Happy New Year

This morning I made an early trip to the grocery, before the rush since the stores closed early and will be closed all day tomorrow. I came back to the studio, Dale and I decided to visit with Mary and Steve since they were heading home after a week in Aruba. We wished them a safe journey.






We headed back into town for the fireworks down the main street at 1 pm. We watched as they blocked the street, and then laid out a string of firecrackers about 300 yds long. Shortly after 1pm they lit the string, the sound was so loud, thank goodness we had put something in our ears. We had a front row seat for the festivities. I took pictures and then got some great video of the action.
As soon as it ended we jumped in the car and headed back to our home away from home. As we turned in we saw Mary and Steve were still waiting for a cab, so we offered to take them to the airport. They loaded their luggage and we took the back way to the airport to avoid all the congestion downtown. We dropped them off, said our final good-byes and headed back out to Malmok. I decided to go snorkeling and Dale said he wanted to get on the laptop. I enjoyed an hour of snorkeling down the road. Dale and I got into the hot tub since no one was in it and then we started our supper. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the patio while enjoying spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread.
2007 went out in style with a dramatic sunset in Aruba.
Tonight we will go out to the beach to watch the fireworks over the island and bid goodbye to a great year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!

DPV DIVE

Well yesterday we headed to the JADS Dive Shop for my DPV dive - Dive Propulsion Device with Walter. After gearing up we headed out to the reef for my introduction to the Apollo. At first, Walter drove the scooter and I held on to a wing until the got on the other side of the reef. Walter demonstrated out to operate the device and then it was my turn. At first, I started out kinda slow, apprehensive, but soon I got the hang of it and off I went. Wow, was it a kick! I cruised up and down the reef, circling back often to make sure Walter was around. The current was pretty strong and
going with the current I felt like I was flying.
We stayed out about 45 minutes and then
headed back in to the dive shop. The current
had carried us down the reef and we had a
tricky exit from the water.
After my dive, Dale and I headed over to Mango Halto for a reef drift snorkel. We geared up and headed out at Rocky Beach, swimming until we got on the other side of the reef, then it was pretty much floating and drifting with the current. Our snorkel trip lasted about 45 minutes to an hour before we swam into shore and got out of the water. We were starving so we headed to La Granja for lunch---grilled chicken and ribs.
Later that evening I talked Dale into going up toward the lighthouse for the fireworks show. It was a Zoo, traffic was terrible, we were sure we would see a bad accident. The show didn't start until almost 11 pm, lasted about 20 mins. and was good, but getting back home in that crazy traffic took forever. We didn't get to bed until almost 1 am. The people of Aruba are crazy about fireworks! Tonight was another big fireworks show, but we decided to stay home and not battle the crowd.

Season Greetings From Aruba

We arrived in Aruba on Dec. 23 after a direct flight from Houston, we picked up our rental car and headed out to Sunset Beach Studios. We found the room unlocked and the key hidden as they had told us. We unpacked, ate supper and went to bed early. The next morning, Dec. 24 we headed off to the grocery store to stock up as the stores would be closed for next couple of days. What a zoo, made me feel at home. Christmas Day we enjoyed snorkeling down the road at Boca Grande, relaxing in the hot tub, and just kicking back. I had arranged to dive with JADS on Dec. 26, so Dale drove me over and I made two boat dives--a wreck and a reef. I made arrangements to dive at Rocky Beach and drove over on Thursday afternoon, Dec.27 for my shore dive. It turned out to be me and the divemaster, a great dive. That night we drove over to the other side of the island to watch a fireworks display. Today we kinda explored the island, I snorkeled out in front of the resort and enjoyed supper on our porch. Tomorrow we are off in the morning, I have a scooter dive planned at 9 am at JADS. Think we will watch the fireworks at the Lighthouse tomorrow night. The people in Aruba love fireworks!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Well it has been a busy weekend and we are counting down to Christmas and our trip to Aruba.
It has turned cold and it beginning to feel like Xmas here in South Texas. Last night we went to our Country and Western Dance Club and enjoyed the dance with friends. Today after getting a late start we cleaned the house from top to bottom, boy did it need it. We did sneak off for a late afternoon flight around the area. Finally, a clear day, cool and smooth....we landed at sunset, grabbed a bite at Sonic and headed home.






