Tag: Views of the Neighborhood

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

Texas Sandfest

Next week is SandFest which is a big event here in Port Aransas. The event’s mission is to raise money for local charities. Founded in 1997, Texas SandFest is a three-day event that attracts sand sculptors from around the globe. The event is the largest sand sculpting fest and competition in the nation and brings over 100,000 guests to the beaches of Port Aransas. The free event is organized into competitions for all experience levels to include both amateur and professional sculptors. Guests can participate or simply wander through the incredibly unique artistic displays.

I will be giving you a look at the festival next week but thought I would provide a behind the scene preview

This first photo shows the kind of heavy equipment needed to prepare the beach for the sculptures. They are forming piles which will be turned into works of art.

Texas SandFest

Here is a long view of what will become the central sculpture. It will depict the theme as well as honor the sponsors. The three poles act as supports.

Here is one of the artists hard at work. The person in blue is spraying water on the sand to keep it moist.

A close up of one of the flags that will be on the sculpture. This is the famous battle flag from the battle of  Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution.

A little more detail showing the oil heritage of Texas

I left this shot in so that you can see the proximity of the sculpture to the Gulf Mexico.

It takes a lot of water to keep the sand from blowing away. Here is one of the hook-ups to service some artists.

Speaking of artists here is the person known as The Glue Man. His job is to spray a glue-like mixture on the sculpture. This binds the sand and acts a finish coat to keep the work in place.

Sine the festival attracts 100,000 people there needs to be quite a few food trucks to provide food and refreshments. The photo below will give you an idea of what they look like.

Here is a holding area for the food trucks. Notice the RVs which serve to housed the vendors for the week.

I hope you enjoyed the preview and I’m looking forward to showing you the finished result next week.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

This week my producer is back and suggested a portfolio of some of the boats here in Port Aransas. I thought it a super idea and went out yesterday with my trusty iPhone and took a few. Hope you enjoy them.

The first boat I saw when I arrived at the marina was a pirate ship just getting underway to overtake that ferry.

Port Aransas Boats

This next shot is of a couple of bay boats. Notice the 225 horsepower motors

Theis next one is a Coast Guard cutter. Always nice to see these guys around.

I thought this next one would be of interest given how shallow the draft. This is a bay boat as well. The motor looks big enough too.

I saw this sailboat at the dock and wondered if the folks brought her here from St Petersburg Florida.

Here is a compact fishing boat. It could handle substantial seas.

In case anyone is interested in a house boat this old junker can be had for a song I’m sure.

Here is one a little more cleaned up.

This boat is all party

Here is a good-looking sailboat named Parrot Tales. A few drinks to be had on her I’ll bet.

Y’all always ask which one is mine.

Nope not this one.

I love No Wake signs and here is a good one.

No boat Port Aransas portfolio would be complete without a shrimper. Here is one heading to the Gulf.

I thought this boat was kind of interesting. It is a platform with a motor.

Here is an outboard twin fishing boat coming back to the marina from a Gulf trip.

This last photo is of some folks on paddle boards. Yes we have those as well.

Views of The Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

Today I thought I would take you on a tour of some of the places we all love to go to grab something quick. It may be a sweet or something for dinner. I purposely left out the pizza places, and fast food joints cause you can see those right where you are. So here we go.

 

Our first stop is a place where you can grab crabs and shrimp. They also have some bait, but most of the business is fish, crabs, and shrimp. Here is the sign on Highway 361. (don’t be confused it is a two lane road.)

Now a shot of the store

Port Aransas Treats

If you are in the mood for something cold, then a sno-cone is right up your alley. Here is Tropical Sno in the Spanky’s liquor store parking lot (Could be worse)

The building is cute and fits with the burnt orange of the Spanky decor. Not to be confused with that Coors Light semi in the background.

How about a pickle sno-cone. (you first)

Right across the street is a shaved ice stand. Now you have to know the difference between a sno-cone and shaved ice. I’ll bet you thought I was going to tell you didn’t you. Well okay, a sno-cone is served in a paper cone and is crunchy. The syrup added more or less makes its way to the bottom where the last bites are the most delicious. Shaved ice is finer and resembles snow. The syrup generally penetrates all the snow, so each bite is uniform. It is usually served in a foam cup.(Even though Nola’s sign looks like it is in a paper cone.  There, now you know.

