Hush Puppies

1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (or less)
1 1/2 cup corn meal
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons shortening (melted)

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and corn meal. Add remaining ingredients – onion, beaten egg, milk and shortening. Stir only until flour is damp.

Roll into balls or flatten.

Drop into hot fat. Cook until brown.

May add jalapeno, garlic powder or shredded cheese.

(Even more tasty if fried in the fish or shrimp grease.)

Submitted by Capt. Ed

The Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust (GBR Trust) Board of Trustees hired Steve Jester, a 20-year veteran in the fields of wildlife and land conservation, as the new executive director for the organization.

Jester, who earned his bachelor of science degree in agriculture at Texas State University and master of science degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences at Texas A&M University, will be responsible for the operation and management of the GBR Trust under the direction of the Board of Trustees.

“It’s great to be back in Texas, but more importantly, I am back here in a position where I will have an impact in land conservation and preserving areas that will protect habitats for wildlife for years to come,” said Jester, who recently completed a four-year stint in Wyoming as the Southwest Wyoming Program Director for Nature Conservancy after five years with the same organization in Texas and seven with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

“Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in wildlife and land management, as well as a fresh perspective to the Trust, and we are looking forward to his contributions,” said Todd Votteler, Ph.D., executive director emeritus of the GBR Trust.

“We feel very fortunate to have been able to recruit Steve back to Texas,” said Roger Welder, president of the Board of Trustees for the GBR Trust, adding, “All of the trustees are looking forward to working with him and getting him involved in protecting these sensitive, precious areas that we value so much within the Guadalupe River Basin.”

The Trust is a charitable, non-profit 501(c)3 organization that was developed to conserve the land and water of the Guadalupe River watershed for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic and productive value. The mission of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust is to promote and encourage the conservation, stewardship and enjoyment of the land and water resources of the Guadalupe River watershed, while maintaining its unique and irreplaceable natural heritage. Additional information about the Trust is available at www.gbrtrust.org.

The GBRA was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district. GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its 10-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun, and Refugio counties.

The Dolphin is now accepting article/photo submissions for our Memorial Day issue.

If you would like to memorialize a loved one who served in the Armed Forces, or have other information related to this day, please get the information to us by May 23rd.

Thank you!

A couple of weeks ago, John and Sarah Kay Reneau, with their friends Jason and Malinda Wilson, were out on the water headed for Sunday Beach. They spotted what appeared to be an oil slick near the old Coast Guard station.

On the beach, at the surf, they saw what looked like “tar balls” rolling in with the incoming waves and covering the beach for several hundred yards. Upon closer inspection, they discovered these were very small jelly fish. John thought they looked like they were related to the Portuguese Man-O-War, which made him very cautious.

After returning home, he checked it out on the internet and discovered that they are indeed related, but they don’t sting. They can, however irritate your skin when touched.

Velella Velella, also known as “By the wind sailor”, have an overall diameter of three inches or less. They are a beautiful deep blue color and have a very unusual small sail which is rather stiff and is used to catch the winds in order to propel the jellyfish over the surface of the water. In rough wind conditions these “by the wind sailors” can end up stranded in the thousands on beaches. They are solely at the mercy of the winds, which means they have little or no control over their direction and are prone to being stranded.

These jellyfish are carnivores and catch their food, which is usually plankton, by using their poisonous tentacles which hang down in the water below them. These toxic tentacles are harmless to humans.

These creatures live throughout the world, predominantly in warm ocean waters.

So, next time you think you see an “oil slick”, check it out, you may get a close-up look at the Velella Velella.

Tyson
Tyson is a year old Pekapoo with a condition known as VHCF (Very High Cuteness Factor). 🙂 A lovely long coat of champagne and tan and an adorable face with black nose make Tyson a beauty contest winner. Do be prepared for lots of activity and make time to play with him as he craves and thrives on attention. House trained, great with other dogs, Tyson is ready to go to a home where he can get and give lots of love.

Trixie
Have you ever thought how wonderful it would be to have a companion that’s always happy, constantly lifting your spirits? We have just the lady for you! Trixie is a 2 year old tri-color basset hound mix with beautiful markings, and her motto is “Life is nothing but fun and I LOVE everybody!” Come see Trixie, Tyson, and all the other animals at the Port Lavaca Animal Shelter, 201 Stringham Drive (across from the rodeo arena), Monday through Saturday, 10 to 2, or call the Calhoun County Humane Society, 553-8916. You can also view her and other animals ready for adoption on line at www.calhouncountyhumanesociety.org Thanks and we’ll be waiting for you!