Feb 26 - Green Jay

I love the top photo of the Green Jay taking a bath at Laguna Atascosa.  The bottom photo is the way they usually look.

Feb 26 - Wildlife

Page one of a two page scrapbook layout of our visit to Laguna Atascosa.

Page two.  We took the two hour tram ride but got most of the photos at the Visitors Center.  If we took the tram again, I think we would wait and go at 4:00 instead of the middle of the day.

Feb 22 - Neighborhood

This is a scrapbook page of the South Padre Island farmers market we have been going to on Sunday mornings.  Last Sunday afternoon our neighborhood had a potluck dinner.  Most of our friends here have moved on, which is what we'll be doing in a few days.

Feb 17 - Tim's visit!

I haven't seen my brother, Tim, since 1993 and we were so please he was able to stop here for a night while going from his post in Mexico City with the State Department to training in DC for his next post, which will be in Burkina Faso in Africa.  We all wished his wife and daughters could have come, too, but it just couldn't be worked out.

We took Tim to dinner with the gang.  Louie's is always this crowded on Sunday and Thursday nights - rib nights.  We went at 4:00 to avoid the rush but were part of the rush instead.

Feb 15 - Pelicans

A ship heading from the channel out to sea.

I've been trying for 3 years to get some good pelican photos.

I finally got some decent shots this year.

Feb 14 - LaFeria

The Mack brothers cooking lunch.  We had another music day in LaFeria, TX with our friends and had a cookout instead of going out to eat.  We were too busy having fun to get photos.   Galen and I found a geocache in a La Feria cemetery on the way back to SPI.

We saw this derrick on the way to Brownsville while on our way to LaFeria.  It moves faster than one would expect something that big to move.

Feb 5 - SPI Kite Show

It looks like these people at the kite show ought to be scared.

The guy on the cart being pulled by the kite went both directions.

Here he is going the other way.

The kite show is held on the beach near the South Padre Island Convention Center at this time each year.  It is hard to believe that only the day before I was taking photos of ice and that the freezing north winds were finally gone, replaced by a gentle southerly breeze.

Feb 6 - Turtle Rescue

I saw all these people on the beach while out for my trike ride and pedaled over to see what was going on.  When I got closer I discovered they were unloading the turtles that has been rescued from the freezing weather.

All ages of people helped carry the turtles to the ocean - a process that started last night and took most of today to complete.

But some just stood around and looked cute.

After the turtles were taken out of the truck, they were carried down to the waters edge.  The turtles were mostly young ones weighing about 30 pounds but there were a few "teenagers" who weighed closer to 50 pounds.  The heavier turtles got a ride in the wagon.

Once carried to the waters edge a few people dressed to go out into the water would carry the turtles out a short distance and release them.  [Note the derricks in the background.  They were built in Brownsville but leaving them in port cost $1000 a day so they are parked in the Gulf for now.]

The fat tires on the wagon are made to go through sand and right into the ocean.

The wagon is being pushed up a ramp of sand that goes over the ugly, but necessary dredging pipes that have been on the beach since early January.

Approximately 700 rescued turtles were released last night and today, but many did not survive the freeze.  After these turtles were placed in the ocean volunteers walked down to the jetty to see if any turtles appeared to be in trouble.  If so, they were taken to the turtle rescue facility on the island for rehab.

Feb 6 - Turtle Rescuers

Our friend, Connie.

Galen joining in the rescue efforts.

Feb 3 - Law abiding icicles

This photo makes us laugh.  It is nice that we can still laugh after no electricity for 20 hours during the coldest weather in Texas in 15 years.  It was in the mid 70s here just a few days ago and last night and part of today we were trapped on the island because the bridge was closed due to ice. No worries though.  We had plenty of propane (thanks to one man who came out in freezing and rainy weather to fill tanks all over the park), food, water, and four 6V batteries to keep the furnace and lights running.  And my Kindle was fully charged so what more could we want?  Well, maybe one thing - our heated mattress pad!  The sun came out around noon today, the wind that has been beating us up for three days subsided, and the ice began to melt, but freezing temps are still possible tonight.  Saturday and Sunday should be better. 

Feb 3 - BRRRRR!

Ice on our picnic table

All of this, not just the window, is still covered with ice at 3:00pm

That lighter strip on the right side of the wood is ice.

Crazy person out taking ice photos.  There weren't many of us out there.

On the way to the beach

At the beach.

On the beach

The entire back of this statue is covered with ice.

My icy trail.

Icy branches.

The sun came out around noon and the ice began melting.

Our RV icicles.