§ River Walk...aka "On Such a Winter's Day"

Okay, I'm all set. I talked with a representative yesterday morning and regarding hotspot for my phone that I get each month. That won't do since I use a lot more than that in HALF a month! But, with wi-fi, I can actually say I can connect from home, or ANYwhere, with a monthly allotment with my plan and not over use. So, with the help of the carrier's rep, I'm rolling in high cotton - so the saying goes. There is no way I could possibly use that amount of wi-fi's GB in a month's time. Even if Bud [which he doesn't] uses anything with wi-fi to connect to the internet to blog, etc. We also have unlimited data, text, and phone. I just wanted to make everything clear for myself and not come to find we're being charged extra by my faulty knowledge. There is no need to shut off wi-fi. Plans are different all the way around, and different carriers have different options. What works for others, may not work for me.

Now that I got that out of the way, I will share photos [including the hilly scene above, at the beginning of my post] from a river walk the other day when the sky was BLUE. As I type this up on Monday morning, we have another gray, yucky day.  But it's a calm, comfortable day.  I'm thinking March has arrived by a lamb.  Will it go out like a lion?!!  I photographed several birds that day at the pond, the river, the drip system and feeding stations; of which photos will be resized and shared on my bird photo blog in the future...

§ Riverside Park - PART II

The Guadalupe River [along the bordering property of the Riverside Park] in Victoria Texas

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The Texas Zoo
[small in area]

The animal collection is small in number, a lot by midday were well hidden in their cooler stone alcoves. ... Gray Fox, Red Wolf, Ocelot, Goats, Timber Wolf, Coyote and more were 'camera shy'. Also, in the Aviary section, lots of birds...owls, cararcaras, parrots, spoonbills, ducks, peafowl and more.

...this is my FAVORITE PHOTO of the zoo!!! To me, it speaks volumes...




RIVERSIDE PARK - part 1

§ 660 Acre Park in Victoria Texas

There are several historical signs such as this one seen below, in the park...


MARGARET THERESA ROBERTSON WRIGHT, the "Mother of Texas"

Margaret Theresa Robertson Wright was born in New Orleans in 1789 to a French Mother and English father. In 1805 at the age of 16, she married James Williams Hayes and settled in Opelousas, Louisiana with whom she had two daughters and a son before Hayes died in the War of 1812. She eventually arrived in Texas and surviving another marriage and having two more daughters, she became a part of the De Leon Colony. It was during the Texas Revolution that she earned a reputation for courage by secretly aiding survivors of the Goliad Massacre. Hiding William L. Hunter, who made his way to her ranch, she took care of him until after the Battle of San Jacinto. She also located other hidden refugees while pretending to go for water at the Guadalupe River. There she secretly supplied them with food, medicine and even a gun she stole from Mexican soldiers encamped on her land. She would hide these articles in a water pail and the Goliad survivors would leave her notes. She did this until the men were well enough to join up with the Texas army. Sam Houston while delivering a gubernatorial campaign speech cited Margaret Wright's heroism and called her the "Mother of Texas" for the outstanding bravery and care she had given the Goliad survivors in their darkest hour of need.

Margaret's story, however, does not end there. Her marriage to John David Wright was not a happy one. In fact, he abandoned her to seek shelter in the Rio Grande Valley in order to escape an old debt incurred in Mississippi. Upon hearing of her land acquisitions and subsequent deeding a portion of them to her son Peter Hays, he sought to nullify her actions in court. But the court ruled he had abandoned his wife and granted her possibly the first divorce issued in the State of Texas. Unfortunately, Peter was shortly thereafter, ambushed and killed with John David Wright suspected of the murder. Margaret eventually sold her ranch and moved to Victoria, where in October of 1878, she died and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

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The Trail and golf course...









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Duck Pond and Fountain - and cypress tree KNEES -link

...besides the fountain and pond, golf course and nature trail, in the park there are picnic areas galore, a memorial rose garden, a disc golf track, ball field, stadium, historical homes around the edge, historical cemetery, river [guadalupe river], and zoo.

I'll conclude my photo album in the upcoming post...the river and the small zoo.

§ Rainy Travel Day...

Imagine traveling down the interstate, with posted speed limit of 75MPH...when all of a sudden a Summer Storm hits the area! Within seconds, the heavy traffic volume was creeping at 20MPH, if that fast. The rain was so heavy, the windshield wipers at high wasn't helping the vision at all. The front of my own car wasn't visible!! Thankfully, no major accidents. The drivers had enough sense to SLOW DOWN. Of course, I happened to be the designated driver. After arriving safely back in Corpus, we stopped at the Texas Road House for BBQ and a frozen margarita [or two!]

Early in the morning, Friday, we decided to take a drive to Victoria, Texas. There was cloud cover, the temperature was comfortable. It's nearly 100 miles from home, and there were early morning showers near a small town of Refugio, Texas [normally this is a 'hot spot' for rain, so wasn't unexpected]. The drizzle lasted up until we left Victoria to head home. We went shopping, and stopped by the beautiful Riverside park in town [Victoria] to walk around a bit. And that we did...just a bit... Not much walking!!  Afterall, the rain remained and neither of us wanted to get soaked. But it's such a fantastic park!! Heavily wooded, paved hiking trails, ball parks, a small zoo, playgrounds, an historic home, and Pumphouse turned into a restaurant, duck pond, golf course. Oh and the ever-winding Guadalupe River!!

We heard quite a few birds, but being overcast, the lighting just wasn't right to even think of searching for photo ops. They would've been all silhouette images, and unidentifiable feathered creatures. But, while at the pond, I did take some photos. While driving through the heavily wooded areas, we saw a LOT of white tailed deer. From does, to bucks and a few fawns!

For loading time considered, the images, all but two,  I share today will be small in pixel size. You can enlarge them by clicking on the images if you choose!! Here is a trek through the park in the misty morning air. From the duck pond and the birds in that vicinity, to the playground, around the river bend, and through the woods to the golf course...

Black Vulture, White Tailed Deer, Guadalupe River, Black Bellied Whistling Ducks, Riverboat History, Playground, Duck Pond, Fountain, Gazebo, Cypress Tree, Cardinal, Golden Fronted Woodpecker