I have a new job. It is in a bail bonds business. This is a job which has never been in my mind before.
This is a business which gets people out of jail for 10% of the bond amount. If the bond is $5000, the bond fee is $500. For any charge higher than a misdemeanor c, there is a filing fee of $15 for each charge. A misdemeanor bond can go no higher than $5000.
Higher bonds from $10,000 up are felonies and can go as high as a judge in a bad mood can reach. Of course, a murder charge tends to make a judge cranky. A murder charge in a small county can make any judge out of sorts, to say the least.
A day or two ago, four young girls in their late teens decided to take about a three-hour trip to a lake to have some end-of-summer fun with marijuana, alcohol and possibly additional substances. They drove through a small town. Perhaps they were having some sips of alcohol along the way, including the driver. The driving might have been less than spectacular and a patrol officer pulled the car over.
Long story, short, they went to jail and spent the night.
Each respective parent bailed out the daughter.
Anyone see something wrong with this picture? Hello, Parents. This entire scenario could have been avoided had the parents anticipated what the kids were up to and said, "Yah know, I think you should find some fun closer to home. Why do you want to go so far away?"
A teenager goes as far away from home to do something wrong, hoping not to get caught. Well, these girls got caught. Hopefully, they learned a lesson. Hopefully the parents learned a lesson as well.
There's no telling.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Gardening in Texas
About 14 years ago, I wanted a garden to make our own salsa with tomatoes and jalapenos. We'd just moved into our house. The place we selected must have been the place where all the rocks dumped when the lot was cleared for our house built in 1969. Also on the place was clay and bedrock.
Well, it took more work than we had figured. Not one shovel of dirt did we dig that did not scrap rocks. Huge rocks. Little rocks. And the clay was of such a stiff quality that it could have been shaped into pottery.
Once we had the bed ready, we brought in lumber and made a partially raised bed. Into the space, we added composted hay, manure and sand. Not having a tiller, we mix it with a shove and garden fork. That took days and days of sore backs.
My husband said we could buy some night crawlers from the bait store and add them to the garden. I said, yeah, that's a great idea. Worms need to be in a garden. I bought a container of a dozen and took it to the garden. I dug a hole and dumped in the worms. With the care of a mother putting a child to bed, I covered the brood with a blacket of dirt.
At last, the bed was ready. With high expectation and eagerness, we went to the nursery and bought tomato plants, jalapeno plants and black-eyed pea seeds. A day or two later, I noticed that the lower stems on the tomatoes had been chewed off. Grub worms. In the next few days, the deep rich green of the leaves were fading and nearly went yellow.
The plants grew but not long after they had grown large, another worm was eating the leaves off. My tomatoes were stripped. That year, there were no tomatoes and very few jalapenos.
Our conclusion was that the mixture was too hot, that is, the manure was too rich. The plants were weakened and bugs ate them.
We have learned and are doing a better job.
Well, it took more work than we had figured. Not one shovel of dirt did we dig that did not scrap rocks. Huge rocks. Little rocks. And the clay was of such a stiff quality that it could have been shaped into pottery.
Once we had the bed ready, we brought in lumber and made a partially raised bed. Into the space, we added composted hay, manure and sand. Not having a tiller, we mix it with a shove and garden fork. That took days and days of sore backs.
My husband said we could buy some night crawlers from the bait store and add them to the garden. I said, yeah, that's a great idea. Worms need to be in a garden. I bought a container of a dozen and took it to the garden. I dug a hole and dumped in the worms. With the care of a mother putting a child to bed, I covered the brood with a blacket of dirt.
At last, the bed was ready. With high expectation and eagerness, we went to the nursery and bought tomato plants, jalapeno plants and black-eyed pea seeds. A day or two later, I noticed that the lower stems on the tomatoes had been chewed off. Grub worms. In the next few days, the deep rich green of the leaves were fading and nearly went yellow.
The plants grew but not long after they had grown large, another worm was eating the leaves off. My tomatoes were stripped. That year, there were no tomatoes and very few jalapenos.
Our conclusion was that the mixture was too hot, that is, the manure was too rich. The plants were weakened and bugs ate them.
We have learned and are doing a better job.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
How I'm loosing weight and getting fit.
Two years ago, I was way too heavy for my 5-foot6-inch height, in my mind anyway, 154 pounds. My size 14 jeans were way too tight.
At the same time, my husband went into rehab for his lower back which went painfully out on a regular basis. While he was in his rehab session, I took a water aerobics class in deep water. I liked it but it didn't burn enough calories for me.
My husband finished his rehab session and started visiting the gym, using the weights, elliptical, tread mill and stair machines. We bought memberships. I was embarrassed at my assessment. I was given a three-day workout routine using the weight stations.
Over the course of a year, I gained fitness but my weight changed little. I tried not to feel discouraged. The supervisors told me muscle weighs more than fat, that what was happening was my muscles were developing as my fat was reducing, sort of an even trade. My weight came down about ten pounds. I fit a size 12 jeans but I wanted more.
A surprising side development for me was that my appetite was also reducing. I guess my stomach was shrinking. I started dropping weight, about a pound every month and a half. The gym supervisors told me that was the best pace: If you drop weight too fast (whether through drugs or a specialized food plan), once you stop, you'll gain it back real fast.
We renewed our membership and I kept working out. Burning more calories than I took in was my goal and I was doing pretty well, but boredom was beginning to set in. The supervisors said my muscles were getting used to the gym workouts. They suggested trying one of the aerobic classes.
Then fitness center initiated a water boot camp in the pool. I attended the first class and was hooked. It was the vigorous exercise I wanted. I tried land boot camp, then beginning yoga, pilates, and a step exercise class.
Over the next three months, my weight dropped into the high 130s. Now, my weight hovers around 136-137. Certrain styles if size 12 jeans are starting to fall off me. My goals is 130 pounds and I believe I'll do it.
Another positive result is I found relief for my irritable bowel syndrome. I eat about three-quarters of a cup of rice before every meal. This also has contributed to my weight reduction making me feel stuffed after small portions of protein, vegetable and starch.
So, if it can work for me, it can work for anyone, but it has to be at a slow and steady pace. To get into a hurry may show results in the short term. In the long term, the weight will come back.
