§ Nuttin' Important....

Not much earth shattering going on at Hootin's abode this week. In fact, it's been too quiet. I'm not going anywhere much 'cause by the time the sun is getting ready to rise, the temps are climbing. This Saturday it's predicted to get a heat index of 110°F, so I will continue to stay home for the most part; do laundry, dust, and maybe vacuum. That's a dangerous heat index and it's kinda scary!! It's the first week in MAY!!!! That is the middle of August temps normally. I've been reading, watching game shows on TV [jeopardy only], getting a post finished and pre-scheduled to post for my bird blog. I did have another chiropractor visit on Tuesday, then, after the appointment, I went and bought me a couple of make-up bags that needed to be replaced. Priorities for the moment, tho, is stocking up on our pantry of canned goods, etc. for hurricane preparedness....menial things to be done before June [when hurricane season begins] arrives. I also need to schedule a hair cut soon!  I've put that off for some time now, and it shows.  My hair is curling where it's not supposed to curl.  lol  I filled up the car with gas the other day and it was $49.00!! When will this end? Eggs, tho it was suggested there'd be shortage of them because of the bird flu...I noticed at the store there are PLENTY of eggs! But the price per dozen has doubled. Figure that out. It's like the cost of fuel...around here [oil country] we have tons of storage tanks that hold millions of barrels each, yet the cost of gas sky-rockets?!! I could go on and on about our government and big corporations and their greed, but it's useless.  Hope this'll be the end in 2024.  I've had enough of his 'reign'.  [just my opinion!!!  I refuse to make it a huge discussion, so no need to get riled if you disagree.] I will just finish with more photos that have been on the computer for way too long [dolphins, box turtle, longhorn cattle and last - a squirrel]...

§ Off to the Park and Ranch...

Since the day was overcast, and the extreme heat of the daylight hours wouldn't be too sweltering, Bud and I took a drive to Kingsville, Texas. I wanted to go to Dick Kleberg Park in hopes of seeing a Green Jay along the trail. Of course, luck would have it, at the time we arrived there, there were hardly any birds at all. We saw flycatchers, a grebe on the lake, one black bellied whistling duck and several mockingbirds, but no jays. We also heard several golden fronted woodpeckers, and a couple flying away from us. Afterward, we then stopped at King's Ranch visitor's center on the property of the ranch, seeing wild turkeys and three of their massive, well-known cattle [a Santa Gertrudis and a Longhorn...plus what appeared to be a hybrid]. We also perused the gift shop 'cause that's what Bud wants to do...looking for any special historical books on the ranch or Old West life. Then, leaving the ranch, we stopped for lunch and headed home....getting back just before the cloud cover broke loose and dumped another 1/2 inch rain!!!

Dick Kleberg Park....






King's Ranch...


visitor's center



Longhorn, Santa Gertrudis [linked], Hybrid and same longhorn chewing its cud.

Seeing these juicy steaks on the hoof, I started getting hungry. If you're a vegetarian, sorry...the only thing grown in the ground around the ranch is cotton...I don't even know if cotton is edible...hope you brought your own brown bag! Steak and potatoes for me!!!!! Dinner bell is a'chimin'!!!!

§ December Day Trippin'

I bought a laptop! Now, it's getting used to a new-fangled keyboard, etc. Bud and I disconnected our cable altogether, and I'm now using a whole new way of connecting to the internet. After over 20 years of desktop computers, this will take time...like teaching an old dog new tricks. For one thing the 'ctrl' button is not in the same area as a desktop keyboard, and I have no mouse [which I don't want], and only the touchpad - - but I continue, for now, reaching for the mouse and it's not there. Not to mention the delete key is misplaced!! lol

Here are more photos from last week during the Christmas break:

Adult Llama

Llama calf

Erik at the Ponds

A flock of Sandhill Cranes at Chapman Ranch

Fungi

Horns cut!!  Sad...

Above the fence line...in front of the tree outcropping...Sandhill Cranes

...zooming in on the Cranes!

§ In the Company of Kings!

Texas State Historical Markers

One day, recently, it was a beautiful day. The morning was cool [for South Texas] and the sky was an indigo blue with cotton ball clouds! I hopped in the car and drove to Kingsville, Texas. Kingsville is named for Richard King and the King Ranch. The ranch land stretches from the outskirts of Corpus Christi through several counties south...from the Gulf of Mexico west through other Texas counties....covering nearly 900,000 acres...over 1200 square miles!  I stopped at Bishop, Texas along the way and walked the small town park and back through the creek bottom in search for birds.  I spotted egrets, herons, kingfishers, whistling ducks, and a couple of lark sparrows.

At Kingsville my first stop was the ranch's visitor's center.  They have lots of history books, several feeding stations for birds, etc.  I walked the center's grounds and only saw doves...I was hoping to see the Texas's Green Jay, but it wasn't in the books.  Oh, but I saw some long horn cattle!!!

Another breed of cattle started by the King Ranch [recognized by USDA in 1940], origins of mixing Brahman and Short horns in 1918,  is the Santa Gertrudis -first photo- and a Longhorn -second photo-


A Longhorn and the original King Ranch Chuck Wagon



A man made brook at the Visitor's Center


A replica [?] of a ranch bunk house



The Flying "W" is the King Ranch Brand and looking out on the ranch land for as far as you can see!

Kingsville is also home of the United States Naval Training Base...once the pilot trainers graduate from Corpus Christi NAS, they move on to Kingsville NAS to train flying jets...

After about an hour there, I drove to Dick Kleberg [Dick Kleberg was a son-in-law of Richard King] Park.  Woodpeckers, shrikes, and gulls were the only species there...I continued to walk raising my step count before returning home...

§ Sunday Driver!!

Stopping at the traffic light for it to turn green...
the sun was rising

Early Sunday morning I drove to the wildlife refuge in town to get an update on the Anhingas. When I first arrived neither of the two could be seen. I was a bit disappointed in thinking they 'flew the coop'! I continued walking down the boardwalk to the bay water and was transfixed by the sparkling water and morning sun.  The 'peppery-looking' specks in the low lying clouds just above the bay water are seagulls in flight....

The sea breeze was quite calm, tho the temperature was cool for a South Texas resident, it was still in the mid 60s.

Returning to the Ahinga spot I found the female, tho she quickly dropped down into the brush. So, at least they were still there. I felt some relief.

I headed to the pond in the park, and watched the cormorants, the ducks and egrets. On the way a beautiful honeysuckle blossom caught my eye...

I figured by now, it was useless sticking around here since not much was happening...and besides I had to get gas in the car. Driving to Flour Bluff [my favorite station], I filled the tank and decided to get back home and take the long way around. I drove south, in the direction of Yorktown Blvd. and the back side of the city. I stopped to take a photo of the cattle on Caribbean Rd...

...down to Yorktown Blvd., stopping in Bill Witt City Park. The area was quiet but for a few curlews...

...arriving home, pulling in the driveway, I spotted a Cooper's Hawk in the Pecan tree!!  I really didn't need to leave home, the birds come to me.  lol