No more early morning/evening tremolos. The sand hill cranes have headed North. They will show up on the North Platte cams soon.
They are gone!
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Category Archives: South
Visitors
Brian and Johnna made the trek from Houston to spend a couple days with us. It was a fun chance to check in and catch up before we head North. They got to see the Whooping Cranes before they head out along with lots of alligators.
A little help?
With our helpful & deducated Spring Breakers from Indiana University we’re removing a structurally unsound saltwater boardwalk. The boardwalk runs across a bog near the other end of the publically accessible portion of the refuge. Transporting the debris for disposal is a challenge. We were moving along quite well utilizing the medium John Deere 4-wheel drive tractor and a trailer. Today we started the portion closest to the water (elevation 1-2 feet). Balancing the number of trips across the bog with the quantity of each load is a running challenge. Today we exceeded the load bearing capacity of the swamp. It is good to have REAL toys!
Awash in pale green and sprinkled with bright pinks and oranges
A bit of rain and a handful of 70ish days has brought Spring to coastal Texas. A green haze envelops trees and brush as the buds come to life. Wild flowers are popping up everywhere. I don’t know the names of any of them but they come in fuchsia, bright salmon, white and a soft lemony yellow. It is beautiful and wondrous to watch the season change. When it is still, there is a constant buzz…mostly bees after wild flowers so far. But I know, mosquitoes are but days away!
Ruby Red Metallic…
Sounds pretty cool, huh? Well, it’s on a Focus sedan so not quite as cool as say on a new Miata. Oh well. We all have to grow up some time. We bought a new car to flat tow (4 wheels on the ground) behind the motorhome for our trip to Alaska. The Focus is one of very few automatics that can be towed that way, it gives us four seater capacity when we want to go somewhere with others, and it will fit in the big trailer when we want it to. It’s not a bad little ride.
Sadly, the Focus acquisition puts the Miata on the block. We just can’t keep a second car. I suppose 14 years is a plenty long for a mid-life crisis and any reasonable person would be ready to move on. Hmm. Ok. Ok. I will pick up the For Sale sign tomorrow.
Wandering the back roads of the refuge
Sparring turkeys. 
They fanned their tails. Splayed out their wings. Jumped high in the air thrusting taloned feet at one another. Their gobbly chatter was quite intense.
A Scissor tail flycatcher. He put on a beautiful show proudly perching and acrobatically snatching his dinner in mid-air.
The Fulton TX oyster festival
I know. Why would someone who dislikes oysters go to such a thing? Well, we/I was having Festival withdrawal and it just sounded like fun. This little town must at least quadruple in size during this Volunteer Fire Department fund raiser. We skipped the main event, the raw oyster eating contests. The winning guy ate 329 in 5 minutes. Blech.
We joined the throngs lining the main street for the parade. It was another small town classic, dozens of fire trucks, the requisite Shriners and politicians, followed by the Oyster King, Queen, princes, little miss oyster, tiny tot oyster and on and on. I don’t know where they got all those crowns.
In the food tent they had a whole row of guys 
shucking as fast as they could go just to keep up with the long line of folks anxious to slide down a dozen or so. Not I (or Kent). We stuck to the cooked stuff: some wonderful fried Texas coast oysters, and shrimp.
Some fair sounding local bands filled the huge striped tent with waves of country music. The place was a-jumping.
The second tent was filled with rows of craft booths. I couldn’t resist looking but did manage not to actually buy anything.
I had a funnel cake. Overall, the festival experience was quite satisfying.
Wow, what a busy weekend
We tore out a 300 ft footbridge ¾ of a mile back the trail and 200 feet of marsh boardwalk. Awesome.
Two pickups loaded with eight “kids” from Texas A&M rolled in late Friday evening. We settled them into Refuge housing and encouraged a good night’s sleep since an early start and a full day was in store for Saturday.
Prep started a 7AM and by 7:30 eight bright eyed kids were ready to get to it. Twelve more adult volunteers joined us and Refuge staff pitched in to drive equipment. By 8:30 we were actually at the worksite stringing cords and distributing tools. The generator hummed. Saw blades rang out. Tractors and UTVs chugged materials away; but mostly people heaved, hefted and sweat. The bridge was to be the whole project for the weekend but it was out by the end of the day Saturday. Next task, a section of boardwalk also slated for demolition. Sunday was just as awesome. Threatened thunder storms held off and everyone put in another hard day. Two pickups loaded with kids headed back to their studies. Volunteers returned to their regular lives.
Kent and I were dubbed project managers/coordinators but the coming together of this group of committed volunteers is what made the whole thing work. Thank you a million times over to each person who worked these days and those who supported the effort in the pre-work.
Tomato plants in February?
Annuals are already out at the markets here in coastal Texas. Unbelievable. Unfortunately, spring here also means poison ivy and all its kin are springing to life. As of the last couple days, Kent and I are both sporting an increasing number of little pink Caladril spots. It’s under control so far. Here’s hoping it stays that way.
Waking up
The trills of a sedge of sand hill cranes as they make their way to feeding grounds. The tangled gobbles of a flock of turkeys foraging their way across the field. The cacophony of dozens of grackles gathered overhead. All this before we even climb out of our comfy bed.
Then as I walk, the knife edge of the rising sun lights up the treetops and the bits of brilliant red and orange that are Robins and Cardinals scattered like ornaments among the leaves. The cardinals spring to life with a song. The huge flock of robins chips and chatters. A young buck snorts at my intrusion into his space. I love morning!