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2001 Harley-Davidson Road King





Thursday, February 25, 2010

I know...I have a LOT of blogging (catching up) to do!


I've been blaming my lack of blogging on the very slow Internet connection here, but it shouldn't actually have kept me from writing. The slow connection is due, I believe, to what appears to be an almost full RV park, lot's of wind and rain and cold, thus EVERYONE and their brother trying to use the Internet at the same doggone time! When it's warm and sunny, we try to get out and RIDE or hang out on the beach or do SOMETHING. I get on this computer almost every day and check my MySpace, Facebook, email, do maintenance on websites I've made for other people, read blogs I follow and by then HOURS have gone by and I'm too tired (or too lazy) to think clearly enough to write anything, SO, here I am telling you all that I'm going back about a month or so and will be posting LOTS of photos of our adventures here in Port Aransas as my slow Internet connection allows. Heck, I haven't even gone back yet to update my previous blogs...oh well, I hope that gives you all something to look forward to. By the way, I sure do enjoy reading other's blogs!
:-)


Friday, February 19, 2010

Who does this look like? (click pic to enlarge)

We know who these faces look like to us, but we're curious to find out what names other people come up with. The bodies don't have anything to do with it. Just concentrate on the two faces.

Who do they remind YOU of?
Please tell us in a comment, thanks.

Monday, February 15, 2010

WHALE GRAVE

This photo by George Gongora
The whale is buried in the dunes (see story in recent previous blogs).



Except for no greenery, you can hardly tell this spot is a whale's gravesite.

Mile Marker 30

Someone put these flowers and handmade cross on the whale's grave on Valentines Day, Sunday, February 14, 2010

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Next time you you visit...

...our blog... please scroll down towards the bottom of the page and sign our new guestbook before you leave? We see that people are visiting from all over the world and it would be fun for us to put faces to those visits...or at least a few words. And please don't be shy about commenting on the blogs too. Much appreciated! Thank you!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Dead whale washed up on Port Aransas beach (click on this title to see pics)

WARNING: Not for the squeamish!
Click on this blog title (above) for my Picasa
photo album of the whale
(best viewed as a slideshow, but not necessary).

Ok folks, I'm back with my own photos and some more information. Just after I posted my previous blog, I heard that the whale was NOT buried yet, and that a necropsy was to be done, so William and I both hurried down to the beach together.

I took as many photos as I could from awkward angles, and not being allowed to get as close as I would have liked...some are pretty good, but some leave a lot to be desired....however, I have posted all seventy-four of them here, so that my scientist friends (and whomever else wants to) can easily take a good look whenever they want to. Someone might find a clue in one of them that others have missed, including, in my opinion, the sky and the ocean. People around here say that they haven't experienced such strange weather in over twenty years.

When we arrived at the location, I immediately started snapping pictures. The partial necropsy was already underway and they were talking of burying the whale in the sand. I listened intently and learned a few things. Tony Amos, the local semi-retired Physical Oceanographer for the University of Texas Marine Institute in Port Aransas was conducting the examination. I spoke with him briefly, and he said that this whale is a young female, but he was still unsure exactly which kind. She had no skin left on her, and she was extremely thin. There was a thought that she may have ingested plastic garbage (BAD humans!!!), but nothing unusual was found in one of the stomachs. He needed to see the main stomach (I didn't know they had more than one) to see what it contains, but it was inaccessible and time was running out. She was to be buried quickly in order to avoid a serious health hazard (which has me wondering what happens to all that stuff that will seep into the ground over time?). She has no teeth, everything gets filtered (plankton?, krill? I'm not sure) through her balleens (which were missing).She's 48 feet long and it's estimated that she weighs about 12 TONS. Gee, I wonder what she would weigh as an adult?!


Anyway, the sky was looking rather ominous, the ocean was in a froth and the tide was very high, so we headed back to the barn, where I saw that Boris Branwhite my Autralian scientist friend had gotten back to me. Thank you Boris! Boris' current profile is available on - http://www.whalecall.org/index.php?page=bios.htm --rabid multiskilled foe of developers -- finder of new species, founder of Whale Call Inc. (http://www.whalecall.org) Boris viewed the pics that my friend Marjie Koenig had taken earlier and said that it looks like it could very well be a Baleen whale and that it looks to be underfed. He also sent me a link to his own research photos, in hopes that they might help identify her. I haven't checked them yet, but, I will tomorrow. But why was she underfed? And what was she doing so far from her home? I wonder what happened. The little round holes that you see on her in the photos were made by sharks...Tony said he thinks by small "Teakettle" or "Teapot" sharks 3 to 4 feet long. I'm not sure if I heard him correctly, so now I'm really curious, I'll have to take some time tomorrow and look that up. Boris said that in Australia they call them "Cookie Cutter" sharks. And, what happened to her skin?! Boris said that is very unusual. Tony said that he couldn't even tell what color she might have been, which would have been a big help in species identification. Hmmm...more research for me! I love learning new things!





UPDATE: Feb. 10, 2010 - Just a quick personal thought, but not exactly sure yet, I'll let you all know, when I've learned more. Based on my Google search, I think that it's a Right Whale (vey rare here)...based on the size of it's head, length, and the color of what maybe appears to be tiny bits of dark skin...you can see it in a couple of the photos. What do YOU think? Appreciate your comments, thanks!

