Tuesday, January 22, 2013
leftover photo- Glacier
I am having difficulties uploading the pictures that I wanted to show you; but I came across this one from Glacier National Park, and couldn't resist. Do we look like tourists or what ?
Later, Marilyn
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
sandhill cranes
Here on Galveston Island, spent the day out birdwatching (a really successful location to do that)... but the emphasis is on the cranes and hawks this time of year.
My favorite all-time bird here is the brown pelican, which right now is not so much in evidence .... don't know if the cold weather has them hunkered down somewhere or what, but we haven't seen the huge groups of them "gliding in formation" like we have in warmer weather. I know they haven't migrated, because they are permanent residents of the islands around here.
But this time of year a fairly large group of the migrating sandhill cranes are here on the island. And I mean they are scattered everywhere in fields (and sometimes back yards). We drove a lot of the wetland areas on the west end of the island and saw groups of from 3 to a dozen or more in many, many locations. In any given group there will be one or two lookouts, with the rest busily feeding.
We saw a lot of ducks, several hawks (redtail I think), and I saw my first rail !
We have been sitting here in one spot almost a full month now ..... using the furnace heater almost every night. Monday morning we woke up to about 40 degrees outside ...... and close to that inside.... we had run out of propane during the night. So, we stowed everything away, disconnected from the utilities, and drove the motorhome out to the west end of the island and filled up the tank.
Well, ...... the dogs know the moving drill really well .... and Bugsy especially is interested in "time and place" it seems. He monitors the front windshield, the passenger side window, and most especially the smells. It is by the smells that he can tell if we've been there before (which I really think he is interested in).
So, we packed up, drove probably 15 or so miles down the island, stopped in a campground that sold propane, then turned around and drove back. About halfway back, as we joined the seawall boulevard, Bugsy appeared to get really curious.... almost anxious, and kept looking at us "questioningly". When we turned off the seawall onto the campground road, he certainly knew where he was; seemed very happy about it ...... and told the other two dogs "hey guys, we're back".
I often wonder what they think and say to each other. I think they sometimes think we are crazy ..... but I think they really love traveling with us. I know we love having them.
FYI, we had until recent days been planning on going to Alaska this next summer ..... but we are kinda rethinking the timing ..... maybe we'll wait till 2014. I'll keep you posted.
Later, Marilyn
My favorite all-time bird here is the brown pelican, which right now is not so much in evidence .... don't know if the cold weather has them hunkered down somewhere or what, but we haven't seen the huge groups of them "gliding in formation" like we have in warmer weather. I know they haven't migrated, because they are permanent residents of the islands around here.
But this time of year a fairly large group of the migrating sandhill cranes are here on the island. And I mean they are scattered everywhere in fields (and sometimes back yards). We drove a lot of the wetland areas on the west end of the island and saw groups of from 3 to a dozen or more in many, many locations. In any given group there will be one or two lookouts, with the rest busily feeding.
We saw a lot of ducks, several hawks (redtail I think), and I saw my first rail !
We have been sitting here in one spot almost a full month now ..... using the furnace heater almost every night. Monday morning we woke up to about 40 degrees outside ...... and close to that inside.... we had run out of propane during the night. So, we stowed everything away, disconnected from the utilities, and drove the motorhome out to the west end of the island and filled up the tank.
Well, ...... the dogs know the moving drill really well .... and Bugsy especially is interested in "time and place" it seems. He monitors the front windshield, the passenger side window, and most especially the smells. It is by the smells that he can tell if we've been there before (which I really think he is interested in).
So, we packed up, drove probably 15 or so miles down the island, stopped in a campground that sold propane, then turned around and drove back. About halfway back, as we joined the seawall boulevard, Bugsy appeared to get really curious.... almost anxious, and kept looking at us "questioningly". When we turned off the seawall onto the campground road, he certainly knew where he was; seemed very happy about it ...... and told the other two dogs "hey guys, we're back".
I often wonder what they think and say to each other. I think they sometimes think we are crazy ..... but I think they really love traveling with us. I know we love having them.
FYI, we had until recent days been planning on going to Alaska this next summer ..... but we are kinda rethinking the timing ..... maybe we'll wait till 2014. I'll keep you posted.
Later, Marilyn
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wow, is it really a whole week into January ?!
We are really enjoying Galveston and being a small part of "a social scene" ...... of course, to us, more than one social outing every couple of months is big. But really, being with friends you really care about is ..... big.
Charlie has just returned from her trip to Israel.
We will stay here until Feb. 1st and move back up to Pearland for a few weeks. Plan 'right now' is leaving the area by Mar. 1st.
I thought I would use this time to show you something I didn't get a chance to when we were in Maine.
We were in downtown Bangor one day and I happened to look up on the top of a hill in the middle of town and saw a really strange looking building.... looked more or less like a giant wedding cake. We set off to find our way up there... when we got closer it just looked like a big mansion:
...............well, the "insert image" button is not working again ..... ? so, I'll show you the wedding cake another time.
anyway, it was a standpipe water tower. The tank was enclosed by a round building with wooden shake shingles on it, a balcony around the top .... it was really a nice looking "water tower". Also, it is on the National Register of Historic Places, because it was built in 1897 and was considered a real feat of engineering at the time.
Say, what about this r-a-i-n we are having ? ........ Charlie and I did a jigsaw puzzle today up in the clubhouse (while the laundry was going). Vera just returned from a quick trip over to Delta Downs with another friend who lives here in Galveston.
More later, Marilyn
We are really enjoying Galveston and being a small part of "a social scene" ...... of course, to us, more than one social outing every couple of months is big. But really, being with friends you really care about is ..... big.
Charlie has just returned from her trip to Israel.
We will stay here until Feb. 1st and move back up to Pearland for a few weeks. Plan 'right now' is leaving the area by Mar. 1st.
I thought I would use this time to show you something I didn't get a chance to when we were in Maine.
We were in downtown Bangor one day and I happened to look up on the top of a hill in the middle of town and saw a really strange looking building.... looked more or less like a giant wedding cake. We set off to find our way up there... when we got closer it just looked like a big mansion:
...............well, the "insert image" button is not working again ..... ? so, I'll show you the wedding cake another time.
anyway, it was a standpipe water tower. The tank was enclosed by a round building with wooden shake shingles on it, a balcony around the top .... it was really a nice looking "water tower". Also, it is on the National Register of Historic Places, because it was built in 1897 and was considered a real feat of engineering at the time.
Say, what about this r-a-i-n we are having ? ........ Charlie and I did a jigsaw puzzle today up in the clubhouse (while the laundry was going). Vera just returned from a quick trip over to Delta Downs with another friend who lives here in Galveston.
More later, Marilyn
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