Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – February 16-22, 2015

What a beautiful week here in Rockport. The mornings’ weather always started out on the cool side but warmed to the low 70s by mid-afternoon.

Dick continued to work quite a bit this week, especially since the resort’s owner was in town. There are numerous projects that needed to be addressed, in the park as well as the office.

Not much happened on the home front Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday; I did attend Tuesday’s “Stitch and B…” with about a dozen ladies. A few ladies were working on net scrubbies, and there were other knitting and crocheting projects, as well as quilting, going on as well.

Wednesday after happy hour we drove to Paradise Key, a seafood restaurant in Rockport, for dinner. We noshed on coconut shrimp, fish ‘n’ chips and red snapper with étouffée. (Étouffée is a Cajun sauce made from a light roux, seasoned and simmered with seafood, most often shrimp or crawfish, and served over rice. This sauce also had some tomato in it.) Then, we topped it off with key lime pie. YUM-YUM!

Thursday was another beautiful day, with temps in the 70s, and bright sunshine! Great day to be outdoors! We rode our bikes around the park for about 15 minutes—couldn’t push it, as we hadn’t ridden in a while, and these ol’ bones need to be treated kindly…ha!

That evening we played a Pegs ‘n’ Jokers with friends Marvin and Shirley, Randy and Jeri, Bill and Carole, and Jamie and Annie. Yup, rather than playing 2 tables, we all played together at a table for 10. Sure didn’t help the ladies…the guys won 2 to 1 over us. Darn…

Dick worked Friday morning, taking most of the afternoon off. Lunch was $5.00 hamburgers and fish sandwiches at the Family Club House, served with oven fries and all the fixin’s. Yum! There’s always quite a turn-out for Friday’s lunch—there were about 35 for the meal. After lunch, while I creatively used the La Mardi Gras beads from last week’s outing on a “tip jar” for playing my keyboard at Saturday’s craft sale.

Even though it was quite windy, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road. He captured these photos.

Left side: Redhead ducks, then the "bottoms' up!"
Middle: Great White Egret, Snowy Egret and a Blue Heron bending in the wind.

About mid-day friends Ida and Joe arrived from Houston. Ida was the office manager here in the park, before being diagnosed with cancer late last year. She and her husband, Joe, are currently staying in an RV park in Houston as she undergoes treatment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. (We’re caring for Lucy, the cat that adopted them.) Ida and Joe stayed in cabins adjacent to Bay View for the 2 nights they were here. Sure was good to see them again; they plan to be back here with their 5th wheel in early April. Ida’s doing very well with her treatment, but would appreciate continued prayers for a good outcome and complete healing and recovery.

Friday was a busy day. That evening was the annual “workamper” happy hour and dinner at the Adult Club House, hosted by Paul, the park’s owner. What a fun evening!  There were over 50 people there—it takes quite a crew to run, manage, and keep the park running. Dinner was catered by “The Shack,” a local BBQ eaterie, and man, was it good! We noshed on BBQ brisket, chicken, sausages, potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. Wine, beer, soda and water were also provided. For dessert we celebrated Ida and Joe, with a sheet cake decorated with a purple (Ida’s favorite color) ribbon, to support Ida and her battle with cancer.

Workamper happy hour

Workamper dinner with BBQ sausage, brisket and chicken, YUM!

Ida and Joe with her cake.

The day’s activities weren’t over yet! At 7:00 p.m. we trekked to the Family Club House for an evening of gospel and country music by Jack and Deb Stone of Top Shelf Ministries out of Muleshoe, Texas. They have made several appearances on Primetime Christian Broadcasting in Midland, Texas, as well as many affiliate stations of the Trinity Broadcasting Networks in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and also in South Africa. They have made quite a few recordings. Here’s a sample of the evening’s music: a song written by John Anderson, entitled, “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal.”

Saturday was the monthly craft sale at the Family Club House. Crafters from Bay View as well as other parks in the area come to show and sell their wares. And, I played background music for about 3½ hours. This time I set out a “tip jar,” and didn’t do too badly! Just after setting up my keyboard that morning, I tripped on a piece of loose carpeting and plowed into a wooden lectern, narrowly missing the stone fireplace and hearth. Banged up my left arm and leg, my right arm, and jarred my left shoulder. I’ve developed quite a few big bruises, but thankfully my hands and fingers weren’t affected! The show must go on!

That afternoon I made a wild rice casserole for the park’s pot luck dinner, while Dick took a 30+ mile ride on his motorcycle. The day was stellar; it was good to enjoy the sun and warmth, with the windows and door open to the light breeze. Loved it!