We also have Ice cream on the island and in fact tow ice cream shops. This one is cute and like all things, in Port A it has an interesting neighbor.

I will be doing a feature on tattoo parlors another time but doesn’t this place look interesting?

Here is the other Ice Cream parlor. By the way, that circle of what looks like smoke is a Blue Angel. They are giving a show in Corpus Christi. I didn’t even know I had caught it until I got home.

Here is another view. The place is called “Desserted Island.”

Our final stop is the newest fish place. The guy’s name is Paul, and this is Pauls Seafood. Paul is very popular in Corpus Christi, and he took over another seafood shop here in Port A. I’m sorry, but the idea of live crawfish gives me the willies.

Hope you enjoyed the view this week.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

This week I thought it would be fun to take photos of those things around town that tourists take tend to take photos of too. I know, sounds a little nuts but bear with me. I also have to explain that there were no tourists in town yesterday so I couldn’t hoodwink a few into having a picture taken with their head inside these items. I would have put me in the photos, but since my producer is out of town for a week, there was no one to snap the photo. Sad right?

The first photo is a group cutout in front of Winton’s candy store. It has nothing to do with the beach or candy but does provide a pretty accurate depiction of a Port A Saturday night.

Photos to take in Port A

This next one is in front of Wintons as well. Clearly, this is a  Rattlesnake dressed as a cowperson shooting of guns while happy candy cane cactus stands by. Woo yeah.

Where to take photos in Port A

The next one is in front Stingrays Taphouse and Grill and is obviously a stingray dressed in a 40’s zoot suit playing a guitar. I would want this one on my holiday card

The next is an extra. We have a sand festival called SandFest, and this gold cart will be raffled off.

Now we are at The Gaff, and since there are pirates everywhere, it is no surprise that the cutouts are of pirates. Of course given some of the others and the fact that The Gaff is the Sandbelt racing capital of Texas one never knows.

For bad pirates, there is the stockade

Y’all have been here before but here is another shot of the Gaff sign. I didn’t stay for the races. There is only so much excitement an old guy can take in one day.

Here is an interesting tent. You can see this is a place that you can have photos converted to shirts, shoes and it appears by the photo blankets as well.

Here is another shot of the outside. I think I would love to have a poster that big. Maybe one of my books and it could fly from the porch.

Here is a shot inside the mysterious tent. The first thing you should notice there are no photographs allowed. (Oh sir, I didn’t see the sign or signs.) Notice also the parrots. They are live and were yelling “no photos,” as I was setting up the shot. The third thing to notice is the tourist (yes, there is one) dressed in the blue shirt with a depiction of cocktails on the back.  In case you miss the subtlety the word “cocktails” is stitched above them

Here is the granddaddy of all photo ops. Imagine yourself inside the shark’s mouth. Don’t forget to look horrified so that folks back home will be fooled into thinking you are in the mouth of a shark.

I love this little sidewalk painting. This shows you where to put your feet to get the best shot of……

These two old fisherman. I did stand where I was told by the street painting and by gumbo I got the best shot.

Thanks, for joining me on this little walk around the neighborhood.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

Since this is spring break time, I had hopes of catching some excellent photos of American youth out of control. You know the ones where no one can focus their eyes, duckfaces, tongues out, red Solo cups, cigarettes, no shirts, and no shoes.

For a little nostalgia here is a shot from last year. (yes, there is a guy in the photo )

Spring Break

Since I take the photos for this feature on Saturday, I’m sad that at press time because of record-breaking rain, the posted photos show a different scene. (Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sad there is no mayhem, I’m sad we have nothing to laugh over)

So, let’s take a look at some friends of mine. I have to warn you these guys are not wearing any clothes.

Spring break

Yup this is a flock of Pelicans flying over a dark and stormy beach. This is a look to the North, and you can see some blue barrels on the beach. These are designed to keep the thousands of college kids from parking by the dune and blocking the road. They are put up for spring break then taken down. Usually, there are hundreds of vehicles going back and forth. The next photo shows a vehicle in the area.

Spring break

You have to admit it is a pretty dismal sight. I can’t imagine sleeping in that soggy tent.

This next shot shows an alternative to the soaked tent.

Spring break

Not sure this is any less dismal.

This last shot is of the beach chair set up by the resort down the road. I think they are ready for what will be no-shows.

