Visiting a good old friend...

Michael Earney is a world known great artist and film maker and a sculptor and he is also a good old friend of David - my husband - back from the time when they both were living in California, in the 1970's. He showed us around in Port Aransas, Tx where he is living today. Check out also his website: http://www.earneyworks.com/bio.html

We went down to the Port to see dolphins jumping and the pelicans flying...

They had each other a lot to say since almost 35 years they have not seen each other in person again!

While the guys were chatting I tried to capture the dolphins swimming in the port

The dolphins were very fast disappearing into the water again

Michael is a voluntary worker for the ARK in Port Aransas. A very responsible dedication to help the endangered animals of the sea. Here we are in the Turtle House of the ARK, Michael was feeding some of the injured Turtles and checking also the water quality


The ARK

The University of Texas at Austin's Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, dedicated its new sea turtle building on 21 August 1999. The new ARK building came about as the result of some generous gifts from individuals and foundations. Most of the donations came from concerned Texans, but others came from as far afield as Boston and Bermuda. The leading light in garnering these gifts, was Edie McAllister of San Antonio and Port Aransas. Mrs. McAllister, a long-time member of the UTMSI Marine Science Advisory Council, was given a tour of the ARK three years ago on a typical hot South Texas summer day. She was concerned by the summertime problems faced by the animals of the ARK; namely the uncontrolled growth of algae and high water temperatures in the uncovered outside turtle tanks (conversely, in winter, water temperatures dip too low and inside tanks had to be found for the turtles each year). At first, the suggestion was to build some proper shade structures for the tanks, but soon, a kernel of an idea came that it might be possible to build a permanent and substantial facility designed specifically to house sea turtles and sea birds in need of rehabilitation. Mrs. McAllister was dogged in her determination to find funding for the ARK. That determination has now borne fruit and the ribbon-cutting at the ARK took place at 11:45am on Saturday, 21 August 1999.

Read more about here:
http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/staff/amos/ark/ARKdedication.htm

One of the turtles was very nosy and interested in what I was doing with my camera, she/he came always back again over to me. Does'nt she looks pretty...? :)

There were outside also some pretty pelicans - with broken wings

And it seems they liked to show off their colors.

I will show you tomorrow more photos about very sick and injured Turtles in the Turtle Hospital in the ARK. Thank you Michael to show us a very interesting part out of your life - beside all your beautiful paintings and art works!

Hi my friends,

spontaniously we decided to stay 2 days longer in this beautiful place Port Aransas, in the South of Texas. I like it here very much, I could even imagine to live here, everything is so peaceful, it is nice warm and don't forget the pretty beach! We have enjoyed also very much to meet David's friend, Michael Earney again and having good conversations between artists together.

Thank you for all your kind comments and loyal visits to my last posts, my friends! Stay tuned, there will come more interesting stuff - we both enjoy our travels very much! :)

Susanne and David

Two days at the beach

Coming from Corpus Christi, you'll be entering the Islands, first Padre Island and then take a left to Mustang Island - that's what we did

This is our little RV enjoying beach life

We were not the only one parked out here, everywhere were also big buses to see. On Mustang Island and at Port Aransas is actually allowed to park RV's directly on the beach, even over night, if you have a permit from the city

The sound of the rolling waves were very loud - but it was beautiful to listen to the melody of the waves!

There is also all kind of life going on on a beach: kids are playing and looking for shells

Seagulls are flying close by - La Paloma blanca

Why do Pelicans fly in groups?

A close up shot to five of the "group members"

In Port Aransas you can watch the big oil tankers going out to the deep sea

Or the deep sea fishing boats coming back home to the harbor

Port Aransas is getting ready for next week starting spring breakers - thousands of students will probably overflow the island and this pretty little town and at the beach

Port Aransas, Texas

Beautiful beaches, vibrant views, relaxing retreats. Enjoy shimmering sunrises over the Texas Gulf Coast and serene evenings on the bay. Port Aransas is the premier vacation destination for beach, sun and family fun! Wiggle your toes in the sand! Reel in a redfish, captain a kayak, search for seashells, birdwatch, shop coastal stores and dine in island style restaurants. Our tranquil, tropical community boasts miles of natural beaches, gentle gulf breezes and just-right weather making our island a perfect, peaceful get away. Get close to the water and away from the crowds. Stay for a weekend or a week in choice accommodations -from quaint cottages to beachfront condos and RV parks to camp grounds. Visit Port Aransas on Mustang Island and enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Texas~Island Style!

From Winnie TX to Corpus Christi TX

Driving down from the high lands to the sea shores, all what you will see is
flat, flat, flat landscapes

Entering Bolivar Peninsula - in front of you the glimmer of the Gulf of Mexico

The first oil wells drilling that I have seen in my life - and there will be many more in Texas, I guess. :)

It was a bad view what we get to see here on this Bolivar Peninsula: the remains of the damages from Hurricane "Ike" from last September 2008! People are still cleaning up. The landscape looks very sad, it looked like after a war, not kidding! The houses were totally swiped out from the storm - very sad pictures to see. See here more:

Click in the picture and you can see the big damage closely!

Or pictures like this to the left and to the right side of the road! It made me very sad to see this today, still after so many weeks and months all the debris around in the fields.

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The light house at Port Bolivar

We took the Ferry ride over to Galvaston. It was a nice 20 minutes ride and it was free. There was a bridge to Galvaston before "Ike" came.

Seagulls were accompanying the Ferry with their loud screams, begging for food

At the water shores of Galvaston

There were many big and colorful Mansions in this town and there were built in the very nice Victorian style architecture

We took the road down to Corpus Christi at the Gulf shores. It was getting dark and at Lake Texana I get a real prairie sunset to photograph.

Hi my friends,

Just now, writing this post I'm sitting at the beach on Mustang Island in Port Aransas,Tx. It is paradise out here! We can park our RV at the beach, maybe 10 feet away from the waves, rolling to the shores with a loud sound. David made a little video, I'll try to download it too for you :) stay tuned!!!

Thanks for all the comments again, very much appreciated. I'm so sorry, that I cannot visit all your blogs anymore, like I did. I hope you understand, I really don't have the time anymore to hang in the Internet, like I did before - I hope it doesn't sounds like a cheap excuse, because it is'nt one! Thank! :)

Susanne and David