THE HUNT

Now that it’s hunting season on N. Padre Island Dana has had to use patience to capture on camera the elusive Texas Hunter.  They are very camera shy and permission for close-ups are not very easy to get.

Two Hunters In The Distance

Single Hunter Scampers Off

WEDDING BELLS

The boys, Thomas and Didymus, have attracted the attention of a local Texas cowgirl.  It appears she hasn’t made up her mind just yet but wedding bells are in the air.  Dad seems to think it’s going to be Thomas but the jury is still out for lunch.

Lone Star Cowgirl

CORDLESS WONDER

Back on Friday, 18 November 2011, we spent much of the day getting no-where as our van kept sinking.  Dana tried to cut a heavy plank that had washed up with his hacksaw but wasn’t getting anywhere.  James stopped by to see if we needed help.  I think he thought we were stuck.  But, he did have his cordless saws-all with him and was happy to slice the plank into several pieces.  But that didn’t help … that’s when we realized we were stuck.  So, James pulled us out.  We repacked the driveway and drove back in.

Then on 17 December 2011 when our van would not start and it was cold and windy James reappeared to see if we were O.K.  He gave us several bottles of water and wished us well.  At that time, the repair shop was closed and we were already expecting a tow on Monday which never materialized due to bad weather and very high tides.  Thanks James!

 

SAND SCULPTURE

Wind & Rain

Sand Sculpture

Dune-buggy Hill

N. Padre Island

RÉGEAN

We’re still playing catch-up … On 20 October 2011 Régean drove up and introduced himself while Dad and I were sitting out on the beach (N. Padre Island).  He was from Canada and was enroute to Mexico.  During the previous week a hurricane dropped rain upon the mountains flooding his river front trailer in Mexico.  The next day he hurried off to Mexico to salvage what he could.  Before he left he gave us directions, a current road map of Mexico, and invited us to stop and visit with him in Mexico.

 Dad And Régean

BEACH TREASURE

The word is out that a Spanish wreck washed up “three miles south of the Bob Hall Pier” during a 1967 hurricane and, then disappeared beneath the sand and waves of Padre Island.  So far, we’ve found a few coins on the beach without a metal detector.  See photo:

Total $1.57 (US)

Plus a few more quarters

Not shown

(We spent them already)

MAROONED

On 10-11 December 2011 it rained cats and dogs.  It was the first really good rain we’ve experienced since we’ve been camped on N. Padre Island.  After the rain let up we were unable to start our vehicle.  Yes, we were now marooned.  During the next week we walked to town several times trying to get parts from the Island Tire & Automotive repair shop.  The second time, Bill drove us back and eliminated several potential causes like the fuel pump but that’s all he could do out on the beach.  We needed to get a tow to the asphalt in Corpus Christi before he could tow us on the roadway for a nominal fee.  And you guessed right, towing companies charge big bucks to tow cars off the beach.

 

 

 

That Thursday evening (15 December 2011), Dylan and his friend Cameron happened to stop for a chat driving a 4X4 truck with large wide tires.  Dylan didn’t have his chain with him and was going out of town for a funeral but promised to return Monday to tow us off the beach.

When Monday came along naturally the tides were too high to be towed off the beach.  Then on Tuesday morning Dana found a sign leaning up against our van that someone had sneaked into place.  It said, “PLEASE NEED TOW TO PIER”.

 

On Tuesday, Dad sent Dana into town on an errand but about a mile down the beach Dana met Michael Williams author of “A GAME, A STUDY, A STORY”.

 aGameaStudyaStory@gmail.com

Michael walked back with Dana to our van and surveyed the situation and agreed to give us a tow Wednesday morning after he packed up camp.

On 21 December 2011 we received a tow to Island Tire & Automotive which replaced the coil in our ignition system.  So, almost two weeks without wheels makes you appreciate having them.

