Friday Morning Storm!

This is the week ol' Anni stays off Padre Island and Mustang Island. Tho I went there EARLY on Friday morning BEFORE all the college exams were over and the influx of Spring Break Revelers began to head out for the week's time off from classes. [The CCPD estimates over 6000 students are expected on our stretch of beaches for the week; most all drunk and disorderly]   My trip was the 2nd one since a week passed.  But, by the time I arrived, a typical Spring weather pattern loomed up in the near future...the storm clouds moved in quickly! And I do mean quickly. I arrived before 7 a.m. at my first birding stop, it was partly cloudy....balmy...a bit humid. Before I left there it was sprinkling. I headed to my 2nd stop which is a short visit 'cause it's a small area. I had plans of going to the 2 mile boardwalk at Charlie's Pasture. By the time I had ended my 2nd stop it was getting mighty dark and ominous looking overhead. Still only a few raindrops were falling. I decided to head on over to the Marine Science institute to check on the ARK [animal rehabilitation keep] before walking on the boardwalk. I stopped and checked out the injured/recouping wildlife.  There are two bird species within the compound that are rarities and injured...I wanted to see if there was any improvement in their healing process. 

[facing right - Northern Gannet and facing left - Masked Booby]
both birds are SEA Birds [rarely seen on land in USA]
that's why I'm so interested in their healing progress

I guess I stayed there far too long. I looked toward the ship channel and the black clouds were now low lying and roiling along the water's edge!! Quickly I changed my mind. I decided to head home early, before the Spring Storm. I got out of town about one mile and heading to Corpus Christi when the clouds opened up and the torrential rains fell. I had to pull off the road [construction site] and wait out the storm.  I kept myself occupied with the car phone and Bud telling me that the streets in Corpus were flooding and for me to stay put!  I played cribbage and scrabble on my phone for a while.  During the time waiting, I got two weather alerts...one told me to watch for water on roads...well duh?!!!!  The storm seemed to be letting up, so I left and began driving through the construction area along a 6 mile stretch of the island highway.  When I made it safely to the last curve on highway #361 to turn on Park RD. #22 to cross JFK Causeway, the rains had stopped.  But the horizon looking toward Corpus Christi, over the bay, looked to be still raining heavily.  I stopped for gas, and texted Bud...he said it was still flooding at our area of town.  A normal 15 mile drive from the gas station to home usually takes about 10 minutes on the freeway - Friday, it took me 35 minutes!  But, I got home...safe and sound.  I was ready for a margarita...BEFORE lunch.  lol

All the rain we've been receiving, and the drab gray skies - well, it's been good for the wildflowers. The landscape is showing lots of color!! One of my favorites is the fire wheel which can be seen just about everywhere there is an open field...

...and the yuccas are just bursting with their waxy candelabras and the acacia trees [known in Texas as Huisache Trees - pronounced wee SAH chee] are blooming!

...speaking of color, I've noticed that some of the birds are coming into breeding plumage. Even MORE color!!

[winter plumage *photo from December - comparing to the beginning of breeding colors *photo taken last week at Oso Bay Wetlands]

...needless to say, I'm now caught up on laundry while it rained continually Friday and Saturday morning, and playing with lunapic on the computer. That'll be my next post probably. No, not the dirty laundry, but the lunapic outcomes.