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Susan Howard (Bowman)

I really enjoy reading the forum!  Most of the time it is just fun to read - then sometimes it gets somber when one of our group is suffering.  When I read it I feel close to a great group of folks!  I am in Lake City, CO, at our family cabin and have been for a couple of weeks - will be for a couple of more!  There were a lot of fires when we first arrived and quite a bit of smoke, but things are getting better.  A lot of people lost their homes and everything they have.  Reminded me a lot of the fires in Bastrop last summer - so much loss and devastation!  Another nice thing about living in Texas is that Georgetown is almost 400 miles closer to LC than Indianapollis!  Since I do most of the driving these days that is truly a blessing!

The Community Presbyterian Church, which is the oldest church on the Western Slope, has internet access for anyone and everyone.  So nice of them - they have provided it for the last few years.  There is no phone at the cabin, therefore no internet!  Just cell phones!

Just thought I would drop in and say "hi" to everyone who writes or reads the forum!  I hope to make it to Fudd's again soon - I am in Houston often but my trips never seem to coinside with the second Tuesday of the month.  Hope to make it in August!  I get in once a month to check on my mother, who is doing just great by the way.  She will be 96 in September!  She is an amazing woman!  Loved by all!  How blessed am I!!

If anyone is visiting this way let me know - you can come enjoy something cool on our deck and we even have an extra bedroom!  We also have indoor plumbing!  My cat loves it here and he might want to snuggle up during the night, but I think most of you like cats as much as Beau does!

Take care, everyone and enjoy your summer!

Richard Meek '65

Afternoon Waltripians, I soared over to the Briar Club this afternoon. Just getting in the habit of soaring. Jim Taylor and Beaucephus want me to buy a LearJet but I think I'm going to let them set the pace and be the first to buy one. Oh, back to the Briar Club. I attended a birthday celebration for a gentleman named Myron Steves. Myron owns a a company that is an insurance wholesaler. I've done business with his company for 40+ years. He's retired now and his sons and daughter run the business. Nice, nice people. Today is Myron's 100th birthday. He still drives, swims laps at the Briar Club and goes to Pilates classes. He also likes going to his beach house at Galveston. WhenI got there he was up on stage singing with a band. New Orleans Jazz. Channel 13 covered his party because back in January when we had flooding. The flood waters washed his car out of the street and up on an esplanade. One of the 13 Reports happened to be right behind him. He jumped out of his vehicle and rushed over to help Myron and make sure he wasn't hurt and his cameraman caught it all on tape. They were both there today. Anyway they couldn't get Myron's car running so a landscaper who stopped to help offered to take Myron home, about 1/2 mile. So Myron rode home in the back of the pickup (99yrs old). When I left to come back to the office he was singing and telling jokes. Quite a guy and quite an afternoon. I guess his sons Fred and Buddy and daughter Terri have a pretty good shot at living to 100. There mom lived to 96. I wouldn't mind being a 100 if I can be that physically and mentally with it. Lot of amazing things to be seen and experienced.

Keep on dancing,

Rich LH

Dance  like no one is watching

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Richard, interesting that Myron's party was also attended by part of the Steves family currently stationed in Japan.   Andrea Thrasher Steves is married to a naval officer and they came in specifically for the party.  Andrea was one of the kids of our great neighbors when we lived on the Lehman cul-de-sac in Candlelight Plaza many years ago - those "kids" are now 40. 

Susan, glad you are enjoying your time in CO and hope the fires stay away.  In June, I took some friends to my brother's vacation home in Cripple Creek - one week before the Colorado Springs fires got so  bad.  My brother went up the week after I left and he had been fearing a fire outside of Divide, but that one got put out just as the Colorado Springs fire took off.  He's fortunate that Pike's Peak is between him and that fire, so it couldn't get that far.  On my drive from Denver to Cripple Creek, we had taken the "scenic" route that follows the Platte River and goes through the Continental Divide.  But, it wasn't very scenic as the forests had been destroyed by a previous fire and everything was black and just charred.  They name those fires and there was a sign indicating the name and how much timber, etc., was destroyed.  I just read an article in today's paper that those "seasonal" firefighters just got government health insurance coverage.  Amazing they hadn't already had it with all they sacrifice for states where most of them don't even live.

Well, I'm waiting with baited breath for the photos of the "Knobby Knee Contest." 

