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Friday, November 28, 2008

The Far Yon Tip of Texas

Greetings Y'all. We're back from our trip to Pharr, Texas to attend my niece's wedding. All went well with that. (Uh huh, the mints were much appreciated. ;) Then we went shopping in Mexico and had a good time sightseeing for a few days. After our second (How can a body shop good going just once?) shopping excursion in Mexico we headed to South Padre Island for a short visit to the beach. This ship lit up the harbor with brilliant color. Looks like a pirate ship to me, Matey.
The Gulf of Mexico waters at South Padre Island.My granddaughters loved collecting seashells to bring back home with them.We were not the only ones strolling along the beach.
As we were leaving the island the sun was setting just beyond the bridge to the mainland. If you click on the picture you can see the bridge stretching across the water. It was about a mile long.
On Monday, our last full day in Texas we went on a birding tour at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. We saw a lot of different birds that are not common here in Tennessee. I really enjoyed the tour. Here's a small sampling of the many birds we saw:
Green Jays at a feeding station. We observed and took pictures of them from behind a blind.
From a distance the Great Kiskadee.I had been hoping to see this bird, the Chachalaca.
Birds and javelinas were feeding in the same area. The tour guide reminded us that javelinas are not a wild pigs. Sorry, but it looks like a very hairy, little ol' wild pig to me. ;)I'll leave you with this shot of some butterflies enjoying their corner of the park.My my, but it's good to be home again. Have a great week, Y'all.

 Linking up with Eileen's Saturday's Critters #211
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22 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 28, 2008 at 8:25 PM

    Wow!

    And that's supposed to be one of the great birding areas of the whole United States. I'm glad you got to go!

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  2. AnonymousNovember 28, 2008 at 8:51 PM

    Wow. I love bird watching. That must've been an awesome trip. Thank you so much for sharing the photos. They're beautiful.

    I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving!

    Lesley Ann

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  3. AnonymousNovember 28, 2008 at 8:56 PM

    P.S. I have to agree, it looks like a hairy, wild pig.

    Lesley Ann

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  4. Aunt KathyNovember 29, 2008 at 8:11 AM

    Oh what beautiful pictures. I am so looking forward to the day when I am healthy enough to walk along a beach again and go bird watching. And shop.

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  5. Mary AnneNovember 29, 2008 at 11:18 PM

    Beautiful pictures and how lovely your trip must have been! Thanks for sharing with us.

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  6. square dance callerNovember 29, 2008 at 11:25 PM

    I love the water. Looks like you had a great trip.

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  7. SusanNovember 30, 2008 at 6:56 AM

    what amazing green jay birds!
    could you not bring some back
    and turn them loose here? I have never seen green jays!

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  8. cinnamongirl93November 30, 2008 at 2:52 PM

    Your pictures are stunning! I love the picture of the sunset on the beach. You captured the most beautiful sunset picture I have ever seen.
    It sounds like you all had a wonderful time. Weddings are always so grand. I'm sure your mints were the hit of the reception.
    Wlcome back home.

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  9. DaleMarieNovember 30, 2008 at 11:00 PM

    Great pictures. How fun to see a pirate ship. I've never seen or heard of green jays before; they look so pretty!

    Glad you had a good time on your trip. :)

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  10. RennaDecember 1, 2008 at 2:09 AM

    Your pictures are breathtaking!

    My son loves to vacation in Padre Island, though he usually goes in the summer. The last time he was there, a hurricane hit land about 50 miles away, which put a bit of a damper on his vacation! ;-)

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  11. AnonymousDecember 1, 2008 at 2:35 PM

    Well, well, I must agree that the pics are quite nice...tee hee.. There's nothin' in the world like bein' there, though.

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  12. Margaret CloudDecember 2, 2008 at 7:55 PM

    That sunset is so pretty, I like the bird pictures, I have never seen a Green Jay. The butterflies are my favorite (Monarchs), you are right the ship looks like a pirate ship.

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  13. Lil KnitterDecember 5, 2008 at 7:19 PM

    Wow! Beautiful photos! What a nice place to visit. I'm glad the wedding went well and of course the mints were appreciated. I'm sure they were so yummy.
    Hugs!

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  14. Yankee Girl ~ MissyDecember 8, 2008 at 11:06 AM

    My Grandparents go to South Padre Island every winter. You got some really great pictures. Hope you had a great time.

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  15. sailorcrossDecember 9, 2008 at 5:13 AM

    I'm so glad you had a wonderful trip!! The pictures are awesome--especially that hairy pig!!

    No, I really love the birds and the butterflies. We don't see as many butterflies around here as we used to--I wonder why?

    My daughter lives in Texas--almost 5 years now--and I've never been there. Hopefully, in the spring.

    Beth

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  16. Firefly NightsFebruary 2, 2009 at 4:37 AM

    Lovely photos of your trip.

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  17. eileeninmdDecember 30, 2017 at 9:13 AM

    Hello, I would love to visit that park and Padre island. The birds are wonderful, the Green Jay is one my want to see list. The sunset is gorgeous. Wonderful series of photos. Thanks so much for linking up and sharing your post. I appreciate all your visits and comments on my blog in 2017. I wish you and Zoe all the best in 2018, Happy New Year. Have a happy weekend!

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  18. ellen b.December 30, 2017 at 9:14 AM

    Great photos and critters. Love that sunset! ~The Happy Wonderer

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  19. LeaDecember 30, 2017 at 9:52 AM

    Enjoyed seeing all your photos! Magnificent sunset!
    Happy New Year!

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  20. ~Lavender Dreamer~December 30, 2017 at 8:06 PM

    Those Green Jays are gorgeous! I've never even heard of those and I used to live in Texas! Beautiful photos for critters!

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  21. AngieDecember 30, 2017 at 10:52 PM

    We used to live in McAllen, Texas, so I (used to be) familiar with all the places you mentioned. What a wonderful trip down memory lane through your pictures. The sunset and ALL the bird shots are terrific. Happy New Year to you!

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  22. A Colorful WorldDecember 31, 2017 at 12:34 PM

    What a wonderful trip! I loved seeing South Padre Island views and the birds and critters!

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