Stop 1/25

58 pts!

@ Howdy! Welcome to Texas!

Squidge, a Squooshie, arrived in Lubbock, excited but a little nervous. Texas was so huge! But Kerry had told it the pets here were really friendly, and it was true! It was greeted with smiles, firm pawshakes and an enthusiastic 'Howdy!' on all sides. Everypet seemed so glad to see it!

Stop 2/25

13 pts!

@ Prairie Dog, Lubbock

Squidge started its trip in Mackenzie Park. It sat by a beautiful lake and became aware of a number of prairie dogs nearby. In the Texan way, several called "Howdy!" and asked where it was from. "I've never seen so many prairie dogs in one place!" marvelled Squidge.

Stop 3/25

10 pts!

@ Sparrow Duo, Texas

"Lubbock!" Squidge sighed happily—its first port of call was the Buddy Holly Center. Pausing only to share some seeds and fruit and to have a conversation with some chatty house sparrows, Squidge made for Crickets Avenue!

Stop 4/25

14 pts!

@ Tortilla Chips, Chili & Salsa

Emerging hungrily from the Buddy Holly Center several hours later, Squidge headed for a street vendor of tortilla chips and salsa. "This is the official state snack of Texas!" the vendor informed Squidge, serving it with a large, fragrant helping. "It's deeply rooted in Texas tradition."

Stop 5/25

64 pts!

@ Mama Possum and Brood

Squidge headed back to Mackenzie Park to wind down after its first full day in Texas! Here it was enchanted to come across a young family of opossums with their proud Mama. Squidge read a bedtime story to the wide-eyed, appreciative baby opossums and said Goodnight!

Stop 6/25

10 pts!

@ Black Vultures at Sunrise

Squidge rose at sunrise, wondering what it would be like to tune into 1950s KDAV for some country music. It went for a quick trek round the block and said Howdy! to some black vultures roosting in a tree, who all made friendly hissing noises at it whilst stretching their huge wings.

Stop 7/25

10 pts!

@ Texan Rooftops

Squidge heard mewing and saw a tiny kitten clinging onto a roof, in danger of sliding off the sloping tiles! "Oh, Joshua, what to do?" Squidge looked round. That tree! It climbed the tree, carefully moved over onto the roof, just in time to catch the kitten as it slid helplessly down the slope!

Stop 8/25

13 pts!

@ Mockingbird, Texas

Squidge could hear a blackbird's call, but it could only see a grey bird with a long tail! The bird stopped singing and chuckled. "I'm a mocking-bird," it explained. "I enjoy copying other birds' songs!" The two pets got to know each other. By the time Squidge left, they were fast friends.

Stop 9/25

12 pts!

@ Black Headed Squirrel, Texas

Texas Hill Country! What an amazing place! Squidge was enjoying a trip in the woods. On encountering a Southern Fox Squirrel, it shared some fruit with it and enjoyed a chat.

Stop 10/25

15 pts!

@ Texan Spanish Barrel Tile Roof

A group of pets was busy re-roofing a building. They told Squidge that Aged Mission Clay Spanish Barrel Tile copied an old style. "Can I help?" offered Squidge. "Yes, but take great care!" warned the forepet. Under supervision, Squidge proudly laid a new tile, then slid back down to the ground. It had been a bit scary, but fun!

Stop 11/25

13 pts!

@ Riverwalk Waterfall, San Antonio

At the Riverwalk Waterfall, Squidge saw an elderly squirrel trapped in the water! "I've got a paw stuck between two rocks!" it wailed. Squidge edged closer to the dripping wet squirrel and freed the imprisoned paw. Then holding onto each other, both pets cautiously moved to the bank.

Stop 12/25

11 pts!

@ Coot, Mitchell Lake, San Antonio

Squidge got chatting with an American coot at Mitchell Lake and added another friend to its list! The coot was a good swimmer but not so good, Squidge noted, at taking off for flight! However, once in the air, it could fly as well as any other bird.

Stop 13/25

15 pts!

