Wild and Free-Roaming?

It's not often that I'll give a WHOOP! while reading my morning newspaper, but this morning gave me one of those happy moments. Let me explain...about a week ago I read that a number of wild horses contained in BLM holding pens were going to be slaughtered because of budgetary concerns. I wrote to the BLM, our senators, our representative, even a representative from another state. I was still contemplating who else I could voice my concern to when I read in the paper this morning that Madeleine Pickens, wife of T. Boone Pickens, was going to rescue these horses. And not just the ones scheduled for the slaughter house, but *all* of the horses currently held in the holding pens - approximately 30,000 wild horses and burros! (Read a more detailed article) THANK YOU Mrs. Pickens! It's wonderful to have wealthy people with such big hearts in this world who can do such tremendous good!

I'm no expert on the wild horse issues out west, but in simple terms there appears to be some objection by private cattle ranchers to share the land with the wild horses. I came across this video that will explain more:

But this issue is not resolved. Mrs. Pickens has saved the animals currently in the holding pens, but the BLM will continue to remove others from the wild to take their place. The Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 needs to be restored.

So, if you would like to do something to help, here are some ideas:
1. Go to The Wild Horse Preservation Campaign and click on both - Take Action and Sign the Petition
2. Consider donating to one of the current wild horse sanctuaries that have been rescuing these animals over the years:
* Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary - (we've visited this sanctuary in 2005) - in Hot Springs, SD
* The Wild Horse Sanctuary - Shingletown, CA
* Return to Freedom - Lompoc, CA
I'm sure there are other sanctuaries out there, but these are three I'm aware of. Each one could use volunteers, donations of goods, or monetary donations.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about this issue.

Gator Hunting

We know we're close to home when we can go hunting for alligators. No, no, not with a gun - with a flashlight! All you have to do is take a walk along a waterway and shine your flashlight over the water. When you see a red dot, or two, or four...you found a gator(s)! Their eyes reflect red in the beam of light. We went gator hunting in Huntsville and 'caught' one. We tried again last night in the bayous of Weezeeana (we just love how the locals pronounce the name of their state).

Texas

It's been almost a week since my last post so I thought I'd update you on where we are and what's happening. Nothing too exciting. After leaving Balmorhea we spent one night in Fredericksburg...a great little town with a microbrewery and nice shops. It has definitely grown since our visit in 2004. Rumors had it that Pres. George Bush, Sr and his secret service were in town for the Veteran's Day affairs. Fredericksburg is the hometown of Admiral Nimitz.

Then we moved on for one night in Brenham before deciding to head slightly north to check out Huntsville State Park. We felt the need for some exercise and Huntsville has a trail system for hiking and biking. The park is known for its trees, so we called ahead to see if there was a possibility to get our satellite dish to work and were told that some sites are open. As soon as we drove into the park though, we knew we were in trouble. When the dish couldn't find the satellite after we first set up camp, we decided that we had to go for a bike ride before dark. Great trails! Then we tried moving the RV back and forth (in the dark) to bypass the trees in our site to see if we could find that magic spot to make the dish work. Our neighbors must've thought we were nuts! We finally gave up and realized that we couldn't stay in this beautiful park - huge campsites, ours was on the water, just a quiet and peaceful place. So bummed, but work has to come first.

So we moved again for the fourth day in a row. We couldn't go far, though, because our mail was being forwarded to Huntsville. So we're now in Willis, TX about 20 miles south of the State Park. Sometimes things happen for a reason, though. I got sick with a cold (couldn't have biked anyway) and Andy got to wash the RV (we've been trying for months to do this).

Balmorhea State Park, TX

We love Texas State Parks - they continue to please us with every visit. Not to mention they have a great informational brochure, a great website, and friendly staff. And since it takes so long to cross the state (880 miles on I-10), we find that buying the annual State Park pass saves us money. So we headed to Balmorhea to check out the spring-fed swimming pool that this State Park is known for. It was so big, I couldn't get it all in one photo. It was Texas-sized.At first glance, we were a little unsure because the concrete steps and concrete bottom were covered in algae, and it is only 72-76 degrees year-round. Chilly for us! But after walking around the pool we realized that half of it is natural, and 25' deep - rock bottom, plant life, fish, soft-shelled turtles - then we said "cool"!
Can you tell Andy was excited to check it out? We had our swim goggles with us (no snorkel gear or wetsuits) so we swam around and checked it all out. It was like swimming in the ocean at home with lots to see...well, except that we couldn't stay in too long. Thankfully the hot sun warmed us up quickly when we got out. But, boy, did it feel good to get submerged.

Canyon, TX - Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Palo Duro Canyon...We can't say enough about this place. We just love it. It's another repeat visit for us. Read the bottom of this linked page for details on our Nov '04 visit.

