Morning blossom, and a surprise

Hello, everyone.

We found this little beauty at the entrance to Bentsen Park today:

Tulipan, a native hibiscus of northern Mexico and southern Texas

 And here was the surprise:

 Can you see the thing that doesn't belong, way up at the top of that tree? Here is a close-up:

Opuntia, AKA prickly pear cactus or nopal

You really never know where a cactus seed will sprout. The birds are very fond of the egg-shaped red fruits, called tunas, and they scatter seeds all over the place. This is, however, the first time I have ever seen one of these sprouting in tree bark.

Art in Pamplona

Hello, everyone.

From 2014, La Pieta.

This three-dimensional painting/sculpture is at the Museo de Navarra, in Pamplona. It is well worth your time to visit. Among the many exhibited items are many works of devotional art that have been collected from outlying parish churches. Having walked through many tiny villages, I don't know whether the works were conserved because of existing building issues (roof, etc.) or because the parishes were consolidated and couldn't maintain as many chapels as they now had, or some other reason.

One of the beauties of going at walking-speed is the opportunity to see the many different ways that a given theme has been treated by various artists. There are loads of, for example, Pieta depictions in Spain. Most look to me like they are medieval in period. It's not the same portrayal as the Renaissance sculpure by Michelangelo, by a long shot--but each portrayal of the theme has something to share with us.

This n that

Hello, everyone.

Sewing has been keeping me pretty busy. The second backpack duffel is almost done and the third is halfway there.

Here is a spring flower for enjoyment.

This flowering tree was in the Montes de Oca. We walked past it in 2014, on the day after we slept in Villambistia.

A spring flower

Hello, everyone.

As it's the first day of spring, a flower for y'all:

Rosa de montana

Visit report: Laguna Atascosa NWR

Hello, everyone.

As promised, a few notes about Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

This fascinating place is in Cameron County, Texas, and is reached by way of Route 100 (the highway that goes to Padre Island) or possibly by cutting off at San Benito from the expressway and winding around cross country. Either way it's a fair bit of tiny farm roads through flat country and you should really use a map. If you have Google Maps on your phone that will do fine. Part of the way is on roads that--well, they're paved, but there are some chuck holes and a bit of road construction is in the area. You should keep going anyway. It is worth it.

The visitor's center has maps which are marked with trails. (Also a nice little gift shop with books and things. They use it to fund research into ocelots.) There are quite a few routes that can be walked. There is also, at some times of the year, a tram tour of the loop around Pelican Lake and along the Laguna Madre, which takes 3 hours. It's 15 miles long, which if you were going to take snacks and water and walk it would make a good day's hike. No shade to speak of, but there is a tiny toilet hut at the halfway point. (Bring hand sanitizer!) We took the tram tour as it was just loading up when we got there.

The Laguna is beautiful and the place is loaded with various birds. We also saw a good amount of deer and more nilgai than I thought I'd ever see. Great and Lesser Blue Herons, Red Egrets (can you tell the tram was largely populated with birders checking off their lists?) and Ospreys and so on and so forth.

Pelican Lake, unusually dry at this time. The tree is a mesquite.

Black-bellied Tree Duck

Hello, everyone.

A couple of days ago the camera was available when the local duck came by to check things out. (Well, there were more but only this guy posed for me.) Sometimes as many as six stand on the rooftop and look at the world.

In the spring, there is often a pair nesting in the next-door neighbor's palm tree. The babies bounce out of the tree-hole nest and follow their mother across our yard and two more to get to the drainage ditch for their first swim.

Tomorrow there should be a post about Laguna Atascosa.

Now that the giddy excitement has mellowed a bit

Hello, everyone.

This is a little more info about the pack duffel. (Yesterday it was so exciting to just have it DONE that all I could think of was putting the first pictures of the complete project up--forgetting entirely to put a photo of the duffel in its normal "working" configuration.)

Hanging from the banister in the hall. Pocket zipper is just
barely visible on end

With a bit of supplies tucked into the top opening. (Plastic clothespins and some soap)