Railroad Seafood Station and One Last Movie Night

Dry out the awning before we hit the road
Friday, March 12, slept like a rock and got up at 7:00. Started the day by working yesterday's crossword puzzle. The sun is streaming in our back picture window. I love the view here at Southern Oaks-makes me glad for our rear living area. It is chilly with a low of 41 degrees this morning. After a light breakfast I walk at 9:30 with Nan. We both just knew to go back to our normal time even though we never said it last night. Those guys are going to Wal-Mart and HEB. We agree to meet between 12:30 and 1:00 for lunch.

Sadly, I go home to pack up the decor. I can't believe we're moving tomorrow. I told Nan to try to never be the last ones to leave after you've been camped next to good friends. Bob is working on the digital picture frame. I call Shiloh RV Park on Hwy 59 southwest of Houston's outer loop and get a site for tomorrow night. Then I clean up and we head out to lunch around 12:30. Today I put my new contact in for the first time (that's one of the main reasons we got our mail.) It seems to fit great and I end up wearing it for twelve hours today with no problem. We give Nan and Tom our latest Escapee's magazine that came in the mail.

Love the live oak trees here at Southern Oaks

What a gorgeous day. The temperature says 74but a chilly north wind has blown in and has blown the humidity out of here. We have a sunny drive over the Corpus bridge affording a great seaside view. At Railroad Seafood Station Tom, Nan and Bob split a half order of their onion rings; even a half order is a mound of them. I have seafood chowder that is tasty. Nan and I go for the grilled black drum. Tom has Snapper Pontchartrain. Bob has red snapper fish tacos. It was all great as usual.

We get fuel and a paper in Aransas Pass on the way home. We agree to walk at 5:00 and have happy hour afterwards. Back home I check my email and am relieved to hear from our friend Glenda in Elgin that her son Dan is out of surgery this morning and doing well. I also have a Facebook message from my friend Patti in Austin. Her and her daughter Jessica will be in Aransas Pass Monday through Wednesday of next week for Spring Break. What a bummer we're leaving tomorrow.

Bob and I read the paper, put away the lawn chairs and bring in the bikes. Bob airs up the tires and checks the oil. I guess we're really leaving. Dan next door has been all packed up and hitched up since last night. He leaves early tomorrow morning, hoping to be in San Antonio by the time we pull out. Bob saw Steve and Debbie who came by to take Dan out to dinner one last time. Around 3:00 I feel a migraine coming on and take a magic pill which chases it away by early evening.

At 5:00 Nan, Bob, Roxy and I walk. We see Ann and Jerry and get to tell them goodbye. I give them an old Union Oil postcard of a falls near Seattle. They are out talking to Beverly and her husband from Michigan whose kids live in San Antonio. They are thinking about purchasing lot #44 here, two site over from Ann and Jerry. Bob takes Roxy home after the first round and Nan and I go around once more.

Roxy is sad when she sees Terri and Jerry's empty site!

I go home to get nachos, chips, strawberries and yogurt pretzels and we head over to Nan and Tom's for happy hour. Nan has a great HEB Pina Colada Cheeseball. We Google for the recipe but can't find it. Tom got his new phone today and is charging it up. He hasn't recovered his contact list yet.

It's movie night again. This time we watch Julie and Julia. What a great movie. I've been wanting to see it. "Almost a chick flick" according to Bob. We get to chatting after that and don't realize it's 11:15. Yikes! We head home and hit the sack. Big moving day tomorrow. Hope we didn't keep those guys up too late. It is a chilly evening with bright stars on our last night on the Texas Coast.

Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi with Tom and Nan

Nan and Tom on the seawall along Corpus Christi Bay

Tuesday, February 16, I slept like a rock and got up and 7:30. This morning I caught up on correspondence and thank yous from our visit in Bastrop. After a light breakfast I go for a walk. First I went to the office where they pointed out the out-going mail on the far end of the parking lot. The mail lady is not here yet so I go home and get my letters. As I walk back I meet the mail gal on the parking lot. Perfect timing! It's 9:45 so I have to remember to get my mail out there before then.

Reet and Bob pause on the seawall in Corpus Christi Bay before walking out to the fishing pier behind us.

I proceed on my walk and meet Roxy and Nan coming back from their morning walk. Tomorrow we'll coordinate better. I didn't even think of mentioning it yesterday. Her sister calls so we say we'll meet at noon for lunch and I continue on my walk. No one is out and about over by the deeded lots. Back home to stretch, iron and shower. We go outside to put the back seat of Big Bertha up. Tom and Nan join us and we're off. The low is 41 degrees, no where near freezing like they said even though Bob shut off our water. The high gets to 57 degrees with a north wind the air feels chilly but the sun is out making it a much nicer day.

Nan, Tom and Bob enjoy the Corpus skyline

We head to Railroad Seafood Station in Corpus. Nan takes a cue from me and tries the Baltimore Crab Cakes. Drum for Bob and Crawfish Etouffe for Tom. We all enjoy the delicious broccoli slaw and we have 'go boxes.' Then we take Shoreline and Ocean Drive tour admiring palm trees and mansions where the other half lives. I take a photo of a Mom, daughter and grandson's first trip to "The Beach" out on the fishing pier in Corpus Bay. Nan notices our shadows on the water as we lean on the railing so I snap a shot of our silhouettes. I try to explain how rare this non-windy day is for this area. In a few days they will know what I'm talking about.

Bob, Tom, Nan and Rita cast shadows upon Corpus Christi Bay from the fishing pier!

The road is still closed by the Convention Center so we go across the Bay down by The Lexington. First we browse a beach gift shop. Nan finds purple and black beach shoes at a reasonable price. We walk to the front of The Lex for a photo op and then down the beach to the water's edge where a jellyfish floats by. The water is chillier than we thought it would be; a tribute to this harsh winter.

Nan poses by the huge Lex prop

I hop out for a Corpus Caller-Times at a gas station and we head home to Southern Oaks admiring the blue of the water with the sun out for the first time. We sit outside on site 202 concrete between our rigs at the picnic table after Bob and Tom move it to the pavement. I just had to snap a picture of their rig to show there is more than one way to 'Move on Down the Road!' We enjoy my friend Jean's Argentina Malbec wine-thanks so much! I bring Raspberry Jalapeno Jelly and cream cheese and trail mix. Nan adds nuts and crackers. By late afternoon we move inside to their Grand Junction as the wind is brisk.

Bob, Nan and Tom with The Lexington off shore

Roxy and Roscoe (their black and white cat) entertain us. Roscoe lets himself out the screen door! We have a nice chat until 7:30 when Bob and I head home. Our RV is chilly as we had the top vent open. We watch the Olympics--Snowboard Cross and Men's Figure Skating. It's 8:10 p.m. and 50 degrees with 42% humidity.

A jellyfish floats by

Bob, Tom and Nan gather for Happy Hour at Southern Oaks

Tom and Nan's Grand Junction 5th wheel, The Big Truck and The Smart Car!