Spring break

In case you wonder, we are most happy when the weather does not co-operate. We have become used to the peace and quiet of no spring break, and when it is upon us, all we can do is hunker down. This year it appears we have had a break of our own. Besides, the lawn needed a drink.

The weather is supposed to clear by Monday (darn it) so I’m sure there is plenty of noise, trash, and drunk time left in the week. I’ll be hanging out inside.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

As most of the Christian world knows last Tuesday was Fat Tuesday which marks the last day before the beginning of Lent. In New Orleans, the event is characterized by the last of the Mardi Gras parades. Not to be outdone Port Aransas Has its own version of a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras parade. I must tell you that I took over 100 photos of the show and can only give you a representative sample of the participating members. So here is the Mardi Gras parade Port Aransas style.

The parade started with two police cars leading the way

Port Aransas Mardi Gras

This is a photo of some typical participants.  Adult beverages were de rigor.

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The float members were pitching beads and candy to the bystanders.

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Here is a boat theme. Wonder how they got that idea? Notice the guy picking up the beads. He didn’t even have to take off his shirt.

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This is the only photo of the fifty golf carts in the parade. It is typical, and most look similar.

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Another boat. Go figure.

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This Humvee was well decorated. Lots of candy came off this baby.

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This child was very cute, so I kept it in.

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This float is actually a portable bar that visits the beach now and then

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I thought the motorized chair showed a lot of grit and so typical of the spirit of Port Aransas. A big applause was given.

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There is a Parrot Head chapter in Port Aransas. I know a big shock.

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Here is the Chamber of Commerce float and of course the guy is texting and floating. Probably ordering carry out.

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There were some cool cars in the parade like this Camaro.

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This float got the Awwwww award. Seemed strange having innocent children in a celebration of overindulgence. They were cute, though.

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Here’s a red Chevy

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And a custom hot rod from Colorado

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My favorite was this vintage Pontiac. I think it is a 1949 and it is in pristine condition

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The parade ended with the EMS team.

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I hope you like the parade. It was very much fun and I collected a lot of beads and candy as well.

Views of the Neighborhood – Garage Sale

~ John W. Howell ~ 41 Comments

Yesterday was the Port Aransas city-wide Garage sale sponsored by Help Keep Port Aransas Beautiful an organization dedicated to maintaining Port Aransas as an attractive community. The idea is to repurpose items and help keep unwanted items out of the landfill. The event included private homes as well as a central sale at the Community Center.

The first photo is of the early morning opening of a private home sale. This guy’s shirt is from the local kite store. No, the guy doesn’t work there.

Port Aransas Garage sale

Another home sale. Love those water skis leaning against the tree.

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Here is a view of the sale inside the Community Center

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I asked this lady if I could take her picture and she jumped up with the cutest smile. If you want to set up at the Community Center, you pay $15.00 per table, and the tables are provided.

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Here is a sight you see at every garage sale. Mom and child are manning the tables. I wanted that purple bag, but it wasn’t for sale.

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Here is also a sight you see at every garage sale. The person behind the table is paying absolutely no attention to the patrons. I could excuse here, though she was engrossed in reading My GRL. You can see in the background that there is a snack bar set up. (They sell donuts and coffee)

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Here is a table of a lot of jewelry and stuff. (Don’t miss the ferns under the table.) That lady approaching me with the look is asking, “Hey, aren’t you that famous blogger and novelist John W. Howell?” I told her she must be mistaken.

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Of all the pictures I almost threw out this one was at the head of the list until I spotted that pneumatic apparatus on the guy’s chair. He has the only collapsible rocking chair on the planet. After I had taken this picture, the man wanted to know what of what I was taking a picture. “Not you.” was my reply. “Oh, okay,” was his.

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Help Keep Port Aransas Beautiful sells Afghans and t-shirts to raise money. The Afghan has scenes of all the famous Port Aransas places. Most of which have been on this blog

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My final shot was taken on the steps of the Community Center. I caught a guy with his treasured fishing pole. It is hard to see, but water is pouring out of the dolphin’s mouths.

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I know it wasn’t Earth shaking but hope you enjoyed the tour. Peaceful Sunday to you.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 39 Comments

 

This week saw the annual Animal Rehabilitation Keep sale and auction. This event is always well received since the items offered for sale are those that have washed up on the beach throughout the year. It is hard to believe that these items were at one time floating in the Gulf. Just looking at them brings up stories in the mind. (Well, at least to a fiction writer.) I have selected some photos of the more unusual items.

