3.23.2009
Heading Out to the Houston Zoo
We were in downtown Houston on a beautiful day. . . so what better way to spend an afternoon . . . the ZOO! These three turtles decided to take advantage of the gorgeous sunshine,too!
I realy like giraffes, because I have always been tall so I can relate to them! In the middle of the photo is a "teenager" giraffe. We think that this is the same giraffe that had just been born last time we were at the zoo (about 4 years ago).
Behind me in this photo on the far left is a very small giraffe. Do you see him? He is the newest edition to the giraffe families at the Houston Zoo!
Here is a cute little baby elephant. He seemed to be a little camera shy. . . This little guy was playing with a plastic feeding or watering bin on the back side of his cage. We could hear it clicking and banging against the back poles and wires of his cage.
Asian Bear
This little kitty (can't remember what type he is) blended in very well with his cage. He was playing with some of the vegetation and trying to take a nap. Finally, he came out in the open where we could see his beautiful markings.
Here's a black panther. He reminded us of our cats at home, because they like to lay on their back with their paws spread out. This handsome guy was taking a nap in this position!
Watch out Jason!! That water fountain could be dangerous!!
Good monkey impression, Honey!!
This monkey has a baby monkey clinging to her side. If you look really close on her left side you can see the shape of the babies leg wrapped around her middle.
I have always liked Flamingoes! They are so pretty! The colors of their feathers are so bright and tropical!
I realy like giraffes, because I have always been tall so I can relate to them! In the middle of the photo is a "teenager" giraffe. We think that this is the same giraffe that had just been born last time we were at the zoo (about 4 years ago).
Behind me in this photo on the far left is a very small giraffe. Do you see him? He is the newest edition to the giraffe families at the Houston Zoo!
Here is a cute little baby elephant. He seemed to be a little camera shy. . . This little guy was playing with a plastic feeding or watering bin on the back side of his cage. We could hear it clicking and banging against the back poles and wires of his cage.
Asian Bear
This little kitty (can't remember what type he is) blended in very well with his cage. He was playing with some of the vegetation and trying to take a nap. Finally, he came out in the open where we could see his beautiful markings.
Here's a black panther. He reminded us of our cats at home, because they like to lay on their back with their paws spread out. This handsome guy was taking a nap in this position!
Watch out Jason!! That water fountain could be dangerous!!
Good monkey impression, Honey!!
This monkey has a baby monkey clinging to her side. If you look really close on her left side you can see the shape of the babies leg wrapped around her middle.
I have always liked Flamingoes! They are so pretty! The colors of their feathers are so bright and tropical!3.10.2009
Aransas Wildlife Refuge
Aransas Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to go if you enjoy seeing animals in the wild. We have been down to Aransas at least 4-5 times! This time, the surroundings were not as beautiful as they have been in the past. Texas has been having a really bad drought, so much of the water has dried up. The animals are not going to stay in a place where there is no water, so naturally we saw less animals than we ever have before. We did see some alligators, but normally we would see 10-20 of them. This time we maybe saw 4 (plus 5 babies). We also normally see more birds. This time we saw more deer than we ever have, and more javelina, also. We saw whole herds of them grazing from a distance. 
This used to be a beach where you could walk, but errosion has caused it be difficult to access. Plus, there are many trees and limbs strewn around this area because of Hurricane Ike.
Jason is photographing herds of javelina and deer, which were grazing in this open area--which normally would be completely full of water.
In the distance, you can see a few javelina--my camera doesn't have very good zoom. In the opposite direction, there were even more grazing--just even farther away. This area is usually completely full of water. Once when we were at this viewing deck, we saw a bobcat try to catch a baby duck which was swimming near the shore in some shallow water. He missed on his attack, and embarrassed... quickly disappeared into the thick brush he had jumped out of. It was really cool to watch, and I was glad he did not successfully catch the poor baby duck!
Here is the tallest observation deck in the refuge. From here, you can look all around to spot deer, javelina, and birds. We saw Whooping Cranes in the distance from up here.
Usually in this area, there is more water, and we see a variety of herins and ducks. We did see a great white egret, but not much else along this board walk.
This used to be a beach where you could walk, but errosion has caused it be difficult to access. Plus, there are many trees and limbs strewn around this area because of Hurricane Ike.
Jason is photographing herds of javelina and deer, which were grazing in this open area--which normally would be completely full of water.
In the distance, you can see a few javelina--my camera doesn't have very good zoom. In the opposite direction, there were even more grazing--just even farther away. This area is usually completely full of water. Once when we were at this viewing deck, we saw a bobcat try to catch a baby duck which was swimming near the shore in some shallow water. He missed on his attack, and embarrassed... quickly disappeared into the thick brush he had jumped out of. It was really cool to watch, and I was glad he did not successfully catch the poor baby duck! 
Here is the tallest observation deck in the refuge. From here, you can look all around to spot deer, javelina, and birds. We saw Whooping Cranes in the distance from up here.
Usually in this area, there is more water, and we see a variety of herins and ducks. We did see a great white egret, but not much else along this board walk.
Rockport, Texas
This spot is called "Pelican Pier"! There are always pelicans resting on it, and today was no different! There were brown and white pelicans there, among other birds.
Lighthouse Inn, where we stayed, from a distance.
The backdoor of our room led to a gazebo pier! It was really pretty. At night they had lights underneath the water, which made a few fish visible.
Jason is standing outside the door to our room! There was a paradise flower bush right in front of him, but the blooms were either dead or sickly, so I didn't take a photo of them.
The chairs were a little damp, so we didn't sit in them, but they looked really pretty there along the walk way that led to the gazebo pier.
While we were eating breakfast at the hotel, we watched dolphins swimming in the harbour. That was our third time to see dolphins down in Rockport/Fulton. It was really an amazing experience!! I hope to see more dolphins again someday! They are really beautiful and fun to watch.
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