Padre Island or Bust!

Last week was the Piggy's 5th birthday!  I can hardly believe it!  A couple of weeks ago I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, and she told me she wanted to build a sand castle!  And so began the planning!  At first we were thinking of South Padre, but it is SUCH a long drive and the hotel we wanted was booked.  So we settled on a place on Padre Island up by Corpus Christi.  A win/win really as Corpus had several nice activities to add to our itinerary.

The drive out was nice, it actually RAINED the night before we left, so everything was overcast and a bit cooler and you can't beat that for traveling weather!  When we arrived, everything was still pretty cloudy.  We were too early for check-in, so we drove around the island a bit, trying to get a feel for things.  We stopped by a pier, since the kiddos have never seen a pier, much less been on one.  We were shocked to find out that this particular pier wasn't FREE!  You had to pay $2 a head to get out on it!  We paid it, just so the kids could experience it, but what a crock!  The kids were impressed by all the fishermen and the seagulls, not to mention the churning ocean water.  Since a storm had recently passed through, everything was wild out there.  It definitely gives you a healthy respect for the ocean when you see it like that.  After getting our fill of the pier, we cruised around on the beach, letting the kids get their toes in the sand.  They LOVED it!  The Piggy was all about the soft sand and the Monkey Man was all about the cool water!  It started to rain again, so we packed everyone up, headed to the hotel and got settled.  We were all hungry, so we perused the Island guides to see how the restaurants rated and decided to go to Doc's.  It was a nice looking restaurant on the bay with a great view and it was supposed to be affordable.  Well let's just say, this restaurant was the worst mistake of our trip!  The margaritas were mediocre at best, the crab cake appetizer was cold inside and our main dishes were LAME!  And if that wasn't bad enough, we were out something like $85 for this crappy meal and we only ordered 3 entrees!  The one thing that was good was the sourdough bread, but unless you want to have a great view and only eat a basket of sourdough bread, I would steer clear of this place!  Serious two thumbs down!  We would have been much better served spending $15 at Sonic and calling it a night.  On the bright side, by the time we got back to the hotel, the sunset was gorgeous!

The next morning we got up early to head to the beach.  Sadly, the Piggy had a rough morning and stayed back at the hotel with Big Daddy while the Monkey and I went to explore the Padre Island National Seashore.  

The Visitor's Center was REALLY nice here.  The rangers were very informative and more than happy to talk birds with the boy for a half an hour!  There was a little store, nice restroom facilities complete with showers and changing rooms, and the beach itself was so much nicer than the other beaches we saw on the island.  Since this is a National Park, you have to pay a fee to get in ($10 for a 7 day pass), but it was well worth it for the facilities and the cleanliness of the beach.  It was still early and still overcast when we made it down to the water, and it was pristine and there was hardly a soul in sight, other than the seagulls.

The boy decided to test out the water.

We found tons of little clams under the surface of the sand.  They were so pretty and we both just loved watching them burrow back under the sand when a wave would uncover them!

After about an hour of exploring, I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to head back into town and get the rest of my family!  It just didn't feel right without them!  By the time we returned, the sun was starting to peek through the clouds.

We munched our picnic and then it was time to explore and have fun!  By then the sun was out in full force and life was good!

Here are some of the things we found...  This is a crab hole.

 I felt the need to tell everyone to shut their crab holes quite a lot that day!

This is a Portuguese Man O' War that was washed up on the beach.

Luckily no one touched it's tentacles and therefore no one had to get peed on!  And just as an FYI, supposedly vinegar and/or meat tenderizer helps with jellyfish stings as well, which may be less messy than trying to pee on your foot!

There were sandpipers galore.

And a beautiful Great Blue Heron that seemed to just be hanging out watching what everyone was doing.  And can I just say those are some BIG damn birds!

We found ourselves a sweet, little piece of real estate, not too close to other folks and not too far from the Visitor's Center with all the facilities.

The umbrella was one of the best purchases I made before the trip ($19.99 @ Costco), along with the boogie boards.  Now if you remember from earlier, the Piggy wanted to build sand castles for her birthday.  Well as it turns out, the Piggy likes the "idea" of sand castles, but not so much the actual work!  Here she is contemplating her game plan as she goes over the blueprints in her head!

