Monday Meanderings - 03.05.2012

Road trip this past weekend, to Port A, of course. Tried to get there earlier, but everything was booked for some fest or another. We were afraid that Spring Breakers would be arriving by now, but Barb checked with the condo people and they assured us that this was the weekend before the storm, so... here's the report.


Wildflower Report - one or two clusters of bluebonnets showed up in Austin this past week, and while we didn't see many on the trip, we were treated to a plethora of little white flowers, and carpets of yellow blooms. A few patches of Indian Paintbrush and just a smattering of bluebonnets, mostly in the Beeville area. It's significantly greener in South Texas than in the Austin area. Obviously a lot more rainfall down there.

Beach Report - the beach was clear and clean this weekend; no seaweed or jelly fish to speak of. Brisk winds Saturday morning made for very chilly conditions, but by the afternoon, if you stayed in the sun, it was pleasant. Sunday morning was quite nice.

Sea Food Report - We managed to hit all of our favorites, Castaways, Virginia's on the Bay, Trout Street Grill. Virginia's is one of our favorites, right on the water, open-air dining, large portions of crisp fried fish and sides served in 2 oz plastic cups! A pile of fish and french fries and a tiny cup of beans and a tiny cup of slaw! I flubbed the picture, but a 2 oz cup is about the size of self-serv catchup containers. Go figure. I always look forward to the gumbo at Trout Street, but to my dismay, they have changed the recipe and the roux is now a vinegary red substance. Very disappointing.

Room Decor Report - I've wondered in other blogs about where one finds kitschy beach-type items for decor. Like, a bead-work pelican. Seriously!

Working on the Railroad Report - Between Ingleside and Taft there are a number of railroad spurs that cross the highway, serving the large chemical plants on the coast. We often have to stop while they shuttle tank cars back and forth. This trip, the crossing guard arms came down and the lights flashed, and the train tootled his horn, but it wasn't a train - it was a truck! Look closely and you'll see the rail wheels on this truck loaded with cross ties.

Oil Patch Report - The oil bidness is booming in South Texas. "Fracking" is good for business, based on the number of well-service outfits that have scraped some ground and set up operations. Tanker trucks dominate the highway (loved getting stuck behind several of them) and travel trailers are parked everywhere (accommodations for hoards of workers that have gathered). If you are a truck driver or have a trailer park (or dry ground to park a few) times are good in South Texas.