From most peoplersquo;s point of view; a barrier beach is a paradox: appealing to visit but appalling to live on. An enjoyable dayrsquo;s excursion requires shade; dark glasses; sunblock; drinking water; food; and; of course; a shower afterward. Take all those amenities away and consider existing alone on the island fulltime; even during hurricanes.When Wayne and Martha McAlister moved to Matagorda Island; a wildlife refuge off the central Texas coast; they anticipated staying perhaps five years. But sent to take up duties with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Wayne McAlister fell under the islandrsquo;s spell the moment he stepped out of his aging house trailer and met his first Matagorda rattlesnake. Seven years later; the McAlisters were still observing the flora and fauna of Matagorda. Except for the road and some occasional fence posts; the island appears untouched by humans. In Life on Matagorda Island; Wayne McAlister shows what life was like amid such isolation.McAlister revels in the ghostly twinkles of nights on the beach; as luminescent comb jellies; sea walnuts; and glow worms light up every crest of wave. He watches hungry whooping cranes snatch striped mullet trapped in tidal pools; hunts for Hurterrsquo;s spadefoots; reclusive amphibians that surface during warm deluges; and sinks to his knees in the sand; flashlight in hand; to catch a glimpse of a whip eelrsquo;s sharp snout.Not all observations are limited to the psammobionts—the creatures of the sand. McAlister recounts petting a fatbellied coyote pup and handing out kitchen scraps to wild turkeys. Badgers make their home on Matagorda Island; as do alligators; raccoons; and hundreds of varieties of insects; including the aggravating salt marsh mosquito.But McAlister doesnrsquo;t merely observe: he tells why and how. Why oysters spit; why pistol shrimp snap; or how debris from offshore boats affects the beach environment. He also relates the more sinister aspects of living on a barrier island; such as finding himself ankledeep in quicksand. But itrsquo;s all in a dayrsquo;s work—or play—to the McAlisters; as they balance their lifestyle with the will of the island and its nonhuman inhabitants. “We try to stay in the background; enthralled observers;rdquo; McAlister writes. “We do not belong; can never truly belong; but we can coexist and commingle. Close enough.rdquo;
#211364 in eBooks 2012-05-15 2012-05-15File Name: B0068M2LRY
Review
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Loved ItBy CharlotteListening to Billy Bob Thornton speak makes me feel like I have been transported back to my childhood that was spent in the Mississippi Delta and the hills of Arkansas. The cadence of his speech and the colloquialisms that he uses when he speaks - like those rainbow colored sprinkles they put on ice cream cones - are soothing and familiar to me. This book is written so that it feels like you are sitting beside him on his screened-in front porch at his childhood Arkansas home. drinking a sweaty cold glass of sweet tea.listening to him quietly. but with that mischievous little smile. tell the story of his youth. and how he came to be Billy Bob. And I feel that I am. at last. home again.17 of 17 people found the following review helpful. It is awesomeBy Tammie AndersonI bought The Billy Bob Tapes: A Cave Full of Ghosts as soon as I heard he had a book out. I have always liked him and his work and I feel he is as true as a person can be working in the entertainment biz these days. I grew up and still live in the deep South and I found myself nodding my head to some of the things he says and even laughing-out-loud for real! I wish I could someday meet him and just talk. I loved the part about the Snowdrift shortening. as I too grew up poor and we used that. This is a great read and I really enjoyed it. I think anyone who grew up in the South or without a middle-class family (ok I will say it. poor) will find tender moments in this work and you will love it. And those who didnt. well I think yall will love it too. becasue who couldnt love BBT?0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Must have for Billy Bob fans!!! 50 thumbs upBy Shiloh ReynoldsThis is a good book alone but if you like or love Billy Bob this book is a must read! Contains guest appearances as well! This book has stories from his childhood all the way to the present! I found all of them entertaining and as one of the blurbs on the cover states Billy Bob is a great. entertaining and masterful story teller! Great insights from the mind of another southern boy close to home with similar life experiences But even if we didnt share similar roots I would still love his childhood stories contained in this book!
