APPROACH THE SAND surf camp 4 2008

APPROACH THE SAND surf camp 4 2008


One more time, another swell, this one “FAY”. Arrive just after dawn Thursday morning, and there sure is a little swell from the cane. Nice sets all day Thursday, caught 50+ waves, and nice longish rides 100 yards off the 3rd bar. Catch up on news with Linda my friend for many years and the park ranger, also pay beach rent and vendor pass for the month. Mickey is on his first surf camp duty, my new junk yard dog, to guard surf camp, a 15 pound miniature pincher, he was raised by two young girls and he is spoiled and not very mean. About my luck, but at least he barks, and luckily not loud and not to much, turns out over the weekend he is a good people pooch, just what I wanted, he will also be able to jump into the boat, he is 4. Have replaced more equipment since sinking the sea cow. This camp has my signature new stove and grill the one I am used to, and I built a new chuck box, its deluxe and what I’ve been used to for 17 years. My surf camp is nearly complete again, all I really want now is a different main tent, which I already have picked out. Just raise $3,000.00.
Friday surf still up, Fay has moved into Gulf again its near Alabama. Fun waves all day, in between session, almost finished reading the history of the last Russian Tsar, 500 pages. It disgusts me that a treaty was signed last week with Poland to base our missiles. World Events like this is pretty much what keeps me an surf bum, a professional one I guess, I learned this profession from the Austrian Ski Instructors who where brought over to Sun Valley, Idaho before WWII by Averill Harriman, to keep his clients in good company. These men where great and I new many of them, they were legendary, and their booming voices with accent could be heard all over Baldy mountain during lessons, some of them made a fortune, most of them did well and they all where prema donnas and loved it. They where probably the first ski bums.
I turn on my cell phone twice a month at about 3 p.m. on Friday afternoons, so on it goes in case my private class needs help. And about 7 Laura rings, and about 9 Laura rings, and then about 10 Laura rings, at 9 and 10 I was asleep in the surf mobile with the thing a majig in my hand to wake me, but I must have managed to be coherent because at 11 p.m. everybody arrives.
(SEE KOREAN NAMES in the photos, Monica is Asian and wrote me everyone’s name in that language). All is well Friday night, Hillary and I learn that she came to Shell Bar Kayak camp with Trinity University in 2001, she is with Scott who is a Electrical Engineer and a T A&M graduate.
Saturday it is with effortless ease I get breakfast and cowboy coffee out using the new gear, get ur done before sunrise, let everyone get up when they want. Waves look o.k., Fay not really producing today but still waves out there. Look down the beach and there is a surf contest being held, will go down later. Every one got their drive from Houston over with last night and now have beach time, island time, so no hurry, but later we get boards out and assigned and then each is waxed, and up to the tallest sand dune to view the break and talk surf. No seaweed finally, the drop zone is on the 2nd bar mostly, so I suggest that while the gulf remains glassy way outside, we make it thru the impact zone and go outside 500 yards and I can give them a lesson on how to hang out, I explain that the surfing culture made this phrase 50 years ago. So the proper way to hang out is, once outside is to either sit on your board and just contemplate your luck on being able to be on a top of a top notch longboard with your friends, in warm water with nothing more important to do that wait for a wave to ride. I show them some advanced hanging out, since we are Texans, this is how it is done, you slide off the board, then put your arms across the deck, then rest your chin on the deck and dangle your legs. You let the swells get all the pains out of your back, neck, brain etc. and just look at eyeball level to the water and listen how quiet it is out here.
After this lesson we go on in and get with it. All day long, plus check out surf contest, I mingle with the organizers, I am a business man underneath the cavalier exterior….I know one of the judges and surf with him occasionally and I ask a pretty surfer girl when the Masters event is, she says it is in September.
Late afternoon I’m helping Hillary and she has a little accident and gets a bump on the chin and cuts her inside lip a little, but we finally get her a good ride.
Dinner is knockout, shiskaboobs, corn on the cob, new potatoes. Jeremy later has chocolate chip cookies.
Sunday is so choice the gulf is glassy, but little ride able swell are coming in and every one gets rides, Mickey and I watch from the high tide line, I let Laura use my favorite board and she does well, and she is thrilled to be in surf camp instead of at the office. Luis is using the 11 foot couch potato and is getting some rides, he is no couch potato, 200 pound and practices some judo of some kind. Jeremy was a college swim team member and has power and he gets most every wave he goes for. Monica is very surfer girlish, not petite but almost, so she has to have the moves, and she had them Sunday and was getting some really pretty rides. Scott hadn’t bought a surf shirt and was using a cotton shirt so his takes offs where inhibited do to the drag and he struggled to drop in, so he needs to invest in surf gear next camp. …..great camp……..

