Day 188 Final Posting at the Beach

I couldn't have fabricated a better ending.....About 6 pm I walked out into the surf in front of the beach house. The sand was smooth and the water warm up to my knees. Suddenly in front of me I saw something swish by. At first I thought it was just a piece of plastic flapping in the water, but it came up to the surface and I recognized the curving wing of a stingray. It was as if it had made a point to say goodbye to me. I tried to photograph it with my Ipod, but it was too quick and the waves too rough. Those in the know will understand that the middle school I have taught at for the past school year had the "stingray" as their mascot. Poetic.

Posting this morning's sunrise over the seawall on my way to my last day at work. Then, my last chance to photograph the completed "Abby Lane" Beatles recreation on the side of a building was captured on the way home today. Interesting...skeletons I suppose representing the musicians that have passed. The business is an "adult" one of some sort at the seawall and jack johnson blvd. No, I did not go inside. I liked the stop sign juxtaposed next to their business sign, however. Finally, I stopped at the miniature golf place on the seawall past 81st. I love the giant fish, pirate ship and shell. It's sculpture!!!! Picked up more empty boxes at Specs to fill for the Big Move tomorrow. Doug called from San Antonio and announced he made his first successful sale in the business he has had training for all week. Another good sign. Going out now to sit on the deck with the cat and watch the evening flight of the pelicans once more. Signing off from my six months blogging about this once in a lifetime experience. This dream has been real.

Day 187

Severe storm hit the island after midnight. Winds gusted up to 50 mph with lightening and 3 inches of rain. The sound was louder than the surf. Woke up and let el gato inside. She raced for cover. As I was leaving the beach, I noticed this catamaran that was washed or blown against the pilings from last night's storm. It was still here in the afternoon. Maybe the owner hasn't missed it. Today was the last day of school and the first day of the rest of my life. What an enormous relief to close this chapter. Will be sad to close the door to the life on the beach, however. The never ending flight of the sea birds and the soothing sound of the waves and the brilliance of the sun sparkling off the water will be remembered always.

Day 186

Jonathan Livingston Seagull has a friend! Okay, here's my story and I'm sticking to it. Left at my usual 6:20ish and snapped a photo of the beach house and my car and how I tie across the driveway so beach drivers don't tear up the drive. Snapped a pic of the glorious sunrise. As I drove down Pabst at the seawall road, I notice a seagull (JLS) flopping on the side of the hottop. (different hottop than the cat's). I digress. Anyway...being the art teacher that I am....I had a pair of scissors in the car and another teacher beach resident working at Hitchcock ISD had stopped also. Must be the helping teacher thing. I ran over and risked my life from the sharp beak of a mad JLS. Cut the fishing wire on one side and he went nuts running around. Chased him down (you should have videoed this one) and then cut the string around the other wing. He trotted off. I think his wings were a little damaged, yathink? As I arrived at the seawall and my normal turn on 61st heading toward 45 and Texas City, I snapped this photo of the TV camera truck parked along the seawall. Maybe they were waiting to capture the photo of the oil appearing on the beaches. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Or it could have just been the sunrise.

Day 185

Only 3 days left to live large island style. Love the red box at the convenience store because I had newly released Alice in Wonderland at 6:30 am for one dolla to show to the munchkins today. Now we're talking. Gathered boxes from Specs(another new store to the island) and resumed boxing. El Gato took liberties with the upheaval packing house and lounged on the stovetop. New meaning to cat on a hot tin roof....well cat on a hottop. Steppin outside on the deck to breathe in the breeze.

Day 184

Memorial Day was a great day for flags at the beach! Remembering our heroes was on everyone's mind. After a homemade pancake breakfast with company, I spent most of the day packing and running onto the deck to take photos of the sailboat regalia. People were enjoying the beach in every direction.

Day 183

It's a razzelberry sunday Fab day at the beach. The wind returned and all the little bitty neon green bugs that were hiding in the seaweed were blown out to sea. Catamans ruled the surf. Experienced the "Healthy Chinese Buffet" with our weekend company. All you could eat sushi was included for $9.95. HOme to enjoy the shaded deck with Kyla playing in the shade in her playpen. Wheeling and dealing with business ideas and later sitting on the beach and digging in the sand. Quick dip in the surf before sunset. Healthy salad and broiled redfish for supper. Topped the razzelberry cobbler with whipped creme. Did I say healthy twice today? Loved the beach life today.

