Happy Earth Day

 

In this flowerpot is the calendula plant I got at the botanical gardens in Houston, Texas. The calendula is surrounded by sweet peas which are growing up the trellis I made out of yard sticks and string. I got the sweet pea seeds at the seed exchange at the public library in Seabrook, Texas. The highest vine grew 2 inches overnight. I put a piece of cloth in a plastic jug and water moves through the cloth from the jug to the soil.

Road Trip Map

 Here is an approximate map of the road trip. On, Jan. 3, I started in Duluth. I stayed in Des Moines, Iowa. January 5 and 6th I stayed in Independence, Kansas. I stayed in San Leon, Texas from Jan. 7 to Feb. 7th. Feb. 7th I moved to Lake Jackson, Texas for 2 nights. Feb. 8 to Feb. 13 I stayed in Austin, Texas. Feb. 14 to Feb. 27 I stayed on a Longhorn ranch in San Antonio. Feb. 28 until March 1st I stayed in Little Rock, Arkansas. March 1st to 3rd I stayed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. March 3rd to March 5th I stayed in Topeka, Kansas. March 5 to March 7th I stayed in Kearney, Nebraska. March 7th to March 11 I stayed in Minneapolis. Now I am home. A winter storm warning advises me to stay off the roads until Monday morning. Overall I would say it was a successful road trip. I had fun. I learned. I adapted. I solved problems. I figured things out. I saw lots of nature and birds. I met many fascinating people.

Home

 

Isn't There A Bush I Can Hide Behind?

Made it to Arkansas! Yeah!

I was talking on the phone with my friend when I had to pull off Highway 35 to use the facilities. She asks if there is a bush I can hide behind. I find a nice bathroom at a soccer field instead.

 

Japanese Garden San Antonio

This is the sunset. This morning I drove 20 minutes to have breakfast with one of my Girl Scout's mother. We had a protein shake at the PCA company she now owns. She hasn't changed a bit. She was doing payroll on Sunday while the office is quiet.

This sparrow joined me at a deli where I had tomato basic soup and an avocado sandwich.

I drove to the Japanese Garden which was a 10 minute drive from her company.

Afterwards I noticed fancy cars go by so I followed them.

This 5 inch bug was on the bathroom wall.

I walked past the zoo but did not go in.

A family was going overboard on a 1 year old's birthday party. Mickey Mouse themed party included a bouncy house. He was a cute baby though.

What a beautiful place. I scanned a QR code and listened to Japanese music. I tried an immersive experience. I colored a lily pad and dropped it in the water.

I took a picture of a family. They took a picture of me. One kid said, "Stop instragramming us all the time." I laughed at that.

I am glad I came. No entrance fee here. I didn't eat at the restaurant though. I ate elsewhere.

My car is mostly packed. Ready to hit the road tomorrow.

 

Talkative Red Shouldered Hawk

This morning I hung my clean laundry to dry outside. Then I went for a walk on my dirt road. This road is gravel and has farms. One block over is a road with side walks and huge mansions. This red shouldered hawk was calling. Here it is after leaving the telephone pole.

Here it is before it flew away.

Later I walked past these ducks in another part of town.

I found a greenway to walk on. I left the paved path and took a bicycle path which went down into a ravine and back up again. When I took this picture of the mostly dry gulch I was standing on a bridge. You can see a little pond of water at the top.

 

Ferruginous Hawk!

For some reason I was awake at 6:15 a.m. Shocker there. I made it to the Government Canyon park by 7:30. This is an 8 mile drive for me. I paid 6 dollars to get in. I ask the woman in the booth where I can see a road runner. She says on the road. Makes sense why they call it a roadrunner. Did you know that armadillos are almost blind? No wonder they get killed by cars. I saw a dead deer on the road this morning.

I walked around the birding area for an hour. When I got back to the visitor area an older man approached me. He told me some things like he is sure a golden cheeked warbler is in here already because they don't read the guide books. He said this area is like the toilet bowl of the world for birds. I have thought about this for more minutes than I wanted to but I still have no idea what that means. This former green beret who had a hunk of his ear sliced off with a machete in Kenya by a poacher is a talker. He said some veterans have PTSD. He has too much coffee and too much talking!