About 50 people showed up for the pot luck dinner at the Family Club House. There was so much food! Beef stew, beef stroganoff, spaghetti and meatballs, mac and cheese, calico beans with ground beef, salads, fresh fruit, myriad desserts…YUM-YUM!!! No one walked away hungry!

Pot luck dinner serving about 50 people. Yum!

Afterward we met with Bill and Carole, and Joe and Ida, back at the Adult Club House for a few games of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers. We hadn’t yet played with Joe and Ida, and this was one of the things they wanted to do before heading back to Houston on Sunday. Unfortunately, the gals lost all 3 games…darn… But, it was a fun evening, and good to share time with good friends.

Late that evening friends Bea and Mike (from Missouri) arrived to Bay View, in their 43’ Allegro bus. Because it was so late and so dark, we parked them in the overflow parking area ‘til we could get them moved into their site on Sunday morning. We met Bea and Mike almost 3 years ago in Grand Portage, MN during our first summer on the road, and have kept in touch with them ever since. There’s something so special about meeting folks with whom you have an immediate friendship that carries through the years. We secured a site for them across the road from us. They’ll be here for about 6 weeks, until the time we head out for Minnesota.

Sunday morning we got Bea and Mike parked, and at 2:00 p.m. headed to the ice cream social at the
Family Club House. Between 30 and 35 folks showed up. Everybody loves ice cream! Then came time for another round of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers with friends Bill and Carole, Bob and Sharon, and Jamie and Annie. While Mike watched the Daytona 500, we taught Bea how to play. This time the women own 1 of the 3 games. (We need to get our Mojo back!)

Weather started to turn cold again Sunday night. We expect rain, cold temperatures (in the 40s and 50s) for the next few days, with occasional mist and rain. Brr…although we’re so thankful we don’t have snow and ice to contend with. Dick and I hunkered down to watch a fabulous movie, “Life of a King,” starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. It’s a movie not to be missed.

“Life of a King” (rated PG-13) is the true story of Eugene Brown, an ex-convict, and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids something he never had: a future. He discovered a multitude of life lessons through the game of chess during his 18-year incarceration for bank robbery. Using the simple chess-inspired motto, “think before you move,” Brown worked to bring a positive aspect to kids’ lives that they were sorely lacking. He developed and founded the “Big Chair Chess Club” in Washington, DC to get kids off the streets and working towards lives they never believed they were capable of. His chess program began in an inner-city high school with students in detention, and helped them progress to the teens’ first ever local chess competitions. The Big Chair Chess Club has captured five city titles in four national championships, prompting the mayor of Washington, DC to proclaim June 15th as “The Big Chair Chess Club Day.” Since the Big Chair Chess Club was established, it has developed partnerships with 7 local schools and one juvenile detention center.


I finished an excellent book this past week, entitled, “My Name is Resolute.” It was written by Nancy E. Turner, the sister of one of the gals working in the park office. Almost 600 pages in length, it captivated me from the first page. The year is 1729. Resolute and her 2 siblings are captured by pirates, taken from their family home in Jamaica, and brought to America. Although they are white, Resolute and her sister are sold into slavery in colonial New England, eventually finding themselves in a convent where they’re taught the trade of spinning and weaving. Escaping to find her own way in this new world, Resolute finds herself alone in Lexington, Massachusetts, where she struggles to find her way in a society that is quick to judge a woman in her circumstances during the tumultuous years preceding the American Revolution. She has no family, no friends, no means to support herself other than her knowledge of weaving. The kindness of an old woman starts Resolute on a path to happiness and contentment. Her talent at the loom places her at the center of an incredible web of secrecy that helped drive the American Revolution. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from the pen of Nancy Turner. She has written at least 4 other books, focusing on the lives of women in the 19th-century Southwest to that of World War II. If they’re anything like “Resolute,” I won’t be able to put them down!

Well, that’s it for this week. Stay tuned for more adventures!

Hugs ‘n’ blessings,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – February 9-15, 2015

What a beautiful weather week! Mornings began in the mid-50s, but hit the low- to mid-70s by afternoon. Lovely. Sunshine. Mostly cloudless skies. Light breeze. Yup. Love it!

Dick continued to work all week, but took Saturday and Sunday off. As you’ll read, we filled up those 2 days with lots of activities. No laziness here!

Tuesday I attended the weekly “Stitch ‘n’ B…,” along with about a dozen lady friends. There are lots of quilters here, so tables were filled with sewing machines, quilt squares, etc. There were knitters and crocheters, as well, and ladies who just like to chat. I delivered the endless circle vest to friend Nancy, who had ordered it a couple weeks ago. It just happened to be her birthday, too, so she was happy…and she loves the vest.