A whale washed up on the beach in Port Aransas today. (click on pic to enlarge it)

These photos were just taken by my friend Marjie Koenig. (thanks Marjie!)
A whale washed up on the beach near mile marker 30 today in Port Aransas, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico. I missed it because I've been working on the computer instead of taking a walk like I was going to earlier. Darn! But, William saw it as he was riding his bicycle on the beach...BUT he didn't have the camera with him. I've been told that it was 30 to 40 feet in length. That's a big whale. I'll update when I find out more. Later folks...



Tony Amos, director of the Animal Rehabilitation Keep in Port Aransas, inspects the dead whale on Monday before city officials pulled it from the surf.





(This photo by George Gongora)
Port Aransas Mayor Claude Brown uses his custom made “Walking Tall” beach buggy to pull a whale found on the beach Monday morning. Brown said his six-wheeler can pull as much as 80,000 pounds. Hundreds of people stopped to watch as the whale was examined and then buried.

Thank you to our new readers!

A big thank you to our new "readers", Rob, Marilyn, Oz, Gary, Margie and Shirl. And a BIG belated thank you to Al and Kelly of the BayfieldBunch.com. Makes us feel pretty special, being such newbies here in the blogging world. We'll try not to disappoint...I just hope you like lots of photos, with a pinch of "this and that" every now and then.
- Mary Ann and William

P.S. - We seem to get a lot of folks from all over the U.S., Canada, U.K., and elsewhere visiting this page. Do we have some "anonymous" readers? If so, please feel welcome to make yourselves known to us. The more, the merrier!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

You Didn't See Me





Motorcycle Awareness
Over two-thirds of car-motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers, not by motorcyclists. The driver either does not see the oncoming motorcyclist at all or does not see the motorcyclist in time to avoid a crash.

Tips for Drivers:

Why Didn't I See That Motorcycle?
Drivers tend to look for other cars, not motorcycles.

Because of its smaller profile, a motorcycle is harder to see and you may find it more difficult to estimate the motorcycle's speed.

The motorcyclist's riding pattern is different from your driving pattern. Different actions may be needed for the same driving or highway situation. For example, you may ignore a piece of road debris as a driver; however, that same piece of road debris may be deadly for a motorcyclist.

Traffic, weather, and road conditions require a motorcyclist to react differently than a driver, thus it is more difficult for you to judge and to predict cues that may require the motorcyclist to take an evasive action.



What Are Some Situations When Crashes Are Most Likely to Occur?
Car making a left turn:
You are attempting a left turn in front of a motorcycle operator.

Riding in your blind spot:
A motorcyclist is riding in your blind spot and you may not see the motorcycle. Additionally, you may fail to adequately check blind spots before changing lanes or making turn.

Hazardous road conditions:
Potholes, wet leaves, railroad tracks and other road obstructions may dictate that a motorcyclist take an action that you may or may not.

Obstructed line of sight:
Large vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, delivery vans, and large trucks may block a motorcycle from your view and the motorcyclist may seem to suddenly appear.



How Can I Become More Aware of Motorcyclists?

Respect the motorcyclist:
Remember the motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the privileges of any vehicle on the roadway. Give the motorcyclist a full lane of travel.

Look out:
Look for the motorcyclist at intersections, when a motorcyclist may be making a left turn, and on the highway, when a motorcyclist may be changing lanes. Clearly signal your intentions.

Anticipate a motorcyclist's maneuver:
Obstructions that you do not notice may be deadly for a motorcyclist. Predict evasive actions.

Allow plenty of space:
Don't follow a motorcycle too closely. Allow enough room for the motorcyclist to take evasive actions.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Things My Motorcycle Has Taught Me...

This came in an email today from my sister Theresa (thanks Theresa!). We got a chuckle out of it, so I thought I'd post it here for all to enjoy (author unknown), along with a few photos of us.


In The Wind!



Mary Ann



Big Will




Things My Motorcycle Has Taught Me:


The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rearview mirror.

People ask us why we ride a motorcycle. For those who have experienced the joy,
no explanation is necessary; for those who have not, no explanation is possible.

Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul.

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.

Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 60 mph!

You start the game of life with a full pot o' luck and an empty pot o' experience. The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck.

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.

Midnight bugs taste just as bad as Noon time bugs..

Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of gas before you can think straight.

Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.

Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.

A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.

Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived,
and still rides.

Young riders pick a destination and go. Old riders pick a direction and go.

A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it.

Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night.

Always back your bike into the curb and sit where you can see it.

There are drunk riders and there are old riders, but there are not many
old, drunk riders.

Ride to work. Work to ride.

Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.

Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway - it's an attitude.

When you look down the road, it seems to never end - but you better believe it does!

Winter is Nature's way of telling you to test the electrics.

Keep your bike in good repair. Motorcycle boots are not all that comfortable for walking.

People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.

Sometimes, the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.

When you're riding lead, don't spit.

A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 a.m. to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.

Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary.

There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.

If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there may not be.

The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.

Always replace the cheapest parts first.

You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.

Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

Keep the paint up, and the rubber down!

There are two types of people in this world, people who ride motorcycles
and people who wish they could ride.

RIDE EM IF YOU GOT EM!!!

Riding with friends in Arizona...


Monday, February 1, 2010

Windy Wet Beach - January 14, 2010







You can see how far the water came up! It's not usually up that high.





The variance in color, light and shadows that takes place literally in a matter of minutes or even seconds, never ceases to amaze me!










William


Very high tide!









More early morning walk on the beach - January 13, 2010









William and Randy

Randy reeling in another one!

Randy caught a bunch of whitefish!










Puffer Fish









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