You've got to have the appropriate tools!

But reality set in fast and she lost interest in her sand castles and decided to go explore the water!  So Mama decided to build a sand turtle instead!

And just as a side note, the Visitor's Center at Malachite Beach has Kemp's Sea Turtle hatchling releases throughout the summer.  If you are lucky enough to be in town during a release date, you can call a hotline the night before to find out if the release is happening and then show up the next morning at 6:30am to witness the release!  We had hoped to see one of these, but none of the clutches were ready for release during our stay.  But for anyone interested in sea turtles, what a great opportunity!

The Monkey Man was all about learning how to boogie board, so he and his father decided to head out and try their luck in the waves.

At first he needed a little help, but before long he was goin' solo and that is pretty much where he stayed ALL DAY, which is amazing because I tried it and after about 20 minutes of getting the crap beat out of me by the waves, I was EXHAUSTED!

I made a new friend, well, maybe not a friend exactly, he laughed too much and I'm pretty sure it was at my expense!

I was in love with the pelicans, so cool and so graceful, at least in flight.

And yes, I admit it, I caught crabs at the beach!  I didn't mean to, but I just couldn't help myself!

Isn't it pretty with its bright blue legs?  It was a very nice crab, and it didn't even try to pinch me once!  I caught a sand flea too, but for some reason didn't take a picture of it, go figure?

Late afternoon we called it quits, we were all a bit burnt and crispy and completely worn out!  So we showered and packed up to head into town.  The girl at the Visitor's Center had told us that if we wanted to see dolphins we should head over to Port Aransas where the ferry is.  So we took that little drive up Mustang Island, found a little pier off the beaten path and sure enough... dolphins!

I was so happy because it wasn't just adult dolphins, there were BABIES!  They were no more than 2 or 3 ft. long and they were flipping around and splashing and just being kids!  Sadly, none of the photos turned out that well, they were just TOO fast and TOO crazy!  We did, however, get to see a pelican up close and personal!

Have I mentioned how much I adore pelicans?

We ended up having dinner at The Parrot, The Peg and The Patch in Port Aransas.  It was a cute little burger joint with outdoor seating and good service.  The teriyaki burger with pineapple was by far the best!  Poor Monkey Man had to endure me stealing bites throughout the meal!  A much better deal than stinky, ol' Doc's!

The next day was all about Corpus Christi.  We got up early and headed to the Texas State Aquarium.  The kids LOVED the dolphin exhibit!

And Merlin the otter!

But the highlight of the day was the escaped Harris Hawk!  This bird was NOT about to come down and cooperate and the staff were running around like crazy trying to nab her.  Because of her antics, the Bird of Prey show had to be canceled, but in all actuality, we got a bit of a show anyway watching her interact with Grace the Bald Eagle who was NOT happy about this hawk who kept landing on her enclosure!

And for those that haven't been to the aquarium in awhile, they have a very nice little splash pad that the kids enjoyed immensely!  On our way out of the aquarium, I stopped for a quick pic of the Lexington.

I wish we could have gone on board to see it, but alas, the fiasco at Doc's didn't leave us with the budget to see it.  Maybe next time.

We headed back to Padre Island for some souvenir shopping.  I mean really, who can resist shopping in a place with a ginormous plaster shark for a doorway?

Later that night we headed to a Corpus Christi Hooks baseball game at Whataburger Field where we managed to get front row seats right next to the home team dugout and it was Friday Night Fireworks!  Did you know that Corpus Christi was the birthplace of Whataburger?  I didn't, but I do now!

The next morning we planned to get up and head to the beach for one last hoorah, but Mother Nature had other plans.  It was pouring!  So we packed up early to head for home.  I was bummed we didn't get to make one last sand castle and I didn't get to shoot one particular photo, but hey, Corpus has been in this drought too, so badly in fact,  that many of the local birds have left due to the lack of fresh water.  So we were happy that they were getting some much needed rain.  Now if we could have managed to get it to follow us home!

