Monday, February 20, 2017

“Cummings and goings…” - Bay View RV Resort – Rockport, Texas – February 6-19, 2017



My, how this year has flown by! Already we’re creeping up on the end of February. It won’t be long ‘til many of our winter Texan friends will be heading home or to other destinations. We’re still planning our summer, so will get you up to date when plans finalize.

In the meantime, we’re still involved in the usual activities: poker, pegs & jokers, stitch & bitch, poker, pickleball, dance lessons, happy hours at various locations, pizza at Panjo’s, dinners at the clubhouse and, church. It’s been a fun few months, especially when you’re spending time with friends.

And, we wanted to share the highlights of the past two weeks with you. Since we are planning to spend more time here in Rockport, we decided to buy another vehicle. Dick did much research, and found a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (in San Antonio) with just over 35,000 miles and 8 years left on the warranties. It’s perfect for our needs. So, Friday February 10 we drove to San Antonio, purchased the car and drove back to Rockport.

We got home around 4:00 that afternoon, in time to rest a bit before heading to nearby Lamar, Texas for their annual LaMardi Gras celebration. It’s actually a 3-day fund raiser for the Lamar Volunteer Fire  Department, with vendors, food, beverages, live music and silent auction. Our friend Bob plays in a band, Southern Wave Shakedown, whose first public performance was Friday night at LaMardi Gras. (I mentioned in our December 12-18 blog that they played in our park in preparation for the “big stage.”) It was another fun evening with friends!
 
Clockwise: Southern Wave Shakedown (Bob is on far left); the cutest couple at LaMardi Gras, Mike and Margaret in their new hats; a shot of the food area; and, David noshing on something good!
The next day, Saturday, 3 gal friends and I went to Aransas Pass to the Winter Texas Market, held at the Civic Center. About 60 vendors were there selling their wares: everything from homemade jams and jellies, soups and dips to jewelry, clothing, gadgets, leather goods, paintings and woodenware. We did our part to boost the economy, and then had lunch at nearby Shempy’s where we noshed on popcorn shrimp, grilled shrimp, and their famous BLT. YUM!

That evening we were invited to friends Randy’s and Jeri’s for a BBQ. Randy prepares ribs and pulled pork and everyone else provides the remainder of the dinner. I brought dessert: chocolate roll with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. It was a very fun evening and a very “full-filling” and yummy dinner!

Tuesday, friend Marty and I drove to nearby Sinton, Texas to pick up my engagement ring that I had resized. Marty needed a diamond reset in a ring. The jeweler there, Tim Rogers, is fabulous and the best in the entire area. We’ll need to go back in about a week to pick up Marty’s ring.

That evening was the annual Valentine’s Day dinner and dance at the clubhouse. Chef Lynda prepared prime rib, chicken cordon bleu, twice baked potatoes, pastry and bacon wrapped baked asparagus spears, salad, rolls, and a luscious and decadent chocolate desert. (Thanks, Lynda! It was oh, so good!) About 30 folks were there for dinner and about a dozen more showed up for the dance. Music was provided by Three-Way Street, a local band. A fun time was had by all!



I’ve mentioned that I’ve been participating in a Yoga class here in the park twice a week. Since I agreed to take dance lessons with Dick, he agreed to participate in a “couple’s Yoga” class on Wednesday morning. Three other husbands participated, too: Steve (Marty’s husband), David (Marihelen’s husband) and, Bob (Sharon’s husband), as well as other gals who normally attend. The guys put aside their inhibitions for this class and did very well. It was a fun time! Dick said he found parts he forgot he had! Ha! But—he did say he would come again. Yea! (Sorry, no photos…)

Weather has been quite lovely here, so Dick took advantage of it and road his motorcycle for about an hour on Saturday the 19th. I enjoyed the outdoor area of our new site, reading and knitting in the sun. That evening Dick and I drove to Rockport’s “Little Bay” in the downtown area to take in the nesting sites of the great blue herons and great white egrets. Quite a sight as the birds were preening and carrying material in their beaks to build their nests among the live oak trees. As spring approaches there will be more. These photos show the birds high atop the trees.


