Free Republic

It's been 2 1/2 months since the last birdy thread was posted. Florida is a bit too hot for this old man to get out and shoot much in high summer. However, today I had a visitor. A little blue heron was feeding on my front lawn. That seemed a tad unusual. There was also a flock of white ibis. This time of year the ibis begin to gather in larger and larger flocks preparing for their winter migration. I got a face shot of this youngster. Their eyes are cool Several weeks ago I saw a family of Florida...

Aug. 9, 2002, 10:45AM BONING UP ON HISTORYSkeletal remains may be 11,000 years old By TERRY KLIEWER Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle LAKE JACKSON -- The gummy clay of coastal Texas holds plenty of secrets, but it may have given up one of its oldest when routine excavation near here uncovered prehistoric human bones. John Everett / Chronicle Archaeologist Robert d'Aigle unearthed bones three years ago in the San Bernard River National Wildlife Refuge in south Brazoria County. He may have found only the third human skeleton in North America that dates back at least 10,000 years. The bones -- a...

For Peyton Gilbert, the battle over the Trans-Texas Corridor is reminiscent of the moment in 1836 when Lt. Col. William Travis drew a line in the sand at the Alamo and invited those willing to fight thousands of Mexican soldiers to step across. "That line in the sand is the Trans-Texas Corridor, and it's a threat to our sovereignty again, just like at the Alamo," said Gilbert, 14, who is from Whitehouse, near Tyler. Gilbert was among a large crowd of people who marched down Congress Avenue to the Capitol on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against the proposed highway-rail-utility corridor...

NACOGDOCHES — The rows of extra chairs brought into the The Fredonia's biggest meeting room Thursday night were not enough to accommodate more than 750 people who attended an open house and public hearing on the proposed TTC-69 highway. Texas Department of Transportation officials heard hours of public testimony that continued late into the night overwhelmingly opposed to the construction of new roadways through East Texas. Applause throughout the hours-long meeting never swelled as loudly as it did when the first speaker of the night, state Rep. Wayne Christian, told TxDOT representatives emphatically that "our answer is 'no' on the...

HOUSTON -- It did not take long Tuesday for the Texas Department of Transportation to find out what the Houstonians at a public hearing thought about the proposed 600-mile Trans-Texas Corridor, KPRC Local 2 reported. "George Washington, Sam Houston would vomit on you people," one attendee said. Chris Zora, who opposes the plan, attended the hearing at the Arabia Shrine Center in Southwest Houston. "I'd like to see a show of hands here of anybody that approves of this corridor," Zora said. "Is there anyone in this room who approves of this corridor? Raise your hands if you approve of...

ANGLETON — Six alligators were caught earlier this week after some fishermen on a private lake near Rosharon complained about the animals. Lt. William Skeen, a game warden with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said the fishermen reported seeing an 11-foot alligator Monday. On Monday, Jason Newsom, of Newsom Wildlife Co. in New Caney, which specializes in rescuing unwanted animals, went to the lake, located near the CR 42 and FM 521 intersection, and saw 20 to 30 alligators. On Tuesday night, Newsom and some game officials captured six alligators ranging from 5-and-a-half to 13 feet. Newsom said he...