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey Rich the LH, I was thinking about taking those pirates classes, but really dont like the ocean all that much...I'm amazed at how many people are taking pirates classes...is Paige the instructor??? And are there that many ships out there to pirate???   Oh well...

You know, you just might make it to 100 or beyond, you are amazingly well preserved for such a fine young man...

Hey Susan, your cabin in the mountings sounds great...wish I could take you up on the invite, love to see you and your cabin and the mountings and meet your cat...Bet the sunrises and sunsets are just beautiful...well shucky darn, ANY sunset and sunrise anywhere a body can witness is beautiful, eh what?  My Grandson Taylor is in Colorado at one of the YOUNG LIFE camps...he is a counselor/food server/PLO (permanent latrine orderly)...HE LOVES IT, and plans on continuing with them whilst he attends A&M, and beyond...Young Life is a Christian organization...I'm not sure which camp he is attending, but it isnt the same one as last year...

Hey Jimmie Lee, long time no hear...how you doing? There were only two corntestants for the Knobby knee corntest...seems they have rules...YA GOTTA WEAR SHORTS...the rest of us offered to take our pants off so we could compete, but the rest of the folks said NO...Oh well, It wouldnt have been fair if I'd a entered...I'm a professional, so I'd a wann that corntest...

We got rain all day and suppose to get more tonight...yeaaaa...last couple of years, as you all full well know, we couldnt buy rain...Northern Grimes county is still very dry per Dennis Hansel...he farms and ranches up there...seems like there ourghta be something we could do to hep em out...I know, as soon as Rich the LH gets that DC-3 for Paige, they can seed the clouds with nitrous oxide, or whatever you seed it with to make it rain...or make em not care...

Ok, time to deplane and hit the hay/rack...otherwise try to go to sleep...fric and frac the dogs are down, all the cats are snoring...Big olie is on our NEW TABLE, and I have warned him repeatedly to stay off...I pick him up and set him on the floor, but that bad boy just keeps getting back on it...I have written him up for bad deportment, but still he persists...I'm seriously thinking about talking to the management about his behavior...Oh wait, thats no good, I AM THE MANAGEMENT...on to plan B...hold please...your call is very important to us...blah blah blah...

Ok I'm back...just picked his big sack O bones up and set him in the Laundry basket, he likes that...no wonder my back hurts, haulin a 22 pound lump of fur around will do it everytime...

well, "trappy hails to you until we meet again"
your frien and bretheren...Beaucephus DOD/LSMFT/CIA/FBI/PDQ...ESQ

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Happy Friday the 13th!

Sorry I missed Fudd's last Tuesday, you know it takes a lot for me to miss.  Well, two hours in the dental chair did it!!

Anyway, I'm back from Kansas, then the dental horror and then Comcast issues - no cable, internet or phone since Tuesday.  The earliest they could come was yesterday afternoon.  I hope I don't hurt anyone's feeling if you work for Comcast --- but they are a pain in the b____!   I'm not even going to tell you what all I've had to go through with them, it would take too long!   My problem isn't resolved yet - having a electrician out today so will run home in the rain as soon as I hear from him.  Then Comcast will come again, oh brother!

So other than that, everything is great!   Will post Barbara's Fudd pictures as soon as I receive.

Hugs,

J

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey Jackie...we missed you, but fully understand about dental horrors...YUK...You know, if you would like to take a valium before the dentist visit, since I AM UNEMPLOYABLE, and generally just sittin around makin a mess here at the construction site, the old homestead, I CAN TAKE YOU TO THE DENTIST, AND WAIT FOR YOU AND TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN...CALL ON ME...Thats what they did when I had a heart catheter a few years back...no, not take me to the dentist, but give a valium to me before the proceedure to sort of mellow me out, so to speak...wouldnt do for a body to have a stroke and a heart attack, whilst they were being checked for heart stuff, now would it...

Ok, it is stormin somethin fierce here at the old homestead...cant even see the cement pond area it's raining so hard...filled the cement pond up yesterday and the day before, had to let about 6 inches out...looks like I'm gonna have to do that again...

Ok, so now where was I?  Oh yeah, Jackie if Ol Doc Holliday the dentist is a might unnerving, CALL ME, I will fetch and tote you to and fro that bad boy, or girl...

