December 18, 2012   9:30 pm cst     7 1 degrees

A quick trip to Santa Ana  was not very productive but we did get a few birds including this Avocet.

This is something I had't thought of before...it's not just the presence of water  that creates the habitat, it is  changes in the depth of it.

Someone stripped the brk off this mesquite tree...isn't the wood a pretty color?

Neil climbed the new tower.  I think they built it for the hawk watches.

I stayed on the ground to tke the pictures.  No, No, it had nothing to do with the loose handrails, the swinging bridge,or  the height ,  Nope,  Not at all.  Just taking pictures.

The fence line that borders Mexico was visible in any places on the trip over to Santa Ana.  

What I can't understand is how that fence can be effective with breaks in the fence like this in so many places.   Guess I am just missing the logic.

I have mentioned the flea market  that we go to in Weslaco-Donna before but not all flea markets are alike. This one in Harlingen is quite a different story.  Pretty shabby buildings.

But if you can't  rent a shabby building, you cn just set up under  nice shady tree.

We see a lot of old truck like this heading to the border.  I guess they buy at the flea market and resell in Mexico.

Meant to take a picture of the trashy surroundings at the flea market and got  picture of these cute kids  along with it.

What an odd combination....store sells perfume and wireless.

This disc harrow unfolds like a piece of origami.  It is huge.  If we had that at home, I think it would only need to make one trip down the field and the job would be done.

The school and park basketball outside courts  all have roofs.  It is really quite a bit cooler when you are out of the direct sun.

  

Next week is Christmas and we will be going to Matt and Lori's for a few days, so I probably won't blog again for  a couple of weeks.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

From Twink, Howie and their caretaker slaves, Neil and Barbara

p.s.  I have lost this whole blog three times in the editing process and had to start all over again so this time it goes up regardless of any mistakes.     I don't care if you do find out what a bad speller I am.

December11 2012  6;30pm cst    55 degrees

 

 It is getting  little cooler here now with early morning temps in the low 60's but it  makes it easier for me to think  Christmas.  I can't feel it  when it's 80 degrees.

These are real trees that are flocked.  Very popular here.

  The attedant lady says the pink and purple ones are favorites with little  girls.  She's just out of purple just now but will spray up some new ones tomorow. 

 

 

I asked her if they were for just inside or can they be outside  too.  She said outside is fine..... if it rains the flocking will not melt  or wash away....it is a whole lot sturdier than I thought.
$40 for any flocked tree.

Neil volunteers at the Iwo Jima museum and Monday they  invited us to a Christmas  party.  I guess if you have tank in the yard at Christmas, thats where you hang the lights and stuff,   but it doesn't seem too much like Peace on Earth, Goodwill To Man.

 

 

 

 

This is a gun also in front of the museum and Neil is pointing out a bullet hole.

Now if you look at the bullet hole from the gunner's side you can see the bullet must have gone through the gunner and exited through the shield.  We hope we are wrong about that.

 

This is Joe and he was at the battle of Iwo Jima.  Since the battle was fought in 1945, I have to ssume this gentleman is at least 80 yers old.  Looks prety good doesn't he?  Not the right time to talk to him about his army days, but i would like to some day.

We went to the Brownsville Resaca bird sanctuary and as you can see, the tram was not crowded that day.  In fact there was only Neil and I and a lady with her son, but it was sure worth the ride because that was the cutest little boy!  I asked Mom the boy's name and I thought she said Daddy-o.  She was Italian, Mexican, and Jewish so maybe it was her strange accent that kept me from finding out until much later that the boy's name was  Dario.

Dario and Rubin, the tram driver.

That device on Dario's arm is a bug saver.

The Ebony tree is a very common tree here and has these pods.  Look at the hole in the first empty space in the pod.  Neil noticed that the holes would be right in the center of each one of the beans in the pod.

We were thinking some sort of  insect-eating bird or animal,  but Rubin, the tram guy says that the holes are made by a moth that lays it's eggs in the pod.

