WATER VESSELS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ~ SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS

The Coast Guard, boasting four Mercury  motors! Undoubtedly, they can outrun any other boat in the water.  They were probably watching me, as I was watching them.
Or not!

The kite sailer is ready to go--these are fun to watch. They maneuver their kites through the water and make it look effortless, which I'm sure it's not!

Most interesting to watch was this man, in the little wooden boat. He filled the boat with supplies, including many gallons of water.  He paddled out to the large boat on the right. Hoisted himself onto the boat, unloading his supplies from the tiny boat and waved his life jacket at the lady nearby me on shore.

We started talking and she told me he was her son. He was going to his boat for a vacation. He built both boats, in her driveway.  Ingenuity lives on...

Sailboats ~ kayaks ~ barges ~ and the tiniest boat I have ever seen.  The guy in the little orange boat was very brave and must be experienced, as the waves were rough that day. Oh, also very strong!

Parasailers have been sparse this winter. The weather just has not been cooperative. Springbreakers have been arriving this week, the weather is starting to be amazing!  I'm sure the parasailers will be more abundant around the Island for the next few weeks. 
As I see other water vessels I intend to post them. Like a journal of the various types I've seen off South Padre Island.


I don't collect "stuff", our living spaces are too small. 
Pictures ~ hmmm, don't need to dust them either!

"MAKING" SAND FOR THE BEACH

Pipes to help replace sand on the beach at 

South Padre Island, TX.

The sand on the beach, at South Padre Island, erodes and needs to be replaced.
Nature is involved, but not directly.
Pipes have been laid on the beach, up and down, for as far as you can see. The pictures show the pipes and they are not small! 
Where does the sand come from? 
The bottom of the Gulf of Mexico--Brownsville Ship Channel precisely. The dredging will take about two weeks.  
(That's where nature comes in/the ocean floor.)
Why is this being done?
To replace the sand, that eroded into the water.
This will make the beach wider, abundant with sand, prettier, ready for spring breakers/which bring money, money, money, onto the Island.
Is this good for the environment?
The dredging, to renourish the beach is questionable. I have been reading about it and this site     (http://www.erosion.com/dredging.asp)  explains what happens to the ocean floor, the coral, the transmission of sun into the water, plus much more and claims this is a self-defeating remedy.
When I drove over the bridge the other day, on my way to Dolphin's Cove, I noticed the water was not sparkling as usual. It was brown. Due to the dredging?
I would assume this has all been researched and is being done with care.  At least I hope so! 
I guess it will be pretty for the spring breakers coming down for fun and frolic on the beaches of South Padre Island.

THE SHRINERS ~ AT THE INTERNATIONAL PARADE

 FLAG BEARING SHRINERS

People at the International Parade started clapping and screaming. I looked down the street and the SHRINERS were coming.  There was a barrage of Shriners! The next 25 minutes, more or less, was extremely entertaining.  The Shriners brought a range of vehicles and happy, smiling men ready to drive the various  wheeled contraptions down Elizabeth Street.


As the human/machine-powered vehicles did tricks down the street, people were clapping, screaming, smiling, taking pictures and also contributing to the Shriners that were collecting, for the children, along the route.
Amazingly enough the Shriner that passed in front of us was one of the guys we met at IHOP!  We shared a few words, startled to see each other ~ he continued to collect for the children, I continued to take pictures.

I figure I will see him someplace else in the city someday.  He reads my blog and said he started his own after he read mine!  

The display of driving the various vehicles was loved by spectators!  These guys really have their driving and stunts  choreographed! 

The Shriners certainly know how to entertain a crowd at a parade!  Thanks guys, it was great.

AN INTERNATIONAL PARADE

CHARRO DAYS

Charro Days~a "two-nation fiesta" held over 70 years in Brownsville, Texas.  This border town and it's sister city Matamoras, MX celebrate together for days. It all started to boost the spirit of the communities during the Great Depression. 
The international parade was held today. It was 3 hours of music, various kinds of bands, gymnasts, colorful floats, dignitaries, dancing horses, marching bands, food stands, laughter, dancers, people walking on stilts, judges, police on bikes, clapping and that feeling of inner happiness you get when the world is "right."

The sheriffs on bikes were patrolling the streets continually during the parade. The Chief of Police was on a segway, and there were police cars scattered throughout the parade.

