Too Much To Do

Rockport, Texas

A big time shopping trip to Corpus ended up taking most of the day. Since my feet are such a goofy size, buying shoes is usually a major task. 9 ½ EEEEE(yes 5E) is not a common size. EEEE is usually what is the closest available. In Academy today they actually had choices of styles in EEEE for me. In the end the chosen style was, for a change, not the most expensive shoe in the store. The color is a plain grey and they are adequately comfortable. Those are pretty legs HUH?
The next big surprise was being able to purchase very small fish hooks to have fun catching the small perch that hang out around the piers and make excellent redfish and trout bait. These hooks have been in short supply around here for a couple of months. Now some perch jerking is in order.

Then some gel insoles were in stock for my worn out feet. My feet no longer have fat pads like normal folks under the joints. Gel pads have been wonderful for my foot comfort for the last few years.

And last but far from least was another anchor for the yak. The smaller size, one and one half pound that was tried was not enough. The new anchor is a three pound model like the was used on the last yak. Even the three pound model is small. In this picture a lighter is included to give a size comparison. The line in the picture is the anchor line. In shallow water yak fishing, a float is on the anchor line so when a large fish is hooked the anchor can be released and the yak moves away to help in landing the fish. After the fish is in control, the yak is paddled back to the float and the anchor retrieved.
And in the afternoon a good bit of time was spent visiting with DebiB, where my yaks were purchased, and checking up on her chemo treatments. She is a great lady, who in spite of chemo treatments, is still running the store daily. If you want info on a yak, Jerryb’s kayaks is the place to go. Competitive pricing, excellent service and perfect advice. That is an impossible combination to beat.

Tomorrow the golf course is open again. Now the options are:
1. Play golf ( or at least pretend to)
2. Walk the memorial park paths
3. Walk the beach here in town
4. Ride a bike at Aransas National Wildlife Reserve
5. Ride a bike at any of several other locations
AWW forget it, there are too many places and things to do a list.

Stay tuned to see which foolish things are done while trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Rock Birds

Rockport, Texas

A very eventful day has me worn out tonight. The morning walk at Memorial Park was progressing nicely when what should appear but a sign with great news.
Apparently the park is going to be expanded. Hopefully the expansion will be as well done as the current park. This one has to rank with the best that has ever been in my life. That will be exciting to see how it turns out. With good fortune the walking paths will be extended. Right now one loop is about 1.9 miles. It loops through the ball, soccer and basketball fields. The turtle ponds and some wooded area with benches, an exercise trail and many day use tables are also part of the things passed while making a loop.

Then this evening the local golf course was given a chance to whap me around. Now my body has been whapped very well and has more sore muscles than exist in my body. Or seems that way. My golf pull cart and I started on the course about five pm, but the heat was still bad. My shoes fell apart about half way through at the most distant point from the Truck possible. So my feet are especially sore for now. But is all good because I am still alive to be sore.

By the time my shower was finished and my body clean enough to stand, it was late so the choice was made to eat at a Mexican food restaurant that seems to have decent food normally. It was good tonight.

Since the heat had eased off a bit, a swing by the Rockport marina was chosen. The evening was turning out nice with a hint of a nice sunset in the making. A parking spot at the artists school building was taken. They have a very pleasant area there with sculptures and benches. It seems that a very pleasant half hour passed while my mind and body was enjoying the scenes around me. Several pictures were taken that turned out to be not so great when downloaded. But two of them were nice.

The art school building and the moon made a pleasant scene to my eye.
Then out in the sculpture garden, my tired body plopped down in the grass to witness the sunset explosion of colors. This “artsy” picture was my contribution to art for the day. The bird sculpture is really neat to see in good light as well as in this picture.
When the daylight is so late fading into darkness, then you can find yourself writing your blog a lot later in the night than you would like. But that is a very small accommodation to make for the happiness of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Old Man And The Fish

Rockport, Texas

Since a yak is in my life again, checking out possible launch points are now also part of my life. While down at the public launching ramp at Cove Harbor south of Rockport, there were two non-power boats out near the Intracoastal Waterway. There is a lot of marsh between my vantage point and the boats. This paddler was still making his way out to the fishing grounds. He was doing a lot of walking since the water was barely ankle deep.

Finally he made it out to the ICW and began fishing. My binoculars were back in the truck so seeing how it was going was not possible, RATZZZ.

A few minutes later this craft came out from behind some taller grasses on the island. It appeared to be a canoe at first sighting. The fellow stopped a few times and fished. Once again it was too far out for me to determine if there was nay catching going on. In a bit he was moving again with a strange paddling motion.

When he finally emerged from behind the grasses, it was apparent he was rowing the canoe. That is something that has passed through my head a few times. Rowing instead of paddling???

After a good while he had passed the white yak and anchored at a chosen location and started fishing again. Still too far away to see if any fish were coming aboard. RATZZZ again.

The vantage point for me was the fish cleaning table and shelter. A man and his boat pulled up to clean fish. We said our Howdys as room was made for him to get to work. He was a very nice fellow and only 82 years old. He fishes six days a week and gives most of the fish fillets away. He fishes exclusively for red fish. Here he is with today’s limit of fish.

He left his house at four pm he said. Stopped to catch some finger mullet with his cast net. Then launched his boat and went to Estes Flats. Watching him fillet the fish with his electric knife was interesting. He had it down to a science. He finished up said goodbye and was gone.

It was now not quite six pm. Leave the house at 4pm, catch bait, fish, clean fish and head home by 6 pm. Now that is a fellow who know how to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Low Tires

Rockport, Texas

My eyes opened about 7:20 am this morning. What happened to the 6 am alarm that was set???? OOOPS it was set for 6 pm. The senile old fat man brain strikes again. Now what???? Just go ahead with the original plan to go for a bike ride. Breakfast and then things were gotten ready and off to the Goose Island State Park (GISP). The park and the area around it are nice roads to ride. Live oak trees abound and usually make for shady riding and protection from the prevailing strong winds.

Flash the parks pass and in to the day use parking place. Sturdy Steed was removed from the Truck and the very soft tires were noted. After the front wheel was attached, the air pump came out to refill the tires. They were at 20 pounds and need to be at 65 to carry my fat body. The air pump is a good one and did not take long to get the tires up to pressure.

