Marsh plants and creatures of the sea

Inlets from the ocean snaking through the marshes

This weekend, a mundane, obligatory trip to the Sweetwater Marsh Wildlife National Refuge and Chula Vista Nature Center, with my son and a couple of his friends, turn out a lot nicer than I imagined. I have to commend the boys for being better behaved, then I expected, in light of our docent who was highly `musical'. Beans was not his friend!

It had been years since I had been to the Nature Center. I was impressed with how much it had expanded and how well it was run. Perhaps, it was the time of year, fall -almost winter ( winter starts December 21st), we had a clear and beautiful sight of the whole marsh and the bay, and the city beyond. The pictures do not do it any justice.

I never realized how many endangered species of birds and plants call the Sweetwater Marsh Wildlife Refuge home. Gunpowder Point on the marsh is only known native US population of Palmer's Frankenia (Frankenia Palmeri Wats). Cuttings from the 2 surviving colony is being propagated.  It was interesting to learn about halophytes like the endangered Saltmarsh Bird's Beak (cordylanthus maritimus) also found on the marsh. I was impressed at how the Nature Center was breeding and returning back to the wild the light footed clapper bird, which was almost extinct. More than 300 birds have been released into the wild todate. Such great work done so close to home and I was unaware until duty called.

The Saltmarsh Bird's Beak - extra salt is excreted out making it look like the plant is sprinkled with sugar

You know what else I was unaware of? I knew that there had been a gunpowder factory on the site during WWI . What I did not know is they were processing kelp at the site to produce acetone and potash key components of gunpowder. Imagine that kelp!

Birthday Seahorses

A few years ago, my son A gave me a couple of hundred dollars to buy myself some seahorses. I have yet to do so. Who will look after my seahorses when I go on vacation? I will buy them yet my son. I love you.

I have always been fascinated by seahorses since I was a little girl. My sister S said our daddy had promised her, he would buy her seahorses. But I want the sea horses!! I remember my daughter L, writing a great essay about seahorses when she was in 2nd grade.I was almost more fascinated by how her little mind worked as she researched and put together the essay. I remember we had faxed her grandpapa (my daddy) her essay and how proud we were all were of her. I could not believe that the little `seahorse' of mine could write and think like she did. I remember thinking I could not have done that at her age. At 2nd grade I do not think I could write an essay let alone do research. I do not know how well I read then!!! I was very glad that we decide to come to the United States and raise our family here. She had and continues to have opportunities I never had. Oh, to do the things the students in US school do and that we could only dream about in Malaysia.

This birthday, my sister C gave me some seahorses. Glass seahorses. As promised here are some pictures of them. They are very pretty except for the smallest, the soft glass seahorse. As you can see, it looks like an earthworm. Kind of like the one, I would fix to the hook for fishing. That's the one I could make form the glass rods I have. The other seahorses are borosilicate - harder glass that need a kiln and a more powerful torch than I have. Where is the pattern for the Crochet seahorses? Get them to me so that I can make them. Promise to post pictures of them when done.