.

.
Borrego Springs, CA

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Bugman Jack is back

My good friend Jack is staying at Rainbow’s End in Livingston, TX, for a week, so today he drove down to give me a visit.  As some of you may know, Rainbow’s End is the home of the Escapee’s RV Club and where many full-timers call home.  On this visit, he brought his long-time best friend, Carol, with him.  They go back 35 years as CLOSE friends.  I know Jack is a veteran, but I can’t remember with what service.  If I had to guess, I’d say the Navy, with a girl in every port!  Eye rolling smile

Anyway, when they both arrived this morning, one of the first things Jack asked me about was my windshield wipers.  One went haywire again as I was driving down here, and the other one fell off as I tried to put on my wiper sun shields the other day.  He figured out that they were installed incorrectly, and after a bit thinks he got them on the right way.  We’ll see.  Rain is forecast for Wednesday, so you can be sure I’ll be checking them out.  I sure hope he is right!

IMG_9553

The first item on our agenda, after the wiper blades, was to drive down and over to the Bolivar Peninsula to have lunch at Stingaree’s Restaurant.  Directly out the windows behind us is the Intracoastal Waterway that makes its way through Galveston Bay.

75 Anahuac NWR 2013-2014

Jack ordered the seafood platter that included gumbo, crabs, grilled shrimp, red beans and rice, and a catfish fillet.  Carol had a trio of fried shrimp and whole crabs done two different ways.  There were at least six crabs on her plate besides the shrimp with a side of green beans.  I simply went with the fried shrimp with onion rings.  I’m a very slow eater, and I would have been there for hours if I’d ordered those crab dishes.

After that delicious meal, we drove back to the refuge to enjoy a drive down most of the roads.  First up was the Shoveler Pond auto route.

IMG_9556

The first bit of wildlife we encountered was this little crab that was slowly making its way across the pavement from the brackish waters to the fresh waters of Shoveler Pond.  It was only about three inches from side to side, so I had to get on down on the pavement for this shot.  I shoed it along on its journey so it wouldn’t get run over.

_MG_9557

Jack brought his new toy along with him which is a new lens for his camera.  We put it on my camera to take this shot of a gator on the pond.

_MG_9558

Pulling it out to the full 400 mm length resulted in this much closer pic of the alligator sunning on the berm.  That was the end of my use of the lens, as the rest of the ride gave Jack the best view out his window, so the following pics were taken by Jack with my camera and his lens.

_MG_9565

            I think we all had a fun time bantering back and forth as we made our way around the refuge.

_MG_9572

                                                                   Fulvous Whistling Duck

_MG_9589 _MG_9596

I couldn’t believe the number of roseate spoonbills we saw today on easily accessible roads.  They just seemed to be everywhere.  If someone wanted to see spoonbills, this was certainly the day to be here and do it.

It was great seeing Jack again, and meeting Carol.  After our tour, they had to head back to Livingston.  Tomorrow I’ll be working at the hunter’s check station.  I hope everyone remembers to “Fall Back” tonight…

_MG_9575

                                                                                THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos by you both. I love the little crab; it reminded me of the Sally Lightfoot crabs in the Galapagos. They scamper all over the place, even right over your feet if you happen to be in their 'roadway.'
    The lunch looks scrumptious too and it seems like you're all having lots of fun. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lunch sure looked yummy! What a nice day of visiting!
    I enjoyed every single picture!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd have to go along with the fried shrimp and onion rings. Very good pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That little crab is kinda cute. That is some lens. The spoonbills sure are pretty

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hmmm, on one of my trips from Dickinson to Beaumont, a couple of big pink birds flew overhead as I was on the freeway. Then I saw another at Brazo's State Park a few weeks back. Perhaps they were spoonbills? As usual, nice shots!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the crab picture. Jack has a great lens and got some terrific shots. Looked like a really delicious lunch but a LOT of food. Glad they could come by and see you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love seafood and those dishes looked amazing!!! Hope your wiper problem has been fixed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Enjoyed the post... food and wildlife.... my favorite subjects! Hunters Check Station? Deer season there?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Spoonbills are one of my favorite birds. I love the shot you got of the little crab. The lengths we have to go to get some shots, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  10. That was a lunch made for a king...and a queen!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh does those meals look yummy! I love just about anything related to seafood.
    Glad you had a wonderful day with friends...old and new

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the photo of the little crab. That lens really has some power. You may have to ask Santa for one. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Geez that was a lot of food--a good day spent with good friends.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Judy - I can't remember where or how I found your blog but have been following along and enjoying your travels along w/ you and Emma. Sorry things didn't work in Louisiana and glad you found another gig in TX. We just moved from Texas (Katy) to Louisiana (Breaux Bridge) so the areas that you've recently traveled are familiar to me! But since we've been here, I've yet to make it to Lake Martin and after reading your blog, I've GOT to get out there!!!! ( Amazing that it takes 'strangers' to get us to explore our own backyards.) Enjoy this gorgeous weather that we're having down South.......it would be nice if we can keep the temperature cool for more than a week!!!!
    Lacy

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, Judy, I think you're just going to have get one of this long lenses. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  16. That was enough food for three meals!

    I really want to see the spoonbills in person. Are they located all over the southwest or just in your area?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Howdy Judy & Emma,
    Thanx, for all of the great pics... Enjoyed the outing and lunch !!! Hope all had a HAPPY DAY !!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Is that monofilament line tangled on that little crab?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Is that monofilament line tangled on that little crab?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yes "bird picture withdrawal". That's me. Thanks for the neat fix.....:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful photos, especially the last one - Great Blue Heron I think. What a great shot! And that mess of seafood on the table was almost as good - I LOVE seafood - wish I had been there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Woow nature life. I like your photos.

    ReplyDelete