A thorough but quick verification on the rest of the bicycle and everything was ready to roll. It has been a long time since Sturdy Steed has carried me around.

The initial plan was to loop all the roads in the park to be certain everything was in good working order then head out to the rest of the roads. It was all in good shape except for the moder. It was less than the best ever. The road wound down by the pier and then up into the inland trees.
The early symptoms of the day was the nearly slick as glass water in the bay. That is not a good sign for bike riding. The loop into the camping area in the trees was pleasant enough. The temperature when the ride started was only 88. The sun was beating down with great vigor, however. The shade from the trees had a good feeling. The 135% humidity and dead still air did not feel good. In short order my body was dumping water by sweating profusely. My sweat band could not keep up with the head runoff and the sweat kept getting into my eyes. OUCH DOUBLE OUCH with the sunscreen in the sweat.

By the time the route returned to the Truck, it was time to shut down. Trying to ride the adjacent roads through the dense trees this morning would have been miserable if not fatal. The roads of the park gave a ride of a few miles as this picture shows.
It was only a bit after ten am when the Truck was ready to leave. Riding a bike is really nice usually. Where the Truck was parked was this cute pretty flower. It is so small that it would not have been seen if my keys had not been dropped right next to it.
This ride will need to be repeated when there is wind or cooler temperatures. The park was filling rather quickly with the weekend folks out trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Fun-o-meter Broke

Rockport, Texas

The Fun-o-meter hit the top end peg and bent the needle this morning about a mile and a half out from the launch point. The launch went very well and the new yak did not dump me-----yet. It is not so sedate as the other was. However it is a lot faster and tracks very straight. In fact in the maneuverings and tracking departments, it is the exact opposite of the first yak. This one wants to go straight and fast. It accelerates quickly and glides rather well. Turning is not a strong point. A major difference apparent immediately is that this hull is a LOT quieter going through the water. It is so quiet that it has the name of Sneaky Devil for now. Can you imagine the excitement one can cause by sliding quietly up to a bird or fish that did not hear you coming??? HE HE HE.

The launch site was a dedicated yak site south of Aransas Pass city next to the aquatic center. The previous yak was tried out here also. This gives very good comparison chances.

The marsh holds the wind off you so you get a chance to get used to the boat before you HAVE to paddle well. Sneaky showed his stuff right away in sneaking up on birds. These pictures were taken all over the place and each bird was very surprised at our closeness when the picture was taken. This bird was trying to run through the bush to get away.



Most of the bird pictures were taken at a range of about ten feet.

After a short getting used to each other time, Sneaky and I headed across the Intracoastal Waterway for the closest island and the open bay waters. With the previous yak, getting over to the first island was a significant chore in time and effort. It was designed for close quarters maneuvering and not cross country touring. Sneaky shot out of the mouth of the marsh and zipped on over to the island in very short time. WOW was my response. Before you knew it this was the view from past the island. The launch point is way back left behind the marsh background.
Notice all the grass in the water. Some places it was so thick that Sneaky was dragged to a stop. The water in this pic and the previous one is about three feet deep. The next picture shows how thick the grass can be. It stops about four inches below the surface.
Scattered all over the area are oyster reefs. You could gather a nice meal from them if you liked oysters. Oysters are the only thing from the ocean that are not on my diet plan. They taste like gasoline to me. YUKKKKK. However the reefs are great places to catch fish frequently.

There were literally thousands of fish working all over the area. Mainly it was mullet, but scattered in were predator fish blasting the schools of mullet often. Perhaps some fishing is due soon. The RV park has a nice upright freezer to store your fillets in until they can be eaten. Of course the trouble down here is that the catching is usually frequent enough that you do not keep many fish. For me a keeper red fish would yield six or more meals. Of course my catching has not been very much since more time is spent sight seeing than fishing.

This trip also proved the value of wading boots instead of water shoes. That will be the next purchase. Man, it can be tiresome getting out and trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Yak Rigging

Rockport, Texas

Sometimes things do not go as planned but still end up ok. The plan was to rig out the yak in about an hour and go paddle. The rigging went on until a bit after three pm and still is not finished. Everything had choices to make and some things will have to wait. A reason this yak was chosen was because there is nearly no built in storage and none inside the hull. So everything will be in the cockpit.

On my mini-x there was a hatch to allow storage inside the hull. These types of yaks do not have foam flotation in them. They rely on the inner and outer hull staying intact so the inner hull will not flood and allow the boat to sink. This is not acceptable to me. In the mini-x to get to some of your gear on the water you would have to open the hatch exposing the inner volume to water entry. That opening was about ten by fourteen and could catch a lot of water from a wave splashing aboard. The concept of the yaks is that the cockpit floor is slightly above the water line with scupper holes through the cockpit floor and out the bottom of the boat. That way the yak is self bailing if water splashes aboard.

It works great, but out on the water opening a hatch can get you to sinking if water comes aboard. My mini-x had had some pool noodles put inside the hulls for positive foam flotation so that even in the event of a hatch getting flooded, the yak would stay afloat. The yaks with hatches tend to have the cockpit full of intrusions to allow room for storage between the cockpit and the hull. This yak has only one small hatch and it is located where it would be nearly impossible to while on the water. This is a much safer design to me. However as soon as some pool noodles are spotted, they will be purchased and added to yak to make my mind feel better.

Other choices on rigging will have to wait until some water time is under the keel. Then more rational decisions can be made. An example is where to carry my fishing rod. Most folks carry them in a vertical holder that causes the rod to add to the wind resistance and chance of tangling with trees. Since my yak will be a fresh and salt water rig, trees do have to be considered for fresh water.

Another concern is that for now, the expectation is that the rig will do a lot more touring than fishing. So the yak has to be rigged for more than one use. Those folks that only do one thing with their yak are missing out on some of the fun available.
The yak seems like it will carry the paddle on the right side very well. If not then the paddle can normally just be dropped over the side to flat along with the yak and attached with it’s tether.
After researching a lot on the internet, it was decided to try using bags on the front and back of the seat. Searching through all the spare parts and bags in the Castle yielded two bags that will work and some buckles. Wire ties were used to attach the buckles to the seat and the whole assembly fits nicely.


