Bay View RV Resort - Rockport, Texas – December 21-27, 2015

What a beautiful day Monday was, to start out the week. By 7:30 a.m. the temps were already in the low 70s, although the humidity made it a bit muggy. Dick played Texas Hold ‘em at 3, and then we walked around the RV park for about 45 minutes, to see what we could see in the park ponds. Here’s what we saw.

 

Afterward we stopped at friends Gary and Pam’s, to meet Gary’s sister Laurie from Salem, Oregon, who had come to spend the Christmas holidays with them. Of course, this meant happy hour for the 5 of us, as we chatted about everything from weather and family to what to do in this area while Laurie was here.

Tuesday morning brought another session of Stitch and Bitch. There were 6 or 7 of us there, during which we mainly chatted about the holidays and plans for the New Year. Dick and I made a trip for groceries, and then that afternoon spent about an hour at Wii bowling. There were 9 of us so we made 3 teams. Fun times! Dick then walked along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour, and this is what he saw:

Panjo’s Pizza is becoming a habit for Tuesday nights. Nine of us enjoyed their luscious fare. Since Christmas Eve fell on Thursday evening, the night we usually play Pegs ‘n’ Jokers, we decided to play a few games that night. Unfortunately, the gals didn’t do too well, losing to the guys 2:1. Dang.

Wednesday morning brought a new activity to the park—at least for me: “Sweating to the Oldies,” with a Richard Simmons DVD. It’s amazing how much of a workout you can get following his moves. Whew! There were 7 of us stomping around the clubhouse, really sweatin’ to the oldies—or was it the oldies just sweating???

Afterward, friend Sharon and I mixed up 2 batches of egg nog for the Christmas Eve festivities. Most of the recipe needs to be combined the day before serving; just shortly before serving egg whites and heavy cream are whipped, then folded into the egg nog mixture. Yum!

Sharon and I also collected photos from camper friends so that we could create a slide show of everyone’s travels through 2015. I created the slide show, Dick tested it on the TV at the clubhouse,  and then it was shown during the Christmas Eve get-together. Was so fun to see where folks visited; we had over 130 slides to share. (Sharon is co-activities director this year, so I’m helping her when she needs it.)

Later we attended happy hour at 4:00 p.m., followed by another Wednesday night dinner at the clubhouse. This week we were served lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and tiramisu for dessert. YUM-YUM! Oh, and Dick and I won the 50/50 drawing (7 tickets for $5, split 50/50 between the activities fund and the winner). We won $44!

Dick continued his attempt to win at Texas Hold em’…so far he’s down a few bucks…there’s always hope1

Christmas Eve. The weather so far this week has been in the 70s; this day did not disappoint. Temps were in the low 70s already by 7:30 a.m. We decided this would be a good day to get the laundry done since everyone else would be out doing last minute shopping, baking, wrapping, etc. But first, breakfast at Whatburger, our standard fare for laundry day. We were in and out of the laundromat within an hour and 20 minutes. Coolio! On our way back to the park we stopped to wash the big black truck, then home to prepare for the upcoming festivities.

 

I made a fruit salad with yogurt and strawberries for Christmas dinner, along with homemade mustard for the ham that was going to be served. 

Festivities on Christmas Eve began with happy hour at 6:00 with heavy hors d’oeuvres and egg nog, followed by a blind gift exchange, and then a carol sing during which I played my keyboard. The slide show played for the entire 3+ hours of the party. About 90 folks came for the fun.

The gift exchange was done a bit differently from the past. Everyone who brought a gift stood in a circle holding their gift. Sharon read an augmented version of “The Night Before Christmas” with folks passing their unopened gift either “to the left or right” depending on when that word was read. Afterward, based on questions asked by Sharon, gifts could be stolen. It was quite fun, but some folks were a bit confused by “left” or “right.” Ha! All in all, everyone seemed to have a good time.

We woke to a foggy and muggy morning on Christmas Day. Temps were still in the low 70s, and the air was heavy. Ugh. 