This week is really going to be busy......
The Hospital party, the Goldman party,
Christmas with the family and packing for
Aruba.


My shopping is DONE, the last gift arrived
from Amazon yesterday.......only a few gifts
left to wrap and Santa will be ready. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Counting Down to Christmas

Well it has been a busy week, with lots of highs and a few lows. On Monday I decided to go to Houston shopping, Harwin St., Chicos, First Colony. Wednesday I had a busy day planned, but that was all put on hold when the power steering in my car went out. We took it to the GMC dealer and found out the power steering pump was out. That was the good news, cause the bad news was the pump was on back-order for 3-4 weeks. I am now in a grey Pontiac rental car furnished by GM. Thursday night we had two bank Xmas parties, FVNB and Wells Fargo. Friday I got in some Xmas shopping, and gadly I can say I am almost done, now the wrapping begins.
Next week will be hectic ----Lunch Bunch, Hospital Party and Country and Western Dance Club....................and maybe a fishing trip.
We are planning on getting together with the kids and grandkids before we leave, but trying to get everyone together on one date is tricky.
We have about 15 sleeps before we head to Aruba, boy am I ready! I need some sun, sand, and saltwater soon!

GONE FISHING

We left home about 7 am this morning to head down to Port O'Connor for a day of fishing, it was a chilly 49 degrees. We put the boat in the water about 8 am and headed out across the water for our favorite fishing spot.

It was pretty breezy going across the bay, but we had put on several layers and stayed warm.
We started fishing, casting as we drifted, looking for Reds. This was our first fishing trip with our new Shimano Curado reels and we were anxious to hook our first Reds and break them in. We caught a couple of Reds and then a few that were to small to keep as we drifted. The wind seemed to be constantly changing directions and a few clouds dotted the sky. Dale landed a nice Red, a couple of small ones and I landed a pretty good Trout. We had our usual breakfast-peanut butter sandwich and banana with a hot cup of coffee, really hit the spot.

We continued to make drifts across the lake hooking some small reds, but seeing some really nice fish. Around Noon we decided to stop as we reached the bank and enjoy our picnic lunch-sandwiches, chips and a cold Coke.

We thought the tide was high enough to run into one of the other lakes, but upon trying we found that it was to shallow. We decided to try a drift across some of the spots we had fished in the morning, since we had seen some Reds.
We hooked another nice fish, when I spotted a Red tailing off in the distance. Dale polled us over to the spot but the fish had moved on. It was about that time Dale spotted a nice Red, after a couple of cast he had it hooked the biggest Red of the day. As Dale was playing the Red, I hooked a Red. Luckily we landed both fish and our day was over, we had limited out on Reds with 6 , and our 1 Trout, and it was only 1:30 pm. We headed back in, stopping along the way to
watch the oyster boats working the reefs. We stopped in Seadrift and picked up a gallon of fresh oysters, nothing like a good fried oyster. We got home, unloaded and cleaned the boat, gear, and put our large bag of fish filets in the frig.
A good day, a limit of reds and our reels were great!!!!