@ Texas Rose-Bellied Lizard

After its evening meal, Squidge strolled along a trail in one of San Antonio's parks, and chatted to several small Sceloporus variabilis, or Texas rose-bellied lizards, basking in very relaxed fashion along the way.
"Kerry told me I'd love all these laid-back little lizards!" reflected Squidge.

Stop 14/25

15 pts!

@ Wild Horses, Texas

Going off the beaten track, Squidge fell into conversation with a group of wild horses and it learnt that the numbers of their herds were hugely reduced since former centuries. Squidge had a bareback ride on one horse, which was great fun!

Stop 15/25

15 pts!

@ Black Rodeo Horse

"Can I get you some water?" offered Squidge, seeing a rodeo horse looking rather hot. The horse gratefully plunged his muzzle deep into the bucket for a welcome cooling drink.

Stop 16/25

13 pts!

@ Sunset on Rodeo

Winding down at the end of the day after the rodeo—what a day of adventure!—Squidge spent a long time chin-wagging with other pets, and ended by promising to get back in touch with them the next time it was in the area!

Stop 17/25

10 pts!

@ Bovine Contentment

Squidge made friends with some Texas longhorns and told them about its travels in Europe. It showed them a picture on its phone of a cow in a meadow. "This is Matilde, in Portugal," it said. "She's mighty purty," drawled one of the Texans. "We'll say she's an honorary Texas longhorn!"

Stop 18/25

14 pts!

@ Tex-Mex Chicken Taco

Squidge had been researching Tex-Mex during its trip. It was so delicious! From its investigations, it learnt it was a cuisine as American as apple pie. Tex-Mex was born in Texas, and was America’s oldest regional cuisine, going back to when the Spanish first colonized Texas in the 1580s.

Stop 19/25

15 pts!

@ Granny's Texan Pecan Pie

As a special treat that night, Squidge ordered a large slice of pecan pie! It was a Texas pecan pie, so was big, full of luscious goo and fresh, home-grown Texas pecans. Squidge's waiter informed it that pecan pie was the official State Pie of Texas!

Stop 20/25

62 pts!

@ American Bald Eagle, Houston

Whilst strolling by a river in Houston, Squidge met a huge bald eagle on the look-out for a meal of fish. "How do you do, sir?" said Squidge. "I'm honoured to meet the national bird of the USA!" Squidge and the bald eagle chatted for a while until regretfully Squidge had to take its leave.

Stop 21/25

10 pts!

@ Coca-Cola Mural, Kilgore, Texas

Squidge's next stop: Kilgore, near Dallas! It visited the Texas Oil Museum and the Museum of Broadcasting, show-casing the golden age of TV and radio—it even had a go at making a pretend broadcast on camera! To end the day, Squidge had barbecue at the Country Tavern with some of its new friends.

Stop 22/25

73 pts!

@ Bide-a-Wee-Bench, Fort Worth

In Fort Worth, Squidge met an elderly Labrador called Gerry outside the old pets' home. "My family are very busy and don't visit very often," quavered Gerry. "It gets a bit lonesome." Squidge felt very sad for its new friend and spent over an hour listening without interrupting to stories of times past.

Stop 23/25

14 pts!

@ USA

On its last night, Squidge pondered the meaning of bravery. Courage is a virtue very much valued in American culture. It is doing what one believes to be morally and ethically right without regard to personal safety or gain, or put another way, feeling the fear but doing it anyway—bravery should not be confused with fearlessness.

Stop 24/25

@ Cross at Sunset, Texas

The next day Squidge took Gerry out. They spent a quiet day touring, and at sunset took in the glories of nature. Squidge promised to write.
As the end of this part of its Texan trip was near, Kerry gave it a special gift of a handsome Texan cowboy hat!

Stop 25/25

@ Baltimore Oriole

On its final evening, Squidge met a Baltimore Oriole in the wood. It told the oriole that it'd had an amazing time in Texas! "Hasta la vista!" said the oriole.

Squidge has enjoyed its tour of Texas, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy this event!