FINALLY ON THE BEACH

Left Tropic Island Resort and checked in to IB Magee Beach Camping for two nights at $12 a night.  It is located on the northern most point of Mustang Island in Port Aransas on the ship channel and consists of 167 acres. There are 75 campsites.  There were quiet a few motorhomes on the beach and I found a spot near the main office that I liked. There is another solo woman traveler next to me from Minnesota. She will be spending the whole winter here on the beach.


I couldn’t wait to get out into the wind and waves. Xi Shi went wild when she saw the beach. I tried to video her going crazy and got a little bit of it. She absolutely loves the beach. We both do. All of my wondering and waiting has been worth it. I just love it here. Spent the afternoon walking the shoreline and sitting on my chair in the sunshine.   There were some guys parasailing right in front of my coach and it was great fun watching them.

Chris came over for a little visit and we walked our dogs along the beach. As the sun began to set we were getting a little cold and damp from the salt air so Chris went back to her campground and I came inside to clean up and have supper. I cooked last night so had leftover shrimp and crab spaghetti. It was great. I was so hungry. The beach always makes me so hungry.


I’m running the generator right now so I can write this blog and use the microwave. My fridge is doing fine on propane. I filled up on water before leaving the campground so I’m good to go.


I took so many photos of my campsite that I will have to upload them little at a time over the next few days. I’ll be going into the IB Magee RV campground on Monday night as the winds are going to be about 30 mph and I don’t want to be on the beach during those gusts. Then the weather is supposed to clear up and I might come back to the beach for a couple of days.


Looking out my window tonight and seeing the Gulf and hearing the waves breaking so close to me... well... I just couldn’t be happier. My joy was rising the minute I parked my coach and steped out onto the sand. This is wonderful. This is what I came to Texas for.


I’ll sleep well tonight.


Peace out

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A WEEK LATE

Very quiet day today.  Stayed in and finished the book I was reading.  I'll be checking out tomorrow and heading to the beach.  It's been a long week for me here at this campground.  I had no idea how long the Red Tide was going to last so paid for a week.  The Red Tide left days ago and I've been inland instead of surfside waiting patiently for Saturday to come.   So tomorrow I return to my planned itenerary of staying on as many beaches as I can while on this trip.

I had hoped that all of us solo ladies who met up here in Port Aransas would have been able to gather around a fire near the surf under a full moon and share life's experiences but our paths seem to have gone in different directions.  I guess it wasn't meant to be.  

I may be a week late but I'll be there tomorrow night with bells on.   

SHOPPING IN ROCKPORT

Went shopping in Rockport today.  Left around 9:30 this morning.  Chris had to take her doggie to the Vet so I tagged along.  While she was at her appointment I walked around the cute little street lined with colorful shops.  Bought a few trinkets (wind chime, shells, jewelry) and visited an art gallery. 

I love wind chimes.

We then went to a very nice restaurant near the marina.  Had the soft shelled crab and baked potato.  Dessert was bread pudding with whiskey sauce.  It was delicious.  Went to a grocery store for a few items then back home around 2:00.   Took a nap and had leftover shrimp for supper.

Some views from our restaurant table.

 

It was fantastic weather to be out and about.  However, the temp will be going up tomorrow. 

THE RAZOR'S EDGE OF NOW

Staying in one spot for a week is restful. I have time to do things. I continue to practice meditation daily and concentrate my energies on the here and now and letting go. I paint my water drawings and watch them disappear. I let them go. I’m catching up on my reading and enjoying some quiet time.

The compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation has plagued me for years. This creates an endless preoccupation with past and future and an unwillingness to honor and acknowledge the present moment and allow it to be. However, the past gives me my identity and the future holds the promise of fulfillment. So it’s hard to change that.

It has been said that you cannot find yourself by going into the past. You find yourself by coming into the Present... the Now. You can always cope with the present moment but you cannot cope with something that is only a mind projection - you cannot cope with the future.

But I have a goal. My goal is to walk along the Razor’s Edge of Now. I’m an edge dweller. I would rather be on the edge during this learning experience. I’m comfortable there. I do want my life’s journey to be an adventure not just an obsessive need to "arrive." Sometimes it seems that I’m always trying to get somewhere other than where I am. I want to really see and smell the flowers by the wayside and be aware of the beauty that surrounds me in the Now but it’s not that easy.