Turkey Day

Well "Turkey Day" has come and gone, which means Christmas is just around the corner. We spent a very nice Thanksgiving Day at my Mom's house, the food was great. Mom cooked the turkey and dressing and I made cranberry salad, sweet potatoes and a dewberry pie.
The weather has turned nasty---cold and wet, not the usual South Texas climate. We have been staying in, trying to get caught up on things, and using the computer to Xmas shop. I have been working with Natasha in Port Douglas, Australia on our wedding ceremony. She has done a fantastic job and wrote a beautiful ceremony for us. We booked Steve Brennan to take photos at our wedding, makes me feel like the rich and famous after looking at a portfolio of his work. Hope he is ready for two Texans. I have also been posting some questions about dive operators and getting some info on diving the Great Barrier Reef.
Hard to believe we head to Aruba in just a month for Xmas and New Years, boy am I ready. With the Holloway case in the news again maybe we will run into Greta or Grace, who knows!
Two weeks of sun, sands and the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean out our front door, what more could you ask for.

Lunch at The Wharf

Since our flight yesterday to the Elm Creek Fly-In was canceled because of the fog we decided to go flying today. Again this morning we were grounded for a while with fog, but we finally got off the ground about 10:30 am and decided to head to Port Aransas for lunch. We hit the coastline and flew the beach almost the whole way, spotting lots of fish. We landed and waited for the trolley to take us into town for lunch at The Wharf. No trolley today, so we called a taxi. We had a great lunch of fried shrimp and oysters with all the trimmings. We called the taxi and went back to the airport. Before we took off we met a guy that had flown down from Canada in a Vans he had built, he looked and admired Dale's plane. We finally landed about 4:30 pm and wiped the plane down and put Miss Ice Tea Too to bed for the night.

Back Home Again

Dale and I are back home after heading off in different directions this past weekend. Dale went to Arizona on his bike to the Copperstate EAA Fly-In and I headed to Fort Worth to visit my friend, Pam. It was good to get back home today.
We are heading out in the morning on a guided fishing trip, hope they are biting.

Adios Huatulco

Our trip to Huatulco and Villa Pacifico has come to an end, it is time to head home. Rebecca and Hugo have taken great care of us and we have enjoyed spending time with them. Carlos is picking us up after an early lunch for the trip to the airport for our flight. We enjoyed the drive up to Pluma Hildalgo, snorkeling at St. Augustin and La Entrega, walking around La Crucecita, and seeing old friends. The weather didn't cooperate, we had one day of rain, but it was still a great trip. October is a great time to visit, everything is green after the rainy season, the temperatures aren't terribly hot, the water is usually warm, and there aren't any crowds of crazy tourist.
We felt a small earthquake the morning we were leaving, I think Huatulco was saying goodbye.
We leave counting the days until we return, hopefully in the fall of 2008.

Last Day in Huatulco

Dawn came to Huatulco after a stormy very windy night, a few clouds dotted the sky, but the sun was shinning. Rebecca and Hugo arrived on Rebecca's scooter and prepared a light breakfast for us. We decided to try La Entrega again, since it sits in a protected cove. We packed our gear and called a taxi for the trip. We arrived to find calm water and not much of a crowd at the beach. We picked a table at one of the local restaurants. I decided to try snorkeling, got my snorkel gear and camera hoping to get some pics. Dale decided he would hold down the beach and catch up on his reading. I found the water ice cold as I entered the water, wow was it cold! It was so cold it almost took my breath away. I swam out , made my way into the cave to try and get pictures. The tide was high and the wave action made it hard to get a good shot. I swam over the reef, but didn't find anything exciting, besides I was beginning to turn blue. Swam back into shore and was eager to tell Dale how he missed the cold water. I guess the storm that had been blowing stirred up the currents and made the water so cold.
We ordered lunch, fish for both of us, I tried a margarita..............................thought it would warm me up. After lunch we just laid around the beach, read, watched all the families that had arrived and talked with some young folks from Colorado. We stayed at La Entrega until four and then grabbed a taxi---driven by a NASCAR driver I'm sure, back to the Villa.
Rebecca greeted us with some fresh guacamole and chips. Of course we had to eat again.
We had time before dinner to lay down and rest, I cleaned my camera and downloaded the photos.
Tomorrow we head home, as another trip to Huatulco comes to an end. Carlos will take us to the airport for our flight to Houston. Rebecca will prepare a light lunch before she sends us on our way, she always takes care of us. Hope the weather is good tomorrow for our flight.

