Friday, December 12, 2014

Goose Island State Park Rockport and Aransas Pass Texas

 
We spent last week at Goose Island State Park in Rockport Texas where we have been trying to get back since our visit in 2009.  You park with the front of the rig about 15' from the waters edge where you can fish without a license.   Each site has a concrete shelter with a picnic table and power and water. 

 
 
 
Part of the facility is a boat launch with a fish cleaning station.  The Pelicans are patiently waiting for another fish to be cleaned.
 
 

"Oh yeah, that's it just toss it over here so I can get it."


"Get back it's mine, no get away so I can get it."


Someone did a great, and bright, paint job on the side of the building.


Look out Jackie the big blue crab is going to get you.


I think it got her, help, help, help.


I love to play with the colors with Photoshop.


This boy went sailing by in front of our coach looking for some dinner.


Gliding down for the catch.


 
Is this what you call a head stand.  Statue at the port of Aransas Pass Texas.
 

 
 We are now in Harlingen Texas and hope to get some more pictures to share on another blog.  We hope the weather will be better as it's warm here but lots of clouds, 70s during the day and 60s and night.
 
 To be continued..


Saturday, November 22, 2014

Birthplace of Helen Keller for our Granddaughter Daisy

 
 
In early November we took a trip to Tuscumbia, Alabama to visit IVY GREEN the birthplace of Helen Keller.  Come to find out that at about the same time our Granddaughter was reading a book about Helen Keller.  The day she finished the book at school she came home to find a postcard from us from that we sent from our trip there.  She was excited so this blog posting is for her.
 
The main house was built on 640 acres of land in 1820 by Helen's grandparents, David and Mary Fairfax Moore Keller.  Helen was not born in this house but in the cottage next to it.  
 

She was raised in the main house and was totally uncontrollable because her parents had no way to communicate with her, being deaf and blind.


This is the parlor of the home with most of the original furniture still in the home.  Most of the rooms in the home had a fireplace as this was the only heating in the house.


They shared their meals in the dining room next to the parlor.  The chest to the right of the fireplace held silver, linens and beverages.  Sugar chest to the left.  Usually only two shipments of sugar arrived in a year, so sugar was kept under lock and key.


Upstairs was Helen's bedroom that she shared with her teacher Anne Sullivan.  The larger of the two beds in the room was Helen's and the...


smaller bed across the room was Anne's.


Because it was just too hot in the house during the summer the kitchen was in a small building just behind the house.  The left side is the kitchen and the right door was where the cook lived.


This picture is looking through the door into the kitchen area.


All the water for the house came from a well between the home and the kitchen.  There was not any running water in the house.  This is the hand pump that Anne Sullivan was using to try and make Helen understand that everything had a name and could be spelled out using sign language and it finally worked.  Anne said that night "she has learned that everything has a name, and that the manual alphabet is the key to everything she wants to know."


Next to the main house is the cottage where Helen was born.
Since Helen's parents catered to her every whim, Teacher soon realized she would have to get Helen away from her parents in order to be able to control her tantrums and teach her, so the cottage served as the school house.

 
 
 
Looking at the back yard of the main home with the cottage to the left.
 

For a little fun.
Across the street and also found around town mounted on  telephone poles was what we call portable libraries.  Each one had about 20 books in it with the sign reading "take one give one".  Great idea to share books with your neighbors..
 
 
 
To be continued...

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Sunset at Ft. Pickens and Pensacola FL lighthouse


Last week we spent the time camping with good friends, Dick and Joan Izzi and we all headed to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Pickens National Park to watch the sunset. 
 
Pure white sand and warm sun waiting for it to set for the evening
 
 

We got there there a little early to watch the sun try and drop through the clouds on the beach with sea oats in the dunes.



A ship sailing under the setting sun.


We watched the sun set into the clouds on the horizon and decided to head back to the camp for an evening fire until...


we turned around to catch it just under the clouds and sinking into the Gulf.

 
 
On another day we headed to Naval Air Station Pensacola and visited Pensacola lighthouse 

 







 
Found this guy wandering around the grounds at Fort Pickens.
Just had to add a title to it.



To be continued...

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Blue Angles training and fishing off the pier at Fort Pickens Florida.

 
 The Blue Angles came back to Pensacola and so we went down to Fort Pickens, across the bay from NAS Pensacola to watch the training yesterday.  The lighthouse is on the base so the people on the top got a great view as they flew by.  We hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed taking them.
 
 
Upside down
 
 
 



 
Just about straight up.
 







This boat came by while shooting the Blue Angles so had to try and get a shot.
 
 
 
Went down to Fort Pickens pier another day to check out the fishing and got there just in time to get these shots and watch some fish getting ready for the dinner table. 
 
















A net full of Mullets, not the best eating fish but it's better than nothing.



To be continued...

Monday, September 1, 2014

Yaquina Lighouse and Fort Warden State Park and grandkids.

 
 
On the way north from Arizona back to family in Washington this "just for fun" picture is called
 
" and one flew away" taken in central California.
 
 
 
 
We found this Olympia Beer can in a field in central California.
 


Another stop was on the Oregon coast where we hiked to the top of  Yaquina Lighthouse.
 
 
 
Most people go to the top and shoot down, this is at the bottom looking up to the top.

 


Go out the back door and the rocks are covered with birds and birds and birds.  And it smells like it.



Another view from the other side looking inland.



Finally made it back to Washington and had a fun day with two of our granddaughters at Fort Warden near Port Townsend Washington built about 1910.  A fun day with Daisy and Dani.



 
 



 


 
 
And finally don't forget to stop and smell the roses at Evergreen Coho Escapees park in Chimicum Washington.
 
 

Or just hold one to share.



To be continued...