Coastal Plains Region of Texas

Southern Inland Plains Ecoregion

The reservoir has been stocked with species of fish for recreational fishing including; largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and channel catfish. The reservoir also is the home of Alligator gar, a large, heavy fish that feed on the largemouth bass.

On the shores of Falcon lake are Texas wild olive, Mexican oregano, hibiscus, mesquite, huisache and prickly pear cactus.

Greater roadrunners, collared peccaries, white-tailed deer and black-tailed jackrabbits also live within the park. A variety of butterflies frequent the butterfly garden year round.

Falcon state park is at the extreme northern limit of the World Birding Center which is located in the lower Rio Grande river bird coastal flyway that begins at the mouth of the Rio Grande river and continues northeast along the river to Falcon state park. Numerous tropical birds frequent this flyway area.

Salineño Wildlife Refuge is located south about a mile along the river and is part of the larger World Birding Center of the lower Rio Grande valley.

Most of the tropical bird seen in the World Birding Center can be seen at Salineño Wildlife Refuge, in fact, this refuge is one of the best places to view these rare birds because of the daily feeding the volunteers do in the refuge.

At nearly 2000 miles long, this river is the fourth longest in North America, drains more than 40,000 square miles in Texas alone. In the late 1880's, the population along it's banks exceeded five million.

The last steamship to travel the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo was the Bessie, a wood burning sternwheeler. It was captained by Jessie Thornton until 1907. Roma, Texas was an important border shipping port during the Mexican-American war, one which was sparked when the Republic of Texas was declared a state in 1846.

There are also Screened Shelters and Shelters with air conditioning/heaters available.

All sites have covered picnic table, fire rings, outdoor grills, water, and nearby rest rooms with flush toilets and hot showers. The park has places to fish, swim, bird watch, hike, and for water sports. The campground also has a recreation hall with snacks, games, videos, and a butterfly garden.

Awake, arise, reach forward to start the jammer engine, dress in my fall blues, climb forward and drive slowly out of the primitive campsite, drive just past the Recreation Hall, turn right onto the road to the shelters, drive to the restroom and shower building, pull into the parking lot and park. Then, I get out, grab my towel, shower bag and walk inside for a hot shower. I am impressed that here too, the water is steamy hot, just like all the other shower houses in this park, which raises this Shower House Rating from 6 to 7..

In the early afternoon, I drive to my next campsite, pull into the site and begin setting up my electric cords and turning on my chargers to bring the charge on my batteries back up to their high levels. While the batteries continue to charge, I get out the salmon steak together with several of the fresh vegetables and begin preparing my evening meal for this day.

When I leave the w-mart, I drive to a g-mart to buy some fresh vegetables, nut butter, and a few other food stores, after which I drive

I arrive at Falcon State Park around four in the afternoon, ask for an electric campsite but the ranger tells me that all the electric and the full campsites are already taken, so I as for campsite 68 in the primitive area and she gives me a permit for campsite 68. I drive to the shower house and get into the hot water, the first one I have had for ten days and I do so enjoy it. After donning clean clothes, I walk back out to the jammer and drive to the Recreation Hall for WiFi and an electrical plug. Once I am plugged in, I then begin pounding keys in order to update my journal entry for day. Then, once I have got to that point, I pack out and drive to my campsite.

I then set up and get ready for a cold night, getting out my two extra blankets and spread them out over my primary blanket. Tomorrow, I will be able to move to the electric site and plug in.

Then, after the weekend meeting ends, I pack out and drive the 70 or so miles to Falcon State park and upon arriving at the park entrance, ask for a three nights in the electric loop near to the shower house, but the ranger tells me there is nothing open. Then, I ask for two nights in the primitive area at campsite number 68. She says that that campsite is available and I take it. I then drive into the park, drive directly to the shower house and get into the hot water. Afterwards, I drive to my campsite and back into the space.

Due to the fact that there is not much light left on this day, I just stay inside the jammer and work on my computer.

After a comfortable night with my heater on to keep the cold outside of the jammer, I awake, arise and begin my day. At about eight this morning, I grab my shower gear and walk to the restroom/shower house so that I may take my second shower since arriving here at this park.

The water in this shower facility is definitely steamy hot and the facility, (at least the men′s side) is kept relatively clean.

However, methinks, there is one downside about the cleaning of the restroom. Whomever is doing the cleaning has never been taught about how to remove the lime-scale deposits (calcium carbonate) and those deposits are starting to form Grand Canyons all over the sink fixtures.

