Today’s view of the neighborhood is very unusual. Every year during the holidays an unknown person decorates the bollards that serve to keep cars away from certain parts of the beach. These decorations are hand crochets, and each one is unique. What is surprising is one day they are not there and the next they are. The same goes for when they disappear. I hope you enjoy this mystery. (Where else but in Port Aransas?)
This will give you an idea of what the bollards do. They keep cars from driving on the beach. The building on the right can be seen from a distance as part of the last photo.
A close up of the work put into the crochet.
A nod to Halloween.
Another close up of a character
This shot gives you a sense of the work.
This shot is to give you an idea of the scope.
Another character close up.
These run all the way back to the twin buildings on the left.
I hope you enjoyed the walk. I wish there were more information on who is responsible for this art. The person is anonymous and wants to remain so.
The last time we checked on the status of the bird sanctuaries they were a bit of a mess from the Hurricane Harvey. I am happy to report they are making a comeback.
Here is a photo of Paradise Pond taken shortly after the Hurricane.
Here is what it looks like today.
This is what the actual pond looked like.
Now it is cleaned up.
With a return of birds.
Many birds
Although the tree cover is gone the pond itself is filled with wildfowl
Here is a shot taken at the birding center. Off in the distance are many pink Spoonbills and white egrets. I’m sorry the photo isn’t better, but the birds were out of range.
The birding center still has no access for close up shots. The photo of the Spoonbills and Egrets was taken to the left of this destroyed walkway (which I published two months ago). The important point is the birds have returned. I hope you enjoyed the walk today.
This week our Coffee Waves shop had its grand re-opening after Hurricane Harvey. Although I wouldn’t usually feature such an event on Views, I thought it significant as one more piece of evidence of a return to normal here in Port Aransas.
I published this trailer picture earlier this fall when Coffee Waves was open for business but not in their building.
Here is the finished building.
Inside the people are lining up.
This is another shot of the interior. I have a close up of the message later.
For the opening, a band is set up.
Festive balloons.
This is the business end.
Here are some of the 120 rotating Gelato flavors.
This is the Gelato menu explaining the difference when compared to ice cream.
A sign telling the world about Port A Strong.
Another sign for out of towners who are in a hurry.
A beautiful place to have a cup and relax.
I will share my post on Instagram and Facebook (as ordered)
This is a close-up of the words on the wall. Pretty much a favorable view of those things that happen to us all. I know in your town, the opening of a coffee shop would not garner a lot of attention. Here, it is news since it is one more step to returning to the life we all love so well. Thanks for joining me.
This week started the holiday season here in Port Aransas. Like everything else we do here, it was kicked off with a parade. The parade started about a half mile from the community center and ended there with hot cocoa, popcorn, cookies, coffee, and a visit by Santa. The evening was capped with live music and the lighting of the holiday tree. I apologize for the quality of the parade photos. The darkness fell and I really should have had a tripod. I think you can catch the spirit.
The Community center is ready for the Holiday festivities.
The elves are putting out the cookies.
Frosty is waiting to greet everyone.
Frosty’s brother is here too.
The parade and activities were sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
We had an unusual occurrence Friday. We got about an inch of snow and it was the first time since 2004.
We woke up to snow. Here is a shot of the backyard.
A corner with the giant Birds of Paradise.
A third view of the backyard. This photo looks blurry in the distance but that is snowfall.
Lucy makes some tentative steps. She has not seen snow before.
Lucy tries the “Let me go back,” maneuver.
Baily is an old veteran of snow since she went to college in Waco where it snows more. The dogs are blurry because they are running around a full speed.
A shot of the upper palm tree leaves covered with snow.
The palm trees by the hurricane-damaged pool. This is facing East so you can see the snow coming from the North and piling up on the tree trunks.
The cart over to the beach.
A shot from the top of the cart over. The Gulf is to the left.
A photo on the beach. The snow falling makes the horizon look foggy.
One more shot of the beach and Gulf. You can see large snowflakes falling.
I met Tiny on the cart over and he had lost his head over the snow. The cap shows how fast the snow is falling
These are my footprints after about five minutes. You can see the falling snow is filling them in.
Our Hibiscus decided to close up and wait for better weather. I hope you enjoyed the snow. It may be another ten years before we see it again.
Yesterday the Island Holiday Market took place at the newly spruced-up Art Center. The idea is for local artists to have a venue to offer their art. The holiday season is a perfect time and the New Art Center the perfect location.
The outside porch is filled with gift opportunities.
Inside are a number of tables of artwork.
Another view of the tables and shoppers.
While taking photos, I came upon Jo Ann who told me a wonderful story about her grandson Gray. The family lives in Glen Rose, Texas which is near Fort Worth about 400 miles from Port Aransas. Gray loved to visit Port Aransas, and when he heard about the hurricane, he gathered together his ball card collection and offered to sell them to help. What transpired was the adoption of two fourth grade classes here in Port Aransas. Gray plans to have a gift for each child. His grandmother Jo Ann and his Aunt Tammy were in Port Aransas telling Gray’s story.