Exploring Huatulco

Cloudy skies, no rain today, so we grabbed the car and took off after breakfast for a day of exploring the area. First, we headed up to Santa Maria Huatulco, then onto Pluma Hildalgo for a scenic drive into the mountains. We had a little problem finding the road, even with Rebecca's directions, but after stopping we were on our way. The paved road wound through the mountains, across a river, as we continued to climb leaving the coast off in the distance. Pluma Hildalgo was once a major trade center, and sits above 4,500 feet, and is still home to some coffee farms(fincas). Pluma Hildalgo has a well known reputation for its organic coffee. We stopped in the town zocalo to have a brief look around, went into the church, and walked to a great lookout point. We headed back down to Santa Maria Huatulco and were stopped at a roadblock by the military. We had to show proof of the car registration, they did a brief search of our backpack and little ice chest, no problem. We drove back to La Crucecita and decided to walk around town, we ran into our old friend Juan, his son in law, and grandson. As we were walking around the town square we heard the sound of a chain saw and saw several men working at cutting up a large tree that fell during last nights high wind. A few seconds later, we heard a funny sound and another huge tree fell over, nearly missing a lady selling her goods in the square









We left La Crucecita and headed to Santa Cruz, which was pretty quite with no cruiseship in town. We walked around, went to the chapel, took a few photos and left. Then we went to La Bocana, a favorite spot for the local surfers, no surfers today, the surf was to rough. Finally we headed back to the Villa, Rebecca whipped a bowl of guacamole and fixed a great margarita. We sat around the kitchen and told her about our adventures.
Rebecca fixed another wonderful meal and we decided to turn in for the night. I did manage to get some great photos of a beautiful sunset.

Rain in Huatulco

We awoke this morning to rain, clouds and the sound of the thunder, so we decided to postpone our day of exploring in the car and instead will rest, relax, read and lay around the villa. We will probably grab a taxi and go out for dinner tonight. Rained off and on most of the day.

Grabbed a taxi and went to one of our favorite restaurants in Huatulco - Cafe Vienna.
The food was fantastic and we finished the meal with their famous hot apple strudel with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Hope to take the car and go out exploring in the morning.

A day at the beach-St. Augustin

Another great day draws to an end in Huatulco. We decided to get our friend Juan to take us to the beach at St. Augustin for the day. He picked us up after a delicious breakfast served by
Rebecca. The road to St. Augustin is dirt, and is usually in very bad shape, so it was good to have Juan doing the driving. He dropped us off at a restaurant on the beach that he recommended.

We decided to put on our snorkel gear and explore the reef near the shore. We spotted some rays swimming along the shoreline as we walked down the beach to enter the water. Almost as soon as we were in the water we began to see rays, they came very close and didn't seem to be bothered by us. I did manage to get a couple of good photos with my underwater camera.















We snorkeled over the reef for a while and then returned to our table under the giant palapa. Lunch included Dale's favorite fish tacos, guacamole, shrimp cocktail and of course a margarita. The food was excellent and somehow we managed to eat all of it. We lazed around the palapa in the shade for the rest of the afternoon, getting in the water to cool off. Juan showed up around 4 pm and we discussed the problems of his government and ours, a very deep conversation. Juan will soon be opening a restaurant in La Crucecita called The Crystal Rose. We enjoyed hearing about all his exciting plans for the future. After loading our gear we headed to the Villa with Juan at the wheel. We grabbed a quick dip in the pool before dinner and another margarita. Rebecca served us her wonderful steak, baked potato, grilled peppers, mushrooms, and onions with melted cheese.............................delicious! Ice Cream from Terra Cotta awaits us for dessert in the freezer, if we find room.
Tomorrow we are going to take the car and go out exploring Pluma Hildalgo, Santa Maria Huatuclo and maybe a stop in Santa Cruz................all small towns in the area.

