance, and a determined cottonmouth who now guards the boardwalk out at San Bernard Oak. The wintering geese showed up too, the white-fronted and the snow geese. Sandhill cranes and Roseate Spoonbills as well.
(out on the drive not in camp!) the very first day.
one a ten point, and several other young males along with a doe and her nearly grown fawn.
Pretty tasty with a new treat, Texas Twinkies: jalapeno stuffed with brisket and cream cheese, wrapped in bacon then smoked. Yummy with a kick.
We come upon a bronze statue of an eskimo curlew, now extinct last seen here on Galveston Island in 1962. It is part of Todd McGrain’s “Lost Bird Project” to memorialize species that have become extinct due to human impacts.
a great lakefront view. They lost water supply to the camp for a couple days. Not the best for us since we came in with just ¼ tank. We manage but shorten our stay a couple days. There was no host but no issues to deal with so not a problem. They are closing the campground starting Nov 1 for complete utilities upgrade.