Hurricane "DOLLLLLY" !!!

pictures coming soon...


CANE # 16, for this surfer...Left my boat house at 3 a.m. thurs. morn. Easy driving, for awhile, then the cane. Reminded me of driving in blizzards up in Idaho to go ski. Forget about it, gusting 50 knots down by Oakville, I am in 2nd gear on the freeway!!!!!, pull over, get in the back and go to sleep until 7. Didn't want my surf-mobile to blow over in the middle of the night. I sunk a boat already this year, so yearnin now to play it safe. Saw Peter Holt yesterday, we watched the sky in San Antonio, the cane was getting near shore and category 2. He sent 70 game wardens with boats down to the Rio Grande Valley to help out. This thing is massive this morning and I'm glad it is 120 miles due west. I know that the surf is just out of control, so I'm going to take care of a little business in Aransas Pass. Stop by the Sea Academy to get some paper work for my Captains license. I get a chance to visit with Capt. Chuck West, the man who taught me last summer, he is a good ol’ boy all the way, and he wants to hear all about my sinking. We get along so I hold nothin back, and it felt good to talk, he told me to not be a stranger and to stop by again.....Dolly's storm surge was up to the dunes yesterday, the sand is still wet but I can park the surf-mobile later today in my favorite surf camp spot. I'm not going out today it just isn't possible, blowing almost a Gale and the waves are enormous. Sunny out, and Tide Guide can look forward to improving weather for the next week. I'll be here 6 days and take care of the Albro's family summer vacation, this is their third year and all nine of them are coming tomorrow. I think it was Dillon their 18 year old who started the surf camp tradition, the 30 foot rule. His step Dad Patrick spends to much time out in the water helping his daughters and his wife and brother and sister in law and not enough time practicing himself, and for the past two seasons he did not score a 30 foot glide. And Dillon teased him, I let people sign their names on the awning if they can surf 30 feet, but Dillon told Patrick he couldn't sign his until he rides 30 feet, it was funny, Heather his wife has signed and some of the girls so Patrick is under pressure this vacation.
Friday morning wind still howling from Dolly, it is so awesome to witness this system here from the beach. Waves are real knarly, I will wait until afternoon, and it should level out some, bought a new leash for my board from Ted's Boardhouse and we talked surfing, he had a terrific session on Tuesday when Dolly arrived. I get camp up and it looks mighty fine, so get out my favorite "Cane" and make it outside without to much trouble, it is big, peaks are 12 - 15 feet. But it is real bumpy, hard to line up, I get 10 massive drops, sort of out of control, a couple of long rides, two cut backs, and a couple of fast rail rides, one bottom turn I was leaned over so far with centrifical force I could drag my finger tips on the wave face, soooooo out of sight. Fast bottom turns is what this sport is all about. It is so bumpy that I literally am getting dizzy, a little dangerous so I surf a long one, almost to the sand, that would be 300 yards, WWWOOOOO.... Do