Arrival in Huatulco

Dale and I arrived in beautiful sunny Huatulco Saturday after a short pleasant flight on Continental. Carlos sent his son, Daniel to pick us up at the airport and take us to Villa Pacifico. We arrived to be warmly greeted by old friends Rebecca and Hugo, who showed us to our favorite suite in the Villa. Hugo surprised us with beautiful floral arrangements in our room.
Rebecca quickly prepared a light lunch of shrimp and avocado salad. Very tasty as usual!
Rebecca and Hugo had just finished a busy week with a crowd of eleven at the Villa, so we told them we would go into La Crucecita for dinner and that they should take Sunday off...................we would manage on our own since this is our fifth stay we pretty much know the place.
Saturday night we took the car and went in to La Crucecita for dinner at The Cactus, near the town square. After dinner we stopped by the local panaderia and picked up some fresh baked goods for breakfast the next morning. Since we were both tired we headed back to the Villa for a hot shower and a good nights sleep.
Sunday morning I prepared breakfast and then we headed out for a day at the beach at La Entrega. The beach was great, the water warm and lunch at Celito Linda was great as usual.
We stayed at the beach until around 3pm we drove back into town, stopped by Pollo Imperial and picked up a grilled chicken with all the trimmings for dinner. We enjoyed the pool and the jacquzzi late in the afternoon, took a siesta in the hammocks under the palapa and had our dinner on the veranda at sunset. A end to another good day in Huatulco.

Cowtown Week-End

Dale and I went up to Burelson to visit Pam and Tim for the weekend, had about a 5 hour drive up, traffic wasn't to bad. On Saturday Pam and I took off for some serious shopping, the guys headed to Cabelas to check it out. Pam and I found some good bargains on some summer stuff, had lunch, and got back about 5 pm.
We dressed and took off to hear Tim play with
his old high school band in Keller. Dale and
I did get in some country and western dancing
at Judge Roy Beans. We didn't get back
home till almost 1 am. Sunday we enjoyed
a great lunch that Pam fixed before hitting
the road home. Ran into some rain, but the
drive wasn't to bad. Had a great time with
good friends!

Laptop

Well we got our new Dell laptop this week, it has been an adventure. We had the guy from our ISP come out and help with the wireless router, or should I say try to help.......................he had problems. Today we had a "Computer Geek" out for several hours and I think he has got it set up. We need to buy some additional software next week.
I know once we get all our bugs worked out, we will love it, especially for our travels.
It has been a busy week, don't know where it went. Only two weeks until we are off to Huatulco, can't wait.
I worked on the Australia trip, we made final payment on our flights to
Australia, the price goes up on October 1. We also got things squared with the wedding celebrant, Natasha.

Under the Wire Fly-In

Dale and I got up early and were ready to takeoff about 8 am for our trip to the Under the Wire Fly-In in Louise. It was a short smooth flight,we landed and picked out a prime spot for Miss Ice Tea Too. Shortly more planes arrived and lots of old friends stopped by to visit and catch up. We had packed a picnic lunch, so we enjoyed lunch under the shade of the wing..................it was a pretty warm day. It was amazing to see so many Stearmans at the fly-in, must have been 20 - 25 of them. We decided to head home a little after four, loaded up our gear, and took off for home. We landed shortly before 5 pm.

Flying to Port Aransas

We got up this morning intending to fly to Port Aransas for lunch. The ceiling was low and we were forced to wait before taking off. Finally the skies cleared and we were off to Port Aransas and lunch at The Wharf. The flight down the beach was hot, so we got out over the water to make the flight smoother. We caught some pretty good tail winds right over the beach and made pretty good time. We landed and caught the trolley into town for a late lunch. Dale and I both enjoyed fried shrimp, it was really good.
We took off for home and landed about 4:30 pm. We climbed up high coming home and it was cool and smooth. A good trip!

