A Visit with Friends

 

It had been thirty years since we had last seen our friends Mary and Dennis. Life had happened and while we were living in Wyoming, they had moved to Minnesota. We were both a little nervous, but we need not have worried. Our friendship quickly rekindled as we walked and talked. It was just as if we had seen them yesterday.

They had flown into Houston, driven to San Antonio to see the sights and then drove to Corpus Christi. We had agreed to meet them and tour the Texas Aquarium. The aquarium was pricey, for us, but it turned out to be worth the price of admission.

Upon entering we first walked through the Gulf Coast exhibits, which of course included fish, reptiles, and invertebrates of the Gulf Coast. One held sea turtles. One display was of a megalodon jaw, and the girls posed inside it, (I call them girls as they were acting like best friends would, they had been friends since elementary school).

The next day we met them in Port Aransas. We met them at our favorite restaurant, Virginia’s, and had lunch. We all had our favorite, the garlic fish, and as usual, it was the best fish we had eaten all week!

Of course, we had to take them to the Turnbull Birding center where we showed them the huge alligator. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction and the smell was bad, but we did see quite a few nice birds.

No whooper’s have yet arrived, but we did take an image of a duck that confused us. It turned out it was a molting Green Winged teal, (thank you Facebooks Bird Id group).

From there we drove to Charley’s Pasture, another birding spot but nothing was happening, so we then drove to the South Jetty. Taking out lawn chairs we set them up and watched for Dolphins. Corpus Christi is the second busiest port in the USA, and it was not long before an oil tanker approached.

Dolphins were riding he bow wave and we were able to watch them, and they played, body surfed and leaped into the air.

Four large tankers passed by, and we got many shots of the marine mammals.

Several green sea turtles paddled nearby, and a ruddy turnstone begged for a handout, (we do not feed wild animals). It was a good day, and the ladies took a walk on the beach.

The third day Dennis and Mary moved to a hotel in Rockport and after we met, we took them over to Lamar and Goose Island State Park,

Dennis wanted to fish and no license is required in Texas State Parks. It did not take long before he was out fishing me catching two speckled trout, three white trout, and even a mass of oysters! He even had a big fish on that took the drag, but it pulled the hook during its run.

Dennis had wanted to learn how to wire wrap and so we spent a couple of hours at our fifth wheel as I taught him how to make a nice copper pendant. He was a fast learner, and he made a fine piece. I told him how much I would price it for, and then gave him enough square and half round copper wire to wrap more pieces.

We went out to dinner before we all went to our home and the hotel. It had been a busy three days and we agreed that we needed to see each other again. We said it had to be sooner as we did not think we could make it another thirty years. 

As they left, we told them to travel safely and that we would see them down the road.

Clear skies, and love to all our friends and family.