some more chores around camp, a little reading, some eating, and watching the surf, I see another surfer going out, so wax up the "cane" and make it out again without to much of going over the terrifying falls, not quite as big but still 12 foot drops, still bumpy, real bad, this isn't a clean "CANE" but its rideable, so I get about 10 more and getting dizzy again, so on in to be safe.... Shower and clean clothes, Buddy and his wife Shawn arrive, Buddy and Patrick are brothers. We sit in the beach chairs and relax and soon a little after dark the main Albro family arrive and are glad to be in surf camp.
I had emailed Heather earlier in the week to verify the go ahead for camp, and to explain that Tide Guide max's out at 8 people. So one Albro would have to be designated to sleeping on a camping mattress instead of the luxurious cots. Shawn and Buddy and I had discussed this earlier and Shawn said, just wait and see, Heather will be on the camp pad. I actually thought this would prove untrue. But I guess mothers either just as soon skip a battle or they do things out of love, because Heather was on the camp pad both nights.....
After the Albro's get acquainted with camp and the new bathrooms across the sand road, we start telling stories. Cydni is 9, Sarah is 11, Hailey is about 16, Ashley is 18 and will be of to College, so I keep my stories about surfing light hearted for the girls sake, I tell them about the monster out there, the "TURTLES", last season 2 monsters jumped out of the line up and onto our boards, one of the events happened to me, and it scarred me so much I screamed. And I heard about another surfer who had his nose broken. The girls don't even ask about sharks....Then I tell them about the best surf band in the world, the Ventures, and the all time hit "wipeout". But maybe my fav is "walk don’t run". Maybe I like "Pipeline" best, I surfed Pipeline in Hawaii for two weeks in the 70's.
Early next morning, wind is still calling Dolly, no doubt about that, must be up in Mexico, but it is dragging this wind down here with her. Lots of Sargasso seaweed. I make strawberry stew, papaya, honey dew, oranges, cantaloupe, and black cowboy coffee. It's an hour and a half before the whole family is up and moving, so we sit in the beach chairs and take advantage of the island time. Sleeping down here is just great, it is almost cold at night. Cyndi wants a surfboard, so we pick out the Sanddollar for her, Sarah get the blue triple fin, they learn how to wax.
I have a new hat, I saw one of my lawyers Wednesday at his office, Duncan Weakley Bressler, years ago Edgar Duncan gave me a real nice palm weave hat. I've surfed it for so many years now that it needed retiring. So with Albro proceeds I went downtown and bought a Mexican Sombrero, also palm weave real nice. We gather the Albro’s and walk out of camp up to the top of a Sand Dune. Here I like to give surf lesson #1 and safety lesson #1. Waves I explain are way bigger than they look from up here. Green water is offshore about 1000 yards, still lots of sand and seaweed in the drop zone. We talk for awhile up here and enjoy the view. Patrick reminds his daughters to pay attention while I give the safety guidelines.

