January 8,2012 10 pm 66 degrees

Kestrel

Today we went to the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen ( a private military school for grades 8 thru 12 with  tuition fees just under $35,000per year)  to view the Iwo Jima memorial there

   It is the plaster working model used by the sculptor  Dr. Felix de Weldon to create the  more famous one in Arlington Va.  Yes, it is plaster, and yes it is the full size of 32 ft. tall........ not that much rain here and no freezing temps so with careful care it stays perfect in all details.  To me, it is even more compelling than the bronze because the matte green has a look of authencity to the uniforms and the detail is astonishing.

.   My eyes glaze over the minute history buffs start giving dates and generals and timelines, but  with as few dates and numbers as possible, the story of the taking of the island of Iwo Jima  is this:

The island of Iwo Jima is the nearest of the Mariannas to Japan (approx. 700 miles) .   The Us Government wanted  this island as a stopping off place about half way between Us bombing bases and Japan.  The orders  were to take Iwo Jima at all costs. Wake and Guam each took three days or less  to conquor so it was thought that 3 days would be enough to take Iwo Jima, also.  It took 36 days.


  The island appeared to be bare volcanic ash with a dead volcano at one end.   100 planes bombed the apparently bare island and then the Navy bombed and finally sent in landing craft.  They began landing without incident. There appeared to be no Japanesse left to fight.

Meanwhile, the former sulfur mining island of Iwo Jima was harboring 21,000 Japanese soldiers in more than 1000 connecting caves making a complete military base underground.   General  Kuribayashi, a samauri general whose family have been Samauri for over 600 years, commanded the island base .  Note : not the diaper wearing samauri of movies but samauri trained military men.)

 In order to inflict the most damage, Gen Kuribayashi waited one whole hour before he began bombing.  At that point the troops on the beach had no place to hide and no where to go.   The volcanic ash was too soft to even dig foxholes.  The only thing they could do was to try to move forward.  One soldier said it was like trying to run in the rain without getting wet.   By sundown American casualties numbered 4,220.
The landing started on February 19, 1945.  By February 23 rd a small American flag  was raised  on Mount Suribachiat one end of the island .    This was the first raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, but not the one made famous by  photographer Joe Rosenthal.

The Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, had decided the previous night that he wanted to go ashore and witness  the fight for the mountain. (Not the final fight for the island, just that end of the triangular island where the mountain is )   Their boat touched the beach just after the flag went up, and the mood among the high command turned jubilant.

Forrestal was so taken with the event that he decided he wanted the Suribachi flag as a souvenir. The news of this wish did not sit well with 2nd Battalion Commander Chandler Johnson.   The flag belonged to the battalion, as far as Johnson was concerned. He decided to remove it as soon as possible, and sent his assistant operations officer to the beach to scare up a replacement flag. As an afterthought, Johnson called after him, "And make it a bigger one."

This second raising of the flag is the famous photograph and the image that inspired the Iwo Jima statue.  Three of the five men  raising that flag died  within days of the photo.  In fact there were more Americans killed in that 36 day battle  than Japanese.  The Japanese troops never intended to survive.  They were to fight to the death and each soldier was expected to kill 10 American soldiers before he died.  

 Actually about 3,000 Japanese soldiers did survive, could not  bring themselves to commit suicide and hid in the many caves and tunnels, coming out at night to scrounge for provisions.  It seems unbelievable but the last two of these survivors came out in 1951 having survived about 5 years underground.

In 1968, the island of Iwo Jima was returned to the Japanese and in 1985 a joint memorial service was held  and  a plaque  presented with some message of peace and friendship.

To give some idea of the size of this memorial, the flag seen here is 12 ft by 16 feet.




The man in the front is Harlan Block, a native of Weslco, Tx.  He is buried here.

 It is very humbling to stand at that huge statue and know the story of these men.

 We saw this little cat at the museum here. One side of his face is very dark, the other brindle. What unusual markings!

We also saw this variety palm tree that we had not seen before 

It has little tiny .....I guess they are nuts like the nut that is showing them,  but they look exactly like miniature coconuts,

Diabetic shoes?  Sweet!

January  4, 2012  10\ pm cst   65 degrees

Green Heron

We met these ladies from Oklahoma at a local park the other day and they were telling us about a place they had been in Port Isobel that they thought so interesting.   I couldn't wait to go and see it.  The next day  was cool  and rainy but  we just wanted to see this  Sea Life Center.

We were thinking it would be as interesting as the Turtle Rescue Center but were we ever disappointed.

Here is a sign on brown paper  taped to a fish tank

 This is what they were calling a touch tank... a shallow sink with hermit crabs that you may touch.

There were maybe 10 of these little aquariums. 

We  thought it a wasted day.

It occurs to me that every time I blog, I talk  about a rainy or cold day . We do have nice ones too.

Canvasbacks in flight

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the low 80s so we went to a local park about 7 miles from here to see what the fishermen  and the birds were doing.

  Since it was a good day for the fishermen, the pelicans were happy also.  They know  where to find a  free meal. 

 The men were cleaning fish and they had a waiting cleanup committee who fought over the  scraps.

  I must have taken 50 frames of these pelicans fighting over the fish and then the gulls joined in

 and it amuses me that in the end, a cagey  gull got a portion of it but some of the pelicans went hungry.

If  was a good day for the pelicans and gulls, it was a better day for this fisherman and when I asked him if I could take his picture with his catch, he was all smiles.  

