Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – January 19-25, 2014

Monday, January 19. Wow—time is really flying by. There are still things we want to do and see before we head out in a few months, so hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Dick continues to work almost daily, either in the office or supporting the remodel of areas here in the park. He certainly stays busy for a retired guy!

Tuesday morning I attended the weekly session of “Stitch and B…”. The temperature started out in the mid-40s, but climbed to the mid-70s by afternoon. This day was only one of the times we’ve been able to sit outdoors and enjoy the sun and warm breezes that we so enjoy here. Friends Marty, Sharon, Marge and Terry joined me at our patio to sit and chat that afternoon. When Dick returned from his day on the job we decided to head to the Adult Club House to try out the newly renovated pool and hot tub. What a hit! Marty and Terry joined Dick and me in the pool, while friend (and Marty’s sister) Mary just came to the pool to sit and chat. We spent a good hour or more there before heading home for dinner.

The day’s events weren't over yet. Cody Dooley, a local boy making it big in Branson, Missouri, was due to entertain that evening in the Family Club House.

 Cody Dooley has been performing the Country Legacy Tribute Show in Branson, Mo. for 9 seasons as well as opening for Willie Nelson and Janie Fricke. Cody performed most of our favorite classic country songs in the voice of the original artist. Singing impressions included Conway Twitty, John Conlee, Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves, Don Gibson, George Jones, to name just a few. Cody can reproduce the voice of virtually any country artist from the 50's, 60's 70's and 80's. About 100 folks from the park were there to listen and enjoy the show. Take a listen to Leroy Van Dyke's "Just Walk On By."

Wednesday’s Family Club House Dinner was preceded by Happy Hour. Although folks bring their beverage of choice—anything from water to soda to wine, beer and the hard stuff—we mainly get together to chat, share and laugh. Good times! That night’s dinner was a beef casserole topped with poppy seed dumplings, smashed Yukon Gold potatoes, peas and carrots, a ribboned jello salad, and key lime pie for dessert. YUM-YUM! (Thanks, Chef Betty, for continuing to satisfy our pallets!) (And no, friends Tom and Les—the key lime pie was not from Sara Lee! Ha!) 

The women overcame their deficit in Pegs and Jokers on Thursday evening by beating the guys 2:1. Knew we still had our mojo—it must've been put on the shelf for a few days last week…

Thursday night and Friday brought about 1.6" of rain to our part of the Coastal Bend. That also brought wind and temperatures in the 50s. Texas still needs rain and every little bit helps. The ponds in our park, which had become more like puddles, are slowly filling again but it will take a lot more moisture to get them back to where they should be.

Friday afternoon’s happy hour was followed by dinner at home and an evening of movies. We watched an entertaining and cute one called "Barefoot," starring Scott Speedman and Evan Rachel Wood. 

Jay (Scott Speedman), the "black sheep" son of a wealthy family is on probation and working as a janitor in a psychiatric hospital. While there he meets Daisy (Evan Rachel Wood) a naïve and young psychiatric patient wh''s been raised in isolation her entire life. Against probationary rules he leaves California, taking Daisy the naive young woman home for his brother's wedding to convince his family that he's finally straightened out his life. Daisy impresses the family with her genuine, if unstable charm. Along the way, through an exciting trip across the country evading the law, they fall into an improbable love

Saturday was the monthly craft show held in the Family Club House. Campers from our RV park, as well as vendors from around the area, came to show and sell their wares. Everything from mesquite wood-based decorator items to knitted, crocheted, woven and quilted items, jewelry and hand-made gadgets, intarsia plaques and books on audio CDs were sold. Quite a sight! All this was preceded by warm cinnamon rolls and coffee, straight from the club house kitchen. Oh, and I was asked to play my keyboard during the show, which I did—for about 3½ hours. Everyone enjoyed the bit of background music I provided and asked that I come back next month to do the same. (Next time, though, I’ll put out a tip jar…ha!)

That afternoon, Dick was able to hop on his motorcycle for the second or third time this year (due to the uncooperative weather) to run errands and just to feel the road beneath the wheels. He stopped at PJ's, a local fish monger, to pick up some fresh grouper for dinner. Wow! The fish was fabulous. Fixed it simply, dipped in egg and a bit of milk, then in Panko crumbs, a bit of flour, salt and pepper, and fried in olive oil. Served it with homemade tartar sauce, baked potato and peas. Perfect! 

