When I got to Aquarena Center, the wetlands and the Spring Lake were covered by mist. It was a mystical sight. From the mist, I heard rhythmical motor sounds. I saw the Aqua Harvester working on the lake, and in the background of the Aqua Harvester, the hill was blackish or smeared by the mist. It was a three dimensional moment.
Mr. Heard and another diver were about to dive at the kayak dock. They were heading to clear the Algae, which grows on the bottom of the lake with a red and white blade-like tool which is called a “machete.” After the Algae was cut loose from the lake bottom and floated up to the surface, Mr. Wallendorf scooped up the Algae with the Aqua Harvester. The Aqua Harvester even went the mouth of the river to pick up the floating Algae.
After Mr. Wallendorf scooped up Algae from the lake, he docked the Aqua Harvester at the Aqua Harvester dock, which is located on the right side of the boardwalk entrance. I was curious how he unloads all the collected Algae from the Aqua Harvester, so I stood beside the dock to watch. The Aqua Harvester dock is very narrow, but he skillfully docked that huge machine easily. He pointed to the bank beside the machine and said that there was a snake called the Water Moccasin; he added that it was not the poisonous type. His sharp eyes did not miss anything on his way.
Mr. Wallendorf parked the Aqua Harvester in the head-in position, and attached the conveyer belt of the Aqua Harvester with the long conveyer belt which stayed at the dock permanently. Then, he drove the truck under the land conveyer belt to catch the unloading Algae.
He shifted and reversing the movement of the Aqua Harvester conveyer belt toward the land conveyer belt. It was fun to watch piling of Algae traveling the both conveyer belts, and at the end of the land conveyer, Algae dropping onto the waiting truck. Mr. Wallendorf said that Rick, the landscaper, would add these collected Algae to the compost for nourishing the trees, flowers, and grasses on the university grounds, and he drove away the truck to the processing facility. Estimated annual Algae that collected by the Aqua Harvester were about 400 tons. It is wonderful to see that everything is recycled.
A juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron was on the concrete path and following a squirrel toward a small hexagonal structure in front of the Swiss Sky Ride. The squirrel was acting up, and climbing trees and running around busily. It was cute to watch that the squirrel and the young bird staying nearby each other beside the small hexagonal structure for a while.
Three students from the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University, led by Mrs. Leezer, were resuming the excavation beside of the Aquarena Center Office near the Aquarium. There was thunder storm in the early evening yesterday. The air was a little cooler, and the soil had been softened by the rain this morning.
August 11, 2010
Mr. Wallendorf was operating the Aqua Harvester for clearing the Algae from the lake in the early morning. When I got to Aquarena, he had already cleared the back of the Landing and driving the Aqua Harvester toward the Glass Bottom Boat dock. The Aqua Harvester shoveled up the floating Algae, dumping collected Algae on the conveyer belt, and the conveyer belt moved smoothly upward to transport chunks of Algae to the container which was located in the main body of the Aqua Harvester, under the driver seat. Mr. Wallendorf was watching carefully around the location of the Algae, and he cleared plenty of fast growing Algae around the lake.
The team of the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University, led by Mrs. Carole Leezer were excavating beside Aquarena Center Office near the Aquarium. About four square feet was marked with an orange tape and the working area was enclosed with a meshed wire. Mrs. Carole Leezer said that it would be the tool-making site.
First, two students removed grasses which covered the surface of that area with shovels, and they shifted with the big and examined every thing left in the shifter carefully. Even the roots of grasses were cleared before discarding the grasses from the shifter. Then, using the archaeology trowels, the scraped a layer of the soil carefully, collecting that scraped soil with the dust pan, and brought to the shifter for careful examination.
They collected some artifacts including a couple tiny, round snails, small flints, and a coin during the excavation of the first level, 1-10 centimeters, the Unit I, Level I, 1-10 CMBS. Interestingly, one student told me that the archaeology uses the metric system of centimeter instead of the inch. Mrs. Leezer said that they will dig deep at this excavation site. Exciting!
It is hard work, but the corner of Aquarena was filled with the excitement for searching and acquiring the evidence of the past history of the Spring Lake this morning.
The team of the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University, led by Mrs. Carole Leezer were excavating beside Aquarena Center Office near the Aquarium. About four square feet was marked with an orange tape and the working area was enclosed with a meshed wire. Mrs. Carole Leezer said that it would be the tool-making site.
First, two students removed grasses which covered the surface of that area with shovels, and they shifted with the big and examined every thing left in the shifter carefully. Even the roots of grasses were cleared before discarding the grasses from the shifter. Then, using the archaeology trowels, the scraped a layer of the soil carefully, collecting that scraped soil with the dust pan, and brought to the shifter for careful examination.
They collected some artifacts including a couple tiny, round snails, small flints, and a coin during the excavation of the first level, 1-10 centimeters, the Unit I, Level I, 1-10 CMBS. Interestingly, one student told me that the archaeology uses the metric system of centimeter instead of the inch. Mrs. Leezer said that they will dig deep at this excavation site. Exciting!
It is hard work, but the corner of Aquarena was filled with the excitement for searching and acquiring the evidence of the past history of the Spring Lake this morning.
August 10, 2010
On the way to the Aquarena Center this morning, I saw a familiar bird on the right side of CM Allen Parkway just before the stop sign that divides Aquarena Springs Drive and Sessom. The right side of that road is the park along the San Marcos River, Sewell Park. A juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron was standing on the lawn near the side of the road. I used to see the young heron around the tranquil atmosphere at the wetlands or Spring Lake, but not next to heavy traffic. I thought that it was strange to see it there. There were no cars behind me, so I drove very slow to check out the bird. It was the juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron, and it had stretched its neck out fully and was standing there as if observing the cars that were passing by.
At Aquarena Center, the young leaves of the Sago Palm were shooting up and seemed very tall. Though the edge is still curled a little, each section of the leaf unfolded quite nicely. I saw three bright green lizards (green Anoles) on the leaves under the morning sun. Maybe that was the reason why the Red-Shouldered Hawk is sometimes perched on the electric lines over the Sago Palms.
I heard crunching sounds while I was walking toward the Glass Bottom Boat dock. Amongst the chirping of birds, I could hear dry, monotone, and partly rhythmical sounds. I took several steps back to see where that sounds came from. A squirrel was sitting on the branch of the Bald Cypress tree, holding brown, small round nuts, and cracking the shell. uldered Hawk perched on the electric lines over the Sago Palms sometimes.
I heard crunchy sounds when walking toward the Glass Bottom Boat dock. Among the chirping voices of birds, those dry, monotone, and partly rhythmical sounds were attracting. I took several steps back to see where that sounds came from. A squirrel was sitting on the branch of the Bald Cypress tree, holding brown, small, round nuts, and cracking the shell.
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