 I believe he said these are redfish and trout.  I hope that is right.

Billboard for a hustler

  

December 27,2011   9pm cst    52 degree

Black neck stilt

Mexicans just do things a little differently...... especially cemeteries.

 There are several sites here with these iron cages all around them.  I don't know if it is to keep vandals out or the departed in.   I am leaning toward keeping the departed in after seeing this message apparently from one who was not happy with his living relatives.

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 . Some relatives, however have left messages back saying they will not forget.  Note the broom leaning against the tree.

I have no explanation for this  bench, but in my imagination it is the grave of a cheating wife who died at the hands of an angry husband.

 We have been seeing a few more birds when we actually have sunshine.  Today it was in the 80s, but most of last week was overcast, rainy and low 50s.  I love that these ducks are called whistling ducks.

  You can see that he is concentrating on trying to pucker up that beak for a whistle.

Neil thinks there is someone very sick in the house just next to this tree that has 50 or 60 vultures sitting and waiting 

 Can you guess the name of the book I am reading?   This picture below  is a a clue.  

Yes, you got it!  Howards End

Tuesday Dec 20, 2011   10 pm cst   61 degrees

Mississippi Kite

Last night we went to the 100th anniversary of the San Benito Christmas parade which started at 6 pm.

  It had been postponed twice because of rain but Monday was beautiful and warm.  We both  have had the flu, me first then Neil so we had been  shut in for over a week and it rained  all of that time.  We were so ready to do something  fun.

Lots of High School bands from surrounding areas and the kids got into the Christmas spirit.  There is  a saxophone in there someplace

This was sponsored by HEB Supermarket.  I thought he was cute..

But these junior high drummers just took my heart.  It appeared to me that those who did not have a drum used trash cans which gave it a sort of  Blue-Man-Group-sound. 

But................but.......just look on the far right    the  boy carrying a desk-type wastebasket right side up.  I could only surmise that he misunderstood when the leader said they could use trash cans.  My heart broke for this little guy.  He looked very uncomfortable

Road Hump?  I like the term Speed Bump better

I don't know, but palm trees don't lend themselves to Christmas decorations very well, do they?

Who's brilliant idea was this?  Well, at least it is in English.

December 8 2011   10:pm cst    55 degrees

Spotted Sandpiper

Finally we are seeing a few birds.  Maybe I should say a few kinds of birds.  If you have ever wondered where the starlings go in the winter, I can testify that they are all here in the lower Rio Grand Valley.

Hundreds and hundreds in a single flock.  I don't know how the crop can grow

Which of these is the lemon?

It was a bad year for the citrus  (no rain), and the Mar oranges that I love because they are low acid grew no larger than a baseball.  Although the fruit is ripe on the inside, they range from dark green to yellow-green.  They do taste good, but it takes a lot of oranges to make juice in the morning.  The lemon is on the left, the middle is a Mar orange, and the right is a grapefruit.  The variety of lemon is called ponderosa lemon and is a cross between a citron and a lemon.  The grower tells me that there is enough juice for two lemon pies.  I'll never know.

The town of San Benito has few inhabitants whose first language is English, (and most of them have only 

one language) so it is my own fault that when I walked into the salon and asked for a haircut, I discovered too late that the dolled-up stylist probably only understood every other word and I understood less of what she said..  Result: I probably won't need another haircut  this winter.... well, certainly not this year.  I could have tried another shop like this one

With a Texas name like big hair, I think she would have left some of it on my head. 

I could have tried this one too, but .I think this one woud have shaved me bald and told me I had the illusion of hair.

I'm pretty sure  Joe isn't happy about running for constable.

Stinking dog thinks that is funny.  Pull my paw!

December 2, 2011 Rio Hondo, Texas 7:30 pm cst  74 degrees with a light breeze

 

The boy who likes snakes has  plenty of snake here.  Matt's friend's boa constrictor is  about 12 or 13 feet long and weighs about 60 to 80 pounds.  Neil wanted Max to see this picture so Cinny or Betsy,.if you think it is appropriate..

 I want to point out that I did not take this pic as I didn't get  in the same building with that snake.

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I am happier with Matt's dogs who are:  Fippy on the left,  Hack in the back, Oso, the big head in foreground, and the grand old lady, Sadie,on the right.

 Oso can jump the half door in the kitchen without even half trying.  He is a big doggie and a real sweetie. If I could, I would have brought him home with me.

On our last night in Fort Worth, Matt and Lori took us out to Papadeaux's  for supper. That gumbo  looks good and my Lobster stew was great.  We also had some kind of smoked oyster fondue that was three times better than it sounds .  

After dinner, we helped decorate the tree but my stomach was full and we were having a good time and I completely forgot to take a picture.  You'll have to take my word for it, it was pretty

We were really in no hurry to leave Fort Worth , but Howie, who does not play well with others, was reading the map and getting in the car so he would not have to share our attention with other dogs.  He's so spoiled.  

This is a view of the city from the street next to Matt's and Lori's...really nice quiet neighborhood but within view of downtown.

This picture was taken as we approached  Raymondville, the first big town after the King ranch area. We saw all these palms that have recently been trimmed.  Neil said, "Barbie! I think we made a bad turn.  This looks like an Indian burial ground."

All settled in  for a long winter of sunshine.

Did I mention that I love this dog?