When I park in Texas:
When I parked in Tucson:
Nuff said.
Archive for ‘Observations’
Rockport Strong
This weekend Rockport hosted the second annual Harvey Encore Block Party. The event was conceived as a way to honor the resilience of the local population after Hurricane Harvey devastated the community in August 2017. Harvey was not only the costliest hurricane to hit Texas but also the deadliest, killing 103 people. In the months that I’ve been here I’ve been impressed by the amount of construction, with new homes and businesses going up all around.
Sadly, there are still so many that haven’t been able to rebuild. Apparently, some property owners didn’t know that in addition to Homeowners they needed to buy separate Flood and Wind Storm policies. It’s a hell of a way to discover they didn’t have the right kind of insurance. Echoing local sentiment, one of the pubs called their celebration the F*$k Harvey Party.
Perspective
I don’t recall how Traveling Light by Brian Andreas ended up in my possession. A gift from a friend? Or a fantastic flea market find? The important part is that it found its way to me. The colorful book is full of quirky illustrations and short snippets that pack a punch. One that often pops into my head is called Perfect Ending:
“I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out, except I’ll die in the end,” she said. “So, really, what could go wrong?”
View from Rockport Beach, Texas July 2019
The Underside
Horace Caldwell Fishing Pier, Port Aransas, Texas August 2019
The waves were mellow that day but the area around this pier is quite popular with surfers. They make it look so easy, I hope to learn someday. My eye was drawn to that light blue square…
Imagine
Sand Art, Rockport Beach, Texas July 2019
My daily beach strolls are often punctuated by unique discoveries. I’ve seen hundreds (if not thousands) of sand castles but I most admire the other random bits of art that people leave behind. I especially enjoyed this piece with its creative incorporation of sea grass. For some reason, it reminds me of John Lennon.
Just Beachy…
I met this great group of ladies in a yoga class a few months ago. This past Friday, Pat, Lindy, Jillian, and I took the ferry over to Mustang Island and whiled away a gorgeous afternoon. Cody, our token male for the day, supervised our impromptu yoga session. Any day with our toes in the sand is a good day!
Down and Up
When I pop wide awake at 5:30 in the morning I might as well grab my camera and head to the beach. I am not an early bird so my opportunities to catch sunrises are few and far between.
This past Thursday morning I was hoping to catch the sun peeking over the Gulf at Rockport Beach. However, a thick bank of clouds sitting on the water interfered with my plans. Instead, the full moon put on a show for me.
The first two photos are of the moon playing tag with clouds that morning as it slowly slid toward the horizon. The others I snapped later that night from the beach on Mustang Island, as the bright orb floated up over the water. What a great way to bookend a day!
Whodunit?
My afternoon beach stroll in Port Aransas today was filled with drama. First, I stumbled across this rather smug-looking rubber duck. A few more steps and I found a pair of pliers. Further along in the sand was the poor, disemboweled fish.
Using my impeccable sleuthing skills (acquired during childhood games of Clue) I determined that the fish was killed by Mr. Rubber Duck, with the pliers, on the beach.
Case closed!
Chasing Patience
Me, Foghorn, and Sandy, Rockport, Texas August 2019
As you can see in the photo above, I have trouble being still. My lack of patience has been a lifelong struggle (every single report card from elementary school made note of that fact).
During the last few years of my grandmother’s life I spent a lot of time with her, hoping to absorb (by osmosis) some of her calm and patient demeanor. One memorable afternoon, I explained my thought to her and my sweet grandma leaned over, patted my hand, and said with a smile, “Not in this lifetime, dear.”
Mic drop. Ah, so that’s where I got my sass!
Play Ball!
Friends and I attended a Corpus Christi Hooks game tonight (farm team for the Houston Astros). It felt great to be back at a ball park after missing out completely last year. Midway through the lineup I recognized a name from my alma mater.
A quick Google search confirmed that JJ Matijevic played for University of Arizona Wildcats 2015 through 2017 (the team went to the College World Series his final season). After allowing the Frisco Rough Riders a Grand Slam during a wild seventh, the Hooks hung on to win. It was a wonderful summer evening for baseball!
3rin's View... 