Number Four

What a fun experience we had with the Traveling Sisters and a few friends from the campground!  Latona and I went on our first dinner cruise and really loved it eating a shrimp appetizer and tacos for the main course. We went on a catamaran leaving from South Padre Island and sailed the shore of the Laguna Madre. (South Padre Island is the largest barrier island and separates the Gulf of Mexico and the the Laguna Madre.) 

While on the sailing vessel, there was a special nod to the veterans on board. They gathered in the front of the ship and had their picture taken. It was an all-male group and we didn’t think much of it until a man made his way back to our  part of the ship and shook hands with one of the Sisters.  She was veteran, and he was a Vietnam Veteran and he wanted a picture with her, and wanted to shake her hand!

Because we had visited Vietnam we wanted a chance to talk with him. First, we thanked him for recognizing our sister and what she had given in her service. Then we told him what the South Vietnamese people said when they gestured and held up their thumb, “America, number one.” They said that we came to help them, to build schools, hospitals and roads. When we told the veteran what they said, he cried and hugged us! We cried 
too!

                                      *****

Another update on the birds.  We had better a better picture of the Sandhill Cranes...

And a nice shot of the White-tailed Hawk...

One more note for today.  We love to go to the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse for several reasons. We had a chance to see the video that explains had the water was pumped from the Rio Grande river first by steam and then by electricity to the canals and then the water pipes in the fields. The water is released into the edges of the fields in big blue hoses and soaks the ground by gravity feed. 

We went with several friends and had a nice picnic while observing the Border Patrol and the Wall from about 100 feet away.

The second reason I love to go is that the Monk Parakeets make their nests on the top of telephone poles in some areas of Hidalgo
And it is a thrill to see them. They use the bottom of the nest and sparrows use the top.

Perhaps the final reason is that there was a chance to affirm the love of my wonderful partner!