After a quick dinner at Whataburger we headed back to the clubhouse and spent an evening listening and dancing to the music of “Janelle,” a local singer/entertainer. Janelle sings everything from country and pop to rock, oldies, and big band tune. As with all her gigs, she ends her evenings with a patriotic theme: the national anthem and “Proud to be an American.” Wonderful!
 

 I wanted to share a photo of a “friendship quilt” that was made by friends Fran and Marty, showing photos of gals who participated in the creation of “plarn” mats for the homeless. This was the project we adopted for last year. I do have to say that this project was very time intensive and rather boring, but we did manage to use up a whole lot of plastic grocery bags! Each gal who participated also wrote something on the quilt, about friendship. Pretty cool. Thanks, ladies!

 
As we have every Sunday morning, we attended First Baptist Church of Rockport and the 8:30 contemporary service. We were blessed again, as Pastor Scott Jones shared a message from Colossians 1:1-8 on giving thanks for the evidence of Christian maturity in the church. This maturity is what we’ve  found in the faith, love and hope we have in Jesus Christ. Here's a link to his messages.

These were the highlights of the last 2 weeks. Hope it gives you a good idea of our lives here in Rockport. We’ve lovin’ it here! 

‘Til next time…hugs ‘n’ love,
RJ and Gail





Monday, February 6, 2017

Bay View RV Resort – Rockport, Texas - January 16-February 5, 2017



We haven’t updated our blog for a while, so I thought we’d hit the highlights of the last couple of weeks. We’ve participated in the usual activities here in the park, but these events were special.

Monday, January 16 Dick and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. My, how time has flown by! We celebrated at a local Italian restaurant, Bellino’s, with a few of our closest friends. Good food, good friends, good times!


Later that week, on Friday the 20th, we participated in the annual chili cook-off, but unfortunately, I didn’t win this year with my white chicken chili. First place went to Bob and Sharon, 2nd to Pam and, 3rd to Mitch and Cindy. 


The next day, Saturday, the park’s owner had a thank you party for the park’s work campers. There were almost 50 people there, noshing on barbeque brisket, chicken, sausage, potato salad and coleslaw, baked beans, chips, cookies and cake. There was also soda, beer and wine available. Again…good food and, good times. Unfortunately, we forgot to take photos.

The following Tuesday, January 24, we enjoyed an evening of music with Cody Dooley, a Branson, Missouri performer, to entertain us for the evening. Cody is known for his singing impressions of some of country music’s greatest artists including Conway Twitty, John Conlee, Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Marty Robins, Jim Reeves, George Jones, and many more. His show in Branson, the Country Legend’s Tribute Show continues to draw folks from all over the country, and features music from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and, it’s always in the original key. We always look forward to having Cody back; he’s quite the entertainer!


We’re always up for a celebration, so Saturday, January 28, we attended a birthday celebration for Krista, the daughter of good friends David and Marihelen. Krista lives in Red River, New Mexico, but comes a few times a year to spend time with her parents. This time her husband Justin flew in for the celebration, and two other friends, Ginger and Gina, also joined us. Again, we celebrated at Bellino’s Italian Restaurant. I had the grilled salmon salad and their minestrone; Dick had shrimp over bowtie pasta with a heavenly gorgonzola sauce. Yum-Yum! We all had variations on these themes, and enjoyed every bite! Oh, and for dessert we shared a fabulous tiramisu. Oh, so good…


The next day, Sunday, was move day for us, as we moved to another larger site here in the park. We back up to another pond that at times has blue herons, egrets and ducks. Later in the spring there will be a cacophony of “music” from little tree toads. We’ll post photos of our site and our new “home” in upcoming blogs. We noticed a praying mantis welcoming us as we laid out one of our mats!

