Hot Fall Fun

 

There is nothing better than a walk along the shores of this tropical paradise with the man or woman of your dreams. These pictures were taken in October 2009. How is it where you are?

 

 

When the red advisory flags are out on the beach it means the winds are very strong. Winds affect the waves so the waves are very strong and the UNDERTOWs are furiously raging. Undertows are currents running beneath the SURFACE of the water and are VERY VERY deadly.

 

 

My mom never used to let us go to the beach. I thought she was just being her normal, overprotective self. Well, one day I was looking through an old scrapbook of hers and came across a yellowed newspaper article. Her brother was valedictorian at their high school and the class came out to the beach to celebrate their graduation. He got caught in an undertow and drowned. How horrible! I understand her hatred of the beach now. I know people will write to me and say “it wasn’t the beach’s fault”. I know this. I just understand how when somebody dies, the loved ones left behind can place their anger somewhere, and in some cases, should. I should develop an aversion to sugar and stay the hell away from it because my father died a diabetic death, but here I am on my fourth coconut and white chocolate chip cookie as I write this.

 

As sugar can be good to some people and bad for some and as winds can be horribly deadly to beachgoers, they can also be a source of immense pleasure for surfers. Check out the looks on these surfers’ faces. They are so excited they just can’t hide it.

 

 

 

When the winds are up, the surfers are down… by the beach catchin’ those waves.

 

 

 

Surfers aren’t the only ones loving that wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This black bird thought he was so smart. While the owners’ of the food in these bags backs were turned, he was pickin’ away. He kept looking around to see who was going to turn him in.

 

Sandcastle Days I

Tropical beauty could once again be seen on the beautiful shores of South Padre Island, TX.

 

 

 

Yet, all was not perfect in paradise. Look closely at the man in the black t-shirt below. He has a cloth wrapped around his nose and mouth.

 

 

 

The reason he did this is that there is “Red Tide” going on right now. It has to do with toxins in the water that affect how the fish breathe. They can’t get oxygen and therefore die from lack of it. This MIGHT affect humans if close to the water because the wind causes waves, the waves stir up the toxins and get them airborne, then we breathe the stuff. At Sandcastle Days, you are close to the water so this may result in watery eyes and it may irritate your breathing passages. This can be countered by using a filter such as a cloth or mask. Some people didn’t even need a filtering device and enjoyed the beautiful day on the beach.

 

 

 

 

Many people came out to enjoy Sandcastle Days this year out at Isla Blanca Park on the south side of South Padre Island and stayed to see the competitors sculpt their beautiful masterpieces.

 

 

I fell in love with this one immediately. It is neat how they can make something that seems alive coming out of something that is not, like the sand. The ability to cross the line between what is animate and inanimate is always fascinating.

 

 

 

Then I saw this creature crawling up from out of the sand…

 

 

This is one of the sandsculptors enjoying a lunch under the pavilion. The community of South Padre Island band together to welcome these hard-working guests every year. It is just bad luck that this year was marred by the red tide.

 

 

This is Amazing Walter, one of South Padre Island’s most beloved locals. Sandsculpting is one of his many, many talents.

 

 

 

Amazing Walter and his friends have the talent to create something amazing like this:

 

 

 

 

Sandcastle Days is going on right now down at Isla Blanca Park. The wind seems to have died down today so the red tide may not even be affecting people. The best thing you can do is take a mask or a bandana and find out for yourself. I wore a mask and was able to breathe comfortably because it filtered out the irritants. It is certainly worth a trip to see these masterpieces being built right in front of your eyes. If the irritants are too much then you can come home and watch it on http://southpadrelive.com/beach-cam.htm  This view was provided by SouthPadreLive.com the best marketing company in the area. If you want great advertising, they are the people to go with. I really appreciate the service they are providing with this camera out there.

Sandcastle Days II – Red Tide

 

The TV said there was no red tide on South Padre Island so I went to the beach on Saturday.

 

Here is the TV crew:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nope, no red tide heah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Red tide’s side effects may include watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, irritability and hallucinations. Red tide may also cause shortness of breath, sore throat, dizziness, nausea, irritability, uncontrollable bitching, heart palpitations, restless leg syndrome, crazy leg syndrome and toxic shock syndrome. Do not inhale red tide if you are pregnant, lactating, or have a weak stomach. Red tide should not be used in conjunction with alcohol, prescription medication or anything else you may be using to make life tolerable. Take red tide only with someone you trust. Do not operate heavy machinery after taking red tide. Should erection last for four hours, call a doctor. Should erection last for more than four hours, call me. Mild hallucinations may be killed with a sword. Should hallucinations become larger than a house, call a doctor.

**This is only a reflection of TODAY’s (Saturday, Oct. 17) conditions when it was windy right in the mid-afternoon. Some people were not even affected by red tide. Every individual’s reaction to red tide is different. If you are feeling lightheaded or are experiencing shortness of breath please call your doctor. If this is an emergency, call 911. Shortness of breath or trouble breathing should NEVER be taken lightly.

Sandcastle Days 2009

 

Sandcastle Days was a hit with the folks this year on South Padre Island.

 

 

 

 

This is the sculpture that bears the name of the sponsors.

 

 

 

It was a work of art as well as a sign.

 

 

 

This is the logo for the best marketing company in the South Padre Island area, southpadrelive.com .

 

 

 

 

Tents were set up with an array of activities for the beachgoers.

 

 

 

 

It was a pretty good-sized crowd that went in spite of the red tide.

 

 

 

 

A cool new addition was the caricature artist.

 

 

Every year Sandcastle Days gets bigger and better and hopefully next year it will be even better!