rainbow's end

Reasons for being here and not in the cold and wet.

Fresh flowers by the side of the road







And trees and blue sky

Rocks

On the recommendation of the guy at the tourist center, we headed east to “The Rock Shop” about 10 miles east of Livingston. Several turns and down a very muddy road.



We came to the Rock Shop collection of very old, unfinished, Hillybiilly-like buildings.


We were greeted by Jim, and he traveled with us through the 7 buildings. Apparently, this is the biggest and best rock shop in North America and busloads of people come to look and buy.

Any and all types of rock - all colours, sizes, Common and rare. And petrified wood. Very beautiful and quite amazing all the different colours and formations of rocks. Plus he explained how rocks are cut and polished.




On the way home, we picked up a nail, and when removing the luge nut, the screw thing broke in half, so we have to wait until Monday and hopefully, we can get it fixed quickly. Fortunately, there is a jeep dealer in Livingston.

Unfortunate events

Decided to have one last tour of the coast before heading inland. Drove east into Louisiana. Just as you cross into the state there are 3 really big casinos and a Race track. ( Remember, there is no or very little casinos or gambling in Texas ). As we drove to the coast, there was still a lot of damage from Hurricane Rita …..and a lot of new roofs. Again we had fog, so we could barely see any of the coast. So that was disappointing. then we drove through Nederland and we disappointed with the lack of windmills ( I guess Rita got them ). And then Disaster. My computer started up and froze, stopped working, ceased to function. Not a good day!!!! So we decided to go out for dinner –but checked on the place with the Rv park manager before we went. Had a delicious meal at Pappadeux – Cajun style cooking. Blackened Catfish with pecan butter Mmmmm.


Left Beaumont and drove to Livingston ( about 2 hours ). Just after we left, the terrain changed - we had hills, and a few trees. We have got into hill country. Now the hills are like the one behind our house, only not as steep. Haven’t seen hills for a month. Got set up and went in search of a computer repair place. Found several of IBMs but no one knew of a Mac person. Oh, oh.

On Tuesday, a young man working at the gas station found a computer place in Huntsville which is about an hours drive west. So off we went, and yes they were Mac trained. So I left the computer and we went north to Cognagoches to find a place that might repair on of the leather seats. It was within a company that assembles motorhomes, as it makes them. They are very high end, but the interior designer was very friendly, and we met the seamstress and the fellow that assembles the furniture. Chair goes in on Monday on our way to visit Peter and Dorothy in Dallas.

Wednesday: Weather has turned cold and wet. I went to pick up the computer and George stayed to wait for the propane guy. So, the computer is working, the propane is full and I got our Christmas tree. All is well.



Thursday & Friday: Drove to Houston to check out parking at the airport, and toured around the city. It was just like all other cities. In the evening, there was a swing band concert at the RV park. They played a mix of swing and Christmas music and were quite good. It was a community group made up of many people in the music part of the school system. On Friday, we went to Trade Days aka Swap meet and toured around Livingston lake. Stormy night with lightning and rain.

Dec 11

Where have we been this last week? Those who have Google Earth, search for Garrett Ranch, Texas. It the midst of the ranch, you will see both the golf course and the RV park ( small white area at end of golf course )

We meet the owners at the “Covered Dish”, and Will, the son, was the guy who was plowing the golf cart paths. He doesn’t work the ranch - that’s his uncle, but he has 3 airplanes - 2 crop dusters ( biplanes ) and one that will carry 6 passengers.
I thought it would be a great picture to have George teeing off with the yellow bi-plane on the runway behind him. Will offered to oblige by moving the plane out, but we are leaving in the morning, so no time.

And so we moved on to Beaumont. The weather has changed and there is lots of fog about. This happens when the temperature is about 80 and the dew point is about 74 - very warm, and very humid. Anyway, Beaumont is an oil town, site of the “01” (that’s 1901), oil geyser, the first major oil find in Texas. At this point hum the tune of Beverly Hillbillies, because many Texans became very rich, very quickly. Great Oil museum here.



