Santa, Sun, Salt Water, and Sand!

Packed our bags and took off to Aruba for Christmas, New Year's, and my birthday. Landed...picked up rental car, and checked in at Sunshine Beach Studios in Malmok. A trip to Super Foods for groceries and we were ready to call it a day.  During our stay.....we spent time at the beach, snorkeled, went on a Sunset Cruise, explored the island, enjoyed the pool and hot tub, and attempted to learn how to sail.  It was great to see everyone at Sunset Beach and we met several interesting guest during our two week stay.
We cooked most of the time and enjoyed meals on our porch with a awesome view of the Caribbean.  Christmas Eve we went to Madame Jeanette's and New Year's Eve we had a lovely dinner out over the water at Pinchos. A trip to Aruba would not be complete with out a meal at Smokey Joe's and some fresh fish and shrimp at Zeerovers.
With a hot tip from Eve, an early morning snorkel off Boca Catalina trip gave us a glimpse of two turtles. I also enjoyed some nice snorkeling at Arashi Beach and saw lots of marine creatures that I usually see when diving.  On my birthday, I went out snorkeling......the water was murky with not much to see, but on my when back I spotted a octopus just sitting on a rock....a great birthday present!
Sunset watching every evening with a glass of wine became our ritual with each sunset different from the last.  Others folks staying nearby joined us on the beach to watch the sun slip beyond the horizon.
Our sailing trip or lesson I should say can only be described in one word......CRAZY! Here is the story I wrote on Facebook about this adventure!
We survived! With Roderick our instructor, and a 14 ft Hobie Cat we were off...the winds blowing 27 mph........gusting to 38 mph! I can best describe this adventure as HAIRY! My vision of a leisurely, calm sail with a gentle wind in our hair was quickly replaced with being drenched constantly with salt water, hanging on for dear life, and trying to understand the concept of sailing and staying on the boat! After about an hour...Dale decided his lesson was over....but I should continue sailing up and down the coastline with Roderick! I have since renamed Roderick....."More Tighter" as he was constantly telling me to tighten the rope and catch more wind! I was able to stand the boat up on end twice almost dumping both of us in the water! With every turn we changed sides....which was suppose to be done quickly, before the sail filled and off we went! Gonna have some sore spots tomorrow...bigger muscles from pulling that dang rope and a blister of my hand from "More Tighter"! Think I'm checking this off my bucket list....been there....done that! Or maybe next time in a calm lake with a gentle breeze!
PS....Dale survived another one of Gayla's Bucket List adventures!

We followed Dutch tradition and had oliebollens for good luck in 2016 and apple flaps because they are just yummy!  Gouda cheese and items from the bakery were always tempting at the store. We even brought some Dutch Gouda back to Texas. Fireworks on New Year's Eve were amazing....the Aruban folks love their fireworks (Klap)!

Our final full day we relaxed, sat on our porch enjoying the view, said our good byes, and absorbed the sunshine in Aruba. We turned in the car, checked in for our flight and arrived home just before midnight!  We found Aruba on a cruise, and she continues to call us back! Hope to return soon!

Family Ho! Ho! Ho!

Christmas was celebrated last night at my daughter, Lanell's home. A big Mexican buffet, a crazy Chinese Christmas Exchange, and Christmas gifts filled the night. Mom's Tingle Body lotion and Brian's massage puppy dog were some of the crazy gifts! It was good to have everyone together and we enjoyed listening to some of Mom's stories.  We had a killer Punch Bowl cake for a yummy dessert. Ross was in from the Air Force Academy, Chuck and Kim drove in from Conroe. Nick told us about his plans for college and of course Lexi told about her traveling volleyball team. We were sad that Chelsea and Jordan were unable to make it, since they will be coming in next week and couldn't get off.

Fishing Was Work!

Off before sunrise, and back at sunset, made for a long day of fishing.  A nippy 38*.....also made for a chilly day out on the water in Port O'Connor.  Bundled up with a thermos of hot coffee we were on a quest for six red fish.  Running across the bay we looked like Eskimos trying to stay warm.  We had a hard time finding any fish and before lunch caught a boat load of 17-18 inch red fish.....which are illegal to keep.  We ran the coastline trying to find some bigger fish and finally found them.  They weren't really biting great......following the lure up to the boat and the spooking!  Finally they began to hit our gold spoons, but fishing today was work!  I lost one nice fish and my lure when my line broke....Dang!  We ended up with five nice fish!  Pooped we headed home as the sun went down....no washing the boat until the morning!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble Cruise!