Our gift to each other this year was a camera, a Nikon P600 digital with 60 optical zoom and a view finder. We decided a view finder would be very helpful when photographing birds on sunny days. However, Dick was bad; he also gave me 2 bottles of Nicole Miller’s “New” perfume—I love it! Thank you, Honey! I’ll be finishing your sweater soon, I promise!

Dinner was baked ham with a honeyed bourbon glaze and scalloped potatoes, furnished by Paul, the park’s owner and prepared by Chef Betty and her kitchen team. YUM-YUM!! The rest of the meal was potluck, provided by the campers. There were 113 for dinner, so there was plenty of food to choose from!

Saturday morning was so windy! Dick worked at the office for most of the day. Later, when we still couldn’t walk along the beach because of the wind and blowing salty air, we elected to walk through the park. By the time we returned the wind had died down a bit, so we sat outside our camper for a while. Sharon came over for an impromptu happy hour (Bob had gone to a jam session in Lamar, across the Copano Bay Bridge).

We attended First Baptist Church of Rockport on Sunday morning; Pastor Scott Jones’ sermon was taken from Matthew 2:13-23 and Revelation 12:1-17. This was his final message on “Nativity Scenes Revisited,” entitled, Seen and Unseen. The gist of the message was God’s presence among us is both seen and unseen; we are called to live by faith and obedience. God through the Bible never promises us we will be safe from troubles; God does, however, promise that He will be with us, making a way for all who trust and obey Him. Here’s a link to this sermon, as well as those preceding.

On the way home we made a quick stop at Walmart for a few items, and had breakfast at Subway. Then, Dick worked in the office for a while before the ice cream social at 2:00 p.m. and a few games of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers. There were enough people for 2 tables that afternoon. Again, I’m sad to report, the gals at our table lost 2:1. We will come back strong!

 

Well, that’s it for this week. We trust you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. We sure did. Now, it’s on to a new year, and more excitement. Have a happy and safe New Year!

Hugs ‘n’ love to y’all,

RJ and Gail 

Bay View RV Resort – Rockport, Texas – December 14-20, 2015

Christmas is quickly approaching; gifts are bought and wrapped and under the tree, cookies are baked, and plans are made for spending this special day with friends and family. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, we need to remember the real reason for celebrating this very special day: the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus, born that we might experience life everlasting.

Monday morning was spent in Portland, Texas where I had a mammogram and bone density test. Thankfully, all’s well. Dick said I’m healthy as an old horse—but he may be thinking “old nag” at times. Ha! After a quick stop at H.E.B. (Texas-based grocery) we headed home to do a few things around the camper. The day was a beautiful sunny day, with temps in the low 70s by early afternoon. A light breeze made for a very pleasant day.

I sat outside writing last week’s blog, when friend Karen stopped by. As we chatted, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road to see if there were any birds. He wasn’t disappointed: ducks, egrets, herons, killdeer, kingfisher, cormorants and pelicans. Then, Karen’s husband Steve stopped by, followed by Bob and Sharon. We had an impromptu happy hour, outside, enjoying the afternoon. Loved it!

Tuesday morning was Stitch ‘n’ Bitch at 9:00. While the ladies were there, Dan and Karen from California walked in to check out the clubhouse. We learned they were just traveling in a 5th wheel with their 3 dogs, going around the country to see what they could see, and would be here ‘til Sunday when they would head off to the Galveston area. Nice folks.

Afterward Dick and I walked along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour, still hoping to see spoonbills but all we saw were egrets, herons, ducks and killdeer. 

That afternoon we attended Wii bowling at the clubhouse. A dozen or so folks showed up—such fun! Of course, my team won but our opponents put up a good fight.

Front row L to R: Bob, Marge, Sharon, Carole, Connie and Sharon; Back row L to R: Lynda, Janet, Sara, me, Gayle

That evening we headed to Panjo’s Pizza for an evening out with friends Bob and Sharon, Gary and Pam, Bill and Arlene, Steve and Karen, and Dave and Marihelen. Laughter is good for the soul, and I believe that’s correct—we laughed, talked, laughed, ate, laughed, ate…well, you get the picture!