Above: bird pier at Little Bay in downtown Rockport; Great White Egret, Spoonbill
Below: White Pelican, Whooping Cranes and Sand Hill Cranes

That evening we watched another movie, “From the Rough,” a sports drama based on the true story of Catana Starks (played by Taraji P. Henson), a former Tennessee State Tigers swim coach, who became the first woman ever to coach a college men's golf team. She was tasked with building TSU's first golf team, with no initial support from the athletic department. TSU was historically a black college, but she was able to find only one available African American golfer—Craig, a former caddy with lots of talent but no confidence in his game. She scoured the globe to find kids to fill the roster, ultimately opening up TSU to underprivileged kids from all races. Her passion for the sport, drive and guts was evident as she took an unruly and mismatched group of kids from around the world, coaching them to an all-time record at the PGA National Collegiate Minority Championship. Some of the other actors in the movie include Tom Felton, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Henry Simmons. Good flick!

Sunday morning we again attended First Baptist Church of Rockport’s 8:30 a.m. service. Pastor Jones continues his sermon series on Awakening 2015, with this week's focus on repentance. Repentance is the change of mind leading to a change of action, and a change in a person’s whole personality. His 3 points were: 1) Repentance is acknowledging personal sin and its consequences; 2) Repentance involves a desire for God and (re)turning to His ways; and, 3) God can be trusted to respond positively and graciously to heartfelt sorrow over sin which results in returning to Him. God always gives grace and grants forgiveness. Here’s the link to the message: http://fbcrockport.sermon.net/ It’s worth a listen.

After breakfast at home, we headed to Aransas Pass, Texas with friends Bob and Sharon, Marvin and Shirley, and their friends Marty and Jackie, to see "Always…Patsy Cline," at the Rialto Theater.

Based on a true story about Patsy Cline, "Always…Patsy Cline" is a tribute to the legendary country singer, and her friendship with Louise Seger, a fan from Houston, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961. Their friendship continued until Patsy’s untimely death, the darkest day in Country Music history. March 5, 1963, just when the best of Patsy Cline's life was beginning, it ended when on the journey home to Tennessee after performing at a benefit, Patsy, her manager Randy Hughes and Grand Ole Opry stars Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas were killed in the crash of Hughes' 4-seater airplane. For 18 years following this horrific loss to country music nothing was written of this unique personality. Today, Patsy has become more famous in death than she was during her lifetime. It seems now that the world cannot get enough.

This 2-cast play included good ol’ down home country humor, some audience participation, and true emotion, as the story was told and her songs were sung. Many of Patsy's hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Walking After Midnight—27 in all—were performed in this 2½ hour homage to one of Country’s most famous—but short lived—singers. The show’s title was inspired by Patsy’s letter to Louise which were consistently signed, "Love ALWAYS…Patsy Cline." Here's a link to "Crazy."

Emotional, fun, and a wonderful play. "Always…Patsy Cline" plays through the end of January, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For $15 per ticket, it was money well spent. So glad we did.

Above: Inside the Rialto Theater, Aransas Pass, Texas
Below clockwise: "Patsy" and "Louise", Randy, Jackie, Marvin
and Shirley, Bob and Sharon, me and Sharon

By the time we left Aransas Pass we were starving…so we decided dinner was a definite necessity. We headed back to Rockport for an authentic Mexican meal at the original Vallarta Restaurant. For $5.99 per person we noshed on chips and salsa, crispy tacos, enchiladas, tortillas, rice and beans. Oh, and the tortillas and chips are all homemade. YUM-YUM! 

The original Vallarta Tex-Mex Restaurant, Rockport, Texas

Well, that's it for the week. Stay tuned for next week's edition, as we report on our ride on a Pirate Ship.

Love…always,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – January 12-18, 2014

Weather is like a broken record around here—repeating day after day temperatures starting out in the mid-40s, but reaching only the mid-50s, with overcast skies, some drizzle, and a bit of wind. Ugh! We finally saw the sun for a bit on Friday afternoon, and then all day Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday reached the mid-60s, which was a nice relief. Hopefully the warming trend will continue for a while.

This was a week of celebrations for us. First, Dick’s alma mater, The Ohio State University Buckeyes, won the inaugural college football playoff National Championship game against the Oregon Ducks, 42:20. The game went late into the night, but Dick stayed up to watch every last second. He was a happy buckeye!

