Tin Roofs and Bayous, Eastern Texas to Louisiana

Sampson turns #9, luckily the birthday jersey Rick has carried from Mexico still fits!

Neat and up kept, the architecture of the southern USA speaks of times past.



The boys making breakfast, a cozy day off in Carol's farm kitchen/barn apartment.

"...the bluebonnets will be out in a couple of weeks..." but for now, Indian Paint Brush and other roadside flowers aren't too bad!

Buttercup decided to visit our camp, "Gentle as a kitten", but a heavy breather when she's standing outside your tent in the middle of the night!

Carol's Pan-fried Garden Chard

Wash Chard, slice and toss while slightly wet into iron skillet. Cook over a hot flame with a bit of olive oil and oyster sauce. Delicious!

Markos' Journal
March 17 Robin and Eric's, Austin, TX Today we had bagels with butter for breakfast. After breakfast my brothers played outside and I sewed a little bag to put my marbles in. Dad went away to fix his tooth, then we had lunch. For lunch we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
March 21 Jody and Susan's, New Waverly, TX Today we had an omelet for breakfast. After breakfast we did our math work. When we were done doing our math work we made some fishing poles out of a stick and some fishing line and a hook and I put a little alive fish on my hook. Then we had to make two more for Tarn and Simon. When we were done making those two fishing poles we went down to the lake to fish. I did not catch any but my fish got a little nibbled.

Sampson's Journal
March 24 Browder's Marina Campground, Livingston Reservoir Today I woke up and I read a chapter from Narnia and then we did math and dad made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and they were really hard to flip. Later we packed up and went to the public library and read books and mom sent some e-mails and went on the computer. Dad read us some "Ranger Rick" magazines. Later we went to the super market and bought some fruit and vegetables and meat. Then we went to a restaurant called "The Hop" and we went there for lunch and got an "Everything" pizza and dad got a burger. After lunch we rode down a road for about ten miles and got to a turn off to a lake and we went there. Next we asked at a store for a pass to an RV park and we bought one. Then we went to the RV park and set up the big yellow tarp and took showers and built roads (in a sand pile) and did journals. Dad made fajitas for dinner.
March 25 Hilda and Donald's yard, Hortense Today I woke up and it was raining and I could hear thunder and see lightning flashing above the tent so I read a chapter of "Narnia". Later I got out of the tent and got packed up and went over to the shelter and dad made boiled eggs for breakfast that were hard to peel. After breakfast we packed up the kitchen bag and went. Later we got to Livingston and went to a book store and gave some books and got some books. Then we went birthday shopping for my birthday and mom got one thing. Next we went to another store and got some party plates and a banner and candles for my birthday and Markos and Tarn got a present. Later we went to get a BBQ slab of ribs. After lunch we kept biking and got into a forest and went up and down. Later we asked to camp at a person's house and she said she would ask her husband and he said yes. We had egg scramble for dinner

Blown by the Northerlies up Texas

Spring flowers are emerging along the roadside, early March, southern Texas.

Sunrise along a bay of the gulf coast, Bayside, Texas.

Tarn, the monkey, is typically found in trees. He found this disguise on Padre Island, Texas.

Markos demonstrates that not only are his legs strong, but his arms too.

A pile of day packs left behind by illegal immigrants traveling north from Mexico. They follow the oil pipeline that traverses Keith's land, Riviera, TX.

Weather/terrain report: southern Texas had an unusually cold, wet winter. Cotton and grain fields remain wet, farmers hope for winds and sun to dry fields by March 15, a government subsidy deadline for planting in this region. Winds blow strong everyday, fortunately mostly tail and side winds. Days in the sixties and seventies Fahrenheit. Mostly cloudy. Trees are just beginning to leaf out. High Mesquite brush lands ease into huge damp, flat but furrowed fields around Corpus Cristi. Agriculture trades off with ranch land of long horn Texas cattle and curious horses. We've reached the land of southern BBQ, smoked ribs, turkey, sausages and brisket. Barbecue sauce and bread. Sides of beans, coleslaw, corn muffins and berry cobbler.


Sampson's journal:
Feb. 27 (Riviera, TX) Today we woke up and mom made french toast for breakfast. While she was doing that I squashed some oranges into orange juice. Later we had breakfast. After breakfast we had a tour around Keith's land and learned what he was doing with it. Later we dug some holes and did morning work. We found one egg in the chicken coop. Keith had thirteen dogs and two of them are really fat because they eat a lot. Later we had soup for lunch with crackers, it was mostly vegetables and carrots. After lunch we had quiet time. I did my journal and drew some in my book for quiet time. After quiet time we made hamburgers for dinner. We are staying with a Warm Showers guy but he was asleep most of the day because he worked all night. Today dad fixed the tent poles. We might watch Santa Buddies tonight. It just came out and is brand new. There is a cold front coming in tomorrow so if it's really rainy tomorrow we will stay here at Keith's house.

Markos journal:
March 3 (Mustang Island State Park, near Corpus Cristi, Texas) Today we had banana bread and yogurt for breakfast. After breakfast mom and dad got on the bikes and rode and I walked. We went to a (camp)site that had a lot of bikes and we talked together. Then we got on the bikes at 10:06 a.m. Then we rode for an hour. Then we stopped on the side of the road to have a snack break at 11:06 a.m.
March 4 (camped out in an empty seaside lot next to Lori's house, Bayside, Texas) Today we had raisin bread and some cheese and fruit for breakfast. After breakfast I did my math work. After I did my math work we went out to a long dock that at the end here was some stairs down to a platform. We went fishing.
March 5 (Goliad, TX) Today we had cream of wheat for breakfast. After breakfast we rode and we saw the court house. Then we went to the store and Tarn and dad went in. Yesterday we rang the bell in the bell tower. (Mission Santo Espirito) After that we got on the bikes and rode.
March 6, 2010 (camped out in Joe's cattle field) Today we had oatmeal for breakfast. After breakfast dad found a dried up turtle shell upside down with nothing inside. Today we crossed a river called San Marcos River. When dad was riding on the bike the turtle shell fell off and cracked.
March 9 (Robin and Eric's house, Austin, TX) Today we had pancakes and strawberries for breakfast. After breakfast we went outside and played on the trampoline. When we were done we played on the swing for a while. Then I came to my room and did my math, then I wrote in my journal.


March 9 journal work for Tarn
Find the rhyming words from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
short "e" sound
1. pets
2. Zeds
3. heads
long "a" sound
1. say
2. day
3. they
Good Morning Tarn! How many Zeds got a haircut? (1)
How many Zeds need a haircut? (48)