Happy Birthday Dale

Today is Dale's 64th birthday. I am taking him out for supper, maybe Baytown Seafood.
I got him a nice knit shirt and a box of "Good & Plenty" - YUCK! Some of his old friends called to wish him a happy birthday.

Floating the Frio - 2007

Dale and I arrived at Concan, unpacked and waited on Tim and Pam to arrive. We waited, and waited, and waited, finally calling them-------they got a late start and would arrive later than we had planned. We took off to rent some tubes so we would be ready to hit the river when they arrived.
Once they arrived, unpacked, put up the groceries and put on their swimsuits we took off for the river for a 1 1/2 hour float. The river was great, no dragging bottom this year. We pretty much sailed along, no problems, having a great time. We crossed a low water crossing and Tim managed to get caught, and Pam made her first water rescue. We made Frio Country and headed back to our cabin. We decided to enjoy Pam's casserole for supper, it was YUMMO!
The next day we decided to go up river and do a longer float, suppose to be about 3 1/2 hours. We all piled into the truck and set off to the river. Today we decided to take an ice chest with snacks and drinks to enjoy on our float, it did come in handy. Pam spotted a rope hanging from a huge Cypress tree and decided to try to swing out over the river, bad idea-Tarzan she ain't! She crashed, luckily she didn't kill herself. We floated and we floated, finally taking a snack break on the banks of the Frio, after changing tubes, mine had a slow leak, we headed out again

We approached a dam, the water was pretty swift, we surveyed the situation and decided to walk around it. Smart decision! We floated and floated, knowing our take out was just around the bend. No such luck! Tim had a tuff time, he seemed to be able to find the only place in the river with NO CURRENT. Time passed and we had already spent 3 1/2 hours on the river, but still no take out. The river widened and there was NO current, so it was either paddle or walk. We walked the last part of the trip and finally made it back to our take out. Everyone was tired, sunburned and a few had rocks in their shoes. After cleaning up we headed out to find a restaurant, no luck it was Sunday and Leakey rolls up the streets. We finally found a little local place and had a good supper.
The next day we decided a short float was all we could take, plus Pam and Tim had to hit the road after lunch. So Pam, Dale and I did the 1 1/2 float and Tim stayed at the cabin to play his guitar. It was a good float and we had the whole river to ourselves. Tim picked us up and we headed back to our cabin. Dale grilled hamburgers for lunch-YUMMO! Tim and Pam packed up and headed back North. Dale and I spent the rest of the day relaxing down at the river.
Tuesday morning we packed up and headed home, another "Floating on the Frio" trip in the books.

Floating on the Frio

We are getting ready for a great weekend at Seven Bluff Cabins in Concan with friends, Pam and Tim. Hope the river is flowing, no dragging bottom this year with all the rain. We plan on going out to eat at Horse Pasture Cattle Co., good food and good music! We leave early Saturday morning for a long weekend.

Swimming with Whale Sharks

Dale and I are back from our trip to Holbox, Mexico where we had the experience of a lifetime- swimming with the gentle giants of the ocean - Whale Sharks. Our group of six left Victoria and headed to Cancun, Mexico on July 28, 2007. A van picked us up at the airport and we had a two hour ride to the port of Chilquila were we caught a boat to Holbox. After a couple days to unwind and relax we were off on our first Whale Shark Tour. We boarded the boat early, the sea was smooth as glass, for the hour ride out to find these giant creatures.
Dale and I were the first two to enter the water, after gearing up in our snorkel gear we sat on the edge of the boat waiting for the guide to give the okay to enter the water. The boat pulled along side, and we slipped into the water, after surfacing we swam closer to the whale shark for a better look. I had my camera, but taking individual shots was hopeless, only videos would work in the water. My heart was pounding as I swam like crazy to keep up with this massive creature. Finally the shark dove into deeper depths and we lost sight.
On our second try, I had the camera set for videos. Once again we entered the water and the race was on. This time I found myself almost on top of this big fish, he seem to come up under me, slowly and gently. I got some pretty good video. Although it was against the rules, I did touch the whale shark in an attempt to move away from him.
On another attempt Dale and I got very close, almost to close, as I received a gentle nudge from his tail. Wow, this was awesome! A real adrenaline high!
I had the chance to go out a second time, only this time we didn't see as many as the first, but it was still great. I tried to get some videos, but it was really hard.
Holbox was quaint, pretty laid back. Not much else to do, except the Whale Sharks.
We had a great week and left Holbox with a big smile, a new shirt stating we had swam with the Whale Sharks.

