Saturday, 31 Mar 2012 - SPI

Roseate Spoonbill

White Ibis

Jeff - the best waiter on South Padre Island

This is our last night on the island and as sad as we are about leaving the sun and sand, we are anxious to get on the road and get home. We both miss our kids...big and little ones...our own beds, and 'home'.

We've spent as much time this week at the beach as possible. The weather has been idyllic, perfect for sitting in a beach chair with a book and absolutely no motivation to do anything else. I was so happy that we actually got to swim in the Gulf..the water had warmed up enough that after a couple of hours in the sun, the water was deliciously refreshing. I have to admit that I made Wayne walk out in front of me...I told him that if there were any sharks in the vicinity he had more meat on him than I did and was therefore much more edible. The only thing we saw was a larger fish chasing a smaller fish through the crest of a wave..but nothing that resembled a shark.

We spent the better part of the day packing. Wayne took the van over to vacuum a few pounds of sand from the interior. The sand here is best described as 'sticky' and clings to everything. This condo isn't huge but over two months, we have spread out everywhere so collecting it all and sorting it into what's needed over the next 10 days vice what isn't needed at all took some time. I'm convinced that in another life I was a bag lady as we have an incredible number of small suitcasey bags absolutely jammed with stuff. We both know that we over packed...we always do...but this time we outdid ourselves. Being the geeky pair that we are, the USB and re-charging cords, manuals and books, and other stuff filled one (or more) bags. Add to that all the stuff I've bought and it means some creative packing was the order of the day. That 7 ft artificial palm tree will be amazing on the pool deck though!

One of our most favourite restaurants on the the island is Yummies Bistro. It's only opened for breakfast and lunch and I often stopped there to eat after taking pictures at the boardwalk and Wayne would sometimes bike up from the gym and meet me. Their food was unbelievably good and they had some amazing salads (my muffin-top says I didn't eat those) and the home-made soup was to die for. I stopped in there yesterday to say goodbye as we had gotten to know the owners and staff quite well. I'll try to make a couple of their specialities when I get home but will sure miss those friendly faces. There were a few restaurants on the island that we really enjoyed.

We will stay in San Antonio tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to strolling along the Riverwalk and enjoying a nice dinner there. It's a beautiful city and as often as we've been there, I always look forward to the next time. It's like San Diego...you always want to go back one more time. Our trip home this time will take us through Oklahoma, Indiana, and Illinois...3 States we haven't been to before...although I have been to Chicago (and would go back in a minute). One of these days I'm going to get a map of the US and mark all the place we've been to. We aren't meandering much as we are going to Tim & Kim's for Easter, but we are going to try and get off the Interstate every once in awhile so that we can see some countryside and small towns and get a feel for the areas we are driving through. The Texas Bluebells are in bloom as well as other wildflowers so I'll be keeping an eye out for some of those big colourful fields. The cactus is also coming into flower and barring any interference from rattlesnakes...shudder...I may have to make a few stops along the way.

That's how we spent our final few days on SPI. I already have a list of things to do when I get home and expect to be a tad busy for the next 6 weeks. Should be interesting! Hope everyone is well at home and we are excited to see all. Until next time, love and hugs to all.

Monday, 26 Mar 2012 - SPI

On the Pinta with Nina just behind me.

Portugese Man-O-War. The tentacles give a terrible sting.

Caspian Terns

It was a glorious day on South Padre Island and we took advantage of it!