I checked out the "New stuff" you added, and it sure is swell...but I dont know what I want it to do for me...Maybe if it could tell me when the berled aigs were berled and ready, that would be swell...
Speakin of which, I found a boild egg slicer and sectioner hidden deep within the cabinets...I cant believe my beloved hid it from me...thats ok,  I found it, and thats whats important...

So, I broke out the eggs, and boiled one or two or a dozen, or more...maybe...anyway, that tool is so cool...(isnt that rather a coinkydink that tool and cool rhyme????) One drawback, is that you have to "deshell" em first...didnt take me long to figure that out...when DW gets home, she is of course surprised, one because I have found the "egg desheller", and the other, that I boiled so many eggs, AND sliced em and sectioned em up...to which she stated, "thats why I hid the dang thang, cause I knew you would boil and slice every egg in the county, plus now you'll probably stock the back yard with chickens...."

Oh, that hurt...and oh pooh, thats why the good Lord made chickens and boild egg slicers, so I could have something to play with..."want an egg dear"? "Say, that idear you have about gettin our own chickens is one of your best, thanks, chickens dont cost much anyway, and maybe I can find some that know how to swim, or I guess I could teach em...says I...well, the new has worn off of my "egg slicerr", literally, so on to other wonderments of the whirld...I wonder if we have a "slap chopper" or a chop slapper or slop chapper...you reckon they make a pickle slicer???...hmmmm, gonna break out the metal detector and check around the house to see what I can find...

your frien and egg slicer...Foghorn leghorn..."Ah say, AH SAY BOY, THAT THAR IS A CHICKEN HAWK..."

Susan Billings (Smock)

Beau,

So sorry to hear about Dolly. Don't check this site very often but decided to check in today. Please give Kevin & Billy a hug for me and my daughter, Jennifer Wier. I'm sure they will remember all the fun times we had camping out with "the brothers" and all the crazy, fun stuff we did in the 80's when we were all younger! Seems like just yesterday. I know that Dolly put up a good fight but cancer is a nasty beast. I've had it twice myself and "Praise God" am still here. She was a lovely lady and a great cook. I still use some of her recipes! Our memories of her will always put smiles on our faces. I know she will be missed by all.

Susan Smock

Beau Wann, Jr.

Susan, thanks for the kind words...the boys have often spoken of the fun you all had...then they would ask me if I remembered you, and I would say, of course I do, cause I did...

Ok, gonna go up to the antique mule and check on our "antique empire"...we are moving our booth, small, to another booth, larger...yup, antique typhoons,  moguls, barons, kings R us...

Havent found any new "cool tools" to hep me around the kitchen, maybe I'll get one or some whilst we are out eh what...

Oh, you know what we need to do????  Have a WABEC meeting...I missed the last one due to something...
and I know just where we can meet, besides all the other places we have met, or can meet...DEMERIS BBQ, the new DEMERIS BBQ on the feeder between old hempstead hwy and 18th st...Diane and I ate there last week, and the pulled pork sandwich was wonderful...the new digs are great too...they have a lot more stuff on the menu than they did when they were on old hempstead hwy...

see youse guys later...

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Susan,

So happy to hear from you on the forum.  Hope you'll check in with us more often.

Teddie Jordan

Just got back in town from a fishing trip and happy birthday to Lola Croom. Whatever the number is girl, and it doesn't matter, it is far surpassed by the numerical representation of your SWEETNESS!

And happy Birthday to Lynn Wren Burkhardt, the same comment definitely applies! And to the double trouble of Lynn Prewit and Robert Derrick. And to all of our class July birthdays! Like I said everyone, forget the number and just have a good day and a good year!

And good to hear from you Susan all the way up in Missouri (I've always loved the way that word sounds when it rolls off of my tongue). Please keep in touch. And other Susan up in the beautiful cool mountains of Colorado, glad the fires are about out.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Yup, couples that break up, "cant live in missouri"...At least thats what the old rock and roll songs told me...
Jimmy Clantons, "Just A Dream"..."how can I live in missouri"...what is it about missouri that doesnt allow people that have parted ways, to not live there??? Some kind of law there???

Richard Meek '65

Beau, I think a WABEC meeting sounds like a fine idea and The new Demeris' on Loop 610 Feeder sounds like a fine idea. How about July 25th at 11:30? All in favor say Aye. All opposed same Sign. The Ayes have it!

Beau Wann, Jr.