We got moved by about 2:30 that afternoon (the new site is only about a block from our previous one), and then friends started arriving for an impromptu happy hour. There were probably 20 people or more coming to welcome us to the new site. They stayed ‘til almost 5:30. Then, a few of us decided to head to Moondog's, a local harbor-side restaurant, for dinner. Such good times with special friends.

Wednesday, February 1, we enjoyed another evening of music. Bo Rivers entertained us for over 3 hours. Bo first entertained us last year and he’ll be with us twice this year. He’s a singer, songwriter, accomplished guitar player and performer. We love his music—and what a sense of humor! He’s known as a tribute artist for Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson, but his performances also include country and pop tunes dating back to the ‘50s. We sang along, danced, and laughed for 3 hours. 


Thursday, February 2, the girls—7 of us—went to nearby Sinton to visit a moonshine distillery. (Oh my gosh, I do not understand how folks can drink that stuff!) The Justice Distillery (named for Jason Justice, owner), the distillery opened in September 2016, and is a “legal” family owned business. Jason learned his craft from his grandfather back in the hills of West Virginia and today Jason uses that old family recipe for his corn liquor. The first thing he needed to do was to cultivate a strain of yeast that could stand up to the heat here in south Texas. He designed a prototype and he custom-built the company’s two 100-pound gallon stills. They can produce up to 1,800 gallons of raw alcohol in a month—depending on the weather—or about 200 cases of finished product. The finished product is sold in good old Mason jars. Today there are four flavors including blueberry, peach, lemonade and apple pie, plus the “charred” flavor which he   says is more like a traditional whiskey. 

The leftover mash from the distillery is used as bait for wild boars. This one (bottom right) weighed 300 lbs.
Saturday morning was busy. It started with the craft and bake sale held in the park’s family clubhouse. It was scheduled to start at 9 a.m., but folks were lined up by about 8:15 to get a preview and to buy the hot from the oven cinnamon rolls being sold from the kitchen. There were tables of jewelry, quilted items, intarsia wood products, and veteran-made table-top boxes, in addition to flashlights, sandals and yoga “happy” pants. 


That evening we had dinner with friends Marvin and Shirley and Randy and Jeri at Redfish Willie’s restaurant in Aransas Pass. We noshed on crab cakes, shrimp Louis salad, shrimp and fish baskets. Good stuff! We love “fresh from the Gulf” seafood!

As we have almost every Sunday since we arrived in October, we attended Rockport First Baptist Church for their contemporary worship service. This week Pastor Scott spoke on our responsibility as believers to study God’s Word, so that the Holy Spirit can work through our changed lives as witness of his love, grace and mercy. If our lives have been changed, they will speak. Scripture was taken from Luke 21:12-19 and Romans 10:16-18, as well as other references in Mark 13, Matthew 7 and Revelation 7. Here’s a link to his message(s):  fbcrockport.net/sermons

After breakfast at home we headed to the clubhouse for a few games of Pegs & Jokers before the Super Bowl Party. About 50 folks showed up for the party, and there were games of Mexican Train Dominoes going on, too. What a good football game, although we were disappointed that the Falcons lost in overtime. We participated in the football pool and won the only quarter that didn’t pay out—the 4th—due to overtime. Dang!

We will continue to post our blog as events occur, but probably not every week. Thanks for sticking with us. There will be more fun ahead!

Hugs,
RJ and Gail

Monday, January 16, 2017

Bay View RV Resort – Rockport, Texas – January 2-15, 2017



We haven’t updated our blog for a while so I thought I’d share a few things with you from the past couple of weeks.

Our activities continued much the same as the past little while, with Yoga, Texas Hold’em, Pegs & Jokers, the walking exercise class and, Dick working at the office; then there were dinners out at Oyster House, the clubhouse and Panjo’s Pizza. We did add one more activity: Dick and I are taking a dance class at the clubhouse every Friday afternoon, taught by our friend Bob. So far we’ve learned the two-step after just one lesson. 

