Although Connie McCreight and I have been faithful Turtle Patrollers for two years now, we have had absolutely no luck at sighting anything remotely turtle-like.  Ever the optimists, we still get up at 6 am every Tuesday morning to patrol our area, between Galveston State Park and home (Diamond Beach).  We are always rewarded with smiling beachcombers, some with great stories of their beach experiences.  Early on our route, we have noticed a house surrounded by sandbags, as it valiantly stands firm (for the moment:) against the waves that batter it at high tide.  An elderly gentleman recently told us the story about this house.  Rumor has it that Beyonce bought this house for her parents to enjoy, as they reside in Clear Lake in a lovely waterfront home on the south side of the lake (also provided by Beyonce:)  This tenacious beach house has weathered the legendary Hurricane Ike, and lived to tell the tale.  Beyonce is probably one of the few Texans who could afford the insurance for such a house!

Other interesting sights include the mini-mansions going up at the edge of the dunes.  We can’t imagine who these brave folks are.  Then there is the four-story aqua house that looks more like a hotel, but apparently is owned by some brave Texan as well.  When we approach the tan and pink towering home standing firmly on the seawall end, it’s time to turn around and retrace our steps just in case a turtle has made it to shore.

As you can see, while we don’t have any turtle sign to report, we do see other indigenous wildlife scurrying around in search of breakfast.  Cottontails abound this time of year, to say nothing of the pelicans.  I can remember a time when the brown pelican was endangered.  Now we have a love-hate relationship as flocks of them fly by my balcony all day, depositing their natural fertilizer on my glass windows:(  Life is good!