Later, Sharon and I went to the pool for a while in the afternoon. Man, the sun felt good—hot!—so the pool felt especially nice, as did the hot tub. Then, it was home to get cleaned up to attend happy hour at friend Robin’s. The weather was so nice that no one wanted to be indoors. About 20 of us attended. Robin has a new park model and had a deck built alongside that accommodated all of us.

That evening, after dinner, Dick and I went to the Adult Club House to watch the movie, “The Judge.” The movie stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Hank Palmer, a big city lawyer who returns to his childhood home for his mother’s funeral. While there, his father, Judge Joseph Palmer, played by Robert Duvall, is arrested for a hit and run death. Hank defends his father against his father’s objections, ultimately restoring relationships with his father and two brothers (Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong) that he had walked away from years before.

Wednesday, another beautiful day, was the perfect pool day for Sharon and me. Quite a few folks took advantage of the day by spending time there along with us. Nice.

Later we attended happy hour at 4:00, followed by dinner at the Family Club House. For $7.00 per person we dined on chicken piccata, asparagus, rolls ‘n’ butter, and a wonderful peaches ‘n’ cream pie for dessert. Almost 70 people enjoyed the dinner with us. Good times, good friends, good food. Yum! Chef Betty, you’re a star!

Thursday was an errand day, starting off with breakfast to go from Whataburger: sausage breakfast sandwich and coffee. We always stop there first before heading out to do laundry. We were almost done with laundry when friends Dale and Margaret (friends from Bay View, and Minnesota) walked in with theirs, so we spent time chatting with them.

Then, it was off to Dollar Store and HEB (a Texas grocery chain). We picked up fresh shrimp and tilapia—YUM! I dropped off Dick at the office and went home to unload. As I was doing that, friends Steve and Marty stopped by to see if I wanted to go to Walmart with them. Yup! So off I went again. I wanted a low pool/beach chair, so picked up one for $15.00.

Later, it was happy hour at Steve and Karen’s. Sharon and I were the only ones there until Dick finally showed up from work. After spending time with them, it was off to Illinois friends’ Randy and Jeri’s for dinner. Randy smokes his own meats and brought some with him from home. We noshed on pulled pork, baked beans, roasted cauliflower, and coleslaw. And then…freshly baked brownies with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Dinner was with Randy and Jeri, Marvin and Shirley, Bill and Carole.We DID NOT walk away hungry! Thanks, friends, for a wonderful evening.

Then…it was off to the Family Club House for all of us, to play Pegs ‘n’ Jokers. Women: 2, men: 1. Woot-woot! Ladies, we’re gettin’ our mojo back! (The guys hate it when I say that…ha!)

I know that when Dick gets out my KitchenAid mixer it’s time to do some baking. That’s what happened Friday. So, I made a batch of chocolate-chocolate chip cookies and 2 loaves of banana bread. Yup, he was happy! Although the day was sunny and beautiful, the temperatures were still rather cool, reaching only into the mid-60s. Perfect day for baking.

Later that afternoon at happy hour, we were blessed by the music of Brian Arnold, known as “America’s One-Handed Pianist,” and his friend Dan Lyming. Both are from the Branson, Missouri area. Brian is also a singer, speaker and author, as well as the host of a weekly television show on TCT, called “From Victim to Victory.” Brian performs country, oldies, patriotic, inspirational and gospel, throwing in some comedy occasionally.

L: Brian Arnold, R: Dan Lyming

Brian has quite a testimony, inspiring others with his life’s story. At 6 years old, Brian lost his left leg in a lawn mowing accident, causing his mom to direct him towards music and becoming a pianist. By the age of 20 he was making a living with his hands at the piano. Then in 1994, he was in a life-threatening auto accident involving a semi-truck, leaving him with his left arm paralyzed from the shoulder down.

Not giving up, and believing God was not finished with him yet, Brian continued to play the piano, sing, and inspire others. For more than 20 years, Brian has performed for millions all around the world, continuing to encourage people with his inspiring life story. His show consists of favorites from artists like the Statler Brothers, Jim Reeves, Alabama, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Elvis and many more.

Nearly 15 years were spent in Branson, opening for some of America's premier talent, including Roy Clark, Conway Twitty, Charlie Daniels, Ray Stevens, Ricky Skaggs, Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagoner, Frankie Avalon and many more. While in Branson, Brian also sang and played the piano for Silver Dollar City's resident quartet, Chosen Few.  This award winning group also traveled extensively across the United States, while performing on TV, radio and in concert events of all sizes.  Their song, "The Little Things" (written by Brian) is still in regular rotation on many radio stations around the country.   Also in 2001, Brian and Chosen Few were awarded Branson's "Show of the Year" honors.