I just lost 3 pages of this surf camp story....somehow on my computer...all for now.

"MABEL" surf camp #3 2008

photo's coming soon.....bill

My Grandmother left me a roll of silver dollars. One of them was worth $400.00. So I turned this 1894 coin into a 10'7" cruiser longboard. This was its first time out. It has nice graphics and has "MABEL" on the front deck. I'm down here early again thurs. morn., tides are moderate, but lots of Sargasso seaweed, i set up close to the waters edge since the moon is in apogee. Real close to the water, the guests will walk out of the tent 50 feet to the high tide. Fun outside peaks to ride for me this morning, nothing to brag about, but lots of rides. Weather looks to be stable for 4 to 5 days. What a relief for Tide Guide. Camped next to me is a troop of Boy Scouts, Troop 352 from Justin, Texas 14 of them. I spoke to one of the leaders and it was decided that tomorrow after a field trip they are going on to an Air Force Base, they will then come over to my camp, and I'll talk with them about surfing, and I couldn't help it, I am going to get help waxing MABEL. I was going to have my customers do it, but eagle scouts, America doesn't produce anything better. So next day around noon they stop by. This board is really gorgeous and big. I went over to Ted's Boardhouse and bought wax this morning. So the scouts get to earn another merit badge and it is a lot of work for one person, but with a whole troop, no problem. First goes on one bar of base wax. Followed by a whole other bar of "sticky bumps". We have fun talking and the wax looks good. MABEL should be one of the favorite boards in my camp. The scouts leave but a few of them go fishing, FOR SEAGULLS, they tie a Cheetos on the line, throw it into the air, and after a while they have a seagull, i asked them if they used a hook and they said no.
Start getting phone calls from guests in early eve. Trouble finding their way. But here comes, Katy and her Mom Alice, they are tired of being in the car, and after they get settled in surf camp, they walk down the beach to the pier for dinner. Then come Tyler and her Mom Scottie. Later in the evening after the sun went down Katy and Tyler where playing with the sand crabs and Tyler got a good pinch and bloody foot, Her mother was afraid the sharks would get her darling daughter next morning, I said, she should be o.k. but well check her foot again in the morning. Joan arrives and this is her second surf camp and she is glad to be on the beach in surf camp again. Clint arrives, and this is his first surf camp, but not his last as he really got with it. Russel and Bandy arrive, this is Bandy's birthday present, turns out that on Sunday July 13 is her birthday and her surfing instructor ME. I am 56, she is maybe 26. So all is well friday nite great weather for everyone to sit in the beach chairs and look at the stars, Amanda called and she cant make it and has rescheduled for another surf camp later. Sleeping is exceptional, cool really, no bugs.