Aye yes, the eyes have it, the ides of july, eye karumba...

Good morrow mine waltripines...another dusty delta day, eh what? Ok, got my red 16ft lowboy trailer listed on craigs list...had er listed in the LEADER, but got only one call from that source...when I told em I lived around T.C. Jester and Tidwell/pinemont/antoine, that freaked em out..."well, look at the time, got to run..." Nothing wrong with our neighborhood. Not been a crime committed here since 68 when they tore the woods down and built this neighborhood.

Anyway, havent had much luck selling that wonderful red trailer...listed it on craigslist, and the folks that have responded, are some kind of "horse traders'" "wheeler Dealers" etc...they all want to know my "rock bottom price", what I have to have to move er on out, for em to take it away today"...I tell em the price on the ad is my rock bottom price. After all, it is a 2009, with less than 400 miles on it, and half of those were running empty...lights all work, tags current, clear title..."go buy a new one, same trailer, 1600 dollars"...I am just asking for the paltry sum of 1000 dollars American money...

The first guy wanted to know if I'd trade him the trailer for a pre 1920 Smith and Wesson 38 special, and two .25 caliber pistols, one a larcin and the other I dont know what, but one was missing the clip...NO THANK YOU...I have all the 38 specials I need, and dont like any caliber less than .38 special, especially wall hangers, so called collectors items...if I cant shoot it, I dont want it...unless it was one of Ranger Walkers original Colt/Walker 44 dragoon...now that I'd trade for...it's sort of worth a cool million, or hot million...

The next guy wanted to trade a couple of "box seat hip hop" tickets to the whoever in the heck was playing at the hoochie koochie theater...said they were worth 2000 bucks...Go on!!!! Really???? Man , that was real tempting, but had to say no to that swell trade...now if it would a been to the "jug, spoon, washboard, harmonica, banjo symposium, I woulda jumped at that one...

Next guy said he could be there in no time at all with 500 cash...I told him to be here whenever he could, but bring 1000 dollars cash...never heard back from him...

Another said they could let us use their time share in Iceland...Gosh, what a swell offer, but I'm gonna have to let that one pass...wont have time cause I gotta rearrange my sock drawer...

I'd take a Lear Jet for it, a DC3...P51 Mustang...no lawn chair balloons need respond...did yall see those two...er mad scientists on the weather channel???? had two lawn chairs attached to a gazillion hellium filled balloons...to descend, they had em a couple O Red Ryder BB guns to shoot the balloons...have these ol boys applied to NASA ???? Man couple O real geniuses them...

Ok, gotta run...any one need a puppy???? cute cuddlely sweet loving puppy???? My beloved found one bout a year old, a female set of BIG EARS...she is sweet and obedient too...gentle with other dogs, and loves Oliver...well, of couse, unless youre a plate full of cat food, Big Oliver doesnt pay her any mind a tall...

Diane walked the neighborhood from bout 7 till 11 last night looking for it's owner...and again this morning with Lucy, who named the pup ROSE, cause she has a rosy sunburned spot above the leathers of her nose...she also has a very short tail, and TWO HUGE EARS THAT STAND UP LIKE RADAR DISHES...

well, let me know if you need a trailer or a puppy, or both...I will throw in the puppy if you buy the trailer...aint I just a hell of a swell fellow????

gotta run, the ice cream is melting...gonna give Rose some ice cream...oh come on now, IT IS A VERY HOT DAY...ice cream is good for you and your dog...has at least 6 of the 4 food groups in it...

DOD...

Beau Wann, Jr.

Good Morrow mine goombahs...Anyone remember where the term "goombah" originated from? Probably some early comedy show on one of the two stations we had "back in the day" eh what!  Lots O goofy words and phrases have come and gone, and most of em seemed to have escaped me at this very moment. One of those "senior moments" ah suppose.

Had the most interesting offer on the "little red trailer that could" yesterday. A lady, well, a female type person, dont know if she was a lady or a madam or Ms or Mrs...Probably a Ms, judging from the offer....OH NOW CUT THAT OUT...it wasnt THAT kind of offer...Pulease...get your minds right will you!!! Ok, now where was I, oh yeah, the offer from the mysterious lady...she was pretty, however, but I'm sure her intellect was just as nice too...
She had heard my conversation with one of the other "dealers" at the antique mall about "the little red trailer that could" being for sale...

