Texas Drive

Friday...After breakfast we headed for Port Lavaca via a different road.  The white geese with black tipped wings were picking in a grassy pasture.  There are some darker geese mixed into the batch.

We saw a few White-tail deer; but, no spotted Axis.  I think we were too late in the day.





Not far down the road there were two...no three Sambar deer near the scrub treeline.  J stopped the truck for a photo shoot.  They looked like two doe deer and a young one.  You can see the ears of the little one with the doe to the left.



 

Then a royal treat.  There in the corner of a pasture was a gaggle of turkeys...5 Jakes (juvenile males with 6-8 inch beards)


              and



1 big Tom with about a 10-12 inch beard.   All gobblers.  As they pecked and worked their way along, we could hear them vocalize their "putt".

 

Our drive took us to the ghost town of Indianola...on Lavaca and Matagorda Bays.  Not much there.  A few forlorn brightly colored houses up on stilts and a lone RV Park.  Pull outs for fishing along the rock lined bank of the bay.  Lots of marsh and fog so thick we could not see the waters edge of the bay.  Near the end of the road is a stone statue of Rene-Robert Cavelier or Sieur De La Salle. 

1663-1687

La Salle was a French explorer who explored the Great Lakes of the US and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico.  La Salle claimed the entire Mississippi River Basin for France.  His major legacy was establishing a network of forts and outposts along the Great Lakes, Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi rivers defining the French territory.  He established a French colony near Matagorda Bay.  The colony was killed off by Native Americans after 3 years.  His last expedition to find them encountered a lot of fighting, and La Salle was ambushed and killed somewhere in East Texas.

 

In 1995, La Salle's primary ship "La Belle" was discovered in the muck of Matagorda bay.  Artifacts excavated from La Belle are owned by France and held in trust by the Texas Historical Commission.  These artifacts can be seen in 6 different museums across Texas.  The wreckage of La Salle's ship L'Aimable has yet to be located.

 

This area was also dedicated to the German pioneers who traveled the Guadalupe River in 1845 to settle the Texas hill country.

 

 Gas prices came down at H-E-B grocery in Port Lavaca.


J was happy with 18 mpg.

H-E-B grocery store is the largest privately held supermarket chain in Texas and Northern Mexico.  Founded in 1905 as the CC Butt grocery store by Florence Butt for $60.  Her son, Howard E. Butt, bought her out in 1927 changing its name to the now H-E-B....created from the first initials of his name.  A store was set up in Louisiana....soon closing as it did not catch on.  H-E-B PLUS was created in 2004 with an expanded focus on non-food categories.  They have other stores with international flavors.  Their mission statement is "Here Everything's Better". 

 

H-E-B is committed to exceptional service, low prices, and friendly shopping.  They are all that.  We enjoyed our shopping experience and will definitely return.

 

Take care...safe travels...see you by the campfire.