CAMERON PRARIE WILDLIFE REFUGE VISITORS CENTER-LAKE ARTHUR

We spent the night in the parking lot of the Cameron Park Wildlife Visitors Center.  Employees coming to work  knocked on the door and told us there was no camping in their parking lot. Jim explained about taking refuge from the storm and told them we would be visiting the center before we hit the road.  There is a boardwalk to an observation platform.

There are no trails to walk here, just one huge wetland very busy with birds and ducks.  The center has  two films,  artifacts and information about wildlife in the area.


We were amazed to see about 40 roseate spoonbills huddling in a copse of trees at some distance from our lens.  Their feathers are all fluffed up in an effort to keep warm. It was still windy and cold in the morning.


Like the egrets they are such majestic birds and obviously hungry.


It was fun watching them eat.


One bird would fly back to the group and another would come out to eat. I tried to get a decent shot of them flying but by the time they lift off and you try to find them in your viewer, they are too far away.


Birds high in the sky made a pretty sight. I thought they were geese, but on closer inspection they have medium long curved bills and I don’t know what they are. If you left click on the photos they enlarge. Do it twice, and they get bigger still.


I caught this fellow just swallowing his food.


Each time I’d turn back and try to isolate a bird from the mob huddled in the trees, the clarity suffers from the distance. Fascinating anyway.


Then as we were driving away, I could see a path behind the copse of trees near the road. Jim turned around for me and I walked behind the birds and got a couple of crisp shots. They were edgy and most of them flushed somewhere out toward the wetlands.


The thick brush made photos difficult, but they are so beautiful, it was worth the effort.


We stopped for groceries in Lake Arthur and got permission to park at the American Legion Post 405. A very friendly group. In fact, when I came out of the grocery store, a gentleman coming into the store offered to help me with my groceries. A very friendly town. No one locks their doors. Very little crime. God’s country, we are told.


The other patrons wouldn’t let us buy a drink in the place. This is Norman, Joe and Sally. Sally looks much like Loretta Lynn. She loves her music.


Everyone I asked was born and raised right here in Lake Arthur. Norman loves to dance and he informed Jim that everyone there is staunch Catholic and we were living in sin, at which time the whole bar erupted into laughter. We could hardly get away. They’ve asked us to stay for their jambalaya feed on Thursday afternoon. We have another storm warning for Thursday, with a tornado watch, so we have no plans to drive anywhere on Thursday.

PORT ARTHUR AMERICAN LEGION.

We left Galveston and took the Ferry over to Bolivar Island.

Gulls...

...and these sleek black birds follow the ferries and take a ride with the cars and trucks. These black birds resemble crows, but I don't know what they are.

The Port is loaded with oil activity. This tanker, anchored off shore, showing empty. Others were full. Plenty of oil derricks and oil rigs working this area.
We didn't find a suitable place to stay on Bolivar Island. We took a short causeway to the mainland on the way to  Port Arthur and pulled in to American Legion Post #7.

We usually go in and socialize and have a drink in support of the post. I always hate to go in because my clothes end up smelling like smoke. I was  glad I did. We had just come from a friendly post but this one was exceptional. A great bunch of people;  everyone came over and included us and told a little about themselves. It is all because of "Tex", the young commander showing Jim their wall of honor. He is 53 years old, and gung ho, energetic and organized. They have 221 members. They bought a former country club building with a swimming pool for their new post.  Four years later, it is paid for. They have many family parties and support local soccer, football, baseball, swim teams, whatever. They attract new members by being big supporters of their community.

They have bingo nights, and special dinners frequently. Dinners are free to members. The aluminum beer cans pay for the dinners.

One of their members carved this cross. It represents 400 hours of work. We've been to so many American Legions and VFW's that are struggling. Tex should be a veterans consultant and assist these groups to get back on their feet again. We've promised to bring ideas to other groups as we travel about the country. Post #7 is having a big Super Bowl Party and we've decided to stay for that on Sunday.

I got to talking to a guy by the name of Glyn Simmons. He played guitar with several bands, both western and rock and roll. He wrote songs that have been picked up by the pros. We sang one of them I'd heard, "Pearly Gates", and a bunch of other songs from the 50's.  He told us about every musician from the area and where to find Janis Joplin's  house. I couldn't believe the number of famous singers that hail from Port Arthur or nearby. When he was in service, he was getting his butch cut at the same time as Elvis. He told him, "Hey, if you can sing, you could sing your way out of here because you look so much like Elvis."  Elvis told him, "I am Elvis!" He played music during the service with Elvis. Elvis  invited him to go to Germany with him but Glyn's Momma wanted him close to home. He said he made the right decision. He was so interesting. He had a wallet full of photos. What a trip. I can tell I'm going to enjoy our stay here.