At the same time, my husband went into rehab for his lower back which went painfully out on a regular basis. While he was in his rehab session, I took a water aerobics class in deep water. I liked it but it didn't burn enough calories for me.
My husband finished his rehab session and started visiting the gym, using the weights, elliptical, tread mill and stair machines. We bought memberships. I was embarrassed at my assessment. I was given a three-day workout routine using the weight stations.
Over the course of a year, I gained fitness but my weight changed little. I tried not to feel discouraged. The supervisors told me muscle weighs more than fat, that what was happening was my muscles were developing as my fat was reducing, sort of an even trade. My weight came down about ten pounds. I fit a size 12 jeans but I wanted more.
A surprising side development for me was that my appetite was also reducing. I guess my stomach was shrinking. I started dropping weight, about a pound every month and a half. The gym supervisors told me that was the best pace: If you drop weight too fast (whether through drugs or a specialized food plan), once you stop, you'll gain it back real fast.
We renewed our membership and I kept working out. Burning more calories than I took in was my goal and I was doing pretty well, but boredom was beginning to set in. The supervisors said my muscles were getting used to the gym workouts. They suggested trying one of the aerobic classes.
Then fitness center initiated a water boot camp in the pool. I attended the first class and was hooked. It was the vigorous exercise I wanted. I tried land boot camp, then beginning yoga, pilates, and a step exercise class.
Over the next three months, my weight dropped into the high 130s. Now, my weight hovers around 136-137. Certrain styles if size 12 jeans are starting to fall off me. My goals is 130 pounds and I believe I'll do it.
Another positive result is I found relief for my irritable bowel syndrome. I eat about three-quarters of a cup of rice before every meal. This also has contributed to my weight reduction making me feel stuffed after small portions of protein, vegetable and starch.
So, if it can work for me, it can work for anyone, but it has to be at a slow and steady pace. To get into a hurry may show results in the short term. In the long term, the weight will come back.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
U.S Navy 3 - Pirates 0
This was sent to me by my husband. It's a long read, but worth it. The author, as it says, is not clear but it sounds like a legitimate account.
US Navy vs. Pirates, Version Number 3
All: I second the remarks of previous pass-throughs (more than a few Naval Academy alumni, including a classmate whom I thank) and add that the well written and readable summary including geographic orientation and subsequent events should earn that author public favorable recognition for the timeliness of his report. I only hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.and that it be made promptly. JRP
Subject: Fw: US Navy vs. Pirates, Version Number 3Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:44:52 GMTFor what it is worth ALL of my back door msg traffic and info indicates that this is the most accurate summary of all. Sure compliment the Captain who made the decision to get on with it,-----i.e. cleared to FIRE, with great results. ALL THE BEST---CHEERS !
Not sure who the source of this info is, apparently a USNA grad from the late 50's who is passing this on from people in the know...This version seems to be the most authentic thus far.
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:59:28 -0400Subject: Pirate Saga Details
Forwarded FYI. This sounds like the real story as it fits with other accounts but makes more sense. Your "Real" story is not exactly the way I heard it, and probably has a few political twists thrown in to stir the pot. Rather than me trying to correct it, I'll just tell you what I found out from my contacts at NSWC Norfolk and at SOCOM Tampa.
First though, let me orient you to familiarize you with the "terrain." In Africa from Djibouti at the southern end of the Red Sea eastward through the Gulf of Aden to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa (also known as "The Horn of Africa") is about a 600 nm transit before you stand out into the Indian Ocean. That transit is comparable in distance to that from the mouth of the Mississippi at New Orleans to the tip of Florida at Key West-- except that 600 nm over there is infested with Somalia pirates. Ships turning southward at the Horn of Africa transit the SLOC (Sea Lane of Commerce) along the east coast of Somalia because of the prevailing southerly currents there.
It's about 1,500 nm on to Mombassa, which is just south of the equator in Kenya. Comparably, that's about the transit distance from Portland Maine down the east coast of the US to Miami Florida. In other words, the ocean area being patrolled by our naval forces off the coast of Somalia is comparable to that in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River east to Miami then up the eastern seaboard to Maine. Second, let me globally orient you from our Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, VA, east across the Atlantic to North Africa, thence across the Med to Suez in Egypt, thence southward down the Red Sea to Djibouti at the Gulf of Aden, thence eastward to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa, and thence southerly some 300 miles down the east cost of Somali out into the high seas of the Indian Ocean to the position of MV ALABAMA is a little more than 7,000 nm, and plus-nine time-zones ahead of EST.
Hold that thought, in that, a C-17 transport averaging a little better than 400 kts (SOG) takes the best part of 18 hours to make that trip. In the evening darkness late Thursday night, a team of Navy SEALs from NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) Norfolk parachuted from such a C-17 into the black waters (no refraction of light) of the Indian Ocean-- close-aboard to our 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, USS BOXER (LHD 4), the flagship of our ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group) in the AOR (Area Of Responsibility, the Gulf of Aden). They not only parachuted in with all of their "equipment," they had their own inflatable boats, RHIB's (Rigid Hull, Inflatable Boats) with them for over-water transport. They went into BOXER's landing dock, debarked, and staged for the rescue-- Thursday night.
And, let me comment on time-late: In that the SEAL's quick response-- departing ready-alert in less than 4 hours from Norfolk-- supposedly surprised POTUS's staff, whereas President Obama was miffed not to get his "cops" there before the Navy. He reportedly questioned his staff, "Will 'my' FBI people get there before the Navy does?" It took the FBI almost 12 hours to put together a team and get them packed-up-- for an "at sea" rescue. The FBI was trying to tell him that they are not practiced to do this-- Navy SEALs are. But, BHO wanted the FBI there "to help," that is, carry out the Attorney General's (his) orders to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips peacefully-- because apparently he doesn't trust GW's military to carry out his "political guidance."
The flight of the FBI's passenger jet took a little less than 14 hours at 500-some knots to get to Djibouti. BOXER'S helos picked them up and transported them out to the ship. The Navy SEALs were already there, staged, and ready to act by the time POTUS's FBI arrived on board latter that evening. Notably, the first request by the OSC (On Scene Commander) that early Friday morning to take them out and save Captain Phillips was denied, to wit: "No, wait until 'my' FBI people get there."