This first picture will give you an idea of the interest in the sale

ARC Sale

This is a shot of some of the buoys that have been found. There is also some electric lights that have fallen off oil rigs.

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No one should be surprised by a kayak getting free but a boat ladder? Also, notice the old dugout canoe remnant.

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Some more floats, buoys and an ice chest.

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Here is a photo of a beautiful piece of rope. Those colorful balls in the background are floats.

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I had to laugh at the shovel collection and imagined some guy somewhere pitching his shovel into the Gulf claiming accident.

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Here in Texas, we get a lot of dross from Louisiana. Looks like a fence got washed away for the bayou.

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Life preservers are a big item. One hopes they were not on someone at one time but just floated free.

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Of course, balls get away and make their way to land. Can you say, Wilson?

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The last is a photo of the chief scientist at the Animal Rehabilitation Keep, Tony Amos. He is a treasure and is decked out in red and a black hat.

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I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 32 Comments

My producer was scouring the local news and came upon the annual Library book sale. She suggested it would make a good item for Views of the Neighborhood. Off we went. This first photo shows the civic center entrance, and sure enough, there was a line waiting for the sale to begin.

Library Book Sale

Got to the sign and sure enough. The sale opens at 9:00 am. It is now 8:45 am.

Book sale

A little closer will give you a view of the folks in line. I have to explain that most of these people are from the upper midwest. They are waiting in line. Most Texans do not wait in line for anything except barbeque. (Also, Texans in this part of the country don’t wear sneakers)

Book Sale

The doors opened and in we went. I know what your thinking. We did not wait in line we went to the store and then came back.

Here is an overview of the interior. You can see a lot of tables and books. There were so many it would be impossible to show you all.

Book Sale

Here is an example of animal books.

Book Sale

And a selection (among many ) of paperbacks.

Book Sale

The pricing system was pretty straight forward.

Book Sale

Each table had a particular sign giving the reader an idea of what was there. I picked one of the more interesting.

Book Sale

The Civic Center is an interesting place unto itself. It has a small museum at the entrance with some exhibits. Here one showing the birds in the area.

Book Sale

The last photo is a display of a few of the fish around the Gulf. If you look closely, you can see the idiot photographer reflected in the display glass. This will also give you a good idea what Texans wear around here.

Book Sale

I hope you enjoyed the view this week.

 

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Today we are visiting an absorbing place. I have mentioned the Farley Boat Works in a couple of posts and have featured the Farley Boat planters sponsored by the garden club. Today though we are going to the mother ship. The actual Farley Boat Works and Museum.

Farley Boats set the standard along the Gulf Coast for fishing and sport from 1915 to the mid-1970s. Three generations of the Farley family designed and built the Farley Boat in the back of their home in Port Aransas, Texas.

Here is a shot of works taken in the sixties.

Farley Boats

No Farley Boats were made from the late seventies until The Port Aransas Preservation, and Historical Association (PAPHA) opened the restored Farley Boat Works building to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Boat building lessons for the general public commenced the same day.

Here is how the building looks today

Farley Boat Works

The Boat Works Manager Frank Coletta supervises the activities which include, boat building lessons, restoration,, and fundraising. Behind Frank is a partial view of the workspace.

Farley Boat Works

Above where Frank is standing is a sign that captures the essence of the boat works.

Farley Boat Works

The next photo shows a bench with every kind of clamp needed to hold pieces of wood together.

Farley Boat Works

The next shot is a skiff under construction

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I mentioned earlier that Frank supervises fundraising for the boat works. A man project is the construction of a handmade kayak which is sold at auction. The last one sold for thousands. Here is the next one being made.

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One project of the boat works is the design, fabrication, and launch of the first Texas Schooner in over one hundred years. The sign below welcomes donations for spars and sails on the finished craft.

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Here is the schooner being built under a tent outdoors. You can see the rudder laying on its side on the concrete blocks

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There are other exhibits on the grounds. Here are two. This room gives you a history of the works and contains an example of an outboard motor powered boat.

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This room has a more classic Farley Boat.

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There is plenty more to see including a collection of old outboard motors and other artifacts. If you are in Port Aransas a visit to the Farley Boat Works is a must. The museum and boat works is located at 716 W. Avenue C, Port Aransas, TX 78373