Well surf camp is on. Sat. Morn. after a great breakfast and lounging in the chairs, we do the safety march and surf talk and seaweed has drifted out, so looks like a good session. MABEL is given to Alice and Katy to share, We found some flowers up in the dunes, Katy has one in her pretty blonde hair, and I take one and wedge it onto a spot on MABEL. Off they go and boy i was right, this board is a winner, Alice is up about on the first try!!!!!! And Katy she is sixteen and light as a feather and no problem she is up!!!!!!! Thanks for the Silver Dollar MABEL. It is not easy out in the line up, we have 3 - 4 foot wind waves with a period of maybe 5 seconds, so you are getting beat up out there, although the water is so warm and enviting and it is a sunny day and it is a sand bottom, every one is having a great time. Russel and Bandy are doing well and getting some rides. Scottie and Tyler haven't had any shark attacks. Clint is a real athlete and he is getting some long rides on the outside break already. Joan is doing o.k. I fear her knees are going to be getting bruised, most women get knobby knees, until they learn to stand.
Some of them do 3 sessions, and as a group we walk down to the Pier for ice cream and out all the way to end of the deck for the view, we saw a tame pelican whom fisherman would toss bait minnows, and to watch this prehistoric thing open its crazy mouth up close was weird. All surfers are starving, I have been feeding them surfer food all day long, coconut, jicama and lime, pineapple, peanuts, papaya, oranges. One of my strategies in this operation is to get them hungy then what ever I feed them for dinner they think I am such a good cook. Because tonite we have Shiskabobs. Sun is getting lower in the sky no one wears a watch generally in surf camp. I begin getting dinner out, and this is a surf camp help out. I spot Tyler and her mother because most everyone else is up at the showers. I say Tyler (she just turned 13) UUUUHHHH, Tyler do you think you could help me shuck some corn. WWWWHHHaaaattttt, shuck this corn, you know peel off the husks. She looks at Scottie like I have rocks in my head. Scottie says, yes, help him. So we shuck 16 ears of corn. Tyler did not like the spoiled kernels on the top of the ear, I explained that if the farmer hadn't sprayed his field with DDT that there would be a worm on the top, instead of a few spoiled kernels. We get it shucked and into a bucket and I says, grab ahold. And I guide us over to the waters edge. She says wWWWWWWHHHHAAAATTTT are we doing, OH, lets fill this up with water, she says thats not water, yes it is, well I am not going in there I just took my shower and I cant get wet. Now I have a 8 year old daughter so this is practice for me. I says, well can we just go out a little ways, your legs wont get wet half way up to your knees. She says no, I says, OH, my shoulder hurts and i cant carry it alone. She says O.K.. But when we got back to the camp she told me she was really in a BBBAAAAADDDDD mood. WWWWWWHHHHHEEEEWWWW, this being a professional surfer has its hazards. We boiled sweet corn on the cob and new potatoes in saltwater and try it, it is excellent.!!!!! You dont need butter or salt, although some said they needed butter. Next build your own Shiskabobs. My friend up in town my butcher over the years now decided i needed in addition to beef sirloin tip, he says, you need chicken and pork tenderloin, i says, O.K. Bandy does not eat pork or beef so my butcher helped out on that one. Plenty of food even though Alice had to take Katy down to the Pier again since she was starved and bought her a hamburger, doesn't look like there is enough room in her tiny waistline for a burger and Surf camp Shiskabobs.

