Galveston retrospect

Other Galveston highlights:

• Round of golf with Jay, Stu, Quincy, and Jacob
  
• Beach trips with the extraordinary Sadie
  
• Visit to Saint Arnold, a local place of worship near Jay and Donna's Houston home (http://www.saintarnold.com/)
  
• Excellent time with nice people – good things to talk about, see, do, eat, drink
  

My favorite, though, had to be the shared meal around Jay and Donna's very large table with family and neighbors. Jay started the meal with the grace that I grew up listening to my grandfather, uncle, and father deliver before family meals. It was a special moment.

Thanks, Mitchells. We had a memorable time.

Loggerheads: Not learning animals!

This is no ordinary loggerhead -- it is a research loggerhead.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a sea turtle facility in Galveston where they raise turtles for testing in turtle exclusion devices. These devices are escape hatches for fish and turtles caught in shrimp nets. As new designs for TEDs are developed, they are tested by turtles rasied at this facility.

At the lab, the staff emphasizes that turtles are not learning animals. Does this have implications for their ability to do research??

Travel time: Galveston, 12/28

Good birding in Galveston!

Highlights included a Pacific loon, crested caracara, and lots of waterbirds: roseate spoonbills (pink birds in photo), tri-colored herons, stilts, oystercatchers, little blue herons, ibis (second bird from left, above), in addition to various peeps, gulls, and grebes.

And excellent views of dolphins from the ferry between Galveston and Bolivar (longest ferry crossing in Texas!). The Ferry was also where we encountered the security guard who recited his poetry to us. Love local color in all its forms...

Travel time: Galveston, 12/27

We did eventually make it to Galveston and the Mitchell home there (photo was taken on 12/31, right before we left; Jimmy is missing).

Jake and Quincy met second cousins Emily, Alaina, Jimmy, and the ever-delightful Noah. Jay and Donna were charming hosts (and the lack of heat — not that much of a problem…).

More on Galveston tomorrow.