Green Sea Turtle Release

Texas week 4 blog 1-25 thru 1-31

After my Florida trip, I was exhausted...We continued into week 4 on Padre Island National Seashore! We are here til Sunday, which will be 2 weeks. Now we can go where we please, and we talked about where next? South Padre was the plan, but we LOVED Big Bend last year, so that's where we are going for 2 weeks (Chisos Mountains)! The weather is getting warmer on Padre Island, but I'm still in pants. When the sun goes down, it's cool! Just about every day, we drive down the beach (you can go 60 miles)...15 miles on Sunday, 5 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Tuesday. We also visit Bird Island Beach (yes, that's the name for REAL!) so we can get a signal to make calls (about 5 miles away). A REDDISH EGRET flew right in front of me when I was walking! We met a nice couple from Kansas (DJ and Betty) and their dog Libby. We looked for the American Oystercatcher that I saw on the way to the airport, but have not found it yet! We had lunch at Rudy's BBQ (a very good cafeteria-like restaurant that serves brisket so tender)! We saw a Coyote running beside the road one day, and a male and female Northern Bobwhite crossing in front of us also!

We learned about the Green Sea turtle release from the park host that was held on Wednesday at 2pm. First day I could wear shorts and sandals...75 degrees! We got to the beach early and they set up ropes. 244 Green Sea Turtles (not hatchlings – full grown...). These turtles got too cold in Laguna Madre so they were rescued and given rehab for a few weeks until the waters warmed up. Lots of volunteers, including Sea Life Center, ARK, National Park Service, and Coast Guard young men took each turtle to the Gulf of Mexico right in front of us and put them gently in the water. It was funny...some of the turtles were slapping the releaser's hands trying to swim because they smelled the salt water. I also saw Snowy Plovers on the beach, but no Piping Plovers (yet). David went to the Ranger talk and got a starfish from him. He also learned about 25 miles down the beach, there is nothing BUT shells, so we are going there on Saturday with the Kansas couple and, of course, Festus. Friday will be cooler (61) so we will do laundry that day.

Here is this week's blog from Festus' point of view: Well, we have been at this place for a long time. It seems like every “older” person here has a dog! I saw a Gray Parrot and two cats too (I miss my Sally Sue). I go out, come in and get a treat (over and over and over). Me and Mom had ice cream only once so far! I love ice cream :) Mom went away for a few days and it was NICE! Dad entertained me very well...Dad and Mom went to see the turtles, but I had to stay at the trailer. Oh well, I had a nice nap. I miss my naps with Sally at home every day, but this is fun! I can go pee in the grass by the trailer, but there are these little burrs that get in my feet. I can only poop if Dad takes me to the beach haha. I saw the BIGGEST dog I ever saw parked close to us. Mom said it was a white Great Pyrenees. See you soon everybody!

Last day of our stay, we 3 (and J.D. and Betty) drove 25 miles down the beach and found Little Shell Beach and we were in heaven! We found so many different colored shells (I liked the orange and pink ones and got lots of them – they are already polished by the sand!). Festus got to meet a Ghost Crab (they are supposed to only go out at night – David stopped the truck to look at him and it was on between him and Festus! Got the cutest pictures too! The host told us gale force winds and very high tides were coming overnight and we were scheduled to leave the next day, so we pulled out a day early. David drove 322 miles to Del Rio, TX and we camped at Amistad overnight. We are on our way to Seminole Canyon State Park, TX on Sunday!

Statistics week 4: David drove 622 miles this week! NO new birds, but our friend Betty gave me a fish-bone head from a Hammerhead Catfish (she wasn't sure) and it looks like Jesus on the cross. God is everywhere with us (picture is on the website)!