Leaving for home...

We did some last minute shopping before leaving Texas...

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge...

We both visited Aransas National Wildlife Refuge today...Betsy by Boat and David by Car. It's a long story. The Whooping Cranes are there. Betsy saw them. David did not see them. David saved 40 dollars...You would think I would have pictures, wouldn't you

Kamala Teaching Grandpa How to Hold His Breath...

Kamala tried her best to show Grandpa how to hold his breath underwater...the hard way...

Christmas Eve in Austin...

We sang and ate chocolate fondue tonight after a day of power shopping. Kamala sings powerfully after lots of chocolate. We pretty much closed down Best Buy and Target before supper. The stores stay open later every year it seems. I remember a few years ago they kicked me out just after lunch. I guess they need more money these days...

We Found Zapata...

We got up today and watched the sun rise over the gulf...
Betsy walked a few miles on the beach. I soaked my feet in the salty water.
Then we drove up The Rio Grande to Zapata. It is some place. Actually it is under the Rio Grande and Falcon Reservoir. A gift shop owner told us the story.
Yes, I have pictures.

On Our Way to Zapata...Our Trip Journal...

Way departed The Farm at sundown yesterday on our way to Zapata. We are just about to depart the La Quinta (Mexican) Airport Inn in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. for the Airport. It is 8:00 A.M....
More later in the day from Zapata (or nearby).
It's 10 P.M. and we are on South Padre Island on the way to Zapata. Another La Quinta Inn. The waves are breaking on the beach outside our window. It was 85 today but has cooled down to 70.
I got some pictures from the air coming down the gulf coast over Port Aransas and Padre Islands. It is impressive...long, long sand beaches and barrier islands. South Padre is impressive for it's high-rise hotels...a scourge on the wild landscape...but only $53 a night this time of year.
I will get some pictures up. I'm too tired to download tonight. Buenas noches.

On Our Way to Zapata...

Betsy and I fly to Harlingen, Texas Thursday. I prefer to say we are going to Zapata, Texas on the Rio Grande Mexican border. That excites me more. We will stay there the first night. It's one of the warmest and sunniest places in The United States and there are birds. Birds excite me too...especially birds around Zapata on the Rio Grande at the Mexican border. Actually we are going to visit Shawn and Mark and Kamala in Austin, and Sheri and Jeremy in Port Aransas on the gulf coast. I am going to post often with a little trip log...I swear... Speaking of trip logs, the dear man we know as Lyle Girard is on a journey around the world. He is doing a trip log too.

Musa is Home From Sudan

We saw our friend Musa this weekend and he and his brother are home from a trip to Sudan. Some great pictures.

Another Weekend at Home

It's great to just be able to stay home on a weekend.
Friday night we went to the play Annie at the Grand Marais Playhouse. The kids were great. They're so little...how can they think?
Satrday we worked around the house as we did the annual Grand Marais bird count. We had chickadees, pine grosbeaks, grey jays, bluejays, and ravens.
Saturday night we went to dinner with Randy who just returned from the south and ended up staying till 11 P.M. listiening to Mark Darling's band from up the gunflint. Bob and Kay, Carol D., and others were there. We're so social sometimes.
Today was sunny and chilly. Betsy went to Aurora;s dance gig in town. I stacked wood and chased birds around the county with my camera.

A Real Winter on The North Shore

We've been home from New Mexical for a month.
If I am going to keep these journal entries up I am going to have to forego photograhps most of the time. So no sphotographs here...yet.
Yes, we are experiencing a real winter this year so far. Twenty inches of snow and lots of below zero weather. That's good. That's Minnesota.
Wish there was a picture here...