I LOVE South Texas!

So, I've only been here 2 weeks. And it's been friggin' cold. My neighbor jusgt told me, "This is the coldest two weeks ever on record! But it's getting warmer and back to normal. I'm getting my boat out this weekend- wanna go fishing?!?"

I love this area! I love the people, the food, the fishing, the kayaking, the sunshine, the water.

I have a couple of pictures:

I was out in my kayak in shallow water in front of our house, and saw a "parade" Of roseate spoonbills:


Having lunch the same day:


Bob and his catch in front of the rental house:

 

By the way, I've had the best BBQ and tamales ever. And we're already planning for next winter. Same neighborhood, for sure. Probably the same house, but it's for sale so that's iffy. If we can't stay here, there is another house down the street that we'll rent. The dog loves Texas, but he didn't seem to mind the sub-30 degree temperatures last night so we don't trust his discernment.

The only bad part- I'm missing my grandson really bad. And brewing. I have to Skype my lil buddy, and find someone to brew with next year. Otherwise, this is the perfect place!

 

North of Rockport. About 30 miles from Corpus Christi.

You're invited to come for a visit if you want! I'll pick you up at the CC airport.

 

We're already making arrangements to rent either the same house next year, or another one in the neighborhood. I found a church I like and I've been socializing a bit with some friends in Port Aransas and their friends. I've checked out books from the library, gone to a science lecture, and of course been fishing!

I've never been here in the winter before, but I was in the McAllen/Pharr area in July and August a few years ago and went to SPI from there. Bob would NOT like S. Padre, I can tell you that. But we both love this area, and I'm already saying that I'd like to stay longer next time!

I'm getting into birding and today we're going up the street to the entrance of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. (It runs down the side of our neighborhood to the bay, but the entrace is a few miles north). Hiking is also one of my hobbies, so I'm hoping to be able to do a bit of that today since it's cool out and too windy for fishing.

Pumbaa, if you decide to hop on a plane and come for a little visit, we have an extra bedroom or two!

I may not ever get down to Corpus this time- there is so much to do HERE! I do want to see the Lex but I want to go to Mustang Island State Park first, and do more fishing, and more kayaking, before I go anywhere else. You know me- I'm a small town girl, and I'm loving Rockport/Fulton so much. Right next to the causeway is the old bridge- it's now a fishing pier that goes almost all the way across the bay. I haven't even had time to fish there, or kayak from that point yet. The time is going so fast already!

I miss my grandon, though. My lil buddy probably is forgetting me. Good thing we have Skype!

 

we went out earlier today and saw a pair of whooping cranes and a few big alligators and tons of birds. Then we went kayaking and oystering. Fun day!

 

It has! I got Bob to go to a couple of bars tonight. He likes staying home, and says we have better beer at home. And he's right.

Anyway, we went to a dive and had a couple of bad beers, so we went to a different place. Seriously, it was 7:45 and that place was in full swing. A cowboy band, tons of people doing the two-step and drinking and whooping it up.

We had a beer, and then came home. I thought it was the perfect bar in one respect- it was seriously going on before 8 PM! That means Bob could still make his 9 PM curfew and still be rowdy. He just rolled his eyes at me, and still went to bed by 9:30.

 

It's in the mid- 70s today. Much better!

I gave my dog a bath yesterday, so he could dry off on the deck and enjoy the sunshine. I'm having a blast- doing some birding and fishing, and lots and lots of walking and paddling.

The only bad news is one keg kicked already, and the second is about to. An empty kegerator is a sad thing.

 

Maybe! We're only going to be here another few weeks and I'm not sure when we'll have time. We're busy- being retired is a lot of work you know! We were up very early this morning, and went all day long. Bob is out fishing right now, and I'm sure he'll be really tired when he gets back. It's not easy playing that hard for 16 hours a day, you know!

 

For us? Today? We did shore birds last night (lecture) and this AM (field). Last week, it was the Science on a Sphere at the Bay Education Center. Later this week, we're hearing a lecture on the whooping cranes that were produced in a flock in Florida as a "secondary" flock if something happened to this group by one of the guys who worked on that project.

This area is amazing for habitat diversity- salt water flats, oyster reefs, freshwater marshes, estuaries, oak forests, etc- that I'm just learning about. I'm not at all familar with that type of habitat, or the animals here, so it's been great fun learning about them a little bit.

Of course, we're spending lots of time in kayaks.

 

Oh, by the way, we've seen whooping cranes everyday now. There is a small family group that seems to be living about a mile from here.

 

I'm so glad that you're living your dream!

Today is more fishing. It's already warm, but it's a little too windy to be out in kayaks so Bob will probably just go wadefishing and I'll fish off the pier and maybe pick up a few shells.

Bob got in late last night- well, late for Bob. Well after 9 PM! He had a blast catching speckled trout off of the lighted pier until his arm was tired. He's obsessed with catching a legal redfish now, though.

I have been seeing people catching black drum, sea trout, redfish, flounder, and sheepshead on the pier in the State Park across the highway. Right now, it's mostly the trout but you never know what's going to show up for sure!

 

I've never seen any condos in this area but that is exactly where we are! I love Lamar, too, and walk the dog by the Big Tree.

 

I should work for the Chamber of Commerce here or something. I'm tellling everyone how much I love it here. At least, this time of year!

We've met some nice people, and are going out fishing with a couple of different guys. I had some visitors from the church I've been going to, and everybody we've met is "good people".

Today is a day to go to the birding center and the beach, while the guys go out fishing.

Yesterday I was standing on our fishing beer, and I got splashed from the blow-hole of a bottle-nosed dolphin. A family was feeding/frollicking in shallow water and I got a little sprayed. It was so cool!

 

Oh. Well, it's a fishing pier. But I am sure that a beer was involved. Maybe more than one, even!

Today I sat on the beach in my shorts and watched the waves. Bob did this:


He hasn't caught too many redfish, but the speckled trout are practically jumping up on the pier. We're having a fish fry again very soon.

This is the season of festivals. There is a Mardi gras celebration tomorrow, sort of. And the OysterFest is coming up, along with the Whooping Crane Festival. I've met so many nice people!

 

If you fly to Corpus Christi, I'll pick you up and take you fishing!

We had a fish fry/fish broil last night with a new friend we met here. We had fried speckled trout, broiled flounder, and broiled black drum. I made a mango salsa to serve with it, with other things, and homemade crabapple wine. I had the doors and windows open, to get rid of some of the cooking fumes, and the ceiling fans on, and we listened to music and the palm trees rustling. It was about 78-80 degrees yesterday, but windy so it was very comfortable.

Bob is out fishing with a friend this morning, and I'm sitting on the deck watching the wading birds in the shallow water in front of me.

We're already making plans for next year- and what we're bringing that we didn't have this year.

It's too windy to kayak today and tomorrow, but I'll be going out again soon.