By the bay

Overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now.

                                                     ~ Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

We took a couple of walks on the beach recently, my sister and I. Here are a few photos of the things we saw.

I. Indian Point

Roseate Spoonbills and a gull

Lightning whelk (Texas state shell)

Hermit crab inside, barnacles outside.

Razor clam

Oyster shells and barnacles

Beach evening primroses

Maybe a sea oxeye

Heron and us.

Gulls

Fish vertebra

Silver bells and cockle shells...

A father and son, finished for the day. The fish weren't biting.

I am betting some kind of crab lives here.

This one more freshly dug.

Prints: People, raccoon, hermit crab (?), and waves

Finally a lightning whelk where no one was home.

The sun was shining on the sea. ~ Lewis Carroll

We set this barnacle covered whelk aside to see if anyone was home. When we walked back to it, it was moving.

II. Near Cole Park - I know you have fed the seagulls there. I know you have watched the sun come up. Watch with us.

 III. Just outside of Portland, TX

Pelicans feeding

Every now and again something would startle the birds.

Some smaller birds were feeding with the pelicans.

Here we saw a small heron off to the left.

It was cooler in the park...

The sun was a big orange ball in the hazy sky.

The miserable heat of yesterday took a toll. We accomplished little - a few appointments. This morning promised a cooler start anyway so we four* headed to the park.

And it was cooler in the park.

We often notice a drop in temperature as we head down the hill. It is cooler in the green, by the river.

Paddy spied a small green anole and gave chase as far as the leash allowed. She also found the stickerburs growing at the edge of the parking lot.

The ground is cracking. Some creature left a hole near the once full drainage ditch. "I wonder what made that hole," I murmured.** "Whatever it was, we don't need to find it," DH responded.

Cracks not yet large enough to lose a dog in, but wide enough to trip one.

The hole is about two inches in diameter. That would be some big earthworm.

The mesquite trees are still blooming. The bees have found them.

Mesquite blossoms.

Don't be messin' with the bees. This guy was so focused on the bloom that he ignored the photographer.

NOTES:

*We tried (in vain) to teach the cat to walk "on leash." We jokingly discuss taking him "for a drag." If you have an untrained cat, you know what I mean. We gave up.

**There are few blossoms right now - wild petunias, tiny blue day flowers (widow's tears), purple leatherflower and the like. I noted silver-leaved nightshade plants, but no flowers - yet. It is a strange year. Few things are growing or blooming according to past  "schedules."

All aboard! Adventure (and a ghost story)

OB, EH, and I had been talking about a visit to the Alamo City. We finally picked a date in July.

THE STATION:

Oh, this is the train (1) we want - it goes to San Antonio!

What a beautiful place (but where is everyone?).

This is where you buy the tickets.

Finally we saw our train pull into the station.

OB, EH and I grabbed our bags and climbed aboard the Texas Eagle - headed south for adventure.

ON THE TRAIN: 

I rode this train on a northerly route two years ago. The conductor on that trip let us know what car to board and where to sit. This time we were on our own. We entered and saw that there were no seats on the first level. The train appeared to be full of cargo. So we took the spiral staircase to the upper level and quickly discovered a special area for parties of three or more!

Plenty of room for our stuff.

Settling in

Journals out - the ladies took notes

There weren't many folks on the train. A bunch of people had traveled south from Chicago. Many were asleep.

Time to investigate the observation car.

The windows provided an amazing view. People ate and played games at the booths. We tried UNO for a bit. [It was HOT because of the windows and the summer sun setting.]

I love the graffiti at the Austin station.

Another photo of the abandoned warehouse across the tracks from the station.

One of the rivers we crossed.

San Antonio at night as we arrived at the station.

 FOOD:

The hotel had excellent breakfasts.

Some of us enjoyed the watermelon.

Pizza bones. [Don't ask me "why no Mexican food?" It is what it is.]

Snacks

More snacks.

Even more snacks (the cheese, pineapple and crackers were good - I cannot vouch for anything else)

Did I mention that "someone" enjoyed the watermelon?

WANDERING:

The River - right outside our hotel. (2)

Bexar County Courthouse (3) I once worked in the short building to the left (that was one LONG summer).

Main Plaza in front of San Fernando Cathedral (4)

We start talking about history. The crypt in the foyer of the San Fernando Cathedral.

We ran across a couple of these downtown. We added our plans. (7)

The Tower Life Building (5) is one of my favorite buildings in San Antonio. A good friend once worked there and the green roof can be seen from all over downtown. Using the TLB and the Tower of the Americas, one can navigate freely - no GPS required.

