Happy Turkey Day!!!!

Cayman Again

After another total knee replacement and a gallbladder operation, it was time to return to Grand Cayman for some R&R.......and diving. We packed our bags, grabbed a flight and were soon unpacking in our condo at Compass Point on the East End. It was good to see everyone and they greeted us like old friends.
Diving with Ocean Frontiers started the next morning with the boat leaving the dock at 8 am for a two tank dive....gosh it was good to be swimming with the fishes again. Dale spent the morning reading after a long walk and exploring.
Kayaking down the coastline was fun and challenging, especially having to paddle against a pretty strong wind, but the trip back was easy. We did take a break at a nice beach that we had all to ourselves.

Little did we know it was Pirate Week on Cayman and the island had lots of celebrations going on. One afternoon we drove down the East End Observance Day celebration, looking at artifacts from the island, listening to some rather loud music and sampling a piece of pumpkin cake.
I signed up for the night dive on Tuesday night, and it was terriffic! We saw octopus, lobster, a turtle, and lots of little creatures. Shortly after we surfaced we had the opportunity to watch the East End firework display.....a fitting end to a good dive.
After studying a map, we were off.....bound to snorkel the wreck of the Geneva Kathleen. Dale found the wreck and we soon spotted two lion fish swimming over the wreckage. We also spotted lobster, a ray, a flamingo tongue and a flounder......a good snorkel excursion for us!
On Thursday night the resort had a dinner for all the divers around the pool....barbecued chicken and ribs were yummy with all the sides...and we enjoyed talking with the other couples.

The week seem to fly by with two dives every morning and soon it was Friday and my Stingray Dive. Dale and I drove over to the Kaibo Marina to catch the dive boat...Dale found a hammock in the shade and decided to chill until I returned. The dive was good, stingrays all over....all looking for a handout of squid.
Saturday morning we packed, enjoyed a nice lunch, drove into the airport, returned our rental car, and caught our flight home.....another good week in Cayman had come to an end!

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!!