The Ray Adventures: Rockport January 3

Greetings from the Coastal Bend of Texas. We've had quite a mix of weather, some winter, fall, spring and summer with an occasional day of 80ish temps'. Time is flying so fast, next thing we know it will be middle of March and time for us to hit the road, we plan to spend about a month traveling to Oregon. Gary hasn't been home since September 2014, he is getting anxious to see family and friends.

We have kept quite busy, Gary is volunteering on the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi 2 - 3 days a week, he is enjoying his time there especially when he can drive the visitor shuttle tram. Lately he's been taking classes to become a tour guide. He likes to ride his bike as often as weather permits, he's not crazy about riding into the wind.

I'm taking Yoga classes twice a week, Dorene, the owner of Main Street Yoga in the historic downtown district in Rockport is teaching here at the park on Mondays, Sharon, Marti and I go to the studio on Tuesdays. Yoga is the Hindu discipline to promote control of the body and mind. So far I've lost all control of both but I'm trying. I go to Snap Fitness 3 times a week for strength training, the Yoga helps work out kinks. With all the Wednesday dinners, pot lucks and happy hours, we have to burn up as many calories as we can. Wednesdays I join several other ladies in the Adult Clubhouse quilting, right now I'm finishing a Seahawk color lap throw. Speaking of the Seahawk's, we were thrilled to see them win their Wild Card playoff game and sad to see the lose to the Panthers.

Sharon, our new co-activities director, has brought in lots of new activities, a horseshoe tournament, exercise classes, WII bowling, bean bag baseball and is now trying to get the park owner to make a pickle ball court. (Now wait, that's for old people) She is also bringing in musical entertainers for us, last night was Cody Dooley from Bronson who spends his winters in South Texas. He sings classic country songs emulating the voice of the original artist. Not quite our cup of tea but he was very good.

Gary, Luci and I took a drive to Goliad, about 90 minutes from here, we have been through there twice but only stopped at the Spanish mission Nuetra Senora del Espirita de Zuniga. The country roads take you through cattle country, we passed a field with 21 Sandhill Cranes, several crested caracaras feasting on something in the field and several deer. We drove into the historic downtown district finding most of the businesses closed on Monday but found a restaurant open. "The Hanging Tree Restaurant" across the street from the still functioning county courthouse and the infamous Hanging Tree. For 24 years in the mid 1800's the court trials of Goliad County were held under this big oak tree. Death sentences were carried out promptly by means of a rope and a convenient limb. We had a delicious lunch, I had stuffed cabbage and Gary enjoyed a specialty of the house burger. Just south of the mission is the Presidio La Bahia, built in 1722, the fortress where Col. James Fannin commanded the troops during the Texas Revolution in 1836, unfortunatelty they lost the battle to the Mexicans on Palm Sunday. All 342 POW's were massacred a few hundred yards from the fort. Col. Fannin, the last to be executed could see the handwriting on the wall, he requested his personal belongings to be sent to his family, to be shot in the heart and given a Christian burial. His things were kept by the Mexicans, he was shot in the face and was burned along with all his soldiers. So much for requests. The Fannin Monument, near the Presidio, is the location where Fannin's and 342 soldiers bones are buried. The centuries old chapel, Our Lady of Loreto, is the oldest building in the compound, was built for the soldiers in the fort and is still an active Catholic Church. The fort, restored in the 1960's is the oldest freestanding fort in the states. For a nominal fee you can spend the night in the soldiers quarters. We picked up several geo caches before we left for Rockport, at one location I heard some brush crashing, I saw an armadillo working on his home. Cool.

We helped RJ and Gail celebrate their 34th anniversary at Moondog's with Bob and Sharon, David and Marihelen, Steve and Marti and Karen and Steve. A fun little eatery on the water in Fulton and a good time. Happy Anniversary RJ and Gail.

And yes, we are"wannabe" birders.

Well that's it in a nutshell. Enjoy the pic's.

TFN,

Gary and Pam