We boarded Liberty of the Seas in Galveston on November 22 for our Turkey Day Cruise shortly before lunch.  Boarding was smooth and easy, soon we were enjoying lunch in the Windjammer. Our cabin 9357 was ready about 1 pm and we unpacked our luggage when it  arrived.  Dinner was in the Main Dining Room at 5:30 pm each evening....our waiter and assistant waiter were both outstanding.  
Our first two days we spent at sea on our way to our first port in Roatan Honduras.  It was kinda of windy and cool out on the deck, so we spent most of that time indoors.  At the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle I won a bottle of Chardonnay.  

Little French Key was the excursion we booked in Roatan.  A beautiful island resort with nice beaches, water toys, lunch, and two drinks.  Relaxing and spending time in the water filled the day.....with a couple Monkey La La cocktails.....thanks to the best bartender, Renae!

The next day in Belize we arrived in a pouring rain, only to find out our cave tubing was cancelled.....Darn!  We substituted an ATV tour, in the rain.....a bad idea!  It was wet, and muddy, and the equipment was not good.  What had been an ATV trail in the jungle became a roaring river......wet, wet, wet!
Our final stop was in Cozumel, we grabbed a taxi, walked around town, enjoyed lunch and went back to the ship to relax around the pool.



We enjoyed the cocktail party before dinner each night in the Diamond Lounge and met some interesting folks!  Our final night we booked dinner at Portafino's.  A great way to end our cruise!

One final Sea Day provided time for a nice relaxing day, with perfect sunny weather.  We arrived back in Galveston and were off the ship and home before Noon.

Can't Keep Two Good Women Down!

Headed out to Warrenton/Round Top to prove you can't keep Two Good Women Down! Armed with our canes and a couple of ice bags we were determined to have fun! We picked up Karen's sister in Schulenburg......and were off for a day of looking, shopping, eating, and fun! First stop was the Square in Round Top, then we checked out Festival Hill, then lunch at JW's Steakhouse in Carmine and a late celebration of Karen's birthday! On the way back we made a stop in Warrenton to look around and pick up a few things. Our final stop was for dessert in La Grange.......ice cold margaritas....a great way to end our day and medicate our aches and pains!

Bionic Woman!

On September 8, 2015 I went to San Antonio to have a total knee replacement using the minimally invasive procedure with Dr. Amanda Marshall. My surgery was scheduled for about 7:30 am.  I got back to my room shortly before noon.  All went great and  the next day I was released and was at home by 3 pm.  I started Physical Therapy the next day and having been moving ahead in my recovery.  I was off my walker in a few days and soon graduated from using a cane.  Dale was amazed at my recovery after having two knee replacements himself!  I am now three weeks post op and going full speed ahead.

Cooling Off!

With the temperature in Texas reaching a scorching 104*, we decided to head to New Braunfels and float the cool Comal River.  It is the shortest river in Texas.  The water temperature in the river is a constant 72* since it is spring fed.
 

We arrived early to beat the summer crowds and were on the river shortly after 10 am.
The river was down from my last float, but still had a good flow and no paddling was required.  It was a great way to spend part of the day. Our float lasted about three hours!
Dried off and dressed we stopped at Clear Springs Cafe for a late lunch.  No stop there would be complete without an order of fried onion rings.  Dale had Chicken Fried Steak and I tried the Fried Catfish......both were great! Stuffed we headed home!

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!!