Friday, Dick and I celebrated our 33^rd wedding anniversary. These days, that’s an accomplishment. We both agreed to sign up for another 33 years—just too hard to break in someone new. Ha! These are the flowers he surprised me with: they're beautiful--red roses and Oriental lilies--and they smell so good! Thanks, Honey. I love you!

Actually, we did our main celebrating on Saturday night with 12 of our close friends from our RV park, as we dined at Latitude, a local restaurant and one of our favorites. Folks dined on shrimp served in various ways, salmon, oysters, black drum fish, duck and beef burgundy. All this was followed by lovely desserts: crème brulee, chocolate mousse, and key lime pie. Need I say, YUM??? Thank you, Larry and Terry, Marvin and Shirley, Steve and Marty, Mary, Betty, Bob and Sharon, and Bill and Carole for helping us celebrate this milestone. We’re so very thankful for your friendship.

Latitude with an "attitude" the evening we had our anniversary dinner there with
friends. Terry and Larry, Marvin and Shirley, Bill and Carole, Marty and Steve,
Sharon and Bob, Mary, and Betty. Fun times!

Then…in the NFC Championship game the Seattle Seahawks stunned the Green Bay Packers, in the 28:22 win in overtime, sending the Seahawks to the Super Bowl for the second time in as many years. The Seahawks were looking poorly as the first half ended in a 16:0 deficit. The game was going the Packers’ way until the 4^th quarter when Seahawk’s quarterback Russell Wilson unleased his mojo to overcome his career-worst 4 interceptions and 5 total Seahawk turnovers to pull out one of the most remarkable wins in Seahawks history. Now, it’s on to Super Bowl XLIX on February 1 in Glendale, AZ against the New England Patriots. GO HAWKS!!!

Whew!

Betty (left) and friend Mary with the cinnamon
apple streusel pies. Yum!

Going back to Wednesday, we had another wonderful dinner at the club house, hosted by Chef Betty. This week she served beef stroganoff over buttered noodles, spinach salad with hazelnut sedge dressing and strawberries, rolls and butter, and her famous cinnamon streusel apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Yum-yum! For the third week in a row there were over 75 people for a Wednesday night dinner. We’re so blessed to have Betty on the Bay View team! Go Betty! Looking forward to Wednesday’s dinner this week!

Thursday was a day of running errands: laundry, groceries, etc. Of course we had to have breakfast from Whataburger beforehand to get our day started off right—they have a wonderful sausage-egg sandwich that we thoroughly enjoy. That evening was spent playing Pegs & Jokers with friends Marvin and Shirley, and Bill and Carole. Unfortunately, ladies, we came out losing to the guys 3:1. ‘Nuff said. For the first time in a long time we were able to see countless stars on our walk home from the club house. Beautiful!

Friday, our anniversary, we had lunch at the clubhouse—hamburgers for $5, and Chef Betty’s wonderful oatmeal raisin cookies. (Notice how so many things here center around food…?) She also served homemade chicken noodle soup, selling quarts of it for $3 if anyone was interested. Yup, we were! (It made for a good Sunday evening dinner as we were watching the Seahawks, so I wouldn’t have to cook.)

Because we were going out for dinner on Saturday night, we stayed in Friday night to watch a movie, “All is Lost”.

 “All is Lost,” stars Robert Redford as an aging sailor fighting for survival at sea (2013). He suffers loss even though he does everything right. Collision with a wayward shipping container rips a hole in the hull causing water to flood his sailboat. The bilge pump isn’t working so he uses his hand-bilge pump to remove the water; then, he sets out to patch the hole. Then, he finds that the boat’s navigational and communications systems have been damaged, due to saltwater intrusion as a result of the collision. He tries to repair the radio but is ultimately unsuccessful. And, when he climbs the mast to repair an antenna lead, he sees an oncoming tropical storm. He runs before the wind under bare poles for a while, and intends to bring the boat into a hove-to position, but when crawling to the bow to hoist the storm jib, he is thrown overboard and only just regains the deck after a long struggle. The boat capsizes and flips over, and after another 180-degree roll, is dismasted, and most of the equipment on board destroyed. With the boat badly holed and sinking, he decides to abandon ship in an inflatable life raft, salvaging whatever he can to survive. This is a story of survival at its utmost. Does he make it? You’ll need to watch the movie to find out.