Lots of folks come in and ask if anyone wants to buy this or that, and management announces over the speakers, sometimes if it is good merchandise, just what is being offered...some lady brought in a delapidated old cardboard box with what appeared to be an old french phone...she said it came out of a "house of ill repute" in paris...Me being an expert on phones and just about anything else, laid a scrutinizing eye upon said object...
HA !!!! Says I to meself...a fake, forgery, a phoney phone...the tell tell tale was of course the logo on the bottom...
RADIO SHACK and made in Korea...thanks but no thanks...some folks seem to think everyone is as stupid as they are...

But, that wasnt the interesting offer on "the little red trailer that could"....the mysterious lady, madam, miss, ms, from the far east, or maybe far west, or coulda been far middle...north? south? anyway to make a short story EVEN LONGER...she enquired as to my asking price to which I responded, X..."Hmmm" says she! "I just happen to have something a man of your stature, a man of the whirld, just might wish to possess, a full mount WILDEBEAST that I would like to sell or trade, and your trailer sounds like a good swap".

"A what"???? says I. "Did I hear you correctly, a full mount WILDEBEAST" I asked. "Why yes" she says, "A full mount WILDEBEAST"..."They are rather expensive to full mount" she continued. Yeah, I'll just bet they are, and dangerous too. How many people does it take to hold one of those bad boys whilst some fool sits on top of it?
"No", she laughed. "This one was shot on safari, then stuffed and mounted" she continued.
"Do you have it with you" I asked? "No, as you can imagine, a full mount WILDEBEAST wont exactly fit in the standard automobile, so I will have to borrow your trailer to fetch it" she says.

You know, just last night I went to bed thinking about owning a full mount WILDEBEAST. Same thought popped into my head at first light today. Been a dream of mine, having a full mount WILDEBEAST somewhere in my home. Preferably in the entry hall, to greet guests, or scare them away, whichever comes first. I just know my lovely beloved wife, Diane Elizabeth shares that same dream...

Man, I'll bet that would freak out all the cats in the house...I can just hear big Oliver now..."yo dude, whered the full mount WILDEBEAST come from"? or words to that effect...

"Ma'am"  says I, "as much as youre offer intrigues me, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass". "this is a once in a lifetime wonderment" says her..."Yes, you are correct, but sometimes not all dreams can be realized" I added. "Well ok," she says seemingly disappointed, and turns and vanishes just as she appeard...an apparition, nay, a dream..."is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream" (EA Poe)...

Man, I really should have jumped at that bargain, but the deal breaker was taking "the little red trailer that could" to fetch the full mounted WILDEBEAST...oh well, my life long dream of owning a full mounted WILDEBEAST was almost a realization...and truth be known, I was really wanting a LIVE WILDEBEAST to inhabit the cement pond...

Well, all's well that ends well, I sold" the little red trailer that could" last night. Gave the money to my beloved to buy some more shoes...we are only knee deep in her shoes, might as well get some more...

Still have that cute cuddilwie wittle puppy up for adoption... she is sooooo cute and sweet...oh my...youse youtes are missing out on a good thing. In fact, I will go so far as to say she would make a great Therapy dog for our reading program. Maybe I'll keep her! I think Big Oliver would like tohave her. He hasnt chewed off a leg yet, but he has licked her and groomed her fur. She probably thinks she is a cat now.

Well, "sleeping beauty" my beloved, is awake...time to roust the chef out of his slumber and prepare breakfast fit for a princess...

DOD 

Post Script: The above account of one of my...er encounters with life, really did happen and is verifiable through seance with King Malcom of Scotland, or my beloved wife Diane Elizabeth, they were both present and accounted for.

Teddie Jordan

Jackie, I saw the last Fudd's pictures you posted and all I can say is YUK! Who wants to look at old men's legs and ugly knees? Alcohol must have had something to do with it.

I would much rather see pictures of all of our beautiful ladies. Maybe next we could do ladies in shorts or wet Tshirts and then when it gets cooler maybe tight jeans and sweaters?

Teddie Jordan

Well, as I kinda predicted, Fran was not too impressed with my contest ideas!

So I've got one more. How about a most beautiful grandmother in the world contest and only grandkids get to vote. I guarantee you your grandkids think that you are the most beautiful grandmother in the world and, therefore, each of you already are and will be a winner!

