Highlights:
Ansanar Wildlife Refuge ***********
Visiting Bob's old Navy stomping grounds 
in Beeville
                                  
Gulf Coast, Texas
and a trip to Beeville (Bob's military days)

Nov. 12-13, 2008

Bob & Jenny's Cross Country Adventure
Day 87 & 88
Welcome to
Who would have thought that Texas would deliver the most exciting wildlife?  We stayed in Rockport (just north of Corpus Christi) hoping to find the Roseate Spoonbill.  The Aransas Wildlife Refuge surprised us with not only the beautiful Spoonbill but the whooping cranes, hundreds of Sandhill cranes, alligators, armadillos, carcarra, turtles, cardinals, pelicans, and many other shore birds.  

Of course, Bob pulled out his fishing gear and spent a relaxing day at the pier.  
A Crested Caracara -- 
Large hawk with a 4-foot wingspan!
Wildlife is abundant at the Aransas Wildlife Preserve.  A Roseate Spoonbill and a Great Blue Heron (above) didn't mind sharing this pond with alligators (left below).    
An audience of pelicans beg for a handout from this man cleaning his day's catch. 
Bob on the pier, hoping to catch the big one.
Up close, the pelican's colors are striking.  

There are two ducks here who seem quite content to sleep in the company of the alligators.  Can you see the three alligators? 
We have seen many armadillos along the highways. Many have been belly up dead (explaining their nickname shielded opossum) but we did see a lot of live ones out foraging without a care in the world.
Two wild pigs run for cover.
This huge Oak tree is over 1000 years old and has a 35 feet trunk circumference.  (Jenny is the speck in the background) 
This equipment was running 24/7 at the campground.  They were drilling for natural gas.  Good thing Bob had his earplugs!
Two deer
Bob's first apt in Beeville (upper left) was a house that had 4 apts. The apt. had 3 rooms- one main room with a bed that dropped down out of the wall, a kitchen and a bathroom. Talk about small!
As we crossed the border in Texas, we were told to detour inland before heading south because of the continuing cleanup and repairs from the recent hurricanes.