Jan. 11: A Week With Good Friends

My new job with Susser (same company I worked for last week - different department) is checking up on the 160+ new Town and Country convenient stores that Susser purchased. We're making sure they are posting all of their invoices. We get the invoices and compare them to a list of invoices posted for that day. Any discrepancies go to accounting; all daily postings that are OK, go to the scanning team. Not the most challenging job I've had but it'll pass the time until another one comes along. This one is suppose to last about a month.

Our good friends from Wichita, Henry and Anna, were here all week. They kept themselves busy with local attractions during the day and we spent the evenings with them. We went to Niko's Steakhouse the first night; Place To Be the second night; KFC Wednesday night and I fixed a vegetable soup Thursday night.

I took off Friday because that is a light day for the mail and we all went sight seeing. We headed for Port Aransas. Crossed on the ferry, did some sourvenir shopping and ate lunch at Moby Dick's Restraurant. Then drove on south to Padre Island National Park. Did some beach combing and found shells, jelly fish, and other interesting things. Larry got in the water but none of the rest of us were interested in getting into 62 deg. water.


The ferry ride.

Henry taking a picture of Anna.

Larry enjoying the "warm" water of the gulf.

They told us that you could find really unique items washed up on the Padre Island shores.

Anna, beach combing.






That evening we ate at Kiko's. A local Mexican restaurant that has been around for many years.

Saturday, we headed north again but went to the Rockport/Fulton area to Goose Island. We spacifically went there to see "The Big Tree". This tree is thought to be one of the largest in the nation (not sure where the red woods of California fall in this estimation). It is estimated to be over 1000 years old and has a circumference of 35 feet. At 44 feet in height, it's branches streach out about 90 feet. It was pretty impressive.



We also found a vine hanging from a tree. Larry didn't know whether to try smoking it as he did in his youth of swing from it. Needless to say, at his current age, he did neither.






Located close to this tree was another one that we could actually get close to. Notice the nice people helping to hold up the branches. They won't be there 1000 years from now. Guess that's when the steel posts come in handy.





For lunch we ate at a Whataburger and had Dairy Queen for afternoon treat.


The Fulton Mansion was completed in 1877. The house featured ornate trim work and furnishings and the latest technological conveniences including modern plumbing, central heating and a gas lighting system. The house was lived in by the family until 1895. In the early 1980's it was restored and opened for visitors. We didn't take the inside tour but I'm sure it would have been very interesting.

The view of Aransas Bay from the front porch.

Of course, you get two old geo cachers together and there will be geo caching. I had pulled four down off the computer for the day but only found two. The two we found were big enough to have goodies in them--which are the kind we like. They were located at historical markers and gave a short history of the area or the person the area was named after. Anna found the one on the right. Used a stick to pull it out so we could access it. The men were deeper in the woods bushwacking because that's where the GPS took them.


The other two were a micro (size of a magnetic key holder) and a nano (size of a bullet). We didn't find them but they led us to a beautiful memorial along the coast and a great place to see birds. The other black ones I haven't identified yet but I think they must be some kind of heron.

Of course, Larry brought bread to feed the gulls.

Notice the Roseate Spoonbills.







For supper, we met at our home and had a great hot dog meal.

Sunday was a kick back day. Henry and Anna rested in their hotel while Larry and I ran some errands.

We all met up again for supper at Jason's Deli tonight - already trying to light. Back to work tomorrow and a week of eating lighter. Might even get in a walk or two.