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Wayne Lake
Hello everybody, I’ve been enjoying the pix lately.
I just finished a book called ‘In the Kingdom of Ice’, a fascinating story about 1880’s maritime quest in search of the North Pole by the American explorer/US Navy Captain De Long. Do any of you Cooley alumni remember a kid (Milton?) in our class from the Heights area that reportedly had a grandfather/explorer that went to the North Pole in the late 19th century, maybe related to Admiral Byrd?
I picked up a free, local magazine today at a sandwich shop in AP (cause it was free!) called Texas Now and noticed an article by one of our very own (class of ’64), Willie Younger. He is the coordinator of Rally on the (Colorado) River slated for April 11 which is to be featured on Earth Day by Matagorda County Birding Center) MCBNC. For those of you who don’t remember Willie, he got degree(s) in biology from Texas A&M and worked for the state for several years out of Matagorda, ran a research vessel/education from Matagorda Harbor and officed/retired in Palacious and now resides in Bay City. FYI, Willies’ contact info is 979 240 4872, w-younger@att.net. PS, Willie recently hiked hundreds of miles of the Appalachian Trail – just like ol’ Thomas Jefferson!
Lloyd, I am so impressed with your musical skill sets and you write great stories also! I do good to tune in the radio and scratch out a line or two.
I spoke with Frank Lynn the other day and he has been commissioned by the state of Texas parks to restore furniture built by the CCA workers nearly a hundred years ago. I wish I would have learned more about making sawdust from his Dad.
The more I know about my classmates, the more impressed I am and glad to be part of such a great group of fine people; war hero’s, teachers/educators, authors,writers, ranchers, farmers, bankers, horse trainers, musicians, software experts, successful business people, nurses, police, firefighters, mayors, lawyers, etc. Did’ja know that Sweetie Marbury is currently Mayor of Durango Colorado, Tony Maddox was Mayor of Navasota and Larry York played on the 1980 Men’s World Fast Pitch Softball Championship Team? Whodathunkit?
Pat, I am guessin’ you went to the prom in a black, ’55 Chevy. I too like to see all the predatory birds especially the red tipped hawk that frequents us in great numbers this time of the year. Where I am in Aransas we see all kinds of migratory birds, loons, great white pelicans, hummers, osprey (saw one carrying a fish the other day – what a high pitched sound), shore birds of all kinds, American oyster catchers, curlews, all sorts of water fowl (red head, canvass backs, coots, etc.) and on and on………….I took my nephew on the ‘Skimmer’ (1-800-TX-BIRDS) out of Fulton harbor (near Rockport) to see whooping cranes last week and we had a good’ birding day’ – the count is now up to about 300 adults which is a great conservation story since they were down to about 38 in the ‘60’s but hurry as they head back to Canada by the end of March.
Nearly every night I have either a night heron or great blue heron sitting on a piling looking for prey at my underwater light behind my house.
There are several good coastal birding areas between Port Lavaca and Port Isabel which have all sorts of migratory birds – I understand San Jose Island has more species of migratory birds in the winter than any other place in North America:
Calhoun Loop – Port Lavaca Bird Sanctuary @ US 87 and TX 35 head East on TX 35. Magnolia Beach, from Port Lavaca head West on TX 35 to FM 2433 to TX 238 to TX 316 toward Indianola – I think the state recently purchased 20,000 acres of the old Powder Horn ranch for a wildlife reserve with money from the BP oil spill, Magic Ridge (same area) – see texasnowmag.com Jan 2015, Seadrift/Swan Point, Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Area, Aransas Wildlife Refuge, King Ranch Loop including Santa Gertrudis Creek, Dick Kleberg park and then south to the Atascosa Wild Life Reserve near Laguna Vista (Port Isabel area).
Speaking of marine wildlife, there are numerous dolphins around here and while fishin’ last week with the nephew we started catching specs, mostly undersized (legal size is > 15”) but we were not keeping any regardless of size and a adult dolphin was following us taking advantage of the stunned ‘throw backs’ – he/she must have eaten 6-8 fish while circling around from end to end behind the boat as we drifted along fishing, care full not to go in front of the boat – I firmly believe the hungry/lazy dolphin was herding the fish in sort of a symbiotic arrangement –anyway we had a hoot watching it grab the fish and afterward rolling upside down showing the white underside, maybe saying gracias. The next night I was sitting outside on the back porch and noticed one swimming by my underwater light, told the nephew and later he said he saw three around the light, went down to the dock, tapped on the side and they starting jumping 2-3’ out of the water – he thought they were putting on a show for him, begging for handouts! Of course, he had drunk several beers by then so who knows for sure but he was pumped up the next morning telling the story. Then yesterday afternoon, three came in behind the house and were copulating, some sort of a Frenchy ménage of sorts which went on for 5-10 minutes – local biologist say each ‘act’ only takes 13 seconds but they seem to having fun for sure. Today, I counted four in here at once looking for an easy meal along the bulkheads.
Well, I hope I have not bored or offended too many this time, from Pelican Cove AP, where I am
‘dancin’ with dolphins’ and hoping for sunshine as too much of this gloomy weather puts me in a foul mood,
wtl
Ps I hope to see you all @ spring thing in April
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!!!! Congrats to 49 years --- that is what it's all about.
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Our Mandolin Orchestra video can be viewed on line. The link is from Blackerbys Violin shop. www.violinshop.com then look at the selection for Video. Our video,should be right at the top. Part A is some small ensembles and solos. Part B is the Orchestra. Here I am getting pysched up for the performance.
