Feeding The Ducks At The Park

A couple of Sundays ago, I thought we should go somewhere as a family and have some fun.   I didn't want to go to any of our usual places.  My daughter had attended a birthday party at a park last spring and asked if we could go there.  Bingo!!! Perfect idea.

The park has a playground next to some water where there are a lot of ducks and geese.  There are paths all around the water and areas to feed them.  We had a wonderful time.  Best of all is that we didn't even have to spend any money, just some stale bread.

Wishing On A Rainbow

It rained almost all of last weekend, but after the rains left there was a beautiful rainbow.  My daughter came running in the house all excited yelling, "Mama come quick and see the rainbow!"  So I just grabbed my iPod real quick and snapped a couple pictures. 

Rainbow is now fading away.

 

After the rainbow was gone, the sky had this cool pinkish color.

Surrounded By Nature

These are just some random nature shots I've taken.  I love all the different nature I get to see living here in Texas.   

Deer in the backyard at a friend's house in San Antonio.

Walking Sticks are so interesting looking.

Finally caught three turtles swimming at the Mustang Island Jetties.  I always try to snap a picture of them when they surface, but I usually miss them.

This is the dove that crash landed on my patio from a tree after almost being a cat's dinner.

I am not sure what kind of bird this is.  It was on the golf course and couldn't be but  a few hours old.  His feathers were still wet and  looked patchy.  

Beach Sunsets

Some beach sunset pictures I took at Padre Island, Texas.  

 

Beware of Man O' Wars On Your Beach

The main reason I moved from the midwest to south Texas is the weather and the beaches.  My family and I try to go to the beach every chance we get.  I love to walk along the water's edge and see what treasures I can find washing up.

One of the first things I was taught about the beach is to watch where you are walking.  You don't want to step on a sharp shell, a piece of broken glass, a crab or other miscellaneous items that may have washed up.  The #1 thing I am always scanning the beach for is those pretty blue balloon looking creatures. 

The Portuguese Man O' War wash up near the surf of our Texas beaches quite often.  Step on one and you will be in a lot of pain.  I always thought the man o' war was a jellyfish, but it is not.  First of all, the man o' war is not a it at all, but in fact a they.    The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together.  Man o' wars are also known as bluebottles for their purple-blue color.

The tentacles average about 30 feet in length and are covered in venom used to paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures.   For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely deadly.  Even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a sting.

To treat a man o' war sting, apply salt water.  Freshwater will just make it worse.  Then apply hot water which eases the pain.  Also do not use vinegar.

So when you see one of these lying on the beach, do not touch it, poke it or go near it.  It is much easier to walk around it.

I snapped a picture of a man o' war on my beach along with a few other pictures.  Enjoy the beach, have fun and be safe.

 

Texas Sand Fest

Every year Port Aransas, Texas is host to the Texas Sand Fest.  I love to see all the different sand sculptures, so we took a nice beach cruise to check it out.  These artists put a lot of time, patience and skill into their sand creations.  It's a talent I do not possess even a hint of. 

This is the 16th year for the event and people come from all over to either participate or just enjoy.  There are several judging categories for children, adults, amateurs and professionals.

Here are a few of my favorites of the day.  Please comment below which ones you like. 

The Beautiful Budweiser Clydesdales

Last weekend we went shoe shopping for my daughter.  We were on our way home when it was decided to hit the McDonalds drive thru.  As we were turning around, we noticed these large red Budweiser semi trucks in the mall parking lot and had to go see what was happening.  It was our lucky day.  The world renowned famous Budweiser Clydesdales were in town just for the weekend.

My daughter and I were so excited as horses are our favorite animal.  You don't realize how massive these animals are until you are right next to one.  I just think they are amazing and beautiful. 

I only had my phone with me, so did the best I could with the pictures.

Surfer Boy!

Surfer Boy

I love watching the surfers around Bob Hall Pier on Padre Island.   I always try to get some action shots.  I really try to catch them when they stand up on the board.  As usual I missed it on this one, but I still liked the shot anyway.

Walking Along Ocean Drive

Last week was Spring Break here in Corpus Christi, Texas and tourists everywhere.  The beaches were packed and traffic was backed up for miles.  So we decided to go downtown by the bay instead.  We parked on Ocean Dr. and took a walk along the water and seawall.  These are some great views we saw during our stroll.

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On The Way To The Island

 

I took this photo as we were driving across the JFK Causeway from Corpus Christi to Padre Island.  We were headed for the beach to load up the pickup with driftwood.  For some reason there was tons of wood that had just washed up on the beach. One of the reasons I moved here from Illinois, is the wonderful weather and the beach.  Well, I guess that's two reasons.  The big bonus is that you can drive down our beaches for miles and miles. Padre Island National Seashore protects the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world.  It is one of my favorite things to do. I love to see what I can find that has washed up, experience the different wildlife and just relax and enjoy nature. 

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Palms In The Wind

 

It was a pretty windy day, which is not unusual here on the Gulf coast, so I clicked the picture of the palm trees blowing.  I wish I could have taken a clearer shot, but not bad for just my ipod touch.  The sky was also a gorgeous blue this day:) 

Corpus Christi Bay

 

This was taken downtown on the bay at the t-heads.  We love to walk around and look at the beautiful sailboats and other boats.

This picture was also taken at the t-heads of a local shrimp boat that regularly docks here.

Texas Rain

We finally got some much needed rain here in south Texas.  It was quite a good down pour.  I  stepped outside and took an Instagram picture with my ipod touch.

Black And White Photos