While Kabobobs are grilling us adults get to a little politics and education and health care and it was serious but fun. This is one thing about surf camp, these beach chairs in the shade with the sound of the surf, we get to talk and visit probably one of the better perks of camp. My idea of government education is the three RRR readin rightin rithmatic, anything more than that let em get it in the private sector. For president Jesse Ventura, he is a bonefide surfer, and for health care, preventative maintenance, like how bout universal surf camp.

Excellent meal nice sunset and beach chairs again. While lounging I reclaim my standing with Tyler, she and her mom will be going to Hawaii next year, so I teach her some Hawaiian. This is a fishs name, HUMU HUMU NUKU UKU AU PU AAPA. Then Merry Christmas, MELE KALIKIMAKA.

Next morning Clint and i get a session way outside and Katy made it out also, I give Clint my personal board and he stays out for a long surf. Joan has really gotten some swelling on her knees and has to be careful. Russel is to sunburned to go out this morning. I think he is just happy to have gotten Bandy out on her birthday. So all is well and it was a very fine surf camp..........

SURF CAMP #2 SUMMER SOLSTICE JUNE 20 2008

Leisure Learning Unlimited and my 15th year in business together. This trip though I had cancelled, after sinking the "Sea Cow" this past winter, I lost all of my accumulated equipment of 18 years, but Ted the owner at LLU encouraged me to keep at it. So this surf camp has made a large enough booking to run. First days of summer with the solstice friday nite. And my birthday, I am 9, nine years without any booze or illegal substances. I celebrated with my summer home AA group on the island thursday nite before my surf camp began. I got 3 surf sessions in Thursday, the day i arrived down here, waves were tiny. Friday set up camp and surf 3 sessions, waves are tiny, but good for practice, I am having problems with right shoulder. Later in the morning Carol Blackwell arrives with her birtday boy, her son Chris, he is 20, I help Chris with his first surf session, Carol is going to organized a Women's Club surf camp, so she is inspecting and learing about Tide Guide"s surf camp. Shawn Shultze and a business client of his Chris Gurecky arrive about sundown friday nite. Shawn's 4th season, and he had me build him his own custom Tide Guide surfboard, identical to the one i use, it's beautiful. Later in the nite Jean calls and she and Ted where not able to leave the office early enough to begin the drive down and are tired, so they will arrive tomorrow morning. Real comfortable evening, nice breeze, sounds of the surf. Shawn and Chris stay up late under the stars, sitting in the beach chairs. In the Morning Jean and Ted arrive, but no hurry's here, we occupy the beach chairs and i let this drag on for a long time before surf lessons. Nothing like island time, course i talk the surf lingo, no politics or religion,barf barf barf. We find out important things like, are you a "goofy foot or regular foot", i teach them how to wax the boards i got down for them. Ted is a flight engineer at NASA, and Jean will be entering a hospital in houston as a Surgeon. Chris Gurecky operates a family owned machine shop and is a major supplier for Haliburton, Shawn operates his family owned Airconditioning business. Me I'm retarded, I mean retired, I mean i am the professor of surfing. Yesterday I walked down to Morgan Faulkners surf camp. He operates monday thru friday, and he mostly teaches the young crowd 8 - 16 year olds, Morgan and I get along and its good for the profession that guys like he and i know and respect each other, also i signed another contract with Nueces County this being my ninth year running a surf camp. The gulf is kinda glassy, but some little peaks are consistently rolling in, this is actually fantastic for the beginners, water is ssssoooooo warm and refreshing I love it, during the second session i lead all of us across the glassy surface and we make our way to the outside, probably 500 yards offshore. On a gentle day like this I'll take beginners out here just to sit. It is quite an experience for them, but as a group it makes you feel more confident. It is quiet, I suggest they get off their boards, dangle their legs, put their arms across the deck of the board, rest their chin on the deck, and as a famous surf term states "hang out". Now i do this all the time, but remember, Ted sits all day long in a flight control center and Jean, well she "heals" people, so this jumping off their board at my suggestion must be quite an experience. Out here is where i'll ride big surf i hope this season, this is where the 10 - 15 foot bombs peak up and roar thru. We can see Shawn and Chris 200 yards away, hanging out and its so quiet we can hear them talk. Back Ashore and after watermelon Ted is napping in the shade, on his cot, in the breeze, Jean is next to him studying human anatomy i suppose. Ya know i really could just guide napping camps, Carols son napped for 3 hours yesterday. Waves are nothing to brag about, except for a beginner, so before dinner we all get in another session, I believe everyone has stood up, Chris Gurecky has shared with us that over the past year he has lost a wopping 95 lbs. He is now up and riding in pretty good form, the famous surfboard of mine, I aptly named years ago, the "U.S.S. COUCH POTATO" i built this board especially for waves like today it is 11 feet in lenght, so Chris now is a surfer.
Dinner is new this season, Shiskabobs, i have a butcher friend cut up the meat for me, And guest Chris Gurecky is a home gardener and he has brought this years harvest of red potatoes, okra, onion, tomato. Dinner is great and we all stay up for awhile, but not to late.
Saturday is glassy and beautiful, the eleven foot "U.S.S COUCH POTATO" board is shared by all of us and from camp it appears that the surfer is walking on water, the small waves are just great and easy to catch. This was a GGGRRREEEAAATTT camp............

U.T.S.A. School Kayak Camp Shell Bar May 2008

Kevin, Pat, Kenza, Ruti, and Carlos and Me.