Third, please consider a candid assessment of ability that finds that the FBI snipers had never practiced shooting from a rolling, pitching, yawing, surging, swaying, heaving platform-- and, target-- such as a ship and a lifeboat on the high seas. Navies have been doing since Admiral Nelson who had trained "Marines" to shoot muskets from the ship's rigging-- ironically, he was killed at sea in HMS VICTORY at the Battle of Trafalgar by a French Marine rifleman that shot him from the rigging of the French ship that they were grappling alongside. Notably, when I was first training at USNA in 1955, the Navy was doing it with a SATU, Small Arms Training Unit, based at our Little Creek amphib base. Now, Navy SEAL's, in particular SEAL Team SIX (The "DevGru") based at NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) at Little Creek do that training now, and hone their skills professionally-- daily.
Shooting small arms from a ship is more of an accomplished "Art Form" than it is a practiced skill. When you are "in the bubble" and "in tune" with the harmonic motion you find, through practice, that you are "able to put three .308 slugs inside the head of a quarter at 100 meters, in day or night-- or, behind a camouflaged net or a thin enclosure, such as a superstructure bulkhead. Yes, we have the monocular scopes that can "see" heat-- and, draw a bead on it. SEALs are absolutely expert at it-- with the movie clips to prove it.
Okay, now try to imagine patrolling among the boats fishing everyday out on the Grand Banks off our New England coast, and then responding to a distress call from down around the waters between Florida and the Bahamas. Three points for you to consider here: (1) Time-Distance-Speed relationships for ships on the high seas, for instance, at a 25-knot SOA (Speed Of Advance) it takes 24 hours to make good 600 nm-- BAINBRIDGE did. (2) Fishermen work on the high seas, and (3) The best place to hide as a "fisherman" pirate is among other fishermen Early Wednesday morning, 4/8/2009, MV ALABAMA is at sea in the IO about 300 miles off the (east) coast of Somalia en route to Mombassa Kenya.
Pirates in small boat start harassing her, and threatening her with weapons. MV ALABAMA's captain sent out the distress call by radio, and ordered his Engineer to shut down the engines as well as the ship-service electrical generators-- in our lingo, "Go dark and cold." He informed his crew by radio what was happening, and ordered them to go to an out-of-the-way compartment and lock themselves in it-- from the inside. He would stay in the pilot house to "negotiate" with the pirates.
The pirates boarded, captured the Captain, and ordered him to start the engines. He said he would order his Engineer to do so, and he called down to Engine Control on the internal communication system, but got no answer. The lead pirate ordered two of his four men to go down and find him and get the engines started. Inside a ship without any lights is like the definition of dark. The advantage goes to the people who work and live there.
They jumped the two pirates in a dark passageway. Both pirates lost their weapons, but one managed to scramble and get away. The other they tied up, put tape over his mouth and a knife at his throat. Other members of the crew opened the drain cocks on the pirates boat and cast it adrift. It foundered and sunk. The scrambling pirate made it back to the pilot house and told of his demise. The pirates took the Captain at gun point, and told him to launch one of his rescue boats (not a life boat, per se). As he was lowering the boat for them, the crew appeared with the other pirate to negotiate a trade.
The crew let their hostage go to soon, and the pirates kept the captain. But, he purposefully had lowered the boat so it would jam. With the rescue boat jammed, the pirates jumped over to a lifeboat and released it as the captain jumped in the water. They fired at him, made him stop, and grabbed him out of the water. Now, as night falls in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, we have the classic "Mexican" standoff, to wit: A life-boat that is just that, a life-boat adrift without any means of propulsion except oars and paddles; and, a huge (by comparison) Motor Vessel Container Ship adrift with a crew that is not going to leave their captain behind.
The pirates are enclosed under its shelter-covering, holding the captain as their hostage. The crew is hunkered down in their ship waiting for the "posse" to arrive. After receiving MV ALABAMA'S distress call, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was dispatched by the ESG commander to respond to ALABAMA's distress call. At best sustainable speed, she arrived on scene the day after-- that is, in the dark of that early Thursday morning.
As BAINBRIDGE quietly and slowly, at darkened-ship without any lights to give her away, arrived on scene, please consider a recorded interview with the Chief Engineer of MV ALABAMA describing BAINBRIDGE's arrival. He said it was something else "... to see the Navy slide in there like a greyhound!" He then said as she slipped in closer he could see the "Stars and Stripes" flying from her masthead. He got choked up saying it was the "...proudest moment of my life."
Phew! Let that sink in. Earlier in the day, one of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a fixed wing P3C, flew over to recon the scene. They dropped a buoy with a radio to the pirates so that the Navy's interpreter could talk with the pirates. When BAINBRIDGE arrived, the pirates thought the radio to be a beaconing device, and threw it overboard. They wanted a satellite telephone so that they could call home for help.
Remember now, they are fishermen, not "Rocket Scientists," in that, they don't know that we can intercept the phone transmission also. MV ALABAMA provided them with a satellite phone. They called home back to "somebody" in Eyl Somalia (so that we now know where you live) to come out and get them. The "somebody" in Eyl said they would be out right away with other hostages, like 54 of them from other countries, and that they would be coming out in two of their pirated ships. Right-- and, the tooth fairy will let you have sex with her. Yea, in paradise.
The "somebody" in Eyl just chalked up four more expendables as overhead for "the cost of operation." Next page. Anyway, ESG will continue to "watch" Eyl for any ships standing out. The Navy SEAL team, SEAL TEAM SIX, from NSWC briefed the OSC (Commander Castellano, CO BAINBRIDGE) on how they could rescue the captain from the life boat with swimmers-- "Combat Swimmers," per se. That plan was denied by POTUS because it put the captain in danger-- and, involved killing the pirates.
The FBI negotiators arrived on scene, and talked the pirates into sending their wounded man over for treatment Saturday morning. Later that afternoon, the SEAL's sent over their RHIB with food and water to recon the life boat but the pirates shot at it. They could have taken them out then (from being fired upon) but were denied again being told that the captain was not in "imminent danger." The FBI negotiators calmed the situation by informing the pirates of threatening weather as they could see storm clouds closing from the horizon, and offered to tow the life boat.
