Mid trip cleanup ....

The weather is finally beginning to change for the better. It is time to do a wholesale clean up in preparation for the second half of our trip. The outside of both truck and trailer are washed and we still want to shampoo carpets and chairs while the temperatures are in our favour. It is probable that we may move on by the beginning of January. If the weather cooperates we would like to take the time to enjoy crossing Texas and New Mexico. If not we will be in Arizona before we know it. If that turns out to be the case I will still be happy and feeling like we have come home. The warm, dry desert climate draws me forward. It has been a difficult couple of weeks. On one hand we would like to explore this Coastal Bend area of the Gulf but weather has been against us so far and has left us with mixed feelings about staying beyond December.

 

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Still Grey and Cold, but We're Going Out!!

It's still grey and cold and I'm starting to have to dig deep for a blog posting. So here goes.....had an early lunch and went into town. Going to buy enough wine to last us through Christmas til year end so we won't have to deal with seasonal shortages, God forbid. Our local Texas food chain, HEB, has the best prices even beating Walmart. Always nice to be able to shop local and get a good price.
The afternoon is cool and overcast so we drive out to Key Alegro, a peninsular community of very expensive, very big and mostly empty vacation homes. Each road ends with a circular turnaround so every home has a regular driveway and front entrance. The unique part is they all have a canal for their back doors.

After last nights strong winds there appears to be a lot of maintenance companies cleaning up Palm tree leaves. I think we have have seen more service vehicles in this community than anyone that looks like a resident. The odd home has Christmas decorations so we have to assume people are living there or at least down for the holidays.

A different take on the label "Trailer Trash". There is definitely not a trailer in this community, not even of the travel type, only boats of every size and style that you would see in any affluent marina. Only these boats are all tied up at the back door ready to head out into the Gulf.
We've been told that George Strait has a home here and from descriptions given we think this might be it behind a very high, solid wall. The picture doesn't do its size justice and we didn't see him out and about. Too bad:) that would have been an exciting addition to a pretty tame afternoon!

It was an enjoyable couple of hours looking at all the unique shapes, colours and styles of homes. Some people have detached garages, this house has a three story detached sundeck probably with a clear view of the Gulf of Mexico and all the oil rig platforms. Not a pleasant sight in the daytime but lit up at night might look pretty. We'll never know.

My version of some of the colours along a road that had an empty lot so we were able to see through to the other side. I could picture our RV sitting on the grass here with Bobs Jon boat and a couple of kayaks tied up....just sayin'....

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Inside again:(

A warmer night, but today we have rain/showers and the start of wind that will produce the 'Wind Chill Advisory" for tonight. Laundry, showers, reading and working with our pictures and journal. The day goes by quite quickly considering.

We have a few more days of cold weather, cloud and showers until by Friday we may see light at the end of the tunnel. Our joints are complaining as is our emotional well being. We need sunshine!!

We watch the preliminaries on the news to Mandelas funeral tomorrow in Johannesburg.

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Getting Out

It might have been a bit warmer last night. Right now it's a little hard to tell. We have our coffees, do our morning chores and are off on a circle route taking 1 of the 6 little 25 car ferries that cross Redfish Bay to Port "A" ( Aransas ) on the long strip of land called Mustang Island. Port Aransas is definitely a summer vacation community. It has all the seafood eateries, hotels, motels, funky souvenir shops, marinas with boat tours and fishing charters that all visitors require for a memorable vacation.

As we have found all along the Gulf coast there are old little shacks right next door to homes that are most likely owned by millionaires and used for only a few weeks each season. Should we consider buying here? Probability of resale? lol

It is a mixed blessing doing this trip on a Sunday as traffic is minimal but then a lot of things aren't open. It is still cold and overcast making the beaches and water look lonely.

The marinas are full of winterized yachts and very few people are about. We spend an hour walking through the Corpus Christi Trade Center. It sounds impressive but turns out to be a Hispanic flea market. We are the only non Hispanic people in here. Benefit is its warm so we wander through all the aisles. It is now one of the last Christmas shopping weekends and as the day progresses this place starts to really fill up. Piñatas, perfumes, toys, all manner of leather goods including very cool western boots, fancy clothes and bling, bling, bling...

We drive through different areas of Corpus Christi and it's waterfront deciding it deserves a second look another day. Today has really been just about our need to get out after 2 days in the RV.

We followed this vehicle for half a block wondering why? Is this just an example of a Cadillac owner protecting his car from parking lot buggy banging.....just askin', lol.....

Even Santa needed to get out from his workshop, giving those reindeer a rest while he vroom, vrooms around on his trike:)

We are back late afternoon to another easy meal of clam chowder, fresh "bollilos", and more football.

 

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Cabin Fever

We are now spending our second day inside. It is amazing how fast you can forget what blue sky and warm temperatures feel like. Warm pants, socks, fleeces and heaters are the comfort levels for today. We never saw the sun and only went outside to take out the garbage and wipe the moisture from between the screen and outside doors. A lazy 'winter' day watching college football, journaling, eating our clam chowder and hoping the cold temperatures will pass quickly.
Our small community of 3 RVs plus our resident owners were all pretty quiet today. Everyone is hunkered down enduring this unseasonably cold weather.
We definitely will be going out tomorrow no matter what the weather brings. The plan is to go to Corpus Christi about a half hour drive southeast to a large indoor market.
We would really like our warm Southern temperatures back!

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Into the Deep Freeze, Texas Style

Yesterday we did a little shopping and looking around in town before we might be housebound with the cold front coming ....pretty much the whole continent is experiencing this unseasonal cold, icy weather. Its all they are talking about on the news. Could be record breaking temperatures for southern Texas.

It was windy but still warm as we walked Rockport's waterfront park. Their art center was open with a display of art work by local artisans. There is a plein air group that meets every Thursday and possibly some opportunity to take drop-in classes for watercolour painting. A new schedule wil be available next week. Right before Christmas is not the most opportune time to be looking for classes. The new year will probably be better. But will we be here?

Today we are having an inside day building a big batch of clam chowder. We have brought the clams from home and have been waiting for the perfect time to do this. Today is that day. We went from 80 deg yesterday to a high of 44deg today. From running the air conditioner to running two heaters. There is talk within the RV that we may be moving on to warmer temperatures in Arizona. Ten days in to our "two months" lol..... Hopefully the weather will warm up and we can still spend our time here in comfort as we planned.

But for now we are having delicious chowder, we're warm while the wind blows and we wait to see what tomorrow brings us. I feel we are very lucky to be this comfortable and can only feel for those less fortunate in an area unused to these severe temperatures.

Have spent another productive day catching up with my journal. Today I am back in ' Missipi '....painting, collaging and remembering all the music, the people, and the history. Sometimes its hard to believe how far and fast we have traveled. But when the weather turns like this we know we made all the right decisions to keep moving. Memories are strong and deep, my only regret is we didnt have more time.......

 

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Fishing?

We headed out with all our fishing and painting supplies by 8:30. Lunch packed ready for a long morning. Unfortunately the fog didn't lift and visibility on the pier was limited. I sat in the truck sketching and continuing my catch up journaling.

Bob is out there somewhere in the fog, the only person fishing on the pier this morning....everyone says the winter fishing is good, so why isn't anyone else here? We don't know, we are newbies to the area.

Unfortunately the fog didn't lift so we headed home, fishing waiting for a better day. We now have a new neighbour in the park, full timers with South Dakota plates. Licence plates with the number 43, which indicates non residency with only a mailing address in the state.This we know from our friends, the Kormendys, who are actual SD residents.

As we return home the fog lifts and the heat and humidity return. It seems everyone is closed inside with their air conditioners running. It is really the only way to combat the moisture that permeates everything inside. It is a climate we have to get used to after our winters in the dry desert of Arizona. Can we do it? We talk about it everyday.

Dinner tonight is BBQ steak and gulf prawns. As the shrimp shucker, I now have a new gadget. It removes the shell and also deveins them. Works like a hot dam and only cost $2.49.

The days are short at this time of year and we are one week into settling in to a stationery life style. There is so much for us to see and do so we have to be patient and learn how to stop. Hopefully we can do this.

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