Tuesday evening last week we had a neighborhood fish fry at Gary and Pam’s. They have a rather large cement patio and open yard free of trees where it’s easier to accommodate a large gathering. About 50 of us got together to enjoy fried fish, shrimp and potluck side dishes. Fun times! Afterward Gary started a campfire where a few of us die-hards gathered for a while, until the chilly temperatures chased us home. 


Tuesday Dick and I packed up, got in our rental car and headed to San Antonio for the week, to care for our 3-year old granddaughter, Anastasia, while her mom, Hollee, attended an Isagenix conference. We had intended to take her to the San Antonio Aquarium, the Doseum (the only museum just for children where kids learn by doing, creating and tinkering—instead of just looking and listening), the zoo, and along the Riverwalk, but none of that happened. Instead, we ended up caring for a sick little girl in our hotel room for 3 days. She had come down with a bad cold, cough and runny nose. We did manage to venture out for a little walk around the neighborhood and to eat out, but she was pretty miserable.  Our hotel had complimentary breakfasts every day so that helped with scheduling.
 
Across the street from our hotel (Best Western Alamo Suites) was Lucy’s, a dog sitting/boarding/grooming place that could accommodate up to 250 dogs! Wow! So, we had to check that out. We were able to snag a private tour of the facility and Anastasia was able to pet one of the dogs being boarded. Other than the dogs barking—and some were quite large and noisy—everything went well.

That evening, Thursday, we drove to Señor Veggie, a true vegan restaurant in the heart of downtown San Antonio, to meet up with Hollee and some gals from her Isagenix team for dinner. Hmm, not so much a fan of vegan, although the black bean nachos were pretty good. The “mac and cheese” that Dick ordered was made with organic pasta, steamed broccoli, a cashew “cheese” sauce (okay, but we prefer real cheese), with an almond “parmesan” and breadcrumb topping. I ordered the “portabella fajitas” made from grilled zucchini (they were out of portabella mushrooms), sautéed peppers and onions, brown rice, black beans, Romaine and, corn tortilla strips. Various other dishes were ordered by the others, which they all seemed to enjoy. (Give us a good ol’ hamburger or steak any day!)


Friday we stayed in the hotel; Anastasia was really not feeling well. She kept saying, “I’m not feeling well; I’m feeling ill, and I feel like I’m going to faint.” Oh, out of the mouths of little children…ha! She did take a long nap that afternoon, during which her fever broke and she felt much better. Dick picked up takeout from Wendy’s so we could eat in the room. Anastasia ate grapes. 
 
Saturday morning Hollee took Anastasia to the conference with her so that freed up Dick and me to do a bit of exploring. Skies were overcast and a bit of drizzle was in the air (as it had been over the course of the week) but that didn’t deter us from visiting 4 of the 5 San Antonio missions in the area, the 5th being the Alamo.

The chain of missions along the San Antonio River were established in the early 1700s, and were Spain’s most successful attempt to extend its domain northward from what we know today as Mexico. What started as dreams of wealth soon became futile so the Spaniards concentrated on spreading the Catholic faith among the frontier Indians. (As an aside, over 30 Spanish missions and 19 presidios were established in today’s Texas from 1659 to 1795, with their main emphasis on converting the Indians to Christianity. The missions and presidios also offered Indians sanctuary from their enemies.) Early missions were unwalled communities built of wood or adobe, but later, as tensions rose between the French, northern Indian tribes and mission residents, the mission structures were encircled by stone walls. 

San Antonio’s 5 Spanish missions (Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, Mission Espada and Mission San Antonio de Valero also known as The Alamo) are the largest collection of Spanish colonial architecture in the United States. These 5 missions are built within 3 miles from the next, proving critical to Texas’ history and heritage. They helped shape the San Antonio landscape with their acequias, fields, ranchland, and compounds. Peoples from the Indian culture and from around the empire of this “New Spain” came together to share technology, art and cultures, all the while continuing to play an important role in early Mexican history and in the struggle for Texas independence.