This is an old house that we toured. The owners did not throw anything away when they remodeled over the years, so the museum has all the original furniture and rugs, and can theme the house to a certain period of time. Well done. But again, no pictures are allowed in the house.

Especially for Golfers

Did I mention that this little place is on a par 72 nine hole golf course?



It has several water hazards, and they are really good at snatching the ball from the sky!! It is really pretty with brush on the north side, and the Rv park on the west. The ranch / farmland is on the other sides .

And the cost - $15 for 18 holes and that includes the cart, and if you want to play more, $4 for each 9 holes. Really helps the budget!!


Here it is Dec 5 and we are in our shorts playing 27 holes of golf, and the sky is total blue, and the temperature around 80 with a slight breeze to keep you cool. On the course, there are turtles, and hurons. And on the day after the frost, the air was filled with little spiders on little webs and covering the ground. Apparently they come out of the trees after a frost

Think we will play tomorrow and Friday.

Touring - Dec 2 - 7

Up early for a round of golf. Finished by noon, so we headed to Galveston to do some tourist stuff. Galveston new building style - stick houses.



First we went to the Ocean Oilrig tour. On one of the piers, they had an old oil rig set up with displays as to the history and the workings of the off shore oil rigs. Quite interesting but very technical.

Then we visited Moody mansion and museum. I got a coupon off the internet that was 2 for 1 admission, so we went on the tour. Our guide was really, really good. And the house was amazing. Pictures were not allowed. It was build in the late 1800s, and has been restored to that time period. And of course, it is decorated for the season.

On Tuesday, we headed to the Verner-Hogg Plantation ( State Park) and had a wonderful tour of the building. I still have trouble remembering that the plantation house is really a farm house, a summer retreat from the city. This building had four rooms on each floor and a separate building for the kitchen. The servant bringing food from the kitchen to the dining room had to whistle, not to warn them that she is coming, but to show that she/he was not eating the food!! We are becoming experts on Texas history!!


And everywhere you go, you see:

Brown, black, reddish. They are everywhere!!

Sunday wildlife

Spend the day driving in two national wildlife refuges. Basically, they have an information center run by volunteers, usually snowbirds who get their Rv spot and hook-ups in exchange for 30 hours of work each week. It is a huge acreage for wildlife with occasional hunting and fishing, and an auto tour and a few hiking trails. What could be lurking in this waterway?



Driving slowing, it is fairly easy to spot critters that live there. Did you know that there is a lot of waterways, bayous, creeks, and rivers in texas? And living in those are many ‘gators of all sizes.







And that is why cowboys wear alligator cowboy boots!!!

Other reptiles like it here too.




And there were lots and lots of birds!!

Should we go?

Sunny. Up early and on the road, heading east. I found a RV/golf RV park on the internet – no ratings in any of the guides. Interesting claims

“Nestled on a 1200 acres working farm, lies the beautiful Austin Bayou RV Park. Here, you will enjoy unmatched peaceful serenity, coupled with the Garrett family's exceptional down-home Texas hospitality.

Looking for the hustle-bustle of big city camping? How about trying to stuff your RV into a typical "sardine-city" atmosphere of most so-called "resort parks"? Sorry, that wouldn't be us...

Instead, you'll discover that we only have 23 sites, gigantic by normal standards, full-hookups, free laundry and exercise facilities and ... well ...the list goes on.. “

Could be a gem? Or disaster? The road in ... should we go, where are we heading?


Took the risk. Found the gem.











With its own 9 hole golf course.

We're here a week.

Palacios

Sunny. We decided not to go to San Antonio, so we are heading north along the coast. We went a far as Palacios, which is a small community on Palacios Bay by Trés Palacios River. The park is right on the water, with its own small marina filled with sailboats. Note the Rv's in the background. Can you see ours?? Look carefully, look for the green awning.

