Goliad State Park: Mission Espiritu Sancto and Presidio La Bahia, Texas

January 28-29, 2016

When in Texas, it would be difficult to avoid seeing and indeed visiting the numerous 18th century missions established by the colonial Spanish.  Although not following the so-called "mission trail", we were interested in seeing some of these famous (some infamous) sites and Goliad was our first stop.  The Mission Espiritu Sancto de Zuniga ("Zuniga's Holy Spirit") is conveniently located steps away from the park campground and a mile-long trail leads to the companion historical Presidio ("Fort") La Bahia.

The first series of photos are of the mission.  The building has been in its present location since 1749.   One of the main purposes of the original Spanish missions was to colonize the native people and convert them to catholicism.  It was our feeling that, in the depictions of this process, the museum tended to minimize the brutality of the Spanish and its effect on the indigenous population. 

Baptismal font

Ornate portico details

We were taken with this description of the Spanish hierarchical system of classification of various interracial mixes... 

 

The fortification Presidio La Bahia was also established in 1749, in order to protect the mission.  It was the home of soldiers for many years and the site of a multitude of battles.  The most famous took place in 1836 during the Mexican-Texan war. Texan forces were defeated and surrendered to the Mexican general, but were later killed at a nearby site.  Together with the defeat at the Alamo, the site marks a shame-filled moment in history for proud Texans.  To this day, the cries of "Remember the Goliad!  Remember the Alamo!" evoke a nationalist sentiment among the citizens.

The El Presidio buildings have been owned by the Catholic church since the mid-1850s and regular services are held in the chapel.

 

 

WIldlife at Brazos Bend State Park and the Texana part of Brackenridge Recreation Area (formerly a state park)

January 23-27, 2016

 We spent several days enjoying nature hikes in these two beautiful parks.  The bird life was especially plentiful and we saw several alligators, deer and, new to us..a couple of armadillos! 

 Great blue heron hunting at sunset

 A black vulture

 Beautiful snowy egret

Tricolour heron

A great blue heron doing the Texas two-step!

A pair of white ibis

 
  Many migrating birds, cardinals, blackbirds roosting at sunset

Adorable armadillos!

Coming into Texas, a state of contrasts

January 22-23, 2016

From Louisiana, we drove along the Alabama and Mississipi Gulf coast.  We were at first surprised at what seemed like miles of vacant, empty "prime" oceanfront land...then we clued in and realized this was property devastated during hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes.  On the ocean side of the road, miles of beautiful beach without a structure or tee insight, on the land side, dozens of lots for sale, some new housing developments and many, many vacant lots with visible remnants of building foundations or fencing... powerful reminders of the forces of nature.  No photos.

Then, we drove into Texas, and I was reminded of the theme to "The Beverly Hillbillies" when they referred to oil as "black gold" and "Texas tea"... Yes, there is definitely evidence of oil extraction, production and refining everywhere.

 








And then, our first Texas State park, Sea Rim, unspoiled beauty of the Gulf Coast.  Sighs of contentment!!!  Not entirely a happy story however, as we learned that the park suffered tremendous losses during two hurricanes a few years apart.  They had rebuilt a new visitors centre after the first hurricane, and it was all washed away a few years later... Facilities are very basic now as they plan to rebuild yet again...

 

Texas kooikerhondje (kooiker what?) interlude

January 25, 2016

Before we got Spark, our last Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever puppy, two and a half years ago, I had done some research into other breeds.  
I became very intrigued by the Dutch kooikerhondje, a smaller ducking dog.  It shares several characteristics with the toller but is somewhat smaller in size.  From wikipedia: "The Kooikerhondje is a small, flashy, red and white spaniel-like sporting dog. Originally bred in Holland as a duck decoy dog, its heavily white plumed tail waves jauntily to entice and lure ducks to follow it into Eendenkooi (duck traps). When not working the traps, Kooikers were expected to work on the farm to catch vermin. The Kooikerhondje was developed in the Netherlands around the sixteenth century to be a tolling breed. They were used to lure and drive ducks into 'kooien' (cages in the form of canals with traps at the ends), where the hunter (the so-called Kooiker) could easily catch the fowl. The dogs that were used by the Kooiker for this kind of hunting technique, were referred to as the 'Kooiker's hondjes' (literally: Kooiker's dogs). Eventually this led to this dog being called Kooikerhondje."

They are a rare breed and there are no breeders in Canada.  While at Brazos Bend state park in Texas, I somehow recalled that when I did my research three years ago, I had found one or two kooiker breeders in Texas.  Incredibly, one of the breeders was a half hour's drive away.  I contacted her and we had a jolly time exercising her dogs in an open field with a pond.  What fun we had!  The dogs are wonderful and both Dave and I really liked them!   One never knows where such an encounter could lead...

Thank you so much Sheryl Fuller for a wonderful morning.

 

Watch for the signs, part 4 Texas style

Texas is big!!! 

The signs we have seen so far suggest a dangerous and self-confident state. 

You have to respect the land and its various occupants.

Just don't mess with it!