Departed the barn at 3:30 a.m.. Zero traffic practically all the way to the beach. Much better on my nerves, don't have to drive as fast. UTSA are all down there since last night, Eliot Assistant Director of O-REC likes them to mellow into this Tide Guide outing. Karen has roused the campers at about dawn, "No Camping Allowed", Kevin trip leader answers, but Bill said it was O.K.. Oh he did, well he always thinks he can do it his way........ha ha, i already had called Neal her husband on Tuesday, letting him know that we were coming, so its Neal's fault. Excellent weather, and i am relieved since i haven't guided since i sunk my "Sea Cow" this past winter. Eliot is the power behind this trip, helping me to get back on that horse!!!!
We are going primitive kayaking, self propelled. Light S.E. winds, and after one hour on the trail we pull into the sea grass shoreline for lunch. Migratory Wildlife are vacant, no ducks on the wing, now the marine life will begin migrating into the back bays, since water temps are rising. We take our time traveling to Shell Bar, and stop in the middle of Shoalwater bay a couple of times. Either myself or Kevin stand in the shallow water and resemble an anchor, holding on to every ones kayak so the wind wont blow them off, and we talk and rest. Finally ashore at Shell Bar things are inviting. Camp is easily pitched for the next three days, some exploring is done and then "We all settle under the shade canopy and take a wonderful 2 hour nap" wind blowing and just pleasant. I had explained to Eliot that nobody would be raving about the food we ate since i don't have the Sea Cow and the decadent amenities that went down with her. So at dinner just before sunset food is O.K.. Ruti is quiet interested in the celestial kingdom, and tonite the stars are dazzling, and with our nap we stay up, Kevin bought "so mores", you know the camp fire staple. Marsh mellows, chocolate, gram crackers sandwich, I sit quietly just out of the firelight, but Kevin is very thoughtful and feeds me this ritualistic concoction, gag, i don't refuse, but don't ask for seconds. Real enjoyable watching stars and not t.v.
Very pleasant morning S.E. winds light and cool. Basic breakfast, no coffee, since it brings on dehydration. Beach combing in the late morning with Ruti, Kenza, Pat and Myself, walked up the Santo Espiritu Bay front. We found Ruti a Straw hat. The girls picked up to loads of plastic trash, as their environmental contribution. I found two more oyster shell castles i call them, bleached and pretty, i keep a growing collection in my office.
Early afternoon paddling trip, turns into a circumnavigation of Grass Island. This Island is home to one of the pairs of Whooping Cranes during the winter. We stayed on the leeward shore for an hour or more, then Kevin went out through a pass into San Antonio Bay. He played in the small wind swell, then came back and suggested that we go outside and return on this side of Grass Island, it was safe, with winds onshore, so I agreeded to this change in course. He is trip leader for the University and this was a good call, this allowed the students to get some additional experience in the kayaks. Once back safely ashore on Shell Bar, another long nap for all of us under the shade and in the breeze.
Sunday morning we depart Shell Bar very early with a 15 knot starboard aft wind, and it is a cinch to cover the 5 miles back to Welders, I waved at him as he stood on his dock. Thanks UTSA for getting Tide Guide out on the bay again......

University of Texas at Surf Camp #1 2008

Never say Never, I gave up guiding after sinking the Sea Cow this winter. However Eliot Howard Associate Director of Outdoor Pursuits at the University encouraged me to continue. So we had a fabulous weekend of surfing. 10 students came down, Allen being trip leader, his second or third year at surf camp, he wore cut off jeans for surf pants, and you know he is a native texan. Friday before students arrived, I surfed some 12 foot bombs, didnt go out alone but surfed with a friend Vern from Hawaii. During the weekend we had superb weather and fine waves for the students on the inshore break, nice reliable sets of 3 to 4 feet, water temp 72. I changed the Saturday night menu, i could not eat any more vegetables and sausage, so now it is Shiskabobs, boiled corn on the cob, new potatoes boiled in sea water, and spanish rice. I signed a contract with Nueces County Park after 8 years of getting by. So hope things continue well this season as Tide Guide is Booked solid......