The enlightened person’s main focus of attention is always the Now. You cannot be free in the future. You can only be free in the Now. Now is the Narrow Gate that leads to life. So how can I do that?

Studying the complexities of the mind may make me a good therapist, but doing so won’t take me beyond the mind, just as the study of madness isn’t enough to create sanity.

I must change my Mind Patterns (insanity- which only creates suffering) and give attention to the present, letting go of the past, and not think of the future.

I’m trying.

PICKING SHELLS

Went to the beach today. Chris unhooked her motorhome and picked me up around 11:00. We rode around IB Magee RV Park and I picked a spot that had an ocean view. There is only water and electric with a dump station nearby for $25 a night.

I also inquired about overnight parking on the beach and that is $12.00 with use of the dump station included. When I leave here on Saturday I’m thinking of staying on the beach a few nights then a week in the campground. Then I’ll be heading back home with many stops along the way.

Very overcast day and it started to drizzle while we were there.

Later we parked on the beach and picked seashells. I found some pretty interesting ones. Some I have never seen before.

Angel Wings are new to  me.  I would love to know what kind of crab has that leopard design on its shell.  It's really pretty.  I love finding pink shells even if they are barnacles.

Very interesting Leopard Crab.

Coral

Walking around my coach today I noticed a water spot on the cement under my water tank. I’m pretty sure I have a small leak because when dry camping my water pump comes on when I’m not using water. So back to Camping World when I get home.

A GET TOGETHER OF SOLO WOMEN TRAVELERS

Monday

Slept great. Oatmeal and bananas for breakfast. Chris came over and made some calls to organize our get together for lunch. Everyone met here at my site. First Carolyn showed up then Kelli then Donna and Dorothy who volunteer at the wildlife refuge near here. All of us were inside my little coach for a few minutes. It was nice having so much company.

Kelli borrowed a van (from her father) and took all of us to Koty’s Restaurant where we had a fabulous lunch (I had the garlic fish with rice). Then we took a ride to the beach to check out the air quality. She pulled up to the water and we opened the doors and took a breath. And guess what... I was not coughing. No one was coughing. It was great. We walked in the water and we took some photos and looked for shells. Kelli rode us around for a while and we made a stop at a bike shop so Chris could look for a tire for her bike. Then we came home. I was ready for a nap.

Me, Carolyn, Dorothy, Donna, Kelli, and Chris

Me, Kelli, Dorothy, Donna, and Carolyn

Can you tell that I'm happy?

Chris

A big thank you to Kelli for the tour. It was greatly appreciated.

Right now I’m sitting here trying to decide what to do next. Now that the air has cleared up a bit I’m wanting to move to IB Magee RV Park which is on the beach. However, I’m paid up here till Saturday. I really don’t feel like unhooking the coach to go to the beach then coming back and hooking up again so I’m thinking I’ll just wait till Saturday and then check out and head for the beach campground for a while. I’m watching the weather and air quality before deciding what to do.

And there is one other option. I could rent a golf cart to get around the island. I’m thinking hard about that.

Just found out that it's $175 a day for a golf cart.  Uhh... OK... scratch that idea.

CAROLYN AND KELLI

Sunday

Great night’s sleep. Late breakfast. Walked the dog. Discovered that I had brought along a solution to my doggies foot problem with the sand spurs here. Before we left home our neighbor gave Xi Shi a present of little pink shoes. I had forgotten that I put them in the coach. So today she wore her little shoes for the first time. She did real well and got used to them right away. When we got back from our walk there were spurs on her shoes and a couple on her belly but I removed them right away. So the shoes are a hit.

This afternoon Carolyn from Arkansas and Kelli from Colorado stopped by.  We sat around my coach for a couple of hours and had a nice visit. I asked them to sign my plaque that I made in the shape of a Class C motorhome.  This will be a great way to remember my time spent with them. 

We are still waiting for Donna to arrive sometime tomorrow then all of us are going to have lunch and then go into Rockport to do some shopping in the cute little downtown area. When I went through it coming down to Port Aransas I just knew I would have to return there and walk around a bit. It is so colorful.

Red Tide is still causing me some discomfort in my throat and nose. I’ve stayed indoors most of the day but it still burns. I cough a lot and know that I won’t be able to go to the beach. When the wind changes and comes from the North, I’m hoping by this Wednesday, then I’ll try again to get to the Gulf.