We were on the beach by 10:30 am and didn't leave until 4:30 pm. We drove quite a way down the North Beach and except for the odd car, had the place to ourselves. Unlike most beaches, people are allowed to pitch a tent and stay overnight and we've seen mid-sized trailers pulled in for a week or more. The interesting thing is that the wind blows constantly, which means the sand is always shifting and for the life of me, I don't know how they pull them out. The sand is very, very soft and after a week it has drifted up around the wheels of the trailer. Even with a 4 x 4 truck hauling the trailers, it would be difficult. Being Monday, there was a disturbing amount of garbage left behind by the weekend gang. We spend a lot of time at this beach and appreciate the sheer beauty of the place. It bothers me to no end that even after a few beers, people cannot seem to understand what happens to a bag of garbage left behind. Once the seagulls get at it, the wind takes over and one bag can cover a lot of area once opened. The local people, clubs, and Winter Texans are doing constant clean-ups in those areas that the town can't get at regularly. At the North Beach, which is outside of town, the cost to get on the beach is $4 and this year they added another $5 plus give each car a garbage bag. When you return a full bag of garbage you get $5 back. It's a great idea and I'd vote for raising it to $10 to make sure people are motivated to fill a bag. Oh, there are lots and lots of garbage cans as well and some of the garbage on the beach is the flotsam that comes in on the tide. Without a doubt, plastic water bottles are the #1 item....thousands (really) and thousands of them, and frickin' shoes! The only type of shoe I haven't seen (yet) is a stiletto but everything else. The sun was hot, the breeze was cool and it was a magnificent day.

We came home and showered and then headed out for supper and on to the movie to see Hunger Games. If you have read the books..and I did..the movie is good..not great. If you haven't read the books..and Wayne hasn't..the movie is a bit 'weird'. Overall, I enjoyed it and it clearly ends setting up the next movie in the trilogy.

We went over to Port Isabel yesterday to see the replicas of the Nina and Pinta that are on a North American tour. The Columbus Society raised the money to have these two built..they were Christopher's favourites of the 3..and apparently won't built the Santa Maria as it is much bigger and almost impossible to bring into most of the smaller habours they visit. These first two are very small ships and I can't imagine a crew eating and sleeping on them while spending months and months at sea. These replicas have a few more amenities the originals didn't and because they don't carry cargo, the crew does sleep below decks.

That's life on SPI. We are starting to talk about the trip home and what route we'll take. We are going through Oklahoma this time, which is a new place for us and hoping to get off the expressways and on to a few secondary highways through some of the smaller towns.

Hope all is well at home. I hear people are rummaging in the back of the closet for the heavy coats and boots they'd hoped were done for the year. Seriously....you thought that? Take care and until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

Friday, 23 Mar 2012 - SPI

Our own little piece of heaven

Beautiful beach shells in every colour of the rainbow

The little Sandpipers are so cute..and fast

I wonder if Interior Decorator's come to the beach for colour schemes. They should!

It's been a busy week (remember, 'busy' has a whole different meaning for us) and now that the mega-hordes of Spring Breakers have left, things are returning to normal. There's still a few bunches partying but not anywhere in the numbers of last week. As entertaining as the kids were, it's nice to have some peace and quiet in the hood. Next week is the Easter holiday in Mexico and many of them own places here so it will be busy with families.

The beaches have been packed on the weekends. There are some Spring Breakers but it's most Mexican families who come with tents and barbeques who come for the day. We were at the North end beach last Sunday and it was mile after mile of cars parked beside one another down the beach. The kids all go in the water, despite the chilly temperature and hundreds of radios playing traditional Mexican music are blasting. I tried to nap but the deep base music was even reverberating through the sand and there was no question of having a sleep. However, yesterday was a different matter....Wayne and I literally had the beach to ourselves although we had driven probably 10 miles down. It's like being on a desert island when all you can see around you are sand dunes and ocean and nothing else. The shells in that area are so numerous and from previous big storms or hurricanes, can be found 100 ft from the water. I could spend hours taking photos of all the different shapes and colours.

