Resaca de la Palma State Park,

This is the third time working at Resaca de la Palma State Park and we thoroughly enjoy all the staff here.  Albert Martinez, Lead Ranger, met us at the door when we arrived for work on Wednesday.  Our new co-worker, Tom, came in with us.

That first day, Cynthia, our front desk Ranger, brought lunch of tamales and refried beans for everyone.  Did I mention that part of the attraction for volunteering here, is food.

Ranger Cynthia, (left) and Dr. Melissa Jones, staff biologist, organizing the group lunch.

Pablo, the Park Superintendent, Marlin and volunteer Kieth, finishing up their healthy portions.

We did fit in a bit of orientation that day.  Scouted some of the Rio Grande Valley specialty birds.  Lots of re-learning to identify the species since we missed last year. There are 20 species of birds here in this area that do not travel much further north than along the Rio Grande River.  That is why birders from all over the Country come here in order see them and add them to their life lists.

First stop was the rebuilt observation deck at the Kiskadee trail.  This is a short trail off the main loop road that overlooks the Resaca and generally is a good spot for water birds and flycatchers.

The word Resaca was derived from the Spanish resaca, which means "to retake".  Before dams at Falcon and Amistad were built, the Rio Grande river was free and would periodically flood all the adjacent land. This created many deep channels in the silt that lined the river. Since flood control drastically reduces flooding, these channels, or resacas, have been permanently cut off from the main river.  Today they are used for irrigation, landscaping or maintained for wildlife habitat.  This State Park purchases water from the local water district to duplicate the traditional natural habitat.


Thursday our lunch included Cynthia's delicious shrimp recipe, with garlic, chili's, tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro. I made a tray of jalapeno poppers, which were gone in a flash.

Cynthia, Lauren, and Melissa gave them a thumbs up.  (Lauren stuck to her salad)  It is going to be a fun winter.  I think I will need to buy new pants, one size larger.


Resaca de la Palma is part of the nine World Birding Centers located along the southern end of the Rio Grande River.  Publicizing the unique birds and wild life, as well as encouraging habitat conservation, each of these birding centers have their individual character.  We always try to visit all of them while we are in this area.

One of the centers, Quinta Mazatlan,  hosts a lecture series every Thursday night.   We try to make as many of the talks as we can.  This past week we met Terry and Ken Smelcer, friends we met in Austin a number of years ago.  This birding center is known for its extensive gardens with bronze wildlife statues scattered throughout the grounds.

Ken and Terry Smelcer

Great first week.

Boston to Austin

In spite of the major storm hitting Maine on January 4, we managed to have a very uneventful flight from Boston to Austin on January 5.  With all the hype about the coming storm, on Tuesday we shuffled some of our plans and went to Jed's on Wednesday night. Kennebunk is closer to Boston.
The plumber was glad to switch his schedule also.  He came to drain our pipes before the storm dumped enough snow to require plowing the driveway.

Friday morning we headed for the airport around 8 AM, expecting tons of traffic and an airport overflowing with travelers who had missed their flight Thursday.  Not so, light traffic and a surprisingly light crowd at TSA and airline waiting areas.

We arrived in Austin, TX around 4:30, took a shuttle to LaQuinta for the night.  Nice, large, comfortable room.  This hotel has just been remodeled.  Colors are all gray and purple, which it appears, are big right now.

The next morning we used Uber again to travel out to where our truck and camper have been stored since October.  Like this new type of taxi service.  Using the phone app, you just put in where you want to go and up comes the icon showing where the driver is located and how long you have to wait.  Both times it has been 10 minutes or less.

When we got to the storage location, all was well with our equipment.  Truck started right up, all systems working in the camper, so off we went.

It is about a 5 or 6 hour drive south, from Austin to Brownsville, where we have  signed on as volunteers at Resaca de la Palma State Park.  Since we left Austin around 11:00, we stopped around 4:00 and spent a night at Lake Corpus Christi State Park.   Great park with lots of fishing opportunities, judging from the dozens of boats coming in and out of the parking lot.

We had a scenic sight overlooking a large meadow.  At dusk we began to see movement in the grass.

At first, only their backs were visible,  but soon it was apparent that they were used to people being close to where they were feeding.