Carrying my water bottles will be another chore to solve. Carrying the fishing rod and water bottles will be part of the on water decisions to be made. The hope is to get the yak on the water in the morning since all the required safety stuff has been done. Then decisions and options can be figured out while trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Pocket Parks

Rockport, Texas

For some unknown reason sleep would not happen until after 2 am last night. Thus a late starting morning for me. Wal-mart was the first stop to get a few things. As it worked out only two things were purchased.

In Rockport there are lots of small pocket parks in corners of land around commercial buildings. Here is one in the parking lot of the Wal-mart. It is cute but not often used.

Installing the purchase from Wal-mart was the big high of the day. It took three attempts to get it into a good location. Under the picnic table was first, then next to the fence and finally on the post. Now it is visible from the Castle and never in direct sunshine.
The afternoon eased on along. A conversation with Brian, an owner, about how laid back and lazy a person can get around her in Rockport was interesting. Water sports are all year here. It seldom gets cold enough for more than a light jacket. Even when it does, the cold only lasts a day or so. The first year here was frequently t shirts and shorts. Last January in Port Aransas about fifteen miles south had many t shirt and shorts days. That Rver attitude of “If you don’t get it done today there is always --------- next year” can easily happen in this town.

Finally it was supper time. Off to eat BBQ. The Truck chose Mac’s place to try out tonight.
The front porch and steps had roofing nailed down on them for slip proofing. That is a bit unique to me.
The food was decent and the atmosphere very coastal. There was a lot of great prints from famous coastal artists hanging on the walls. They were fun to enjoy while eating.

For a relaxing finish to the meal, a short few block trip to the main pier was taken. The wind was polishing the stainless steel hand rails with great vigor when the team arrived. It was not much fun to stand in with the entrained salt water blasting your skin. A few pictures were taken but do not really do justice to the way the wind was ripping through the area at the waterfront.


The wind grew tiresome quickly, so we came on back to the Castle to write this blog entry. Now it is resting time to recover from BBQ’s attempt to give me a major case of swell belly. Man O Man this is hard work trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Enjoyable Book

Rockport, Texas

How long has it been since you started a book right after breakfast and ended up relaxing with it all day long???? Today was my turn. The book was finished about five pm this evening and was totally enjoyed all the way through.

Then a short slow walk around part of the walking trail at Memorial Park happened. The exercise equipment even got a close look at what is available. To top off the walk, a pit bull walking a fellow came over for a good petting. It cannot get any better than this for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Flapping Gull

Rockport, Texas

A small bit after nine am, the team started to roll. Carol came running out to tell me goodbye and the owner Laurence caught me to say good bye. There is a lot of nice folks at Laguna Shore RV.

The roads were very lightly traveled this morning and the trip went very smooth. The Quiet One RV Park was entered about ten fifteen and getting into the site went very well.

After a little visiting with Brian, Mary Ann and Rhonda, the set up went well and the Castle is level and steady. There was even time to trim back a couple of branches that hung out to nearly touch the Castle. The shade is wonderful. The high temperature today in the shade for a couple of hours was 92. That did not get that high until around three pm. This picture is frosty since procedure of letting the camera temperature equalize from the ac to the outside was neglected due to senility of the operator.
There are some flowers around the area. Immediately across from the Castle is Mary Ann’s home with these nice shrubs putting on a show for every one to enjoy.
A small amount of time was spent near the bay shore this afternoon, which resulted in a never before seen before by me event. The was a seagull pecking at a dead fish. The gull was jerking very hard at a piece of skin. It even seemed the gull was getting frustrated after a few tries. Finally the gull gave a MAJOR HEAVE HO and the skin tore loose from the fish causing the gull to flip totally onto his back. A brief flurry of wings, feathers and water and the gull was in good shape. Here it is still working on supper.
My decision was to stay here two months to allow the heat in Texas to subside somewhat before deciding on what is next. For much of Texas August is the hottest month, so waiting until September to roll may end up being very wise. Meanwhile the yak needs baptism.

Wal-mart even got a little of my money this afternoon. After searching the coastal fishing forums, it was a consensus that Super Snook Jr in bone and another in a lime green/ white would be good floating lures to use over the grass beds in this are. Now all that is needed is to get the yak into the water and use the new lures.

It looks like a whole new set of ways to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Nice Neighbor

Last night at Flour Bluff, Texas

Last night after publishing the blog entry, a conversation with the nice lady named Carol in the site next to me resulted in me showing her my three main walking spots in the area. We finished the tour at the Packery Channel north jetty where this picture was taken.

She was very entertaining and delightful company for the walk. She has moved to Corpus to go to work. Her first day is Monday. Good luck to you Carol.

A few things were prepared for tomorrow’s move. The unnamed yak was loaded and tied down. It was a lot easier the second time to get it up top. Now if it will come down next time more gently than the last time. The couple of odds and ends that were loose were corralled and put into the proper storage spot.

Late in the afternoon a ride down to the Mustang Island State Park was taken. WOW that place was busy. A short walk into a volunteer trail in the bay side marsh yielded nothing worthy of taking a picture.

Upon return to the campground from that trip, my vehicle washing brush was hooked up and the Truck given a good rub down to get the salt accumulation off its paint. After that it was just be lazy time. Carol had been out trying to have fun. When she returned, we had another nice conversation.

Tomorrow will be rolling time which is always exciting. The Truck is already backed up under the Castle’s hitch ready for action. If things go as usual, we will roll out about nine am. The tow is a bit more than one hour, so everything should be set up and lazy time in full kickback mode by lunch time. Sounds like a great plan for the start of the new adventure in trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.
　
　

My Recipe Style

Flour Bluff, Texas

Two chicken breasts chopped into cubes your preferred size
One bell pepper chopped into pieces your preferred size
Celery chopped to your preferred size, several stalks as you choose
Edamame beans in your preferred quantity
Baby carrots chopped to your preferred size, as many as you want
As much rice of any type as you prefer
Chicken bouillon cubes as desired
Chili pepper powder to your taste
Garlic powder to your taste
Large cracked black pepper to your taste
As much water as the rice will need to cook
Some buttermilk pancake mix for thickening
Anything else you like

Take large pot of size of your choosing. Cook the chicken in the pot so the juices stay in the pot. Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. After twenty minutes taste and adjust to your taste. Simmer for another thirty minutes. Have a bowl for supper and enjoy the flavors you have chosen. Package the rest for freezing and fantastic quick meals in the near future.

