Archive for ‘Observations’

Belt Sander Racing

The Gaff, a fun little dive bar in Port Aransas, has several claims to infamy* but perhaps the most interesting is that belt sander races originated here. It began in 2005 after a couple guys argued over whose belt sander was faster/more powerful. What better way to decide the disagreement than to build a special racetrack and pit them against each other? Yet another great example of, “Here, hold my beer…”

I was delighted to finally catch one of the biweekly events. The competitors are fierce, the belt sanders are decorated and named, and the crowd is enthusiastic.

The excitement was palpable, we gripped our beers, and waited breathlessly to see who would win this heat…yeah, okay, maybe not (but we all did have a beer in our hands). Octopoke won!

*Sadly, I have not yet attended Chicken Bingo at the Gaff (picture a large Bingo card on ground, a chicken in a cage over the card, and where the sh*t falls determines the winner). Definitely something to look forward to!

Duck Domes

Teal hunting season opened in Texas this past weekend which started me thinking about ducks, which in turn reminded me of my burgeoning collection of duck heads. Not real duck heads, eww. The first one was from an old decoy while the bit of driftwood bears a striking resemblance to Daffy Duck, don’t ya think?

Waterlogged

After over a month with very little precipitation, the rain came in with a vengeance the other night (parts of town received three inches). As the storm blew away I traipsed out to the beach at Mustang Island State Park for an afternoon stroll.

It was completely empty. Mine were the only footprints on the sand. A pleasant switch from the crowds of summer and a small hint that the season is changing (even though the temperatures sure haven’t dipped yet).