The pirates agreed, and BAINBRIDGE took them under tow in their wake at 30 meters-- exactly 30 meters, which is exactly the distance the SEALs practice their shooting skills. With the lifeboat under tow, riding comfortably bow-down on BAINBRIDGE's wake-wave ("rooster tail"), had a 17-second period of harmonic motion, and at the end of every half-period (8.5 seconds) was steady on. The light-enhanced (infra-red heat) monocular scopes on the SEAL's .308 caliber Mark 11 Mod 0 H&K suppressor-fitted sniper rifles easily imaged their target very clearly.
Pirates in a life boat at 30-meters could be compared to fish in a barrel. All that was necessary was to take out the plexiglass window so that it would not deflect the trajectory of the high velocity .308 round. So, a sniper (one of four) with a wad-cutter round (a flaxen sabot) would take out the window a split second before the kill-shot-- no change in sight-picture, just the window blowing out, clean.
Now, here's the part BHO's "whiz kids" knew as well as the Navy hierarchy, including CO BAINBRIDGE and CO SEAL TEAM SIX. It's the law in Article 19 of Appendix L in the "Convention of the High Seas" that the Commanding Officer of a US Ship on the high seas is obligated to respond to distress signals from any flagged ship (US or otherwise), and protect the life and property thereof when deemed to be in IMMINENT DANGER.
So, in the final analysis, it would be Captain Castellano call as to "Imminent Danger," and that he alone was obligated (duty bound) to act accordingly. Got the picture? After medically attending to the wounded pirated, and feeding him, come first light (from the east) on Easter Sunday morning and the pirates saw they were being towed further out to sea (instead of westward toward land), the wounded pirate demanded to be returned to the lifeboat.
There would BE NO more negotiations-- and, the four Navy SEAL snipers "in the bubble" went "Unlock." The pirate holding Captain Philips raised the gun to his head, and IMMINENT DANGER was so observed and noted in the Log as CO BAINBRIDGE gave the classic order: WEAPONS RELEASED! I can hear the echo in my earpiece now, "On my count (from 8.5 seconds), 3, 2, 1, !" POP, BANG! Out went the window, followed by three simultaneous shots.
The scoreboard flashed: "GAME OVER, GAME OVER-- NAVY 3, PIRATES 0!" I hope you found the above informative as best I know it-- and, please excuse me in that after more than 50 years the Navy is still in me. I submit that AMERICA is going to make a comeback, and more than likely it'll be on the back of our cherished youth serving with honor in Our military.
So, let'sLook Up, Get Up-- and, Never Give Up!
US Navy vs. Pirates, Version Number 3
All: I second the remarks of previous pass-throughs (more than a few Naval Academy alumni, including a classmate whom I thank) and add that the well written and readable summary including geographic orientation and subsequent events should earn that author public favorable recognition for the timeliness of his report. I only hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.and that it be made promptly. JRP
Subject: Fw: US Navy vs. Pirates, Version Number 3Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:44:52 GMTFor what it is worth ALL of my back door msg traffic and info indicates that this is the most accurate summary of all. Sure compliment the Captain who made the decision to get on with it,-----i.e. cleared to FIRE, with great results. ALL THE BEST---CHEERS !
Not sure who the source of this info is, apparently a USNA grad from the late 50's who is passing this on from people in the know...This version seems to be the most authentic thus far.
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:59:28 -0400Subject: Pirate Saga Details
Forwarded FYI. This sounds like the real story as it fits with other accounts but makes more sense. Your "Real" story is not exactly the way I heard it, and probably has a few political twists thrown in to stir the pot. Rather than me trying to correct it, I'll just tell you what I found out from my contacts at NSWC Norfolk and at SOCOM Tampa.
First though, let me orient you to familiarize you with the "terrain." In Africa from Djibouti at the southern end of the Red Sea eastward through the Gulf of Aden to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa (also known as "The Horn of Africa") is about a 600 nm transit before you stand out into the Indian Ocean. That transit is comparable in distance to that from the mouth of the Mississippi at New Orleans to the tip of Florida at Key West-- except that 600 nm over there is infested with Somalia pirates. Ships turning southward at the Horn of Africa transit the SLOC (Sea Lane of Commerce) along the east coast of Somalia because of the prevailing southerly currents there.
It's about 1,500 nm on to Mombassa, which is just south of the equator in Kenya. Comparably, that's about the transit distance from Portland Maine down the east coast of the US to Miami Florida. In other words, the ocean area being patrolled by our naval forces off the coast of Somalia is comparable to that in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River east to Miami then up the eastern seaboard to Maine. Second, let me globally orient you from our Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, VA, east across the Atlantic to North Africa, thence across the Med to Suez in Egypt, thence southward down the Red Sea to Djibouti at the Gulf of Aden, thence eastward to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa, and thence southerly some 300 miles down the east cost of Somali out into the high seas of the Indian Ocean to the position of MV ALABAMA is a little more than 7,000 nm, and plus-nine time-zones ahead of EST.
Hold that thought, in that, a C-17 transport averaging a little better than 400 kts (SOG) takes the best part of 18 hours to make that trip. In the evening darkness late Thursday night, a team of Navy SEALs from NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) Norfolk parachuted from such a C-17 into the black waters (no refraction of light) of the Indian Ocean-- close-aboard to our 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, USS BOXER (LHD 4), the flagship of our ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group) in the AOR (Area Of Responsibility, the Gulf of Aden). They not only parachuted in with all of their "equipment," they had their own inflatable boats, RHIB's (Rigid Hull, Inflatable Boats) with them for over-water transport. They went into BOXER's landing dock, debarked, and staged for the rescue-- Thursday night.
And, let me comment on time-late: In that the SEAL's quick response-- departing ready-alert in less than 4 hours from Norfolk-- supposedly surprised POTUS's staff, whereas President Obama was miffed not to get his "cops" there before the Navy. He reportedly questioned his staff, "Will 'my' FBI people get there before the Navy does?" It took the FBI almost 12 hours to put together a team and get them packed-up-- for an "at sea" rescue. The FBI was trying to tell him that they are not practiced to do this-- Navy SEALs are. But, BHO wanted the FBI there "to help," that is, carry out the Attorney General's (his) orders to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips peacefully-- because apparently he doesn't trust GW's military to carry out his "political guidance."
