Showing posts with label Navy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Navy. Show all posts



§ Smiley Face: Face to "Face"...


It's been typical wintry days here the past week or so. Damp, gray, dismal, and chilly! We are supposed to have a warm-up, with clearing skies for a couple of days, only to have another cold front move in for the week's end. Needless to say, I'm not getting the walking in that I should be doing. Sunday morning, tho, I had to get to the store for milk [if they had it in the coolers] so, I opted to stop along Ocean Drive and walk along the road to the Army/Navy base and peruse the mudflats for wintering waterfowl. I spotted hundreds of skimmers and brown pelicans, gulls, godwits, herons, grackles, sandpipers, dowitchers, terns, ducks, egrets, stilts, willets, and more birds. This is what else I saw...

Intermittent sun trying to come out, fog, nature's winter kill on many plants and wildflowers, etc.:


...as I walked, I could see in front of me, along the bay's shore, fog rolling in. It was swirling rapidly toward my face....beautiful!!

When, I was done, and my outer garment was damp with dew and clinging to me, my shoes heavily laden with mud from walking the mudflats, I headed toward the road to clean my shoes before getting in the car, only to sit on a boulder along the roadside, looking down, face to "face" [literally] with a saltwater, soaked, piece of plywood. Can you see the smiley face?!! I took it home. I would like to think it's a good omen for days to come!?!!
As the wood is drying out in the garage as of Sunday, I am inspecting it...no, it's NOT something carved in the wood...it's a natural phenomenon!! Eventually, I will clean it up, shellac it, and have it hung on the wall somewhere to remind me of a happy day ahead!!



§ NAS and Going on a Break...


The following morning after the storm that flooded the city, the sun broke over the cloudless horizon. I was elated. Tho, I should've stayed home and prepared Erik's room for when he arrives Friday, I just couldn't resist getting outdoors again. I knew the islands would still be flooded [the park highway to Port A was closed Wednesday for a long time, and I assumed there'd still be some standing water], so I opted to go along the shore on Ocean Drive. Again, near the Naval Air Station. I figured the mudflats would be full of water and I was pretty sure there wouldn't be too much in the birding realm since deep water is only for waders, but I could get a good 3 mile walk one way there. At times, before I crossed the bridge about halfway to the Navy Gate, I had to walk down the center of the four lane highway [two directions]. Right smack dab on the yellow dividing line. Standing water on both sides!! This air base is a Naval Flight Training School for the most part, and the pilots and staff [both military and civil service] drive 60 in a 40 MPH zone. I was waiting to be a statistic...Headlines: "Old Lady Hit by a Private 1st Class trainee and left melting in the pool of water leftover from the May 19th Storm in the Land of Oz".

Well, I counted quite a few steps one way, enjoyed the views of the Bay waters sparkling in the morning sunshine, and walked by several fishermen/women and sighted in on a couple of plovers...on the other side. At the mudflats, egrets, herons, pelicans, gulls, avocets, willets were seen. Way off in the distance on the return base's runway, I spied a flock of terns on the shore. It was a great morning for a quiet walk. When I got back to the car, I hopped in the driver's seat and headed to the farmer's market, and then stopped at a grocery store to stock up on the staples Erik calls food!! He eats odd things and drinks smoothies that look like green slime. Doesn't smell much better either. But, I got some GOOD [unhealthy]foods for US too. We're set. The only thing yet to do is fill the air mattress that fits on the portable bed frame.
I will be taking a blog break while he is here during his Semester Break from teaching at the university. Altho I have another pre-scheduled bird photo blog set for Saturday posting. Be back shortly; in a few days. In the meantime a few more photos and another Troll Doll showcased:






My 4th Troll Share

TROLL DOLL COLLECTION
Rare Ninja

<>
c: early 70s



§ NAS Corpus Christi...