On either side there are commercial docks with fishing and shrimp boats. Got settled and toured the town on bicycle. Most of the buildings are really old, but in good shape. Most of the waterfront has a wall and sidewalk so the cycling was easy. But forgot camera, so just image some very old buildings and a seawall. Campground had a turkey soup dinner and we were invited!! Mmmm turkey leftovers.

Sunny. Spent the day touring along the coast. Miles and miles and miles of beaches, and everyone has a boat and everyone fishes.

Nov 28

Today is it on to Padre Island National Seashore. Except for the northern tip, the park is the whole island. It is 65 miles long and about a half a mile wide. (104 by .8 km). Long and skinny. The only roadway is the beach which was mostly very hard packed sand.




Only 4-wheel drive vehicles are allowed after the first 5 miles, and the park makes it clear they will not rescue any stuck vehicles. Lots of interesting stuff has washed ashore - like mooring buoys, channel markers, and oil drums. They grow them big in Texas.


Speed limit on the island is 25 mph, which means it would take forever to get to the far end. Today there was only a handful of fishermen, so we made good time and got to the very end, where the channel cuts through.

At the end, there were thousands of shells, and portugese man-o’war.





Afterwards, George spent 2 hours trying to get the sand out of the jeep!!

Weekend Over, Sunny weather returns

This morning was bright and sunny, though cold. We headed north through Port Aransas. There is a ferry system that connects the Island to the mainland. They must have about 6 small ferries that can hold “ as many as they can get on” and they shuttle cars back and forth all day. It is the distance of a wide freeway, and then there is a large bridge over the canal. Why no bridge, we couldn’t guess.

And is this an old BC ferry ??? Now one of the few gambling facilities in Texas.


First we went to Goose Island State Park, where there are camp sites with hookups right on the island on the beach, or sites hidden in the trees on the mainland. And a long fishing pier.


Then on Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. These are always great. We saw all kinds of birds, and we think we may have seen the Whooping Crane ( this is its winter home ). We also saw deer and feral pigs. Photographing birds and animals is really hard as they don’t stay still, and most often run into the bushes. The alligators had gone into their winter holes ( too cold for them now).


Did I tell you that south Texas is flat, I mean really flat. And low, really low. Should a 20 ft wave come, south Texas would disappear. With global warming, they should be really worried.

At home, we have sea gulls, and starlings in plowed fields. Here they have cranes - hundreds of them.

Holiday spirit

Shopping, shopping - that's the American way on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving almost all the stores are closed ... and then it's early opening and "the best sales of the year". Supposedly, stores open at 4:00 or 5:30 in the morning with door opening specials and people camp out over night. they thoughtfully have Thanksgiving dinner at noon, so they can get to bed early or get into line as the sun sets. We went about 8:30, and except of the tool department in Sears, the mall was empty. George, of course, found a tool he needed. I saw nothing that moved me to spend my money. Out again on Saturday. This time to the Macy's mall - early opening. I think we were the only ones there. We did some touring of Corpus Christi, then passed the stores on our way back. The parking was packed!! I guess Texans like to sleep in.

BUT, on the day after Thanksgiving, everything Christmas gets up and going. I got into the spirit, and ......




What do you think!!!!!

On Sunday, we toured the King Ranch, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island. They have hundreds of horses and thousands of cattle. The ranch began before Texas became a state, so there were some old buildings. It is quite an organization - with cattle, and cotton, and sugar cane, and oil ( Exxon developed ), and sod, and shoghum, and hunting. (They sell permits to hunt on their property)


On arriving back at the resort, the skies were clearing, and tomorrow should be warm and sunny again.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Cloudy, windy, rainy, cold. Can you tell it is a holiday weekend! Thursday morning we were up and heading north to Port Aransas on Mustang Island.