The speed limit here in 20 miles per hour. I drive with the radio off and the passenger window open. I hope to see a crested caracara, a roadrunner, a coyote, a bobcat and an armadillo. I drive through the campground. This would be a swell campground to be a host. Guldarnit! There he is again and he is waving me over. He talked for another 10 minutes. I am so avoiding him from now on.

I hike the Lytle trail for 5 miles. I am liking the lichen. Would I like the lichen? No I would not lick the lichen.

My boot still has mud from the Colorado River on it.

A black tipped titmouse! I also saw white throated sparrows, white crowned sparrows, Carolina wrens, Northern Cardinals, vultures, a ferruginous hawk, a white eyed vireo and tufted titmouse's (titmice?)

There was a beginner bird walk for women tomorrow morning but the class was already full.

I would have voted for this guy.

 

Enjoy The Warmth

Today I visited the police department. I called the police department 4 times. Annoyed and frustrated I called the supervisor to complain. All I got was one department pointing fingers at each other. At 6:30 PM my brother reports the file went through. Now they can START looking for it. This is unacceptable. Then I went to the post office which was super busy because of President's Day. After that I had a delicious lunch of roasted tomato soup and a spicy tofu/kale/grape wrap which ended up being both my lunch and supper. After lunch I went for a walk Friedrich Wilderness Park. But I forgot my sun shirt. I went into the nature center instead. A group of 12 year olds were eating outside. Before I reached the door a man greeted me with a smile. I introduced myself and mentioned I was a MN Master Naturalist. He was very friendly. He introduced himself as a Master Naturalist and the other two ladies too. They were about to have a nature photography class. I asked if I could watch. I watched for 20 minutes.

The kids were restless but they listened up when they learned they could win 300 dollars in green cash and it would go to them. Not to the parents. Not to the school. To you. Their photos were excellent.

Driving home I stopped at this VW dealer. I thought a beetle would get way better gas mileage than it does.

I ate my supper at another park and drove home. I walked this dirt road hoping for a break in the trees. I missed the reddest part of the sunset by 2 minutes. Earlier I sat in the hammock and spoke with Patty, my insurance adjustor. Patty's great. If Patty says she will do something it will get done.  Patty says I should enjoy the warmth because the weather is cold there.

 

Isn't This Cool?

Today I was smart and took a picture of the neighborhood and dropped a pin on my location. At the end of the day I could not find the pin.

Al picked me up and with two other couples we took off in a 12 passenger van took off to visit 4 missions.

This hole in the ceiling was to allow smoke and heat to leave. When rain fell it was time for everybody to take a shower. The inhabitants were 4 foot tall on average. Average life span at that time was 35 to 40 years. This San Juan mission was built by the locals and the Spaniards in the 1600's. The walls have 3 layers of rock to keep in cold in the summer and keep heat in the winter.

"Isn't that cool?: asks Al. By the 100th time he asks the same question I am getting a tad annoyed.

Some of the four missions were National Parks. Some were UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Some were both.

The couple from Michigan were taking more pictures than I am.

Isn't this baptismal fount cool?

The churches have to be active to be in both a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Descendants of the original parishioners live near here and Al's brother is their pastor. Some services are streamed live. I am going to have to look into that. the acoustics are so good his brother usually doesn't use a microphone.

Here is some of the original facia.

Original wood is on this door. I feel honored to touch it.

This is cool!

Their little beds.

This is a diorama of the church inside the church. Al opened the window for us. He has good photography ideas.

A Northern Cardinal threw himself at the window. Al says it happens every time he comes. Will someone please put a window cling on the window?

I did not know that the Franciscan Fathers shaved a bald circle on top of their head because they wanted to simulate Jesus' crown of thorns.

The flowers at the final mission. This is where Pope John Paul visited in the 1970;s,

This is at the National Park where the Park Ranger told me the short tree with purple flowers that I see around here is a Mountain Laurel.

I mentioned to the woman there that this was a beautiful church. She said Pope John Paul visited. The Papal flag flies outside.

 

Here is the crucifix from the Pope.