The flight of the FBI's passenger jet took a little less than 14 hours at 500-some knots to get to Djibouti. BOXER'S helos picked them up and transported them out to the ship. The Navy SEALs were already there, staged, and ready to act by the time POTUS's FBI arrived on board latter that evening. Notably, the first request by the OSC (On Scene Commander) that early Friday morning to take them out and save Captain Phillips was denied, to wit: "No, wait until 'my' FBI people get there."
Third, please consider a candid assessment of ability that finds that the FBI snipers had never practiced shooting from a rolling, pitching, yawing, surging, swaying, heaving platform-- and, target-- such as a ship and a lifeboat on the high seas. Navies have been doing since Admiral Nelson who had trained "Marines" to shoot muskets from the ship's rigging-- ironically, he was killed at sea in HMS VICTORY at the Battle of Trafalgar by a French Marine rifleman that shot him from the rigging of the French ship that they were grappling alongside. Notably, when I was first training at USNA in 1955, the Navy was doing it with a SATU, Small Arms Training Unit, based at our Little Creek amphib base. Now, Navy SEAL's, in particular SEAL Team SIX (The "DevGru") based at NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) at Little Creek do that training now, and hone their skills professionally-- daily.
Shooting small arms from a ship is more of an accomplished "Art Form" than it is a practiced skill. When you are "in the bubble" and "in tune" with the harmonic motion you find, through practice, that you are "able to put three .308 slugs inside the head of a quarter at 100 meters, in day or night-- or, behind a camouflaged net or a thin enclosure, such as a superstructure bulkhead. Yes, we have the monocular scopes that can "see" heat-- and, draw a bead on it. SEALs are absolutely expert at it-- with the movie clips to prove it.
Okay, now try to imagine patrolling among the boats fishing everyday out on the Grand Banks off our New England coast, and then responding to a distress call from down around the waters between Florida and the Bahamas. Three points for you to consider here: (1) Time-Distance-Speed relationships for ships on the high seas, for instance, at a 25-knot SOA (Speed Of Advance) it takes 24 hours to make good 600 nm-- BAINBRIDGE did. (2) Fishermen work on the high seas, and (3) The best place to hide as a "fisherman" pirate is among other fishermen Early Wednesday morning, 4/8/2009, MV ALABAMA is at sea in the IO about 300 miles off the (east) coast of Somalia en route to Mombassa Kenya.
Pirates in small boat start harassing her, and threatening her with weapons. MV ALABAMA's captain sent out the distress call by radio, and ordered his Engineer to shut down the engines as well as the ship-service electrical generators-- in our lingo, "Go dark and cold." He informed his crew by radio what was happening, and ordered them to go to an out-of-the-way compartment and lock themselves in it-- from the inside. He would stay in the pilot house to "negotiate" with the pirates.
The pirates boarded, captured the Captain, and ordered him to start the engines. He said he would order his Engineer to do so, and he called down to Engine Control on the internal communication system, but got no answer. The lead pirate ordered two of his four men to go down and find him and get the engines started. Inside a ship without any lights is like the definition of dark. The advantage goes to the people who work and live there.
They jumped the two pirates in a dark passageway. Both pirates lost their weapons, but one managed to scramble and get away. The other they tied up, put tape over his mouth and a knife at his throat. Other members of the crew opened the drain cocks on the pirates boat and cast it adrift. It foundered and sunk. The scrambling pirate made it back to the pilot house and told of his demise. The pirates took the Captain at gun point, and told him to launch one of his rescue boats (not a life boat, per se). As he was lowering the boat for them, the crew appeared with the other pirate to negotiate a trade.
The crew let their hostage go to soon, and the pirates kept the captain. But, he purposefully had lowered the boat so it would jam. With the rescue boat jammed, the pirates jumped over to a lifeboat and released it as the captain jumped in the water. They fired at him, made him stop, and grabbed him out of the water. Now, as night falls in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, we have the classic "Mexican" standoff, to wit: A life-boat that is just that, a life-boat adrift without any means of propulsion except oars and paddles; and, a huge (by comparison) Motor Vessel Container Ship adrift with a crew that is not going to leave their captain behind.
The pirates are enclosed under its shelter-covering, holding the captain as their hostage. The crew is hunkered down in their ship waiting for the "posse" to arrive. After receiving MV ALABAMA'S distress call, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was dispatched by the ESG commander to respond to ALABAMA's distress call. At best sustainable speed, she arrived on scene the day after-- that is, in the dark of that early Thursday morning.
As BAINBRIDGE quietly and slowly, at darkened-ship without any lights to give her away, arrived on scene, please consider a recorded interview with the Chief Engineer of MV ALABAMA describing BAINBRIDGE's arrival. He said it was something else "... to see the Navy slide in there like a greyhound!" He then said as she slipped in closer he could see the "Stars and Stripes" flying from her masthead. He got choked up saying it was the "...proudest moment of my life."
Phew! Let that sink in. Earlier in the day, one of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a fixed wing P3C, flew over to recon the scene. They dropped a buoy with a radio to the pirates so that the Navy's interpreter could talk with the pirates. When BAINBRIDGE arrived, the pirates thought the radio to be a beaconing device, and threw it overboard. They wanted a satellite telephone so that they could call home for help.
Remember now, they are fishermen, not "Rocket Scientists," in that, they don't know that we can intercept the phone transmission also. MV ALABAMA provided them with a satellite phone. They called home back to "somebody" in Eyl Somalia (so that we now know where you live) to come out and get them. The "somebody" in Eyl said they would be out right away with other hostages, like 54 of them from other countries, and that they would be coming out in two of their pirated ships. Right-- and, the tooth fairy will let you have sex with her. Yea, in paradise.
