Texas and back again....2009

Ummm . Hi!
When last we blogged we were happily abiding on the beach in Texas.

One day while beachcombing I met a couple from Missouri, Chuck and Louise. Louise, finding a kindred spirit in me, invited Les and I to go beachcombing at Matagorda Bay. Of course, I jumped at the chance to get to another beach and all of the unusual shells it might offer. We had a wonderful day at the beach and decided to make a date to go to Rockport, TX, to the Maritime Museum there. So a few days later we drove to Rockport and spent the day going through this wonderful museum, shopping, and had lunch at a popular restaurant in the area.

Days just sort of run into each other. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets…. Just when you think it couldn’t get any more beautiful, it does. Sea gulls, herons, all sorts of water fowl, from little tiny ones that scamper along the shoreline to the big ugly pelicans…. How are they able to fly, anyway?

The shoreline changes from high to low tide, as well as from the large tankers that use the bay, much to the distress of the homeowners along the waterline. One day the people on the last property that I walk in front of had to completely rebuild their concrete barrier because of the erosion. It blocks me from walking there now, but how can I blame them when they are losing yards of beach every year? Besides, it makes a nice little cove for them.

There were several very windy days, with clouds tossing around as much as the waves. Really churned things up and brought up a lot of interesting sea glass and shells. During one of the days we were beachcombing I found a piece of blue glass that may very well be a treasure indeed. It is either an emerald cut blue sapphire or a piece of plain blue glass. Maybe one day I’ll even find out, meanwhile, it’s my treasure!

Chuck and Louise said goodbye to us on Friday and on Wednesday, Jake and Jessica, Les’ son and his fiancée, arrived to stay for a few days. We had a great time with them. We took them to a couple of our favorite haunts, did some fishing, some crabbing and, of course, beach combing. Jessica had a great eye for sea glass and seemed to enjoy walking the beach. Reluctantly, we said goodbye on Sunday morning and bright and early Monday morning, Joe and Beatrice pulls up.

Joe and Beatrice is the couple that invited us to Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada, last year and we’ve been waiting to meet up with them at “our” beach since we got there. Their arrival made it a little easier to “let go” of Jake and Jess. We got together that evening to catch up on news of each other’s family and prepared to visit for a week or so before they headed back home.

However, the next morning I received a call from my sister, Melody, telling me that our sister, Shirley, and her husband, Rick, had died in a house fire in Tillamook, OR, the night before. Hurried arrangements made I flew to Oregon to be with my sisters and Dad, along with my children, who had great memories of their Aunt and Uncle. Thank you to those who heard about this tragedy and contacted me and my family with their condolences.

I returned to Texas in time to say goodbye to Joe and Beatrice, with promises to meet up with them on the island in July. I started mentally preparing to leave my beach. Walking the beach is great therapy. But both Les and I were ready to head for home.













First night off the beach we stayed in a RV Park in Victoria, TX. Electricity and everything! We heard that a big snow storm was headed for Oklahoma and Kansas, so we decided we really weren’t in any big hurry to get home. We stayed two nights and enjoyed the RV park, especially in the evening when over a dozen deer came into the park.

Then we headed to Morrison, Oklahoma. Our friend Peggy, perhaps you remember her as our cruise partner, had managed to break both of her ankles (mis-stepping off a curb, breaking one ankle, bouncing off her van, and then breaking the other one, trying to “save” herself). I decided it would be a good idea for us to go up and “take care” of her as she was having a difficult time getting around. We stayed five days and had a blast! We didn’t let her get much rest as we were having too much fun going out to dinner(s), going shopping, and visiting with her and her family.

Then, it was time for us to go, as Wichita thawed out and the snow disappeared. We got all the way to Winfield, where we decided to camp at the fairgrounds where the Walnut Valley Blue Grass Festival is held every September. Since it was “04/04, we celebrated our anniversary with a dinner and a movie – “Knowing”, starring Nicholas Cage.

The next morning we were home.

‘Til next time, take care, will ya?


Joy
and Les

---Les' Readers Diegest Version---

- Got back from Cozumel/Progresso Cruise.
- Stayed on Gulf Coast Beach from Mid Jan. Till the end of March.
- Had some axle trouble on the camper and got it Fixed in Port Lavaca, TX.
- Joy went to Oregon to attend her Sister and Brother-in-laws Funeral. They died in a house fire.
- Jake and His fiancée, Jessica, came to the beach and we caught fish and did some crabbing.
- Met some good people on the beach and some old friends.
- On the way home to KS. we stopped and visited Peg and Gary in Oklahoma. We stayed several days, to help out. She had slipped and broken her left ankle in two places and her right ankle in one place. When I told Jake about it, he said "I'd stay outa them kind of places."
- Spent our 5th Anniversary at the Winfield Kansas Fairgrounds/campground. I know I set the bar kinda high last year, taking my wife to Wendys and staying the night in a WalMart parking lot. This year we camped with Electricity, I took her to a real set down/get waited on restaurant, and a motion picture (it was a talkie in color). Sorry guys, I don't mean to put so much pressure on ya.
les