Franciscan friars within the missions aspired to teach community harmony through Catholic sacraments of baptism, communion, reconciliation, confirmation, and marriage. In turn the Native Indians were expected to give up their own religion, culture, and even their names. They were expected to become Spanish. Today the blend of their native lives with Spanish and Catholic cultures comprises the rich cultural heritage known throughout San Antonio.

After close supervision Native Americans were expected to mature in Christianity and Spanish political and economic practices until they would no longer require special mission status. Then their communities could be incorporated into “ordinary” colonial society, or secularized. The mission's communal properties were privatized, the direction of civil life became a purely secular affair, and the direction of church life was transferred from the missionary religious orders to the Catholic diocesan church. Often this secularization caused the downward spiral of the mission community.
 
We had been to The Alamo on previous trips so we didn’t stop there. (Founded in 1718 The Alamo was the first mission on the San Antonio River.)

Our first stop was to the Mission Concepción. This mission has stood the test of time and elements for over 250 years, and is one of the country’s oldest original stone churches. Named Neustra Señora de la Pruisiima Concepción, the church looks essentially the same as it did in the mid-1700s. Colorful geometric designs once covered its surface—inside and out—and are still visible, providing glimpses into its colorful past. Experts restored original frescoes on the convento walls and ceiling in 1988. (The convento served as living and office space for the missionaries.) A conservation effort in 2010 exposed original frescoes in the sanctuary and nave. We were amazed at the beauty still visible.




Our next stop was to the Mission San José. Named Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo for the governor of the Province of Coahuila and Texas, it was proclaimed the “Queen of the Missions,” so named for its size and extraordinary Spanish colonial Baroque architecture and statuary. Construction began in 1768. For over 104 years this mission operated, until in 1824 it ceased operating. From then on the mission was neglected and in the years following Benedictines, Redemptorists, and Holy Cross Fathers ministered from the ruins. In 1931 the Franciscans returned to the mission and live there today.

On the grounds of the mission one can see the restored Indian quarters that surround the central common area, the restored granary (which could house enough maze to feed the entire population for a year), and the convent which provided a residence for the missionaries and lodging for visitors. The church, which was restored in the 1930s, boasts one of the premier examples of Spanish Colonial ornamentation in the U.S. with its Rose Window, although its sculptor and the significance of the window remain a mystery. There are 2 theories: one is that a Spanish carpenter carved the window to memorialize his sweetheart, Rosa, who was tragically lost at sea on her way to join him; the other is that the window was named after Saint Rose of Lima, the first saint of the New World. The mystery remains…



Next was a stop to the Mission San Juan, or San José de los Nazonis. Founded in 1731 by a Spanish Franciscan Order, it was named for a 15th century theologian and “warrior priest” from Italy, Saint John of Capestrano. The first chapel was constructed of brush and mud, and eventually a 2-bell bell tower was incorporated into the structure. In 1756 this building was replaced by a long granary with a flat roof and an attractive belfry. A larger church building was begun in 1760, but due to the lack of sufficient labor it was never completed. This Mission didn’t prosper as others did because lands allotted to it weren’t sufficient to support the amount of crops of livestock necessary to sustain it. The Mission, in 1762, reportedly owned 1,000 head of cattle, 3,500 sheep and goats, and 100 horses. By 1794 the Mission had become secularized, being attended by the resident priest at Mission Espada until 1813. It was then attended by the one remaining missionary at nearby Mission San José until 1824. The Mission’s native population either disbanded or moved, and the Mission was largely neglected until 1840 when religious services were once again conducted, this time by diocesan priests. The neighborhood surrounding the Mission is partially inhabited by descendants of the Missions population. In 1967 Franciscans returned to Mission San Juan.