Thursday morning, it was dark, gloomy, and misty, but quite warm. I thought I'd walk a small park and then drive along the road that leads to the Navy Base. The road to the base [NAS Corpus Christi] is surrounded by water. One side, mud flats mostly [depending on the flow of the bay], while the other side is Oso Bay. Before I arrive at the first government property gate [it is accessible for about a mile to birders, fishermen, bikers, joggers] there is part of the TAMUCC [university] on Wade Island. Anyway, I drove all the way to the base's 2nd entry gate where it's guarded for access, and made my U Turn. I pulled off the road by the shoreline of Oso Bay and walked the strip of mudflats looking for shore birds. I also watched several test pilots coming in for a landing and taking off. This weekend is the airshow, so the Blue Angels have arrived and many practice runs took place. The sound of the jet engines is always thrilling for me...I never get tired of it. This year, for some unknown reason, the air show is NOT being held on the base as it has for decades. I'm thinking it's for security purposes since we had two terrorist threats the past year. It's being performed along the North Shore and Downtown Bay...wide open space more or less. As you can see the marker in the bay [photo on the right], I was wondering what that is. NEVER before has this been there....anywhere. Is it weather? Is it water level? What? I looked at several websites, even the Coast Guard water markers and found nothing to inform me. I placed it here hoping someone would know. Otherwise, it will remain a mystery.


Since I was walking in a constant mist, I only walked about 3 miles along the shore seeing many wildflowers in bloom; seeing several different species of birds and other points of interest. The day was not a good day for photography since it remained dark and sunless...




I then stopped at a small city park along the bay. Walking along, I spotted a bird perched in one of the freeze killed trees [white arrow]. I zoomed in, saw it was a green heron! Still gray and overcast, at the end of the boardwalk, even the birds were no-where to be seen. With a short step count, I headed home...




§ Make My Day -- It's A-Okay!!


Early in the morning, I drove along Shoreline Blvd. to be able to stop and watch the sunrise. Once again, tho, the sky on the eastern horizon was obscured with cloud cover, so the colors were not all that good. I got out and walked a stretch of road, off the pavement, against the rocky outcroppings and looked for shore birds and followed the progress of the cloud formations and hoping for a hint of the pink, purple and orange coloration of sky as the sun rose off the bay water. The Naval Air Station is at the end of the road, with its security gates for entrance on the grounds. The base is where they train Navy pilots...the runway was lighted. I took a photo [1st phohto].  On the opposite side of the road from the runway, dozens of fishermen [and women] were lined up tackling their gear and baiting their hooks with high hopes of a good fish fry afterward once they return to their homes.   As I counted my steps with my Samsung Health and Fitness app, this is what I saw:

The clouds....[the first one made me think of the A-OK sign you do with thumb and fingers] -It's gonna be an A-okay kinda day!!!






The birds....[altho I didn't see too many at this early hour, the usual ones in our area: pelicans, terns, egrets, willets, herons, seagulls, and turnstones, were slowly waking up and preening, resting, or hunting for fish] - I show only a few of my many photos taken.




The lensball....[I again wore Capri pants with a deep pocket so I could use my crystal ball for refractive photos of the sunrise] -Not all that impressive this day, but still, I carried it with me, I might as well make use of it while I'm out and about!!



Nearing the security gate on the military base, I reached 5000 steps. It was time to turn around and head back where I came from, making the walk about 3.5 miles. Good enough. The day was warming up and I don't do heat well; it felt good to get out of the sun and back in the coolness of the car!!!!



§ Sunflowers...



Upon cleaning out the laptop, I had several photos, taken throughout the year so far, in my picture album of sunflowers that I thought I'd take them all and compose a couple of collages! They are quite large in pixel size, so I hope it isn't too slow loading...






- - - -* * * - - - -
OPINION COLUMN
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If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
~Shakespeare



I've kinda laid back on commenting of the recent passing of Arizona's Senior Senator. Why? I don't know...the news and social media have been completely saturated with stories of his life, accolades, demeanor, family, government, piloting, POW, nemesis of political affairs, etc. etc. etc. In fact after several days of his life and short bios and biases, I was tired of it all!!!   I lived in Arizona for over a decade, I didn't like him then, and I admit I thought of him as a hate monger from the beginning...not wanting him as POTUS either;  thinking.... with him in the oval office, we would've been in a war with just about anyone at the expense of lost lives, and taxpayers' money.

