Deer, Pacific War Museum, and bats

Since we were heading back to Fredericksburg again yesterday, we found another route to take just so we could get another view of the Texas Hill Country. It really is beautiful. We also wanted to avoid the previous day route, that took us on a road that we had to pull off of due to the rain storm that included hail the size of large corn kernels! (I forgot to mention that in the previous blog! Kinda scary. We are not letting Paul wash the windshield anymore!)
Along this route were many animals, starting with goats, llamas, snake and deer. Yes, we can even leave the campground and find animals in need of us. This poor deer was struggling to get out of a barbed wire fence. We turned around to help her after John spotted her thrashing around. With no cutters or gloves (Barbara didn't have either in her purse), Paul and John used limbs to pull the barbed wire apart in order to free the deer.

She finally calmed down enough for them to get the wires separated enough for the deer to bound off.

Also along the roadway, we saw an historic farmstead


as well as the old train tunnel where millions of bats emerge close to sundown. (See later in this blog)


We finally got to our destination, the National Museum of the Pacific War. We had toured the outside (see previous blog) but ran out of time to see the inside. There are three separate museums in one:
The George Bush Gallery, which displayed the timeline of World War II from 1939 to 1945. There were school children there that were given tours by veterans and I followed one during the last third of the gallery, he was so interesting.
Flag of our Fathers

Door from the Arizona

This is the first "smart bomb"!

Very intriguing to me was an american flag made by prisoners. When they realized they were going to be captured, they cut out the stars, then burned the flag they had, so it would not be desecrated. They then used parachute material from the food parachuted in to the camp and sewed this flag together with a nail for a needle. I was so caught up in the story and realizing the significance of it, I did not take a picture, for which I am sorry. This part of the museum is doubling in size, and will be closed June 1 and reopened with more displays on Dec. 7. Definitely need to come back!
Admiral Nimitz Museum, covering Admiral Nimitz career, is housed in the historic Nimitz Hotel.


and the Pacific Combat Zone. The highlight of Paul's day was this third Atomic Bomb, which was available, but not used. It was pointed out by the veteran volunteer and by the guide at this museum, that although 49 million were killed in the war, millions more would have been killed had they not used the first two bombs. The war would have continued for many more years.

This picture is for you, Nate. (Although this gun is on real PT 309, this is what was on your humvee!)

This picture is for you, Andy
(The picture of the sub itself came out really dark)
This picture is for you, Uncle John

This picture is for you, Troy (Just because it has your name!)

Afterwards, we waited around in town, checked out some more of the shops and had dinner at the Fredericksburg Brewery,



and then returned to the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area for viewing the emergence of the bats. What a sight!! For four minutes, the bats emerged. I tried to download the video but it would not take. I tried to get a still, but it came out blurry but it is all that I can get on the blog. They are mostly Mexican Free-tailed Bats

Truly a great experience to see them!