The Sunday Blast from the Past

At the beginning of February, 2008, I returned for my second volunteer assignment at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (pronounced Anna whack) in Texas. I once again worked at the visitor's center and did a lot of teaching in the education programs. I also worked with the biologist on conducting neo-tropical migrant studies. Anahuac is a great place for the spring migration of warbler's returning from Central and South America.

This year, I also participated in the collection of abandoned crab pots. That's Stephanie Martinez, the volunteer coordinator and pilot of the air boat. The bay is closed to crabbing for a few weeks, and volunteers and staff go out in the bay on air boats to collect lost crab pots and bring them back to the dumpster (in the background).

After yanking the pots out of the quicksand-like bay floor, we jumped on the pots to squash them down to haul back. We found quite a few pots that day, and by the time crab fishing was opened again, the dumpster was full! It takes a lot of work by a lot of folks to help clean up the bay. Northeast of Anahuac NWR, is the Big Thicket National Preserve. It's known as the piney woods area of Texas. I drove up there on one of my days off, and enjoyed some of the trails. It was a little too early in the spring to enjoy the many wildflowers found in the preserve.

Along about St. Patrick's Day, someone dumped off a young mutt at the volunteer sites...and that's how I came to meet Emma. She has been my "wild child" traveling companion ever since.

While thistles can be a nasty plant, I do find their blooms to be gorgeous. There were plenty of them to be found on the refuge.

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In the fall of 2008, hurricane Ike just about demolished Anahuac NWR. I've seen pictures of the devastation, but can't really wrap my mind around it. I will be returning there around the first of next year to help redevelop the education programs. I'm looking forward to teaming up with Stephanie once more.

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Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy