January 23, 2014
Tomorrow is one of my favorite and most treasured days ...our amazing daughter Kim was born. What a joy and gift she has always been. We have been blessed from this miracle who arrived 41 years ago. Thank you, Kimmie-Kat, for being such a great daughter and mom. We are so proud of you and all that you are and have become. We love you more than you will ever know.
I am sorry to be missing my good friend, Kathy's retirement party tonight. Congratulations Kathy and welcome to the good life of day clocks and no more rush hour commutes.
Life in Port A has been rather uneventful, which is probably a good thing. We went to the Beach Lodge for lunch for 2 yesterday, which was 12 shrimp, 12 hush puppies, onion rings and cold slaw--- all for $14.99. All this was served to us by gravel Girdy the waitress. Sitting at this beach restaurant, with a coupla beers, just enjoying the breezes and sun is the way to spend a day. Did I recently mention I am so not missing working. Well the food was great until we got to the bottom of the bowl of goodies to discover about 1/2 inch of grease settled in the bottom. Way too fried for us. We paid the price all afternoon.
After lunch, we decided we needed ice cream so off we went to the DQ. We drove in to find a MN car in the parking lot, followed by 3 more MN cars that arrived while we were there. I guess only us crazy Northerner's need ice cream at 3 in the afternoon, Too funny.
We Skyped with Maycen and Brody last night, and it's so fun to see the kids, but makes me miss them even more. We watched Captain Phillip last night and what a tense show. Tom Hankes should win an Oscar for his role...he was fabulous.
Today we added 4 more miles to our log, swam in the pool for 25 minutes and filled up with Propane in the tanks. Word has it a cold front is coming....oh NO! Down to 40 something....it's all relative when they are closing schools in Minnesota due to the windchill and we're filling up with Propane to stay warm at 40 degrees.
The pond views are from the back of our rig on our patio....always time to catch a few rays!
January 20, 2014
So this post will mostly be photos since the days are pretty much the same. Sun, 4 miles on the beach, trips to the Bavarian bakery for apple strudel, reading in the sun and eating. It's so hard to conceptually get our heads around the Polar Vortex and Polar Plunge that's hitting our family and friends in the North. How quickly one forgets when surrounded by warmth and sunshine. No wonder we see so many Minnesota license plates here as the Northerner's become Winter Texans.
So a quick update on the last coupla days. Consumption of lots of Ruby Red grapefruits grown in Texas, a trip with friends Jodi and Curt to Sharkey's Bar/Restaurant for the Medicare band...a really slow, way too slow band! The DJ (when the band was on break) was great! More shopping at the beach stores in Port A. We discovered, if you lived here year round, these beach marts are the only stores you would ever need to shop at!
On Saturday we went to Rockport about 12 miles from Port A, to check out the flea market. Well, we found a guy who does name signs and we ordered one, only to discover the wait to get it was over 5 hours! That meant exploring Rockport where we had beers and great sandwiches at the Poor Man's Country Club for drunch, met 4 people from Minnesota and checked out this little fishing town. We do love our sign and it was worth the wait.
While the temps have been way warmer than home, the sea life is suffering, as you can see from the Puffer fish and sea turtle below, from the cool ocean temps.
We watched The Butler, which was really good and sobering to think that during our generation, segregation was still an issue. We've come a long ways since Rosa Parks but have much further to go to accomplish equality.
I made a key line pie (thanks Kate for the great recipe) and shared it with our friends. We're doing great at getting our miles in every day and I'd like to tell you we had our teeth done in Progresso, Mexico (as we originally planned), but granddaughter Xochitl actually gave Grampa these 'teeth' for Christmas! We've had some fun giggles wearing them on walks around the RV park.
For our Minnesota friends, you know about cormorant birds. They eat fish in droves and are a dreaded bird to any Minnesota lake. They are everywhere down here and the photo below shows two on the ferry ride off the island. The last picture is my favorite and etched in my mind forever....our beloved beach. 40 mph winds tonight expected, but no windchill....heaven on earth and we are lovin' it!
January 16, 2014
What a coupla days! Way too much fun here in Port A. A little shopping in Corpus Christi which by the way, has everything and every store you would ever need. Had a fun conversation with Maycen in Seattle and it's so good to catch up with these kiddos we so love and miss.
We are pretty sure we've landed in paradise and know it! Last night was all you can eat shrimp at Kody's for $12.95 with our Brainerd friends. This is really good stuff. Actually, it's great stuff. We talked about how we remembered how good it was from last year and wondered if it would actually be that good this year....turns out it was better! How can that be? We totally love Port Aransas to think we ended up on Mustang Island because the guy who delivered our trailer to the dealer a year ago told us about it! And then we were off to Bernie's for some serious dancing to the PA Rockers. Ran into two more couples we met from Nebraska and North Dakota.
What a great band even though we think that last year's band with Mark as the drummer (from Brainerd) was better. We sure hope he recovers from his 'bout with cancer.