There's a sense of 'hurry' on the island and we've decided that it's all the Winter Texans trying to get all those things done on their list of 'things to do' before they get home. We are no different. Earlier this week we went to visit Dianne and Will Joudrey, friends of ours from Winnipeg, who bought a place in Weslaco, about 1 hr from us. We had 2 days of long happy hours, tremendous meals and lots of laughs. Poor Will was really suffering with a cold but trouper that he, wouldn't give in and ends up getting the 'Host of the Year' award. We walked across the bridge to Progresso, Mexico and I got some of those beautiful Mexican flower pots that I never had room to bring home before. The garden is going to look quite spectacular this year...for a number of reasons...and I was so excited to finally get them. Dianne even put me onto the 7 ft lighted palm tree I've been looking for over the past 5 hrs so all in all, it was quite a successful couple of days. Mind you, packing to go home may turn out to be a bit more challenging than packing to come here.

We've been trying to spend at least a good portion of every day at the beach. We are down to our last week and given the crappy weather we had in Feb, we have some tanning time to catch up on. Because there is always a breeze at the beach, it's easy to get burned so we slather ourselves really well before we go down. I know Wayne is very brown and I sometimes don't recognize myself in the mirror so I guess I'm tanned as well. We were at the beach this afternoon and I saw a couple standing by the water's edge. She dumped a bag of pink rose petals in the water and they stood there with their arms around another for a long while, watching the petals come in and go back out in the waves. It was clearly in remembrance of someone and I found it very touching. It can't help but make you think about all the people you miss having in your life.

Everyone talks to everyone here. Today Wayne was 'renovating' a big, beautiful alligator sculpted by the kids from sand and this woman came over to ask about it.  Within 5 minutes she had moved her, and her sister's towel over beside our chairs and proceeded to give me her life story. Wayne took off...bugger....and for the next hour I did not see that woman take a breath. Every story included the phrase "to make a long story short" until I was just about ready to poke a needle in my eye. As soon as Wayne came back I said we had to go and get ready for dinner so made an escape. Very nice people (her sister actually knew that Ottawa was the capital of Canada) but took 'friendly conversation' to a whole new level.

The bird migration south has just about finished and we will be long gone before they start the return trip in Apr-May. I've been to a couple of bird sanctuaries in the last week and there's not much to be seen. Because of the drought conditions in Texas, many of the birds went a bit further south this year.

We've been Skyping  with the family quite a bit and I can see some changes in the kids but I'm sure I'll be amazed when we finally get our hands on them. Gillian can sing her 'ABCs' and Tori is talking a blue streak..."Lookit my toes, Papa". It's all about Papa! Ty seems to be taller each time we see him. We'll head to Toronto from here and see that gang for a couple of days and then head for Ottawa and a very busy Spring ahead...leading up to a new baby girl in June. Lord, life is good!

We just got home from Gabriella's...the best Italian restaurant in the world...and I'm too full to go to the movie to see Hunger Games. The clothes are really starting to get tight and now I have first hand knowledge of what a 'muffin top' is all about. I know that's why my back is bothering me; extra weight and sitting in a beach chair too much. However, it will all end soon enough.

That life on SPI this week. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the nice weather stays long enough for us to see it when we get home. Keep in mind that we need some April showers for May flowers..but not too much! Until next time, take care and love and hugs to all.

Spring Break on SPI - 16 Mar 2012

Banner flying along the beach...some are very entertaining!

LOL - not very comfortable bed but at least he didn't try to drive home.

I'm halfway across the bridge in grid-lock traffic.

Man, where do these kids find the energy? I know all of us 'oldsters' have some history but except for a few of us, partying was pretty tame by comparison. I suspect some of it had to do with our parents....I was engaged to be married and my father locked me out because I wasn't home from my office party by 1 am. In my case however, my parent's concern for my welfare and safety was pretty much justified! Most of the gray hair they had was put there by me and reinforced by Scott and Corky.