Limping along with my bad knee, I caught a very early flight to Charleston, then onto St. Lucia to join the awesome ladies of Lady Go Divers!  A shuttle picked us up and we were on our way to the beautiful Anse Chastanet resort.  It was so good to see all my old friends and great to meet some new ladies that joined our group this year.  Cecilia, my roommate and I had a beachfront room, 11C-Star Grass with AC....thank goodness!  Our room was lovely, very spacious and comfortable...with a large outside sitting area!  We all met for a lovely dinner and then crashed after a hard day of travel.
With over a 100 steps to breakfast we quickly figured out that the shuttle was our best means of transportation....my knee agreed!  So every morning our shuttle arrived promptly to take us up to breakfast and sometimes to dinner at night......amazing service!
Bright and early we had breakfast, then checked into the dive shop, had a meeting and then did an orientation dive on the house reef.  After demonstrating our skills we enjoyed a dive and then we were on the boat the rest of the week. Our terrific crew consisted of Bernita, Errol, and Zina...plus a boat captain. The boat was spacious, with lots of shade, and our gear was waiting on board every morning. The dive sites we all close to the resort, so we had short boat rides! Cecilia made her 500th dive in St. Lucia and got thrown into the water after she was back on the boat!


The resort had a beautiful beach with lots of palapas and lounge chairs to enjoy. The beach crew would set up the lounge chairs and make sure you had plenty of fresh towels.  At certain times of the day a beach boy came by with cold towels, fresh fruit, and a mister that sprayed "Happiness"!  It was actually cold eucalyptus water that they sprayed you with....quite refreshing! If you were thirsty or hungry all you had to do was put your flag up and someone quickly took your order! Gosh did we get spoiled!!!!

One of the highlights of my trip was finding that the folks of St Lucia love Country and Western music.....I even managed a little Texas Two Step with a bad knee!  Who knew?  Cecilia and I also found that we had a mutual attraction for Mojitos and enjoyed one or two almost every night after a day of diving! Our bar bill reflected that at the end of the week! We even converted some of the other gals! One day the boat took us over to the resorts other beach where we enjoyed the best hamburgers on the island and some of the gals did a hike to see some old plantation ruins!  I held down a hammock on the beach with Bonnie!!!


The resort service was top notch and all the employees were extremely friendly and helpful.....Always trying to make sure we were having a wonderful time!  One night the resort set up a tent on the beach just for our group for a lovely candlelight dinner! Our final dinner with a cocktail party was just as wonderful up in the Tree House Restaurant, where the new ladies were officially made members of the Lady Go Divers. Congratulations!

During our wonderful week of diving we saw a frog fish, two seahorses, a octopus, lots of eels, and some even saw a turtle.....plus lots of small stuff!  The diving was easy with a little current at 40-60 feet!  The visibility was pretty good and the dive masters always tried to get a site with the best visibility.
Cecilia and I had a wonderful week together, enjoyed some great diving, and had lots of laughs! Thanks Anse Chastanet!

Floating the Comal!

It was time for our annual Pre 4th of July float on the Comal! Off to New Braunfels in our finest red, white, and blue attire, including Karen's favorite Green Frog Feet shoes......we got into the river around 10.
 
The weather was perfect, the river was crystal clear and cool, and the holiday crowds had not arrived yet! The float was easy with just enough current to carry us leisurely along. After about 3 hours, we got out, caught the shuttle back to our car and cleaned up for lunch.
 
We decided to drive up to Gruene for lunch at the Old Grist Mill overlooking the river. After a delicious lunch and some cold drinks we drove down River Road to check out the Guadalupe River! Great day, with a good friend, and yummy food!
Happy Birthday USA!

Eels on Wheels 2015!

Flying into Bonaire I joined the rest of the Eels on Wheels group for a week of diving at the Divi Flamingo Dive Resort.  This year we had almost fifty people in our group, and my roommate was Jill Crocker.  The group was divided into three boats and we were on the Sea Queen with Luis and Orlando.  Our schedule consisted of three dives a day, three meals a day, and lots of time around or in the pool! The diving in Bonaire is always great and this week was no exception....lots of critters!

To honor the memory of a member that passed away we attended the Bonaire Coral Restoration Project meeting at Buddy Dive and made a donation in her name.  The group purchased a tree and a thicket.....a project I am sure that Patsy would have loved!

We enjoyed a stroll into town some nights for a yummy gelato and had a great farewell dinner on Saturday night before we left at Cuba Compagnie with lots of laughs and great food and drink!
During our week of diving we saw an octopus, lots of eels, some seahorses, lots of fish and pristine reefs.  We also had a young couple get engaged underwater....Congratulations!

It was a very rewarding week.....getting back far more than I can give to this awesome group!
RIP Patsy!

Big Bend or Bust!

