Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – February 17-23, 2014

We were busy this week: going, doing, seeing. It all began Monday when we visited The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge with friends Marvin and Shirley (Illinois). The Refuge is located approximately 12 miles from Rockport, northeast along the Coastal Bend of the Gulf of Mexico. It is protected by Matagorda Island, part of a long chain of barrier islands that extends down the coastline of Texas, to Mexico.

 The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1937 to serve as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife, mainly because of the mild winters, bay waters and abundant food supply. More than 400 species of birds can be found in the Refuge, including the endangered whooping crane (during winter months). In addition, the saltmarsh habitat that thrives here in the saline environment filters pollutants and provides habitat for hermit crabs and juvenile flounder. Moving inland from the Gulf, the salt water and fresh water begin to mix providing the perfect environment for blue crab, shellfish and young fish which are excellent food sources for whooping cranes, herons and other wildlife. Further inland, saltwater gives way completely to freshwater marshes that are the perfect havens for alligators, turtles, frogs, snakes and many other wildlife species dependent on fresh water for survival.

Following are photos of some of what we saw on our trip through the Refuge. We saw alligators, whooping cranes, blue herons, cormorants, white pelicans, cardinals, white-tailed deer and wild pig.

Blue Heron feeding

Just one of the alligators we saw; we saw at least
5 others.

Last week I mentioned that we were going to be heading to South Padre Island (where in the world is that?) for a few days, to meet up with friends from Washington State. Temperatures started in the mid-60s in Rockport, but as we drove south and inland they quickly rose to the mid-80s. We arrived 3½ hours after leaving Rockport, to sunshine, breezes and palm trees!

South Padre Island is located on the southern-most coastal tip of Texas, and at the southern-most end of the Padre Island National Seashore. Bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Laguna Madre Bay, the island is a mecca for vacationers, offering warm Gulf waters, beautiful beaches, fishing, boating and bird watching. Oh, and shopping, too. I think the number of t-shirt shops outnumber the hotels on the island!

Friends Bob and Nancy didn't arrive to the Island until late Tuesday night, due to a flight delay in Seattle and a  missed connection in Houston. That gave Dick and me an opportunity to do a bit of exploring after we arrived and checked in to our hotel.

Dick and I had dinner at "Daddy's," one of the favorite seafood/Cajun eateries on the island. Dick dined on blackened shrimp alfredo, while I had scallops and shrimp. YUMMY! There was live music, too, which added to the ambience—sort of. He had a beautiful voice but was just a bit off key for most of the songs.

After dinner we decided on dessert at the local Dairy Queen: Blizzards! There we met and talked with a couple from Kansas, who were spending the winter in warmer climes. Don't blame 'em a bit!

Wednesday morning brought temperatures in the mid-60s, with fog and wind. That lasted until shortly before noon, when the sun came out and it turned beautiful—albeit still breezy, which is the norm for the island. After breakfast Dick and I walked on the beach for about 30 minutes, enjoying the sound of the waves pounding against the beach. We met up with Bob and Nancy shortly after our walk; so good to see them again! (When we lived in Washington, they were our neighbors; Bob kept us happy with fresh fish from the Pacific, and I kept them happy with chocolate chip cookies and banana bread!) The following photos are views of the beach from their hotel room.

Nancy's sister Sally and brother-in-law Phil are in South Padre, to spend about 3 months on the island during the winter, getting away from Ohio weather, so Nancy and I walked down the beach to their condo, while Dick and Bob drove. That afternoon Dick and Bob spent some time looking for fishing charters, while Nancy and I again walked the beach back to their hotel. (Nancy and I walked a total of about 2 hours together on the beach!)

Walkway to the beach

Sandcastle; notice the snowman on the left!

That evening we dined on grilled fresh salmon that Bob brought with him, down at Sally and Phil’s condo. There aren't enough words to describe that meal! Grilled, fresh salmon, baked potatoes and salad followed by rum cake and my home-made chocolate chip cookies. YUMMY!!! 

Bob working to get the Pacific salmon ready for grilling,
with Phi helping.

R to L: Bob, Nancy, Sally, Phil, me

Thursday brought fog and wind, but warm temperatures. Dick and I again walked the beach for about 40 minutes, before we met up with Bob and Nancy. We did a little shopping for t-shirts prior to meeting up with them, too.

