From Port O'Connor to Goliad State Park

Aloha Everyone,

A town, city, state and even country can be classified into our "special place" category. Most of the time it is because of the people we know and wonderful experiences J.J. and I had with them.

Port O'Connor, a small unincorporated community in Calhoun County in Texas is one such places and it is because of Jim and Susan.

There is nothing outstanding about its coastline. There are more picturesque places between Corpus Christi and Galveston. POC (locals' name for Port O'Connor) has a permanent population of about 2,000 which increases during the fishing season. 

To get their mails, Jim and Susan have to go to the city's post office. No home delivery. They jokingly referred to the largest gas station with a convenience store as the "POC Mall". Jim and Susan's lives are uncluttered and they value family, friends and good fishing weather! Susan wanted to keep J.J. as he had whipped up a couple of his sumptuous dishes. With promises of a next visit, we bid them farewell.

My special thanks to Jim for inviting me to practice Zumba with him. After 3 consecutive days, the Zumba music has fixed in my brain. I will incorporate some of the Zumba warm-up steps into my daily practice as they are excellent cardiovascular exercise to get my heart rate going.

Goliad State Park will be Honu's home for the next two days. We secured a great site where we can access the Texas State Park's free WiFi.

Aloha -- Cathi

Oyster Shucking

Aloha Everyone,

High wind waning in effect. After driving out to check the boat launching pier and channels, Jim and Susan agreed to cancel our fishing trip.

At Clark's Seafood, Jim obtained permission for us to observe and for me to photograph oyster shucking. Oyster shuckers are seasonal workers and they are paid based on production. Watching a man open each shell using a small sharp instrument then emptying oyster in a bucket and tossing the empty shell onto a conveyor belt seemed like a physically challenging and accident prone work.

I always had an aversion to eating oysters. I suppose watching J.J. slurp raw oysters never appeared appetizing. 

Jim purchased very plump oysters packed in a quart-size container for $20. He urged me to at least try one as Susan makes the best fried oysters.

To prepare, Susan washed the oysters thoroughly then sprinkled Blackened Seasoning, egg wash before she deep fried them in high heat.

I put one tiniest oyster on my plate and gingerly took a bite. I must admit, it tasted like a fish and it was delicious. One should refrain from forming an opinion about a food until one tries it.

Aloha -- Cathi

Relatives and Neighbors

Aloha Everyone,

One can tell what someone's character is like is by how they treat their relatives and friends. Arrival of unexpected guests were embraced and welcomed by Jim and Susan.

Rudy and his wife, Veronica (Susan's cousin) and Johnny (also Susan's cousin) joined us for Saturday lunch out in the back patio. Susan prepared fried oysters and fish. (I will be writing a separate blog on oysters.) Veronica pitched in with coleslaw and mashed potatoes. I prepared fresh apple and cheese plate.

When the conversation among men became focused on fishing and hunting, the ladies retreated indoor to practice gentle yoga and breathing.

For dinner, Susan and J.J. cooked curry using elk meat from Jim's birthday hunt. Vegetable salad, blue cheese and pear, cherry-flavored agar-agar and preserved pear from Susan's pear tree completed our meal. The dinner guest were Pam and Ron. He is a native South Dakotan. The couple winter in Corpus Christi and return to South Dakota when the weather is pleasant.

Hospitable hosts, interesting company and delicious food, this indeed was a very memorable day!

Aloha -- Cathi

Birding Hosts, Tom & Connie

Aloha Everyone,

According to Tom, our bird host at the Goose Island State Park, a bird watcher is a casual observer. Birder is when you are willing to get up early in the morning to look for birds. A serious birder is when you pursue one bird species to wherever they may be found.

On my second year, I have joined the rank of birders. This morning with about 14 birders, led by Tom and his wife, Connie. I went on a 2 1/2 hour walk and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Back in Port O'Connor at the home of Jim and Susan. While J.J. was conversing with Susan, Jim took me on a nature walk. Jim used a piece of a tree branch to remove spider webs that crossed our path.

Aloha -- Cathi

Honu is Repaired!

Aloha Everyone,

Honu's repair requirements come unexpected and they tend to be expensive. However J.J. and I acknowledge the cost as an expense to maintain our home and current lifestyle. The two of us are grateful that the problem was solved and the amount of $3,500 is incomparable to our safety. We celebrated reaching a milestone of 88,888 miles in Honu with a lunch at Bleu Crab Cafe.

J.J.'s oyster plate.

 

My salad and clam chowder.

We chose Goose Island State Park in Rockport, TX for our overnight stay. Just as we did a year ago, after checking the beach front sites, we settled for a site in the woods.

Goose Island State Park is isolated from the main highway. It is a quiet and serene place where we occasionally have sightings of deer. But what makes Goose Island special are the resident birds and visitor birds. Texas State Park provides bird hosts to take visitors on walks.

Aloha -- Cathi