I spent Wednesday morning baking, getting ready for the annual cookie exchange to be held Thursday morning. (Thank goodness for my KitchenAid mixer!) I baked chocolate chip cookies, dried cranberry and white chocolate chip cookies, and dried cranberry-white chocolate chip-roasted walnut scones (one of Dick’s favorite things from the kitchen).

While I was busy in the kitchen, Dick walked around the park, hoping to see some wildlife there, too. He wasn’t disappointed.

At 4:00 we headed to the clubhouse for happy hour, followed by our weekly dinner. This week we enjoyed braised short ribs, polenta with jalapeño and onion, and wilted mixed greens with pork jowl (what??), followed by coconut buttermilk pie. Such good stuff!

Later that evening, while I stayed home to knit, Dick went back to the clubhouse to play Texas Hold ‘em. He didn’t do too well that night…

Thursday morning while I attended the cookie exchange with about a dozen other ladies from the park, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour. Then, he took off on his motorcycle, riding for about 45 minutes around the area. On his ride to Lamar, just across the Copano Bay Bridge, he saw ducks and cranes.

When he returned home he joined me at happy hour at friends Prescott and Pat’s, along with about 2 dozen folks. Prescott was preparing fried fish and chips, friend Angie brought her special potato salad, and others brought cheese ‘n’ crackers, etc. What an impromptu feast! Here again, we laughed, talked, ate, laughed, talked, ate, laughed…

That evening we played a few rounds of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers with Bill and Carole, and Gary and Pam. After Bingo, new friends Harlan and Susie joined us to learn the game. Outcome: guys 2, gals 2. Woot-woot for the gals, and a woot for the guys! Ha!

Friday morning dawned cool—just 46°! Brr! Time to turn on the furnace for a while. 

Dick took another walk along Fulton beach Road while I attended my first ever yoga session at the clubhouse. There were 7 of us bending and stretching to a DVD for about an hour—decided I did need a mat! It felt good, but I knew I’d feel it by Saturday…

Noon was spent at the clubhouse for Friday’s $5.00 hamburgers. Accompanying the burgers were all the accoutrements, scrumptious baked beans and huge chocolate chip cookies. YUM! No dinner that night!

We attended another happy hour at the clubhouse Friday at 4:00, with live music by the park’s Jam Session Guys. The guys are getting better and better, and we so enjoy listening to them (especially when they sing “Wagon Wheel” that Darius Rucker made famous—my fav).

Dick spent Saturday at the office, putting in his time as a work camper. I stayed at the camper working on a slide project for park’s Christmas Eve party.  We’re collecting photos of campers’ travels over the past year to show at the party, projected on the big screen TV. It’s fun to see where folks have traveled.

Gary and Pam stopped by at 5:30 with their photos, and stayed for dinner of sloppy joes, chips and Waldorf salad, followed by Christmas cookies. We’re so thankful for all the folks we’ve met over the years, and who have become good friends (yes, including you guys!).

What a special day Sunday was! We boarded a Rockport Tours bus, with Bob and Sharon, heading to San Antonio to see the Christmas lights along the River Walk. Beautiful!!! Not to be missed if you’re in the area. We left Rockport at 11:00 a.m., arriving at 2:00 p.m. Along the way the tour bus played the video “Smokey and the Bandit,” a very silly and sarcastic movie.

The day was overcast but warm, with temps in the low to mid-70s, and a slight breeze. Sharon hadn’t been to San Antonio (Bob had been, years ago when he was in the Air Force), so our first stop after disembarking the bus was the Alamo. Being there never ceases to remind me of the lives lost, all in the name of Texas independence.

