A Day of Celebration

The sun shone, the wind blew and the temperature was perfect for being outdoors exploring. To celebrate Thanksgiving Day and our wedding anniversary we went to South Padre Island and to Port Isabel. On SPI we mostly drove and looked at all the construction since we were there years ago. We went into the big county park to check out the RV park there and watch people on the beach. We even saw a man surf fishing catch a manta ray! Once on the beach his friend tried to remove the hook from the manta ray. The fisherman picked up a heavy 5 gallon bucket and placed it on the tail of the ray so it could not sting them. They worked the hook out then used a pole to push it back into the water. The whole sight was a first for us landlubbers!

We went back across the causeway into the harbor area of Port Isabel. The historian in me must tell you that Port Isabel is the oldest city in South Texas, having been charted by a Spanish explorer in 1519. It was inhabited by pirates and Indians. With all good intentions of climbing to the top of the lighthouse, I headed up the steps to the entry door. When my knees and hips protested, I settled for photos and a walk around the port area. Of course, all the museums, except the lighthouse, were closed as were the lighthouse keeper's cottage and the shops by the fishing pier. We walked and looked and enjoyed the wind. Just being out in such beautiful weather and fun suroundings was a celebration of thankfullness and togetherness.

Check out the web album for pictures of this fun time.
http://picasaweb.google.com/patjreece/PortIsabel#

Taliesin West

We are fans of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. A few years ago we had an opportunity to tour Taliesin West in Scottsdale AZ. There was a large tour group and we were almost rushed through and around the campus but I did manage to snap a few pictures. Some of the memorable things we saw included a theater where the acoustics are so great that the back row can hear a whisper on the stage and the seats are angled exactly right for a person to sit with legs crossed and possibly with an arm on the back of the seats and still comfortably face the stage. We saw how the minimalist approach to living quarters didn't mean small tight spaces or discomfort. All in all, a very memorable experience.

My photos are found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/patjreece/TaliesinWest#

More info about it can be found here: http://architecture.about.com/library/blflw-taliesin.htm

Update on Clyde TX Property

Long time, no blog. We have been having too much fun out on the road again. Here are pictures of the sign on the interstate service road side of the property.

We were denied the zoning change on the Clyde property that would allow us to live in our rv. We subdivided the property into large manufactured home lots and have it for sale.

We are spending time in south Texas right now. More about that later.