Closer,

and closer, till someone's cat ran into the field and chased them away.

The next day we traveled on to Brownsville, and arrived at the Park.  It was late Sunday afternoon, so we checked in with the staff and spent the rest of the day setting up and checking out our favorite spots and trails.

Space enough for two tables.  Planning on having lots of company.

 I found this great plant hanger and made it into the perfect bird feeder station.  Ready for visitors.

Home Sweet Home

From Fredericksburg we traveled on to Austin where we spent four days getting the camper ready to go into storage for three months. 

 "Life in the Fast Lane"   This is Marlin's favorite picture. He had me take this out the window while we were driving!   Only in Texas can you be traveling 80 miles per hour and have all the other traffic pass you by.  Jed would love this!


One of the rationalizations for taking this unusual fall journey was to leave our camper in the warmer parts of the country and not have to fight traveling through the ice and snow of January.   Most of those four days were spent cleaning, fixing, packing, and nailing down details.  All in 90 degree heat.

We did manage to get out one night for some music in Austin.  We decided to go to The Central Market for one-stop dinner and music.   Central Market is a huge "Whole Foods like" market, with an in-store cafeteria and outdoor patio where they have a different  band playing every night. This night was a local jazz group called the Summer's Arch. 

The Market is obviously very popular with families.  With the playground behind the stage, plenty of open space for strollers, a large area for dancing, and perfect evening temperature in the 70's, what better entertainment for kids and adults as well.  It was fun to watch Dad's and Mom's joining their little ones on the dance floor.  Such a wonderful place for families to introduce children to the joys in music.

This unusual adventure has come to its scheduled end.  Leaving our camper and truck at a storage space was a bit unsettling, but at least it will be shaded by a huge, lovely, live oak tree while we are gone.  See you in January.

We arrived home in Dixmont in time to enjoy the the remains of some beautiful and colorful foliage.
Good to be home again.

Fredericksburg TX

Fredericksburg is a beautiful, well preserved city that was established in 1846 by German immigrants. That German heritage is still very apparent today.  Dozens of buildings, constructed from local limestone rock or oak logs, that were built in the 1800's are beautifully preserved and are currently in use.   This is the second time we visited this City and it probably won't be the last.


Our first day in town we located the Visitors Center and learned about a City walking tour being held that very evening at 4:00.  While waiting for the tour to begin, we found the Fredericksburg Pie Company and sampled some of their pie.

Apple Pie that afternoon,

Cherry Pie the next morning.


The walking tour began at a small house built in 1880 and is open to the public as an example of  what is historically called a "Sunday House".

When the town was developed, each emigrant was deeded one town lot and an additional 10 acres of farmland outside of the town.  Apparently, as farms grew, families spent the week days on the farm, but came to town on Sunday for church.  Even into the 1930's and 1940's some farmers continued this practice and the term "Sunday House"  now describes many of the small dwellings within the City limits.

The tour was given by a retired school teacher, and her knowledge and recall of the people and history of the area was amazing.  We walked at least 4 miles and viewed 30 or more historic buildings where she could quote names and dates of the original inhabitants, along with their type of business.

This beautiful limestone building, built in 1881, was the County Court House up until 1939.  It now houses the Fredericksburg library.

Many of the dwellings we viewed had this type of historical marker.

We unknowingly arrived just as the annual Oktoberfest was about to begin.  My favorite sign seen along the sidewalk in front of a clothing store!.  Any, yes, they were giving out free cans of beer if you came in to check out the store..

We were advised to attend the Oktoberfest on Friday night, because they were expecting 20,000 people over the weekend.  Several blocks of the city were closed off to foot and vehicle traffic.  Rotating bands played in four separate areas, there were multiple tents for artisans to sell their products, food courts in various locals, and strolling acts throughout the venue. 

We started off with a beer and listening to a traditional German band called Oma and the Oompahs, where many attendees were wearing traditional German costumes.

The stilt wearing clown wandered in and out of the tents and played practical jokes on patrons.

Strolling musicians entertained while they walked and talked to people.

Great spot to have a picture taken.  Marlin refused to pose but  this young man didn't mind.

