Much Warmer today

It was a lot warmer today so we could wear shorts and a t shirt.... then it clouded over.  We still had a few hours in the sun on the beach though before it clouded over.  We drove end to end of this town.  Not much to it though.  We clocked how many Km we walked... LOTS.  This morning we did 8 km and yesterday we did 13 km.

this is the duck that lives at our hotel. Very Black with one white patch.  Weird when we walk beside it Sparky doesn't even bark at it.  Not sure if he has figured it out yet or not

After the storm lots of Jelly Fish

Weird how you can see the tentacles too

Dec 29th no rain but cold so walked and walked

We left the room at around 9 in the morning and got back around 330 or 4. We walked to the other end of town by the beach and came back on the street.  Feet were sore but then the sun came out so we sat out at the back of the hotel next to the water until the sun went down.  Can watch the pelicans from there.  Can hardly see them in the pictures though.  Just took the dog for a walk.. 4 am and it is warm out so hopefully today the 30th will be nice and warm

Weird looking hotel.  It would be cool if it was a slide inside the middle thing... TO THE Beach anyone... quick way to get down

The signs say that all of these are out of real sand but they must put something in the sand to preserve them  They are very beautiful though

You can tell by what we are wearing... not very warm

Lots of details in these 

This was in front of the Animal Rescue center so dogs and cats out of sand

This is out back of the hotel in the fishing area.  It is a little inlet off the bay side of the island. this is looking west watching the sunset.

This is looking East.  The spots way down there on the water are the pelicans

A little warmer.. just sweater no coat when the sun was out.

Dec 28 rainy and windy

Sunday was very Rainy and Windy  The waves were HUGE.  Also got a picture of why they say not to feed the Seagulls.  Jim found some Palm trees that need trimming since they are in the power lines

They looked even higher in person

All of the garbage pails blew over but gives you an idea of the size of the waves

These guys got out of their car, fed the birds and then hopped back in but the birds stayed

This is Jim's off cycle work that needs to be done.

South Padre Island

To us we really do not see a major difference to justify the extra drive down here ... maybe if we were here for 6 months there are more winter texans down here to visit with but the beach is pretty well the same.  See for your self.  Got a picture of a Texan snow man too.  Driftwood for a nose, sun glasses and flipflops, sticks for arms and sea shells for buttons and made out of sand of course

Merry Christmas Y'all

Just finished packing for our trip to the south.  Took Sparky for a walk and got soaked in the sprinkler out back.  Nice and warm so far.  I took a picture of my Christmas mani pedi.  I don't know if they do this in Canada now but down here they always paint one finger a different colour.  The most incredible thing was that when he was scraping my toe nails it hurt a little... you might think that that is a weird success in life but it means I am finally getting some of the feeling back in my toes.  Not much but I will take it.  They really scrape your feet here too.  Instead of just an emery board type thing they scrape of the skin with a scraper like a cheese grater..It is awesome especially after all my long walks on the beach.
Have a Merry Christmas Everyone

Jim's Happy Place

We went golfing today.  Jim is a member at 7 courses now so we went to one of the courses that I hadn't been to yet.  At this course they have (soccer) footgolf too... I have a picture of their tee off spot and one of their holes.  We didn't see any players though.  I guess Canada has frisbee golf so why not soccer golf.  I also have a picture of the birds that you see here on the fairways where in Canada you usually just see Canada Geese... Did see one goose though just to make us feel at home.  Today is the VDT xmas... sorry we missed it guys but as you can see we were busy ; )  The golf course that we went to was across from the AT&T center... lots of traffic when we were leaving since the Spurs play tonight.

Texas birds acting like Cdn Geese

AT&T Center where the San Antonio Spurs play

Cdn goose making us feel at home

JB in his happy place

This is the hole for the soccer ball for foot golf

this is the Foot Golf Tee off sign

Sparky and Jim at my Happy Place

Took the boys to my Happy Place today.  We went to North Padre Island.  It was around 24-26 all day with no wind or clouds.  The water was so calm a guy was out on a paddle board.  I wouldn't want to try it but he did pretty good... I still think that that is more suited to a stream.  On the way down to the beach there was a dead animal on the side of the road just like you normally see deer.  As far as we can figure it was a mountain lion....Yup that was the first time we ever saw one that wasn't in a zoo.  Saw a dead puffer fish on the beach too which was cool to see.  Saw my first jelly fish here too.  Did lots of walking and hanging out.  I have lots of blisters on my feet but it was worth it.

We have a tent for the dog but he only goes in it to drink or eat.  He tried to nest his cushion once but then came back out.  He didn't want to miss out on any dogs walking by that he could bark at and try to chase.  He liked the long walks too.  He still hates the water though.  We have a 16 ft leash for him ... I would walk in the water and he would be 16 ft from the water... as far away as he could get.

Sparky and I just when we were going to leave.  Sun was dropping quick so we packed up and came home.  High tide was 8pm today so we had lots of beach right to dark at around 5.