The crowd was immense!
We have been to many parades, but this one was immeasurable! We walked the entire route, before it started~just because. 

We stopped now and then to talk to people and get their view of the festivities. Found out that the city council building is 80 years old and still in good shape and standing majestic in the center of town.

The parade is called an International Parade ~ after the 3 hours of celebration in Brownsville the parade continued over the border and joined their parade.
We talked about going over to Matamoras, to enjoy the parade on the other side of the border, but came to our senses and decided not to. Recently there has been unimaginable violence in Mexico. The border towns involved in much of it. Talking to, Head of Security, of the City buildings, we knew we made the right choice. He was telling us that many of the bands and other entries were not going over to Matamoras, due to the violence associated with the border towns.
So sad for the two towns~~the point of the parade being a union of culture, history and togetherness. 
What needs to be done to stop the violence?

                  CLEAN UP ~~ AFTER SUCH AN EVENT

The Lions set out chairs and charged $3.00 to sit on one. We didn't know this until some people left and gave us their tickets to sit on their chairs. I continued to stand to get pictures! 
The system after the crowd dispersed was amazing. The chairs were folded down, the truck came by to pick them up, the police led the street cleaners -12 of them down the street, utilities took down the wiring for the speaker system and the street cleaners and washers came through a second time. 

The "behind the scenes" workers had downtown clean in no time! 

KILLER BEES - THE ONES ON ICE!

                                             KILLER BEES

We went with the Winter Texans, on a bus, to McAllen, TX to watch a hockey game.
The Rio Grande Valley's team is the KILLER BEES.
The only hockey game I've ever seen was my nephew playing, several years ago. Watching teen agers play is very different than watching the Killer Bees!
Their ad ~~~
      COME FOR THE FUN - STAY FOR THE HOCKEY

                                                                             

The Bees on their bench.        The Bees in their "hive."

Sir Sting-A-Lot - the Killer Bees mascot.

He could be seen everywhere that night! Up in the stands, down on the ice, in the box seats, dancing with fans; throwing T-shirts.  We sat at the end of the arena, where the netting was, to help keep the puck from flying into the spectators.

Sir-Sting-A-Lot was in the stands, near us, when he was throwing out T-shirts. From the ice he shot them through a big gun, in the stands he threw them to the fans. Five men in front of us stood up, as did we all, to catch a T-shirt. Everyone had two hands in the air, yelling for the shirts. I was holding my $1.00 popcorn in my left hand when a T-shirt was thrown by

Sir-Sting-A-Lot.

I reached up with my right hand and caught it!

The guys in front of me just shook their heads. I asked one of them if he'd like me to catch one for him!

Hot dogs were also $1.00 and so was a beer if the Bees made a goal.      

The Bees goalie was not feeling too happy! The game went into sudden death, the other team won.

Oh well, we had hot dogs, popcorn, and beer, all for $1.00 each ~~ a great time was had by all!
   

A bonus to seeing the KILLER BEES ~ we also met Pepper and ChaChaRita ~ mascots for BorderFest being held, in March, in Hidalgo, TX.
Australia will be featured this year at BorderFest.

A GOOD BREAKFAST ~ A GOOD CAUSE

                    



               



              




              ~~FREE PANCAKES AT IHOP TODAY~~

Today we decided to have a late breakfast at IHOP.  We haven't been to IHOP for several years! Tonight we are going to a semi-pro hockey game. The Killer Bees are playing in McAllen! Whoopee! (I've never been to a hockey game, so we'll see...)
Back to the topic!
We ordered breakfast and with it came a short stack of pancakes-free! Good, I like pancakes!
IHOP asks that you give a donation to the Shriners. The Shriners have been holding their fund raiser at IHOP for five years now. Last year they raised $1.5 million nationwide! Hopefully it will be more this year.
The Shriners are an international health care system
dedicated to improving the lives of children.
Of course we enjoyed our breakfast, the pancakes and donated to the cause. A good cause it is! We know someone that will benefit from the Shriners and direct our prayers, luck and good karma to him.

My picture of the   Shriners, helping the cause, didn't turn out fuzzy. (Me, the camera or the lighting?)  The men were informative and personable.  Thanks guys for the help you give to our children.                                 

                                                Love those fezes!