Week The Fourth - Humble, Anahuac, High Island, Galveston ferry, Biker Fest.

How does John like to do his touring... well, with plenty of stops, I think he ought to write a guide to coffee shops of Texas....

As usual, our trip out was preceded by an investigation of where the best coffee shops are in the area.  Then off we went to Humble NE of Houston to find a camera shop I had ear-marked, to pick up their last roll of 120 film.  Once done, we reprogrammed the GPS and headed off to Javaman coffee shop.  They do the biggest Snickerdoodle biscuits you have ever seen... or at least we had ever seen... there is one on the plate behind the quite large muffin!
If you don't know what a Snickerdoodle is, let alone how big they are... well I just call them cinnamon kichels, you might be non the wiser, but there again you just might.

Then across the Houston Lake reservoir - Where I snapped this shot of John doing what he does best... I like the negative space in this photo.. always looking at design aren't I?

Past Liberty and Dayton

This could so easily be Lagos.  But it isn't.

Train spotting... This country has Union Pacific! So emotive isn't it?

And where we were headed was the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Where the water laps and swirls with the moving tide.  It is a most eerie sensation.



Sounds In Situ from karin millson on Vimeo.
One expects to see Bear Grylles sloshing about in the swamp and fishing out a gator or two before he settles down to a nice plate of lizard droppings.

Instead we saw these (did you spot them in the video?)

and the one higher up decided to show his diving skills, which were amazing!

 Art Shot #1

 Art Shot #2
Those images above were from the short loop walk at the information centre which had just reopened after being rebuilt following its demise during the 2008 hurricane that hit Galveston.  After we had done the walk in amongst the Bald Cypress trees that live in all that water, we headed to the actual coastal portion of the reserve, though we didn't spend too long there either.

Name those birds David
Yes that's right - Pink "Roseate"Spoon Bills, Storks and names on a postcard please..

The water didn't look very inviting, though the perceptive imagery is stunning

I said the water wasn't very inviting...
I refer you to centre of photo.

We decided to drive on because the mosquitoes were so bad that I couldn't open the door of the car, they were so big and so numerous.  Fisher folk were out there making their great catches of the day and I felt really sorry for one lady who didn't even have full length trousers on, but she was wearing a full netted hat and face veil... yet scratching at her legs.  I was making up a story about her, and how her husband bullies her into fishing each weekend. Poor thing.  Terrible conditions they were.
Driving on we saw this, can you make it out... it was surreal...

                                               ROAD AHEAD?

                                             A SHORT BY K MILLSON - 2015

Road Ahead? from karin millson on Vimeo.

As the weather changed a low low low sea fog swirled in, it was most 'Pirates of the Caribbean' in feel...

 Road bridge (see below for a more oblique view... )

Over the road bridge took us to High Island - which looks pretty flat from the air but...

When hurricane Ike (2008) hit the Gulf Coast, flood waters make it clear where the High Island hill (aka a salt dome) is.  This salt dome is responsible for forming structures/traps for oil accumulations in this area that have been and are being exploited.

We drove up and over that hill, but not before we passed this family of nodding donkeys, (pump jacks they are known as here) and had to go back for a better photo opp.

 We reached the ferry with 5 minutes to spare, it crosses the Galveston inlet.

More birds - Galveston's Pelicans.

This photo gives at taste of what was to come, later that evening.

I am absolutely sure this was the inspiration for Thunderbird's Island.

Then we had to eat... as usual dining was not keeping to any normal person's schedule.
We found this delightfully ornamented Mexican restaurant.  Snakes galore.
And I realized that it had been an amazingly long time that we have gone without any skulls appearing on the blog.  Considering that it was The Day of The Dead in Mexico and that skulls are abundant features of decor, tattoo and ornament all over Houston... why have we not seen any on the blog... ?

So here are three delightful ones.... True Mexican imports.

 Why did we go to Galveston today?  Well for the bikes of course.  No, not that type of bike....

A throatier, more muscular, monster of a bike...

 They make them light up these days too - Nice one for you Nicky? or do you prefer blue? I do.

 Spectacularly... there is beautiful design in bikes as I once discussed with a dear friend in Oman who was questioning the use of teaching art in schools- oh yeh, some people do still do have doubts...

 I loved the artwork on some bikes... here skulls make their second appearance in this blog entry.
 There were a fair few bikes outside select establishments.  It was quite an energy-packed evening as the bikers tore up and down the main drag that borders the promenade.  I am sure most Galvestonians were staying home that night.