Just one of so many reasons to love Galveston, the artist community is amazingly talented and so frequently open to the public free of charge.  I’m proud of our city for it’s diversity of talent, community, and the constant celebration of it week in and week out.  There is rarely the weekend when something isn’t planned, and well worth the trip to investigate.  Of Dickens on the Strand, Biketoberfest, Mardi Gras, Art Walk, Ohana Dog Surf and just shopping The Strand, my favorites are always on the beach.  Fortunately Ika and Matt came down for this one; it was their first sandcastle competition.  They took lots of pics, and enjoyed the outdoor gallery until the rains came.  No problem.  We turned the a/c on in the car and by the time we parked at The Strand, we were dry enough.  My favorite ending to the day was at La Kings Confectioners, where you can purchase any specimen of sweetness that you can imagine.  For this, Ika gave Matt a big hug:)

Over half a century ago Robert and I lay on the banks of Lake Travis near Mansfield Dam dreaming of our future.  Our dreams included finishing college, getting married, buying a boat and having children, all in that order.  Years later, after more hard work than I care to remember, and lots of prayer, all of our dreams were fulfilled (and even some we didn’t think of:)  Who would have ever dreamed we would have two of the most beautiful grandchildren living within sight of that dam?  The kids invited me back to house sit (and pet sit) while they traveled to Tokyo and California.  While some might see this as a chore, I couldn’t wait!  Austin became my vacation spot. New paddle board in hand, I hit the water.  First there was Lady Bird Lake with amazing views of downtown Austin, then on to Lake Austin just below the dam in my backyard, and finally back to the Lake Travis marina where Robert and I once kept the sailboat.  It is even more beautiful than I remembered.  Austin air is dry and clean, the water is sparkling greenish-blue and the hills still hold some of the most beautiful lakefront houses.  As much as this salt water soul loves the beach, this time of year it feels amazing to dive into that crystal clear, cool lake water.  Today I’m buying a few lottery tickets.  You’ll know if I won, because one of those lake houses will be mine!

The Humane Society event of the year (at least for us dog lovers:) involves salt water souls of all shapes and sizes.  Blue-green water, cloud covered skies complete with a water spout, and nice surf made it a perfect day for all.  Lots of dogs with their kids in tow hit the surf this morning in the shadow of Pleasure Pier.  Most of the dogs were rescued from the Humane Society of Galveston, and they did us proud.  As you can see, it’s more about the heart than athletic ability.  The tiniest chihuahuas had the easiest time; it was almost unfair to the bigger dogs.  That surfboard provided a stable ride for the little half-pound pups, while the heavier ones had to finesse it.  Molly, the hands-down favorite cattle dog, took first, providing us with many rides from the second sandbar right on up to the beach.

I ran into my old friend, Trelle, who taught me everything I know about handling the rescues.  She had great advice on the best treatments for my 13 year-old rescue, Maui. I encouraged her to start a “dog diary” blog, and she promised she would very soon.   She is a fount of knowledge when it comes to all things dog-related.

We had charcoal-grilled veggie dogs for us animal lovers, fire crackers (ask me for the recipe), and Rita’s Gelatos donated cherry cola icees for dessert.  It all ended way too soon, can’t wait for next year!

Austin is always a magical city, at least for the Wilcox clan.  Aside from the fact that the most beautiful grandbabies in the world live there, the city itself is a mecca of things to see, things to eat, things to do.  This trip Ika continued to develop her photographic talent, as you can see, while we all had a great time providing her with photo opps.  We discovered Korean food, so exotic, so plentiful and so many choices!  Tres had amassed so many fireworks for the 4th that he couldn’t shoot them all off in one night, so we helped him finish them off.  Then there was the new water park in Leander, built in a rock quarry inside a local state park, so open for public consumption at reasonable cost.  Perfect for toddlers, there were lots of splash pads, water slides of natural stone and shade trees for picnics.  The girls came home exhausted and happy.  It will be a hard trip to top, but we look forward to trying:)

The best part of Ika’s birthday celebration this year was a simple little gathering of family to share some traditions and a wonderful Swedish Princess Cake created by the birthday girl.  Ika’s sister Katarina, husband T, and children Gunnar and Ella came to help “Moster Ika” (Aunt Ika) have a great “fodelsedagen”.  We were having the traditional Fika (Swedish mid-day coffee time) while Ika opened her presents.  I shared stories of my mother, Matt’s grandmother, whose china Ika served from.  Matt had never met my mom, as she passed long before he was born, but I assured them she was smiling on our celebration this day, using her favorite china.  Ika and Katarina told stories of their father’s mother back in Sweden, who evidently loved to take the girls on “shopping sprees” every time they visited.  I thought that was a great tradition, so for Ika’s b~day I will be taking her on a “shop till we drop” trip to get ready for her new job next month as a School Psychologist in Clear Creek ISD.  Gunnar and I played the matador-bull  game while Princess Ella delicately spooned out her “coffee milk” with the ladies.  We did join with the Dickson family and friends for dinner that night, which was wonderful, and they planned a “raft up” boating expedition for July 4th.  Maui and I will be settling in for some downtime before heading for the Galveston fireworks tonight (without Maui’s delicate ears of course:)  Happy Fourth of July America!!

After hearing from Sis Paige about her amazing experiences patrolling the beach for signs of Kemp Ridley Sea Turtles, Connie and I decided to sign up for this worthy volunteer patrol.  Of course, we had signed up late in the season so we didn’t get our pick of routes to patrol.  We soon found out we would be walking, not riding, in a 4-wheel drive gas powered golf cart as Paige is.  Actually our route, round trip from 61st Street to Pleasure Pier, is a bit over 5 miles.  Normally not an overly exhausting walk; however in mid-summer, starting at 10 am, the heat index is hovering somewhere over 100 degrees.  No problem for us, right?  Our neck’s wrapped in Frog Togg neckerchiefs soaked in ice water, and a midway stop at the snow cone truck, we have survived!  We have met some interesting Galvestonians on the way, such as the bird lady who comes every day to keep her seagulls fat and healthy.  Unfortunately, no turtle sign has been found on our route yet, as most of the turtles seem to be coming in to nest in less populated areas.  It does feel good to do our part in helping this endangered turtle, but next year you can be assured we will sign up early, and get one of those fancy golf carts to ride in:)

Well better late than never, Ika and Matt finally had the time for a special trip just a few years after their whirlwind wedding in Aspen.  Poor things barely had time to ski back then because Ika was due back in her Master’s program in early January:)  It does my heart good to see that they chose to tour Germany, our old stomping grounds, with their time off.  Robert and I lived in Weisloch, just 13 km south of Heidelberg during ’70 and ’71.  For those who don’t believe in the power of prayer, Robert was drafted during the ‘Nam War and 99% of the draftees were headed for the war.  I prayed out loud night and day, I swear. Having only been married a matter of months I was not prepared for widowhood so young.  As He is known to do, He answered in a bigger way than I expected; we spent a year and a half in Germany.  Matt and Ika were able to locate our old apartment in Weisloch and sent a picture of it for my memory book.  We were on the third floor overlooking the main street, where we watched parades and sauntered down for a bite of schnitzel on occasion.  The family that owned the building loved Americans and told us in their broken English that they had seen America; they had visited New York once.  We heard that often in Germany, they all thought New York was a great representation of America. We would just smile and nod, not wanting to burst their bubble. New York is so NOT like the America we knew. The people were warm and friendly, the wine and beer were beyond compare, and the country so picturesque.  It was a beautiful time in our lives, and a very special memory.  I have to go back!  On the Bucket List:)

So aptly named the Kings, plus sister Laurel, preside over all important events at our little home by the sea.  Fortunately for all of us at DB they are anchored here by salt water souls, and won’t leave DB except for the occasional cruise:)   They recently treated Laurel and I to a wonderful day at Hobby Center to enjoy an amazing meal of South American delicacies before the musical “Beautiful”.  It was a memorable day of great food, great music and even better company.  In retrospect, I started reminiscing about all the events and everyday challenges both Helen and Gayle steadfastly see us through.  Helen cheers us on in water aerobics every weekday at 9 a.m., rain or shine.  Then there is “movie night” in the theater room with all our best covered dishes to share, and the “ladies luncheon” to explore both old and new eateries on the island.  None of this would happen without Helen quietly organizing each event.  Gayle, on the other hand, is taking care of business at the board meetings.  So glad to have him “on board” so to speak.  He’s always willing to take a few minutes to explain the current plans for keeping Diamond Beach the greatest resort in Texas, if not the world!