Got this note from Mel and Jo Biggs(207&407)

Larry,

Can you paste some of these pics in your blog?  We want to sell the sofa, love-seat, end tables, coffee table and the steel/glass dining set.  Need them gone by Tuesday of next week when the new furniture comes in.  I will be there to help move it if necessary.  All in very good condition, don't think Maghsoud had it long.  No reasonable offer refused.

Thanks,

Mel and Jo

First time ever, all sprinkler sectors are fully operational. This sector along the road was installed with the wrong valve when John Sweeny put them in. Jerry told Tel Halley, our lawncare guy, about it and he just happened to have what we needed. He donated one to the cause and Jerry installed it this afternoon. Jerry did come by to get a slice of bread from me to stuff into the cut pipe to stop the drainage long enough to get it glued back. He had not heard of that old plumber's trick.

This 25 inch red took Mike Hagee's croaker at the crossbridge Monday evening, just before dark. Mike and his wife, Sherry, were visiting Ralph and Cheryl(101).

Ralph, Cheryl, Sherry, and Mike went on a guided floundering trip last night. Not a bad trip.

Ralph and Cheryl have pictured their stairway wall with some of their recent catches.

The painters worked until 8:30 last evening to finish painting the pipes so they would be ready to put up this morning. There are two on each side. The lamps are to arrive this afternoon. Now we need the electricians to arrive and do their thing and we will a lighted tennis court again.

The next project is to put up new tennis court lights. These poles arrived this morning and are primed. Workers are are painting them as I write this evening. The light fixtures will arrive tomorrow. The poles are scheduled to be put up tomorrow too.

The concrete arrived on time Monday morning. By Tuesday afternoon all the work was completed.

 Jack Gibbs and his crew showed up early Thursday morning to begin work on building the bulkhead on our northeast corner. JR loaned us his backhoe to do the heavy work.

 Here Jack clears the dirt from around our main water supply line. It comes all the way down the road under the utility easement and then turns to run all along the front of the bayside condos. In this case when the dirt was removed, the original glue came loose and let the elbow leak water. I showed Jack where to turn off the main water line and after the water drained for three hours, he glued it back and we were good to go.

 The bucket of the backhoe was used to push the shoreguard into the ground with a little help from a water jet.

All the rebar is in place and the concrete will be poured on Monday morning.

Welcome to new owners Carol and John Rice.  They closed on condo 402 this week. Owners are having success in protesting their property appraisals by phone. The deadline to do so is the end of the month.

Such beautiful weather this time of year and almost no one here. Oh well, I'll just have to enjoy it more to make up for those who can't be here. Below the picture shows the progress of the new La Quinta going up next to Shop the World. Looks to be pretty large.
Construction begins tomorrow on the bulkhead the owners approved at the annual meeting. Also another harborside condo went under contract today. Our property is hot with realtors right now.

Finally found some trout. Scott and I went to Jaybird Reef on Tuesday afternoon. I caught the first one on the usual DOA, but then Scott caught three in a row with live shrimp so I switched. The two biggest trout were each 20 inches long. Scott went back on Thursday with two work friends and they caught 12 keepers. Even the guides are saying that larger trout are more plentiful this year so far at least.
Two condos with be getting new owners in the next two weeks. Kevin and Dale(402) are buying Pat and Murlin's place(506). We hate to say good bye to Pat and Murlin, but maybe they can make it down to rent sometime.  John and Carol Rice, current owners of a condo in Phase II, will be buying 402.

Marvin shows a bonnethead shark we caught yesterday. I had never seen one, much less caught one.  Notice how flat the water is. We went out from 2pm until 6pm. Marvin used live shrimp and I used my trusty DOA. The fish were scattered, but we stayed near Scotch Tom Reef. The DOA pulled in ten small ones before the first trout took a live shrimp. Only one keeper was boated.
Today we went out from 10am until 3pm. Again the water was totally flat and the fish were scattered. The DOA picked up three non keepers immediately. I looked over and Marvin pulled a DOA out of  his bag. He had a white with a chartreuse tail. Immediately, he started getting bites. I think he caught about 30 trout and two keepers. I caught one keeper. Marvin gave the pint of live shrimp to Scott when we got back. He said tomorrow he is not going to buy any shrimp. I think he has been converted to a DOA guy.
Scott and friends were out with two guides fishing some of the same areas. One of the guides was Terry Coufal who usually guides Randy(308). They brought back about  20 keepers total.

The new cabana is almost finished. They put the final coat of paint on today. When the lights are installed it will be ready to go. This will be a popular place this summer. JR is going to build a picnic table.

With the break between Winter Texans and the summer guests, JR is trying make needed building repairs. Some are outside and some are inside. Three condos in the 400 building were worked on last week as well as one in the 200 building.
Owners are receiving their new property appraisals and I see no consistency in the values that are proposed.  Identical units are, in some cases, valued at as much as $27,000 differently.  The Aransas Appraisal District has posted the new values on their website.

Trees that will be spared when the land across the street is developed are marked with ribbons. The developer has applied for permits to build 22 units between Phase II and the boat ramp and 52 units directly across the street.

If anyone is wondering how the white cat is doing, I can say she is doing quite well outside of having a fishing line caught in her mouth last week. Here she is taking care of her four kittens. The two white ones are kinda hard to see next to her.