This visit was in springtime, whereas the last was in snowfall. We also camped in a different campground. This visit we were put in Mesquite because the rangers thought our satellite dish would get a better reception than in Hackberry. The dish did work great...until we had to lower it because of periodic wind gusts that were close to 40mph. We were too busy playing anyhow!

It only took us a minute to set up camp and start enjoying our backyard view.

We had to first shoo the wild turkey out of our driveway.

We took a hike around the campground and took in some of the views: caprocks....

Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes (this was one of three we saw in two days)...

Here's one of the cabins available to rent...

And when the sunset colors hits the canyon walls, it just glows.

Saturday we went for a bike ride through the park. Here's Andy near Capitol Peak:

And me at a lookout near Lighthouse Point.

This Horny Toad Lizard was only one of the critters we saw on our ride. Andy scared off four Javelinas crossing a drywash and we saw a rattler cornered by 6 people trying to get his picture - we warned them that it wasn't a good sign when they rattle, but you "gotta get the photo", right?!

The colors in this park are so varied: reds, purples, greys, yellows, creams. Just lovely.

Later that night we decided to go exploring. The park is completely open, which is kinda foreign to us to be able to hike anywhere we want. We decided to scramble up this wash area and we were near a crest about halfway to the rim when Andy noticed two holes in the earth near one another. After looking into the second chamber he guessed that the 6' diameter opening was hollowed out below the surface and at least 30' deep. All of a sudden the ground we were standing on didn't feel so solid. We scrambled quickly back down figuring it was not prudent to keep going up...15 minutes before sunset...and *no one* knowing where we were.

Quanah, TX - Copper Breaks State Park

We've been here before in 2005, but we've found that some places are worth visiting again and again. This State Park is one of them. On our last visit we thought it was wonderful that we were the only campers. On this visit I'm worried that, being one of 5 RVers, that this park can't maintain itself - so come visit and give them your money! It's beautiful with it's red rock canyon, ponds & lakes, and riparian areas. It's also has a small area that is like a painted desert and badlands.

This visit we caught the wildflowers in bloom. I told you we'd find some Texas Bluebonnets....

And this year, some of the Longhorn herd was near the fence for us to look at. You can also see the Yucca in bloom - we're in the desert now!












Each campsite has a tee-pee shading the picnic tables.

Being in the desert means you have to watch out for cacti. This variety is called the Horse Crippler. We figured that it could also be called a Hiker Crippler or a Mountain Bike Crippler being that it lies low in the grass with these big spines. Fortunately for us we weren't crippled on this trip!

Somehow we also missed this desert hazard while mountain biking, too. His thick body was taking up the bulk of the trail when Andy zoomed past without even knowing it. I didn't process the sighting either until after I passed him. All I could think was "yellow/black, head up, thick body...aaahh, snake!". This just proves that most wildlife won't attack unless provoked. I was within easy striking distance when I rode by.

The rains kept us from mountain biking after we arrived yesterday. And this morning, the sun rose above the mist, and slunk behind some clouds within minutes. We were afraid we wouldn't get a bike ride in on this visit. But it cleared and we had a beautiful ride:


One loop called Rocky Ledges has eroded quite a bit. What we remembered to be some easy sections were no longer doable because the erosion has changed the landscape. It is a gorgeous trail, though, so definitely worth a hike.
This part was not doable the last time, though, either!

Lewisville Lake Park Campground

We didn't spend too much time, physically, in Lewisville, but the time we did spend was just walking around the campground and enjoying the birds and the view of the lake. Here are just some of my photos...
This yellow bird was intrigued by the bright kite caught high in the tree...









This grackle caught himself a baby turtle for a snack...









I'm not sure what kind of birds these are. I think a type of swallow, but if anyone knows - please let me know!









The following pictures are of the scissor-tailed flycatcher - beautiful with their long, long forked tails and orange underparts...
























I knew this mockingbird was up to something...they always are, aren't they? So I waited for him to pounce on this unsuspecting squirrel.

















A female grackle was trying to collect some material for her nest. She struggled with this ball of fishing line before finally giving up and taking a piece of grass instead. I thought I would have to do a rescue if she got herself tangled during her dancing...














Here are some general photos from the campground. It was a nice place to stay:




















There was a rock garden...reminded me of picking out shapes in clouds. What does this look like to you?

Texas Tornadoes vs. Florida Hurricanes

The night before flying out to Philly was a scary night. The local news stations took over the TV channels with up-to-the-minute news tracking all of the tornado sightings in the area. When a tornado was sighted they would give the next town a five-minute warning to find shelter. The storms were moving at 40 mph. Winds were around 60 mph. We experienced some small hail. With such short notice for us to run to the only non-mobile shelter (the public bathrooms), we ended up getting dressed and putting on shoes in order to be ready to run if necessary. I'm not sure I could live like that. I prefer having my 5-days notice and I could fly out of the area if I choose.