The "somebody" in Eyl just chalked up four more expendables as overhead for "the cost of operation." Next page. Anyway, ESG will continue to "watch" Eyl for any ships standing out. The Navy SEAL team, SEAL TEAM SIX, from NSWC briefed the OSC (Commander Castellano, CO BAINBRIDGE) on how they could rescue the captain from the life boat with swimmers-- "Combat Swimmers," per se. That plan was denied by POTUS because it put the captain in danger-- and, involved killing the pirates.
The FBI negotiators arrived on scene, and talked the pirates into sending their wounded man over for treatment Saturday morning. Later that afternoon, the SEAL's sent over their RHIB with food and water to recon the life boat but the pirates shot at it. They could have taken them out then (from being fired upon) but were denied again being told that the captain was not in "imminent danger." The FBI negotiators calmed the situation by informing the pirates of threatening weather as they could see storm clouds closing from the horizon, and offered to tow the life boat.
The pirates agreed, and BAINBRIDGE took them under tow in their wake at 30 meters-- exactly 30 meters, which is exactly the distance the SEALs practice their shooting skills. With the lifeboat under tow, riding comfortably bow-down on BAINBRIDGE's wake-wave ("rooster tail"), had a 17-second period of harmonic motion, and at the end of every half-period (8.5 seconds) was steady on. The light-enhanced (infra-red heat) monocular scopes on the SEAL's .308 caliber Mark 11 Mod 0 H&K suppressor-fitted sniper rifles easily imaged their target very clearly.
Pirates in a life boat at 30-meters could be compared to fish in a barrel. All that was necessary was to take out the plexiglass window so that it would not deflect the trajectory of the high velocity .308 round. So, a sniper (one of four) with a wad-cutter round (a flaxen sabot) would take out the window a split second before the kill-shot-- no change in sight-picture, just the window blowing out, clean.
Now, here's the part BHO's "whiz kids" knew as well as the Navy hierarchy, including CO BAINBRIDGE and CO SEAL TEAM SIX. It's the law in Article 19 of Appendix L in the "Convention of the High Seas" that the Commanding Officer of a US Ship on the high seas is obligated to respond to distress signals from any flagged ship (US or otherwise), and protect the life and property thereof when deemed to be in IMMINENT DANGER.
So, in the final analysis, it would be Captain Castellano call as to "Imminent Danger," and that he alone was obligated (duty bound) to act accordingly. Got the picture? After medically attending to the wounded pirated, and feeding him, come first light (from the east) on Easter Sunday morning and the pirates saw they were being towed further out to sea (instead of westward toward land), the wounded pirate demanded to be returned to the lifeboat.
There would BE NO more negotiations-- and, the four Navy SEAL snipers "in the bubble" went "Unlock." The pirate holding Captain Philips raised the gun to his head, and IMMINENT DANGER was so observed and noted in the Log as CO BAINBRIDGE gave the classic order: WEAPONS RELEASED! I can hear the echo in my earpiece now, "On my count (from 8.5 seconds), 3, 2, 1, !" POP, BANG! Out went the window, followed by three simultaneous shots.
The scoreboard flashed: "GAME OVER, GAME OVER-- NAVY 3, PIRATES 0!" I hope you found the above informative as best I know it-- and, please excuse me in that after more than 50 years the Navy is still in me. I submit that AMERICA is going to make a comeback, and more than likely it'll be on the back of our cherished youth serving with honor in Our military.
So, let'sLook Up, Get Up-- and, Never Give Up!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Context of The Final Move
For the last week or so, I have been promising my twitter followers that I would put some context around some of the cryptic tweets I've been leaving. The context is from my novel work in progress with the working title "The Final Move."
The synopsis will be forthcoming at a later date if enough of my followers want to know. My apologies for previous blogs with less than adequate format and uncorrected typos. I'm learning to take my time with blogging, allowing myself to relax, to enjoy.
I invite you to leave a comment.
From "The Final Move"
I dreamed of a purple cloud. Wonderful drenching rain fell from it. Wearing my blue T-shirt and jammie bottoms, I stood in the cool downpour and smelled the freshness it washed into the air. Feeling soaked to the skin, I opened my eyes hoping to see the cloud. There wasn’t a cloud but there was a strange man wearing a purple jump suit floating above the foot of the hide-a-bed. Without moving his mouth, I heard his voice in my head. “Don’t worry. You’ll be guided and protected.”
My eyes opened again and I was soaked to the skin, alright, not with the cool rain but with hot sweat from a fever that wouldn’t break. A queasy heave of vomit jolted me and I dashed to the toilet. Falling to my knees hurt. Being so close to the chemicals was not soothing to my nausea and I heaved again. Only water came up because that’s all I could tolerate going down and not much of that.
The synopsis will be forthcoming at a later date if enough of my followers want to know. My apologies for previous blogs with less than adequate format and uncorrected typos. I'm learning to take my time with blogging, allowing myself to relax, to enjoy.
I invite you to leave a comment.
From "The Final Move"
I dreamed of a purple cloud. Wonderful drenching rain fell from it. Wearing my blue T-shirt and jammie bottoms, I stood in the cool downpour and smelled the freshness it washed into the air. Feeling soaked to the skin, I opened my eyes hoping to see the cloud. There wasn’t a cloud but there was a strange man wearing a purple jump suit floating above the foot of the hide-a-bed. Without moving his mouth, I heard his voice in my head. “Don’t worry. You’ll be guided and protected.”
My eyes opened again and I was soaked to the skin, alright, not with the cool rain but with hot sweat from a fever that wouldn’t break. A queasy heave of vomit jolted me and I dashed to the toilet. Falling to my knees hurt. Being so close to the chemicals was not soothing to my nausea and I heaved again. Only water came up because that’s all I could tolerate going down and not much of that.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tiger Woods speaks at Obama Inaguration
This was sent to me and my husband by an old friend who used to think Clinton was a sly guy.
What a difference an election makes....
TIGER WOODS SPEECH AT THE INAUGURATION:
Tiger Woods received a special invitation to speak at the inauguration. His inviters were stunned, when he did not deliver the message they expected. You will see why the media swept it under the rug with no further ado, who & why of a certain element is pissed off at Tiger.
Below is the text of his speech, entitled: "You'll Never Walk Alone," as posted on his Web site:
"I grew up in a military family - and my role models in life were my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods. My dad was a Special Forces operator and many nights friends would visit our home.
