J. Michael Laferty at Tequila Sunset

Several times, I have walked by the musical hotspots, like Tequila Sunset, that line the Laguna Madre Bay without ever checking them out. Today, I heard the music playing and decided to wander in and check things out. 

J. Michael Lafferty was playing and singing some really good country music, so I stayed to listen until his gig was over. He played so much good ol' stuff - - even providing some stories and backgrounds of some of the music, like the story of how Kris Kristofferson was discovered by Johnny Cash. 

He also sang several of his original songs that were just as good as those old classics. And he makes his original music available for free! https://jmlaferty.com/

I tried out the mango ceviche, which was really good!

At the end of the gig, an SPI band called Southern Blend was coming in to set up. They play a "blend" of classic oldies, country classics, and a little modern. I can't wait to check them out as well. 

I will definitely be going back to Tequila Sunset. 

A Drive Along South Padre Island

 

I went to the beach and, for the first time, drove in at the northernmost entrance. Then, completely unplanned, I decided to just keep driving to see how far I could go before the driving conditions got bad and I would have to turn around. I ended up driving 15 miles! Even then, I wouldn't have had to turn around, but it was getting to where the fishers and beachgoers were getting to be out of view, and I sure didn't want to get caught up there where even AAA probably does not go. But if was such a lovely drive! I saw so many heron and pelicans along the way. 

Beautiful dunes . . .

Not much to see here, thank goodness! Lol...

When I got back to town, I walked around Jim's Pier for a while. It was so peaceful to watch, with just a little music from Laguna Bob's drifting over the way.

All around, a very special and enjoyable day!

The Subtle Little Lady Cardinal

We all know those brightly-colored, male cardinals catch everyone's eye, but here's a beauty that is a little harder to spot - the lovely female cardinal. Who knows why male birds are often the more colorful and striking than the females? Some say that the males are more striking in order to be able to compete for mates and territory, whereas the females need to remain inconspicuous in order to care for their nests. 

Whatever the reason, the female cardinal has a simple beauty all its own, don't you agree?

Please say yes! Don't hurt the little lady's feelings. 

 

A Sweet Harbinger of the Coming Spring Migration

It's wonderful to be back for another spring migration!

One of the first of the migratory birds I spotted was this little black-and-white warbler at the Land Valley Trust on the Island. Dainty and sweet, I'm sure it is a lovely taste of what is to come. 

Those Amazing Black Skimmers!

I am always thrilled when I come upon even a few of the amazing black skimmers, so imagine my delight when I stopped at the mud flats and saw hordes of them! At first they might be mistaken for sea gulls, standing there with their beautiful red-striped beaks tucked under their wings. 

But as you get closer, they pull their beaks out so that they can investigate. 

And soon it's clear to see that they aren't going to hang around. 

And away they go! 

And go . . .

And go!  

!

And, oh! The noise they make! 

I will not get to see their beautiful, synchronized flying today. 

If you want to see more pics of these beauties, just enter "black skimmers" into the search box. 

Young Mr. Brown, Juvenile Pelican on SPI

 

I love pelicans! Especially brown pelicans. At first, I thought that these pelicans that are completely brown were possibly older, but I found out it's just the opposite - they are young pelicans! This one was hanging around a winter Texan fisherman, waiting for throw-backs. 

I just had to follow him around with my camera. He was not too happy about it at first, but eventually he gave in and even posed for me. 

But not for long.

He soon took to flight.

 

Goodbye, young Mr. Brown. I hope to see you again! 

From Awkward to Super Heron!

This young heron was hanging around a fisherman, waiting for throw-backs. 

 

He was not a total moocher, though. He was still willing to work for his food, if need be, 

which evidently gave him a feeling of confidence and determination!

He seemed to go from awkward to SuperHeron!

Another Day, Another Egret

 I seem to be seeing egrets everywhere. Here, a white morph reddish egret is sun-gazing.

 And I'm egret-gazing. Who wouldn't?

Heralding a Golden Morning

 

It's always exciting to see a white egret, but what a joy to see it heralding the sunrise against a golden backdrop!

Such a beautiful morning!

A Demure Look from a Sea Gull

 

This sea gulls gives me a demure, coy look as I aim my camera - What is she thinking? Is she hoping for a tasty treat? Sorry, I don't feed the sea gulls! I try to eat natural as much as possible and so should they. Nice try, though. 

 

These hyperactive little sanderlings never beg for food. They just scamper around, busily checking out whatever has washed up on the beach. 

I'm sure their natural diet keeps them healthy and happy. 

Afternoon Sun

It's almost like a totally different beach in the afternoon sun. 

It feels so good to be back. I love the salt water, the salt air . . . the salt life. 

I didn't make it to the beach yesterday, but I did go for a walk at the SPI Convention Center, where I saw this gorgeous black-necked stilt standing gracefully in the reflection of the greenery surrounding the water. It's a keeper. 

Back on South Padre Island!

I'm living back in the Lower Rio Grande Valley after having spent a year in South Dakota. The scenery was beautiful and the wildlife was abundant, and I especially loved being around my daughter for a year, but my health was deteriorating again in the cold, dry northern climate. So when I heard of an apartment opening up for me where I was before, I got rid of most of my belongings once again and started to prepare for the move. I had already begun to prepare my vehicle for living on the road during my travel time, as illness and finances make hotels off limits for me. I truly enjoyed the trip down, taking my time to visit family and enjoy some sights along the way. I allowed about two weeks for the trip down instead of the usual two-day trip. It was so enjoyable! I hope to journal the trip itself at some point, but for the purpose of revamping this blog, I will just pick up from the time I got to the BEACH!

I've missed these amazing sunrises! 
(I only had my cell phone camera at first, but you can't go wrong here.)

Right off, I saw a seagull catching his breakfast. 

He'll take it to go. 

Before the Crack of Dawn

 

I'm an early morning person. I think I set a morning alarm, maybe, once or twice a year. I usually rise naturally before 6:30 a.m. Once in a while, I even wake up before 5 a.m., as was the case today. So I was able to get to the beach well before sun-up.

It was one of those mornings where the clouds were hiding the sun . . .  

. . . but as soon as it rose about the cloud layer, the clouds seemed to dissipate and it turned to into a beautiful, golden sunrise.

Now, that's worth waking up for . . .

The Return of the Black Skimmers

When I left early this morning, I was pretty sure it was going to be - once again - one of those super-cloudy mornings that would feature no spectacular sunrise, just a gradual diminishing of darkness. I almost talked myself out of going, but I keep telling myself that, even without a glorious sunrise, it is still well worth the effort to go and walk along the beach. The sound of the waves, the pleasure of being able to get some exercise with my feet in the sand, the seagulls and other waders, the occasional heron, and whatever else might happen to show up. And I was so glad I went!

I was so enthralled with the black skimmers that I first became acquainted with at the SPI Birding Center a few months back, but I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see them again. Well, today was the day! 

Only this time I got to see them, not over the bay, but over the ocean waves, and it made my day. I love watching them fly back and forth over the water with all the grace and synchrony of a perfectly matching figure-skating duo. 

I hope they will be back soon!