Sunday we again attended First Baptist Church of Rockport. Pastor Jones spoke from Galatians 5:16-26. There were 3 main points: 1) our lives are in conflict with the Holy Spirit when we live according to our desires, opposing God; 2) if we walk by the Spirit our words and conduct will be directed by the Holy Spirit, allowing us to experience the blessing of God’s presence to the fullest; and 3) our role is to crucify our fleshly desires and then keep in step with the Holy Spirit through prayer, fasting, repentance and self-control. Good words… Here’s the link to the message: http://fbcrockport.sermon.net/

After breakfast—and before ice cream and Pegs & Jokers and the Seahawks game, we walked along Fulton Beach Road for about 45 minutes, where we saw egrets, blue heron, gulls and ducks. Beautiful day! The Seahawks may have won, but the ladies went down again: 2:1. Dang… At least we could celebrate the Hawk’s win!

Top 3 photos: Great Blue Heron.
Bottom 2: a Herring Gull

Great White Egrets, a Snowy Egret and a Red Head Duck

The month of January is officially half over. Unbelievable! Time is flying by, and even though the weather hasn’t been all that great here in Texas, we’re still enjoying our time here.

What we see during our walks along Fulton Beach Road

My favorite house along our walk, for sale.

Well, that’s it for this week. Thanks for sticking with us, and we hope this finds you well. Until next time, we send you hugs and love.

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas - January 5-11, 2014

Winter has indeed hit Texas. Temperatures in our region along the Coastal Bend are about 20 degrees lower than "normal," whatever that is. We've had one day of temperatures reaching above 50 degrees this week. Other than that it's been cold, rainy, damp, windy, yucky… But that said we're optimistic that we'll have warmer weather as the months go by. Sunday we saw sun for the first time in days, so we know it's up there somewhere!

Our emotions ran the gamut this week. We said farewell to friends who were leaving for points east, and then there was the celebration of the Seattle Seahawks winning the NFL second round playoffs against the Carolina Panthers, 31 to 17. Oh, then there were the games the women won against the men in Pegs & Jokers. Ha!

Tuesday morning I attended the weekly "Stitch and B.." session; I had wanted to start another project but forgot my needles, so just sat and chatted with others who also attended. Then I went home to make brownies with homemade frosting, for that evening's get-together, as we said farewell to friends Gary and Pam; they left Wednesday morning for Galveston. To say farewell, we met Tuesday evening in the Adult Club House, with over a dozen of our friends. After feasting on appetizers, we ordered in pizza from our favorite pizza place here in Rockport, Panjo's Pizza. Fun times, good conversation, and an enjoyable evening. Sad to see them leave, but they plan to be back in the fall.

The men and women sat apart for some reason--that is, all except Bob, who
preferred to stay with the gals...?

Dick continues to work in the office, almost daily. We generally meet up at the Family Club House if there's something going on, whether it's the ice cream social, Pegs & Jokers, happy hour, dinner or lunch. Wednesday was no different, as we met for happy hour, followed by dinner, brought to us by Chef Betty.

We’re never disappointed with our meals here. Chef Betty is doing an outstanding job keeping us all fed and happy! Wednesday's dinner was stuffed chicken breast (with old fashioned bread stuffing), mashed potatoes, green beans—and strawberries over angel food cake with whipped cream for dessert. YUM-YUM!!! Thanks, Betty!

Not much happened Thursday, other than the women won all 3 games of Pegs & Jokers played against the men that evening.

Hamburgers and hotdogs were on the menu for lunch Friday, at the Family Club House. Larry from South Dakota was at the grill, Angie from Wisconsin made the potato salad, and Chef Betty made special brownies with mint frosting for dessert—all for $5.00 per person. Good stuff!

Liam Neeson

That afternoon Dick and I decided to see a movie, considering that the weather wasn't fit for being outdoors (overcast, windy, cold…you get the picture). Taken 3 starring Liam Neeson was playing at the local cinema, so off we went.

Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (played by Liam) is once again pursued by the CIA, FBI and local police after Bryan’s ex-wife’s body is found, brutally murdered, in his apartment. Prior, she had revealed to Bryan that she and her current husband were having marital problems and would like to reconcile with Bryan. (Bryan refuses to become involved while she is still married.) Bryan is framed for the crime, but eludes capture and sets out on his own to investigate the homicide and to find the real killers. LAPD Inspector Franck Dotzler ( Forest Whitaker) heads up the manhunt, quickly becoming familiar with Bryan's unique abilities and background. Bryan's main focus is to find the killers and once again protect his daughter, Kim, from the criminals. (Does it really end here? Does the end of the film leave the door open for Taken 4, when Kim, who is now in college, reveals she is pregnant with Liam's first grandchild? Guess we'll have to wait to see...)