The first blast of kids left yesterday (Thursday), which seems to be the rental time - Sat to Thurs. The weekend gang moved in within minutes of the places being cleaned so last night was their initiation to Spring Break. The girls downstairs looked pretty haggard as they packed up their cars and trucks--a few of them had staggard home from neighbouring places only a few hours before so I'm betting it was a long, quiet trip home for them. The new kids next to us are so nice..as most of them are. They came over to introduce themselves (they are from Ft Worth/Dallas) and said they were filling 2 units but if they got too noisy or out of control, to please let them know.  Then it was "Would you like a drink?" I woke up once through the night for a second and heard someone on the street but as usual, slept through any and all excitement. Our only concern was that they would decide to party around the pool which is right under our bedroom but there's too much else going on and none of them have made that area the party palace.

The local Baptist church has set up a huge tent in the parking lot and serves free breakfast every morning to the kids. They are full every day and I'm guessing it's probably the only solid food these guys get in a day. The teenagers from the church have also given up their spring break to drive vans and deliver kids to parties and home again, any time of day & night, also for free. I think the church brought in extra vans from surrounding churches as they have 20-30 on the road all the time.

Police presence is everywhere, including helicopters that go up and down the beach keeping an eye on both the water and the beach. They have lots of undercover cops wandering the streets and attending the big sponsored parties. In the morning, when I drive by the police station, I see the kids coming and going, either bailing friends out or paying code violation tickets. I had to laugh yesterday at the beach as one of the many  planes going by dragging banners read, "JAIL SUCKS - 956-383-4832 - JANET SMITH ATTORNEY".

Thankfully the beach is 2 minutes away as we are virtual prisioners on the island. I went to the wildlife preserve on the mainland yesterday and didn't start back until after noon. What would have been a 15-minute drive took me 2 hrs and most of that was spent sitting on the bridge crawling a foot at a time. I knew I was cutting the time fine but wanted to stop at Joe's and pick up some of the best crab cakes in the world for supper. I think (now) that they were worth the time spent in traffic. I expect the weekend will be nuts as every local who couldn't get here through the week will come for at least a day on the weekend. There are still a few universities that start spring break next week but the majority, and the largest, are done this week.

Now that Gail and Graham (G2) have left, Wayne and I are both trying to concentrate of losing some of the weight we gained while they were here. We had some fabulous meals but I think half of my recurring back problems are from the extra 15 lbs hanging on the front of my body and the rest from sitting on my rear end too much. In fairness to G2, I probably gained 7 of those pounds on the way down...I went into eating mode the minute we left Ottawa and hadn't stopped. However, Wayne is back biking and gyming and I'm no longer eating mondo-breakfasts and everything else I see.

We are heading to Westleco (2 hrs west of us) to visit with friends. Dianne and I worked for the same group...she in Winnipeg and me in Ottawa...but over 10 yrs we became good friends and often tacked a week onto business trips to travel together. It's funny how we can't get together in Canada but usually spend some time together in the winter while in Texas.

That's the day (so far) on South Padre Island. It's time for a cup of coffee on the front veranda and watch some of the kids stagger back to their cars and head to their own condos/hotels for some sleep before starting over again. Until next time, hugs and kisses to all. xx

Wednesday, 14 Mar, 2012 - SPI

Beach snack wagon...knew we should have kept the LuvMachine!

Seaweed on the beach....yucky!

Police patrolling the beach

It's been a busy couple of days on the island; not for us, of course - we're retired - but certainly for the thousands of kids here on Spring Break who are trying to live life as hard and as fast as they can in one week! Lord, I'm glad those days are over.

Our little street was the 'place to party' last night and if I could have collected even a nickel for every car that went back and forth, I'd have my holiday paid for. I can't lie, it's as amusing as hell to watch them and despite the generation gap, Wayne and I hoot and holler (that's the universal 'hello' this week) and we both gasp at the lack of clothing coverage on the girls....but for obviously different reasons! The girls don't wear anything but bikinis...day and night...the smaller the better. The downstairs crew seem to have a routine--they leave around noon, stagger home (and I mean stagger) around 4 pm, sleep for a couple of hours and then head out again. One of the girls lost the keys to her car the day she arrived so everyone has to manoeuvre around her...I'm not sure what's going to happen in a couple of days when it's time to leave. In the meantime, the girls strut, the boys oogle, the girls hoot, the boys holler, and I'm still aghast at the sheer amount of beer these kids can drink. I commented on the grocery cart filled with cases of beer the boys behind me were buying, that I wasn't seeing any milk, butter, bread, etc. Once of the boys said, "Well, I think there's a package of ham in here somewhere".  Every store, gas station, and liquor store has one or two trailer loads of beer in front trying to keep the shelves full.