Lewisville, TX

We arrived in Lewisville today. It's just outside Dallas, near the airport. We'll be flying to Philly on Wednesday so I'm not sure how much you'll hear from us in the next week.
Once we return we're thinking of revisiting some of the great Texas State Parks like Caprocks, Copper Breaks, and Palo Duro. We would've liked to visit different parks, but we need to head northwest and make some distance. We've scheduled to attend an Options Trading class in Las Vegas on May 14th. Doesn't give us much time to explore between here and there.

Tyler, TX - Biking

Biking in Tyler State Park (map) was as great as we remembered it. There are several loop trails and if you start with EZ, then A, then B, and so forth, you'll be increasing your level of difficulty. I prefer it that way - it gives me a chance to get on, what I call, my "biking legs". Loop C is the hardest we have taken on. Partly because by the time you reach 'C' you've already gone quite a distance and you know you have to bike the same distance back. Today I was exhausted by the time I reached "C"...I'm so out of shape! It's a fast and furious forest trail. Not too technical til you reach Loop C. We have yet to dare to do the expert Loop D. I forgot how tiring even going downhill can be. On a road bike you coast downhill, on a mountain bike you have to stand off of your seat, keep your balance, grip your handlebars to keep control, and every muscle is pretty tight...all while trying to stay "loose".
Occasionally they would add man-made challenges along the trail:
But, no matter what, these types of signs are definitely not comforting!
There are at least 7 evacuation zones that I saw.

Whether mountain biking or road biking in the Tyler area, check out the Tyler Bike Club's website for Places to Ride.

Tyler, TX - Tiger Creek Refuge

Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge takes in unwanted or abused big cats...like tigers, lions, leopards, and even some little ones, like bobcats. They currently have 38 cats under their care. Some have come from a drive-thru safari where the animals were not taken care of properly. Some come from private individuals who adopt these exotic animals without realizing that within two years they can grow to 400+ pounds. Some from people who try to make money showing the animals, but don't feed them or care for them.

But the interesting comparison was the story of one tiger who came from Barnum & Bailey Circus (the tiger couldn't get along with any of the other tigers) and the two who came from Neverland (yes, Michael Jackson's ranch). Barnum & Bailey gave enough of a donation to the refuge to cover the animal's expenses for its lifetime. Michael? Gave nothing.

Tyler, TX - Goodman House

In downtown Tyler was the historic Goodman House. We stopped in for a quick tour.

I loved this hand-painted ceiling in the one room...

Almost all of the furniture was original. The owners of the home bequethed the home and land to the city in the 1930's. Including everything in it.

Tyler, TX - Rose Garden

The City of Tyler offers the largest rose garden in the country. 38,000 plants and 500 varieties of roses. And it's free. There's not much left in the world that is offered for free. It was a beautiful garden. I don't know how anyone who wants to plant a rose bush could begin to decide on which variety they'd want. Perhaps some people choose by the name - like the "Betty Boop" rose?



In addition to the roses, they also had a Camellia garden and then another garden with perennials. This might not be a rose, but I thought it was worth a picture.

They also offered a Rose Museum which displayed the dresses worn by the Rose Queen from all the years that Tyler held the Rose Festival. The museum also covers the history of roses in Tyler. But there's only so much I can subject Andy to.
The one thing that did perplex us, is that we expected to see rose bushes throughout the city. But not the case. Huh.

Tyler, TX - Caldwell Zoo

We don't visit a lot of zoos. We tend to feel too sorry for the caged animals. But the write-up on this small zoo was enticing, and we do love to see different animals. Caldwell Zoo was very nice. The habitats were quite natural with lots of shade, water, trees, rocks, etc. We enjoyed our visit.

Some of our highlights were watching two bengal tiger cubs (one-year old and a couple hundred pounds already) rough-housing. They stalked eachother, played in the pond, and just acted like children. The other highlight was the giraffe who hung his head over the 15-foot fence. Some people thought he was saying hello, but we knew better - he wanted the bamboo plant on our side...so, I pushed it closer to him! Boy do they have long tongues!

I put my pictures on Picasa WebAlbums - click on this link to see more photos:
Caldwell Zoo Web Album

Tyler, TX - Tyler State Park

The last time we stopped at Tyler State Park, we only had one night. We never even detached our toad. We had written in our blog and journal that we'd like to come back to see more of this area. The State Park is full (no RV sites), but we got into an RV Park just a few miles away. After closing the market on Friday, we went into the State Park just to walk the nature trails. One of the trails loops the lake. It's hilly and there are lots of trees. Just a wonderfully peaceful place.



Can't wait to do some mountain biking in here.