March Madness
Back in March, Ben and I
went down to San Antonio to watch Texas in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight
basketball games. We won both games!
While in San Antonio, I met up with Paco,
who
invited me down to his family's home near Monterrey, Mexico the next weekend.
I had a few days to kill in between, so I decided to cruise down to the beach.
After I
stopped at Wal-Mart and bought a tent, I was set to go. I enjoyed Port
"A" so much that when I read in the local paper that a
few of the local condominiums were hiring desk clerks, I dropped off applications.
|
|
|
Alamodome
Elite 8 Final Score: Texas...85 Michigan State...76 |
|
|
|
Port Aransas
Sandfest. |
|
|
|
Port Aransas
My camp site. |
|
|
Mexico
Paco drove his mom, his grand-uncle, and me down to their
family home in San Mateo, outside Monterrey, Mexico. We ate some
great tamales, fresh cactus, and grilled steaks. Paco and I
climbed to a cave up in a nearby mountain, and we went jet skiing at the
lake. It was early April, and the temperature was 98 degrees!
|
|
|
Woods.
Paco and me. |
|
|
|
Woods.
|
|
|
|
San Mateo.
The local schoolhouse. |
|
|
|
|
Pinon Home.
Bedrooms in the blue buildings on the left, and restrooms in tan building on the right. |
|
|
|
Pinon Home.
Kitchen. |
|
|
|
Mountain.
|
|
|
|
|
Cave.
|
|
|
|
Lake.
|
|
|
|
Lakeside shops.
|
|
|
Port Aransas - April
As soon as I got back from Mexico, I received a
phone call to come into work at Island Retreat Condominiums, so I took a
week to pack everything I own into a U-haul, and headed south.
|
|
|
The house I rented for the year. |
|
|
|
The U-haul making the ferry crossing. |
|
|
|
Hercules on the ride of his lifetime. |
|
|
Florida
In May, I accompanied my mother to Florida to see
my grandparents.
|
|
|
Sebring, FL
Grandma, Grandpa, and me. |
|
|
|
Sebring, FL
Mom & Grandma picking oranges in the backyard. |
|
|
|
Near Okeechobee, FL
What's wrong with this picture? |
|
|
|
Fort Pierce, FL
My mom & I always love visiting the beach. |
|
|
Port Aransas
In addition to lots of relaxing, reading,
barbequing, gambling, and going to the beach over the year, I've had an
opportunity to learn a little bit about a lot of things that I've never done
before.... sailing, fishing, boogie boarding, condo operations,
horseback riding, changing my own oil!, and, most recently, painting.
|
|
|
"The Admiral One"
|
|
|
|
Captain Bob & Maggie
|
|
|
|
What happened when Bob let me take the helm.
|
|
|
|
|
Fishing.
|
|
|
|
Kicking back on the front porch.
|
|
|
|
Priceless.
|
|
|
|
|
"Working".
|
|
|
|
My favorite reading place under the house.
|
|
|
|
My masterpiece (work in progress).
|
|
|
Port Aransas - Summer
Thanks to everyone that visited over the summer!!!
It was great to have you here. I have several pictures below, but
thanks also to Ben, Donnie & family, Adam & Ewa, Zach & family, Todd &
family, Murtaza & family for stopping bye. It was great to see you
all! I hope you enjoyed the island as much as I do.
|
|
|
Dad and Jacquie.
|
|
|
|
Jason and his sister.
|
|
|
|
Crystal, Laura, and Paco.
|
|
|
|
Amy & Brent.
|
|
|
|
Zack & Angie.
|
|
|
Port Aransas - October
In October, my friends & I took a deep sea fishing
trip. It was a great weekend, even though a few of us met up with a
touch of mal del mar (sea sickness). Later that evening, we
grilled up some of the catch along with some jumbo shrimp we bought off a
boat.
|
|
|
Ben & Brent. |
|
|
|
Paco & Laura. |
|
|
|
Brent catches the 1st fish. |
|
|
|
|
Donnie & his 1st catch. |
|
|
|
Dan "taking a break". |
|
|
|
Me with my brother, Donnie. |
|
|
|
|
Me & Paco. |
|
|
|
The catch from our boat. |
|
|
|
Donnie with the largest catch and Paco with the most fish. |
|
|
Port Aransas - October
More pictures from around town...
|
|
|
Sand scultptures.
|
|
|
|
Halloween sculpture.
|
|
|
|
Sunset.
|
|
|
|
Ferries by night.
|
|
|
|
|
Gulls on a pier.
|
|
|
|
Sailboat marina in Rockport.
|
|
|
|
Oil tanker.
|
|
|
|
Casino ship.
|
|
|
|
|
Horace Caldwell Pier.
|
|
|
|
Pelicans.
|
|
|
|
Wild jackrabbits.
|
|
|
|
Oil platform under construction.
|
|
|
|
|
Aircraft carrier Lexington in Corpus Christi Bay.
|
|
|
|
Pelican.
|
|
|
|
Alligator.
|
|
|
Austin - Fall
I made it up to Austin for all of the Texas
Longhorn home games and even took my niece, Chelsea, to one of the games.
|
|
|
Chelsea & The Tower.
|
|
|
|
Chelsea and Me at the alumni center.
|
|
|
|
Tailgating across from Schulz's.
|
|
|
|
Great view from the endzone.
|
|
|
Big Bend National Park
Between Christmas and New Year's, Jason and I made
a short trip west to Big Bend. We camped out for two nights, freezing
our toes at night, but by day, the weather was perfect for a hike to the "Window View". Along the
way, we saw several wildlife, each one perfectly camouflaged.
|
|
|
First camp site.
|
|
|
|
Roadrunner.
|
|
|
|
Hot Springs.
|
|
|
|
|
The Window peaks.
|
|
|
|
You may be able to pick out the javelina snout.
|
|
|
|
Casa Grande.
|
|
|
|
|
At the tip of our hike.
|
|
|
|
Jason at the tip of our hike.
|
|
|
|
Desert view above the window.
|
|
|
|
|
This is rock, not ice.
|
|
|
|
Bambi.
|
|
|
|
Santa Elena Canyon. 6 miles of river runs between the canyon.
|
|
|