Gal. Vest on.

Judy, it was a pleasure being your company. Thank you for a great visit!

I'd like to show you some pictures of Emma. I'd like to, but it's not possible. Any photos you have ever seen of her have been Photoshopped.

Gal Vest On Bay.  I thought the requirement was a little arbitrary.

Definitely a bird (we spent five days on a wildlife refuge;  don't question me).

This ferry will take semis, RVs, cars, whatever.  It doesn't care!  It's a honey badger!

All this water represents the dolphins that we saw, but couldn't photograph.  Some kind of maritime law;  don't question me.

We're avoiding Houston by any possible means, and possible means we're taking Texas roads.  We passed through the hometown of Nolan Ryan!  That guy is so funny - I loved him on Whose Line.

Cowed into submission

It's fun getting visitors from Judy's blog!   Push the longhorns off the sofa and sit down.

I am Al Gore.

I am Gore Vidal.

I am Vidal Sassoon.

Do not be fooled by my kind eyes and sensuous nose.  I will ...

... walk away from trouble when I can.

The real Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge visitor's center.

The fancy visitor's center

Here's a fancy visitor.  I fear she does not take her airboat captaining seriously enough.

WARNING:  THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN BITS OF EDUCATION.  PLEASE CHEW CAREFULLY.

The pointy parts on an alligator's back are called "scutes," as in, "Scutes me, but which way is the alligator?"  They are like solar panels, and they gather warmth for the 'gator, like a hot rock massage.  Alligators have 10 fingers and eight toes, and their tracks look like this:

Here are some beautiful things we saw at Anahuac Lake:

A cypress swamp

Cedar berries?  

What is your poop du jour?  Okay, I'll have the salad.

We took ourselves down to the Bolivar Peninsula to check out the beach boondocking situation.  We like the egalitarian feel of the place.  You got something to live in?  Bring it on down and put it on sticks!



I think the Duck will fit in nicely.

Here's where we are right now, disguised as people who are contributing to society.  

Parked in the volunteer village.

Where we didn't get on the ferry to Galveston.

I have nothing else to tell you, which makes this ...

(you know it's coming)

Yep, I'm done talking, so this is ...

(there's no way to avoid it now)

I'm through writing things down, therefore this is ...

The End.

Anna Whack National Wildlife Refuge, Texas

Marshy Brady was the cute one.

We spent our first night on the prairie - WOWZERS can it storm here!  The volunteers here agreed that it was scarypants last night, which made me feel less like a pansy.  Everyone considered running for the community center except for those newcomers who didn't know about a community center.

We hold no grudges agains the Prairie, though, because it's awesome here.  And, if you're sick and tired of Judy's crisp, breathtaking, professional-grade wildlife photography, boy howdy! have you come to the right blog.

We rolled in yesterday, and Judy had a spot picked out for us.  We have a front-row view of the horizon.  I love horizons.

Solstice Sun.  

Judy, Emma and their rig.  Does the motorhome have a name, Judy?

Crawfish nest?  The heck, Texas?

Two of us are not Judy.  None of us are Emma.

Prairie seashell.  I blame Ike.

I took this picture!  I'm so proud, and I hope you see this one before you see Judy's.

Snow Geese and the Seven Other Geese

The rarely-captured Blogger

Her Weapon of Choice

This?  Not a toilet.

Safety First:  only look at the sun when reflected in a marsh.

She aims!  She shoots!  She SCORES!

We got to see some parts of Anahuac (ANa whack) National Wildlife Refuge that are only open to staff and volunteers.  Cool!   Judy knows every bird who has ever napped, snapped, or flapped on the Refuge.

Galveston Bay

Judy invited us to stay on for Christmas dinner, and we accepted with grateful hearts and drooly mouths.

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

We put Orange behind us this morning. It was a satisfying visit, and just long enough.

Then

Now 

Then

Now

Aunt Mary Ann Ellis Bland  (this will be on the exam)

Cousin Dale

Cousin Judy

Cousin Von

These are the nice cousins who were happy to see me.  The cousins who refused to see me can lick a vulture's leg (thanks, Judy!  I knew that trivia would come in handy!).

My cousins were born here, grew up here, and have never gone anywhere else.  But, ducks gotta fly!

We're on our way to Anahuac Wildlife Refuge to meet Judy and Emma!  We've been pronouncing it anna HUACK! and we'll continue to do that until Judy educates us.  We need to hurry.