Galveston for Spring Break

We got back late last night from our trip to Galveston. On the way back, we dropped in on an old high school friend whom I hadn't seen in 20 years. It was a great visit with a wonderful family that showed us a lot of hospitality.

Below are some videos and photos of our trip.




This video is a brief shot of the beach nearest my parents-in-law's house in Pirate's Beach. It is shorter by about 30-40 yards than it was before Ike swallowed it up. You can see that houses are on the waterline; those are condemned, now state-owned. The ones just behind them may also be state-owned due to their proximity to the new waterline and vegetation line.



Here we all are, enjoying ourselves on the beach. It was pretty overcast the whole time, with rain pouring down by Thursday and Friday. We did, however, get to be outside on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a bit of sun peaking through on Wednesday. The dogs managed to stay out of the camera's view each time I took a shot, but you can see evidence of them by the rope leash that is encircling my husband.



Above is a video of us fishing in the bay by the Pirate's Beach Country Club. There was a lot of renovation going on there, of the clubhouse as well as of residences in that area. Fishing was slow but fun.

Here's a picture of our catch for that day (Wed). A catfish got caught with squid bait, while the croaker was caught with shrimp. He actually hitched a ride as I was reeling in my line for the last time! My husband elected to let them go at our daughter's insistence that they be allowed to live.





The next day, we went to Rosenberg Library to check out the water damage and to access their wi-fi network. It was really sad to see so much of the library closed down for repairs. The children's section had been on the ground level (which is actually below ground level) and had suffered 10 feet of flooding during Ike, along with other rooms on that level and below. When we visited, they had half a floor open for use with no bathrooms available. The children's books filled less than a quarter of the shelves in a room set aside for them.

The kids insisted on climbing onto Henry's lap so I obliged them and made them pose for a photo.

Here are the kids once again atop a hill of dirt (to be used to replenish the beach) on another day spent at the beach. They couldn't get enough of that sensory experience despite the cold wind and dark skies. It was too cold for me after about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. My husband and the kids spent another hour there and then our daughter returned to the house with me when I came back out. My husband had to insist on going back to the house another hour later because the Transformer was having too much fun to leave. This may have been the pivotal point at which his coughing was exacerbated. He is continuing to cough loudly as I type.

My parents-in-law came down on Thursday so we got to spend time with them as well from then through Friday. Thursday night we went to The Rainforest Cafe for dinner, going on the Rainforest Ride beforehand. Despite the poor weather forecast and the downpour finale, we had a great time.