While Nancy visited with her sister, Dick, Bob and I visited Sea Turtle, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sea turtles. Unfortunately, we humans have a large and negative impact on the sea turtle—poor fishing practices (improperly disposed fishing line and rods, nets, trawls and hooks), pollution and debris (plastic bags, bottles, balloons and food wrappers), boat propeller injuries, habitat destruction, and poaching (eggs, shells and skin). Jewelry, guitar picks and other accessories made from the shells, and boots, belts and wallets made from the leathered skin are illegal to buy, sell, or possess in the United States. They are important to ocean ecosystems: they maintain marine habitats, help cycle nutrients, and are part of a balanced food web. As they decline, it affects the health of the world’s oceans. Thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Sea Turtle, Inc. strides are being made to preserve the sea turtles and their habitats.

 

These photos of turtles were taken inside the rescue facility. Some were found wandering on the sand as tiny turtles and will be released when they're old/large enough to fend for themselves. Most in the center have had parts or all of one or more flippers bitten off by predator, or have had to have them amputated due to injuries. These turtles are used for educational purposes at the center, or in schools.The shell of one of the turtles was cracked when he was hit by a boat propeller. Zip ties and glue were used to tie the shell together, with the hope that it would repair itself over time (see last 2 photos of turtles).  This video was taken of our visit to The Sea Turtle, Inc.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIppuKXPCPE 

Propeller injury

This turtle has a propeller injury, glued and
tied with zip ties.

That afternoon Dick and Bob boarded the “Danny B,” along with Sally and Phil’s neighbor Bob from Wisconsin for a 4-hour fishing trip on the Laguna Madre Bay.

Here's Dick’s account of the fishing trip: It was quite breezy on Thursday when RJ, Tacoma Bob, and, new friend Wisconsin Bob boarded the Danny B for an afternoon of bay fishing, photos, and sightseeing. We left the dock at the restaurant, Louie's Backyard, at 2PM and proceeded south to the end of the island to begin trying our luck fishing. Almost immediately the "Bobs" began catching Whiting, a tasty smallish silvery colored fish, abundant in these waters. They fished while RJ was the official photographer/videographer. Conditions were breezy and sunny all afternoon, but calming a bit toward evening. The "Bobs" were the "alpha" fishermen on the boat landing the most fish for the trip! The roundtrip and the fishing action provided some cool photo ops. Check out photos below taken while aboard the Danny B.  RJ also shot some cool video of Nick, the Danny B deck hand, cleaning the catch of the day at the end of the 4-hour trip and providing dinner for a group of happy pelicans. We left Friday, but the "Bobs" provided Friday night's dinner for their families at a local BYOC (bring your own catch) restaurant. What a productive and fun day!

Here's a video of the successful fishing trip and the pelicans:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUocn896NPo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akN3D64rLsg

The Bobs

The Bobs' catch!

Following the successful fishing trip, Thursday evening we had another grilled fish dinner at Sally and Phil's—this time tuna from the Pacific Northwest. YUMMY! Dinner was the tuna, mashed potatoes, peas and salad, finishing off again with rum cake and chocolate chip cookies. Delightful! (THANKS, BOB, FOR THE WONDERFUL FISH!) These are sunset photos taken just before dinner.

Our departure for Rockport came Friday, after breakfast with Bob and Nancy at Ted's Restaurant—rated "the best" breakfast on the island. It was sad to leave Bob and Nancy, but we hope to see them later this year if/when we make a trek to the Pacific Northwest.

We left South Padre Island around 11 a.m., and headed to Progreso, Mexico, just across the border from the US. Easy in/easy out! While there we picked up some meds, silver jewelry, and a belt and buckle. Not bad for 2 hours! Leaving Progreso, we drove back to Rockport, having dinner at Whataburger in Kingsville along the way. Was good to get home early to unpack and get settled.

Saturday was a day for errands and doing chores around the camper. While I stayed home to wade through the seemingly thousands of photos we took this week, Dick walked for about 40 minutes along Fulton Beach Road and took these photos of a blue heron, an egret and an ibis.

Blue Heron

Egret

Ibis; notice his curved bill.

The ice cream social on Sunday afternoons has become quite popular, as has Pegs and Jokers. There were about 30 people for ice cream, and 2 tables for the game. Fun times! The gals let the guys win a couple of games before coming out on top. (We needed to feed the guys' egos!)

L to R: Bob, Shirley, Dick, Sharon, Bill, me, Marvin and Carole

We stopped at Missouri friends Bob and Sharon's for a bit of happy hour afterwards and talked about full-timing in an RV, weather, and other stuff. Such a nice and relaxing end to the day. Wish you all could join us.

Well, that's it for this week. Hope you enjoyed our blog and photos. With only 2 months left here, we’re doing all we can to enjoy ourselves!

Hugs, and blessings ‘til next week,

RJ and Gail