We've spent the past two days at the beach. Yesterday we took a break from tanning and wandered down to our neighbourhood hang-out, Wanna Wanna, and lo and behold....it was Coors/Miller Lite Day. That meant free beer and cool sunglasses. Neither Wayne nor I are big beer drinkers but we quaffed one and people-watched for a bit before heading home. As the traffic started to get busier, I was sure we'd never get any sleep but our bedroom is at the back of the condo and we didn't hear a thing.

Today we packed a lunch and our kites and went to the North Beach. I guess I thought all the kids would be down at the South Beach in town where all the party stages have been set up....NOT!! The North Beach is the only location where you can take your car and drive along the beach and it was mega-crowded, but mostly with Mexican families and teens. When we left at 5 pm there was a long line-up to get in and someone said the bridge to the island is totally gridlocked. The water is warming up I guess as there were lots of people swimming. Unfortunately, a tremendous amout of seaweed has come in shore and while the town removes it...in town...the North Beach hasn't been touched. I suspect the water will cover it as the tide comes and goes but it doesn't make for a very nice shoreline...no shell collecting for a while. However, it would take a whole lot more than that to ruin a hot, sunny day at the beach for us and our tans are finally getting note-worthy after a miserable February.

 That's our day(s) on SPI, hope yours was as good. Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

Monday, 12 Mar 2012 - SPI

Feeding the gulls - Graham's favourite beach activity - it was fun!

We got Gail and Graham to the airport in Harlingen this morning for their 8 am flight. It meant we were up at 4 am in order to do the 1 hr drive (in the fog) and without rushing, they were still there before the ticket agent! We all agreed that despite more than a couple of days of rain and/or cloudy weather, we had all had a great time. Considering we are 'in-laws', had 14 days in the same condo, and all have a few different likes/dislikes, the fact that they can leave and we all say 'where did the time go', is a pretty great testiment to our friendship and regard for each other. I think we have agreed that we will head back to Puerto Vallarta next year...great weather is guaranteed!

The Spring Break extravaganza had officially begun and it's a sight to behold! When we were here 2 yrs ago in March, we really saw very little of the college-kid explosion. Not so this year! People renting condos must be anxious to get some rent as the kids are all around us...except immediately next door to us which is very nice...but the local calculation is that 90% of rental properties will be filled this week. Gail and I nearly split our sides when cars starting arriving in the driveway in the 2 condos below us and suddenly....bath mats took a whole long time to shake over the railing and it took both men to do it! Both condos have been rented by a large group of girls (all in the #9 category) and within minutes Graham had been invited downstairs to partake in the beer bong festivities. As we pulled out to go to dinner a bit later, both groups of girls had congregated outside, in their tiny-weenie bikinis, and suddenly Wayne just couldn't seem to get that van into reverse! When we got home, we weren't too surprised to find the duplex (filled with boys) next door, occupants filling their deck, as well as a couple of tailgate parties across the street (filled with boys) with all eyes glued to our condo. I waved at them and yelled out that we were the girls' parents and all visitation had to be approved by us! Probably didn't gain any points with the girls but I think they had already left and hit the bars. The beaches are MUCH more crowed with big sponsored parties going on everywhere and honestly, I'm looking forward to getting out there and watching some of the fun. The police presence is over-the-top and anyone with a badge has been empowered with search and arrest, including Wildlife and Health Inspectors...it's a hoot...and the County sherriff and his boys have also been recruited to help. I won't be going anywhere without my camera!