That is about as exact as my cooking gets. Exact recipes are for other folks. This certainly made the trip to the grocery store worth while this morning, except for the oops on forgetting an onion.
Now the laundry is done and put away. Tomorrow is check all the critical things like tire pressures, lubing the hitch, etc in preparation to moving to The Quiet One RV Park in Rockport, Texas for the next month. The shade at the Quiet One is attracting me there with all this heavy sunshine.

About two weeks ago, the battery charger was unplugged. Since then the Castle has been running all the 12 volt things off the batteries. The batteries are usually full charge again before noon. My AM Solar panel and controller are doing a great job. Shortly the laptop computer charger and main fan and maybe the TV will be hooked to an inverter. That will leave me with only the microwave and A/C to run on 120 volt shore power. Once the money has been spent to have solar power, you might as well use it all the time. It is doubtful that it will ever really pay for itself. It was installed for boon docking desires, but might as well work full time also.

And there you have it, another really hard day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Chapman Ranch Area

Flour Bluff, Texas

Perusal of a map yielded a couple of roads that had not had their chance to entertain me. The road out to Chapman Ranch and back to highway 77 was fresh territory to explore. It is a guarantee that one exploration is enough. It is flat crop land and a few cattle pastures the whole way. This picture pretty well tells the whole story.

On the other hand, if you are interested in a small weekend retreat, there is one available out in the country south of Corpus Christi.
Since the new kayak has a removable seat that is wondrously comfortable, it was removed from the yak. The seat cushions where my work usually takes place were removed in the Castle. The yak seat has been in place for two days now and really has helped my back recover.
This evening another long walk was taken down near the John Kennedy bridge to Padre Island. It is not a very scenic area but it is close and safe. The freeway is on one side, then about fifty feet of sand and sea grasses washed up and then Laguna Madre. The wind is usually ripping pretty hard, but the water is so shallow that the waves do not get much more than ripples. The Truck and yak picture from yesterday were taken there.

Not a lot of excitement today. Just kicking back and trying to enjoy trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Togetherness

Flour Bluff, Texas

The back was functional and the chore needed to be completed. The yak and the Truck have reached agreement on carrying the yak. It took about two hours of work to get everything lined up. However the heat required several cooling breaks in front of the Castle’s fan inside in the a/c. After several adjustments, the carry system is working well.

The yak turned out to be reasonably easy to get up top. Technique is required. The yak weight is about sixty pounds of unbalanced attitude. The old yak was small enough to just overpower. This one has the ability to bite you if you just grab to force it.

The recently installed Truck camper shell racks fit wonderfully to my surprise. At fifty five mph, the yak is very stable on the roof. However the extra wind resistance is noticeable. Especially when going over the tall bridge to Padre Island in a strong crosswind.

Just to get some time in with the yak on top while moving around, several spots were visited to consider for yak launching. Here we are at one of them.
The wind was ferocious this afternoon after a morning of nothing to cool me while the work was going on. Seemed normal to have wind when you do not need it. Now all that is left is to get out and try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

The Future

Flour Bluff, Texas

Swinging again feels good. The process of changing my golf club set out for a set with shafts to fit my wimp old age status is complete. Today my back seemed good enough to try out my latest driver if swinging was done carefully. My back liked the light exercise and the driver performed wonderfully. In the last two years my swing speed has dropped noticeably. The shafts now feel like they should feel when the ball is struck properly. Now all that is needed is some cooler weather so that a round or two can be played. Even when riding, which is not my favorite way to play, this 92+ degree heat is too much for me.

The rest of the day was spent goofing off and trying to decide what to do after Labor Day. Sometime during next season when the weather is cooler, my intention is to make it back to Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains. At those locations will some gentle hiking be done. Between my bad knees and fat belly there will not be any hero hikes even attempted.

In the mean time a lot of serious walking and carrying a weighted pack needs to be done to prepare for the winter hikes. It would also be wise to keep on losing some of the 35 pounds of excess fat my body carries.

Rockport Texas is my next destination for a month at least. The total time will depend on the weather out west. Laurence Parent is a professional photographer who took this next picture over in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas. Hopefully that scene will be within my ability by this winter.
Tomorrow looks like it will be get the yak set up on top of the Truck. My back feels like it will do the job ok so it is time to get busy. Between the new yak, the new crossbar locations and finding places to tie the yak on top, it should be an interesting experience. After that is accomplished, it will be time to get busy paddling and trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Jetty Explanation

Flour Bluff, Texas

My injured back was feeling pretty good today. Therefore it was time to get in some light exercise by walking. The Aransas Pass jetties were needing me to visit, so the Truck took me to Port Aransas. The passage through the barrier island is named Aransas Pass but the town right there at the passage is Port Aransas. That means that the jetties at Port Aransas are named the Aransas Pass Jetties. That causes lots of folks lots of confusion about where they were having fun.

The first stop was at the Station Street pier in Port A. The weather was beautiful and the temperature a cool 88 degrees. The water was in great shape and no fish were biting.

After that stop it was on to the jetties in search of more fun. Folks were out and about fishing, sun bathing and running after kiddoes. A large ship was coming in from the Gulf. They are always much bigger than my imagination and memory has them. Huge is not a big enough description.

Two hard core fishermen were heading in from the end of the jetty. They both had backpacks to carry their equipment. Look at all the large rods they are carrying. WOW that is a lot of money on their backs.

As the first passed, a quick picture was taken to show how the pack is designed.

A little bit farther on was a dad and two kids fishing. One boy caught a speckled trout just before my arrival. Dad and son graciously allowed me to photograph the event. Both of them were excited. They were from Austin, Texas. Most likely on summer vacation. It is nice the fish cooperated so the kids could catch a few fish even if they were too small to keep.