Also, since I have been here, I have had internet service which is provided by the state park, but opt to use my own hot spot connections, with which I am able to stream and is much faster than the internet service provided by the park. Then, at about eight this morning, I step outside and begin boiling a liter of water, and while it is heating up, I get out my three cups and get them prepared with the ingredients of my f-meal. When the water boils, I pour the exact amount into each and then carry the three cups into through the drivers door and set them on the floor out of the way in the rear area of the jammer. Next, I walk back to the rear of the jammer, put away my cooking gear and then close the rear lift door.

Finally, I walk back around to the drivers door, climb in to the rear of the jammer and sit down at my computer to continue pounding keys whilst I enjoy my f-meal.

Then at eleven-thirty, I step outside again, unplug and stow the cord, climb back into the jammer and drive southeast to McAllen, Texas to continue my winter hiatus.

Awake, arise and see that during the night the front arrived and with it a light rain and a cooler temperature. I dress in my fall blues, start the jammer engine clean up my living space just a little and then climb forward to drive out of the parking lot. I drive across the highway, into the small business area on the north side of the highway and stop first at the W-burger for a breakfast wrap and coffee. After, I eat my egg and bacon wrap, I then drive to the nearby w-mart for a second cup of coffee and a cup of hot water so that I can brew my cup of herbal tea. I continue here until a little after noon when I pack out, turn right onto US 83 and then west for about thirty miles to the state park where I ask for an electric campground.

The ranger tells me that the nearest one is campsite 113 and I tell her that I will take it for two nights. Then, I tell the ranger, "You have been here for a long time." to which she smiles and tells me that she has been here for seventeen years. Methinks, that is about the same time that I began coming here, because my first time to this state park was on Day 1019 BR during the time I was really enjoying watching and photographing birds. She hands me my camping permit and I drive directly to the Mesquite Bend Loop shower house for a steamy hot shower. When I am done with that, I drive back down to the campsite, pull in, park and then hang up my towel and shower bag. Then, I get out my electric cord, step outside and plug it in.

Next, I grab my my phone and take some photos of the jammer parked within campsite 113. Finally, I get back into the jammer climb into the rear, connect my battery charger and then set up my computer to resume my current work project.

I arrive yesterday about noon and due to the electric loop being full, I check in for a space in the primitive loop. I then stop at the shower house first for a hot shower and then drive around to my campsite to set up. It is still quite overcast, damp and humid but I still put out my solar panels with the hope of charging the deep cell 12 volt battery and it does so only very slowly but never enough to use for the purpose of charging my computer battery. In fact, the sky is so very overcast, that even after charging for most of the day, my deep cell battery still does not operate the inverter.

However, when I arrived here, my computer battery had a full charge, but without more charging from the deep cell battery, I suspect it not to last for very long, maybe for a couple of hours.

When I awake this morning, I immediately see the Wolf Full moon and grab my phone to take a photo. I no longer have my Nikon camera working, something is wrong with the battery charger, so I will have to resort to photos of the moon without the crystal clear zoom in photos. Well, at least for now.

I watch as the moon moves closer to the horizon and at the same time the eastern horizon begins to illuminate and fill with color.

Next, I walk on the trail through the briar shrubs to the restroom and then take another photo of the eastern horizon. Soon after, I arrive back at my campsite and find the moon has just gone below at the horizon, turn around and find the sun at Suntouch.

Awake to my alarm, rise, dress in my fall blues, get out my electric heater and plug the cord in so as to warm up the inside of the van. I next turn on my computer and begin my journal entry for today while waiting for the light of day to grow brighter.

Last night was a very dark one, especially with the moon in the waning crescent phase having only five percent of its surface illuminated and very near to being a new moon, which will be in two days on Thursday, 11 January. Slowly, the daylight shows itself outside and too, slowly the temperature increases up to and above fifty degrees.

I open up the jammer, walk around to the rear lift door and while admiring the newly installed window shade, get out my stove, teapot, skillet and two hot cups. I take these to the picnic table and start the stove, putting my water filled teapot on top. I then retrieve from the jammer all of my foodstuffs I will need for my morning meal.

I awake this morning in the d-mart parking lot, get dressed in my fall blues, start the jammer engine and then begin driving the twenty-five miles west to the state park, where I ask for one night in campsite number 111, which I already know is available because of checking online.

One night now costs sixteen dollars, two dollars less than last year and I pay with my debit card. I then drive into the campground, turn onto the camping Loop, drive to my campsite, arriving at about ten this morning, park, get out and plug in my electric cord.