They represented every branch of the service, and every rank. "In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life, from every part of our country. Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.
"Each day -- and particularly on this historic day -- we honor the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our freedom. They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families who wait for them to come home safely.
"I am honored that the military is such an important part, not just of my personal life, but of my professional one as well. The golf tournament we do each year here in Washington is a testament to those unsung heroes.
"I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country, family and the military, and I am a better person for it.
"In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the man at whose memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio Regiment and said: 'I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.'
"Just as they have stood tall for our country - we must always stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.
"Thank you, and it is now my pleasure to introduce the US Naval Glee Club."
We should all be proud of Tiger Woods for his 2-minute tribute to the military at the Inaugural Celebration in Washington DC. You know he was greatly pressured to be there.
Liberals have been mad at him for a decade for not joining their ranks. So instead of paying homage to Obama, Tiger paid tribute to our soldiers.
Not one time did Tiger mention Obama, the inauguration or the new administration. He knew beforehand that his love for America and appreciation for our military men & women would anger them further.
But Tiger is his own man; his father taught him to be his own man.
Somewhere over that cold, gray Washington sky, old Earl Woods was smiling down on his beloved son. And there will be one more crying hug waiting for Tiger when he passes through the Pearly Gates into God's.
PASS IT ON: Draft Tiger for Congress
What a difference an election makes....
TIGER WOODS SPEECH AT THE INAUGURATION:
Tiger Woods received a special invitation to speak at the inauguration. His inviters were stunned, when he did not deliver the message they expected. You will see why the media swept it under the rug with no further ado, who & why of a certain element is pissed off at Tiger.
Below is the text of his speech, entitled: "You'll Never Walk Alone," as posted on his Web site:
"I grew up in a military family - and my role models in life were my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods. My dad was a Special Forces operator and many nights friends would visit our home.
They represented every branch of the service, and every rank. "In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life, from every part of our country. Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.
"Each day -- and particularly on this historic day -- we honor the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our freedom. They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families who wait for them to come home safely.
"I am honored that the military is such an important part, not just of my personal life, but of my professional one as well. The golf tournament we do each year here in Washington is a testament to those unsung heroes.
"I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country, family and the military, and I am a better person for it.
"In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the man at whose memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio Regiment and said: 'I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.'
"Just as they have stood tall for our country - we must always stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.
"Thank you, and it is now my pleasure to introduce the US Naval Glee Club."
We should all be proud of Tiger Woods for his 2-minute tribute to the military at the Inaugural Celebration in Washington DC. You know he was greatly pressured to be there.
Liberals have been mad at him for a decade for not joining their ranks. So instead of paying homage to Obama, Tiger paid tribute to our soldiers.
Not one time did Tiger mention Obama, the inauguration or the new administration. He knew beforehand that his love for America and appreciation for our military men & women would anger them further.
But Tiger is his own man; his father taught him to be his own man.
Somewhere over that cold, gray Washington sky, old Earl Woods was smiling down on his beloved son. And there will be one more crying hug waiting for Tiger when he passes through the Pearly Gates into God's.
PASS IT ON: Draft Tiger for Congress
Thursday, April 16, 2009
God's Pharmacy
This was in an email my mother forwarded to me. I thought I'd share.
It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.
We're such slow learners... God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.
A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.
It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.
We're such slow learners... God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.
A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A great winter vacation.
If winter traveler can pick the best weather to visit the most southeast island in Texas, to get out of the winter chill, he’s lucky. But if you as a couple are locked into a vacation, South Padre can be a great destination if you plan. Watch the weather and bring a variety of clothes to allow of any change in the weather. Despite being as far south as Texas can be on the gulf, climate still can be chilly the first couple months of the year. The plus is that rates can be reasonable. Snow birds, also called Winter Texans, may find a rate of $99 per night at the Best Western La Copa Inn (www.lacoparesort.com), which is dog friendly. Not only is there a free happy hour from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and a continental breakfast that includes waffels you make yourself and boiled eggs if you get down early, guests have available a laundry, work-out room with modern machines, pool and beach access. There also is free wireless Internet access but get your room on the lower floors so you won't have to go to the lobby to use your laptop.
My husband and I may have been close to the age of those staying at La Copa, but we wanted to be among a mixed age group for cocktails.
We found the weather still under a stream of cold air and clouds with a pretty stiff wind which sent us in seek of a warm place for happy hour. Wanna Wanna ( www.islandinnpadre.com) is an inn with a walk-up bar and grill on the beach, normally open air, has thick clear plastic screens that roll down, repelling the wind and warmed by overhead heaters. Beer is in cans and wine is served in plastic cups. No glass is allowed on the beach.
Parking in South Padre
La Copa Inn issues permits for it’s parking lot. In the street, parking is at a premium but getting around is no hardship. A taxi trip to and from your hotel runs $5 each one-way for two people, good if you plan to have a few adult beverages while watching powerful wave action.
Restaurants
As so typical in Texas, weather changes can be typical so with luck, the clouds will clear and the temperatures warm Lunch is great at Cap’N Roy’s ( www.restauranteur.com/capnroys) on Padre Boulevard, a great sea and Mexican food café famous for it’s Camaronitas Diabolitas which won the 2006 World Shrimp Cook-Off Championship in Port Isabel. It’s a dish of marinated bacon wrapped shrimp with pineapple cream cheese and jalapeno, wrapped, rubbed, smoked and glazed then served with fumi salad and choice of potato. Fumi is s fantastic thinly sliced cabbage slaw, with raman noodles, slivered almonds, black and white sesame seeds in a sweet vinaigrette dressing. Other great dishes are the grilled shrimp tacos, shrimp platter and the fish and shrimp planter.
We spent part of an afternoon collecting shells on the beach north of South Padre.
Fulton Beech
My husband and I have taken up bird watching so the second leg our winter vacation was to see species that don't live in North Texas. On our way to Fulton Beech, we achieved our goal sooner than we expected when at a rest stop, no less, we saw three green jays behaving just like their cousin the blue jay. Typically, the green jay stays south of the Rio Grande. This bird is dazzling with a blue head, green wings and a yellow breast.
