What does a workamper do all day anyway?

Soooooo, just so ya know, today is July 31st, and we have left the Refuge.  (Insert frowny face here, and yes, it was a bit more emotional than we/I had anticipated.)  But, since I hadn't really been keeping you up to date while we were ON the Refuge, I thought I would share a bit of what we were doing during the time of self-isolation and quarantine.  (Jennifer, please be patient, you've already seen most of these photos, but none of our friends have...)   Btw, let's all welcome our Volunteer Coordinator to the blog - hellloooo, Jennifer!  And Candice, too...our neighbor from Crystal River, FL, whom we miss dearly - howdy, Girlfriend, 'sup??!!  Ok, let's get back to work now...  So, the Refuge Visitor Center has been closed since mid or end of March (can't remember, and it really doesn't matter, it's been quite a while now), and the staff has mostly been working from home.  I say mostly, 'cuz if you're a fireman or maintenance specialist, it's darned near impossible to telecommute, and so they have been coming onsite to do their work.  However....their work does not include making things presentable and pretty, sooooo, that falls to the volunteers! The Russian Sage bush is way overgrown and the butterfly garden is full of weeds, so off to work we go! 

And here is the railing - all poopy and chipped, and just generally not pretty.  Since I have to use it to get up the steps, I wanted to spiff it up some.

And so, we waited till a Friday night, prepped it with our fancy recycled box spatter shields, and our spray painter extraordinaire got busy.

When all was said and done, it was shiny and looked brand new!

The next morning we trucked on over to Marble Falls, about 23 miles away (only 11, if you go by crow), and picked me up a hand pruner to make it easier for me to work in the flower bed.  That's the closest Lowes Home Improvement store, and the ACE Hardware that is in Lago Vista doesn't have a pruner worth a dime.  We know, 'cuz we bought the one they had, and pardon my French, but it sucked.  It got returned the day after it was purchased.  While we were at Lowes, we found a rack of scrawny, half-dead, dried up tomato plants.  For a dime each.  Ever searching for the perfect homegrown tomato (yes, STILL), Driver just couldn't resist.  We came home with two!  And a couple bags of compost and dirt.  There was a discarded pallet on the burn pile, so we salvaged that and turned it into a planter box.

And planted our 20 cent tomato plants.

Later that night, we still had some energy left, so we signed up for a Zoom square dance.  This would be our second one, so, thankfully, we were better than before.  We still had a time or two where we stepped out of camera range, and while muted, we had a discussion about where our phantom corners should have been.  Darn those phantoms, they could sure use a few lessons!  LOL, probably us, too, ya think?

Remember that Quilt of Valor I did a dedication block for?  If you don't just click on that there link, and you'll go right to the post that contains the original block.  I'll wait.  Well, apparently, it, and its quilt, turned out so well, the maker was tasked with recreating the whole thing for another Veteran.  In a month's time. So she sent me some more fabric, and as soon as it was received, I whipped out this little puppy.  I thought maybe we should change up the motif at the top, to more accurately reflect the land-based Army, rather than the ocean waves of the Navy, but she said the stars and scrolls were find, so who am I to argue.  Besides, I still had all the threads selected and readily available, so, BAM, plug in the new dude's name, and Save and stitch away.

The next day, or maybe another day, I don't really remember, but it was a working day, so it was Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, we decided we were going to work on an area of the Refuge that was open to the public, but was about 15 miles from our campsite area.  To get there, we traveled down Cow Creek Road, and we got to see this beauty.  

and a baby....

So, you see here, there is a sign posted, suggesting that the area behind the sign was closed to the public.  No trails were here at Shin Oak Observation Deck.  This area is basically just a gazebo to shelter the crowds from the hot sun or sporadic rain showers that might pop up.  The area is dedicated to the Black Capped Vireo, a small and endangered songbird that nests exclusively in this area of central Texas. People come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of this shy little bird.  We never did see or hear one. 

But, we did fix it so that people would know to stay out of their territory.

While we were there, we got to see one of the Prickly Pear flowers up close and personal.  (Actually, Driver got REALLY up close and personal with one of the prickly parts, and it's a good thing I have tweezers.....)

This is how we found the boardwalk to the Observation Deck...

And this is how we left it...

This is how the parking lot looked when we arrived (you see all that trash around the edge??)...

And this is how it looked after we did our thing...