Packed and Ready

Well we are off early in the morning to Holbox, Mexico in search of the illusive Whale Shark. We have rented a house, Casa Blanca on Holbox for the week. Our group includes, Sue and Dave, Laurie and Chris, and Dale and I. Hope all goes according to plan.

Hot and Humid Week

Well another week is gone and we are two weeks away from Holbox, Mexico and the Whale Shark Adventure. I have been busy working on the Australia/New Zealand trip, lots of time on the internet. Think I am on the downhill now, plans are coming together.
It has been really hot and humid, Dale has been busy mowing and shredding the pasture after all the rain.
We went dancing last night with Karen and Jimmy, had a good time. Tonight we are off to eat with the "Dive Gang", kinda a get together before our next trip.

The Sun is Shining for the Moment

Well, we have finally seen the sun, if only briefly. We didn't quite get our inch of rain yesterday, but pretty darn close in a downpour. The grass is rapidly growing and I don't have a clue when it will be dry enough to mow. We might have to resort to bailing hay in the yard.
Another weekend that the weather has spoiled our flight plans. A trip yesterday to meet fellow friends and pilots in La Grange for lunch was canceled due to weather conditions. Cabin fever has set in around here, so bored last night we watched "Four Weddings and a Funeral" on television.
I worked on the Australia/New Zealand trip plans yesterday and talked with a Quantas Vacation specialist. Sounds like they may be the answer to my prayers.
Counting down now to our Holbox, Mexico trip, only three weeks away. Hope those darn whale sharks show up. I will be making final plans for our group and double checking all our plans - tours, transportation, and house rental. We are going with Sue and Dave, and Laurie and Chris, the dive gang.
We have "Lunch Bunch" this week among other things. Busy as usual!

Wet Weekend

Well it was a wet weekend and doesn't look much better for the week ahead. Friday night we went to a birthday party cookout for Ross out in the country. Spent Saturday working on the itinerary for our upcoming Australia/New Zealand trip. We got a call from friends and decided to join them at Bubba-Clydes for a country western dance featuring Tim Hall. Great music, but a real backwoods country bunch. Slept late on Sunday morning and pretty much chilled out all day. Last night we had torrential rains all night long. The rain guage had seven inches in it and ran over during the night.
We made it to the HealthPlex after lunch for a workout. Dale took a friend flying late this afternoon and I am expecting him home anytime.
We did finalize our plans for a "Floating on the Frio" trip with our friends Tim and Pam from Fort Worth for August. We are hoping for a good float this year, no draggin bottom.
I think we have found a place to get married in Port Douglas, Australia--The Pink Flamingo. I am working on getting a marriage celebrant now. Am I crazy trying to plan a wedding in Australia???

Cozumel Dive Trip

I just returned from a four night/5 day dive trip to Cozumel with my girlfriend, Pam Tynes from Fort Worth. We had a great time and enjoyed staying at Casa del Mar in Cozumel. We flew out of Dallas on Aeromexico, a very nice flight. I had the opportunity to get in four dives with "Dive with Cristina", a first class dive operation. Her boat "Nena" is spacious, with lots of shade and room to relax during your surface interval. Cristina's knowledge and love of the underwater world is contagious. My divemaster, Jaime shared his diving skills and gave me some great tips on underwater photography. Just take a look at my pictures, some really great ones.