Day 182

Kyla's visit started at 6 am when her daddy and doug hit the water with the kayaks in tow. They were loaded for bear with saltwater fishing gear and instructions to call the coastguard if a big shark bites and takes them out to sea. We stopped watching them when they were 500 yards out. They returned victorious with a 32 inch jack fish that Seth had hooked. The drama began with should I mount or go ahead and fillet? While they were pondering this, Amber and I, snagged the kayaks and paddled parallel to the shore a ways. The surf was calm and we looked like pros for at least one hour. We reclaimed the baby from the boys as they sped down the beach drive towards the wharf where the experts could identify and fillet for them. Good call. Later the girls shopped the STrand including a mechanical dolphin ride for 50 cents for Kyla. Late afternoon brought some lazying around on the beach and loitering in the surf sand. A tide pool kept Kyla happy as she attempted to stand on her own. We had red snapper and that famous jackfish with pasta for supper. Yum. Later, Doug won our regular friendly game of poker while Kyla was dreaming about her day.

Day 180

The first day of Memorial Weekend is here! Traffic has picked up on the island and we are expecting family at any minute. Writing this on the deck after eating papaya, sliced apples and sharp cheddar cheese with pink lemonade. People are fishing in waist deep water and a lady just drove by on the beach in a camo 4 wheeler (no vehicles allowed on the beach, but she must be a little slow). Two guys came by with a beautiful dog. There is a catamaran tilted far out and a couple with large straw beach hats on are watching their little boy play on a boogie board in the surf. One of the 4 doctors that owns the beach house next door is in his easy chair reading. Doug has gone to the store to buy ingredients for homemade pizza. I'm making the salad.

Day 179

Lockdown at Texas City ISD due to a local robbery. Held for 65 minutes and after school. Went to Tortuga Restuarant for Mexican food to celebrate Doug's 63rd birthday. Had stuffed avocados and Doug had mango, coconut and shrimp tacos. They treated Doug to a chocolate cake. Tortugas had a very artsy painted turtle mailbox. Nice cool breeze as weather on the island was in the 80's and Houston went up to 94.

Day 178

Doctor appointment at Hermann Memorial in the Medical District near downtown Houston. Got a giant A plus for health. Of course I celebrated by eating a Giradeli Square Chocolate Bar!!!! Once back at Bermuda Beach, I snapped this photo of a trio of horses and their noncommital riders on the beach! It was a full moon this evening and the tide was extremely far out. We walked out past the 2nd sand bar. The cat was enjoying digging for sand crabs.

Day 177

The fans are on full blast in Texas City in my art room. But when I arrive home and open the sliding door towards the beach, the wind blast from the gulf almost knocks the cat over! No AC needed whatsoever with the doors and windows open. Incidentally, we came across the most perfectly constructed house for this beach. Three doors down (not the band) is the concrete house we visited last Saturday and the cross currents inside are designed so that every space in every room has a breeze. It reminded me of some of the elaborate resorts in Mexico with the design. Shown in earlier photos. I forgot to include the rickashaw images and bamboo bicycle that I came across while shopping in The Strand on Saturday. Very unique marketing displays in two separate stores. The only better attention getter that I've seen on the coast was the front half of an old wooden chris craft boat that was made into a bench. That item was purchased off of ebay for The Glass Mermaid Shop in Kemah. Now, why didn't I take a photo. Or did I????? Hmmmmm.

Day 176

Monday, Monday, can't stop that day. Mommas and the Poppas would have harmonized greatly over this mornings sunrise. Photos on Bermuda Beach and some taken at the Seawall. Great day for news. Opportunity knocked and we are headed to the Hill Country when our 6 months are up on Bermuda Beach. Spoke to all the boys and my family today. Everyone celebrated. Made fish tacos for supper and then took a stroll among the seaweed and seagulls before dark.

Day 175

Sunday morning seagulls were all about the seaweed. We were lazying about on the deck overlooking the gulf waters while beachcombers were mulling about. Runners were with their dogs and wives were telling husbands to hurry up. We built up an appetite with all this entertainment, so we made our way through seawall traffic to the Mosquito Cafe on 14th Street near the Strand. Veggie omelets and eggs benedict accompanied raspberry tea. Afterwards, we visited Rene Wiley's studio at 2128 Post Office Street and had a lengthy visit with her husband/manager about the biz. Love her work at www.renewileyart.com Returned at high noon for Jan's last beach walk of the vacation combining exercise with gobs of vitamin D. Escaped the island traffic just in time to meet her Hobby plane departure to Love Field. Could not help ourselves and visited Joe Lee's Cafe for the famous, best Fish Sandwiches this entire Houston area has to offer in League City near Clear Creek High School. Continued to stalk the sailboat on 61st off 45 with photographs on the way home. Began the arduous job of packing for the Big Move well into the evening.