 

 

 

 

Catching Up With "ZZ-Top"

While camped at Mile Zero people kept dropping by wanting to get their photo taken with “ZZ-Top”.  Most said they would email us a copy but few did:

Getting Around To Posting

Old Photos Taken At Mile Zero With:

Chris Milligan
CJM Properties
13098 Dunn Rd

Bremond, Tx 76629

Nick Meyer

Corpus Christi, Texas

Photo From Brittni Watson

Photos From Melissa

North Of Bob Hall Pier

CAUSE OF N. PADRE ISLAND FIRE

In the previous post it was cited that Dad shouted to me, "The Island Is On Fire" … You’re your Camera" in the wee hours of 2 December 2011.  As it turned out, the fire was caused when a night time dune ride in a fairly new Jeep Wrangler ended up stuck on a sandy ridge with both front and rear wheels dangling above the ground.  The driver was driving too slow otherwise he would have gone completely over the ridge.  The Jeep's hot exhaust, etc. must have ignited the tinder dry grass under the vehicle.  The driver, probably "feeling no pain" at 3:30 AM, Friday morning, never realized that a fire had been kindled under his vehicle until it was too late.  We can just imagine him grabbing his vehicle's paperwork from the glove box and jumping out with fire licking his heels.

In case you are wondering, the dune buggy cove is about a mile south of our campsite and is a favorite hang-out for locals who have carved miles of trails up and down ever changing dunes for their 4 wheel drive vehicles.

FIRE BUGS ON PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS

Campfires, bonfires, etc. are permitted on Padre Island beaches except during times of drought or otherwise posted.  Dana waited too late before getting this photo … it was taken after their big blaze had burned down.

Nearby Campfire

The interesting thing is that a wood cross atop the nearby hill of sand is now missing.  Hummm!  Someone may have needed firewood.

Then, in the wee hours of 1 December 2011 we awoke when a Police car went north down the beach and sounded his chirper with his red flashing light in the middle of the night.  Then, we saw lights flashing in the window and looked to see way to the south.  The sky was orange over the dunes.  So, Dad went to the top of the dunes and ran back saying "the Island was on fire" … "Get your camera".  At the time, it stretched over a mile long.  But, as it turned out the fire was too far away to get a good picture at night now about 4:30 AM.

AT THE LIBRARY

We have found that the Dr. Clotilde P. Garcia Library in Corpus Christi is the best bet for using public computers.  It’s not the closest library but they allow visitors 3 blocks of two hours each per day of computer/Internet access.  There is a 15 minute wait between blocks.  Those who try to login early get penalized an extra 5 minutes.

Visitors who want computer access need to register with the front desk.  We were given a temporary non-resident card good for 6 months.  The staff at the Garcia library has been friendly and helpful … thanks!!!

Garcia Library

5930 Brockhampton St.

Corpus Christi, Texas

Directions:

Leaving Padre Island via JFK Causeway exit SPID (South Padre Island Drive) at Rodd Field Rd.  Then, turn left and go under SPID on Rodd Field.  Rodd Field is a good road without tons of traffic.  Drive south towards Saratoga Blvd. and on your right take the elbow from Rodd Field onto Saratoga.  Continue west on Saratoga thru the traffic light at Airline and take a left at the next traffic light at Cimarron Blvd.  Then, at the second light down the road take a right at Brockhampton St.  A little way past the bend and 3 speed bumps you'll see the Garcia Library on your right.

Leaving Padre Island
Via JFK Causeway

Looking Back At Padre Island

From JFK Causeway

TO ROXANE

Thomas and Didymus liked Rob’s blue Mustang so well they decided to get one for themselves.  That’s not all, when they saw the camouflaged motorcycle they couldn’t resist … it’s also theirs.

Cruising Padre Island

Now you know why we are waiting until at least the end of the first week in December to cross the border into Mexico … finances … we were set back with unexpected expenses.  Two growing boys aren’t cheap!

Furthermore, Thomas and Didymus have arranged with the local helicopter cargo transport to fly them and their stuff down to Mexico to meet their relatives should everyone get there before we do.

Helicopter Lands At Campsite

 

Roxane In Cocoa Beach

VEHICLE BREAKDOWN

We guess you can call it a breakdown when our vehicle would not start Friday morning, November 11, 2011.  It was a cold night here on N. Padre Island and we hoped it would start when it warmed up.  No such luck.