Saturday, in the rain, we headed to Aransas Pass with friends Marvin and Shirley to the Texas Winter Market, held at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. But first we had breakfast at Our Family Kitchen in Rockport. Our Family Kitchen is a family owned business that serves home-cooked style meals. We were not disappointed! We noshed on ham and eggs, grits, omelets, green chili casserole, hash browns and toast, with plenty of fresh roasted coffee from Rockport Coffee Company. Again I say, yum-yum!!! Located at 324 Highway 35 South in Rockport, they're open from 6 a.m.to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and will always happily serve breakfast. It's worth your time to stop for a meal, but plan to get there early because they fill up fast, especially at lunch time.

Off to the Texas Winter Market. The Texas Winter Market is held every January and February at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. Vendors from across Texas fill the booths with gourmet foods, jewelry, clothing, accessories, wine, gifts, and more. There was a $3 admission per person, but because Texas Winter Market supports the local food bank, there was a $1 discount if you brought a non-perishable food item. We had fun roaming through the booths, sampling stuff, and raising eyebrows at some of the things we saw. Because the weather here is so chilly (and my sweatshirts are back in Minnesota), I had to buy a sweatshirt…and then I bought an embellished t-shirt…Dick bought a bottle of peach cider, and we bought a few gifty things, as well.

It was still raining when we left Aransas Pass so we headed back home to warmth and shelter. Brr… 

That afternoon we were introduced to Lucy, our "foster" cat, that we're caring for, for the next month while friends and neighbors in the park will be in Houston. Lucy is an outdoor cat, so there's not much real caring that needs to be done, other than feeding. She settled in quite well; we took "possession" of her Saturday. Like she knew this was her new temporary home, Lucy returned to our place on her own, and stayed until about 11:30 that night when she let us know she'd had enough "indoor" time and wanted out. We created a little shelter of sorts from a plastic-wrapped cardboard box and towels so she would have somewhere to settle in if she didn't want to come in. Here's Lucy! She's a beauty!

Then, we watched the Seattle Seahawks play the Carolina Panthers in football. Seattle was lit up for this occasion, hoping to cheer on the team to another Super Bowl championship win. From the Great Wheel at Pier 57 on Elliot Bay in Seattle to CenturyLink Field and the Space Needle, to fans and fashion. Everyone got in on Seahawk Mania!

The building with "12" lit up is the building I worked in Seattle.

The top left shows the 12th man flag waving atop the Seattle Space Needle, which was adorned with the
 Seahawk colors. CenturyLink Field also sports their colors, as do shoes, and of course, the fans.
Since they're playing the Packers, it appears that they'll be done in with the "cheese" grater.
Then, there are the "Seattles," which are really Skittles in Seahawk colors,
and are Marshawn Lynch's favorite treats.

Sunday we attended First Baptist Church of Rockport, where we were blessed by the ministry of "Beyond Jordan," an a cappella ladies trio, who had performed at the Rockport Gospel Fest this past weekend. These gals, all from Texas, sang medleys of good ol' gospel favorites as well as some newer contemporary arrangements. Then, Pastor Jones spoke from the New Testament, John 3:1-8, where Nicodemus questioned Jesus about being born of the Spirit. We were reminded that we need a spiritual awakening, both personally and as a country. And, we were reminded that the Holy Spirit empowers (Acts 1:8), purifies (1 Corinthians 6:11), reveals (John 7:38-39, Romans 8:14 and 16, and John 14:13), and unifies (Acts 2:7-18). And, the spiritual awakening comes when people are filled with the Spirit of God. There is no other way.

That afternoon we met friends Bill and Carole, and Marvin and Shirley for ice cream at the club house. This was followed by 4 games of Pegs & Jokers; men: 2, women: 2. 'Nuff said

.

2015 is well on its way; already we're entering the 3^rd week of the month. My, my… We hope this finds you healthy and happy. Drop us a line; we’d love to hear from you!

Hugs and blessings,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – December 29 – January 5, 2014

Winter chilly weather has certainly hit the Coastal Bend of Texas! We’ve had temperature dipping to the high 30s and low 40s at night, with daytime highs reaching only to the mid-60s. Brr! The sun has shown most days, however, but not enough to bring warmth to our old bones!

