Paddling for Reds

Booked another trip with "Hector the Hunk" to go fishing and paddling in Port Aranasas, met up with him and we headed to South Bay to put the kayaks in the water. It was a fantastic day on the water....a cool crisp morning with a light breeze blowing. Lots of boats dotted the bay, so did that mean the fish were biting? We paddled along looking for reds, Hector standing on his kayak to get a bird's eye view of the water. I was using a gold weedless spoon with my rod and reel, while Hector was using a fly rod.
I caught a nice red, just over the legal limit and put him on my stringer......my first redfish from a kayak! We caught lots of undersize fish, fun to catch, but we had to put them back to let them grow. Hector landed a red on his fly rod, but it was just short of the legal limit. Finally I hooked a really nice red, he put up a good fight, but soon I had him on my stringer.
I sure did want to catch another fish and limit out, but since we had drifted a long way, we had a long paddle back to our cars......against the wind! We loaded the kayaks and our gear.....a great day on the water and two nice fish!

Limited Out!

Out on the water at POC early this morning.......Burrrr........42 degrees, a bit nippy! Dale and I enjoyed a day of fishing at POC with pal, Leslie. We caught a really nice 27 1/2 and 8 other nice reds, sure will be tasty on the grill. Lots of laughs, limited out, ice chest full......it don't get any better!

Wild Weekend!

It has been a hectic weekend! On Friday night, we attended a surprise birthday party at Camp Colet for Kaye. Up early on Saturday, we flew to Brenham for lunch with Jim and Jean after the fly in at Elm Creek was canceled. On the way home from Brenham, we flew over the corn maze near Moulton, Tx. Saturday night, we went over to Yoakum for Carly and Jarrod's Halloween Party, boy we saw some wild costumes. Up early on Sunday, we flew to Port Aransas for lunch at Beach Station Street Grill, then I walked the beach and took photos, while Dale took a friend, Hector flying. Think I'm turning in early tonight....need some rest!!!!

Sista's Tour de Vino

Packed and on my way to Fredericksburg to meet gal pal, Pam for a Sista's Tour de Vino weekend. We had booked a B&B, Brigid's Cottage, a small home in town with a patio and hot tub in the back. First stop was a yummy lunch at the Peach Tree Tea Room, then we checked in and unpacked, did some shopping on Main Street before dinner. We had made reservations at the Cotton Gin Cabernet Grill, and the food was excellent. We dropped in at the Crossroads Saloon and Steakhouse to catch some music and watch the Texas Rangers playoff game, before heading back to our cottage and the hot tub.

Saturday morning, we enjoyed an early morning walk around Fredericksburg, and a yummy breakfast at the Rather Sweet Bakery.....everything was soooo good!!! Walked back to our B&B and prepared for our wine tour. We made stops at Perdenales Cellar, Woodrose Winery, Becker Vineyards, Torre de Pietra, and Grape Creek Vineyards......our favorite being the Woodrose Winery. They were so warm and welcoming, served samplers of different wines with a plate of cheese and crackers, and also gave us a little education in "Wines and Wine Making". After the last vineyard it was time to head to Alamo Springs Cafe, a really neat place out in the middle of nowhere. We sat outside on the porch and enjoyed some great hamburgers with a good cold beer. They had a really good band playing and we stayed a while to listen to the music, also to watch the bats take flight out of a local cave. The warm water of the hot tub sure did feel good after our hectic day on the Wine Tour.
Sunday morning, we were up and out walking, admiring the old homes and beautiful architecture. Breakfast was at another bakery that was packed, the food was good!
We headed back to our place, packed up, enjoyed a little more time on the front porch swing before heading out....Pam back to Fort Worth and me back to Victoria.
The Sista's Tour de Vino was a success!!!

Kayak Class 101

Today, Dale and I took a basic kayak course from Coastal Bend Kayaking in Aransas Pass, Texas. We met our guide and teacher, Hector and headed down to the water to unload. Hector briefed us on all the safety issues and equipment needed to kayak safely. He put his kayak in and demonstrated the proper strokes to use to maneuver the kayak.

Finally we were off, paddling quietly through the cuts in the grass and mangroves. Our guide pointed out the local birds and creatures as we glided along.
He had us practice our strokes and gave us pointers. Since we had brought our fishing gear, we decided to try some saltwater fishing in a kayak. We worked some cuts and shorelines....and also did some drift fishing. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining with a gentle breeze blowing in from the Gulf. We didn't catch any fish.......but we did have a great day out on the water!!

Two New Knees and Minus One Gallbladder

After having two total knee replacements, Dale suffered a painful gallbladder attack resulting in the removal of his gallbladder on October 6 in Houston. We jokingly referred to this surgery as the "Drive Thru" operation......in and out. Hopefully this is our last surgical procedure of the year and he will be as good as new very soon.

Happy Birthday...My Hero!

Celebrating Dale's birthday today was kinda difficult since he is still recovering from total knee replacement. I fixed him some of his favorites for lunch and for dessert.....a homemade dewberry pie. Later in the afternoon we drove out to the airport to check on the plane and to just get out of the house. As we left the hangar I drove over to the Public Gardens on the pretense of taking pictures. We walked around looking at the plants and ponds when I surprised him with his special gift. I had ordered a brick paver with his name and military service to be placed in the Military Honor Garden. He was so surprised to see his name among the other servicemen....a great way to honor his service to our country during the Vietnam War.