At Port A is an old car ferry that was converted to a party fishing boat for the jetty area. Today it was my good luck to see it in action for the first time. It looked very comfortable from my spot.
As my day continued with some meandering around the water front, there was enough fish catching happening to keep the tourists excited. It makes the day a lot more rewarding when a fish or two is caught. And seeing folks having a good time certainly makes it a wonderful day for me trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Roof Rack Finished

Flour Bluff, Texas

The wind made it seem impossible, but the effort had to be made anyway. These pretty pink flowers were blowing in the very brisk wind at the library this morning. A picture seemed important at the time. All told twelve shots were taken but all were very blurry except this one. It is only a little blurry.

Off and on during the day moving around was done carefully so as to not cause more damage to my back. It seems to be getting better.

Even the roof racks were completed. Between the heat and the back injury, the three hour job ran for three days. The whole story is in Old Fat Man Details blog that is accessible from the side bar on this blog. The finished results are very good.
Much of the day was spent in the prone position recuperation position. Man that gets tiresome. It would be a lot better to be out trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Pain In The B_ _ _

Flour Bluff, Texas

Got after it earlier than usual today. Went out to the truck to start installing the other three roof attachments. After getting the stepladder set up to get into the back of the truck, it was crawl in to work time. Before getting the first bit of work done a twist to put a wrench on a nut resulted in a painful pull in my lower back at a familiar spot. For a few minutes it seemed like it would let me continue at a slower pace. WRONG.

Most of the rest of today was spent eating ibuprofen and laying on the couch FLAT on my back. This evening the stiffness seems to be letting up some. A ride out to Packery Channel to get out of the Castle yielded two interesting pictures.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife patrol officers were working the channel area with good reason. Here they are with one jet ski stopped.

Usually the offense is safety related and the officers are very strict on the safety requirements. This stop lasted almost thirty minutes and you could see the officers writing. Another boat was stopped and checked. The life jackets were counted, fire extinguisher etc were all checked and shown to the officers. Then the officers waved them on. This stop was about five minutes. Thank you officers.

When it was time to leave the boat ramp area, this oddity was noticed.
The question is What are you doing with a burned out hulk like that???? One possible answer finally came to me. The tow vehicle looks like the kind that go way down Padre Island on the loose sand. My wild guess is that the burned vehicle was way down beach when it burned. When on the National Seashore, you must carry out your trash. If the Federal officers can find evidence you did not, then the fine is huge.

Maybe the owners of the burned hulk had to go back down island and bring out the remains to save a large fine or even just because it is the right thing to do.

It has been a very laid on your back day which got in the way of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Mr. Wimp

Flour Bluff, Tx

My body was not able to keep up with the heat input today, so work strung out all day. First this morning was making measurements in preparation for instaling the permanent part of the roof system. The air was still and hot. By the time fifteen minutes had gone by, my sweat band could no longer hold back the sweat flood from smearing my glasses and getting in my eyes.

A break in front of the fan with cold water helped. The return to work to drill the first two holes progressed fairly well. Pictures are being taken to give a good write up on the effort. However it was only a few minutes when the sweat deluge started again. This time my balance and vision was not behaving well. So another break in front of the fan. Only this time the temperature was checked and it was only 92 in the shade.

An even longer break in front of the fan and lots of cold water seemed to put me in good shape again. The first bracket needed the bolts inserted, caulk applied and the bolts tightened to finish it. That was accomplished under major duress from the heat. I am a heat wimp of the largest degree. With one bracket finished, my technique of installing was proven. The rest can wait for cooler temperatures. It was ten am now.

The supplies and tools were put away. The body was rinsed off and reclined on the couch to recover. This old age is not for wimps. Late this evening when the shadow of the boat stalls cover my site, the remaining holes were located and drilled. Tomorrow should see the brackets all bolted on and completed except for allowing the caulk to cure for 24 hours. My plan is to set the alarm and get that done very early in the morning.

Just in case someone doesn't know, there is a very important fact about heat and your body. There are folks with the misconception that if you drink enough water the heat will not bother you. THAT IS FLAT OUT WRONG. Drinking enough water helps but is not a guarantee. It is a fact that in certain conditions, like the Gulf Coast of the United States in the hot weather, your body can sweat considerably more water per hour than your stomach can put back into your body fluids. In other words you can drink all your stomach can hold and still become dehydrated. That situation can become lethal.

Please be careful with the heat, it can get in the way of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Dinky Anchor

Flour Bluff, Texas

What size and type of anchor does my new yak need???? After a lot of reading, it was apparent that the proper answer is “depends”. So a trip to Academy was taken for more thoughts. On the last yak a three pound grapple type of anchor proved to be way more than enough. This time a one and a half pound folding grapple type of anchor was chosen. This should be all that is needed for quick stops to cast a few times then move on. Should my needs change, then a different style can be purchased at that time.
It folds up into a nice wad of cast iron that is easy to handle in the yak.

The pieces to make it possible to put a roof rack on the camper shell of the truck were unpacked today. Each package was opened and verified that the correct parts were all there. First is the “Top Loader” bracket that bolts to the camper shell.

When it is all assembled it should be a very strong junction with the fiberglass of the camper shell. Yakima rack stuff is usually very strong and well designed.

After the top loader rackets are installed, it will be time to assemble my old crossbars and towers. Then the new special clips for attaching my Q towers to the Top Loader brackets will be installed on the Q towers.
After all that the final adjustments and touchups will be done. And finally the roof rack will be ready for prepping it for holding the yak. That will be a chore all of it’s own.

The Truck and Comfort Castle both got a bath today. TheOFM had to get back into the a/c as soon as he could after the wash job. The heat and humidity was a little rough.
So with a little luck tomorrow morning before it gets too hot, the roof rack will be installed. The yak and roof rack will get mutually compatible. Then more ways will be available to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

Flour Bluff, Texas

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

A migraine aura and blindness was my morning greeting today. Then the headache made me take it easy again. Since laundry had reached a critical need and that can be done with a headache, everything worked out ok.
For the longest time today it seemed the blog would end with the laundry pic being the high spot of the day. Blogging proves frequently you cannot plan on a blog entry until the entry is written and then it is a maybe.

