The Bollards of Port Aransas

The Bollards of Port Aransas Bollard- a short thick post to which a ship is moored, also a post which diverts traffic…… Occasionally we come across an unique art form. One was the large murals made from large insects. We had heard that the bollards of Port Aransas were covered with artistic knitting and needlepoint and so we had to see them, ( They will soon be removed before hoards of college students arrive for spring break). Some were stolen but they were returned after the loud community uproar. The bollard covers were made by an army of individuals, and many by winter Texans. Over three hundred are on display. The following are a few of our many favorites. Well done!

Clear skies

Valentines Day at Blue Lagoons Rv Park, 2023

Every day has a blessing. It may be hard to find but it is always there. Valentines Day was a huge blessing as our park holds a fabulous dinner feast. The whole thing was organized by our friends Zita and Alan, the entertainment directors. For the past eight years we have been blessed to have them try to include everyone in all the celebrations.

Of course, volunteers play a huge part in its success. A large group does the setup and tear down. Our part this year was to be the photographers, (we are more used to taking pictures of birds and bears, than people). Alan does most of the cooking,(with Zitas help). He’s a Kansas City Grill Master and Chef and he smoked prime rib and Cornish hens. Added to that was a kettle of au jus sauce, a huge baked potato, fresh baked rolls, salad, and a red velvet brownie, (with assorted chocolates).

Sixty couples made advanced reservations, and the club house was full!

A large contingent are from Buncombe Creek, at Lake Texoma, and they decided to have a group photo!

We were led in a short prayer by Chris and then the meal began!

Later an auction was held to raise money for our clubhouse kitty. It was also a success, (and for the first time I was outbid, so no prime rib dinner when we go to Grand Isle, perhaps frog legs?). The celebration was an outstanding success! Our blessing was to be together and celebrate with each other and with friends we have met from around the United States and Canada! Clear skies

Looking for the comet, getting ready for The Gulf Coat show, and fishing

Its very hard to take a picture of the nighttime sly without Elon Musk’s satellites photo bombing the shot. Still, I thought I would try to take another one of the “Green Comet and so Renita and I drove over to our favorite dark site. It was clear night and I thought I had everything ready but…. One of the tripod legs had separated from the tripod and I couldn’t find it, grr. I still, foolishly I might add, attempted to use the car for a twenty second expose. Of course, the stars and planets were a series of squiggly lines. I next placed the camera on top of the car after pointing it in the general direction of Taurus the bull, then snapping the image and letting the camera and car work together. It kind of worked and as you can see I got an ok image of Taurus.

Now to locate the comet we had to look between the Planet Mars and Aldebaran, which is the bright star representing the eye of the bull, (the face of the bull makes the letter v with the horns toward the northeast). Did I get the comet, maybe but its so faint that I must try another trip with the repaired tripod?

As tomorrow is Valentine’s Day our park is hosting a prime rib dinner and Renita and I are taking pictures of everyone who attends. The party won’t last that long so we plan on driving to our deserted spot, setting up the camera and taking pictures, (the comet is located at seven oclock from Mars and is very faint. This is a raw fromat image). Sounds romantic! For the past week we both have been making jewelry for our upcoming March 4th and Fifth show. It’s the Sixtieth Gem and Mineral show of the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society. That’s the group we have belonged to for the past twelve years.

It has been cold and very windy and so fishing has suffered. Roy and I have gone out in his pram, and we have caught fish. Flounder, redfish, black drum, and sheepshead. We also had a pod of three dolphin visit us. The fish we caught were undersized and but in two days we caught and kept three sheepshead and one twenty two inch black drum. The sheepshead were nice size, with largest being nineteen inches long and after filleting them we have enough for another meal.

Two fronts are passing through this week and small craft warnings have been posted for today so today I decided to take a break and spend the day smoking a brisket!

I had hoped to have the brisket for dinner but I accidently covered the temperature sensor and the grill got too hot. Luckily, I caught it before the grill was destroyed and after cooling and cleaning out the mess, the smell of smoked brisket is finally wafting into the fifth wheel. It takes about nine to ten hours to reach the perfect temperature so I have plenty of time to write this blog. Clear skies,

Looking for the Green Comet and Our first Art and Crafts Show of the year

The weather here has been about as bad as it can get. Luckily we did stay above freezing, (barely), but the clouds, rain, and fog has kept us from viewing the Green Comet. To keep ourselves occupied we have been making jewelry, buying rocks, and Renita had been braiding kumihimo necklaces. The day before our Blue Lagoons Arts and Craft show, the sun appeared, the temperature warmed up, and the day turned out to be one of our craziest day of the winter. Friday night we play a card game called Jokers and Pegs but instead of calling it a night we headed across Copano Bay to try to see the Green Comet. Dodging the herds of deer, we reached the Coast and found a dark sky. Our first place has changed so much that the lights from the bridge and a convenience store had destroyed any hope of spotting much of anything. There was a sight about fifteen miles north but instead we decided to try a new place and luckily we found a dark sky.

