Texas Oil and Hurricanes

    and pink spoonbills. We drove along  the Gulf coast through Mississippi and Texas passing by large areas that are still devastated from  Katrina and Rita. Most of coastal property for miles west of Biloxi,Mississippi is empty land where beautiful old houses once stood. In 2008 hurricane Ike flattened the entire little town of Gilchrist, Texas. It had been a thriving fishing,vacation and residential community spread across the narrow Bolivar Peninsula.  Many places are reverting back to a more natural state which the animals seem to be enjoying. These spoonbills were nesting in a wildlife preserve which is protected but now gets even fewer visitors because of destroyed roads and recreation areas.  More pictures here - https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/TexasOil?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXWtsulodmN7QE#

Mardi Gras – Mobile, Alabama

   We have beads! And more beads and more beads. Our  buddy , Joe, has a request in for a couple of grocery bags full but if anyone else wants some let us know otherwise they’ll be donated to Goodwill and recycled for next year’s parades.

  Celebrations start in early January  and as Lent gets closer parades get more numerous ending with the big blowout on Fat Tuesday.  We usually go to the parades for two days before we have to take a break. People who live here do it for a month or more!

  Mobile had the first Mardi Gras in America in 1703. It was part of French Louisiana and soldiers in the fort brought the tradition with them from France.  New Orleans became the capital in 1723 and quickly took over the top spot in Mardi Gras celebrations. More pictures here -  https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/MardiGrasMobileAlabama?authkey=Gv1sRgCMug7qmWtbX0dw#