Supper seemed like a out to eat cheaply evening. The local Whataburger (where else) had yellow tape blocking the entrance. Now what. OK down to the one on Padre Island about five miles away. It was open, nearly deserted and ready to serve me immediately. After the fantastic feast, it was still early and my headache did not want any big activity.

While leaving the parking lot the truck decided to head across the highway to the Packery Channel Park and just watch the world flow by gently.
Since entering this park is usually a take life in your hands dart across four lanes of 55mph traffic, the entrance decorations had not been noticed before. Today the traffic was almost non-existent and the entrance caught my eye. The anchor in the picture has a complementing anchor on the other side also. It is an attractive entrance leading to a very rough road to the waterfront. There is fairly good parking at the water front.

From the parking lot there was a man barely visible out on the flats wade fishing. He walked from the highway to Port Aransas. That has to be at least a mile of wading to get where he was fishing. This picture was shot at maximum optical zoom, cropped, and enlarged as much as possible and still be legible. Needless to say he is a long way over there. He is the image above the white bird that is next to the grass on the far right.
On my side of the channel were kite boarders.
While the opportunity presented itself, a walk down to gain information was taken. It turns out one fellow is a teacher from the school shown in the opening brochure picture. A discussion with him revealed that their school sort of specializes in people like old fat men who want to try the activity. They even have some special equipment set up for (these are my words, he was more delicate) total incompetents to safely try out the sport.

That looks like fun, but the classes would set me back around $300 and equipment would still have to be purchased to pursue the sport any farther. For this year, the new yak will have to do. Kevin L, the rest of the school owners are at Hood River kite boarding as you read this. Go get’um big fellow. Maybe next summer if the finances get any better it might be my turn.

My binoculars were brought out as my lazy body was relaxing back at the Truck. Just in case you ever wanted to know, this is what a picture looks like taken through the 8x binoculars.
Of all things, my fishing rod forced me up and out of the chair to try casting a gold spoon for world record redfish in the channel. It was all the way almost to my hand to grab it when it shook loose of the lure. WHAT. Someone doubts me. Well come down here to the channel and see for yourself what happens while trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM
　
　

Another Natural Area

Flour Bluff, Texas

The day was hazy with a mist in the air. The temps were less than usual most of the day. In fact in some places in the area RAIN fell in enough quantity to do some good. Since the temps were not too bad it was time to visit the natural area over toward the OSO golf course.

The entry sign marks the entrance well. Try to take a vehicle smaller than The Truck is possible. The parking is very tight with big bold lettered signs advising to leave valuables at home and lock your vehicle. The Truck was not bothered during my walk, but it did take a bit of wiggling to get out of the parking lot.
Next to the parking lot is a kiosk with good information about the park and area along with a lot of gang tagging garbage on the information displays.
Nearby on the trail is a sign describing the Indian tribe that occupied the area in the old days. There are some remnants of the Indians on Galveston Island also.
The haze in the air made sharp pictures impossible. The moist air kept fogging the lens also, so shooting pictures was difficult today. This palm tree acted as a shade for the trail. It was a beautiful specimen.
The boardwalk led out to a nice viewing platform.
The view from the viewing platform would be good on a day without all the haze. That is Texas A&M University-- Corpus Christi in the back ground. The little dots out on the water/mud are birds of all sorts. That mud is definitely not something for me to try walking on again.
Near but not real close were a lot of bushes with pretty purple flowers on them. There were lots of them all along the boardwalk.
When the parking lot was in sight again, the decision was made to try the walking path between the road and the marsh. It was less than interesting, but the surface could handle a wheelchair well.
From the looks of the dirty clothes basket, the laundry will be where the team is trying to have tooooo much fun tomorrow. TheOFM

Impending Doom

Flour Bluff, Texas

A man my age ought to know better than to walk some of the places his shoes take him. Those darn shoes took me out on the Packery Channel north jetty today. They are about ten miles from here and nice walking when the wind is decent. There was no sand blowing strong wind today. Only enough wind to keep things less hot.

The parking lot is inland about a quarter mile from the beach. That give me a nice walk along the erosion control blocks before the paved toping of the jetty area. There was a nice fellow to visit this morning, coming and going. We talked for about five minutes each during my passages near him. That was nice.

As the beach came into view from behind the sand dunes, it showed a good sized crowd in attendance. That many cars was unexpected this morning. They were having a great time playing in the waves and getting sun burned. Not for me though. My mind is way toooooooooooo afraid of skin cancers for getting that much sun again in my life.

After taking the above picture and watching the “surfers” and other folks for a bit, it was time to walk out onto the jetty. There are nice handrails on both sides of the topping with passageways through the handrails every so often. It is very well done for folks to have access to the fishing opportunities.

As the end of the north jetty was approaching, the south jetty was catching so serious wave action. In this next picture, notice the fishing rod leaning on the rail to the left of the fellows. A wave had broken over the end of the jetty and washed up around that rod. One of the fellows was working hard at getting to the rod to save it. He was successful.
About every seventh wave of a set is larger than the others, sometime much larger. Yakers really have to pay attention to that when they have a yak BTB (beyond the breakers). Some yakers are known to go a few miles offshore. Not me.

Near where my pictures were being taken was a nice fellow fishing on this north jetty. Every now and then he would have to dodge number seven as it hit the jetty. This picture is of a normal minor splash.
As usual, my attention was on getting pictures and suddenly the familiar ominous sound hit me. A quick whirl and fast back tracking saved the moment. My shutter finger did react in time to record the moment. Once you ever hear a large wave coming at you, you never forget the sound of impending doom.
Along the walk back to the truck, some fishing line was seen laying in the rocks. Since this is TEXAS and things are bigger down here, the fishing line is a bit larger than most places. However it would be nice if the fishermen would not leave the old fishing line laying around. Hmmm what kind of fish broke that fishing line.
The walk was over by noon and lunch was fixed, enjoyed and the kitchen cleaned up. A twenty minute siesta followed. That was great.

For the afternoon, it was stay in the a/c time until about four. A trip to the closest golf course allowed me some good pitching practice. Over all it twas a great day for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM
　

Trail After The Fire

Flour Bluff, Texas

A nature trail that is very enjoyable to old fools like me that like sand dunes is located at Padre Island Natural Seashore. The trail was enjoyed many months ago. Since then a fire ravaged a lot of the area including the nature trail. With the high winds messing up the alternatives, it seemed a nice exercise to walk the trail again.