Food was, of course, German.  Opa's is a local sausage company.  Our dinner sampled some of the Bratwurst and Jalapeno sausage, but later that night when we were hungry for desert, nothing sweet could be found.

The main event was naturally BEER.  The entire length of this bar showcased 50 different beers.

Lots of polka dancing.

Entertaining evening, and the beer was great.

Much more to see and do in this charming City.  Last time we visited we spent two days at the Nemitz Pacific War museum, which was excellent.  Also, lots of fun shopping, or just looking in the  varied assortment of shops along Main Street.

Palo Duro Canyon and Charles Goodnight

Just south of Amarillo, in the town of Canyon, is Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  Greeting signs proclaim, "Welcome to the Grand Canyon of Texas"! Since this 27,000 acre State Park is located within the second largest canyon n North America, I guess the title is appropriate.

View from the visitors center

The land was deeded by private  owners in 1933, and the park was opened in 1934.  Seven companies of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were sent to Palo Duro Canyon from 1933 until 1937 to develop road access and to construct buildings, shelters, bridges and trails.  Much of the work continued even after the official opening.

The road into the canyon, while pulling the camper, was a bit daunting.  In fact the entire three days here we worried about the trip out.  Could our aging pick up do the job of pulling up those long, long, steep grades?

The campsites were placed in scenic spots throughout the canyon.  That is the tail-end of our camper on the left.

The location was beautiful, except it rained all three days we were there and the beautiful red clay washed down and around our camper, creating a muddy entry way,

These are the cabins built by the CCC in the 1930's.  They are still used today, with the addition of air conditioning.

Many spots were begging to be explored but because of the heavy rains over the past two weeks, all park trails were closed.

This looks like the side of the road but it is actually a 30 foot drop off.


The canyon is 120 miles long and 600 to 800 feet deep.  The Palo Duro Canyon State Park only includes a portion of this area.  These formations were outside Park boundaries, on a County road where you could get a close up view of amazing spires.

Looks like a castle wall.

Much of the literature about the park talks about Charles Goodnight.  In 1876 ,Goodnight, in partnership with John Adair, established a ranch within the canyon that incorporated over 1,325,000 acres with a herd of 100,000 head of cattle.  "Everything is bigger in Texas"

 Goodnight lived what sounds like a "larger than life" cowboy existence.  From scouting for the Texas Rangers, creating the Loving/Goodnight trail from Texas to Wyoming, partnership in the largest ranch in the Texas panhandle, to saving the original strain of western bison, he certainly stands out.  In fact, it is reported that Larry McMurtry's, Lonesome Dove, is based on Goodnight's adventures.

Today there is a small town he created, named Goodnight, that includes the restored residence he built for he and his wife Molly, in 1887.

An elaborate home for the era that even included electricity.  The historically accurate restoration includes several original pieces, as well as other period furnishings. 

Goodnight's wife, Mary Ann, affectionately called Molly, was know to invite an eclectic group of guests for dinners at the ranch that included cowhands, government representatives,  ranchers, and local Indians, such as Quanah Parker.

She taught school to ranch children and cowboys alike, in the ranch bunkhouse.  She is credited with being the person who saved a couple of new born bison calves that began the restoration of the herd that now exists and roams throughout Caprock State Park just south of Palo Duro. 

Adjacent to the Goodnight homestead is a small business called Herd Wear Store.  This business sells products made from bison, mostly Buffalo Gold fibers, which combine buffalo fir with silk and/or yak fibers to create soft, strong, and warm  gloves, socks, and hats.  BuffaloGold.net will give you a look at their products.

They also have custom made buffalo coats.

This one would run about 3,000 to 4,000 dollars.  A bit large, but you can order one made to individual measurements. 

This model was actually an old coat that the owner purchased on ebay.  The Miskin family began raising bison about 30 years ago, regrouping 15 years later with the creation of bison fiber products.  Cecil Miskin said he opened this retail shop as a retirement project.  Sounded like he is putting in about 12 to 14 hours a day.  Some retirement!

 It was a friendly, fun stop where we learned a great deal about marketing bison products.  About 55,000 of the existing 450,000 bison in the U.S., are processed for meat annually.  Producers work together to insure that the numbers of processed bison do not negatively affect the overall growth of bison herds nationally.