In 1934, as part of a public works project, some of the native quarters and foundations of the unfinished church were unearthed. The church, priests’ quarters, and other structures were reconstructed during the 1960s. A $2.2 million renovation in 2012 stabilized the foundation of the mission’s church, which had started shifting due to the clay soil beneath the building. A pier-and-beam foundation was added that extends around the perimeter and as far as 29’ into the ground.


Our last stop was to the Mission Espada or Mission San Francisco de los Tejas. This is the oldest of the east Texas missions, and it still looks much as it did in the mid-1700s with its unique features and solitary character in the distinctive Spanish features of the church doorway, espadaña (or belltower), brick archways, and flowing acequias (irrigation ditches). Founded in 1690, along with several other missions, it served as a buffer against French encroachment from Louisiana. Today the church serves as the heart of the surrounding community which includes many mission descendants from the early church. Franciscans, clothed in their simple, brown habits, work in the convento. Surrounding the central common area of the mission are remnants of the Indian Quarters, granary, workshops and cemetery. The mission became secularized in 1794, but it was impoverished; each of the 15 remaining families received land, but shared equipment and supplies. An inventory of goods shared included 8 yokes of oxen, 1 cow and calf, 4 horses, 3 mules, 1,150 sheep, 2 looms, a few spinning wheels, 1 pair of shears per family, 3# of steel, 98# of lead, 2 cannons, 25# of iron, and 875# of wood.



We met up with Hollee and Anastasia at Denny’s, right across the street from the conference center, for lunch. Dick enjoyed a “Super Bird” sandwich (grilled turkey, cheese and bacon); Hollee had a “Fit Slam” (egg white and veggie scramble with fruit and an English muffin—hold the meat), and finished off Anastasia’s French toast. Anastasia did eat quite a bit of the fruit she was served. I enjoyed a grilled chicken chef salad. Then it was off to the conference for Hollee, and nap time for Anastasia.


Sunday morning we packed up, checked out, and headed in the direction of the airport to drop off Hollee and Anastasia for their trip back to Reno. They actually live in Incline Village on north Lake Tahoe, where they had had one of the biggest snowfalls in decades. Here’s a photo taken at nearby Mt. Rose on January 13, after just a couple days of snow.



On our way to the airport we stopped at the Alamo Quarry Marketplace for lunch.  The Canyon Café caught our eye. Since they started the company in 2002, the chefs at Canyon Café have created dishes that are really unique with flavors influenced by Spanish, Native American, and Western United States cultures. Sure glad we found this place! Décor is typical southwestern; wait staff is congenial and very accommodating. Chips and salsa were brought to our table first—we couldn’t get enough of them! The chips had a sweet and spicy flavor (brought by blending special spices and brown sugar together and heating them ever so slightly so the flavors came together perfectly); the salsa was thick and had a smoky chipotle flavor that paired with the chips oh, so well. Then came the entrees. Anastasia had the cheese quesadillas from the child’s menu, that came with fries. Hollee noshed on a chicken avocado fajita wrap that included sautéed peppers and onions, fresh avocado, pico de gallo, lettuce and a creamy cilantro dressing, served with a side of southwestern fries. Dick ordered Pancho’s enchiladas platter, that included roasted chicken, Monterey Jack cheese and green onions wrapped in flour tortillas and topped with a 3-pepper cream sauce and tomato salsa, served with southwestern rice and tossed salad greens.  I’m a sucker for fajitas, and I wasn’t disappointed with their "flip and sizzling” chicken fajitas, grilled to order with sautéed onion and peppers, and served with southwest rice, black beans, soft flour tortillas and fajita toppings. YUM-YUM! Wish there was one closer to us—we’d definitely go back again and again!



Then, it was off to the airport to say our farewells to Hollee and Anastasia. We wish we could’ve done more with Anastasia, but maybe next time…

That's it for this week.  Stay tuned for more! We leave you with a view of the sunset over the Aransas Bay Marina, taken from the Oyster House. Enjoy!


RJ and Gail