While fishing has remained a bit slow, the guests in 210 have been busy with their sand art on our beach.

Jerry added some final touches to the new sign today. So far everyone seems to like it.

Time Warner has now added all the channels that we are contracted for. The problem now will be to get the boxes on campus. I believe both Roxanna and Lynda are going to Corpus tomorrow to try to pick them up for owners for whom they manage. Jerry will have the fun of trying to connect them all. Some are a problem with the old wiring we have when it tries to carry a high definition digital signal.

While talking with Lynda today we noted something different with our rentals this summer. Most every condo is rented, but there are no crowds. We don't know if the stronger security or the larger required deposits are impacting the crowds, but something has changed. There have been only a very few people on the pier, although Mingo stopped an interloper last Saturday trying to unlock the pier gate by placing his pole over the top of the gate. The swimming pool has not been crowded, although Mingo sent four Phase II folks back to Phase II last Saturday. The tennis court lights have not been on in weeks, even on weekends. By 11pm everything is very quiet. I have not seen even one glass bottle in the pool area. There have been no significant parties on the beach. Parking has not been a problem, even for boats. The dumpsters are not even half full on most pickup days. I guess the real test will come this weekend. We will also know when we get the June water bill. For the year to date we have been well under last year's usage. If the June bill is still under budget, it has to mean smaller crowds.
In years past Jerry and Mingo and I would marvel at how many folks could be jammed into a single condo. This year we have not seen that. The rental companies are providing our security with guest signed records noting the number of guests and vehicles with license plate numbers. Maybe this is helping.

 Allied services just can't seem to get their drivers to understand that we would like to put trash in these dumpsters, not just look at them.

 Lina used her truck to do some pulling around.

 And then some pushing around.

Here is where we ended up. Maybe we need to draw some targets on the concrete for the drivers.

Our new name sign went up today. The picture below is at night without a flash. The street light lights it very well.

I did finally capture a picture of that alligator on 188.

We got our rain today. So far we have had 4.5 inches and still raining hard.  The finger pier above shows the level of water in the marina.

All three of the Mocking bird's eggs hatched and have survived the rain from Monday.
I tried to capture a picture of the alligator that was caught today, but have not yet been successful. The 10.5 foot gator was sunning itself in the middle of highway 188 about six miles east of Sinton. The local TV stations gave it a lot of coverage as they hauled it away.
A sign went up at the old Walmart last week that indicates that ACE Hardware will be moving into the building later this year. Ground is being cleared between the old and new Walmart stores where Johnson and Cate will locate their new office.

 I thought  I would be posting pictures of high tides and storm damage, but today's weather was uneventful. The winds changed directions a few times and the eye passed over us and the winds died for a while, but that was about it. Very little rain. Tonight the chances of rain are posted at 100%.
There were high winds on Sunday, flag day, and our US flag decided to come loose from the bottom clip. In the picture below Shelly holds the Texas flag while Jerry went to get something to fix the clip on the other flag.

With the cat population under control this year, the songs birds have had a banner year on raising young. In the top photo, the mocking birds built a nest in my cedar tree in front of my condo. Below, they hatched and flew the coop in only about 10 days. The parent birds laid four eggs and raised three little ones. They left the nest in about week and spread themselves out in the branches of the tree. In the bottom photo, they started over again with only three eggs this time and moved a few trees south. Notice the different foliage.
I have, for the first time, seen some cardinals around, but have not yet seen a nest. The morning doves have nests and young ones trying to learn to fly all over the place. The purple martin babies are learning to fly. They only have one nest per year.

The painting of the railings on the 300 building were finally finished last week. The rains had postponed the project. We had four bids and went with the second lowest. The railings on this building were not properly primed when painting of all the railings for all the buildings was done four years ago.

Notes from Scott.

The wind gods have been kind for the past few weeks to those of us seeking the offshore experience.  Ray Luna, his son, Esai, and I went offshore in pursuit of the snapper again this past Saturday.  We ran out at 27mph to a rig approx 30 miles and had our limit of two per person in approx 90 minutes.  Esai caught the biggest at 27" and 10 lbs.  We then went into state water but no luck there.  The gulf was relatively flat and we came in at 30+ mph.  It astonishes me how only 7 miles distance between two rigs has such a dramatic difference in fish activity.  Regardless, it was a another fun trip with good friends.  Nobody got hurt, nothing got broken, and we all came home safe.  I'd call that a successful trip!!

TBT. Everything looks about the same, until I look in a mirror.

From Scott:
Beautiful day on opening of snapper season.  Four of us (myself, Ray Luna, Paul Lane, Randy Grones) left Port A jetties at 6:45am to low winds and clear skies. Picked up two at Hospital Rock then 6 at a rig.  Then went into state waters to get few more along with a small lane snapper and a strawberry grouper. Saw several large ling but they disappeared before we could get a line to them.  Great time with good friends

Pat and Sibyl(602) also had a good first day of snapper season.