Texas rest stops need love, too.

Easy-out through Corpus Christi, and the seashore gravitational pull has been broken.  We had to wash most of the gravity off at a car wash with a series of delicate, yet demanding, maneuvers involving removing the Prius, the tow dolly, reattaching the two in reverse, pulling around, taking two bays, 122 quarters, two naughty words, becoming completely drenched, reattaching tow dolly, reconnecting the Prius, smudging my almost-clean-enough shirt, and Annie pulling her shoulder.  Later, we found sand in every crevice, and then there's the rig. [RIM SHOT]

These cormorants are just praying the salt comes off.  Why did we vacation here? I wanted to visit my mom in St. Augustine!

We were pleased to spend multiple units of time with Chris, another full-timer who will eventually be cajoled and shamed into blogging again.  

Photo by Teri

No, c'mon!  Not my backside!

Seriously, what is wrong with you?  Not my backside!

Honest, Chris, all the frontward pictures I took came out blurry!  It's like your frontside is a vampire.  Oh!  My mistake - here's a good one.




Teri is a full-timer who was cajoled and shamed into meeting us.  She caught the trolley, which was quickly controlled with ginger ale and bed rest.  It was good to spend time with her and learn more of her story.  She's in the pre-retirement set like Annie and me, and she has some interesting ideas for suitable employment that I'll try when times become desperate.

"Whatever you do, just don't post my picture to your blog."  Always happy to comply.*

We're in for the night at a Texas rest area, where they have free wifi. It's not strong enough to stream videos or TV - the gold standard - but plenty for surfing and blogging. Not good blogging, but it's fast enough for obnoxious posts.

We watched an honest-to-Pete murmuration at sundown. Please watch this and pretend these young women are us:



They are so graceful and lovely, those starlings, and they really only want a place to sit for the night. We're like them, we Road Starlings. Beautiful and flowing, restless yet weary, and ready to settle in for the night with wifi and Nutty Bars.

*In real-life, I always comply with photo requests.  If you don't want your picture here, it will never see the light of day.  Unless you're Chris' backside.

Paaaahhhdre Island, Texas

A:  When you absolutely, positively have to be out-of-touch overnight.  When you're willing to suffer through a deserted, untouched, sandy beach and sunrises over the ocean.  When the sound of surf (and nothing else) can be tolerated all night.

Q:  When is it okay to boondock at Malaquite Campground?

  

Then I sez ... hehehe ... then I sez ... SNORT haw! ... then I sez ... This is the GULL'S room! 

In the fog we called this Briga-Dune.

You know what I always say about pelicans.

Still, I couldn't help but feel that the ocean was sending us warnings:











Our friend, Leslie, drove all the way from Bryan (six hours away!) to spend a few nights with us and help us welcome in the New Year. None of us saw the new year arrive, but we definitely felt the change this morning.  Thanks, Leslie - it was great to see you!  And, thanks, Gary! who soldiered through New Year's Eve without his wife to smooch at midnight.

Annie, Leslie, and satanic photobomber.  This must be what the warnings were about.

Cupcakes are a thing! Did you know?

The CupCake Shoppe has a cupcake van!  This is what they look like on the way out of town.

This is what they look like on the way back into camp.

Find The CupCake Shoppe on Facebook, or at their website. I'm not linking because they have instant music.