This photo from last weekend shows a pretty good crowd for a weekend in September. Nearly every condo in the 200 and 300 buildings was occupied. Of course with the crowds come some problems. My bait bucket full of perch disappeared off the crossbridge Friday evening. I found it Saturday morning near the end of the big pier, minus the perch. Pretty much that is why I fish during the week. On Saturday I saw a group with beer bottles inside the pool area. I asked them to please take them outside the fenced area. They refused, but said they would be careful. We just installed three new signs on the inside of the pool fence asking that glass containers not be taken into the pool area. Part of the problem is that for years no one has ever attempted to enforce any rules of the HOA.
Winter Texans will have a surprise when they travel down this year. The Eagle Ford Shale frenzy has drawn world wide attention and the influx of men and materials is everywhere from Karnes City to Pettus. There are oil field rigs and crews working all over the area. There are news items in the San Antonio newspaper business section almost every day. They say restaurants cannot keep enough food in stock. RV parks are going up everywhere. Billboards plead for land owners to lease their mineral rights. Motels are being built near the highways. Roads are being built into the pastures, but most annoying is the glut of truck traffic on the smaller highways.
I have a friend who purchased 900 acres in the area three years ago. He has been paid more than his purchase price for a three year lease of mineral rights. This must have been how the California gold rush developed.
Last Sunday I saw a white Aurora being loaded onto at tow truck on the bypass. There are so few of these cars in Rockport, I think I have met all the owners at one time or another. The only white one I know of belongs to Rose Marie, a waitress at Alice Faye's. I'll have to ask her what happened.
One of our long time owners who used to live here, but moved into a Rockport home, has moved back into their condo. It will be good to have them here again.