Dick worked most of the day Monday, while I did my normal activities of the day (writing and publishing last week’s blog). That evening we were invited to have cherry pie and ice cream with Illinois friends Marvin and Shirley, to celebrate Marv’s birthday. Yum! We so enjoy spending time with them; we never run out of things to chat about.

Tuesday morning I attended the weekly “Stitch and B…”, and later that day we drove into Corpus Christi with friends Bob and Sharon, and Gary and Pam, to have our own happy hour and dinner at the Executive Surf Club. The Surf Club has long been a spot for great food (and apparently great live music, although not the night we were there) for decades. Located in the heart of the Waterstreet District, it offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches, appetizers, salads and hand-battered fish baskets and onion rings. We were not disappointed with our fare: fish ‘n’ chips, chicken and beef quesadillas, and hamburgers. Yum! Oh, and they offered $2 pints ‘til closing which was just fine with our folks.

By Wednesday the wind had picked up, so combined with temps in the low 40s, it was a really cold day! Dick continues to put in his time at the office, helping coordinate all the remodeling of motel rooms and bathrooms. Busy guy! That evening was a New Year’s Eve party in the Family Club House to welcome the new year in, but Dick and I stayed home to enjoy one another’s company and get to bed by 10:30. We knew 2015 would arrive even if we didn’t wildly celebrate it.

Happy New Year Thursday! Chef Betty served a New Years dinner at 1 p.m., in the club house. She served a lovely pork roast with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes (SO GOOD!), and warm homemade applesauce. For dessert we enjoyed a lemony crème fraiche served in phyllo cups, garnished with fresh raspberries and a mint leaf. We are never disappointed when Betty’s in the kitchen! Thanks, Betty!

That evening we played Pegs & Jokers with friends Bill and Carole, Marv and Shirley, Bob and Sharon, Gary and Pam—yup, there were 10 of us at the table. Oh, and the women won 2:1 over the guys. Woot-woot!

Friday was a day for errands: laundry and groceries. Dick worked for a while after these were accomplished, while I spent time doing stuff at the camper. Later, we met at the club house for happy hour, where we noshed on crackers and Idaho huckleberry-topped cream cheese (thanks Bonnie and Jerry!) and pretzels from Menards in Minnesota, while sharing stories and good times with friends from Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, Missouri and Oregon.

Dinner that night was at Capparelli’s Italian Restaurant in Rockport with friends Bob and Sharon, and Gary and Pam. (Dick and I had dinner there for his birthday last April when we were here.) The food was delish: manicotti with a meat ball, lasagna, and spaghetti with meatballs. We took half of our dinners home as we couldn’t eat all ours. Dinners came with salads, bread and a complimentary glass of red wine. And for dessert, Bob and Sharon ordered the tiramisu—which was HUGE, and could easily serve the entire table, although only 4 of us partook. Yum!!

It’s hard to believe, but Dick took Saturday and Sunday off from work. Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures starting in the high-40s that morning. They did climb to the high 50s by the afternoon. 

We decided to see the movie “Unbroken,” the war drama produced and directed by Angelina Jolie. Based on the non-fiction book, entitled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand, the story revolves around the life of USA Olympian and athlete Louie Zamperini. Zamperini, who died in 2014 at the age of 97, survived in a raft for 47 days following the near fatal plane crash. Then after being rescued by the Japanese, he survived harrowing years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp where he is continually beaten and cruelly treated by the corporal in charge of the camp. Louie’s inner strength and resolve help him overcome all that the corporal hands down to him.

After the war Zamperini forgave his war-time captors, returning to Japan to meet with many of them. However, Mutsuhiro “Bird” Watanabe, the corporal who meted out such harsh and cruel punishment, refused. Watanabe went into hiding for several years, successfully evading prosecution for his war crimes, in spite of being listed in the top 40 most–wanted war criminals by General Douglas MacArthur.

In January 1998, Louis had an opportunity to revisit his time as an Olympian when he ran a leg of the Olympic Torch relay for the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan—he was just 4 days short of his 81^st birthday. The site for his leg of the relay was close to one of the POW camps where he had been held.

I have to say I’m not sure I liked the movie, as it was difficult to see the cruel treatment of POW prisoners. But, I’m glad I did, for deeper understanding of what our men endured for our freedom. Here's a  link to the trailer.