Speaking of meat eating birds, this hawk loiters outside the hedge where we have a bird feeder --there's  a gazillion sparrows in that hedge--  and daily takes one home for lunch.  I believe Neil is setting the birds up for a slaughter.

Coming home from the birding place, we saw what looks like a brand new railroad track.  I don't think I have ever known of a new line being added to any railroad.

Look at the railroad ties..they are synthetic stuff, not wood. The actual rail has not been laid yet.

 

.  A little research leads me to believe that it is part of a new rail connection to Mexico that has been in the making for several years and is scheduled to open this month.  It is called the Brownsville West Railrod bypass International Bridge and will cross the Rio Grand River  into Mexico.

The whole thing is 8 miles long.    I wonder why I stumble onto this stuff and never hear about it on the news.

This kitten showed up at our lot this week.....just barely old enough to be weaned.  She was starving.  We fed her and took her around to try to find a home for her....  one lady said she would try her out , but  sent her back the next day and so we had to take her,  (the kitten, not the lady),   to the rescue.  I hope she found a home.

There are so many stray pets here.  I don't understand how people can do that.  My theory is that people drop the pets off near the RV parks thinking old people=soft hearts .  They may be right.

 

 

John, the neighbor who  moved to Louisanna, left me this plant which has just began to blossom and I find it is a beautiful orange hibiscus.  Thanks, John.

December 4,2012  9pm cst    75 degrees

 

It's Begining to look a lot like Christmas in San Benito.

We went to the fruit and veg market in Brownsville  and bought Marr oranges.  They are low acid and so sweet.  Then we bought a bag of grapefruit and a huge watermelon  We forget the camper storage space is so  small.   So now its watermelon for breakfast, lunch and dinner until we get the fruit down to a manageable size.

 

 

 

Today we went to the Gladys Porter Zoo and saw lots of new and different animals like these crazy looking monkeys.   Top is the white faced saki and the other is a South American monkey with no name that I can remember.

 

Neil got in trouble with one of the animals

 

but came out victorious.

Christmas decs at the zoo, too.

 

Screech owl

 

 

It was so hard to get pictures because most of the enclosures had glass  (dirty) and a lot of glare from the sun.  It was in the mid 80s and sunny.

I just love watching this gorilla family.

 

 

 Both parents of this baby  just kind of sat around and kept the little one out of trouble.  Look at the size of daddy gorilla's hands (or are those his feet?)

 on that little ones legs.

Mom just sort of kicked back while baby ran about running and climbing.

This mother was a good deal more watchful with her young 'un

  Entreprenuer Santa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 27 2012 11 pm cst 60 degrees

angry turtle.

 

Make this turtle picture as big as you can and decide if you see what I see on this ugly guy.  In addition to his enormourly long fingernails, is that a huge set of teeth that he is showing me?  Neil says that is his neck and his  mouth is  closed.  You decide.

 

speaking of ugly animals, this muscovy duck looks like he is wearing a Halloween mask, but tht is his unfortunate Phantom of the Opera face.

 

We went to Pendleton Park yesterday afternoon and there was almost no one there except these black blied whistling  ducks

and they flew away the minute we got there

so here is the parking area near the pond.  All handicap parking but Neil won't park there even tho there is not one other soul there except a few runners.

 

 

 

 

He parks here

 

 

 

After telling so much about football in the public schools, I want to give equal time to the valley's charter schools called Idea schools.  They are indepentaly managed public schools sothere is no tution.  The kids apply to go to school there and are chosen by lottery, not by ability.   They ignore phys Ed and Languages,  but they are dedicated  to having every graduate go to college.  Fine idea! 

The average teacher salary is $50,000.

 

You can see a Red Sox fan wherever you go.  Guess that is why they call it a Red Sox Nation.

 

 

 

 

Am having some trouble uploading pictures this week because  I have used up all my free space  so since it is nearly midnight , I guess I will have  to quit here and try to work out the  problems on the next blog.