Today we did the dreaded laundry. From the picture below you can decide if we went to the laundromat or the voodoo tattoo parlor. LOL! Laundry won out and since I groused about it so much as the worst part of RV'ing, Gil humored me by coming for support. It wasn't too bad and now we're down, many quarters poorer.
We accomplished another 4 miles on the beach today, with warm temps, soft breezes and lots of treasures. The pictures below will describe some of the sightings. It's interesting that little pieces of seaweed collect shells and they surround the weed like pukka shells. Lots of dead fish on the beach....even octopus apparently due to the cold water temps.
We came back from the walk and took our beach chairs down to the beach for the sunset. A little brown grackle pestered us for peanuts. No fear in this bird and of course Gil caved and gave him peanuts. No wonder he hung around.
Later, when we were getting ready to grill burgers, friends stopped by and new friends from Texas and we had hors d'oerves at our place. Fascinating people with fun stories and so much in common that it's actually scary. One couple brought axis deer sausage. Now I don't do deer meat but this stuff was great --- who are these deer anyway? Axis deer? On the access roads or what?
The best of the day....Xochitl reading "Frozen" to us on FaceTime:-) and mom saying she went to the wine and cheese party at her senior place and her saying she hadn't laughed so hard for 3 months. Isn't that a blessing?
Our friends and family in the North have been hit with more snow and another blizzard with high winds and school closings. We are glad to say, we don't miss that one bit and we're getting tan and wearing shorts and tee shirts.
Big fish on the beach so no shortage of food for seagulls and bird. Missed the window to grill burgers tonight so it was popcorn for dinner:-)
January 14, 2014
OK, the time is going way too fast and we've just arrived! We've been busy doing not too much. We walk the beach and meet new friends with interesting stories. We didn't end up taking the yellow lab, Utah, because his owners said he gets horrible separation anxiety and when he stresses, he digs at the leather furniture.
I'm glad to say we are up to 4 miles a day walking the beach. Fortunately, our feet and bodies are cooperating. After walking we visit with new friends and have happy hour on the beach watching the sunset with our friends from Nisswa. Can life actually ever get better than this? Since we don't think so, we booked for next year for an even longer period of time. There were only 5 spots left so Gulf Waters is no longer the best kept secret. We so love this place and the people are amazing. Except of course for a total Chatty Cathy, and someone who decorated their palm tree with red and white lights so we thought a semi was backing down the road into our spot in the middle of the night...and scared us to death.
I told Gil tonight that I was, however, getting "park fever"...you know like cabin fever only in an RV park. So tomorrow we'll head to town to do a little shopping and check out the new bracelet I've fallen in love with from an ad.
We're excited that tomorrow is shrimp night at Kody's. You won't believe it...unlimited deep-fried. butterflied shrimp that is so nummy....all you can eat for $12.95. Eating is a big part of the life in Port A so we may have to ramp-up the miles on the beach to hopefully stay even on our weight.
The beach and ocean have proved to bring new and different things this year. Some say it's due to the cold water temps (69). The weather has been wonderful...we're experiencing 72 degrees with light winds but locals say it's a cold front --- LOL at that one! The minute the sun sets, you do need to get much warmer clothes. Of course, nothing like the Michelin man outfits at home.
Yesterday was spent washing the rig and car. No easy task with 35' feet of 'home' covered with salt and grunge from the North. Everything is sparkling now.
The pictures below will tell the story of our last coupla days. We wish we could send warm weather to our family and friends in the North. When I saw all the star fish all over the beach, I thought of my dad....my star. I love and miss you Dad.
We're wondering if the BIG tracks on the beach are from Big Bird walking on our very same beach? The turtle are the local residents by our campsite.
January 11, 2014
Today was our first day in Port Aransas and what a glorious day! Sunny, warm, gentle breezes and clear skies and a beach that goes on forever. What a dramatic change from the North. By now, I'm sure our family and friends are getting pretty tired of our posts on FB and in this blog, but we must share how much we love this place. Our site, which we reserved last year is amazing. We are convinced it's the best spot in the entire park. We backed in and the rear living room faces a pond with lots of turtles, egrets and ducks. It totally drives Willie nuts but he's adjusting. The sites and patios are filled with palm trees, tables, green grass and spaced so you are far apart from your neighbors and can't really see neighboring rigs...Nice:+)
Last night we had happy hour with Jodi and Curt from Nisswa and a great dinner at Moby Dick's. Shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp with great friends. Heaven.
We started our exercise program FINALLY and covered 3 miles on the beach today. It felt so good to put on sunscreen and get moving. After doing a few chores around the rig, our friends texted that they were on the beach having a few beers and would we come down. Of course we did but only to discover we left our bag chairs at home and had to lug heavy patio chairs to the beach...tomorrow, we are off to Sam's to buy bag chairs that we really do NOT need at home!
We've met some some really nice people, who have shared some VERY interesting stories. Isn't real life is always better than fiction? People are totally amazing. We are thinking of offering to keep 'Utah" a nice yellow lab for three days while some people go to San Antonio with their granddaughter.
