Texas: Austin/College Station

23-24 April 2022

Congress Avenue Bridge: Bats

Lots of private watercraft watching the bats. The red lights make it easier to see them flying.

This was some of the crowd when we first arrived.  See those long lines under the roadbed of the bridge? They’re about an inch or so wide and that’s where the bats like to hang around and have their young. At dusk they come out to feed on insects in the area. The bats started coming here spontaneously after the bridge was renovated with a new roadbed in 1980.

Kayakers, SUP-ers, several tour boats—all lined up on the river under the bridge to wait for the emergence of the bats.

We got to the viewing site about 7:40; the bats emerged around 9 (ish). Dan guesses that there was about 1000 people there and only 100 bats. Sometimes they don’t come out at all. I say there were a lot more bats than that, but….🤷‍♀️ Eventually were so many people in this spot that the bikers couldn’t move through! (This area is right on a bike/hike trail)

Waiting and waiting….

The red lights allowed us to see the bats even if we couldn’t photograph them successfully. I have several short videos that this free version of Blogger won’t allow me to add to this post. 

Evening reflections on the river

George HW Bush Presidential Museum at Texas A&M

I was very impressed with Bush’s service to country: as a pilot in the Navy, landing on aircraft carriers; a Representative; CIA Director, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador to China, Chair of the Republican National Committee. Married at just age 20 to Barbara Pierce, they together stood for decency, humility and service. I was happy to see so much of this Presidential Museum dedicated to Barbara Bush.

The following section of photos is just some things I found interesting. Both George and Barbara are buried on this site along with their young daughter Robin, who died from leukemia at about the age of 4.

The entrance to the Presidential Museum. Several areas had large area rugs on the floor. My best guess is that they are they not so much for the added color but to muffle some of the noise from all the hard surfaces. Just a guess…

This was at the end of the displays but I moved it to the beginning of this section because it exemplified to me the way Barbara and George lived their lives. Both gave much in service to their country even as they were raised from the start with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths.

I always enjoyed peeking at Bush’s socks. I give him credit for starting the crazy sock trend for men.

When 41 left office, his staff had these horseshoes made out of timbers from the original White House roof, saved when it had to be replaced. Bush had a horseshoe pit installed at the White House and would pitch a few from time to time.

A part of the Berlin Wall

A wonderful Fran Leibovitz portrait of Barbara Bush, with her famous pearls. The story goes that Barbara, not knowing where Fran would want to set up when she traveled to their home to take this portrait, spent all morning cleaning and de-cluttering the family home—anyplace where she thought Fran might want to shoot. When Fran arrived, she scouted the home but decided to set up in the garage—if only the Bushes would move their cars!  
Barbara was a great advocate for literacy, “transcribing their stories” as told to her by their dogs. She and George also became major fund-raisers and benefactors to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, spurred on by their emotional devastation at daughter Robin’s death from leukemia.

A mockup of the Oval Office as it appeared during 41’s administration.

A significant change that I appreciate nearly every day is nutritional labeling.
This began in 41’s administration.

Bush’s Studebaker that he drove in the early years of his marriage to Barbara.

In the later years of his life when he was wheelchair-bound, Bush’s service dog Sully would help him on a daily basis. I love that this statue lovingly portrays Sully near the end of the display area.

Witty conversationalist.

I just love this. Although, I personally thought that there were way too many photos of young Yale George in his Yale baseball uniform scattered throughout the museum!

Outdoors at the George HW Bush Presidential Museum

Leaving the museum proper, and walking behind the museum building, there is a lovely small lake with gorgeous landscaped plantings. A&M students, having recently received their caps and gowns, were under the pavilion taking graduation photos. The burial site for the Bushes is down a gated path to a clearing. What a peaceful place to spend eternity…

Robin Bush is buried on the left; center is President Bush, on the right is Barbara Bush.

The Bush School of Government and Public Service

Veryl Goodnight’s “The Day the Wall Came Down” depicts five wild horses jumping over actual pieces of the Berlin Wall. It represents the human spirit and desire for freedom. There are two copies; one in Germany, a gift for the German people from the United States, and this one, in the courtyard between the Presidential Museum and the Bush School.

Tomorrow we head into Austin and on/near the University of Texas campus to visit the LBJ Presidential Library….stay tuned!