"A Once in a Lifetime Adventure!"

By Lois Schwarting

We recently returned from a trip to Houston/Galveston. Originally, plans were made to visit two of my long-time friends who first met Marty a few years back and struck up a genuine friendship with him, too. They are Shirley and Bill Sandlin of Pearland, TX. When Marty told Seth Davidson that we would be going to Houston, being an avid birdwatcher himself, Seth told Marty that area is the number one birding spot in the U.S. and we should consider going birding while there!

Although Shirley and Bill wanted to spend more time with us, they graciously offered to transport us to wherever we wanted to go since I was not at all familiar with Houston and had never driven there. So, they told us just to make plans, and they would get us wherever we decided to go! With that support, the wheels were set in motion.

Having formerly lived in the Houston area, Seth gave me names of people who were professional bird-watching guides. The first person and only person I contacted was James Stevenson of Galveston. What a wonderful choice that was, and what an amazing trip.

Jim is Executive Director of the Galveston Ornithological Society. He has an M.S. degree in bird migration, is publisher of two newspapers, and has authored several books. We had two full days of birding with Jim, at a peak time as it was the beginning of migration. Among other places, Jim drove along Highway 36 stopping at various "ponds" where birds were spotted. He drove along the surf on Bryan Beach and this was a "wow" experience for Marty!

We also went to national wildlife refuges, and at one we saw hundreds of various birds nesting in the Roseate Spoonbill Rookery! If you try to pin him down to one sentence, Marty says "It was a once in a lifetime experience!" While staying at Jim's home, Marty and I had the pleasure to meet two photographers who have exclusive use to film birds on Jim's property. One is Allen Smith, and the other is Brian Small who is the photographic editor of Birding magazine, which is the American Birding Association's magazine.

They had their camouflaged tent and cameras set up for a couple days of shooting. Jim, Marty and I were out birding for two entire days, stopping for lunch, and then going "home" for an evening meal and restful sleep. Jim gladly allowed me the use of his kitchen, and I was able to cook Marty's routine breakfast which is his favorite meal, and Jim benefited by having me cook for him also! I had prepared two "easy meals," packaged them, and froze them for transport from Arizona to Texas so Marty could have "hurry up" home-cooked meals!

Getting meals through security at the airport posed no problem as I have worked out a good system for carrying necessary items like BOOST, Ensure, or meals with them. After two days of birding, Shirley and Bill went back down to Jim's home to pick us up. A stop was made at Kemah, TX for a brief but special stop, actually, just in a restaurant parking lot on Hwy 45!

This stop was made so that we could meet Jill and Bud Vaughn of Kemah, TX. Jill is a 12-year survivor of mesothelioma and she and I had become phone and email friends, and have had almost daily contact for the past year! Bill doesn't do well driving after dark, and Marty wanted to have the longest possible birding time, which is why the meeting had to be a "roadside" visit!

Even so, hugs were given, pictures taken, and hope shared! We spent a couple of nights with the Sandlins and regretted the trip was comparatively short for all we wanted to do! Our next trip to Houston will have to be longer than this wonderful, too-short, 5-day trip. (I had already purchased airfare and made hotel reservations for what was to be our next trip. That trip is to go to the MARF Symposium at Washington, DC in June. After the symposium we will travel by air to Long Island to visit Marty's brother and his wife and also two widowed sisters-in-law, before returning to Arizona.)

"On the road again," but this time by car! With gas prices and also "THINKING GREEN" we bought a hybrid vehicle and took an in-between trip up to Nunn, Colorado to visit Marty's "baby" of the family, the younger of his two daughters. We hadn't seen her since she came down during Marty's first chemotherapy treatment! We had never been to Nunn, and were excited. With the use of the Internet, I was able to find contacts with the Audubon Society in Greeley, CO which is not far from Nunn, and picked off three names to send an email to inquiring if they knew a contact for possible birding guide.

All three responded and a person suggested by two people was the other person that responded. So, Gary Lefko, who actually resides in the small town of Nunn met us and took us birding for an entire day. We were excited, but cautious. Living in the Arizona desert, the altitude is low. We drove to Albuquerque, NM which is about 5,000 feet altitude, and Marty tolerated the altitude without breathing problems, so we continued on up through higher altitudes and then end up in Nunn which may be about the same altitude as Albuquerque. This was another "Once in a lifetime event" for Marty as he usually appreciates anything! Gary told us that the Wyoming Hereford Ranch was an excellent birding spot, so the next day I drove up there. Incredible place and good birding - we were absolutely thrilled to be able to drive our hybrid down the slightly inclined road to do our birding, with only the electric motor for power which did not bother the birds as we rolled up to look at them!

Marty's mesothelioma has become active once again, and he made the decision to go through more rounds of chemotherapy, hoping and praying that the chemo drugs will give Marty more time with me and the rest of our family. His first chemo was two weeks before traveling to Washington, DC and he'll get the other soon after our return to Arizona.

*** POSTED JULY 8, 2008 ***