Wayne had been suffering with a terrible cough which wouldn't go away so a quick trip to the clinic got him some antibiotics and cough syrup. The Dr said he thinks it's an allergy...the 'Red Tide' is prevalent at this time of year and suspects that is the cause. It's been 3 wks and he's still got the bark which prevents him from getting his 5-hr sleep at night. Now that G2 have left, I expect one of us will be sleeping in the other room so that each of us doesn't disturb the other. It's supposed to be hot and sunny all week and perhaps a few days napping on the beach will help him.

We will be heading to Westlaco next weekend, about 2 hrs from here, to visit with friends who have bought a place there. It will be our last chance to visit as we leave on 1 Apr and start the trek home. It a coincidence...really...that there is a huge outlet mall a few minutes from their place and will probably be the final mega-shopping opportunity.

Both Wayne and I are struggling to get the button done up on our shorts. I don't need a set of scales to know that I've gained 10-15 lbs since leaving home. I was already on an eating spree before G2 arrived and Grahams love of a big breakfast at Denny's put me over the top...top of my pants that is! We had some spectacular meals while they were here but it's time to pay the piper. I see lots of long walks on the beach the next two weeks!

That's the latest from Texas. It appears that everyone is enjoying a warm spell at home and perhaps that will mean an early, warm Spring. I sure hope so! Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

Monday, 5 Mar 2012 - SPI

Wayne in his 'lounge' chair (look at that beach!)

Her Imperial Highness Gail Wells & consort (Graham)

I really AM on this holiday as well.

First and foremost, Happy Birthday to my sweet baby brother Colin. I know exactly how old he is but won't say it in case he's trying to pretend he's a few years younger! It seems as though I've always 'mothered' him and now that he's a Grandfather, I guess I can stop.

This was the kind of day that makes me fall in love with this island over and over again. The sun came out yesterday..just in time for the first shift of the kids arriving for Spring Break..and the sun shone right through today. Yesterday we went to the worst Flea Market (for WASPs) in the world...the best Flea Market in the world for Mexicans. It was all piles and piles and racks of used clothing and worse junk but many Mexicans drive across the border to shop here as it's cheap and they just can't afford to buy it at home. The guys did stop at the Burlington Coat Factory so we could cruise around there for a bit so the afternoon wasn't a total loss. We had been up early to go to church for 8 am so after Skyping with Colin, Jen and Gillian, we headed for Pizza Hut and were then not long in going to bed.

We'd already decided that this was going to be a beach day so we packed up and had a few glorious hours on the beach, flying our kites, reading, eating lunch and yes, even having a glass of wine. Life is pretty tough here!

A significant number of the Winter Texans have left--many of them who live closer to the town centre just cannot cope with the sheer number of Spring Break kids that will be arriving en masse next week. We live almost at the furthest end of town so don't see or hear them too much except for loud mufflers on muscle cars speeding down the highway at the end of the street, normally followed by police sirens. It will be crazy here though...at some points traffic coming over to SPI on the bridge is totally backed up and the police stop cars from coming over until more leave the island. I think we will go over the bridge one night later this week and stock up on groceries for the following week so we don't get caught up in that jam. Fortunately, we are content to walk down to the end of our street to the beach or up the beach to Wanna Wanna for a drink instead of trying to navigate our way around town so I don't think any of that will have much affect on us. Gail and Graham are here until next Monday and I expect the weekend here will be pretty wild. Fortunately they fly out early in the morning so the traffic won't affect us getting them to the airport. The kids might party all night but they sleep half the day.

Got to Skype with Kim tonight and see our babies. Lord, they are growing so fast. We will go around that way on our trip home and we are looking forward to seeing them all.

That was our day on South Padre Island and a darn good one it was! Hope all is well with everyone at home. Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx