Monday, March 9, 2009

THe Surfs Roar



You read about the roaring surf, but until you feel the sound against your body you just won't understand. Closing your eyes the sound is so loud that you swear you are surrounded by water, yet you are reclining on you beach chair and dry. Sometimes reading can take you there and sometimes not.
For the past week we have been at our old favorite, Mustang Island State park and the surf has been a constant background noise. The week has been a goodbye to the Texas coast, a week full of shelling and fishing and listening to the roar of the surf.
Our morning is filled with an early walk on the beach. The shelling has been the best ever at low tide as the large surf has brought in a lot of shells and every morning it is different. The key is to get out there first and beat the other beachcombers. The first morning the beach was covered with Portuguese man-o-wars, the next translucent jelly fish followed by a morning with sea weed washed ashore in rows.
As we walk we find large cockleshells and sand dollars. The best morning was yesterday. We found four and the largest sand dollar yet.
We spent three days in Port Aransas, I fished the jetty with George and Gary and Dave while Renita spent two of the days shopping with Val and a third day watching the dolphins. The fishing for sheepshead has been great, with the usual loss of lots of tackle to the rocks. Renita has now been to every shop in the Port and has enjoyed her time with her new friend Val.
The campground has been full each night as spring break has arrived, and yet we are insulated from the spring breakers. It's happening on the beach camping, not here, as Texas bans public drinking in state parks.
And so our week draws to a close, but there is still time to sign off and take one last walk on the beach, before heading inland for birding at Choke Canyon State park. Clear skies.

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