Johnny Sheffield

to all july birthdays. happy birthday to all.

have been out for a week and computers down here but we are back up.

johnny

Richard Meek '65

The WABEC meeting will be Wed. the 25th, 11:30 at Demeris on 610 feeder rd.across from NW mall. Black not NOT required!!!!

Richard Meek '65

Well for those of you who can join me and the Duke of DuBarry for lunch, 11:30 tomorrow at Demeris' Bar-B-Que on I-610 feeder, next to the Houston Garden Center and across the freeway from NW Mall. Tha would be between W. 18th St. and Old Hempstead Hwy. Does anyon know if there's a New Hempstead Hwy.?

DOD the white tie is a step ablove the black tie. White tie is worn with tails. Therefore you look like a butler instead of a head waiter at a fancy restaurant in your black tie and tuxedo! Got it ? There will be a test tomorrow on this!

Rich LH

Keep on dancing!

Teddie Jordan

One of the best modern wildlife conservation success stories in Texas is that of the comeback of  one of my favorite birds, the Brown Pelican. As a child visiting my grandmother down in Aransas Pass I was enthralled by their comical look. 

But their population was already in decline. In 1918 it was estimated that there were 5000 of them nesting on the Texas Coast. By 1939 there were only 1034, and sadly by 1964 there were documented only 50! The Brown Pelican was placed on the endangered species list in 1970 (don't ask me what happened to take six long years). In addition to the long term effects of man and development it is believed that the then popular pesticide DDT, widely used by farmers throughout Texas, contributed to this rapid decline. DDT was outlawed, man got a little smarter in the effects of what we did to our environment, and today Brown Pelicans are once again plentiful, with an estimated 2400 breeding pairs reported on the Texas coast in 1995.

With a six foot wingspan and a bill up to 18 inches long, they are unique and impressive birds. They are said to have one of the slowest wingbeats of any bird and are graceful fliers. They fly over the water and watch for schools of small fish, mainly Menhaden and Mullet, near the surface. The Pelicans then dive 30-60 feet into the water scooping up their prey, water and all, quickly filtering the fish and expelling the water. It is said that one can temporarily hold as much as 2 1/2 gallons of water.

From my experience fishing every year in the Aransas, Redfish, Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Baffin bay complexes, we see at least fifty to one hundred of them each day on the water. When we come in at the end of the day and clean our fish at the dock more are waiting, and thoroughly enjoy eating what we don't take of the fish. It is not uncommon to see one swallow the entire remains of a 20 inch plus trout, head, tail, skeleton, and everything left in between, in one gulp.

And I just discovered in a book today a great limerick about this awesome bird: 

        A wonderful bird is the Pelican

        His bill will hold more than his belican.

        He can take in his beak

        Food enough for a week,

        But I'm damned if I see how the helican.

By Dixon Lanier Merritt, a founding member of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.

Wayne Lake

Beau,

Regarding your furniture woes, three words: Made in China. It does not matter the manufacturer’s name or the store where purchased, it’s all made the same and the unemployment of towns like Thomasville North Carolina are nearing 20%. Go figure.

I was commissioning equipment on a floating production facility in the deep water Gulf of Mexico (5000’) a couple of years ago and the day I left, they sent nearly all hands aboard to shore when they discovered that a cross member beam in the spar (floating cylinder section that the entire platform sits on) had a 18” deflection – guess what - Chinese steel – go figure. Scary but true and that’s why I try not to eat any food from China or any other parts of S.E. Asia. However, I was in a popular restaurant in Houma LA, ordered crawfish etteaufee  (sp?), asked the server where the crawfish came  from and the reply was Viet Nam – go figure.  

Theo ‘Audubon’ Jorden,

I also, like to watch the pelican as well as other shore birds of the gulf coast, especially skimmers and oyster catchers.   I understand that aeronautical engineers have studied the pelican’s flight as they are able to fly about a foot off the water, in formation of 4-6 without effort.

I think the reason it took so long to put the brown pelican on the endangered species list is because while the numbers were dropping in Texas and Louisiana, the Florida population was not – less DDT, I guess.    

Trick question:  Only the brown pelican was seriously affected by the DDT, why not the white pelican?

