Thursday, February 26, 2009

Leaving Rockport.....

Today will be my last walk here by the water. Tomorrow first thing we will leave for Kerrville which is in the Hill Country of Texas. While there, some friends from St. Louis are coming down and joining us for a few days. We will spend a day in San Antonio, a day touring the Johnson Ranch and the Texas White House, and then some time touring around other little towns...and the guys will play some golf too.

So thought I would take you along on my daily walk...which I have really enjoyed. Remember to click on the pictures if you want to see them bigger. I leave the campground and cross the highway, then cut down this path to the water. The path is where a natural gas pipeline runs.....I guess it's origin is out in the Gulf of Mexico. I walk by Aransas Bay. Only at the top of this hill going down the path toward the water, do you see all the islands which border the bay. They are about 6 miles out and are only accessible by boat. Sometimes the water in the bay is calm, as it was on some of these pictures...but more often it is choppy with small waves lapping against all the culverts and concrete "stuff" they have dumped there to shore up the shore. Every day I see loons, pelicans, egrets, gulls, and ducks. I have tried to take pics of them, but they are either moving too fast, or too far away to get them! It is usually pretty windy on my walk.

These pics show the bay and the road I walk on....hate the wires! How ugly are electric wires! Wish they were all buried!


On one side of the road is the bay and on the other side houses. Some are big and fancy with pools and big decks, some are more modest and some are all boarded or shuttered up, kind of run down and don't look as if there is anyone living in them.






The small scrub live oaks are all bent over because of the prevailing winds. It is very, very windy here most days. People have told us that this is the windy time of year. It is nice when the temp is in the 80's as it has been the last couple of days, cause it never feels really hot.











Most of the houses have wonderful piers build far out into the bay. Some are elaborate with rails and benches and thatched roofs with bars under the roofs. Those just say to me "let's have a margarita out here!" Some are simpler. All have gates and signs saying "Private pier...no trespassing"


My walk takes about a half hour down by the water. I usually feel very refreshed when I am done. There usually are other walkers, runners and bike riders which I pass or who pass me. The road is a nice paved road, but a bit narrow for two cars to pass. There is no sidewalk. One of my pet peeves is when cars do not pull over (when they can) to the other side of the road when they pass me, forcing me off the road. I love the people who do...and who even stop when a car is coming toward them and let it pass, so as to not force me off the road. One of my secret likes is the smell of diesel fuel as pickups go past me!
Here is the sign warning of the gas line. I pass by it on it's right...go over the hill and there is our campground right across Highway 35.
I will miss this place...the towns are cute and quaint and really not very touristy (compared to Florida). But I will not miss the winds...or being next to a small airport where helicopters come low over us every morning and every evening taking workers out to the oil fields. Very noisy! Less noisy but also annoying are the small planes...lessons have got to be being given (hopefully not to potential terrorists!) cause the same small red and white plane goes over time and time again. We also have been told that border patrol goes in and out of here in both planes and choppers, searching the Gulf for illegals in small boats. All in all....very noisy!


So we will leave Rockport in the AM. Will try to blog as much as possible while we are in Kerrville but we will be pretty busy, so there may be stretches without anything written. Thanks to all of you who follow us and read this often...and those who leave comments or send us emails about the blog. We are having a ball doing it...esp Mike. It has brought out his inner writer!! Love to all....Judy












1 comment:

  1. No, Thank you for taking me along on this journey with you. times I felt I was right there with you; except the wind here is MUCH colder. travel safe. love all the pictures, the homes, etc. yes even Mike. Hal

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