We left early, met up with Karen and Jimmy in Stockdale, before heading out to Big Bend National Park for a five day stay.  It was a long drive with a lunch stop in Del Rio at the Blue Oasis Cafe.  We arrived at Far Flung Outdoor Adventures just before 5 pm and checked into our cute Casita #4.  Hot dogs were on the menu that night for supper.  The next morning Karen and Jimmy headed to Big Bend State Park and a drive along the famous River Road....we headed into the National Park for the day to explore.  We drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, making lots of stops to explore and take photos.  After a stop in Castolon we drove to Santa Elena Canyon, and a walk down to the river, which was very low.  The canyon is magnificent and makes you feel pretty small.  It was at this stop we met a charming couple.....Roland, 91 and Elsie, 92 who were getting married in two weeks.

We talked with them a while and wished them many years of happiness.  Their spirit was amazing and I told them they were my heroes!  We had a picnic by the river and took a brief nap on a picnic table before heading into the Basin. The drive into the basin has lots of switch backs, but it is beautiful.  We parked and hiked The Window trail to get some photos.  At one of the spots we rested on a bench with The Window in front of us.....very picturesque!  It had been a great day hiking, exploring, and viewing the beauty of this area.  We joined Karen and Jimmy for dinner.....ribs, potato salad, corn on the cob and dessert at the Casitas.

The next day we all headed to the Hot Springs.....it was another beautiful drive.  The road into the Springs was very narrow, but we made it safely and after a brief hike Karen and I were soaking in the 105* degree water....the guys sat in the shade and took pictures as we acted crazy! We had a picnic together under some big Cottonwood trees and then split up to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Dinner that night was back at our casitas.  The next day Dale and I were scheduled to do a half day river trip.....so we were off early!  The weather was perfect, nice and cool as we put the canoes in the water and began to paddle.  We made our way into a small canyon and had a few small rapids to run....nothing to hard!  A stop half way for snacks on the Mexican side of the river was nice.

We enjoyed the trip and soon were back at the Casita for lunch.  Karen and Jimmy went into the National Park that day.  Later we explored Terlingua's Ghost Town and the movie set called Contrabando.  For our last night we had dinner at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua.....a nice way to end our trip and the food was pretty darn good!  Up early we headed home!  Big Bend was awesome, beautiful, unique.......and HOT! Except the morning we left it was 59*!

Diving with the Dietzels!

After a brief flight, I landed in Cayman, and met Tamara and Dennis at the airport.  We headed to the condo after a brief stop at the grocery store.  The weather in Cayman wasn't great.......wind blowing, rough seas, and showers!  We signed up to do the X Dive, but it was a bust since we had to go to different dive sites because of weather......no sharks!   The highlight of my trip was a great picture of a fingerprint flamingo tongue.

On other dives we spotted a moray eel, sharks, turtles, and a few rays. We did two morning dives each day, had lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool relaxing.  Chef Dennis cooked most nights and the food was awesome.  I did take over a couple of times for some Tex-Mex dishes.  I treated my hosts to dinner at the Italian Kitchen one night. Dennis and Tamara both had ear issues, and did take a day off! Tamara and I got up early one morning and went to the local farmer's market for some fresh veggies and Nam Duc Mangoes....the best mangoes in the world!! Thanks Steve for telling us about them!

Sandfest or Slopfest?

Karen and I loaded our cars, hooked up the golf cart, and headed to Port Aransas for Sandfest 2015!  This year we rented a condo at Sea Mist Condos for our week long stay.
The weather had not been very good lately and the beach roads were nasty.....we found that out quickly in my car on our first trip down the beach road.  We spent Thursday in Rockport and had a yummy lunch at Paradise Key, plus some retail shopping therapy time.  Friday morning it was off to Sandfest to check it out....this time we took the golf cart.  There is only one word to describe the place......SLOP!

The poor vendors were trying to set up and it was a big mess!  We walked around, checked out the vendors and watched the sculpting begin. We spent some of our time driving around town, walking a nature trail and visiting the bird watching area.  We gave up on the idea of decorating our cart, the weather was just to nasty. Saturday we made a trip back to Victoria as Karen had an event to go to and I just went along to see Dale.

Sunday we headed back and the weather had improved, but the beach roads were still a disaster!  We checked out the finished sculptures, but didn't make the awards ceremony.  Sadly some kids got in one night and messed up the amateur sculpture's works of art!