He's been touted as a war hero. Shot down over Vietnam, ejecting from his plane, and being captured. For me, as someone else stated, "He's not a war hero". He was a prisoner of war. The two are totally different in my opinion. The title "Hero" would be "a person noted for courageous acts of character" such as saving lives of fellow citizens during war time, falling on a grenade to protect others, or in civilian life...helping in any way during a tragedy [for instance 911]...things like that. Being captured...that's it...P O W. He was also alumni of Annapolis....now, you wonder just how he got in? Let me take a guess...his father and grandfather were both Admirals in the Navy at Annapolis....Hmmmm, nepotism? Money talks?!!  No doubt!! Certainly, I would wager he entered the academy not by merit...but family ties. Yes, he was a pilot in the Navy. But wait...do we all forget that there was an inquiry of his jet, supposedly, starting a chain reaction explosion on the aircraft carrier, USS Forrestal? Many lives taken, and many injuries...not to mention the millions of dollars in damages to the ship, and loss of weaponry. Some say it  was possibly his prank that caused it...while the official record [according to Snopes] is totally different....no blame. Personally, I fail to believe a word of the "official record"....I think it's a Navy Cover-up!!!! Just to save the captain's ass from court martial! Among other life sentences...including our departed senator. No one will ever convince me otherwise. A couple more things, then, I'm done for good...The flag at half staff. The white house was NOT in error. When a Senator dies, the flag is lowered to half staff for 24-48 hours. By Monday following his death, the flag could go full-staff!!! Absolutely no wrong doing. [90 % of the federal buildings' flags here were not lowered]. And the week of mourning and the schedule for lying in state in AZ and Washington D.C. ---all pre-arranged by the Senator himself before passing on!!! A show case of vanity and ego if you ask me!!!


USS Forrestal Snopes Report

Flag at Half Staff Guidelines



§ By the shores of....


...Gitche Gumee? Nah....here in the Coastal Bend acutally!
Many times, I've mentioned here and on my bird photo blog about an area just outside the 'skirts' of the city, along the intercoastal waters of the Gulf ...the area is Oso Bay. For the most part, the bay is salt water, mixed with canal water from several outlets from around the city. Mostly canals and drainage from irrigation creeks. During the summer months it's quite dry. The landscape changes dramatically and the mudflats created by the high use of irrigation arise in the 'bay'. Hence, you're able to walk along the banks [traipse through mud quite often] and peruse the shores with your binoculars at all the bird life. Surrounding the bay inlet, there are two trails. On one side, an adjacent park with a short boardwalk and observation decks and a trail that winds along the Ennis Joslin Rd along the North side of the bay. On the other side, along Ocean Drive, there is a longer, paved trail that begins from the Gulf, to and around the back side of the TAMU-CC campus. [That's Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi]. But there is some history connected to this 'island'. Prior to, and during WWII, this peninsula [called an island, Ward Island to be specific] was where the original [and still very active] NAS Flight Training Center is. That's Naval Air Station. President George Bush [the older] trained here to be a Naval Aviator in the 1940s.

To cut to the background of my post, during the last couple of weeks Bud and I have frequented the area because of a special, rare, bird spotted in the area. And since the bird spotted is always too far for our binoculars to really get a good view [nearly 1/2 mile into the bay's center], we just began walking along the grassy area that borders the shore. We found a bit of history left behind!!!

The two of us figured by the location and the area's history, these are probably remnants of a foundation of perhaps barracks or a Gymnasium. Altho the site I found tells me it could be a number of facilities; perhaps hangars. The reinforced "I Beams" [the rusted metal with the "I" shape in the block is an I Beam] are encased in cement...clearly marked U S N



...as we walked along checking out all the different deterioration of some, I spotted more foundation work remnants of the air station...

Linking to: Rubbish Tuesday - Our World Tuesday



Several yards out in the bay, a Yellow Crowned Night Heron had just flown in and watched me watching it on some more naval base 'ruins'  Sorry it's a bit blurry, I was in a hurry to capture the image before it flew off at my presence.   Which it did almost instantaneously.
Normally, the water level covers this area and the remnants aren't visible....
linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday - Nature Notes


photos of aerial views of the NAS Corpus Christi are courtesy of Wikipedia via Google Image Search
...Read more history here and here

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