The Alamo, constructed on the present site in 1724, originally named Misión San Antonion de Valero, served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly 70 years. The land was returned to the remaining Indian residents in 1793, who continued to farm the fields surrounding the mission site. In the early 1800s the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at this former mission. The Spanish soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo (Spanish for “cottonwood”). The first recorded hospital in Texas was established here in what is called the Long Barracks (still seen today). Home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during Mexico’s 10-year struggle for independence the Spanish, Rebel and Mexican military continued to occupy the Alamo until the Texas Revolution, when the famous Battle of the Alamo took place here on March 6, 1836. The US Army used the Alamo as a supply depot until 1878 when the departure of the US Army accelerated the breakup of the original mission compound, which was huge compared to what you see today. It encompassed the Alamo as you see it today, the convento courtyard (in front of the Long Barracks) and Indian quarters that stretched from just west of current day Alamo Street (where the Indian barracks were built) to north of Houston Street. The State of Texas purchased the church as a s shrine to the Alamo Defenders in 1883, and in 1905 the State of Texas acquired the Long Barrack from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who served as custodians of the Alamo Complex until 2011 when custodianship of the site was transferred to the Texas General Land Office.

(photos of the Alamo)

As you entered the courtyard of the Alamo, you were greeted with this tall pine tree decorated for Christmas with basketballs and hoops, honoring the San Antonio Spurs basketball team.

From here we walked across Alamo Street to one of the many stairways leading down to the River Walk.

We walked for quite a while along the river, which is actually part of the San Antonio River. There were luminarias along the entire walk, waiting to be lit by the area Boy Scouts at dusk. Families of all nationalities and sizes were strolling along the river making it quite crowded in some areas, but all were well behaved and having a wonderful time. Quite a few different species of ducks swam freely in the river, entertaining the younger kids.

The River Walk is home to more than 40 restaurants and pubs, offering everything from fine dining to Tex-Mex to BBQ and Asian cuisine, and all were hopping! The river also offers narrated river barge and taxi tours, giving you the opportunity to see everything there is to see along the river. We opted for the 35-minute long narrated river barge tour, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and for seniors it was only $6.00 per person!

We still had a bit over an hour before meeting friends Ron and Kathryn for dinner at Casa Rio, the oldest restaurant along the river. (Ron and Kathryn drove down from Fredericksburg, Texas; we met them 3 years ago in Grand Portage, MN on our second summer trip up the north shore of Lake Superior.) So, we stopped in at Rita’s Margaritas to taste their offerings. The margaritas were quite good, and quite expensive! Oh, well, it’s all in the experience, right?

On to the restaurant…

Casa Rio was founded in 1946 and sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. The Spaniards, exploring their way north out of Mexico through deserts and semi-arid South Texas, found the timber, fertile soil, and clear water of the San Antonio River well suited for their purposes of settlement and colonization. The river, first named St. Anthony de Padua, was soon diverted into channels and "acequias" which was community operated water course used for irrigation of fields and household use.

The first bridge built to span the river was at Commerce Street, where Casa Rio is located. Priests at the Alamo (located just a couple blocks away) were afraid the easy access by soldiers from the garrison would endanger the women of the mission. The bugle call of “El Deguello” from Santa Anna’s army came from these banks, signaling no quarters, utter destruction, and no mercy for the defenders of the Alamo.

Casa Rio, the Spanish Colonial period hacienda, became the core of the new business in 1946; the cedar door and window lintels, the fireplace and thick rock walls are still evident inside the building. It was the first San Antonio business to open its doors to the river, and take advantage of the river’s setting.

We were fortunate to be seated outdoors along the river, where we could watch the river boats, carolers, and people strolling along the river—the crowds were growing thicker by the minute! We dined on enchiladas, taco salads, chili rellenos, tacos, chips and salsa. sodas, unsweetened iced tea, beer and margaritas accompanied dinner.

