A Good Saturday

I didn't get to all the events last night and today, but the happiness factor was very good. Ditter Dog was a success and Rob over at Surf Riders reports that his fest raised enough money for not only one but TWO college scholarships. Lots of other stuff going on but no fishing because the wind was 25 to 35, with a maximum gust I saw of 48 MPH.

For folks who don't know, we have three seasons down here on SPI: weather, no weather, and the chance of a Cat3 hurricane. For over six months a year we have 85 to 95 degree temperatures and sunshine, nice but boring if you're a weatherman. The rest of the year we have weather. We have not had a hurricane in many, many years.

More people are here these days although it is hard to day more or less than in previous years. The winter has been especially bad up in Minnesota and those northern tier states ... our neighbor said at one time it was -40 F up yonder, no wonder a few are down here. Things seem to being coming to life in what is a nice winter down here. The huisache has started to pop little yellow flower balls, forecasting an early spring. Soon those plants will be covered in gold and then the yucca and mesquite will start blooming. Allergies are already here if you didn't start sneezing already.

For you policy wonks, the comprehensive planning committee is about to revolt and go home right as the May local elections start happening, probably a bad combination but few seem to care except some elderly folks still having "visions." I drink a bunch of beer but visions, that takes something really good. It's like blah-blah-blah who cares, so what the old folks are into the Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test now. This is a very strange town, ya know.

Almost as surprising as anything is what is not happening on the sand spit we call South Padre Island. No big development up north other than the ugliest condo tower I have ever seen, up from the Convention Center and The Shores. No progress on a second causeway because the state agency says it lost all the money on the way to the bank.

The really big news was that down by Saturn and Gulf Boulevard, the Town put in a drainage ditch across the road (Neptune Circle access, which always floods). This ditch was worse than the border fence and looked like it could cause some serious damage to even a big pickup truck. So today the barricades went back up and they're doing another experiment we ain't figured out yet. When I get the inside word I'll pass it along. I never did get to get airborne off the last version so I'm kinda bummed out.

Haven't been way up north on the beaches this year but I', sure them Winter Texans got it all packed down right nice - some of them have duelies ya know. A little more rain coulld help because the more you go north towards Mansfield Cut, the more sugar sand there is. Sugar sand don't pack down but these old-timers seem to get through it fine. If I can stand getting in the water, some Florida pompano are to he had - even Earnest Hemingway would agree than pompano rocks for good tasting fish.

Less Spring Breakers are on the local Internet boards and forums than ever, and no telling if this year's mild riot is the same or much smaller than last year. It seems like a lot of kids didn't like the combat zone mentality down here, like they hired special Ops to kick butt on anybody below the age of 25. I wish I could find that picture I took when the town had cyclone fencing down all of lower Padre Boulevard ... it looked like the DMZ in Vietnam or something. Welcome, uh, kiddos.

The fishing really sucks down here as compared to other years but them Winter Texans are always happy. Ain't no flounder tho', I mean what's up with that? I haven't seen an honest bucket o' local blue crabs in years. The trout are small and few. You can cruise for redfish but often you have to cover tens of miles and most are out at sea now. Some big black drum are being caught along the ship channels, nice ones, perhaps a sign of early spring. The offshore has been rough, and the window of opportunity to get offshore is usually once or twice a month in the winter.

But know what? I forgot to fish today and walk a mile on the beach and shame, shame, shame. Lord, please don't make me take up golf because I was a bad boy.