After the movie, there was still plenty of daylight left, so we made a few stops before returning to Bay View. Our first stop was to Ace Hardware where I picked up some "Poo-Pouri." I won’t go into what it is, but you can google it.

Then, we headed east to the Linda S. Castro Nature Sanctuary hoping to see some of the birds that are common to Rockport and the Coastal Bend of Texas.

This 4½ acre plot of land opened in Spring 2014, and contains 3 distinct habitats: a live oak “motte” (a native plant community, together with live oaks is called a motte), a remnant of a coastal prairie, and an ephemeral—or temporary—pond. To describe it in more detail, the coastal prairie consists of native grasses and wildflowers which provide food and shelter for man different varieties of wildlife. The ephemeral pond can be without water for long periods depending on the weather cycle. Devoid of fish, the pond allows the safe development of amphibians and insects unable to withstand predation from fish. This area forms a valuable stopover habitat for migrating songbird, and provides food and shelter for many different varieties of wildlife. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any wildlife, but did find this strange and smelly funghi as we were walking through the sanctuary. Phew!

Glad I found information on this wierd looking funghi, it's commonly known as the column stinkhorn. The inside surfaces of the columns are covered with a  fetid olive-brown spore containing slime, which attracts flies and other insects that help disseminate the spores.

Since we didn’t see any wildlife there, we drove across the Copano Bay Bridge to LaMar to see if could find Whooping Cranes and/or Sandhill Cranes that call this area home during the winter. We were not disappointed. We found a pair of Whoopers and about a dozen Sandhills. Cool!

Top photos: Whooping Cranes
Bottom: Cows share the field with the cranes; the Sandhills

This buzzard kept an eye on Dick as he
was photographing the cranes.

Whoopers are the largest of the North American birds, and can reach a height of over 5 feet with a wingspan of 7½ feet. Males can weigh almost 17 pounds, while the female 14 to15 pounds. Mating for life, there may be 2 offspring per season, but typically only 1 survives. After being pushed to the brink of extinction by unregulated hunting and loss of habitat, there were just 21 wild and 2 captive whoopers by 1941. Conservation efforts have led to a limited recovery, and today there are almost 600. Their yearly migration takes them almost 2,500 miles from near the Arctic Circle to the Coastal Bend of Texas.

Smaller than the Whoopers is the Sandhill Crane, at 2 to 4 feet tall and weighing in at 8 to 10 pounds. Only 1 brood is laid per year, with 2 to 4 eggs per brood. Both parents prepare the nesting site, and both care for the chicks, which are born with their eyes open and covered in down. Able to leave the nest within a day of hatching, chicks are fed intensively for the first few weeks, then gradually less until they are able to fend for themselves at 9 or 10 months old.  Many Sandhills migrate almost 1,200 miles from the North Platte River in Nebraska to the Coastal Bend of Texas annually.

After leaving LaMar, we headed to a park along Loop 1781 and Copano Bay, hoping to see more birds. Nada. But, we did meet Tom and Carrie from Hastings, Minnesota, who spend their winters here in Rockport. We spent almost ½ hour talking with them; they've been to the north shore of Lake Superior, so are familiar with areas Dick and I have been to, including Grand Marais and Grand Portage. Small world!

Sunday we attended First Baptist Church of Rockport. Pastor Scott spoke from the Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:1-14. “Can These Bones Live Again?” His 3 key points were: 1) does our nation/world need a spiritual awakening? 2) Is there a need for spiritual awakening in my life, and is there a connection, and is it possible? 3) Never underestimate the power of God’s Spirit to bring new life, hope and restoration. Wonderful words to know, and claim. Here's a link to the sermon.

That afternoon after a walk along Fulton Beach Road, Dick and I relieved our kitchen staff of ice cream (along with about 2 dozen other folks) during the ice cream social, and then played a couple rounds of 10-player Pegs & Jokers. Again…I say, again…the women won 2:0! Woot-woot!

These photos were taken during our walk:

Clockwise: Lesser Yellowlegs, Tri-colored Heron, Redhead ducks

Birds I didn't have time to ID, and then the beautiful
white egret and blue heron.

That's about it for this week. We continue to be hopeful that the weather will warm up, the sun will continue to shine, and we stay healthy and strong. That’s it for this week. Thanks for sticking with us on our journey. As we head into 2015, may this be a year of health, happiness and prosperity for y'all.

Hugs,

RJ and Gail