It was just turning dark; our reservations were for 5:30. Lights hanging from the trees overhanging the river, lights from the surrounding buildings, the river boats, and the luminarias all lent to the magical ambience of the evening. Christmas lights along the river are seen from Thanksgiving to just after New Year’s Day every year. Carolers in the river boats added joy and merriment, and quite a few people walking along the river would join in the singing. We were told we just had to see the lights along the river, but nothing prepared us for this wonderful evening of enchantment. We’re so glad we had the opportunity to see and enjoy this event. We’ll definitely make this an annual trip. We just wish we could share the experience with y’all; pictures just don’t do it.

By 7:30 p.m. we were ready to head back to the bus for our 3-hour ride back to Rockport. It was picking us up at 7:45. We were exhilarated and tired at the same time, but it was good to sit back and relax. The tour company showed a comedic film on the way back, featuring speaker Jeanne Robertson, an American humorist, professional speaker and a former Miss North Carolina. She has quite a few videos on YouTube, if you’re interested in a few minutes of laughter. Funny! And, it helped pass the time.

We finally arrived back to our camper at 11:40 p.m. What a good and fun-filled day!

That’s it for this week. As we close, we wish you a blessed and merry Christmas, with family and friends. May you be filled with the joy and happiness of the Season.

Love ‘n’ hugs,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort – Rockport, Texas – December 7-13, 2015

One week closer to Christmas. This week marks 1 month since we arrived here to Bay View; time is going too quickly!

The weather this week was mild, with temperatures ranging from the 50s in the mornings to mid-70s by the afternoon—that is until Sunday morning when the temps dropped from 71 at 6:30 a.m. to 56 by 7:00 a.m. Brrrr! The wind and rain had picked up overnight, as well, so it was a pretty miserable start to the day.

All in all it was a quiet week here in Rockport. We continued our walks along Fulton Beach Road; often Dick walked more than me due to other things I was involved in here in the park. He was able to capture photos of egrets, herons, pelicans and osprey, but no spoonbills yet.

Tuesday morning about a dozen of us gathered at the clubhouse to decorate for Christmas. While the gals put up lights, decorated the hearth and tables, Bob and Gary put up the tree and decorated it. The room was transformed! 

Later that day we joined Gary and Pam, Bob and Sharon, Bill and Arlene, Dick and Fran at Panjo’s Pizza, for what has turned out to be our Tuesday pizza night. Such fun! We never run out of things to talk or laugh about. Afterward, Gary and Pam and Dick and I drove through Rockport to capture just a few photos of Christmas lights we found in town.

Wednesday morning was spent doing laundry (after breakfast from Whatburger), followed by a stop at Walmart on the way home to pick up a few items. The day was beautiful: sunny and warm with temps in the high 60s—which feels very warm here in Texas. I sat outside reading, while Dick did some computer work here in the camper.

When 4:00 p.m. came, we headed to the clubhouse for happy hour followed by another of Betty’s dinners. This night’s dinner fried chicken (an old family recipe from one of the campers here in the park), cornbread stuffing, cabbage au gratin, salad and German chocolate cake or angel food cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries infused with Moscato wine. Yum-yum! There were close to 70 people for dinner that night, and none of us went away hungry! 

Just before dinner on Wednesday, friend Lynda and I looked out the windows and noticed a turtle in the pool. Knowing that it wouldn’t be able to get out by itself, we rescued the little guy and set it free…our good deed for the day!

Dick returned to the clubhouse that evening to play Texas Hold ‘Em. I stayed home to knit.

Thursday morning brought more sunshine, and another cooking class. This week’s topic was cooking with herbs. 14 ladies joined the class this week—we did a really good job of talking it up! Chef Terry Thompson-Anderson shared more of her recipes with us, and we got to taste everything she prepared: Texas goat cheese with sun-dried tomato relish and cayenne pepper toasts, creamy cilantro soup with chipotle crème, roast pork tenderloin with mushroom, sage, and sherry cream sauce, roasted new potatoes with rosemary and garlic, and finally—dark chocolate cookies with fresh thyme. YUM-YUM! She also served Oak Leaf Chardonnay, which went over quite well… (Not bad for just $5 per person for this class!)