One of my favorites of all time is Jim Reeves. Here’s a link to Brian singing one of Reeves’ hits, “Am I Losing You?”

Here’s Brian’s website: http://www.guesswhoiscomingtotown.com/

Also thought you’d enjoy hearing “Danny Boy,” sung by Dan Lyming, who accompanies Brian on the road as his sound manager. Dan has such smooth tenor voice; I know you’ll enjoy it. And, here’s “How Great Thou Art” performed by Dan Lyming in another venue. (Just had to include it.)  I know you'll be inspired.

We were blessed, and didn’t want the evening to end.

Saturday…Valentine’s Day. (We put off celebrating ‘til that night at dinner.)

By 10:15 Saturday morning we, along with Bob and Sharon, were on the road to Lamar, Texas for their annual 2-day “La Mardi Gras” celebration, which actually started Friday. La Mardi Gras is a fundraising celebration to benefit the Lamar Volunteer Fire Department, with all proceeds going toward facilities, equipment and training. People come from all over south Texas to participate in the parade, as vendors, and just to have fun. The parade started at 11:00 a.m., with participants throwing beads, candy and souvenirs.

Watching and waiting for the parade to begin.
We are not dancing in the bottom two photos--ha!

After the parade, at the Lamar Volunteer Fire Department facility, food, beer, wine, water, and soft drinks were sold, all while being entertained by various music groups, including Whiskey Bent, The Drugstore Gypsys, and Riptide. While we were in the food tent we listened to the music of CHER-LA-BAS, a Texas Cajun band. Quite good! In addition to all this they held a Valentine’s Day raffle, Chinese auction, live auction, a casino, and casino drawing.

Little Bay Sea Queens are here again!

You never know what you'll see at La Mardi Gras. We had heard of
Midnight Cowboy and the Rhinestone Cowboy, but
NEVER Green Spandex Cowboy with spurs!

 The food menu this year included BBQ pork ribs, egg rolls, fried shrimp, gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, hot dogs, nachos, and baked potato topped with Lamar VFD brisket. We ate ribs, egg rolls, nachos, and funnel cake. YUM-YUM! (Couldn’t eat too much, knowing we had our Valentine’s dinner that evening…) Also, the Lamar Women’s Club sold home-made baked good, including funnel cakes, fried Oreos, cakes, brownies and cookies. Then, we shopped the vendor booths, picking up a few things, like Bob’s hat.

Bob bought his hat; I didn't buy mine. The gentleman in the
bottom right sells the hats and is being critical of what he sees on Bob! 

 We returned back to Bay View about 2:00 p.m., giving Bob time to get the sound system set up for that evening’s Valentine’s Day Dinner and dance. Happy hour started at 5:00 p.m.

Photos taken during Valentine's Day Happy Hour

Happy hour was followed by our dinner of prime rib, baked potatoes, salad and crème brulee. YUM-YUM! Chef Betty did an outstanding job, along with her kitchen crew, of preparing and serving this wonderful meal to about 70 folks.

Chef Betty and her fabulous volunteer kitchen crew, also fellow campers

Then, dinner was followed by a dance with music by the “Park Players,” our own group of musicians from Bay View, and Bob who played CDs of favorite dance tunes. Everyone had a wonderful time…definitely.

Our "Park Players"
Individual photos clockwise: Hap, Tom, Steve, Dennis, and Larry

Sunday, we attended the 8:30 a.m. service at First Baptist Church. Pastor Jones continued his Spiritual Awakening series, this week focusing on “Revival.” Revival is the reawakening of religious faith, spiritual life and activity. Scripture was taken from the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 7:11-14. The emphasis is on God’s people and their collective repentance, to which God will respond. Verse 14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I (God) will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” God always has mercy on a remorseful people, who sincerely mourn over their sins and have a sincere desire to change.

We returned home, where I made French Toast topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries and sliced bananas thrown in, and sausage. Dick was a happy boy!

Then, at 2:00 p.m. we headed to the Family Club House for the ice cream social and a few games of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers. We had enough people for 2 tables of 6 each, as friends Jamie and Ann arrived to the park earlier in the week. The results: our table, gals: 3, guys: 1; the gals: 3, guys: 1 at the other. Woot-woot!

Dinner that night was shrimp primavera, with fresh shrimp from the Gulf. YUM! Dick loves that dish, and I’m only too happy to accommodate him, as I like it too.

As we close this week’s blog, here’s a photo of friend Ida, who is in Houston at MD Anderson undergoing cancer treatment. We’ve been caring for Lucy, a cat that “adopted” Ida and her husband Joe a couple years ago. We ask for prayers for Ida and Joe, as she faces a number of weeks of intense treatment. Thanks.

