A Arctic front is rushing this way. Tide Guide is at the shoreline early friday morning anyway. Large flights of wigeon out over the marsh, moving across the grey skyline, some shotgun rounds can be heard, probably Ted Dunams young son, Ted stops by riding on his golf car, good to see him and talk hunting and fishing and all. Pamela arrives, she is scheduled to take a kayak tour in the Seattle area this summer,so she wants a Texas Tour with me first. This is my first expedition to Shell Bar as Captain William Bradley "Major" Minor the III. I successfully completed the U.S. Coast Guard licensing program this summer. Cost me a bundle and I guess I learned something, sure had a great instructor Captain Chuck West out of Rockport, what an old salt. Here comes Jeff Mason and his friends, Jeff is a graduate surf camp student of Tide Guides and Davey and Laura from Scotland are with him, they pull me over to the trunk of their automobile and present me with a custom embroidered surf travel bag, it has "TIDE GUIDE" on the top. I'll use it at surf camp, but out here it would get muddy in one day, i don't mind sand on it at surf beach. Next is Lauren from Houston, I got a call earlier from Marjorie, she is scarred of the weather and does not want to come. We get boats assigned and adjusted and loaded, every one now is given the title "Captain of Your Own Ship" for the next 3 days. Sea Cow is Launched and it is great to be aboard and off we go, about a 15 knot north east wind, so the kayakers are sailed down the bays to Shell Bar, very fine day actually. Not cold not hot, i have my waders on so i can get on and off the Cow and not get wet. Nice lunch half way down. I was down 3 weeks ago and cut sunflowers and grass 2 feet high on shell bar, so i look forward to getting everyone there, and there is one less rattle snake out there, i tried to get him with the brush cutter but he kept ducking and got away, had to get my lead poison out finally. Arrival on Shell bar is great, it is such an interesting place, we see a pod of Dolphins feeding in the tidal pass. Camp goes up easily, and no doubt about it the arctic front will be on us after dark. It turns nasty but i have dinner ready with everyone help, we get the heater going in the Casa Grande Tent, turn on the L.E.D.'s and some says , this is cozy. It begins to rain, but dinner is great. About 4 a.m. it is a waterfall we get 7 inches overnight, doesn't stop a duck hunter, unbelievable these boys come by camp in the airboats a half hour before daylight. Camp is dry inside, I wear my duck hunting rain jacket and waders and get hot coffee, tea and strawberry stew going about daybreak, not cold out just windy and rainy not a problem i stay out almost all day long. Although about 3 p.m. Jeff and Davey land a 28 inch red drum and then i go inside after filleting this trophy and just sink into the beach chairs, waders come off and i am comfy. DANGER, DANGER, WARNING, WARNING, oh a disaster, Laren had to go to the "Cow Pie" to go to the bathroom and hollers back into the tent where we all are relaxing and she says, the cow pie tipped over. Oh God, a gust had flipped it where i keep iit on land. I know that it is unsanitary now, so I ask the ladies to use the beach until the storm subsides and i feel like going out and cleaning up, which i did later. Most every one sort of likes the constraints that mother nature has brought our way today. We all are busy people, so books come out, Jeff has a 70 page contract which he tears pages of to give to Davey to put in his shoes to absorb water. We have time to visit, and watch the Dolphins. Fresh Fish Dinner is just fab. But it was such a big fish, i save half of it on ice for Davey and Laura to take home. Our second night is comfortable and we all sleep well. We are prepared to get on the water early tomorrow and with the 7 inches of fresh water on the back bay it will make easy going for the Sea Cow. Next morning i take Laura and Laren aboard the Cow. The other paddlers will make a one mile crossing to the mainland and into a 15 - 20 knot head wind, but once across, they can tour up the shoreline in a wind shadow. Jeff in the lead boat, passes a Pair of majestic Whooping Cranes and not much farther a family of 3 Cranes, the family are bugleing and it is a real treat. It is cold out and Laura and Lauren are cold. But no rain and so we have a pleasant fall trip back to the marina. A great trip every one had a trip of a life time and a real outdoor experience, and for me A trip with weather like this once in a awhile is O.K. but I wouldn't want it to often.........I''ll be back, and I'll be seeing Jeff and Davey and Laura at surf camp in May.....
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