Back up at Warbler Vista, another area that is open to the public, we found another hidden sign....that we uncovered...

And, again, back at the Visitor Center, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the hedge trimmer to take care of these bushes around the foundation...

It was hard, strenuous work...

but so very rewarding in the end...

And, speaking of rewards...remember back when I was making all those masks, and I got a kit of 50 from our MagneShade friends?  I had agreed to sew them all up and return some or all back to them in North Carolina.  Well, the kit came, and I put out a Facebook notice to all our friends that I would have masks available in a week or so, and just let me know how many they needed of blue or pink.  John and Lora asked for 2 (I'm pretty sure I made them 2 each, but it's been so long, I just can't say for sure) to be sent to them at Happy Trails, in Arizona.  They offered to pay me for them, but, since this whole project was a charity thing, I didn't feel right accepting money for the masks or shipping.  I suggested they just buy lunch for a cop or a bag of dog/cat food for their local animal shelter.  Well, in typical Lora fashion, she told me that there would be a surprise waiting for me at the Marble Falls Post Office when we arrived here.  It.Never.Came.  First we went there (remember, it's not even close!), TWICE, and there was never anything there....and finally, we started calling.  And calling..and calling.  And there was never anything there for us.  Eventually, Lora ordered another surprise for us, and lo and behold, this one ARRIVED. And, boy, what a surprise it was!  While we were in Sedona, AZ, we had the pleasure of tasting freshly-squeezed Prickly Pear lemonade, remember?  I rather liked it, Driver was on the fence about it. (but if you pressed him, he would admit to liking it better than the mineral water lemonade of Mineral Springs, CO) Well, now I can make my OWN Prickly Pear lemonade!  Or, pour the syrup over pancakes.  Or make my PBJs with the jelly she so generously sent.  Oh my, what a prize this surprise was!  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lora and John!!

So now you've seen a little of what we did the first couple of weeks we were on the Refuge.  There's much more to be done, so stay tuned!

Stay well and safe out there!

Seeing the Sights at LaMardiGras Volunteer Fire Dept Fundraiser

And, POOF!  Just as quick as she disappeared, she has magically reappeared in your Inbox!  Sorry for the long absence, but sometimes we're out having so much fun, I can't get it all documented in a timely manner.  Unlike SOME of my good friends, who are sooo much more reliable, and manage to blog every.single.day!  Not naming any names, mind you, but Barbara, you and your cats entertain me daily with your travels, stitching and other antics and adventures.  Soooo, where did WE go for Valentine's Day?  Well, every day is Valentine's at our "house," so it was really "just another day" in Paradise, but we managed to reserve some time for another lovely dinner at Charlotte Plummer's, one of our very favorite seafood sellers.  We called for reservations early in the morning, but we were told they don't accept reservations.  Whaaa?  On Valentine's Day??  Well, we went anyway, expecting a bit of a wait.  We were not disappointed.  We were told the wait would be around 25 minutes, which we considered fair, considering how long the line was already, and how good the food was.  While waiting, we were treated to.....well, heck, I don't even have words....THIS:

Seriously.  What would YOU have written?  Not passing judgment, just sayin, that footwear was on a gent.  I tried to be inconspicuous as I snapped that photo.  I showed it to the Driver, and had to laugh when his jaw literally dropped and his eyes literally popped.  Never saw footwear like that before.  Nor since.  Shown below is the waiting "room," aka, unused bar area.  We've never, ever seen people in line here before.  Oh well, our fault for not getting there earlier, I suppose.  Although, the hostess did mention that it had been that way all day.  As always, though, dinner was fantastic, and I couldn't ask for better company.

So, what was LaMardiGras all about?  Well, we started with a parade.  Have I mentioned, we are NOT always early risers.  Puppy gets up about 7 am, gets walked (thanks, Honey!), then we laze around and often have a leisurely breakfast, long hot showers (thank you Newmar!), and by 10 or 11 or so, we walk the pup again and are ready to start the activities of the day.  Well, not THIS day.  Lamar is the town north of Copano Bay, which is north of Fulton, which is north of Rockport, which is where we are currently parked.  Lamar's population in 2010 was 636, and, personally, I don't think it's any more or less than that today.  We looked at houses to buy there, way back in 2010, but we didn't think there was much "town" and ya know - there still isn't!  