We had a great time and we really did it up for my baby's birthday.  I hope she will remember all the fun we had.  I learned that my girl is a total beach bunny (she takes after her Mama!) and my son has more stamina and energy than should be humanly possible!  I also have a new found love of the Texas Coast.  Years ago, we visited Port Aransas and I was stunned to see a bunch of rednecks with their trucks backed up on the beach swilling beer and tossing trash everywhere and being that I was fresh from Oregon where the beaches are amazing and people actually pack out their trash, I was SO turned off.  I mean obviously, it has been 7 years since I set foot on a Texas beach!  But Padre Island was great, the National Seashore was beautiful and clean and I will be looking forward to going back soon!

Westcave Preserve

On Monday, the kids and I met up with our Campfire group for a guided tour of Westcave Preserve.  I have been in Austin almost 8 years and have heard of this place, but we have never made it out there, so I was excited to finally see it.  I can tell you, I was NOT disappointed!  What a beautiful place!  The Monkey Man had asked on the way out if the preserve actually had a cave, but I told him that I was pretty sure it was just a name since the preserve is west of Bee Cave.  I was wrong!  There is actually a cave!  We were so excited!

The hike itself was lovely.  The trail was thin and rough and steep at times, we had to go single file much of the way.  This would NOT be a hike for someone with mobility issues as it is not paved and definitely not wheelchair or stroller accessible.  However, the trail was completely under the canopy and on a warm November day you just couldn't have asked for a more pleasant hike!

We started our tour with a talk about the watershed and conservation followed by a game about local wildlife.  The kids had loads of fun with this one!  I was a bobcat!

Then we had a quick picnic and gathered to start our hike.  While we were gearing up some of the kids noticed this little Texas Spiny Lizard!  Isn't it cute?

Then we were off down the trail.  First stop was a lookout point where we could see the Pedernales River.

And of course, I came across a cool, dead tree!  :)

As we got a little further into the canyon the scenery began to change from live oaks and scrub brush to delicate ferns and moss.

Then we came to the waterfall.  Granted, since there has been very little rain over the past few months the waterfall itself was nothing more than a trickle, but it was really pretty!

We were able to walk up behind the falls to look out and the kids were able to see evidence that this part of the world had once been under the sea as there were seashells in rock above our heads along with layers of limestone and shale.

Then we got to enter the cave!  OK, so we're not talking Carlsbad Caverns here, it was just a small, primitive cave that was VERY damp and drippy!  The tour guide called the water droplets that landed on our heads "cave kisses".  :)  Here is a shot of a small group of stalagmites.

Honestly, this picture makes me think of the Bog of Eternal stench in the Jim Henson movie "Labyrinth"!  Hee-hee!  There were quite a few baby stalactites, they were pretty much still "soda straws".  The tour guide mentioned that this particular cave had a lot of green algae present and if you looked close you could see algae at the end of the stalactites, which we could (sorry though, it did not translate into decent pics).  She asked if we could see what was different about the stalactites with algae and I noted that they were curved and she said, "Yes, they are curved because of the algae fighting to face toward the light at the entrance of the cave."  OK, so that was one of those mind-blowing, super-awesome discoveries!  I geeked out about that all afternoon!  There was a group of nice columns

and here is a view looking out of the cave entrance.  Notice all of the algae on the formation.

I managed one last shot of the waterfall area on the way back out.  Stunning isn't it?

It was a great hike, I highly recommend it!  This place is a preserve, so you are not allowed to just hike around willy-nilly.  They offer weekday guided tours for youth groups and few guided tours on the weekend with a maximum of 30 people per tour.  The tour guides are very motivated, friendly and knowledgeable.  They say this time of the year is pretty slow and the groups stay small.  But because of them only offering guided tours a certain number of times every week, humans have not impacted this area as much as most of the state parks.  There was no litter, just a beautiful, clean preserve with clear water and big cypress trees!  So if you haven't been, take the trip and go explore!  It is well worth the hour and fifteen minute drive out there!