Hugs to you all. We’re blessed to know you and have you as friends.

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – February 2-8, 2015

 Yup, we’re still here in Rockport, Texas. It feels so much like home to us; we really enjoy our time here as Winter Texans; we can even visualize living here almost year ‘round. The summers months—especially July and August—can be very hot with temps hovering at 100° and above, and humid, so that would have to be a time to get away should we decide that’s what we want. Just thinking ahead…

This week’s weather ranged between 39° and 54° in the mornings to the mid-70s by afternoon. Quite a difference! But—we’ve had no rain (or snow—ha!), and sunshine daily, even though sometimes it takes its time showing itself from behind the clouds.

Dick continues to work almost daily, but he did take the weekend off.  He’s certainly made his mark here, both in the office and with folks here in the park.  I continue to do my thing: knitting, reading, cooking, yada-yada…

While Dick worked Monday, and after I wrote and published last week’s blog, I spent time shopping in Rockport with friends Marty and Mary. Didn’t buy a thing, but it was good to get out.

Tuesday’s “Stitch and B…” session was really well attended. A dozen ladies showed up to knit, crochet, do needlepoint (which was new to the group), quilt, sew and chat. (Lately, there’s been up to 4 sewing machines whirring away!) And, there’s always something to talk about: weather, family, new needlework techniques, etc. Fun times!

Wednesday was a quiet day, with Dick working and me doing what I do. I work in the office for a couple of hours on Wednesday mornings to help with mail sorting and anything else that needs doing. Later, we attended happy hour at 4 p.m. at the club house, followed by Chef Betty’s Wednesday night’s dinner. She did herself proud with chicken tetrazzini, “make your own” salad bar, rolls and butter, and cherry nut cake with a warm butter sauce topping. Yup, it was YUMMY! About 70 people attended and ate their fill!

Thursday night was our night for Pegs & Jokers, but we decided to have dinner out at our local favorite pizza place, Panjo’s, first. Seventeen of us ate our way through pizzas, salad, a burger and a sandwich. Pizzas ranged from “the works” to shrimp, to pineapple and ham, and plain ol’ pepperoni with olives. Their pizza is thin crust with a wonderful tomato sauce—and they’re not stingy with the toppings. YUM! Oh, and friends Randy and Jeri from Illinois had arrived to Bay View Wednesday so they joined us. Fun times with fun people!

Friday after Dick put in a few hours at the office, and I knitted, we took a walk along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour, where we saw ducks, pelicans, a little egret, a blue heron, a great white egret, and a roseate spoonbill. Spoonbills are so fun to watch as they scrounge for food. You'll agree as you watch this video!

Clockwise from top left: Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron,
Great White Egret, Snowy Egret,
Sandpiper, Red Head Duck

Saturday was a spectacular day, weather-wise. Beautiful blue sky, no clouds, and temperatures in the low 70s. And, it was the day for Bay View RV Resort’s annual chili cook-off! I decided to participate this year, with white chicken chili (a recipe I received from friend Lauri in Tacoma—thanks Lauri!). There were 6 contestants, with entries ranging from a green chili to venison chili, and of course, mine. I took 3^rd place—and my crockpot was the only one completely empty of its contents when all was said and done. Some were spicy, some not so much, but all were good. Me thinks folks in Texas need chili to be red in order to be considered chili—huh...

Laura (L) won 1st place, and Larry (R) won 2nd place.

The cook-off was at 1 p.m., and we arrived home a bit after 2. Dick took a 20-mile ride around the area on his motorcycle, while I sat outside and read. Friends in the park Don and Nina, with their 2 puppies stopped by for a visit. It’s always interesting chatting with them; Don is a champion “rodeo roper” who has lived in Hawaii, as well as quite a few places on the mainland US. His most recent competition was last October in Oklahoma, where he did place and win cash. Oh, the stories he tells… (And, when he had his ranch in Hawaii, Tom Selleck was a frequent visitor. Oh, my…)

One of the gals in the park asked me to knit an endless circle vest for her, so I continued to work on that throughout the week, finishing it on Saturday. That was the third one I had made in as many weeks (glad to move on to something else).