Wikipedia has this to say about the town:

Lamar was founded in 1839 at Lookout Point, on the channel entrance to Copano Bay. President Lamar agreed to relocate the custom house here, and the town thrived as a port and the site of a salt works. This prosperity ended abruptly on February 11, 1864, when the town was bombarded and practically obliterated by the Union Navy.

For most of the 20th century the population was less than 200, but by the 2010 census it was over 600. The restored cemetery is a Texas historical landmark. Goose Island State Park is within the CDP.

But, there is a volunteer fire department, and for about 18 years now, they have been staging LaMardi Gras as a fundraiser.  The event kicks off Saturday morning with a parade.  And, if you want a good seat, you have to stake out your space EARLY Saturday morning.  The parade lineup starts at 8, thankfully, we weren't IN the parade, so we could go about 10.  Plenty early to find a good spot.  Here we are, all lined up and ready for the first float to come by and throw us some beads.

Not sure what Larry was looking for (or at), but he was sure studying hard.

It seemed like forever, but, finally, the first group came along.  It was the Harleys, making lots of noise and throwing lots of beads.

Then came a couple of fire trucks.  Each one trying to outdo the others with their sirens.  I think there are a total of 3 fire companies in the area, and each one was well represented.  I hope no one's fire got out of hand, 'cuz we had all the guys in the parade.  We had Bailey with us, too, and she was NOT a fan of the sirens.

In fact, she was SUCH a non-fan of the sirens, I hardly got any decent pictures, and most of the video I shot was of the street, my feet or the phone tumbling to the ground.  There was a pirate ship at one point, and they were having lots of fun shooting off their cannon.  By the time they got to us, and shot the cannon off RIGHT.IN.FRONT.OF.US, poor Bailey was a nervous wreck.  She had managed to get her front leg out of the harness, and up into the NECK of the harness, so, of course, that added to her anxiety.  So, all that's to say, here are some floats; I have NO idea who they are or who they represent, sorry.  These are "chicks gone wild."

The Queen of Hearts

A tiny tot with beads to spare.

John Deere was well represented.

There was a whole group of Spyders.

A swamp buggy from Lamar Fire Department.  This is coastal country, winter home of the whooping crane, and as such, there are acres and acres of wetlands.  You kinda need a vehicle that can go places.

Somehow, Don got a margarita from the lady parked net to us and since he was the driver, he gave it to Lynn to finish off.  She pronounced it "just fine." 

Texas' most famous grocer, H. E. Butts was well represented too.  They had a giant-sized, self-powered grocery cart carrying employees down the road.  Beats walking, eh?

Afterwards, Larry and Sharon took us to the food tent.  They had been raving about the brisket tacos all morning, so we decided we should give 'em a try.  But then we found they were loaded with cheese, so that was a hard pass from me.  I opted for the ribs instead, and Driver had a brisket sandwich.  Sharon stuck with her choice of brisket tacos, and Larry went with ribs and a brewski in a souvenir mug.

Some people purchased special headgear for the celebration...

and then there was this guy, serving as a reminder of why we were all there.

Here's a breakdown of the cost to equip a firefighter.  Oh.my.gosh.  I had no idea it was so expensive.  This display really opened my eyes!  Remember, you can click on any photo to enlarge it (and make it readable!)

So, the parade was Saturday, and that Tuesday, we celebrated again at the local club's square dance.  It's not often they get to celebrate right on Fat Tuesday, but this year, it worked out.  We took all the beads we had collected from the parade and wore some and donated the rest to the club.  I guess I should have taken a picture of the heaping pile, but, lemme just say, we could easily have provided enough beads for a float of our own next year, thanks to the combined efforts of Lynn and Sharon.  (I had my hands full, literally, of squirmy puppy, so I hardly collected any beads, and absolutely NO candy of my own.)  Here we are at the dance hall, in all our finery.  Yup, dances here are casual, so no need to dress up in crinolines and lace!

Stay tuned for further adventures!  Grab a hamburger, there's lots to ketchup on!  ROF!!

A Day in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is the winter home to a migratory flock of about 500 whooping cranes, and it's one of our most favorite places in all the USA.  (counted at 504 last winter; this year's numbers are not complete).  But, it is not easy to find.  First we go north, then east, then north, then east, then north again, skirting acres and acres of milo, cotton or sorghum.  Here we are, still 14 miles from the Refuge entry gate.  And this is the 2nd sign we've seen.  

We were excited to arrive, because they have such a fun museum and gift shop, full of interesting articles and artifacts, as well as pretty things to purchase.  And restrooms, CLEAN restrooms.  But, um....this is what greeted us upon arrival:

A trailer.  A TRAILER.  We turned around and looked at where the beautiful brick building used to stand.  It's that bare patch of sand, on the right, behind those 2 trees.

In its place now, is this TRAILER.  And the other trailer is the gift shop.  We asked what happened, and noooo, the hurricane (Harvey, Sept 2017) did NOT blow the museum away.  But, it did so much damage that the building was condemned.  In 2017.  But, this is Federal Government property, so, yeah, it's taking a while to get restored.

After showing Driver's National Parks pass (granting free entry for us both), we chatted a bit with the volunteer, perused the limited offerings in the gift shop and moved along to visit the alligators.  Just in case you needed a reminder, alligators are WILD and shouldn't be fed.  

And for gosh sakes, don't enter their territory!

Our shadow-selves got photo-bombed by this cutie!

We had been told there was at least one pair of whoopers out in the flats.  And we were not disappointed!  There they were!  This is about the very best my little phone camera could do.

Lucky for us, Driver brought his real camera, and his real telephoto lens.  He was able to get a few really good shots, so, for those of you who have never seen a whooper in real life, here ya go!  These birds stand almost 5 feet tall and their wingspan is about 8 feet wide!  So, they were easily visible from afar, but even more exciting through his lens.

And then there was this little guy that watched us for a bit.  Our good friend, Kerry, who knows things, tells us this in an American Kestrel.  We knew he was some sort of a hawk, by his little feet (ha!), but I guess the stripes on his face helped her ID him more accurately.  I didn't even notice them in the wild, nor when viewing the photo, but after she told me what he was, I looked him up in my bird book, and yup, I bet she's RIGHT!  (she ALWAYS knows her birds! Not to mention her dance definitions and positions!!)

Can you see the garter snake?  Doggie and I walked right by him, but Driver pointed him out to us.  He's the striped "branches."

The tide was low; the water was calm.

And the tree (live oak) was BIG.

Can you read the sign?  Yup, another area CLOSED to traffic.  So, why is there a foot path?  And who is that standing there? Don't tell HIM don't!

It was great to see the observation tower/platform made it through the hurricane safely.  I went partway up this, once, a long time ago.  In fact, I think this is about where I stopped and turned around.  No need to do it again.

So, does he have courage or is he just nuts?  Maybe a little of both?

Doggie and I waited while he cruised the beach.  No one wants a sandy-footed, wet-bellied puppy in their camper.  She was perfectly content to sit with me on the deck, basking in the sunshine.

What a treasure he found and brought back to us!  A beautiful whelk shell.  It was heavy and fully intact.  Oh, it was sooooo tempting to bring it back with us, but, this IS a Federal Refuge, and it IS against the law to remove anything...but, who would know, one would argue.  I agreed to leave it only when I couldn't answer the questions, "but what are you going to DO with it, and where are you going to PUT it?"

We continued driving the loop, till ole Eagle Eyes spotted this little guy by the side of the road.  I got out and filmed him, while he simply ignored me.  Armadillos can't see well (I guess that's why I relate to them so well), but they have excellent hearing and smell.  Apparently, I was upwind, and still enough, that I posed no threat, and he waddled right by, only about a foot from my feet.

The check-in volunteer had mentioned that at mile 5.7 (yes, exactly at 5.7, not 5.5, not 5.6), they had discovered a nesting pair of bald eagles.  First time since the '70s.  Whoohoo.  We knew we were right there when we spotted these folks blocking the road.  Get a load of that lens!  We had neglected to bring our binoculars (AGAIN!!!), so we asked for their help in locating the nest.  HAHAHA....they laughed at us.  The lady told us even she could barely make it out, using the lens she had.  She indicated that she really needed one twice that size.  Hmmph.  So, there was absolutely no way we would see anything with our bare-naked eyeballs, so we just thanked 'em and drove on.

As we were getting near the entrance/exit to the park, we were treated to this lovely doe.  And several of her friends!

There was a geocache located just outside the gate of the park, and even though the day was waning, and we were all hungry, and we still had a ways to go, we stopped to find the cache and capture another smiley for the record.  It was a lovely day.  Cold and windy?  Absolutely.  But, sunny and pleasant, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  We are truly blessed.