Close Encounter Of The Feathery Kind

Adventure Location: Rockport, Texas

The temperature range here from “cool” of morning to the hot of the day is usually less than fifteen degrees during the summer. For example a 90 degree day might start at 75 to 78 degrees at the morning “low”. Therefore there is not any chance of getting out to play before it gets warm. A lot of the country sees quite a bit larger temperature range than this. The good part is that we seldom see temperatures over 92 for more than a few minutes in the late evening. Most days it is back to a rather nice 80 to 82 by seven pm.

The fish cleaning tables at Cove Harbor were extremely busy this afternoon. In fact there was a significant waiting line for a chance to clean your catch. The tables will handle four people cleaning at a time. This translates into a lot of future meals being stacked into plastic bags and put on ice for the trip home.

The Truck decided the Team should check out some more areas and come back to see how it is later. So we headed back to the Castle and did some cleaning of equipment that is used on and with Puddle Boat. The paddle was taken out and washed to get half of New Mexico off it. Man that was a lot of dirt. My flats boots were also full of the New Mexico dust. They weigh about six pounds less now. Finally the PFD was dug out from the far reaches of the back of the Truck and washed. It was hung on an awning brace to dry.
After the Puddle Boat was set right side up and washed off, the rigging was checked and found to be in good shape. Now things are ready to get wet whenever TheOFM is ready to go.

It was late in the afternoon, so the Truck took me to the Cove Harbor fish cleaning tables again to see if the crowds had let up yet. Some what was the answer. There was only one fellow waiting to clean his catch. The fish cleaning deck is covered and a great place to look out over part of the bay and marsh. As my eyes were taking in the expanse of scenery the old crawling up my spine feeling of being watched got all the way to my head.

Looking around turned up two close watchers within five feet of me.


Both of the birds were very close to me by this time. To get each of them all in the viewfinder, two steps backing away from them was required. They apparently were used to working in very closely to the fish cleaners while trying to get a morsel.

From here it was off to supper. Then it was a last trip to the Rockport Beach where the new header picture was taken. A fortunate outcome was that two folks were at the wooden pier from out of town and were very nice to visit with.

Finally darkness sent me and the Truck on home to the Castle and the end of a fine day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.