Day 7 NASA and Bolivar Flats

I am really sorry about yesterday , but I learned to get the pictures posted before "shifting gears" on the blog. Today we shall catch you up on that greattrip across the Bay and add the visit to the Johnson Space Center only fivemiles from our camp site.
Yesterday started very sunny and deteriorated as the day progressed. The trip across the Ferry (free) was smooth and takes about 15-20 minutes. On the othr side (east side) is a long peninsula that is attacehed to the east side of the Galveston Bay. In this area are some ten great birding sites and we visited some six of them. One was nthe 'back bay' and contained many of the wading birds that were not onthe ocean side (there's a topic for research). TheBlack Necked Stilts, and many diving Terns in cluding the Forsters, Common and the larger Caspian Tern. These birds are difficult to distinguish and we did use the trusty Sibley's Bird Guide a lot.
The drive to the Bolivar Flats is near the Pass where the ships travel to Galveston and Houston and as many as 50 a day. Then there is a drive on teh packed sand for about anothermile to the areas of interest where the birds feed in the shallows (Flats). We were too eaqrly as the tide was out in the Am, so we returned in the PM whe conditions were better.Here there are more than 10,000 American Avocets in rafts and flying and generally keeping fed for the trip nporth next month. Also were thousands of White Pelicans, numerous sandpipers ,Ruddy Turnstones, plovers, and even a few Long BilledCurlews. (See yesterday's pictures.) Inbetween waiting for the tide we ventured to the High Island's Smith Woods and the roosting site for the Roseate Spoonbills and Great Egret's nesting sites.IT waqs eaqrly but as yesterday's picture showed , they were begoinning to stake out territory for nests. There ws evensome gathering of twigs by a few. (See Spoonbills in yesterdays pictures).ON the way home before the Ferru ride we did see PIed Billed grebes, and two "American"birds , the American Wigeon and the American Avocet. What a beautiful bird!
Today it was a visit to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) just a few miles down the road adn not really "IN" Houston. Remember the phrases sent out from the "Command Center on TV in the 50's?. "Hello Appolo this is Houston", wellthis is the place. It is a huge complex, on 1,600 acres, and emplys 14,000 people and other civilians non attached. We did the tram tour which in cluded the Command Center first as rain threatened (That was a wise move). The Center besides the working part has a sort of "Museum/entertainment/history exhibit that includes memporabilia, and mockups of every possible connection to the space program. Ther are s\Flight simulators, :do it yourself" landing practices, a "take off " module (Go ahead and feel the G forces), real models of the sky lab, and portions of various modules in "cutaways" that you can touch and see. IT was a great visit and would beespecially good for those who hav an interest in space but are unfamiliar with what NASA has done. The Hubble