ok, blog is too long!!! keeping it shorter from now on (I hope). I have only been able to wear shorts ONE day since we've left. I know you all back home are dealing with lots of snow...sorry!

Forgot to mention last week that we talked about me needing to see an ARMADILLO...so David and I drove around just before dark at Stephen F. Austin SP and I SAW ONE! Got a picture of him, but his head was always pushing the ground looking for bugs, but I got him!

I made it back to Texas on Monday, 1/27 at 9:30am and David picked me up at Houston's Bush airport. Did not find Sally and very sad. Mom said she's in the basement... I was not feeling well, so David treated me to lunch at I-Hop and then took me to Urgent Care. I have the beginning of the flu and an upper respiratory infection (thanks airplanes!) and got Tamiflu and some cough syrup. I hadn't been sick in a long time. We didn't make it back it back to Double Lakes Recreation Area til 2pm. David was understanding and I took a nap and got up in time to hear the American WOODCOCKS “peenting”. He got a photograph of one the day before, and also a BAT!

I rested on Tuesday and David did laundry. Festus is having fun chasing the birds away from the feeder (bad Festus!) LOL. I'm feeling better today. The Texas weatherman called for ICE again tomorrow and it started at our camp before dawn. We decided to pull out on Wednesday and he paid for another night. We left Double Lake Rec Area on Wed, 1/29 heading toward Lake Somerville State Park – Birch Unit. We paid for 3 nights to be close to Lexington, TX for a secret mission on Saturday. :)

This is a really nice park and the lake is HUGE! We drove around on Thursday and didn't get to all the units! Saw some shorebirds and David saw a Crested Caracara!

Ok, my work-friend Dave T's dog has a blog and Festus is jealous, so here is his take on our trip—Festus says, “I like our house on wheels and I'm getting into the routine of getting up early to go outside, then wait for the coffee, then we get dressed and most of the time I dread getting into the truck and my bed for long drives. When they get out to eat somewhere, I get locked in my carrier (for my own good, they say), and they always bring me something good back to eat! I love to smell all the different places we go and I just have to pee on everything :) Dad laughs at me! I love walking with him (Mom's too slow). I want to make friends with these big brown doggies, but Dad said no. I guess this isn't so bad, but I miss Sally...” more from him next week!

On Saturday, we got up early for David's secret mission, which was to meet up with an 82^nd Airborne Buddy, Bob, to jump out of an airplane for his 50^th birthday present! I stayed in the truck with Festus while he took a class. It was sprinkling on and off, and in the afternoon, the pilot took a test run and said the clouds were too low! So they have to reschedule for on the way back from Big Bend to meet there again. Glad they are thinking safety! My friend Rita and her husband took a live trap and set it in the basement to catch Sally. On Sunday 2/2 (Superbowl!), my Mom called all excited and said Sally was in the cage, so she brought her upstairs. Her cat was being nice so we decided to let her out and we hope they get along. Roads were bad to take her home...stay tuned! Praise God she's alive! We drove to Amistad Recreation area (381 miles from Lake Somerville) and set up camp late for 2 days ($8 :).

Statistics week 3: David drove 712 miles this week (all in Texas)! No new birds (we need to DO something about that!). Notable birds – first White Pelicans, American Pipit and Barred Owls.