November 26, 2013  9 pm cst 46 chilly degrees

It's been cool and rainy all week but last week we went to a flea market in Donna.

Lots of new and interesting things like these spices that we didn't know how to use but looked interesting

And these boots for cowboys with long curly toes

In the rest room at a MacDonald's, this series of pictures on how to wash your hands.

Good to know that I have been doing it right all these years.

We also went to this old steam pump house that made irrigation possible in the Rio Grande Valley.  It brought water to 40,000 acres of land and was used  until 1983 when an all electric pump was used.  You see the three wood burning ovens that heated up the water to make steam for the power to move the water.

On the desk, this bouquet of cotton in the boll....if that is the right term.

The whole town of Hildago goes all out for Christmas outdoor decorations and they have one of those drive through displays of lights every year.   The town starts early to get the decorations up and even though it was early in November, the pump house had this beautiful tree up already.  .Gorgeous handmade birds and butterflies and other critters all over it.

But further down the road in front of an elementary school was this display which I  titled on my desktop,
Santa And The Aliens.  They appear to be other worldly children with  some sort of nonspecific animal at the back.  When the season is fully upon us, we are going back just to see how this odd display fits in.

We are starting to see more of the street-corner vendors  for the holidays.  This guy is selling religious statues

.We went to the library tonight and when Neil opened his door,  a pathetic meow of a very thin and hungry cat.   I hate the way that so many people just put unwanted cats and dogs out on the streets.  I forbade,  (forbidded?)  Neil to bring it home but we had to do something so we bought some cat food and took it to a place where we know of a  very kind lady who feeds strays.  If we had taken it to the city animal rescue, it would probably be euthanized.  I have written about her before.  Her name is Dorothy.

And finally, this picture of Gabby who belongs to a lady in the park, but I think she is just beautiful and so sweet natured.

November 18.2013  9pm cst   71 degrees

Grackle

We finally got to go to the World Birding Center on Padre Island this week.  It was too much walking for me in years past but with my fancy new bones we decided to give it a go.

The  welcome lady pointed out the butterfly garden proudly showing a new hatch of monach butterflies.  Hmm not very unusual in my book, but OK.  Nice photo anyway.

The building has an elevagtor that goes up to the 5th floor for an observatory but we didn't have time to go up. 

We just went along this very nice walkway   which goes on about a mile.

Do you think Jim Henson got the idea for Sesame Street"s  Big Bird here?

In some places, there was a porthole in the walkway where you could look down at the fish.  No fair, this is a birding center not an aquarium.

I watched these roseate spoonbills for a long time while Neil was talking to a lady whose husband  teaches firemen new techniques.  All that time those lousy birds did not look up once so you could see their bills.  Pretty  color tho, aren't they?

More info having nothing to do with birds, but I learned something.  I somehow always thought bulrushes and cattails were the same or at least similar.  Pictures here show not alike at all.

Back on the island, this sand castle in front of a big hotel.  

Why would a lawyer spend the money to put up this billboard?  How many new customers does he think he will get who were hit by a truck? (Casually called a semi by those who  are cool.......I guess)

Today I have been trying to untangle the mess behind the TV.

My dream is to live long enough to see an end to the electric cord in favor of wireless appliances.  Do I really need all that stuff?  It's a router, a modem, a roku for streaming video, a dvd player and strip for plugging all that stuff in.  Yep, I guess I do.

November 12, 2013  10 pm cst 60 degrees

I woulld like to say we made it here without incident, but that is not entirely true.  When we stopped at the New Hampshire border for a potty break at the liquor store, I tripped and fell and kinda scratched up my face, broke my glasses and gave myself a black eye. Of course I did this right in front of the liquor store.  Two women had to help me up and I know they probably thought me drunk.  Of course for the rest of the trip i had to get out and go into restaurants etc. looking like a battered wife and both Neil and I were embarassed..  All better now, tho.

At the Virginia rest stop, this sign explains how they use natural energy to heat and cool the rest stops, not like Maine which just decided to close them.  Maine isn't very inovative, I guess.

San Benito has its Christmas Decs up or at least some of them.  Heck, it isn't even close to Thanksgiving yet.

We notice how many birds here are not very skiddish around people.  This  lazy blue heron was waiting for the fishermen to leave some fish on the beach for him.

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We went to Veteran's Day ceremonies at the Iwo Jima monument.

This is Alonzo Delgado who was 17 when he was at the battle of iwo Jima.  His job was to guard Mount Siriachi after they planted the  flag.    After all these years, he is just now getting his bronze star .  It seems  when it was time to leave the island, they young men were anxious to go and never recieved their medals.  The lady to his  left is his wife and in back is his daughter who is so proud of her Dad.   He is a sweet and gentle man.

For  some reason, there is a  lady standing practically on the parade grounds during the ceremonies. See her on the left by the flags?  I guess she wanted to get a good vantage point.

Long horn......really long horns.

Trick to get the parents to bring children into the "Wonderland" and then all the merchandise is for the parents.  Children of America, Rebel!

Love this ad for 9 toes mowing service.

Having a few tech problems so pay no attention to the spelling...just think of it as typos, not bad speller person.