At the parking lot was this flower looking a little worse for wear and definitely wind tattered. However like all good flowers it is hanging in there with all it’s might.

The trail is ADA designed and one of the best ADA trails my travels have taken me to see. From the parking area the damage from the fire is evident. The three to four foot high grasses are all black stumps now, but new growth is doing well. Perhaps a little rain soon would also help. As you leave the parking lot, the trail invites you to a pleasant experience.
It is important to take your time and look at the smaller details. There are many. For instance there are deer and coyote tracks interspersed among the dunes. Many small rodents and reptiles have left their tracks for us to enjoy. So meander slowly and left the peacefulness soak into your body. The whole trail is only three quarters of a mile long, but it is so well laid out that in the back half you feel like you are in another world.

Soon after passing the first rest bench, the paved trail takes you deeper into the dunes for a special experience. The trail is so artfully laid out that just past the first bench you seem to disappear into a separate world.
As the trail gently winds around, you get glimpses of more larger dunes across the prairie.
Those distant dunes received my foot prints last January. They are about a mile and a half away through some nasty brush that may contain large rattlesnakes. However they are accessible in the winter from Bird Island Basin parking by following the dried out in the winter waterway up to the dunes. That is a safe but still long walk.

Along the way was some pretty flowers. The brilliant yellow compact group of blooms did not photographic well to show off the color.
Farther along was a large cluster of very dainty purple flowers that were almost fuzzy. Again the harsh sun washed out a lot of the beautiful purple of these blossoms.
The trail finished with many other small but interesting events to see. They will be left for you to see for your self when you visit PINS.

In another section of dunes was one wind sculpture. The sun was strong from the wrong direction, but a picture still had to be taken. This was near the top of a dune about five feet high. The sculpture is about a foot in height itself.
On a windy day like today a lot of the sand is getting relocated. This next picture is an attempt to catch the loosened sand being blown across the landscape.
Even parking lots had a cloud of loose sand about six inches high being rapidly blown across the surface. When a vehicle door was opened, sand quickly entered the vehicle. Too bad opening the opposite side door did not cause the sand go all the way through.

The extremely heavy traffic of the weekend was nearly all gone by five pm today. Even the heavy traffic did not stop an adventurer from trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM
　
　
　
　
　

Water Dogs

Flour Bluff, Texas

The nice breeze was welcome on this warm sunny day. Tonight the breeze has become a strong wind bouncing the castle around. Trying out the new to me golf club was a first priority this morning. It performed beautifully, but my body is not agile and strong enough any more to hit it any farther than my four iron. So the two iron goes into the trading material locker. Well now my limitations are known on that issue. In the world of lessons, that was a relatively cheap lesson.

The day seemed so pretty that some water pictures were in order. The water was beautiful at the Packery Channel Park. Plenty of traffic was out and about creating traffic jams. Over at the park it was peaceful and calm with enough families to make having the park there a great thing. Some had small campers and others were just out fishing and playing in the water. One fellow had three large dogs that were playing in the water chasing thrown toys. Those pups were really enjoying the time out in the water.

This park is on the west end of Packery Channel. Next to the park is some VERY NICE homes. Here is one of the little fishing boats at one of the homes.
The scene was so nice a shot back along the public shore area to the west had to be taken. There was evidence that a yak had been launched at this park. Those flats across the channel look very inviting to me.
The Fourth of July cookout (in) was very nice. Steve cooked burgers and dogs outside, but most of us stayed inside in the a/c. After the feast, the Nascar fans got the race on the large screen TV and kicked back to enjoy the race.

That makes this a wonderful day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Sliding Home

Flour Bluff, Texas

A day about waiting. Waiting for the new boat to be ready. Waiting for the delivery of a new to me 2 iron that will help my golf game, maybe. Lots of research of where it is less hot to see about taking the Castle there. Ft. Davis is the least hot town in Texas. It is also the highest town in Texas at 5050 feet elevation. The only thing is that there is nearly nothing to do in the town. It is a very small town. The Historical site of Fort Davis is very nice, but the next time would be my fifth time there.

The Davis Mountains State Park is just outside of town. It is really a neat place to visit. That is known from my umpteen trips there. There is not golf, water sports or fishing. Lots of good hiking and wonderful scenery. However somewhere cooler to last until traveling time starts in mid September is what is my goal. Right now Silver City, NM is looking the best place. We will see.

The yak was ready, so off to pick it up in the hot sun. It was loaded into the bed of the pickup with a red flag on the end of the yak. The couple of mile trip back to the Castle went well. When the boat was untied, it seemed to know where it was supposed to live. With very little urging it slid right under the Castle and snuggled in.

That should keep it safe from wind trouble. Then it was wait on the golf club some more. It finally came in a little after five. The balance on the club feels good. Maybe in the morning some driving range time will work out for the real test.

Since today was so slow and lazy, let us call it a day of resting up for trying to have tooooo much fun to tomorrow. TheOFM

Another Muck Dancer

Flour Bluff, Texas

As the truck was rolling along the frontage road, DebiB was opening the kayak store. OK. So into the parking lot, grab the checkbook, and go pay for the new boat. Debi and I visited for a good bit. Then a check for a reasonable sum for the merchandise was handed over. Now the deal is too gone to stop. Debi told me the boat would likely be ready tomorrow evening, if everything goes well.

A new paddle was purchased at the same time. There was a lot of advancement in paddles since the last one that was sold with the previous yak. It was over thirty years old. However it was still going strong, but was showing some brittleness from UV deterioration.

Later a trip to the library was in order to stock up for the weekend. The campground is supposed to be full for the weekend. The island and beaches will be a madhouse. The roads will be worse. After picking up the boat, the team will hunker down and stay out of the way of the weekenders. The yak store is only a few blocks away by back roads.

Speaking of water for paddling, here is a couple of pictures taken this evening across the street from the Castle. The tides here are not large, but the water is so shallow that a small tide uncovers lots of territory. In this next picture the tide is out and probably only fell a foot or so. Look at all the exposed muck.