Junking Fun!!!

A late start, but we were off to Round Top/Warrenton for some Junking Fun! Traffic was already bumper to bumper as we neared Warrenton.  Our first stop was the square in Round Top.....I got a necklace and some  homemade pasta....Karen got a necklace and some plants!  The clothes were all the Hippy Dippy style of the 60's.....been there, done that!  We had lunch at Bistro 108 and relaxed and rested.....her foot and my knee!  Back to Warrenton we shopped  and looked....but nothing really caught our eye!  Karen made one final purchase and then we headed home!  Margaritas and Guacamole in LaGrange at a Mexican Restaurant to end the day! 

Slurping Down Oysters!

A break in our miserable weather and we took off South to the Oyster Fest on Fulton Beach near Rockport!  Karen slurped down her first raw oyster yesterday! She decided she really liked them!
Never thought you could overdose on oysters.....but we did......having both fried and raw! Plus we indulged in curly fries and a couple of cold beers!  We did manage to check out the arts and crafts tent, watched a little belly dancing, and listened to some music. Karen even picked up a quart to take home to fix for her hubby! One last stop at the Home Store for some retail therapy......both of us making a purchase!  Great fun!

Celebrating Seven Great Years!

Flying into Fort Lauderdale, we planned to spend the night before boarding our 10 night Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbeans Legend of the Seas.  We checked into our hotel and had dinner at an Outback Restaurant.  Up the next morning, we had breakfast, and took a taxi to board our ship.  Check in was quick and easy....soon we were on board having lunch in the Windjammer Cafe.  Our bags arrived before dinner and we unpacked.  Requesting a large table at dinner we were put with a travel group of 7 women and 1 man...all from Texas....so we spent the rest of the cruise teaching our waiter, Jerbi to speak Texan! He was one of the best waiters we have ever had on a cruise.  The first two days at sea we had some rough weather with the boat rocking and rolling.  We spent time in the Solarium relaxing and reading....with cocktails every evening in the Diamond Lounge. Discovered a new yummy drink....Lemon Drop Martini!

Our ports were.....
St Thomas....... we spent a great day at one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean at Megan's Bay.  We just grabbed a taxi and had some sun, sand, and salt water.....along with some yummy Painkillers.
St. Kitts.....were we booked a tour and took a boat over to Nevis for a tour of the island.  We saw several old sugar mills that have been transformed into cute boutique hotels.
Dominica......an is an island with lots of Geo-thermal activity.....we snorkeled Champagne Reef...swimming in the bubbles.  Later we soaked in a natural hot tub on the beach!
Antigua was a bust! Our tour with the ship was cancelled and all the other tours we wanted were booked up....so we stayed on the ship and chilled!!!
St. Maarten which is both French and Dutch...were we spent the day at Orient Beach.....which has a topless part and a totally nude part...we kept our clothes on!!! It was a beautiful day, with some great pizza for lunch.
We celebrated our anniversary on Valentine's Day in the main dining room on formal night with cake and a serenade by the waiters.  The last night of our cruise we enjoyed dinner for two in Chops Grille to celebrate our anniversary.  The final two sea days were great for resting and relaxing as we cruised back to Florida.
Up early the next morning we got off the ship, headed to the airport, boarded our flight to Austin and arrived to 40* and a light mist.....burr!

Escape to Port A for Sunshine, Salt Air, and Sand!

Karen and I were in need of some sun, sand, and salt water....so we headed to Port Aransas for the day to renew our souls.  Karen picked up a pint of fresh oysters in Rockport on the way down. We stopped for lunch at Paradise Key, a new place I had heard about between Rockport and Aransas Pass.  Lunch was not a disappointment....the food was wonderful, service top notch, and the setting was beautiful.  Only problem....we ate to much!
On to the ferry....... and finally we hit the beach....finding a spot to spread a blanket and pull out our chairs.  The weather was picture perfect.....79 degrees, a light wind, clear skies and tons of sunshine!  Pretty good for a mid January day in Texas!  I walked the beach while Karen took a brief nap....we even put our toes in the water which was cool.  Another walk on the beach soaking in the sun....perfect!
Soon it was time to head back home......but the day had been the perfect prescription for our winter blues!  It renewed our souls!