We attended First Baptist Church on Sunday morning. Pastor Jones’ message continued his series on “Spiritual Awakening,” as he spoke on “spiritual fasting” from Acts 13:1-3. The concept of spiritual fasting is setting aside self-focused activities and/or the intake of food, and replacing these with prayer and spiritual concerns, being filled with the Holy Spirit. This exercise, along with worship and prayer, reveals things that control your life, and allows the Holy Spirit to give your life direction. Matthew 4:4 and 6:6, and 1 Corinthians 6:12 were key verses used in his message. Here’s the link to his message: www.fbcrockport.sermon.net

After the service we headed to Aransas Pass for breakfast and to take in the annual Coastal Bend Wood Carvers Show held at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. We decided to eat at “The Bakery”, a popular café in Aransas Pass. As we walked toward our table, who should we see but Jim and Connie, friends from Bay View. So we joined them. We talked, ate, laughed, ate, etc…good times, good friends, and good food!

The Coastal Bend Wood Carvers Show had more than 200 entries in the competitions, with over 80 vendor tables with carvings, carving tools, and instructions. They also had classes earlier in the week to teach techniques in wood carving, and provide all you need to know from beginning to advanced carving.

Clockwise from top left: Dick's favorite, my favorite,
Best of Show and an intarsia elk.

Walking sticks, Celtic knots and a trivet, all carved from a single
piece of wood.

Carved sculptures

Carved caricatures

Carved fish

Carved gourds -- beautiful!

Carved plaques, some painted.

More carved sculptures

We returned home to spend a bit of time outdoors relaxing and reading before heading to the club house for the ice cream social and a few games of Pegs & Jokers. This was not a good day for the gals playing that game! We had enough people for 2 tables of 6. At both tables the guys won; 2:1 at one and 3:1 at the other. Ouch! No woot-woot this time for us. ‘Nuff said. Dang…

After the games, Dick took a walk along Fulton Beach Road, and I went to Jeri and Randy’s where she gave me a dozen fresh brown eggs from her daughter’s chickens. YUM! Nothin’ like fresh eggs! I’m looking forward to using them as much as possible. Thanks, Jeri and Randy! Here are more photos of those spoonbills, that Dick saw while walking, and of the turtles in our backyard.

Spoonbills

That’s it for this week. Although there wasn't much going on, we still managed to stay busy. This is Valentine week, so there will be much more to report on this week, I’m sure.

This photo was posted of our 16-month old granddaughter Anastasia, in her new Mercedes (with David, her dad)... cute, eh?

Thanks for sticking with us. We love and appreciate you all.

Hugs ‘n’ blessings,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – January 26 - February 1, 2015

Wow! It’s February already. We’ve been here in Rockport, Texas for 3 months, and it seems as though we just arrived. Although the weather hasn’t been super cooperative—cool temperatures, overcast, windy, and a bit of rain now and then—we’ve enjoyed the days where the sun has been shining brightly and the temperatures reach the 70s.

Last week I mentioned we were going on a pirate ship this week…that hit our calendar Monday the 26^th.

There were almost 50 folks from Bay View RV Resort who signed up for the Red Dragon Pirate Ship cruise out of Port Aransas, Texas. So, about 12:30, along with friends Bob and Sharon, we left Rockport heading south on Highway 35 to take the ferry from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas. We were to be at the ship by 3:30 for the pre-cruise festivities, so we had plenty of time to get there and do some extra sight-seeing.

From Aransas Pass you have 2 options to get to Port Aransas: drive through Corpus Christi and back along North Padre Island/Mustang Island in the Gulf of Mexico (about 80+ miles), or take the ferry from Aransas Pass (about 15 minutes). Of course, we opted for the ferry, operated by the Texas Department of Transportation. This free mode of transportation operates 24/7 and is the way to go. There are 8 boats, each capable of carrying 28 passenger vehicles, although commercial vehicles are allowed on board, as well. The maximum length allowed is 85 feet and maximum width is 96”, so one sees some interesting vehicles including RVs pulling boats and/or cars, as well as 18-wheelers. Often you can see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins following the wake of ferries and ships in the Lydia Ann shipping channel that separates the mainland from Mustang Island where Port Aransas is located. Because there are refineries in the Corpus Christi area, this channel is used for oil tankers, as well as other ocean-going vessels. And for you historians, there is an old WWII liberty ship visible in the channel, sunk to help create an artificial reef. And, there are 14 WWII ships sunk in the Gulf of Mexico for the express purpose of creating these reefs. Here’s a link to a site explaining the Mustang Island Liberty Ship Reef. Interesting!

Before going to the pirate ship we went to the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture hoping to do some birding. This 1,217 acre preserve provides a natural habitat for almost 300 species of birds, plus snakes and other wildlife. Unfortunately, we didn’t see as many birds as we had hoped—wrong time of day for many of them.

From there we went to Port Aransas South Jetty. The north and south jetties are formed from a natural channel connecting the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel to the Gulf of Mexico; the current jetties were built between 1906 and 1911.