We arrived at Fulton Beach Bungalows ( www.fultonbeach.com) which is just across the street from the beach. This is another favorite winter residence for Winter Texans. We stayed in a beautiful bungalow duplex but free standing bungalows. Each one is decorated with antiques. Our side of the duplex had a comfortable queen size bed, sofa, TV, kitchenette. Weather had improved but we still needed a little heat in the room at night.
For great lunch, we ate at Hu-Dat Restaurant (www.hu-dat.com), opened by the parents of former Dallas Cowboy Dat Nguyen. The menu helped us to keep in our goal of eating all seafood on our vacation.
Dinner was at Blackbeard's in Ingleside has an ahi tuna appetizer served rare with char crusted ginger Teriaki, enough for two. There’s no finer taste. After that, anything tastes great, like the broiled seafood which includes broiled shrimp, scallops, fish (mahi mahi) stuffed crab and a stuffed shrimp. Entrees so huge, two people could split one.
Another great place for dinner and breakfast is Alice Faye's just across the road from our bungalow. I love crab cakes and this is the place to have them, serve on a bed of sweet potato fries. You can have just about any traditional breakfast you want.
But the purpose of going to Fulton Beach was to see where the whooping cranes spend winter. At only $35 each, we booked two slots on "the Ultimate Birding & Boating Experience on the Wharf Cat (www.texaswhoopers.com), the only vessel offering tours professionally narrated by ornithologists and master naturalists. We took our bird book and were able to get close looks at species that would flee the human form.
Boy did we hit the birder's jackpot. We saw the common loon, the reddish egret, the white ibis, the roseate spoonbill, the blue-winged teal, the northern pintail, an osprey, a crested caracara, a peregrine falcon, the American avocet the long-billed curlew and the much anticipated whooping crane.
We watched a group of three, probably the parents and a grown chick. At one point another group of three flew over and the groups called to each other. Before we left Fulton Beach, we stopped at Ocean's of Seafood and bought fresh shrimp which kept perfectly in the iced down ice chest for our drive home.
These are two places pretty different but depending on your tastes, there is much to like about each place.
My husband and I may have been close to the age of those staying at La Copa, but we wanted to be among a mixed age group for cocktails.
We found the weather still under a stream of cold air and clouds with a pretty stiff wind which sent us in seek of a warm place for happy hour. Wanna Wanna ( www.islandinnpadre.com) is an inn with a walk-up bar and grill on the beach, normally open air, has thick clear plastic screens that roll down, repelling the wind and warmed by overhead heaters. Beer is in cans and wine is served in plastic cups. No glass is allowed on the beach.
Parking in South Padre
La Copa Inn issues permits for it’s parking lot. In the street, parking is at a premium but getting around is no hardship. A taxi trip to and from your hotel runs $5 each one-way for two people, good if you plan to have a few adult beverages while watching powerful wave action.
Restaurants
As so typical in Texas, weather changes can be typical so with luck, the clouds will clear and the temperatures warm Lunch is great at Cap’N Roy’s ( www.restauranteur.com/capnroys) on Padre Boulevard, a great sea and Mexican food café famous for it’s Camaronitas Diabolitas which won the 2006 World Shrimp Cook-Off Championship in Port Isabel. It’s a dish of marinated bacon wrapped shrimp with pineapple cream cheese and jalapeno, wrapped, rubbed, smoked and glazed then served with fumi salad and choice of potato. Fumi is s fantastic thinly sliced cabbage slaw, with raman noodles, slivered almonds, black and white sesame seeds in a sweet vinaigrette dressing. Other great dishes are the grilled shrimp tacos, shrimp platter and the fish and shrimp planter.
We spent part of an afternoon collecting shells on the beach north of South Padre.
Fulton Beech
My husband and I have taken up bird watching so the second leg our winter vacation was to see species that don't live in North Texas. On our way to Fulton Beech, we achieved our goal sooner than we expected when at a rest stop, no less, we saw three green jays behaving just like their cousin the blue jay. Typically, the green jay stays south of the Rio Grande. This bird is dazzling with a blue head, green wings and a yellow breast.
We arrived at Fulton Beach Bungalows ( www.fultonbeach.com) which is just across the street from the beach. This is another favorite winter residence for Winter Texans. We stayed in a beautiful bungalow duplex but free standing bungalows. Each one is decorated with antiques. Our side of the duplex had a comfortable queen size bed, sofa, TV, kitchenette. Weather had improved but we still needed a little heat in the room at night.
For great lunch, we ate at Hu-Dat Restaurant (www.hu-dat.com), opened by the parents of former Dallas Cowboy Dat Nguyen. The menu helped us to keep in our goal of eating all seafood on our vacation.
Dinner was at Blackbeard's in Ingleside has an ahi tuna appetizer served rare with char crusted ginger Teriaki, enough for two. There’s no finer taste. After that, anything tastes great, like the broiled seafood which includes broiled shrimp, scallops, fish (mahi mahi) stuffed crab and a stuffed shrimp. Entrees so huge, two people could split one.
Another great place for dinner and breakfast is Alice Faye's just across the road from our bungalow. I love crab cakes and this is the place to have them, serve on a bed of sweet potato fries. You can have just about any traditional breakfast you want.
But the purpose of going to Fulton Beach was to see where the whooping cranes spend winter. At only $35 each, we booked two slots on "the Ultimate Birding & Boating Experience on the Wharf Cat (www.texaswhoopers.com), the only vessel offering tours professionally narrated by ornithologists and master naturalists. We took our bird book and were able to get close looks at species that would flee the human form.
Boy did we hit the birder's jackpot. We saw the common loon, the reddish egret, the white ibis, the roseate spoonbill, the blue-winged teal, the northern pintail, an osprey, a crested caracara, a peregrine falcon, the American avocet the long-billed curlew and the much anticipated whooping crane.
We watched a group of three, probably the parents and a grown chick. At one point another group of three flew over and the groups called to each other. Before we left Fulton Beach, we stopped at Ocean's of Seafood and bought fresh shrimp which kept perfectly in the iced down ice chest for our drive home.
These are two places pretty different but depending on your tastes, there is much to like about each place.
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