Dia de los Muertos (6) display in a window.

At the Alamo

Looking in the wishing well at the Alamo

Waterfall on the River Walk (8)

More water features on the River Walk.

Garcia Art Glass window, River Walk.

One of the many bridges on the river.

Walking the River.

Wear tennis shoes.

Tile installation on the river tells the story of ambush at the twin cypress trees...

A few steps further and there are the twin cypress trunks.

SHOPPING:

Shopping at El Mercado (8)

Bright pottery

Decisions, decisions.

After much deliberation we came home with a dress, a blanket and a bowl. Oh, and there were three confetti eggs that were used before we got back to the hotel!


GHOST TOUR:

Our tour guide

Once again, we recommend comfortable shoes. It was a long two hour tour.

We started our tour in front of the Alamo.

Emily Morgan Hotel (named for the "Yellow Rose of Texas" - look her up!)

At the Menger Hotel (9)

Front doors of the Menger

People inside the lobby at the Menger

Ironwork at the Menger

Still trying to decide if this tour will be interesting or not...but then decided we would have to stay at the Menger "the next time."

Tile floor of the Menger lobby.

Looking back at the Menger. Mr. King's (of the King Ranch) suite was on the second floor.

Iron fence spied on the walk.

We passed a heavy metal concert along the way. There was an interesting bunch trying to get into the theater.

Stained glass window of the Alamo. Folks don't notice it during the day and few see it downtown at night.

Amazing doors under the window.

San Fernando Cathedral at night.

The Courthouse at night.

Our guide, James, on the steps of the cathedral. How could I have missed the dog's name?

Another view of the cathedral.

Behind the cathedral the dog kept alerting. It was creepy. Of course, we discovered he was waiting for the laser pointer.

The cathedral has been renovated over the years. The old arched entry shows above the new.

The pup still waits for ???

Face seen in the wall. See it?

Kids taking photos (they report lots of strange "spirits" seen in their photos).

I love things that are not what they report to be. The actual "0" is San Fernando Cathedral.

Photo of interior of the Spanish Governor's House (10)

Spanish Governor's House

Dang - nothing in my photos (Spanish Governor's House)

Doors, Spanish Governor's House

Former Bexar County Jail is now a hotel.

Old livery building across from the former Bexar County Jail.

THE BEST STORY (Yes, THE ghost story):

Bella, the current Alamo cat (11), in the entry to the gift shop

Bella greets visitors.

The Ghost Story

We stopped to visit with Bella, the Alamo cat, when we were in the gift shop and Joe, a gentleman who works at the Alamo, stopped and talked with us. When we mentioned that we were going to take a ghost tour, Joe explained that he once worked at the Menger Hotel [the most haunted hotel ever, we have been told]. He said he never saw a ghost there, but he shared a photo a co-worker gave him. [YIKES! It looked like a ghost to me. Why didn't I take a photo of his photo?] Then he told us this story:

He had just started working at the Alamo when a tourist stopped him and asked, "What can you tell me about the girl?" Joe was confused and told the woman that there are lots of tourists and children at the Alamo and asked "which girl" she meant. She grew flustered and finally said, "The girl standing outside the gift shop. She's a ghost."

Joe explained that he had never seen that ghost, or any ghost. Then he remembered the photo (same one he showed us). He shared the photo with the woman and she exclaimed, "It's her!"



NOTES (Okay, the photos are not all in order. 5-6-7 got confused. Humor me.):

(1) The Texas Eagle - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Eagle

(2) The River Walk - http://visitsanantonio.com/About-San-Antonio/Attractions/River-Walk

(3) Bexar County Courthouse - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bexar_County_Courthouse

(4) San Fernando Cathedral - https://www.catholicearth.com/index.php?option=com_community&view=profile&userid=31&Itemid=151

(5) Tower Life Building - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Life_Building

(6) Dia de los Muertos - http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/dia-de-los-muertos/

(7) Before I Die...  http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/living/before-i-die-walls-book/

(8) El Mercado - http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Texas/San_Antonio-880792/Things_To_Do-San_Antonio-El_Mercado_Market_Square-BR-1.html

(9) The Menger Hotel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menger_Hotel

(10) Spanish Governor's House -  http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/Spanish_Governors_Palace.html

(11) The Alamo Cat - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/alamo-cat_n_7617194.html


Extra photo with no place to go:

These folks on the segue tour looked like they were having so much fun.