Towards evening a couple of guys in their 4-wheel drive Jeep honked as they drove past us waving as they headed south down the beach.  The driver, Jeff, was a weekend regular and had honked several times before but had never stopped.  On their way north Dana motioned for them to stop to see if they would give us a jump.  They did, but the jump didn't work.  It was determined that the batteries were fine and had lots of juice.

Jeff in his nice clean clothes crawled under the vehicle and thought it might be the cable going to the starter or even the starter.  They, Jeff and his friend Glenn, stayed around for several hours discussing our booming headache.  Before leaving Jeff said he would bring a can of Coke-a-cola with him tomorrow to clean the starter cable.

During the night we discussed possibilities and none looked good.

New Friends Try To Help

In the morning a little red truck came to the rescue.  The driver, Brandon, stopped while Dana was doing the morning dishes at the rear of the van.  Brandon wanted a cigarette … but we don’t smoke.  In the process Dana learned Brandon was a moonlighting mechanic who offered to take a look at our vehicle.  So, we approached Dad who was sitting in his office, the driver’s seat, and mentioned that Brandon was a mechanic.

When Dana asked Brandon how to hot-wire the van by-passing the ignition switch Brandon knew how to do it.  With the key turned to the run position (not the start position) Brandon took a screwdriver and touched both points on the solenoid and “baroooom” the engine started.  We were going to make it after all.

Brandon then agreed to stop by on Sunday with ignition switch parts to do the repair.

Brandon At Work

It is interesting to note that people who bless the seed of Abraham (help, etc.) get blessed by GOD.  Whereas, those who curse the seed of Abraham (cheat, steal from, or otherwise “drink their blood”) … can expect to be cursed by GOD (Genesis 12:3).  People are eventually going to get what they ask for (Jeremiah 17:10; 25:14; 32:19; 50:29; Isaiah 3:10-11; Ezekiel 24:14).  So, who is the seed of Abraham?

Remember, GOD promised Abraham, He would multiply Abraham’s seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore (Genesis 22:17; 17:2).

IT'S A BOOK!

A friend we met on the beach here on North Padre Island delivered the shipment of books to our campsite Monday afternoon, 7 November 2011.  Thanks Jay!

When we opened the two boxes we were delighted to see that the publisher in Florida (BlueNoteBooks.com) had done a really good job.

For those of you who don't know … it's our second book.  We went first class all the way and went with a hard cover.  The book is titled, "The Chief Human Shepherd Under Jesus" and is a sequel to our first book.

Our Second Book

Those of you who want to obtain copies … there's a few left and may be obtained direct from the publisher by tel:  1-800-624-0401 or via BlueNoteBooks.com.  Just so you know in advance, the price is $30. (US).

Both Books

Note:  Our first book titled, "Why Die If You Don't Have To Die?" was also published this year and may also be obtained from BlueNoteBooks.com … price $50 (US).

RECOVERY OF A MYSTERY UNDERWATER PACKAGE

About 4 PM on October 23, 2011 while “playing in our sandbox” we noticed a hefty little unmarked grey tug-like boat pulling a mystery underwater package supported by two flotation bags towards shore.  Strangely, whit miles of open beach the mystery package was dropped directly behind our van.  It appears that somebody was using our van to mark their mysterious drop … What could it be?

Two men jumped overboard and disconnected the tow line from the mystery package and swam to shore landing a little way north down the beach while the sleek boat disappeared to the northeast.  The mystery package remained anchored behind our van.

Later, a white government SUV pulled up alongside the two frogmen followed by a large green US Navy salvage truck with 10 wheels, a flatbed, and a double cab.  As it turned out, it appears that a US Navy salvage team was recovering the controls of a test drone aircraft that had been ditched into the Gulf.

As nightfall was now enveloping Padre Island, the leader of the several Navy Seals now on the scene decided to recover the wreckage the next morning.  The job was finished by noon and provided a rather entertaining interlude.

Two junk pieces washed ashore two days later.  One looks like the vertical wingtip.