OK, so I was wrong...

On Monday, we were at the jetties area on the southern tip of South Padre Island...

We could see some dolphins playing, but they were too far out to get a photo...

A while back, I had said that we probably wouldn't have any dolphin photos from the water to share this winter.  I may have even said, "Fricky-dickie dolphins," for my buddy, Pat.  That's the way it is since we left our boat in the PNW.

Today was one of those "Chamber of Commerce Days" that are such a delight: it was 68º when I got up this morning!  Lots of blue sky, low humidity, some breeze.  It was nice to have the door and windows open.  Yeah, this would be ideal for some kayaking.

Joan was going on a grocery run, so I shoved off solo.  Down our canal...

I pedaled two canals over and turned north down another canal leading to the ICW.  The breeze was in my face, keeping it comfortably cool.  Across the ICW, this boat (that I've posted photos of before)...

Arrrrrrgh, ya scurvy dogs - that be a pirate ship!  It has been windy the past few days; you might notice that the pirate ship has a bit of windage.  (understatement)  When the wind is blowing, this boat and a few other excursion boats that are exposed to a north wind at their own docks come over here.  I find humor in the proximity of this boat and...

That building surrounded by chain-link fence just in front of the pirate ship is the local office for the Department of Homeland Security.  OK, so maybe I'm the only one that thinks this is funny?

I pedaled my way past the pirate ship and DHS, making a turn into the channel to the old shrimp basin, when...

Dolphins swimming around my kayak!  The downside of the GoPro is the wide angle... that dorsal fin you see in front of my kayak was less than 10 feet away!  Nice to see my dolphin friends.

I sat for a while, enjoying dolphins.  And, remembered this sign that we saw when we were at the jetties the other day...

If you can't read the fine print at the bottom of the sign, is says, "Please observe wild dolphins from a recommended distance of 50 yards.  Marine mammals are wild animals and can be dangerous."  You have to watch out for those attack dolphins!  The dolphins here are very curious and playful - they often come right up to your boat.  And, your kayak!  ;-)  They're not going to be very happy about that 50 yard recommendation.

When the dolphins moved on, I pedaled down that channel...

This boat has been here quite a while.  I think the owner of this place gets boats on salvage, then (when he gets around to it) fixes them up.  Other "projects" that have been sitting a long time...

Some shrimpers...

A guy on the back of FP Tower waved as I went by; "Hey, that looks like fun!  Where's your paddle?"

"Don't need it - this is like taking a walk, only better 'cause it's on the water!"

This guy pulling out...

Those steel-hulled trawlers look even bigger when you're sitting low on the water.

These guys were fishing in a back channel...

I watched as they went by me.  "Fishing" doesn't actually describe it: the guy standing cast his line towards those pilings.  It stuck right into the top of the piling.  He was attempting to climb up that piling from the boat when I took this photo.  No idea if he ever made it up there... without huge slivers... or those ratty old pilings collapsing.

On the way back up that same channel...

That house is one of two that has been built in that area... a great premise for a deep water channel (deep water around here means about 8') in a planned upscale housing development... planned before the economy tanked.  Those docks in front of that house are nice.  Look close - those dark spots all along the dock are seagulls.  There are a few boats on the docks on the other side, but the docks are mostly home to the gulls... you might be about ankle-deep in bird poop if you step onto those docks!

Up the channel, across the ICW, and into the canals on our island.  A very pleasant outing.