Math Lesson & Ingrid and Her Bridge...

Friday morning I found myself driving to the islands, as you can see the lighted sign "The Island" as the driver drops down off the JFK Causeway. For the morning hour, it was chilly with a light breeze blowing once arriving at Port Aransas. I was thrilled to be doing something other than sitting on my rear, reading a book at home. I made it a point to check out the two birding refuges. At both I was alone because of the early time of day. I like being alone with the birds waking up and becoming active. Soon, other birders joined me in my reverie, and a Winter Texan started conversing with me standing at my side. He likes birding [his wife doesn't....I like birding, Bud, not so much.  Altho he will come with me occasionally.]. We talked on many different subjects pertaining to birds/birding. We agreed that the best movie out there of this specific interest was  the one I've mentioned here several times...THE BIG YEAR [Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson to name a few stars]. He also told me the book was better. Now, many times, I've been tempted to purchase a copy. This guy from Wisconsin convinced me. I will check our local book store in a day or two. If I can't find it, I will order from Amazon. With my help, the gentleman was pleased to learn the names of so many different birds he saw while I was there. When I left for the 2nd stop, he remained and said he'd stay there until he sighted what he wanted to see...the Cinnamon Teal [link to my photo of the teal]. I haven't seen one in about three years, so hope he was able to spot one in that area.  After my 2nd stop, I drove to the beach to walk the jetty and watch the ships, birds, and people before heading back to town and getting the daily grocery shopping done.

During the two birding treks, we birders were seeing white pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, moorhens, soras, ducks of all kinds, avocets, silts, spoonbills, grackles, wrens, the two continuing Whooping Cranes, ibis - white and white faced, grebes [the usual birds]. I most always save my bird photos for I'd Rather B Birdin' blog. At the ship channel, other than brown pelicans [a favorite], egrets, terns, and seagulls, here's what I saw:

...you see the water coming from the anchor hold on the port bow on the large tanker? [left side from the ship's bridge]  They wash the anchors off when they are hoisted up along the hull.   Anchors Aweigh is the terminology by the way.  When a ship is tied to a dock and the anchor is released this is called 'dropping anchor'.  Oh, and I asked Bud [navy] what's the difference between a conning tower and a bridge.  The conning tower was used on battleships, and destroyers mostly [some WWII aircraft carriers]...the conning tower was usually armed with guns.  Conning towers are no longer used since computers and high tech equipment.

Another notable item with tanker ships....

How much do ship anchors weigh?  From wikipedia:

Fifty-seven links, each weighing 350-pounds, make up just one 90-foot shot of chain that weighs a total of 20,500 pounds. Twelve shots of chain collectively hold a 60,000-pound anchor.

Do the math:  12 shots x 20,500 pounds equals 246,000 pounds plus the 60,000 pound anchor would be heavy!  LOL
306,000 pounds total weight [for one anchor] equals [@ 2000 pounds a ton] 153 tons.



As the ship, Ingrid from Belgium, was casting a silhouette on the Gulf waters as she sailed away, you can see a line of tankers and cargo ships waiting to enter with the help of a pilot boat guiding them through the channel. [Bud tells me sometimes those ships wait hours and up to a night and day[s] before entering the port of call]. And the drone was from the workers on shore...there is a new gas line underground and I think they were taking photos and getting coordinates and updates. At least that's MY guess.


PS...I still have many of my pencil sketches [I uploaded 100 of my drawings] to share.  But, I'm back to going outdoors now.  I will resume sharing them when I'm stuck indoors again, and nothing else to do.