The boys enjoying a rest in between our walks

Sparky chases deer

Got Sparky a new leash and collar since he has to wear it all the time out of the apt we got him a more comfortable one.  Took him to a different park on Sunday.  Less dogs there but lots of deer.  We saw 13 deer in total.  Two of them with lots of horns... maybe one was Rudolf in disguise.  Sparky still barked at the other dogs but doesn't bark at deer.  One that crossed the path in front of us though was a challenge for Sparky to chase him.  Didn't have a chance of course but it was fun to watch.  Good job his new leash expands to 15 feet.  He doesn't bark when Jim leaves now either.  Before he would bark in the apt the whole time we were gone.  Jim golfed today and Sparky was fine.  Jim got badly burnt on his head though... just like the first time I went to the beach.  It doesn't seem to be very hot out there but it is.  I showed him where I store the sun tan lotion so he is good for the rest of the week.  He has 4 courses booked... one per day for the rest of the week so he is a happy camper.

Sparky in Texas

Sparky on one of the chairs in the apartment.  We took him to the park today before we went to the riverwalk.  It was the park that I rollerbladed in that had the fountain for the dogs to get a drink... Sparky wouldn't drink out of it though... oh well.  He was a pain with all of the other dogs but when we were in parts of the path with none others around then he was ok.  He barks all of the time when he is in the apt by himself.  Hopefully he gets used to it soon.  Hard on him since he doesn't understand this.  Being in an apt is a big change for him but I am sure that he will learn soon.  It hasn't even been a week yet.

Riverwalk with xmas lights

one of the river boats converted to a dinner cruise boat

Jim and I had dinner at the Riverwalk

See the white bags at the edge - candles lit in them each night

bags right on the edge amazing not in the water soon

It does get chilly here at night now so these are the heaters to keep the patrons warm.

hard to see all of the xmas lights hanging in the trees... looked better in real life

Horse and carriage carrying people for a ride... looked like cinderella carriage.

Malaquite Beach at High Tide

Malaquite Beach last time I was there

Same place this time but high tide

Me in my happy place

very little place to drive when the tide comes in

Tents go up in the bluffs to stay out of water

High tide at 5:36 pm this was around 2 p.m.

This was my first time at the beach close to high tide. This was on Sunday.   By 5pm  I went down to the other beach in the Padre town and you couldn't get on at all...no beach left.  I left the beach with the car at three and parked at the welcome centre and then walked back down so that I didn't get stuck with the car in water.  There were some large campers parking as close to the bluffs as they could get but I think that they would be in water before it was done.  One camper had 3 pushouts on one side and 2 on the other.  6 jacks set out to balance it.  When the sand under the jacks gets wet it must have tipped I am sure.  Pretty expensive rig to risk there just to have free camping.  Nice experience on low tide but not too sure about high tide.  I like the tent's idea to go up on the bluffs but the trailers can't do that.

Thanksgiving Pot Luck

We had a pot luck dinner today for Thanksgiving.  It was just the IT department so just around 100 people.  Tons of food!!!  Most people take all next week off so we had it this week.  The top person in the Co was pouring our drinks for us and he remembers me... he asked if I was more comfortable down here now that it is a little cooler.  With a few thousand employees... I guess I am the only Canadian that they had to import so he remembers but still a nice skill to have.  There are other Canadians here but are all now Americans...
We have next Thurs and Fri off and I have the Monday after off in lieu of having to work last weekend for a go live.  I will get more time later but that day will be to take Jim to the Soc Sec office etc and show him around.  He needs a number to be on my benefit plan at work.  They do not do anything here without a soc sec number.  I fly home Wed night.  Thurs we have to go to the bank to straighten out a mess up that Payroll at Hydro did on my pension so I have to change some of my RRSP money into Jim's name.  We will then go see Jim's folks and Mom and pack the truck and start the drive... only 30 hour drive so not sure if we are leaving Fri or Sat... depends on when we are ready.  Having Monday off relieves the rush to get here.  We are driving straight through since our stuff will just be tarped down.  Lets hope we do not have a snow storm to drive through.
It is getting warmer down here.  We had a cold snap so it was no big deal that I had to work last weekend.  It has been down to 30 to 32 in the mornings.  Back to the 70's this weekend so back to the beach on Sunday.  A week from today I will be home.

North Padre Island

Went back to North Padre Island on Sunday this weekend... just can't stay away.  This time I remembered to take a picture of the Beware of Snakes sign at the rest area that I stop at half way down there.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky the whole time I was there.  Tried out La Playa Restaurant that was recommended to me... AWESOME mexican food.  Has seafood too but I do not like seafood.  Walked the opposite way this time up to where they surf.  There were only 4 surfers there and really not enough waves for them... a lot of them on the beach didn't even go out in the water.  Went up on the sea wall to check it out.  They say you can roller blade up there but I wouldn't want to try it... could bike it but you can bike on the sand...  Neat container which is filled with bags for you to collect garbage as you walk the beach which is a cool idea.  Got some seashells to start a new collection down here.  Hope everyone else had a great weekend.

Just makes you want to jump out to see if you can see a snake... NOT

My hair was all dried out so I cut it to start over

I am not happy here at all ; )

No Clouds or wind but still waves

These birds are cool.  Red and black.  They have long beaks that dig deep in the sand and pull out something that they eat.  One of them ate a little of a dead fish on the beach and then went back to digging in the sand for whatever.

I can sit or walk and stare at this all day

This is from the Sea Wall looking down.  That white truck in the middle is the ice cream truck... has the little tune going to attract all the little kids so the parents have to buy them ice cream when he drives by.

This is the box that contains the garbage bags that you can use to collect garbage when you walk the beach

This is the sea wall  There is about a 10 foot drop from the cement wall down to the sand.  There are steps and ramps to get up and down every few hundred feet or so.