Feb. 11-12 Night on the Hook

“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul” – Kate Chopin

We don’t get too many perfect days to take Texas Pearl out and anchor overnight. The wind in Rockport is constant and intense…making it uncomfortable to spend the night on the hook. But last week we found a wonderful day and we had a great time enjoying the sun, the water and the dolphins. The dolphins followed us from the time we left the harbor until we crossed the ship canal. They returned as soon as we anchored and entertained us all evening. 

We anchored close to Mud Island which is between Aransas Bay and the barrier island to the Gulf of Mexico. We took our dinghy down and paddled over to do a little exploring. I found lots of shells I can paint. I’ll save most of them to paint next winter. 

Our beautiful, comfortable Texas Pearl is a dock princess and she proved that to us again on this trip. Even with new batteries we had an issue with them giving us enough power to keep things going over night. Although we think we learned what we need to do the next time. Hopefully we have a chance to try again before we forget. 

We had planned to spend all morning anchored…enjoying our coffee and the view. But issues with power sent us home early. Those issues meant no coffee and no power to the refrigerator, so we headed back to the dock. The sunrise was as beautiful as the sunset, but soon after the sun rose the fog moved in. Making our return trip a little wet and less enjoyable. 

Leaving the marina on Wednesday.

The entrance to the canal leading to Rockport Harbor.

It felt nice to be out on the water.

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. The water in Aransas Bay in the winter is beautiful. 

I never tire of watching the dolphins swim in front of the boat.

Mud Island...not a lot to look at, but beach combing on an island only acceptable by boat is always better than a public place.

She's an old lady, but she still looks great at 45.

Not a ripple in the bay...a very rare sight. The extremely low tide gave us more treasures to find.

These clam shells make a great medium to paint. The people in Rockport will love them.

Happy hour on the top deck. Life doesn't get much better.

Good bye to a wonderful day.

The glow of Rockport behind us.

Good morning from Aransas Bay.

This is the entrance to the canal into Rockport Harbor on a foggy morning. Quite a bit different than yesterday.

Returning to the marina on Thursday morning. A bit different too...but still beautiful.

Family Christmas Visit

"When we make time for family, we're making memories that will last a lifetime." -Unknown

The best part of Christmas this year was having our whole family together. It's the first time the cousins have been together since January 2020. Kyle and his family flew down on December 26 and we spent the next week enjoying watching the kids play, taking family photos, playing games, swimming, doing crafts and eating wonderful food. The weather was perfect...sunny and in the mid 70s all week. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

Kyle rented a nice house in Key Allegro not far from Eric's house and the boat.

We enjoyed the house very much...inside and out.

We especially loved the view.

The cousins had a wonderful time together. I wish they lived closer so they could spend more time together. 

A beautiful Texas sunset.

The kids really enjoyed using the pool. Mostly in the evening after dinner.

Warming up by the fire pit and eating s'mores was just as fun.

We had a beautiful evening for family photos at the beach and on our boat. They're the first ones we've taken since 2019 and the first ones to include Hattie. Sunny Afternoon disappeared maybe maybe not

We were extremely lucky to have a few days with little wind so we spent one morning taking the boat out. We even anchored off shore for lunch.

The crew had a wonderful time.

And so did I.

Lunch on Texas Pearl.

We also spent two days at the beach soaking in the sunshine. What a great way to spend a December day.

We spent a lot of time playing games, football and doing crafts. Spending time with family is what I like the most.

Our last full day together was New Year's Eve and my birthday. I couldn't have asked for a better gift.

Back in Texas

"Only people who are not happy with themselves are mean to others. Remember that." —Unknown

We had a wonderful fall in Pennsylvania with perfect weather and lots of fun time with family. If we're lucky this trend will last through our winter in Rockport.

Our drive south was pretty uneventful. The only issue we ever experience is the traffic in Houston. It doesn't seem to matter when we come through...the middle of the night or rush hour...it just sucks. We took the Sam Houston toll road this time and missed some of the chaos. We stopped for dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in town before tackling the boat. 

Our dehumidifiers didn't work this year so the mildew was crazy. I had to wipe down all the walls, doors and cabinets before I could go to bed. After a few days of cleaning and doing laundry we are looking back to normal.

Our first Rockport sunset of the season.

We've been waiting since last March to have these wonderful shrimp rolls at Latitudes. We tried all summer to make them, but we couldn't even get close.

The evenings have been beautiful, but the days are still a little too warm for us.

The view from our top deck.

Our Texas home is a beautiful place...at least in the winter. These wonderful photos were taken by John Martell. Looking out into Aransas Bay toward Rockport Beach. 

Looking towards town.

Looking south.