Sunday, March 31, 2013

        First we wish everyone a great Easter and hope all are with friends and family to make the day a good one.  Yes another week has passed and we are having a great time here at Anahuac Refuge. So far everyone has been really nice and were really getting into the swing of being a Refuge Volunteer. The school program that started the week off was amazing. We went to McFaddin Wildlife Refuge to do a school program, which is next to Anahuac. The bird show which ran for almost an hour kept the kids attention the whole time. Then there were many other things for them to do. There was a fire truck demo and small critters from the marsh displays. You know the usual , alligators, turtles , snakes and such. Then they were moved further into the Refuge where they learned to Crab and fish. A really good day with the little ones. Time went really fast and the day was done. The rest of the week we picked up trash and did some time in the Visitor Center. All good.         G
Our Easter Bunny that lives under the VIS                                                                

Our Easter Bunny

The Great Horned Owl that was at the school program we were part of at McFadden Refuge last Monday

He only weights 8 pounds but looks much bigger



South American Condor, she is really big with a10 foot wing span

The pep talk from the Refuge staff before the school program, we were supposed to have 250 children but 450 came with almost 60 parents.



One of the Hawks at the bird show. This was one of the best bird shows we have ever seen

The Hawk in flight, hard to capture with our camera

Such a handsome man

you never know what you will find on the beach

A Caracara Hawk

A cliff swallow has moved into one of the shelters on the Refuge

Lauren with one of the Firemen at the school program

Our view from the VIS, Visitor Information Station at the entrance to the Refuge

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Lauren and the Kia on the beach in Galveston

Some Pelicans and a tanker

Everybody hunkered in from the wind

Really no explanation needed

And some history

some more history

Fort Travis

Galveston Light House is all steel plate

Just sunning in the 80 degree temps

Doing some clean up on the upper Galvestiom Bay

Who would think that we would be driving a government vehicle and having a good time doing it

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

We had been hearing them every night and we finally saw him today.

Really big thistle

We have seen more turtles in the last week  and all different sizes from quarter size to one I moved off the road that I could hardly lift.

If you look at his face he really does not want his picture taken.

Yesterday was our two snake day and this one was a Banded Water Snake

All green, yes but to the right of the flower is a green lizard.

Red wing Black bird

A Cormorant , a diving duck

Sunday, March 17, 2013

           Hope everyone had a great St Paddy's day. We spent the day at the large visitor center for the Reserve and it was fairly quiet. The building is not 2 years old as it is the replacement for the one damaged during Hurricane Ike. The Reserve was under 10 feet of water during the storm and things are just now after 5 years sort of getting back to normal. All the buildings were destroyed and all the wild life was badly damaged . All the Armadillos and Nutria were wiped out as well the Raccoons and Skunks. They are slowly moving back in and all the major tree lines were killed by the salt water so now certain migrating birds are having a hard time finding perches as they start to move back north. The rice fields in the area are now just starting to be planted again after the storm as enough of the salt has finally leached far enough down as to not be toxic to the rice plants. The trees that were not destroyed are already in full leaf here and it is surly summer, 78 today with some light clouds. Chance of some showers Tuesday but with warm temps it is very nice.              G
The girls from across the road from our RV



The board walk at the Visitor Center in Anahauc

Look close the Gar are in there mating frenzy



A view from the walk onto Lake Anahauc

Just for ST Paddys day

And of course some history. This is where the movement for Texas independence from Mexico started

The following is last nights Sunset









Lauren ready to work on new boardwalk clean up

George ready too

Cleaning up repair from Hurricane Ike damaged from 5 years ago

One of our neighbors

Also one of our friends

Just looking for lunch

Happy ducks