The moon was near full, and we doubted we would see the faint comet. Ever the optimists we got out the binoculars and scanned the sky. It was so bright that not much was visible, only the brightest stars of the Big and little Dippers. We spent quite a bit of time looking, Renita claimed to have spotted it, but I could not confirm her sighting. It was so bright that I did not set up my camera settling for a few pictures using my Galaxy S23 Ultra phone. The pictures adjusted for the darkness, were much brighter than it really was. We had also brought our best DSLR Canon camera and a tripod, but we never tried to take any exposures.

Returning home, we put stuff away and went to bed. It was after midnight, and we were getting up at five thirty so we could set up for the show. Still, we made it up in time to set up and welcome the other artists. People started arriving before opening, and we got so busy that I didn’t take any more pictures.

Our rv park is a small one, so we never got crowded but we were still busy showing all of our work. Pam and Roy, Renita's sister and her husband also showed their jewelry. Other’s included Zita, who makes decorated cups, t-shirts and hats. She took orders including ones that Pam and I placed for cups with our schools name and mascot, “Go University of Northern Iowa Panthers”! It was a short show, only three hours long but we were tired. We had good sales as did many others. We also bought some card holders from our friend Diana, maple syrup made by our friend Alan, and a Wyoming Jade slab from our friend Jim. It was a good show and now we are working to get ready for the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Show! Its always the first weekend in March, and this year’s show is the sixtieth one. Clear skies

Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, Texas

We had anxiously awaited the opening of the Rockport Center of the Arts and were finally able to view some of the buildings. There are three separate buildings, one enclosing several Galleries, a classroom, giftshop and front desk, the second a conference center, and the third a place for performances.

Around the outside, sculptures are tastefully placed, and as one would expect highlights the warmth of Rockport and its laidback coastal attitude.

A pair of seahorses dominate the front and a touching sculpture of a young man and his dogs are located in the outer center plaza.

Entering the Center a receptionist desk was staffed by exuberant staff who justifiable and proudly talked of the new center,

A gift shop included local jewelry, fabric arts, and several hung pieces, (I was glad to see that the pieces were not described as craft as the term craft is used as a means to denigrate traditional women’s artwork).

To the left is the Mendez Family Gallery, where a variety of artwork were hung.

These included paintings, pastels, and photographic works. I am not a painter and know better than to describe my photography as professional, although quite a few people have suggested we should sell it, (we are too busy with our lapidary and jewelry making). On the way upstairs, and yes there is an elevator, we passed the classroom and figuring out how to work the elevator, (we have no elevators in our small town)., reached the McKelvey Charitable Gallery.

There a pottery show was displayed, and the pottery pieces were both composed of contemporary clay and mixed media. Returning downstairs, we passed through the classroom and stepped outside to the plaza.

Two more buildings were still being finished and we were unable to enter the first as the painters were busy. The Conference Center was also closed and gated as was a staircase to the top of the Art center. Hopefully we will be able to view these before our five month stay here ends, (we have spent part or most of the past fifteen winters here along the Texas Coastal Bend). We had a very positive impression of the new Rockport Center of the Arts and its staff! We look forward to viewing the new areas and new hung shows. Well done, Rockport! Clear skies

Roy’s Boat, Fishing at Goose Island, and making pendants and bracelets for up coming shows

Last year we all went to an estate sale where Roy spotted an older six horse outboard motor. He made an offer and they finally agreed to the price as long as he also took the old pram. While most saw a worthless old fiberglass pram, Roy saw an opportunity and started on a complete rebuild. Never bet against Roy.