It was a fun day connecting with Xochitl and Maycen on FaceTime and Tango. We love the beautiful beaches, flowers and even the jelly fish. Cici is soaking up some some on the table at our site.
January 8, 2014
Gil gets the 'driver of the year' award AGAIN....I, on the other hand, am trying to be a good nag-ivator. We had a white-knuckle flight through Dallas with lots of traffic, narrow lanes, 5 layers of freeways, construction and speed limits that exceed anything we've seen since Montana. It wasn't even rush hour. We found a 10 star RV resort on Livingston Lake and backed in facing this beautiful lake. This little town is nestled in pines, rolling hills and tons of "country clutter". It's been raining steadily, so we've settled-in, read and watched a couple of movies. It's been so nice to have time to catch up with friends.
Did I forget to mention we went to the best Mexican restaurant we've ever been to? Wow...$2 margaritas and delicious food at Mante's in Onalaska, TX. Also, we figured out one reason we were having so much trouble keeping the rig warm on the way down through Iowa was because we forgot to close the top vent last fall. The frigid air was roaring in as we traveled and slept:=( So much to remember and we find ourselves always learning.
On the way to Oklahoma City a couple of days ago, Gil was complaining about 30 minutes into the drive, that he was getting a horrible headache. You know the kind...not two but a three Motrin headache. Well, come to find out, it wasn't even a REAL headache but from the tightness of his baseball cap that he cranked down to keep the wind from blowing it off in the gale force Iowa winds. So three Motrin later AND loosening the headband adjustment, the headache miraculously disappeared! Miracle still happen.
Tonight we went to the highly recommended Miss Jean's BBQ. This is a little shop, filled with piggy decor had some of the best Texas BBQ ever. The pictures below will tell their own story, The cook brought out a couple of deep fried Gulf shrimp as a special treat for us northerners. Fabulous....makes us so glad to be back in Texas AND we brought our boots this time.
The picture of the Ziplock bag filled with water and a penny, which is hanging by the door, is there to attract the flies and shows them the way to the door. Miss Jean said it worked....we said we've never heard of anything like this before. They also had a life size figure of John Wayne with a Jiffy Pop aluminum popcorn in his hand. They had a sign stating this was a 'Red Neck Fire Alarm". Things are a little different here but we are kinda liking this place...we think ya'll would too.
On to Port Aransas tomorrow. Willie will be in his favorite travel position. It's 63 degrees and cloudy but feels so balmy and the tomatoes are unbelievably red.
January 5, 2014
On the road again. Heading South with Xochitl's "Cici", a little stuffed jaguar, who will travel with us this year. Packing the rig was definitely a challenge as we faced -20+ degrees temperatures with horrific wind chills and lots of snow and ice. We had to heat the trailer with propane while packing and on the road, just to keep the food and can goods from freezing! We pulled out Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. with 25 mph winds from the NNW which brought the wind chill to something totally ridiculous. The good news...we had a tail wind heading south down 35W. Better mileage? For sure a whopping 8 mpg... Wha-hoo.
We spent our first night at the Lakeside casino in Osceola, IA ($20 a night). We pulled off early due to the dangerous cold. Of course there is no water when it's this cold, so you can imagine the challenges that presents. Fortunately, Lakeside provided a valet to the casino, where we had a prime rib dinner that sounded way better than it actually was. Back home early, we rocked and rolled to the strong winds but cuddled-in for my favorites, The Good Wife and The Mentalist. The winds roared all night long. We were up at 6 a.m. and headed back down 35W to watch the first sunrise from total darkness since I retired! No big decision to go 35 W North or 35 W South as we entered the freeway.
Around Kansas City, the semi's and cars had so much snow on top of them from the recent snow, that we encountered a white- out on the freeway. We were going to have to get much further south to get away from the freezing temps and snow.
Around Emporia, Kansas a weird sign on an overpass on the turnpike said, "Bazaar Cattle Crossing"...whatever do they look like and what does that mean? We kept rolling and never did figure that sign out.
As we crossed into Oklahoma, we celebrated with our beloved See's suckers. We found a terrific KOA RV park in East Oklahoma City and finally used the KOA gift coupons our kids gave us a year ago for Christmas. Thanks again kids.
Tuesday, January 7th, 2014
This morning we went downtown to tour the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum.
It was simply so sad, humbling and brought back many of the terrible memories of that day 15+ years ago when the hate and obsession of one man resulted in the rental of a U-haul truck filled with explosives that killed 168 people. It's a somber tribute to the survivors, families and our country to help us never forget the measures we must take to protect our country and it's people. The coins below are a souvenir from the memorial.
On a walk with Willie this afternoon, I ran across some nuts all over the ground....walnuts? Also, frozen paddle cacti....poor thing. Unseasonal cold is here too. The high today was 48 degrees and sunny - YAY.
We are so glad to be safely out of the dangerous weather and so looking forward to arriving in Port Aransas on Friday. The beach is calling. Off now to bake some chocolate chip cookies. Stay warm our friends and family in the North.
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