Not Technically Buzzards While vultures live all across the USA, I see way more of them in Texas than other states. People here often call them buzzards, so I figured that was a southern term. Turns out that the word buzzard crossed the ocean with our British ancestors. It used to be a generic European term for hawks. Vultures, however, are not hawks. There are three kinds of vultures in the USA, two of which are found in Texas: California Condors (an endangered species not found in Texas), Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Turkey Vultures Were Made to Fly Turkey…
Tag: Nature
Wildflowers are Big in Texas Each year, spring slams into Texas with all the subtlety of a meteor, and bright swathes of red, blue, purple and yellow wildflowers bloom alongside the highways. Bluebonnets are the Texas state flower While those living elsewhere are often oblivious to their state’s flower, it’s a rare Texan who does not know that the Bluebonnet is the Lone Star State’s official blossom. In fact, it’s become a Texan tradition to dress in your Sunday best, park along the shoulder of a road, and take photos of your loved ones surrounded by wildflowers. Lady Bird’s Bill…
Welcome to the October 5, 2012 Traveler’s Show and Tell blog carnival. While this edition of the Traveler’s Show & Tell blog carnival includes sightseeing tips, photos and foods of the world, several submissions I received were on the theme of honing your travel mindset and making realistic travel goals so that you can get out the door and make your travel goals happen. For instance: Byteful Travel helps us cut through our mental clutter and clarify our travel goals. Rob explains how he quit his job to travel the world. Jeremy Biberdorf offers money management tips for travelers.…
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center Have you ever been to a zoo where you could hunt? Me, neither! I did, however, recently visit an aquarium where you can fish: The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens, Texas. TFFC is actually much more than just a place to view fish. It’s a full production freshwater fish hatchery dedicated to the preservation of Texas wetlands. Aquariums and Exhibits If you’ve ever been curious about the ecology of freshwater lakes you can see it up close and personal at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. TFFC offers 300,000 gallons of freshwater fish exhibits, featuring…
It’s November, which in the blogosphere means that it’s time for the annual blogging marathon known as National Blog Posting Month – NaBloPoMo for short. I chose this photo because I’m using NaBloPoMo as an incentive to sweep the cobwebs off this blog and start posting on a regular basis again. I’ve been doing NaBloPoMo for a few years now, and it’s so fun. Not only do I meet new people, but I get to know people in my blog roll even better during November. Even so, I confess that NaBlo snuck up on me this year, which is why…