Monday, December 7, 2009

Parading Around

Sunday, December 6, Jill, Nurse Jo and I putted on over to Texas A&M, Corpus Christi where the 25th annual "Toys for Tots" parade formed up. The parade is "old home day" and we get the chance to visit with folks, some of whom we haven't seen since the previous December.
The weather was cool and damp, not as good as last year, but a whole lot better than some previous years.

We parked our bikes and commenced to people and scooter watch. We spotted this Suzuki parked near some Winger friends. I like the looks of it but the last time I threw my leg over a sport bike both legs cramped, immediately; I'll stick to just looking.


While I invited my passenger, some folks just went ahead and purchased one (not that there's anything wrong with that).


One thing you can count on in this part of the world is the presence, rain or shine, hot or cold, of the Christian Motorcycle Association. They brought hot coffee and hot chocolate out in this very cool truck, this year.


There was the usual variety of bikes, of course, but I think I may have seen more new Harley-Davidsons, this year, as well as more Gold Wings.









At or about 11:00 am the lead bike moved off and we motored around Corpus Christi Bay.



An old concrete plant turned concert venue is the toy drop-off point, also the point to drink beer (or CMA coffee) and eat barbecued brisket while listening to live music and admiring the graceful strides of fine biker women.


It's good to see the little ones at this kind of event where they are exposed to the very best of the sub-culture. Not till after we got home did I see the way the banner in the background showed up over the lad’s head. It says it all.




The early afternoon wore on and we decided that, while we had liked listening to the band, the auctioneer wasn’t moving us, so we moved ourselves.
Consensus was that a ride around the bay would have more therapeutic value than returning home the way we came.

To ride around the bay, one must cross the ferry at Port Aransas. As the ferry left the landing an empty oil tanker, the Overseas Beryl, was making her way up the ship channel, bound for open water.

When a ship is moving her bow forms a wave called, appropriately enough, a bow wave. Dolphins often swim in these bow waves and we spotted several doing just that.



The lettering on her stern indicates she is registered in the Marshall Islands.




The sight of the dolphins in the ship channel inspired us to make a stop at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, in Port Aransas.
During migration season, bird watchers (“birders”) from all over the world come to our area of the state.

This Tri-color Heron moved aside for us to climb the observation tower.



This reserve shelters various coastal and migratory birds, wrens, sparrows and finches as well as nutria and alligator.



Jill is a knowledgeable birder and she and Nurse Jo enjoyed spotting and identifying the birds.



I took a turn at the telescope and spotted a crane. It was way over at one of the construction yards where drilling platforms are built.

Directly, the call of the wild was replaced by the call of coffee and we answered it in a leisurely fashion. It was that kind of day.




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Share the adventure: "Head for the Hills"

Share the adventure: "Head for the Hills"
Words and pictures about our ride.