Thursday, May 17, 2018

Wind, Kites and CQ

The wind, you always love the wind blowing in your hair and feeling so good.   Sometimes when we lived in West Texas the wind is a little, no a lot, excessive and if your hair isn't glued on by roots it might be flying by in the sky.  I chuckle at that sight, a hair wig flying by and you thinking that was an odd looking bird.   Sorry I picture some of these silly things I write about.  I have a friend we have tells us "skirt alert" when it is really blowing.   Good good alert. 

Down here in Rockport they get what they call Coastal Winds.   To us it is a little breeze but still feels good.  We have found out there is not enough humidity here to shake a stick at EXCEPT when the winds come from the water aka Gulf of Mexico.  Here it is the East, we are so turned around in our directions North, South, East and West.  Whew, we are glad that the sun still comes up in the East and sets in the West but it feels North and South to us.    We have also been educated that when the dew point gets above 60  humidity here it comes.  West Texas is dry dry dry so it is some getting use to with the humidity down here.  BUT------ we have refrigerated air and that is a good time to stay in and paint and read and just enjoy it all.

I can't remember if this event was the last of April or first of May but they have started a little kite fest here now.  So we did go check some of the kites out.

There is a large area by the bay and little beach that has no telephone lines and a great place for the kites.  The first part of the morning, of course, there was not much wind but then it picked up for the kites.   One side was designated for the professional kite flyers and the other area for the kids and non professional participants.   A line was marked all around the area so you wouldn't get tangled in palm trees or the one electric line on the area.  We did see a grown up get his kite wrapped around a line so good.  I mean really good but a lady came up to them and knew what she was doing about untangling the kite.  That was interesting to watch. 

Here are a few that had gotten up in the air while we were there and was a pretty site and the clouds did cooperate and came up to play also.   Not West Texas thunder  heads but pretty fluffies none the lest.





The wind did get up enough so this giant shrimp could fly around.



Now this whirly gig kite was pretty up but really needed  a strong wind to make it play good.  Behind the scenes is one of the motels in Rockport that is still not being repaired.  They have started to gut it now but will take time to get up to standards.



There were two of these turtles up in the sky and on the non pro side, pretty colorful 




This jelly fish was pretty easy to get up and the little boy below did an awesome job with a little help from Mom.   




I have been doing some beach theme Crazy Quilt blocks also  and thought the two would go hand in hand today.  This is the last one I have done and now to put a book together with the 6 blocks .


Of course I had to add seagulls and a turtle, well two turtles one a charm and one a little stitched one. this is a vintage image in the center that I got off the internet.  No reason to do these just something fun to do while watching the ball games.  This one took 4 ball games in time to do.   

I have been painting but keeping what I just finished a secret until the owner gets to see it. 

Thank you for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.  

                                                   xoxoxoxo
                                                    Annette

Thursday, May 3, 2018

The Sand Fest WARNING LOTS OF PICS

Hello out there, well poor April it got totally ignored this year.  Maybe I can make it up this month.   We are trying to take in some goings on around here.  I do have to say they have Fiestas in this area-- a lot.  We don't really go to them we are not crowd people.  Now at a football or baseball game the crowds are suppose to kind of sit in place but the crowds that mill around and dilly dally ( they are enjoying themselves though and that is why they came to the party) and push and shove are not for us.  Is there such a thing as hermit crowd goers?   Well we are that I guess.   It is good people watching though.  Do any of y'all like to do that?  People watch?   Sometimes Eldon will be in the car while I pop into a store and he will be laughing and would say oh you missed a good one today.    Maybe that is our hobby? 

This weekend we did venture out to Port Aransas, a ferry ride away.   We were told to go later Sunday afternoon  for the Sand Fest event,  so we did go then but don't think we waited late enough.  Now before the weekend, I think last Wednesday we ventured over to see the beginnings of the Sand Fest with the carving and setting up, just being nosy and   see what we could see. 

We did think we were in the twilight zone though when we went Wednesday, usually the ferry wait is quite lengthy, no other way to put it.  There was maybe a 5 minute wait to get loaded on one of the ferries.   Then we were waiting and thought oh no they tricked us we have a wait, the Ferry revenge.   No just a ship coming thru the waters and it is always interesting to see them and sometimes you even see people and proves the ship is not being run by robots.   I have thought of that you know. 





We did go in ole paint, it seems to be the fun vehicle and probably tells the steel stallion what a good time it has.  Do you name your vehicles? 

We wandered on the beach, I couldn't find a stick but did say Hi to y'all.  It was a beautiful day and we brought chairs and just felt good to be on our mini vacation.  Even brought some Granola Bars, semi healthy snack and of course water and wore hats.  I always cover up like a mummy when I go.  I do wish I would have started that practice when I was 14 and did the cotton chopping in the fields with no sun screen or anything.  BUT that was before they figured out the Sun was not our very best friend.  Oh but it is, it would be pretty cold here if it didn't share it's warmth.     


 We went to the part of the beach  where the carvings would be and here it is Wednesday mind you and they had already started this giant sand carving.  Seems like people come from all over the world to enter this event because the sand is so fine.  Now to us when you play in the sand and being that fine means it gets into every crook and cranny of your body but I guess that is part of the beach.   Right?   



They did have a "dump tractor" as grandson use to call them pushing the sand around for another sand creation.   I wish now we would have gone back before Saturday that the showing opened.  We will remember that next year.  


 After we scouted out the beach we went to Virginia's by the Bay to eat.  We had forgotten that we have eaten there several times before we moved down here but we just didn't know the name.  It was ok but like Moby Dicks better, just our taste I guess.   Now the ferry line was longer than on the Aranasas  Pass side.  This is what we call the double back side of the line after you get to the part where the workers wave you on.  I think you can see the end where it doubles back.  


                                      This was behind us, one of  my fancy side mirror shots.   


Now you remember the image when we first went over to Port A, well here it is finished.  Seems like they just had to do some carving and pretty up things to it.  It was mainly lots of sponsor ads the best I could tell but still very impressive.  The day was beautiful and a slight breeze which is good.  There were soooooooooo many vendors, we didnt check them out but I am talking a double row of the tents that went forever plus some more by the sand carvings.   

















They said the woman carved her side and the man carved his side and I think they met like last year and and have been together.  It might have been longer than that , it was interesting thought that the two carved these together and apart.


 \

This little guy was on part of this castle protecting it or not, maybe it was hunting for the cat?

                                                          
                                                       The backside of the castle

                              


                                                   The car from Back to the Future is below


 


                                                      The backside of the angel above




Oh I almost forgot the Ferry waiting on Sunday.  OMG  There are two ways you can get to the beach after you get off of the Ferry.  One thru town and the other a little bypass road.  Well the town line was horrible and so was the bypass road.  There is a turning lane you drive in for the Ferry only.  The line backed up FOREVER  and I am not kidding, took well over an hour and a half and finally made it to the staging area.  The poor traffic policeman  did not look very happy but did the best he could with a million and one cars waiting.  

There you go the Sand Fest, I took a pic of the pile of sand from above but guess it just melted away on the camera in never land?   

                       Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

Annette
XOXO