Butterfly Hunting at Edinburg World Birding Center

We set out today to see what butterflies we could find at the Edinburg World Birding Center.  I was a good day to chase butterflies.  We did manage to get rained on a little today but we didn't get that wet. We did see a few birds too but not as many as usual.  I think it is because we stopped here a lot earlier in the season this time.

 Yellow Colias

 Monarch

 Monarch

 Brushfoots - Heliconian

 Monarchs

Skippers:  Spreadwing Skippers:  Brown Long Tails

Skippers:  Spreadwing Skippers:  Brown Long Tails

Skippers:  Spreadwing Skippers:  Brown Long Tails

  Monarchs

 Monarchs

Monarchs:  Queen and Soldier

 Checkered Skipper

 Skipper

Skipper

Skipper

 Brushfoots:  Peacocks

  Brushfoots:  Peacocks

Skippers:  Spreadwing Skippers:  Brown Long Tails

Skipper

Skipper

Spreadwing Skippers:  Duskywings

  Brushfoots:  Peacocks

 Blue-winged Teals

 Egrets

Brushfoots:  True Brushroots; Crescents

Yellows: Tailed Orange

These guys flew so fast and rarely landed.  It was really hard to get a picture of one of them.  They look just like a leaf and they land close to the ground on leaves.  Lee finally was able to get a picture of one of these after chasing many of them.

Brushfoots:  Heliconian

Yellows:  Boisduval's Yellow

Yellows:  Colias

Monarch:  Soldier

Monarch:  Soldier

Beetle - Derobrachus geminatus

Well, he isn't a butterfly but it was a lot easier to get his picture!

Yellows:  Phoebis

Winter Ranch Veterans' Day Celebration

At Winter Ranch we have many celebrations throughout the season.  Today is Veterans' Day and today we celebrated that.  Many people came dressed in their Red, White and Blue.  Our Activity Directors had a nice program.

 Volunteers Preparing To Serve Breakfast

Debbie and Howard McDaniel

Debbie and Howard  are new to Winter 

Ranch this year from Oklahoma

 Nancy and Bob Hutchins

 Janet and Paul Wilson

 Char and Jack Leach

 Cathy and Larry Chapin, Our Park Managers

 Charles and Emogene Duran 

 Nora Minor getting a cup of coffee

    THE CELEBRATION BEGINS

Lynn Murray

 Lynn and JD, our Activity Directors, 

and Ron Berg who said the Opening Prayer

 The crowd for the celebration

 Breakfast is served

Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Fruit Cup and Biscuits

PRESENTATION OF THE SERVICE FLAGS

 

 The Army presented by Jim Blawat

 We honor all who served!

Lyn then had all the our military people stand by branch.  We have a lot of military veterans who celebrated with us today, including THREE World War II veterans!
 

I read a Poem dedicated to our Veterans

Lee was in charge of the video operation.  We listened to Kate Smith sing "God Bless America" and Billie Ray Cyrus sang "Some Gave All."

  HB Hulsey, our Veterans Advocate, read the History of Taps

Roger Richardson adjourned the celebration by playing Taps

There are always a lot of tears during taps!