Great Anticipation

We are two sleeps away from our big camping trip!  We found all the gear, checked to see if everything was in good order, went to the store to make sure we have plenty of batteries and plenty of water.  I have been excited about this trip for WEEKS!  And just where are we heading?  Brazos Bend State Park!  I have been wanting to go to this particular park for a couple of years now.  It boasts a large array of critters such as North American River Otters, gray fox, spoonbills and of course a large population of American Alligators!!!  (Needless to say, children will be monitored closely and pipsqueak dogs will be leashed or tethered in full view at ALL times!)  Another big perk is the George Observatory.   It opens every Saturday night for viewing through the 36", 14" and 18" telescopes!  The Monkey Man is really looking forward to stargazing!  In fact, the kids can hardly contain their excitement about this trip!  The park sounds amazing, the weather is going to be phenomenal and I can't imagine a better way to spent my weekend!  You can keep the swanky hotels in Vegas, just give me a tent, a campfire, some marshmallows and big blanket in which to snuggle with my munchkins and I will be in paradise!!  Needless to say, cameras are charged and packed and ready for action.  I can't wait to get out there and "shoot" something!!!  ;)  The Monkey Man will be in charge of one camera as it will be his "assignment" to take photos and write a journal about what we see and what we do on the trip so when we get home, he and Big Daddy can compile the official "Brazos Bend Trip Journal"!  I can't wait to see things through his eyes!  So we bid a fond farewell to Austin and the ACL Fest, you all enjoy the madness!  I will be enjoying the crackle of the campfire and the croaking of the bullfrogs!

I finally got all my ducks in a row!

Literally!
Took the kids to the duck pond today and just couldn't resist posting this pic!

How do I know summer is right around the corner?

-It's getting freakin' hot and humid!

-FIRE ANTS! Blech!
-Beautiful moths in my garden!
-Flowers!
-My first eggplant of the year! It's still tiny but isn't it gorgeous?
-And the number one reason I know it's almost summer... tomatoes, people, it's all about the tomatoes! And yes, I will be eating these little beauties tonight!

Parlsey surprise!

I went out this morning to check on the garden. Making sure the pole beans are grabbing onto their wire, making sure I don't have any major infestations, seeing how the new seedlings are doing. On the way in, I leaned over to check on my parsley and lemon balm and lo and behold, look what I found...

Isn't it gorgeous? Upon further inspection 3 of these were found...

The kids adore them which of course means that within 30 minutes from finding them I was constructing this...
A dog food dish filled with soil and 2 parsley transplants neatly tucked into a butterfly habitat! So here we go again! My best guess is they are what is commonly referred to as a "parsley worm" which turns into some sub-species of Black Swallowtail butterfly. We'll be interested to see what they become! So, one yellow woolly bear in the pupal stage in a jar on the counter and one butterfly habitat with 4 various stages of Swallowtail caterpillars! How do I get myself roped into this stuff?!? ;)

Summer Garden 2010--Off to a great start!

I planted my garden about a week before or so before I left for Kentucky. Needless to say, I was a bit worried about how my wee, little garden would fair while I was gone. Big Daddy will water it, but he doesn't check for bugs or tuck the limbs of the tomato vines back into their cages or tell them how lovely they are and how happy we'll be for their bounty! I was elated to come back to find that everything was doing great (thanks to Big Daddy AND some much needed spring rain!) I've moved things around a bit this year and rotated crops, I'm also trying out some new crops! So what have I planted this year, you ask?

First and foremost... TOMATOES!

We have 4 different varieties, one being a cherry tomato that's already full of fruit! Hee Hee!

And with the tomatoes, I have planted, 2 varieties of basil and some cilantro!

Bed #2 consists of Fairytale Eggplant, garlic (leftover from winter), pole beans which I planted all along the back of the bed and hung wire fencing for them to climb
AND... can you stand it? CORN!

Yep, those little sprouts are corn! I am SO excited! And of course a whole bed dedicated to my summer favorites, OKRA and BLACK-EYED PEAS!

Like I said, I'm trying squash again this year, but it's been pretty bleak so far. All of my yellow squash transplants keeled over and I've got 3 zucchini, one that's looking great
and two, well not so much! I replanted some yellow squash by seed, I'm going to give things about a month and if stuff isn't producing, I'll throw in a late crop of okra and black-eyed peas, cause really one can never have enough of those!

Things are thriving and I couldn't be happier! I'm hoping for high yields, NO pests, less heat and MORE good rain this year! You can be sure I'll be posting a pic of our first summer tomato as soon as it's ripe!