Feb 11, 2013 - Birding Santa Ana & Estero Llando Granda with Tom & Karyn

Date: February 11, 2013 Tonight’s Location: McAllen, TX Weather: started overcast, then hot Temperature: start 65º High 90º Wildlife count: Alligator, turtles Year List: 152 Birds: American Kestrel, Rock Dove, Great Kiskadee, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow, Ladderbacked Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Shoveler, Black-necked Stilt, American Coot, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Mottled Duck, Gadwall, Eastern Phoebe, Olive Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-crested Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Great Horned Owl,...

Feb 10, 2013 - Down to the Valley

Date: February 10, 2013 Tonight’s Location: McAllen, TX Mileage: End - 8301 Start - 8115 Total Miles for the day: 186 Weather: sunny Temperature: start 68º High 97º this is NOT a mistake Wildlife count: Year List: 133 Birds: Redheads, Northern Pintails, White-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Red-wing Blackbirds, Meadowlark, Kestrel, Great-tailed Grackle, American Oystercatcher, White Ibis, Osprey, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, House Sparrow, Mockingbird, Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Rock Doves, Golden-fronted Woodpecker,...

Dec 5, 2012 - Trip to the Rio Grande Valley

Date: December 5, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Padre Island National Seashore Weather: sunny Temperature: start 67º High 81º Wildlife count: Birds: Eastern Meadowlark, Merlin, Kestrel, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Brown & White Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorant, Rock Dove, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Broadwing Hawks, Northern Harrier, Crested Caracara, Sand-hill Cranes, Snow Geese, Black-crested Tufted Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe,...

Mar 3, 2011 - Livin' the Dream!

We are in the last month of our wonderful stay in southern Texas. There are a few things we would still like to do before we leave the Valley including go to New Progresso Mexico one more time so we can bring back a few items that you cannot get in the U.S. and there are a few places we would like to go eat as well. Last weekend we went to South Padre and had a wonderful time. Avonelle was generous enough to give us a ticket for a boat ride that she had won at her park. We stopped by her place first thing to help trim some branches and...

Feb 17, 2011 - From Virginia with Love and Craziness

The last month has been busy, busy and forgive me if I skip some of the details as I'm not really sure where to begin. Nathan left for Virginia on the 16th of January. Yes, he missed my birthday but he treated me quite well before he left. My new guitar case and tuner are wonderful and I have yet to use my gift card to go shopping! Monday night I welcomed Dad and Gma to the Valley! It was a busy wonderful week. We went to South Padre Island on Saturday and had a lot of fun with the dogs on the beach, seeing the sights and shopping in all...

Feb 14, 2011 - Back in McAllen, Texas

Back in McAllen, Texas. It is much warmer here than in Mexico. At least the parts of Mexico that I visited. It is hot in the coastal cities such as Acapulco but cold in the interior. I was sad to see that the banana tree that I photographed before Christmas had died while I was away due to the cold weather here. So ends my tour of central Mexico. Next, I will do a tour of the gulf coast of Texas. But first I will spend a week here in McAllen searching for new birds. It is supposed to be a great birding area. More about that another day.

Jan 11, 2011 - ...and the new year begins...

Well, here we are in the year 2011. What will this year bring, nobody knows. We know for sure that we will be spending the first three months or so in Southern Texas. Past that we really don't have a clue and that, is the honest truth. Currently we are experiencing the cold weather of Southern Texas(daytime high of almost 50 and night time low high 30s) and it has felt a little chilly thanks to rain which causes humidity and wind that feels colder because of the humidity. It is not near what cold is back home though so we are not...

Dec 18, 2010 - Such is the life

Its Saturday afternoon and we just got back from Mexico for the second time since we've been here. Nathan made his first trip to the dentist there the week after Thanksgiving and today was his third trip. Last time he went they pulled some teeth and put in a temporary bridge. He has been in pain the last couple weeks and we found out today that they had also put a filling in his back tooth and that it was close to the root. Apparently it is not healing and may not heal so they had to do a partial root canal. He will go back on thursday and...

Dec 10, 2010 - Donna, TX

We arrived in Donna Texas on December 3. The RV Resort, Victoria Palms, is huge. The book says it has 820 sites but we think there are more than that. There are several hundred sites just for mobile homes. It has a professional health club with two spas, huge pool with a pool side bar, laundromat, post office, fitness centre, restaurant, 12,000 sq. foot ballroom (which is part of a 35,000 sq. foot cental clubhouse. The new 10,000 sq. ft. Activity Building for woodworking, crafts, etc. opened in March of 2004. There is also a hotel with...

Nov 25, 2010 - Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving! First let me say that Nathan and I have a lot to be thankful for. God has provided us with many wonderful opportunities and guided us with a protective hand all along the way. We have met so many wonderful people already in our travels and are blessed with each new experience. We are also thankful for our wonderful families who are back home missing us as much as we miss them. We would not be here today if it were not for all of you and your neverending support no matter what crazy scheme we are planning. This...

Mar 6, 2010 - Progresso

We went to a couple of large flea markets in McAllen and then crossed the border into Mexico@ Progresso. A typical midsized Mexican town but lots of Military and police presence. Sand bagged bunkers, armoured vehicles, young guys packing serious firepower. I guess the cartel and government are battling for control. Gun fights are not untypical. Back to McAllen and stopped to visit more friends of Marg & Clayton.

Mar 5, 2010 - Turn this rig around

Its time to turn around and it is always hard. Much like hiking or hunting,you want to see what’s over the next hill around the next corner. It signals a transition. Is it all downhill from here? I think it’s more like metaphor for life, time to stop and look back at where you have come from. Not downhill but a time to reflect. Completing the journey to its end , home. Not as morbid as it sounds. The beginning of the end of this journey, the expectation and start of the next. We’re coming home! Made it to McAllen and had super with Uncle...