One of the biggest draws to the jetties is fishing. Among the different species you’ll find there are tarpon, king mackerel, shark, redfish, trout, and species of snapper, flounder, sheephead, gaftop, an occasional snook and other species. In the winter months generally redfish, black drum, trout, and flounder are caught. You may even snag a shark! As we were walking toward the jetty we captured this sight: a father and son were returning to their car with this black drum—good eating!

We headed to the pirate ship, arriving in time to watch the pre-cruise show. One of the pirates entertained us with juggling and jokes for about 20 minutes before we boarded.

The cruise took us through the Lydia Ann Shipping Channel (adjacent to the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel), for about an hour. We passed a marker for one of the sunken liberty ships, as well as the Lydia Ann lighthouse.

The Lydia Ann Lighthouse was built in the early 1850s thanks to Congress appropriating $12,500 for the lighthouse. The brick lighthouse went into operation in 1858. Confederate troops set off a charge inside the lighthouse on Christmas Day 1862 so Union forces couldn’t use it. The charge destroyed the upper third of the 68-foot high tower, as well as much of the interior. Following the war the light house was repaired and returned to service. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1952, just a few years shy of 100 years of service.

Clockwise from top: Lydia Ann Lighthouse, white pelicans, tug and barge,
brown pelicans, and oil tankers passing in Corpus Christi Channel, and more
white pelicans.

As I mentioned, Atlantic bottlenose dolpins are prevalent in the channels. Dick videotaped some of them. Click here to see them!

Captain Silver Beard, along with his crew (Sir Thomas Keeper of the Hooligans, Chinstrap Charlie, Bridgewater Bradley,  Bones McCracken, and Lady Crimson) kept us entertained throughout the entire 2 hours we were aboard the Red Dragon pirate ship. These scalawags incited (water) pistol fights, made the prisoners (guests) swab the deck, and directed pirate bingo, all the while telling stories of their conquests on the high seas, exchanging light banter—and some not so light, telling jokes, and singing. It all made for an entertaining afternoon as we traversed the waters of the Lydia Ann Shipping Channel. Light snacks (chips, candy bars and pickles) as well as a full bar were on board. Here's a clip of the pirates dancing.

Clockwise from top: Red Dragon Pirate Ship, boarding the ship,
Lady Crimson the pirate, Bilgewater Bradley the pirate 

Clockwise: entertaining the guests, Sir Thomas keeper of the hooligans,
3 photos of face painting, Steve and Marty and Mary in the bow.

After the cruise we needed food, so 9 of us headed further out on Mustang Island to Kody’s Restaurant & Bar for dinner, where we dined on fried and grilled shrimp and fish, burgers and salads. Yum! That about did it for Monday.

The weather last week started in the mid-50s, but by mid-afternoons had hit the mid-70s. Bright sunshine and light breezes made the days perfect. So, Tuesday afternoon friends Sharon, Karen, Marty, Mary, and a few others hit the resort’s pool at the Adult Club House. Beautiful! Dick joined us after work for a quick dip. While there we met Jerry and Lynn from Anacortes, Washington, who had just started full-timing. Lynn said that since she was a photographer, she wanted to see all there was to see and photograph everything. She’s well on her way! While sitting poolside, I noticed a little green friend also sunning itself along the fence.

Pool time at the Adult Club House, and one of the resident geckos.

That evening we played Pegs & Jokers with friends Alice, Lynda, Bob and Sharon, and Bill and Carole. Women are still the stars! Women: 2, Men: 1. Woot-woot!

Wednesday morning was time for laundry and a trip to the post office to send off some gifts for our friend Ida, who is in Houston for a short stay. (Dick and I are caring for her cat, Lucy, while she and her husband are away.) Friends Laura contributed a squeaky toy that loudly gives off a wolf whistle, and Sue made her a hat; I made her an endless circle vest to keep her warm and provide “hugs.” Ida received the gifts by the end of the week, and loves them!

Betty and fresh fruit skewers

That evening we went to happy hour at 4 p.m., followed by dinner in the Family Club House. Dinner, provided by Chef Betty, was “Give Quiche a Chance” (broccoli and cheese), oven roasted potatoes, fresh fruit on skewers, banana muffins and mint patties. YUM-YUM!

Temperatures on Thursday were in the low-70s—perfect for being outdoors. An impromptu happy hour occurred at our place when Dick returned from working in the office. Karen and Steve, and Bob and Sharon joined us for almost an hour and a half. We laughed, talked, laughed, talked, laughed…well, you get the picture. That evening we played Pegs & Jokers with Bill and Carole, Marvin and Shirley: women again took 2 games to the guys’ 1. Woot-woot!