Day 174

Love Saturday mornings on the beach! Woke up to glimmering water and walked down to see two fishermen catching CATFISH!!!! After a healthy breakfast, Jan and I shopped The Strand until we dropped! Picked up fresh jumbo shrimp at Katie's Seafood Market at the Wharf and had a shrimp salad for supper. Of course, we should mention we ate lunch at the Original Mexican Cafe in the historic district. During our evening beach walk, we met the concrete house neighbor and were invited for a visit. Enjoyed the evening with Dottie and her son, Trace, and friend.

Day 172

TGIF..My longtime childhood friend, Jan, arrived at Hobby this afternoon for a beach weekend retreat. We had a great time visiting and enjoyed dining out at The Spot. Later visited an art opening at The Design Gallery on Post Office near the Strand. Walked the beach at sunset and then sat in the seabreeze on the deck and chatted for hours. The cat has taken a liking to Jan. Captured this sailwheeler on Bermuda Beach about 6 pm.

Day 171

I admit it. I have an active imagination. Maybe watching tooooo many detective shows does not help. We celebrated another new job opportunity for Doug at The New Healthy Chinese Buffet Restaurant (yum...ask me about it in detail later) and then admired Doug's handiwork of a client's deck, garage and fence. So the Galveston thing to do next was to park by the seawall and sit where the steps are above the rocks and watch the waves. I was taking photos and these bad guys pulled up. Well...they parked at the end of the seawall drive and I was taking photos of the track hoe which was below them. They must have thought I was taking their photo. Anyway, they got into their gray suburban and backed up to where we were, parked right next to us and then got out and stood an uncomfortable close distance entering our space. They were not dressed for the beach, they were not enjoying the breeze, they were suspiciously close to us for no reason. There were no other people anywhere near us and they had the entire empty seawall area they could stand. Doug was busy moaning about his overeating. I looked at their faces and being the teacher I am, I know those men were definitely up to something. I told Doug we had to leave quickly. The men immediately got into their SUV and drove behind us. Yep...what else could I do, but lose them. Paranoia finally subsided. Frankly, I think they were casing the track hoe and noticed I was taking photos in their direction. We walked on our Bermuda Beach at sunset and have determined it is not necessary to go to the seawall again.

Day 170

Sunrise two days in a row was orange and glowing. Today, however, the sun was flattened by the clouds before it disappeared behind a cloudbank. 89 degrees at the airport and 76 on Bermuda Beach. Workers are still clearing the downed houses. Cat in the house was happy to see me as I don't leave the air on but just open the windows. When I open that sliding door to the gulf nobody needs AC. Whoosh!

Day 169

Opportunity knocks...or crashes so to speak. The demolition is still going on with the two houses on Bermuda Beach. So...Douglas walks down to talk about paying for recyclable wood for a deck...and while waiting for the foreman of the job a neighbor walks up and chats. Since her house is about to be demolished next, she offered Doug her entire house of real wood floors free! Isn't life wonderful and yours for the asking!

Day 168

18 months later the city contracted for the two remaining bermuda beach houses destroyed/condemmed by Hurricane Ike to be razed. It happened today! Returning after jury duty in which I was not picked on the panel for a sexual offender who did not report his whereabouts felony case(wasn't even asked questions because I was assigned jurer #53 out of 70 and oddly enough the first 12 or so were basically who they picked...hmmmmmm sounds fishy to me) to see the big tractors at work! I can't wait to take sunrise photos without the silouette of the falling down beach houses. Celebrated my new hill country job offer by going to Fish Tales Restaurant on the Seawall for coconut mahi and pina coladas.

Day 167

Kyla is one year old today! What a birthday send off! Having 8 people who think you hung the moon gushing over you for THREE days! Breakfast at the resort, a few played golf and then the long trip back to the island. We arrived at the beach house at 5 pm after stopping in Shiner Texas for an art look see and on highway 90 to gaulk at Texas longhorns. We took a walk on the beach before supper and saw a red headed heron. This was the first spotting for the bird that we had heard about once before in our birding 101 class at Moody Gardens last fall.

Day 166

Big rainstorm with lightening and thunder overnight in the Hill Country. The roads were overrun with rushing water and there was a loud babbling brook in the creek behind our resort. All the men played golf while the lovely ladies went into Boerne for lunch and shopping. We visited the Nature Center and Kyla had an encounter with an Alpaca. Things were great until it sneezed and it scared her and she cried. Big birthday party tonight at the restaurant and conference center. More to come.