Speaking of birds and conservation in the coastal bend, consider the plight of the whopping crane. I think the number of adults dropped to 39 around 1970 and due to conservation, recently over 250. However, a couple of years ago, several adults starved to death while wintering in Aransas, partly due to the Texas drought (natural), partly due to the drawdown of the aquifers near San Antonio (man made) that feed the Guadalupe River and partly due to the lack of circulation of water as a result of closing of Cedar Bayou (greed and powerful Bass family influence). They depend on eating blue crabs and the crab numbers are dwindling in San Antonio Bay, mostly because of the lack of much needed fresh water (river) but also the closing of Cedar Bayou.   Cedar Bayou was closed to protect wildlife during the Ixtac oil well blow out in the 70’s – a prolific well (50-60,000 BPD) in the Bay of Campeche and the natural pass was never reopened. The Bass family of Dallas owns San Jose Island where they run a large cattle operation. They have fought the opening of Cedar Bayou due to logistical operations – it would cut their range in half and create additional cost in moving cattle – Boo Hoo! Bass money and influence in Austin is ruining San Antonio Bay, google Save Cedar Bayou for additional information.

From Lake Wobegone where I’ve got some really colorful birds on my feeder this summer like Goldfinch, Pine Grosbeak, Pileated and Downey Woodpeckers, House Finch, Cardinals, etc.

wtl  

Charles Charlie Brawner

Teddie, Really liked the photo!  Reminded me of the movie Tin Cup...Molly Griswold bet David Simms that Roy McAvoy could hit a golf ball off the floor of the bar, through the door, over the patio, into the river and make a pelican fly off its post.  A 170 yard impossible golf shot.  But, don't know if it was a white or brown pelican.

John Burgess Webb

 wonderment:

Richard Meek '65

God morning Waltripians. Some good chatting going on here. Burge that is a great picture of that little girl and the Manatee. It looks like they are equally fascinated by the other one.

As usual Ted great photo in your posting. It is really great to have the big birds making such a good comeback they are off the endangered species list. If anyone is interested in watching them in a great setting head on down to Sargent's Beach. Right on the intracoastal canal there is a restaurant called Sting Rae's. Owned by a very nice lady named Carla Rae. There really serve some excellent seafood.  They prepare a white wine, butter and lump crabmeat sauce that they put on broiled flounder. Paige likes the sauce so much she just orders a bowl of the sauce, a bowl of rice and a salad. I have even tried their rib eye steak and that is excellent also. They serve fresh seasonal vegetables with their entrees which is a nice treat.  Anyway the brown pelicans usually put on a show flying back an forth and gliding in formation. They always have live entertainment on the weekends at Sting Rae's. Another point of interest is Sting Rae's i right next to one of only two remaining manned swing bridges on  the Texas intracoastal Canal. As I understand it there isn't enough land on the Gulf side to put in a bridge that's high enough for boat traffic so the swing bridge continues to operate.

Wayne, after doing a little quick checking, according to what I read the white pelican was on the endangered species list just like the brown pelican. It is now off that list just like the brown pelican. I did find out some facts about the white pelican that I did not know. The white is bigger than the brown. It's wingspan is about two feet bigger. The California Condo is the only North American bird with a bigger wing span than white pelican. The condor is about 10 ft. The white pelican is about 9 ft. and the brown pelican is about 7 ft. Also the white pelican is migratory while the brown pelican is not. The whites migrate all the way up to Canada. They nest on islands in lakes so their nests are safe from predators. Since their numbers are increasing it is not unusual to see them in places like Iowa along the Mississippi River. Pelicans in Iowa, interesting huh? They also fish differently than the browns. We're all familiar with how the browns just collapse their wings and plunge into a school of fish. The whites duck their heads in the water while swimming. The whites also cooperate with each other by swimming around a school of fish, bunching them up before dining on them. Pretty fascinating. Well you probably now know a lot more about pelicans than you really wanted to know. So I'll let you find out any thing additional you're interested in.

Everyone have a great week and,

Keep on dancing,

Rich LH

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

I'm still trying to download the rest of the July 10 Fuddrucker pictures.  In fact, I thought today my technical problems were resolved.  All the pictures downloaded and were saved and you could actually view them, but all my other pictures from previous gatherings went to Twilight zone - they vanished and my heart sank!

So I regrouped, went back and brought up my last backup on July 30 --- and that's where it is for now.  Whew!! at least all the old pictures are back and I'll keep trying.

Hugs,

J