The Prairie Sky is Wide and High

Kelli and I are so brave, so confident and secure about ourselves that we can show you these pictures. Now brace yourselves. They aren't pretty. You've been warned.

Before Texas humidity...

After Texas humidity!!!

Note the Texas oil well look on our faces. So pretty and shiny!

So, that's why the folks from Dallas looked like this!

Kelli and her husband Dennis, drove me to Padre Island where we walked along the beach and collected shells. I kept seeing these strange blue balloon-like things all over the beach and had no idea what they were. They were odd looking. I bent down to pick one up when Kelli told me, "Ummm, you might not want to do that. Those are jellyfish." Duh! The beach was covered with jellyfish! It was really neat. The only jellyfish I've seen have been on SpongeBob and they're always pink. How should I know those blue balloons were jellyfish? Amazingly I didn't step on any (because of course, I was barefoot). It's a good thing too because Joey Tribiani wasn't around to pee on my foot.

A gift shop that looks like a cool sand castle


Another gift shop - you walk through the mouth to get inside. I guess you get vomited out when you leave.

the beach

jellyfish

bird

a little crab

Remember the black hole at my house? The one where all my lost items go? Well, I today I learned where the black hole empties out! At the beach on Padre Island!

a lightbulb covered in barnacles

looks like another jellyfish, but it's a balloon


a big drum of something or other

motor oil

Now I'm told that the beach is lovely during the summer and it isn't littered with garbage that's washed ashore. It's really sad to see all the junk that ends up in the ocean.


Check out the road! It looks like it goes up and then just drops off the face of the earth!

Check it out! They have Jack in the Box too! We don't have those anymore. Oh and I apologize to the many angry readers who pointed out my horrible, grievous error. I'm sorry for saying we don't have Sonics in IL. Apparently southern IL does. Who knew?

Oh yeah - note the wind in the palm tree!

The Stars at Night - Are Big and Bright...

So, I'm here in Corpus Christi. I didn't even come close to missing my flight this time. I'm getting good at this travel stuff. ;)

When flying into Houston, I saw out the window what looked like my backyard. It looked like mounds of snow. Everywhere for as far as you could see - snow. However, it wasn't snow. It was clouds. Lots and lots of clouds. As Murphy would have it, I left a very bright sunshiny Chicago this morning to travel to the land of cloud-cover. Oh well, at least it's warm. Humid actually. My hair has grown to four times its regular size. I'm going to need a cowboy hat to contain it soon.

Actually I don't think we flew into Houston at all. I'm pretty sure we landed in Oklahoma and then we taxied to Dallas and then I walked through corridors until I got to Houston. Man, that airport is spread out!

Kelli met me at the airport and took me on a tour of Corpus Christi and drove me to the ocean!


a seagull


a pelican


the USS Lexington in the OCEAN!!!


A huge array of goodies from my most gracious hostess, Kelli


Just like in the fancy hotels!


OK, maybe it doesn't look so wonderful in this picture, but this was the fabulous dinner Kelli made. Mmmm thai stir fry with coconut milk, curry, pineapple, chicken, broccoli, peanuts...yum!


Cheesecake. Me likes Texas!

Oh yeah! I even got to stop at Sonic! I always see commercials for Sonic at home and it sounds so good. We don't have any in IL. Strawberry limeade! De-Lish!

Dawn