Plugging in this cord is the sole reason why I pay for the electric site, because I really need to have electricity for one overnight and get all of my batteries back up to a full charge.

Awake, dress in my winter blues, grab my shower bag and walk to the shower house for my first time here under the hot water, and yes, it is steamy hot! Upon returning to the jammer, I get out my cook pot and stove with which, I boil a pot of water and make hot coffee, hot tea and a cup of Daystart ©. Then, I put away the cookpot, climb back into the jammer, turn on the computer and begin enjoying my morning meal.

After a much needed oil change in the jammer engine, I leave McAllen, drive west on IH 2 to Penitas, Texas, then continue west on US 83 to Falcon Heights, Texas where I enter the state park and obtain a permit for camping two nights. I set up my camp including my solar panels and then walk to the shower house for a hot shower.

As the sun begins to drop to the horizon, the temperatures also drop apace.

Arrived here yesterday, set up camp and then prepared my first cooked meal, a cabbage cheese omelet with coffee. Yes, this was the first time I have ever had cabbage on a cheese omelet, but it was not bad at all.

In fact, yesterday, when I was shopping for groceries, I purchased an entire head of cabbage, so I will most likely have cabbage as an ingredient of most of the meals that I cook during my stay this week.

And yes, I am back at this desert campground, only, this year there does seem to be some green areas on the west of the campsite, towards the lake, which lake, by the way, appears to me to be at the lowest level ever.

Sleep late this morning after the late night, then rise, dress, and walk in to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer. I prepare for the meeting today and at nine, I pack out to the jammer, change into my meeting clothes and drive to the hall for the weekend meeting and a study about how Jehovah requires exclusive devotion.

After the meeting, I get into the jammer, put in the coordinates for Falcon State Park and drive the two hours it takes to get there. I arrive in the mid afternoon, check in for the night and ask for site number 69 telling the ranger, that is how old I am. I then drive to the shower house and get into the very hot water just soaking for a long time.

Upon rising, I dress in my winter blues, drive to the ff-mart for coffee and then get on IH 2 heading west and up the valley another sixty miles to Falcon state park. I arrive just before nine this morning, check in for a campsite for tonight and then drive directly to the shower house for a steamy hot shower.

Upon leaving the shower, I see a bird on the roadway which looks all puffed up and have no idea whatsoever what it is. I get out my camera, begin taking photos and continue to drive closer towards the bird. When I arrive at about fifty feet from the bird, it deflates back to a slim bird and then does not fly but runs away. It is right then that I realize this bird is a greater roadrunner. Beep, beep!

Later, I drive about the lake in search of wildlife, and see quite a lot of water foul including snowy egret, great blue heron, ruddy turnstone, and an animal that I was not expecting to see, a javelin pig.

Then, after the sun set, like is often the case here at Falcon, the sunglow colors become pervasive in the sky.

This day comes terribly early due to the fact that I was asleep before seven pm last evening. After staying in the sack an extra hour causing my back to begin to hurt, I rise, turn on the jammer′s engine to warm up the interior and soon find myself updating the home page of the web site. Outside the sky is thick overcast clouds giving strong indication of coming rain.

As soon as I see the dawn begin to glow up from the eastern horizon, I leave the campsite, drive east on FM 2098 to US 83 and then south a short distance to Salineno to visit the refuge and photograph the birds. Arriving before the gate opens, I open the tail gate, set up my stove, put on a pot of water for tea and while the water is heating, prepare a cup of Daystart.

This morning, I stay for two hours here, during which I take about two hundred and twenty-five photos of the birds in this refuge. To see the photos that I have uploaded to this website, please follow the links below.

Arriving at seven-thirty, staying until nine-thirty this morning and taking photos of the following and more birds: Altamira Oriole; American Cardinal; Audubon′s Oriole; Golden-fronted woodpecker; Great Kiskadee; Ladder-backed woodpecker; Mexican Black-crested Titmouse; Mexican Green jay; and Orange-crowned warbler.

Later this morning, I drive to the state park to take my shower, after which, I head to the community center for a cup of hot coffee and cookies. I take up a place near to an electrical plug and begin pounding keys.

At three pm, the center closes, so I retire to my campsite, number 69 and although had desired to cook my Repast this evening, rain encourages me to open cans for my supper instead. I watch a movie borrowed from the community center and then read in the Bible before turning off the lights. The misting rain continues into the evening.