After acquiring the boat and motor he worked on it, finished it this year, loaded it on a redesigned trailer and launched it at a nearby hurricane destroyed harbor. I helped him launch it and was surprised at its light weight! It floated nicely, the reworked motor started right away, and he easily motored around the small harbor. Now it’s time to take it out fishing! We know quite a few protected places where we have caught fish. Many are places where we have fished with our kayaks but this time we will have a motor, (Renita and I will still use our kayaks)

Roy and I did go fishing on the Goose Island State Park Pier, but the water level was extremely low and the fish were not there. The tides cause changes in the water level, but the biggest factor is the wind. We had a strong north wind gusting to forty miles per hour. It pushed the water out of the bay, leaving the oyster beds high and dry! In the photo you can see oyster beds that are normally covered with water.

After the shows last summer, we made cabochons to replace all that we had sold. To make each one we had to saw, grind, and polish the rough stone before attaching bails or wire wrapping them in sterling silver or fourteen karat gold filled wire, (gold filled wire is made by using heat and pressure to bond sheets of gold to a base metal wire and does not peel away the gold like gold plate). It has been known to stay beautiful for over one hundred years.

Each pendant and cabochon takes me about three hours to finish while the bracelets and their stones take five to six hours. Both require a steady hand, keen eyesight, (mine is not so keen anymore), and a magnifying glass mounted on a Opti visor!

If you have been reading our blog you can see the blue and white larimar, from the Dominican Republic, four rhodochrosite pendants, Morenci turquoise, and other beautiful agates and stones. All of the stone’s colors are natural as we do not use dyed stones. Our first show is February 4th and our first juried Gem and Mineral show is the first weekend in March.

The above picture is of all wire bracelets made of sterling, gold filled wire, and ar every popular! Its always a rush to get finished as fishing, bird watching, dolphin antics, and making jewelry compete for our time. Time is the most precious asset we have and so we try not to waste it. Clear

Christmas, New Year's Eve 2023, and Kayaking St Charles Bay

It’s been a while since I have written an entry in the blog, (our personal journal), because we have been so busy with parties, dinner celebrations, and games. Oh, and I also forgot to mention fishing, and kayaking.

The fun started on Christmas eve where we gathered for a dirty Santa gift exchange. Drawing a number, we then took a present from underneath the tree and opened it for all to see. Knowing what the others had received you had the option of picking another unopened gift or taking someone’s already opened gift. Renita opened hers before me and it was Christmas ornaments that contained small bottles of cinnamon flavored whiskey. Nice gift but we don’t do shots anymore, well rarely, so she hoped that someone would take her gift. Of course no one did. When my turn came, I opted to take away a nice blanket from a person who had been trying to hide it beneath her table. She then took a gift away from someone else and the gift exchange continued. Later I had the blanket taken away from me, and then opened another gift which was a blanket. It was also taken away and my final gift was a new battery powered Chinese lamp, (later we discovered that the lamps power supply was so corroded that it was beyond repair).

The next day our Entertainment directors Alan and Zita prepared a Christmas feast of ham, (we are so lucky to have such great chefs who are also friends with everyone in our rv park)! Another friend Dave, cooked a turkey and the rest of us made deserts or salads. After eating too much we all went back to our rigs and took a nap before returning for leftovers. On New Year’s eve we gathered for another get together where we ate a huge meal prepared by Alan and Zita, along with Wade and several others serving us a shrimp and crab boil, (along with deserts).

After this meal we then played a viscous card name called Jokers and Pegs. It’s a multiple deck game where the men and women formed two teams. We had one too many men so Bob agreed to be a woman and acted out the part quite nicely. Both won one game so it ended was a draw. We stayed up till eleven pm and went back to our rigs. New Year’s day was another dinner followed by football and naps, Did I mention that before leaving Wyoming, my doctor had me meet with a nutritionist who instructed me on ways to lose weight! A few days later Renita and I recovered enough from all the food and decided to go kayaking. Our first choice was Port Bay but arriving there the wind was too strong and so we drove to St Charles Bay.

Launching our yaks we paddled into a sheltered canal, fished and ate lunch. As we fished three whooping cranes flew overhead and squawked so loud that even I could hear them! The fishing was slow, but I did manage to catch an undersized flounder, (which was released unharmed as we use circle hooks).

Returning to the main bay we went to another of our spots and tied up. I lost a nice fish just as other kayakers paddled by. They were member of the Texas Women Fly casters! Later they helped us as we landed and even carried one of our kayaks to our trailer. They gave us pointers on fly fishing for red fish and even showed us the flies they used. Thanks for the help and advice! Now we are preparing for our first two shows of the year. One is a small one in our rv park and the other a juried show hosted by the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society. We have been members of the society for twelve years. It’s a show where we usually buy as much as we sell and one show we always look forward to. Clear skies.