This shallow water has been the reason for the extreme shallow water boats developed for use down here. Not everyone uses a boat. Some folks like to wade to fish. When the bottom is firm and the stingrays are not in, then wading is a good way to fish. The poor soul who went out muck dancing from where this next picture was taken worked hard to go fishing.
They must have sunk nearly a foot into the highly fragrant muck with each step. That is way too much work for me. On top of that, my face would likely have left a distinct impression in the mud where my balance disappeared.

Now for the weekend, there are three books to read/study, probably a new boat to play with and the park is cooking hot dogs and hamburgers for the fourth of July celebration. The next few days are looking good for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.
　

RMNPark

Flour Bluff, Texas

WOW some guys really get to go some neat places at great times for pictures. Jeff Blaylock recently spent some time hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. The pictures are spectacular. Check him and the hike and the area out at this link.
http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/nonbibe-trip-reports/rocky-mountain-national-park-t7983.0.html;topicseen


Here it comes.

The new addition to the team. It is a Magic 12 from Native Watercraft. The manufacturer’s site is http://www.nativewatercraft.com/magic_12.cfm

As of this moment it has no name, but it will earn a name once it is in action. It is on order awaiting its turn to be rigged out and made ready for me to pick up. Today the needed parts to be able to carry it on top of the truck shell were ordered but are not due in until after July 10. Then look out fish and nature, he we come.

It is fairly stable as evidenced by this picture from the site. However it is not likely that standing is within my ability any more, but during these very hot days it would be a great time to find out.

The load carrying capacity seems to be pretty good especially for volume. This hunter is giving one a strong workout don’t you think.
The color is called sand. The seat is EXTREMELY comfortable. The seat is removable to use for seating on shore if you choose. In fact one of the seats was my throne for over an hour at the store as the owner and I visited a couple of days ago.

For the last couple of weeks a lot of consideration was given to choosing the next boat. What finally made the choice was my knees needing to be able to squat well in all the other types of boats that were considered. My memory took me back to the first time of entry on my last SOT and how easily it was accomplished. So soon it will be paddling time again. For an overall picture of the boat in the showroom floor, check this out.
This boat is slimmer and longer than the last SOT and so it should get me places easier and faster than the last one. That way, more opportunity will be available to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM
　
　
　

The Shirt At Whataburger

Flour Bluff, Texas

This has been a late evening for me. A group of folks have been sitting in the clubhouse talking and joking for a couple of hours. And no attempt was made to solve worldly problems, just fun talking. Before my light bulb clicked on it was late and this blog was still needing to be written.

This was a recovery day from the migraine attack yesterday. So a gentle trip to the local grocery store named High Everyday Beat you down prices. But they are close and had all that was needed for my requirements this time. At least the store is very clean and pleasant to shop in.

Next door to the grocery is Whataburger and my body did not feel like cooking this evening so a “ #1 for here without cheese” was ordered. It was nice to sit and not have to worry about anything for a while. THEN a young man sat near and my mind went to work. He had a special shirt on. On the back was printed a fine statement of opinion. Being that being bashful is a problem, it took a couple of seconds before he was requested to pose for a picture for the blog. He graciously consented. We visited for a minute. Now tonight you, my wonderful readers, get the results of my bashful efforts.
Now after that was the clubhouse session where we all tried to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

PNW Memories

Flour Bluff, Texas

It is time to pass on some pictures from my time in Washington State. Many folks from my travels ask about the rain and gloom of living in Washington. The only part of Washington that most folks have any concept of is the Seattle area and the Olympic peninsula. On the peninsula is the HOH rain forest. When my feet took me into it, my mind did flashbacks to my time in Viet Nam. That part of the state is what most folks down this way think the whole state is like. NOPE not even close. The Pacific Northwest is varied in many ways. Tonight we will look at three spots in Washington that may change your mind about that state.

A little outside of Yakima is the Tieton River valley. In the valley it is trees and grasses and trails that are wonderful to hike. On the plateau above the valley is arid grass lands and rugged territory. Herds of elk and mountain goats (or sheep, I forget which) abound. There were several hikes done in that valley with everyone of them being very pleasant. This is one picture of the valley and a trail along the Tieton River.

On over into the volcanic area near the town of Vantage is a whole different landscape. The volcanic desert is prevalent in this area. There are loads of nooks and crannies to explore. A lifetime could be spent in this area without getting to see all the places to visit. There is lots of public land in Washington to explore. Most of it is interesting or very interesting. Surprisingly a lot of it is very wild and you are on your own when hiking. In the area of this picture there are lots of rock climbers. That is a big sport up there.
Then for another interesting area you go south to the area of Goldendale and find some very nice forests. They are not too dense and wonderful hikes can be had in that area. In the winter the snow is popular for lots of folks to go play in. Snow is not my game, but the scenery was very nice all year long. This was taken on a weekend trip to the area. It is extremely pleasant to wander around in the winter, but camping will be for others.
About ½ of Washington to the south east is very arid. As you get up toward Spokane, the forests slowly take over until they get fairly thick as you approach Canada. During my five and a half years there, lots of trips out and around to enjoy the area were taken. Everyone of them was an adventure. A regret is that OFMAdventures was not yet in existence. Most of my pictures from that time frame were sent to my few relatives and then removed from my computer to make room for more.

The PNW is a wonderful place to get out and try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Light Bulb Excitement

Flour Bluff, Texas

When the big excitement of the day is a light bulb burning out, you know it has been an easy day.

After sleeping late and having my cereal while reading blogs and emails, the rest of the day started with a whimper or less. Finally the laundry was started and very lazily finished, put away. WOW that was exciting.

The next excitement was lunch. Some of my homegrown chili was thawed and warmed up. It was excellent. A large bagel was eaten for dessert with Root Beer for a chaser. Do I live high on the hog or what?????? A bit of cleaning and rearranging was done to help the living conditions inside the Castle.

Finally later this afternoon, a truck ride was taken to view the seawater from several spots and generally enjoy the very hot day from inside of the truck with the a/c going full last. There were a lot of tired looking, sun burned folks out near the water. They will likely really enjoy their shower tonight and the bed. So will this old fat man.

So it is off to rest up from this day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM