Only 6 months to go!

I'm kidding.  Speaking of the dredge operation, of course.  No one has any idea when it will be done.  There has to be a reason they are dragging their feet, but that reason is a mystery.  The workers are renting a place on our island, so maybe they are enjoying this place... sure seems that they have plenty of "off time" to take in the amenities.

The auger of the dredge is officially into the water off from our dock...

It was just 11 days ago that the "new boss" said they would be done in our canal in "3 or 4 days."  Progress ground to a snails pace a few days ago.  They have about 150 feet to go to finish the canal... so, as I said: probably only another 6 months or so.

Rumors abound: they have already been paid and don't have enough $$ to finish the job.  Or: they have another job not far from here and are using our canals to store their equipment.  My best guess: no one is holding their feet to the fire to keep them on task.  Projects like this are decided on by our board of directors here... yes, we vote them in (or out), but it is the homeowners' money that is being spent, and they haven't learned to not pay for a job until it is completed.

We did the same thing with our parking lot project from two years ago that was supposed to take 2 months to complete - it took a year and had to be finished by a different company than the one that started the job and left us hanging... of course, they had already been paid.

The dredge hadn't moved in two days, so I was encouraged when it started up this morning.  Mostly, they have been running the engine, dropping a lead-line over the side to check depths, but not moving much.  Frankly, the water depth in front of our dock has been decent - we have had no problem coming or going.  It wouldn't hurt my feelings if they just packed up and left, giving boat owners here access to get in and out.  At this point they still have folks in 3 canals trapped.  Our canal - this last 150 feet, is all they have left.  Well, except having to go back to another canal where they didn't dredge it out enough.  Sheesh!

In the meantime, we have plenty to keep us occupied: Joan is busy with quilting projects, I have my guitars, and Izzy is on a rigorous nap schedule.  Plus, somebody said something about going out for BBQ for lunch... that may have been me.  ;-)

--------------

On edit:  Lunch was great!  Probably not well-know outside the state of Texas, but independent BBQ eateries in this state have a short list of names that they are allowed to use; the most popular two being: Bubba's and Porky's.  Porky's here in town has good BBQ.  ;-)

Coming back home just before 4:00, it looks like the dredge has moved about 10' today...

They had stopped dredging, pulling up the auger to see if there was something stuck in it...

And, they are running again.  That is a 2x4 board in the foreground, just floating along.  More than likely, something was loose on someone's dock... tide higher than usual... you do the math.

The tide is high and I'm movin' on...

If you said, "Blondie, 1980," you get partial credit.  If you said, "John Holt/The Paragons, 1966," you get 1,000 bonus points!

If you live in deep south Texas, you may be aware of a warning for "coastal flooding" - the tide is high and the wind is coming out of the east, pushing more water onto the coastal beaches.

We went out for lunch today, with a plan of going up the island to Clayton's (bar), where the Sand Castle Days artists are supposed to be starting their creations today.  The tide was definitely high as we drove across our swingbridge, which floats with the water level.  Generally, the bridge is fairly level - today, there was a 2 foot climb from the fixed part of the bridge to the floating part.

While having lunch, we received an automated phone call from our resort: "The bridge will be open from 3:00 pm  to 9:00 pm today, due to the high tides."  In other words: if you are off the island after 3:00, you are going to need a boat to get home.  We decided to scrap checking out the sand sculptures and get our butts home while the gettin' is good.

For further explanation: as I said, the floating part of the bridge rises and falls with the tide.  At a certain height, the bridge is going to open - it is designed that way to protect it from tidal surge.  You can't close it until the water lowers enough for that center floating section to line up properly with the fixed part of the bridge.

When this has happened in the past, there are people who live on the island who volunteer to ferry people back and forth from the mainland to the island... but, you have to leave your car behind.  IF the dredge would have finished, we would have volunteered.  It has been moving pipe, but not dredging the past two days, so no progress.

Coming back onto our island, I took these photos:

That sign is always there.  Today, it means business!  Looking across the bridge...

The camera perspective doesn't show how much the middle section of the bridge is lifted by the tide (at least 2 feet higher than the normal high tide).

Looking at the nearby boat ramp...

This needs a little explanation: there is a dock on the left side of the photo - it is underwater.  You can see the sidewalk on the right side, that is also underwater - typically, there would be a 2+ foot drop from that sidewalk to the water.  The sidewalk you see to the right of that (that is above water) is a step up from the one that is underwater.  This is not the time to be launching or retrieving a boat - you can't put fenders under the water to keep you off that concrete wall on the right.

Our office is closing at 2:30 so employees can get off the island.  Once the bridge goes out - you and your car are here until the bridge can safely close again.

There are boat lifts in the canals that are in the water (aren't supposed to be).  High tides... during the full moon... close to the autumnal equinox.

We are fortunate that there isn't a tropical storm or hurricane happening in the area - the storm surge would be a serious situation.  This is just an inconvenience.

Back home, we checked on our dock...

The lower platform is underwater; normally, it is fairly even with the floor of the pontoon.

While checking on a neighbor's boat (had to loosen lines), a guy came by and asked if Bill (another neighbor) and I could help tie off a boat that is starting to float off a boat lift.  "Yep."  I shouldn't be, but I am surprised that people don't tie their boats to something solid, even when on a lift.

Island life.  ;-)

Hunter or Harvest...

The full moon.  The Harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox; the October full moon is also called the Hunter's Moon.  Other names are: the Dying Grass Moon or the Travel Moon.  The actual time the moon is at its fullest this month is October 5th at 1:40 pm... so, tonight or tomorrow night will be the best viewing.

When I first went out to get a photo, there was a low scuddy layer of clouds.  Too thick to see the moon.  A few minutes later, I got a quick glimpse...

The clouds were moving fast, and about 10 seconds later, it was obscured.   Back out to check it 15 minutes later, and there was a decent opening in the clouds and...

T Minus One Minute...

... and holding.

The power on our island is going to be cut again today so the power company can replace more equipment.  Again, we have been told, "8:00 am to 6:00 pm); last week, the start of it was later than that and the power came back on earlier than anticipated.  We were ready: had the window a/c in and the generator ready to roll as soon as the power went out.

Just as hot and humid today as last week, but we are less concerned about being ready to go the moment the power is cut.

I went to Manuel's this morning to get us a breakfast tortilla - power trucks all along the main road in our resort...

Looks like they are ready to roll.

At almost the same time as last week, the power went out.  Since we are now experienced, it was less than 5 minutes for us to have the a/c and fridge going.  Joan put all of our satellite TV on a separate circuit, so we have morning news and entertainment, as well.

Little Izzy has no issue with the power outage - she staked out her place near the a/c...

Speaking of "staked," the stake in the water by our dock...

No activity there, as of yet - they are tied off on the other side of our neighbor's dock...

The only noise in the canal is from our generator.  Three hours into the power outage, the outside air temp is up 4º, the inside temp is holding steady and comfortable.

--------------

On edit: the power came back on around 2:00.  I checked with one of the AEP guys - yep, we're good to go for today and will have one more planned outage next week.  This one was easy - no wondering about how it would all work, and knowing that the generator could handle all we needed.

Not like the Post Office...

Neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night...

We had a few moments of pounding rain this morning.  Several times.  Then, sunshine.  Then, more rain.  That may not stop the Post Office, but it seems like the dredge folks have different standards.

Before the rain...

After the rain: all is quiet on the dredge.  So close.

The rain (each time) didn't last for more than 15 minutes.

Mid-afternoon, the dredge did start up for a short time again, followed by a shut down and crew discussion...

There is a stake in the water in front of our dock, with depths marked on it.

Our neighbor, David, commented about the noise of the dredge.  Yep, it is loud.  I told him: "Loud, yes, but it is the 'sound of impending freedom from the tyranny of being blocked by the dredge'." 

Joan had baking and quilt prep on her mind today.  I started studying up on using the H4n Pro recorder again... I used it a bit before we left for our summer trip, and forgot what all the buttons and dials on that thing do.

Tomorrow is another "no power day" - where the power company will be replacing more equipment.  Meaning: we will be around the house tomorrow to keep the place cool and make sure the generator doesn't run out of fuel.

Closer...

Talking about the dredge.  As of this afternoon, they are one lot away from us in the canal; that means only 4 lots to go in this canal.  Looking down the canal...

Looking down the steps from our deck and across the neighbor's dock...

Yes, it seems never-ending to me, too.

A beautiful day here in the Tropical Tip.  Joan was doing some prep work on quilting projects, I was "playing in" the strings on a couple guitars.  Mid-afternoon, we took a break to go out for lunch - Burger Fi on SPI.  Very few cars on the road or people out and about.  The water was looking gorgeous as we drove across the causeway... yep, it would be a fine day to be out on the water.

Lunch was good, and we decided on a drive by the beach.  In the jetties...

Looking across the Brazos-Santiago Channel, we could see some industrial-looking equipment.  Joan checked it out with binoculars...

Looks like pipeline equipment.  Not far from where Space-X is going to have a launch pad... what could possibly go wrong with that plan??

To the beach...

Golden sand, deep blue-green water, blue sky... this is what originally brought us to this area.

And the most important part of this post:  Happy Birthday, Dan!  It is our son-in-law's birthday today - wish we could be there with them.  If you are reading this, Dan, know that we are so happy to have you as a part of our family!

A string and a miss...

When we were at the Sweetwater Gear Fest this summer, I stocked up on guitar strings (they had a hot deal) and picked up a power-winder.  My Emerald X20 was due for fresh strings before we left on our trip - since it was staying behind, no point in stringing it up then.  It needed it now.

Such a pretty veneer on that lovely carbon fiber instrument.  I took all the strings off, did a thorough cleaning of the fretboard, and put on a new set of strings.  Something different with this restringing: I have been using Elixir strings almost exclusively; I am very happy with those.  But, I had recently read where some folks have been using Martin Lifespan strings on their carbon fiber guitars... thought I'd give them a try.

After first blush, I'm not a fan of those strings - they seem to lack the punch of the Elixirs.  But, I'll leave them on for a couple weeks to see if they "play in" and get better sounding.  Checked the action - good to go...

Another new thing.  Well, a new twist on an old thing... I haven't played my Taylor GSmini since I bought that first Emerald.  Another thing I wanted to try: Nashville tuning.  This uses the octave strings from a 12-string set in place of the regular strings.  It sounds like a cross between a mandolin and a ukulele, with a bit of harpsichord tossed in.  It wouldn't be something I want a steady diet of, but I strung up the Mini this way.  Fun to play, and if I ever get around to doing some recording, it will be a nice 2nd guitar in the mix.

The power-winder...

This thing is great!  It's like an electric screwdriver, but has a bit made to fit tuning keys on a guitar.  It not only saves time, it saves finger-tips.  When stringing the high-e string, it always seems to want to slip off the tuning post while I'm trying to wind the string on... and sticks me in the finger-tip like a needle.  This little gadget makes it easy to hold the string in place while the winding quickly happens - no blood-letting.  I shoulda bought one of these years ago.

One thing missing from the stringing session today: little Izzy usually likes to hop up there, see what I'm doing, and play with the strings.  This was during her nap time today; I did look in on her - she was asleep on the bed until I came into the room...

"You woke me."

"Sorry, I was just checking on you - you usually come running when I get a guitar out."

"I could hear you - I figured you could handle it without my help.  Turn the light out on your way out... today is a day of rest.  See you around supper time."