December 9 10 11 Shell Bar Kayak Tour 2007

People do kayak tour in December. I had been corresponding for weeks with Judy Alson and she has hitched a ride from Houston with Danny Petkevich and his young eight year old son Cole, and they arrive on time, 9:30 a.m. Will Ellis has been here for a while and earlier he and I had a chance to talk. At fifteen to ten a sort of light roar is heard and as we look to the sky the noise pollution is the ruffle of no less than 6,000 arriving migratory waterfowl. The "V's" are so vast and the sounds growing more voluming that the birds are not aware of us down here and they blanket the sky and horizon as they wing past, this is just an awesome sight. I explain briefly that this is more or less the destination and end of the Central Flyway and this huge flock is finding this wildlife refuge a place to rest and feed. Dolphins appear in the water in front of us, the weather looks quite stable and i speculate that it will last past Sunday. I'm already wearing surfing pants. Boats are assigned and packed and instruction given. You all are now Captain of your own ship for the next 3 days I announce. Cole is riding aboard the Sea Cow with me and he thinks that is great. Danny and Will Shove off and then Judy. Judy makes it out from shore a ways and then begins going in circles, then she is blown off course and then ends up under the fish cleaning table, we get her untangled then she goes in circles again, and bumps into Welders dock, Cole and I render assistance, and Judy comes aboard with us on the Cow, she is just fine with that, we tow her boat. At Buffalo Pass as we putt along on this fine morning I shout, "Look at the Crabs". There on the sand shoreline are 6,000 crabs. These are the feed the Whooping Cranes gorge on all winter. There is another sort of light roar and these one inch crab move in mass through the salt grass. We all go ashore and this to is just awesome, Cole is stuffing them into his life jacket pockets, Danny is taking videos with his cell phone, this is just really facinating and interesting and we watch them for 15 minutes. A very nice two hour tour down to Shell Bar. With these short days, i hustle to get camp up, we all pitch in to prepare our vegetable soup and then put on the fresh sausage to cook. Dolphins are in the Tidal Pass and it is just astonishing to see them. Nice night to sit around the hot fire in the beach chairs and talk until the late hour of about eight thirty. Next day is opening of duck season and air boats lug past early and plenty of shooting later as we have cowboy coffee, and breakfast. Fishing is on the docket today, and we all take a nature walk and bring the fish net and minnow bucket. Bait is not plentiful so we have to walk quite aways. I cover a school and Cole loads about 10 mullet into the bucket, then we keep going and circumnavigate Shell Bar on foot, and it is a fine day out. After a lunch of Hot Tamales and fresh beans and crackers, Judy, Cole and I take the Cow and Danny paddles his kayak and we are going to circumnavigate Steamboat Island, Will is going to enjoy Shell Bar and a beach chair. I have brought a fish rod given to me by a good customer of mine and I throw a couple times and WWWWhhhhaaaammmm, Cole bring this fish in I say, and he lands a nice trout, and then a little latter a nice redfish. Once back at camp it is pretty warm and nice out and Danny decides now to swim across the tidal pass. Then i get brave and dive in. December 10th and the water isn't that bad, it was fun. Back on Shell Bar we all stand around this tidal pool and I have stocked a couple big blue crabs in it and they and all the minnow's entertain us for a long time, Danny and Cole snag a big one and I cook it for them. After dark Danny brings to our attention that there are lots of spiders here. Will has an L.E.D. so do I so does Danny, and he shows us that spiders eyes glow and he is right, i had no idea spiders eyes glow but if you get down on your hands and knees and follow your light beam sure enough there is a spider. Hot camp fire and Tide Guide Tea and lots of stars and stories, Will tells us about his occupation, he is a horse and large animal massage therapist and does quite well at it, Judy is from Israel and now manages a store in Houston, Danny is an electrical engineer for a computer company. Next morning it is sssssoooooo Sunday and real easy going. Danny gives his son a kayak lesson on the calm bay and also gives Judy a kayak lesson. WE take our time and finally get going about eleven, camp is staying up cause i am coming back to stay for a couple more days. Danny and Will paddle, Cole and Judy are aboard with me. I come to anchor to gas up and when raising anchor i feel the line give, i loose the hook, and cant find it again in the seaweed and mud, WoW how helpless a Captain is without an anchor on a big boat. Cole has been standing on the bow for three days now as we putt along, and today he falls in, Judy grabs him, we are in about 20 inches of water, I say we better go see you Dad, I get a sleeping bag out and Judy wraps him up, she loves it, she has a grown son of her own. Pretty good trip I'd Say......considering its December. All is well....Now I make the return trip to Shell Bar, on deck are duck decoys and brush for a blind...I am a recovered poacher. It's true!!!!! Today I do follow the rules and regulations. Its in my best interest since i know all three game wardens down here, and even know the Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.....no reason for me to break the rules, but even with the best intentions, I had a once in a lifetime occurence. I got 3 ducks with one shot!!!!! And i was not flock shooting. It just happened and they where birds you can only bag one a day....Sssssooooooo i thought that i'll be here for three days, so i'll just put the gun away, and count the bagged birds at one a day. Best I could do....I've used dynamite to fish with and that's the truth, but not anymore. We were supposed to be blowing stumps out on a ranch in Idaho, but being teenagers and Dick Boyle not at the ranch one day, we fished instead of worked.