The card below explains this heartwarming story further, and I’m sure the fourth-grade children of Port Aransas will be happier as a result of Gray’s compassion.
At the same time, the Market was underway the grade sixth through twelve student art show which included entrants from Port Aransas, Flour Bluff, and Seashore Middle Academy were on display.
Here is a representative look at the entrants.
Another view of the competition.
One of the first place awards
Another first for a Ninth grader
A Seashore Academy
This was a second place but made me smile, so I put it in. The art produced by these students was inspiring. I hope you enjoyed the view this week.
Today on Views of the Neighborhood I want to give you a glimpse of a few of the merchants who are still not in their buildings but who have decided to start on the road to recovery their own way. Most businesses in Port Aransas lost their buildings. A few have decided to open with some temporary accommodations. I hope you enjoy the view.
The United States Post Office is up and running in temporary buildings on the original site but opposite the damaged building.
Ace Hardware pulled in a trailer and several Pods and now supply basic hardware items. The original store is behind the trailer and being worked on.
Coffee Waves is our local version of Starbucks. It is still not ready for use.
But you can still get a coffee in the parking lot. Their trailer is up and running.
My bank is open in a temporary trailer which is in front of the bank building.
The design Center is open for consultations. Their branch in Corpus Christi has the inventory.
Billy Joes is open with a food trailer. Billy Joe served free Thanksgiving meals on thanksgiving Day out of this trailer.
The Fly It Port A kite store is selling their kites on the front parking lot of the store. The store itself is under renovation.
A group of volunteers from Kyle, Texas decided they would come down to Port Aransas and set up a Thanksgiving dinner as a way to help. The reason for doing so, as explained by Deborah the organizer, “Our hearts are with Port Aransas.” So she began to organize a Thanksgiving dinner for all Port Aransas residents. She made a point in telling me that she never asked for volunteers. All her help came from those who wanted to be a part of something beautiful. All the volunteers live in the greater Austin area which is a three and one half hour drive to Port Aransas.
As you enter the cafeteria there is a place to fill out a name tag. This one idea had everyone feeling that they knew everyone else.
Here are some folks beginning to arrive.
More arrivals
There was ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, and corn. Notice the smiles of the volunteers
Of course a roll too.
The tables were set with festive decorations.
There were pies, cookies, and cakes for dessert along with a big pot of coffee.
This is the wonderful family from Kyle that took it upon themselves to reach out with full hearts and share the joy of Thanksgiving with a town in need. Many thanks to you all.
This is a shot of the cafeteria from the outside.
I wanted to put in a photo of the H. G. Olsen Elementary School which is right next door to the cafeteria to give you an idea of how much planning it must have taken to secure a venue for the Thanksgiving event.
Here are a few of the temporary buildings now known as Olsen Elementary School South Campus.
As a footnote to this story, I was at the hardware store after taking the photos. While I was there two meals from the Thanksgiving event were delivered to the two employees working. Both were overwhelmed by the generosity of the folks from Kyle Texas.
This week I thought it would be nice to talk about the support that Port Aransas has been getting from other places around the nation. This week we expect the arrival of a truckload of supplies from Farmington, Minnesota. Farmington residents started a bucket collection in which buckets were filled with donated items.
Here is a photo of the buckets and the caption tells you more.
The city of Farmington has adopted a sister city in Texas and residents are buying buckets of supplies, which will be shipped there on Saturday. For the past two months, Farmington residents, businesses, schools, and churches have come together to raise money and cleaning supplies for Port Aransas, a tourist town hit hard by Hurricane Harvey on the Texas Gulf Coast in August. On Wednesday, November 8, 2017, students from Baeckman Middle School filled buckets at Pelicci Ace Hardware store with cleaning supplies with the help of Amanda Stender, General Manager, at the hardware store. A semi-truck at the store is now full of buckets; the truck leaves for Texas Saturday. (Ginger Pinson / Pioneer Press)
The truck arrives on Monday after a 20-hour drive and is loaded with 500 buckets, lumber, windows, and doors.
Last week a former resident of Port Aransas got all his Austin friends together, and they loaded a semi with used furniture and household items.
Here is a shot of the semi and some of the items
Those are computer monitors and some office furniture.
Another photo of more items. The truck was unloaded, and people were free to come and pick up what they needed.
In a house that was completely gutted a donation station has been set up. The above photo shows available healthcare items.
Water and cleaning supplies.
Human and pet food.
Shoes.
I had to take a close-up to show that Toms donated some shoes to Port Aransas residents.
Always heartbreaking to realize the little children are involved as well.
To lift the spirit, there are art items.
The former kitchen has kitchen items.
The rules of the donation station and an announcement that the food pantry is open on Tuesday for an hour.
So day to day life in Port Aransas moves on with the help of donations.