While I attended cooking class, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road, and then rode his motorcycle for about 35 miles around the area: Rockport, Fulton, and Lamar (hoping to see either sand hill or whooping cranes). He saw only sand hills.

…just a little bit of information about the sand hill cranes  They’re a fairly social bird, usually living in pairs or in family groups, especially during migration and winter, when they come together to form “survival groups.” When this happens, you may see them grouped together in the thousands! They eat a variety of foods, depending on availability, but are mainly herbivores. The larger males can weigh up to about 10 lbs., while the females weight slightly less at just under 9 lbs. It’s amazing to watch these birds in flight, as their wingspans can reach up to 7’6”. Their loud, trumpeting calls can be heard from quite long distances, and mating pairs are engaged in “unison calling,” standing close together and calling in a synchronized and complex duet. I know you men will chuckle at this, but the female makes 2 calls for every 1 call from the males.

That evening we played Pegs & Jokers with Bill and Carole, and Gary and Pam. Sadly, the gals fell to a 3:0 loss, but we’re not letting that get us down. We’ll come back strong!

Friday morning we walked along the beach again, for about an hour. Unfortunately, it was so foggy you couldn’t see much. We returned to have hamburgers for lunch at the clubhouse, served with potato salad provided by Angie, a camper here in the park from Wisconsin. (Below is a photo of Alice from South Dakota, enjoying hers.) Another Yum-yum! 

Later, the Jam Session Guys provided music at happy hour. Good times!

Saturday, Dick worked at the office on computer projects for the park while I stayed at the camper and did my stuff (knitting, getting caught up on emails, etc.) 

Long ago, before the carols, Christmas trees, and streets lined with lights, there was one thing that signified Christmas: the Savior of the world lying in a humble manger. We continued to welcome the Christmas season by attending the presentation of “Christmas in His Presence,” the cantata performed by the sanctuary choir of First Baptist Church of Rockport. They had 2 performances: 6:00 Saturday night, and 11:00 Sunday morning; we opted to attend the Saturday performance. What a blessing! Friends and park neighbors Dave and Marihelen (Texas) went with us. There were 50 choir members, 4 soloists, and 2 narrators bringing us the story of the birth of Jesus. 

Afterward, we just had to stop in at the local Dairy Queen for a treat: blizzards were the choice for Marihelen, Dick and me, while Dave had a foot-long chili dog. Good stuff! 

I awakened Sunday morning to temperatures in the low 70s. As I mentioned earlier, within just a few short minutes it had dropped 15 degrees. Brrr! Plus, there was rain and wind. Ugh. That didn’t deter Dick from working a few hours in the morning, returning in time to join Gary and Pam as we went to the 10th annual “Holiday Symphony by the Sea,” a concert featuring the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and the Rockport-Fulton High School Choir. What a wonderful afternoon! Andrés Franco was guest conductor for the symphony; the high school choir was under the direction of Yvonne Jaggard. Mr. Franco, who also was guest conductor in last year’s Symphony by the Sea performance, holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, as well as master of music degrees in piano performance and conducting from Texas Christian University. With his background in music from the time he was just a small child, you’d think he’d be rather staid and stiff. Not so! He conducts with a great sense of humor, guaranteeing that the audience is kept entertained!

We thought you'd like to hear a couple of numbers from the concert: a selection featuring the bassoons, entitled " BasSOON it will be Christmas," and the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah featuring both the orchestra and high school choir. Enjoy!

Then, the 4 of us went to a local restaurant, MoonDogs, for a bite to eat. We started with calamari and a delicious Asian infused dipping sauce, then on to fish tacos with blackened grouper, a grouper sandwich, BBQ beef brisket tacos, and a prime rib sandwich. These were accompanied by pinto beans, grilled asparagus, mashed garlic potatoes and coleslaw. Yum-Yum!

That’s it for this week. We continue to enjoy our time here in Rockport, and the friends we’ve come to know and love. Thanks for continuing with us on our journey.

With hugs ‘n’ love,

RJ and Gail