The resort is right behind the sand dunes of the beach, so perfect for walking. After we got settled, we drove down to the port, which is a small beach town. From here, we drove the beach past our resort. On the beach there were a number of Rvs, a couple the same size as ours, camped out at the edge of the sand. They must be crazy or really know the tides. The picture shows the beach after the storm had passed ( on Sunday). On Friday, and Saturday, the waves were bounding onto the beach right up to the edge of the sand.


Within the park, there is a large pond for birds ( birding is really big here). On one side of the park, there is a developing golf course. On the other, well, here are our neighbours.

South Padre Island

Oct 19 - 22

Hit the road about 10:30 and arrived at the KOA on South Padre Island about 11:00 ( all of 23 miles ). Nice clean park and a coupon gives up 3 nights for the price of 2 ( good deal as this is an expensive park and we would be here without it. ) We look out over the lagoon and the bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Did a bicycle tour of the area.

There are all kinds of high-rises, condos, hotels, motels, and places to eat and spend your money. It definitely has a resort, destination feeling. March is supposedly one great big party here. The beach on the east coast just doesn’t end, just a wide strip of sand that runs the entire length of the island. Lots of people walking the beach, and some in the water. Haven’t tested it yet, but no one looked cold in the least.


Toured along the coast on the mainland. We found a national Wildlife Preserve tucked away in a corner by the coast - a birder’s paradise as well as an area for 2 endangered species - one type of falcon, and the ocelot.



Returned in time to walk the beach. This time I tested the water - slightly cooler than the air (must be about 78 (25’ ). Lots of pelicans getting their bedtime snacks.

On the coast

Nov 17: Cloudy and warm ( 84).
Left Mission and headed east, following the border and arrived at Brownsville. Our park is east of the park on the road to Boca Chico, which, in Spanish, means small mouth. We got settled and then headed to the beach. The beach is undeveloped and you can drive on the beach below the tide line,

So off we went south to the Rio Grande mouth, and then north to the channel into the Brownsville harbor. It was several miles long with sand dunes on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Thought we saw a dolphin playing in the surf. At the breakwater, there were many fisherman casting into the surf, and in the channel there was a pelican and a small green turtle.

Headed back and went to South Padre Island on the other side of the channel into Brownsville. Here, it is under development with many large resorts new finished or under contsructions. It’s fairly quiet now but apparently in January it gets really busy, and at spring break - avoid at all costs. Found a county park and will probably move there on Monday. Drove up the island, and the road just ends in the midst of sand dunes.



Nov 18 “interesting” hair day. We decided to tour Brownsville today. Found the old part, the part by the border, and university, and a golf course that was built on an old fort site, and the club house was one of their brick buildings.

But, the event of the day. .. My hair has been growing and growing and was driving me absolutely nuts, especially with the tropical winds blowing it into knots and tangles. So o o when we were in Walmart,…. Chez Walmart Salons. Thought I would get a trim at $12.95 it must be good. . As I sat in the chair, I realized that I did not speak American ( 98% Hispanic people in Brownsville), and she didn’t speak Canadian. So through a couple of words – How much? She pointed to the list ( only 1 price ) Shampoo? Si. This long off. Si. Anyway, I had a great shampoo and then indicated how much I wanted trimmed off. She got to work on the back, and it felt really good. Then she trimmed a bit off the side, and whoosh, up went a curl. Her eyes got big, and she started to giggle. “naturalis?” Si. More grins. She trimmed a bit more off, and it curled a different way. Hmmm - a challenge. A look of determination set into her eyes. Let’s jit curl, off it comes. Same on other side, only different curl pattern, and she never ceased to be amazed. Then she had to balance the back with the front, and whenever a hair flipped, off it came snip, snip, snip!! And now, shorter than George’s. Actually, it is a very comfortable cut for her, much cooler than before, and it will dry quickly and it will grow by Christmas (next year I’m sure my hair and all its twists will be a topic of conversation for many years.