Friday, after Dick went to the office, I baked a couple batches of cookies: chocolate chip, and white chocolate chip with dried cranberries. Shared some with friends in the neighborhood, and sent 3 dozen to friends Bob and Nancy in Tacoma, Washington, (who had sent us some of his freshly caught and home-canned tuna from the Pacific Ocean). We send Bob and Nancy a huge thank you for this wonderful treat from the Pacific Northwest!

A trip to the post office to send off the cookies to Bob and Nancy, and to mail my watch to be repaired (hopefully) happened on Saturday. Our first stop was to Caroline’s Turtle Bay Café for breakfast. Dick had eggs and sausage with a fresh blueberry-topped HUGE pancake; I had my usual—corned beef hash with eggs over medium and rye toast. YUM-YUM! We hadn’t been there for quite a while, so this was the perfect start to our day.

Left: my corned beef hash, eggs over medium and rye toast toasted dark
Right: Dick's HUGE pancake with fresh blueberries, scrambled eggs and sausage

After our next stop at the post office we headed to our favorite store—Walmart!—for a few items, then a stop at Tule Creek Park just adjacent to Walmart for a walk through the nature preserve. This 1.08-mile hiking and biking trail features a 10-foot wide concrete pathway that winds through Live Oak Forest, running parallel to Tule Creek, ending at Enterprise Boulevard near Memorial Park where a year-‘round heated pool and other sports-related recreational areas are located. At the start of the trail is a 20 foot x 30 foot covered pavilion and viewing area; and, along the trail at strategic locations overlooking Tule Creek are other viewing areas. It was a lovely walk, although we didn’t see much wildlife along the way. There is an 8-foot side wooden bridge from near the pavilion over Tule Creek, which leads to the sidewalk fronting a historic “shellcrete” site.

Tule Creek Hike and Bike Park

Clockwise: Cormorant, Eared Grebe, and
3 photos of a Great White Egret

Top 2 photos are of an Osprey;
bottom: a flock of Ibis

I had to do a bit of research on shellcrete. Shellcrete is made primarily of oyster shells, used not only for aggregate, but also as a binder because of their lime content. By slowly burning these shells over several days the calcium carbonate in the shells was converted to calcium oxide, also known as quicklime.  This quicklime added to the strength of the mixture, forming a simple concrete-like mortar when combined with sand, broken shells and water. Typically, shellcrete would be formed into blocks, but can also be poured into forms. Once it’s allowed to cure, it can last for hundreds of years, as is evident in the historic structures here in this area that used it.

Upon returning to our site, I set about making Mulligatawny, a curried chicken stew. It’s one of our favorites, and perfect for the forecasted cooler evenings ahead. Dick and I “vegged” for the remainder of the day, which was good as he had worked many hours this week and needed the time to unwind.

Sunday we attended First Baptist Church of Rockport. Pastor Jones continued his “Awakening” series, this week focusing on prayer from Acts 4:23-31. The 3 points he made from this passage were: 1) the church’s prayer focused on the identity and purposes of God (how much of our knowledge of God shapes our prayer life; does it reflect the purposes of God? 2) the apostles prayed for boldness through their persecution, and for God to show his miraculous power as his purposes unfolded and the gospel was proclaimed; and 3) God answered their prayer; fresh filling of the Holy Spirit allowed them to witness boldly. The question posed to us is, “Do we expect the same from God? Do we expect him to give us boldness, or for him to just keep us safe from persecution? He quoted a prayer from adventurer Sir Francis Drake as he departed the coast of Africa on one of his voyages; it would do us good to take it to heart.

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

Here’s a link to his message:  http://fbcrockport.sermon.net/main/main/20303004

After church we stopped at Walmart, again, and then headed for home for lunch. While I made Sloppy Joes for the evening’s Super Bowl party Dick took the opportunity to walk along Fulton Beach Road where he saw ducks, an egret and heron. Before the Super Bowl game at the Family Club House we attended the ice cream social, followed by Pegs and Jokers with Bob & Sharon, Bill & Carole, and Marvin & Shirley. Women, we lost our mojo, losing 2 games to the guys. :-(

The Super Bowl Party was well-attended: about 60 people showed up to eat and watch the game. Unfortunately, our beloved team, the Seahawks, lost to the Patriots in the final play of the game, when we could’ve won. (Pete Carroll says it’s his fault for calling the wrong play. Uh-huh…) ‘Nuff said. I am rather sick of all the hoopla and end-of-game coverage.

Anyway, this is a new week. We can start looking forward to Major League Baseball! Oh, yeah, first there’s March Madness college basketball. Play ball!

Love ‘n’ hugs,

RJ and Gail