My earliest and fondest memories of summers on Bolivar Peninsula are of waking to the screeching seagulls.  Our old beach house was within 100 yards of the gulf, and the gulls were up early searching the waves for their breakfast.  Back in the day there was no air conditioning, the windows were always open unless it was raining, and the sounds of nature lulled us to sleep and woke us.  These memories developed a passion for the ocean in my brothers and sisters, as well as this island widow.  I have been blessed with a beautiful, air conditioned condo in retirement; however my bird-experiences are now a bit different:)  With a glass wall overlooking the gulf, and a glass balcony separating those inside from some of the sounds of nature, I find that their natural “deposits” on my glass more than a little annoying.  To add to the experience, some of my neighbors think it’s fun to feed the birds.  As they come swooping in for a treat of bread, they leave their “deposits” on the glass, which turns quickly to cement in the sun:)  Forget windex, this calls for hot water, soap and lots of elbow grease.  I do enjoy watching them, still.  It will always be a love-hate relationship; but the love wins:)

Every year, at the end of the season, the real stars of Diamond Beach shine, wine and dine:)  The owners gladly switch places with the employees who keep our pool and river sparkling, our building freshly painted and immaculate, and stay over during hurricanes to protect our precious Diamond Beach.  Chef Vish (Persaud) slaves over a hot grill to provide his famous vish-burgers, the board members join in to pass out beverages and desserts, and many of the owners show up just to make sure a good time is had by all.

Benito Flores, aka DB pool guy, shared the fun with two of his daughters from the valley (Texan for almost-south-of-the-border:)  They had come to Houston to help in the Harvey remediation, which means they will probably still be here for next years celebration.  One of his daughters had visited Israel recently and brought back a very interesting tattoo.  It is Hebrew for the first commandment (I am the Lord your God).  Interpretation provided by our very own expert, Marc Steinberg.

Our illustrious leader, James Fuglaar, and his wife Rita provided entertainment after lunch, the river float, the pool, dancing, and some bean bag competition.  Rita and Kelly (Persaud) had shopped till they dropped to provide some very sought-after prizes.  The employees waited anxiously for the results of the annual prize giveaway, via lottery.  There was a flat screen tv, a digital tablet, waterproof speakers to float the river with, the latest Wii complete with game package, and too many gift cards to count.  Not one employee walked away empty handed, and all walked away with a big smile.  My personal favorite was the live music provided by our local talent, Larry Emerson.  He’s the bomb!

We look at the horrific flooding our neighbors suffered, and feel a twinge of guilt.  Usually, Galveston Island takes the brunt of the storm, buffering the damage for our inland neighbors.  The worst Diamond Beach suffered was a nasty looking pool and lazy river for a few days until the crew could complete the cleanup.  As you can see from the pictures above, I-10 heading to family in Beaumont was impassable, and still is today.  Even in Clear Lake, Bay Area Blvd, our main artery, was a river for a few tense days.  I sat up Saturday night watching the water rise toward the front door of Matt and Ika’s house, which had survived Katrina, Ike, Rita, Allison, and Alicia unscathed.  I prayed as it rose ominously, until nodding off at midnight.  A neighbor called thirty minutes later to wake me in time to move my car to high ground, just in time as the water had reached the bottom of the caddie’s door.  Scary though it was, prayers were answered and the water stopped short of the front door.  We did go on “candle” power for twelve hours, and missed cable tv for a few days, but compared to neighbors we have nothing to complain about, and everything to be grateful for.  It was actually a cozy time for us.

Restaurants were closed, but Matt managed to come back with fresh coffee and snacks (although somewhat picked over at the 7-11:)  Fire Hot Cheetos and coffee actually aren’t too bad if you’re hungry enough!

When I returned to Diamond Beach to survey the damage, I breathed a sigh of relief.  The sun was peeking out and the skeleton crew had already picked up the branches and leaves, leaving the place looking refreshingly green and well-watered.  I hear they only lost power for 2 hours; I’m staying put next storm.  My 5th floor condo is not likely to suffer flood, unless the gulf rises to cover Dallas:)

Weddings are always fun, emotional, spirit-moving events; the long-awaited Shane-Courtney celebration was no exception.  This gala brought friends and family from as far away as New York City, and as near as Galveston, Texas.  Lots of laughter, and a few tears, made the celebration one of Clear Lake’s finest memories.  Mother-of-the-groom, Joann Dickson, outdid us all when it came to Hollywood-style hair and glitter gown.  Matt Dickson, aka Santa in a tux, actually did trim his beard; although he threatened to gather it in a ponytail draped down his chest:)  Of course the children stole the show, dancing the night away in an uninhibited style that only they can pull off.  The shuttle brought everyone back to the Hyatt at 10 pm, but of course the party didn’t end there.  Rumor has it that Matt Plass lost 3 arm wrestling competitions to the tune of $300, forgot his vet was at the hotel, and accepted a ride back to Clear Lake by the arm wrestling champ.  No problem, Matt Dickson was more than happy to drive it home for him.  There are other stories of Matt P at weddings of the past that we shared over breakfast the next morning.  They are a bit too graphic to share here, but we all got a last laugh over his antics before heading back to Clear Lake (although some would say it’s the least clear lake they have ever seen:)

A favorite family tradition for the Polk~Piland clan is the annual July lobster-gorging feast.  Dad and Carol began this gathering many years ago – more than I care to count:)  Many new little faces have been added since the first gathering years ago.  Dad and Carol are now great-grandparents, and a few of my generation have become grandparents as well.  We come from as far away as St. Thomas in the Virgins, although this year we missed our distant-wandering family:( they promise to come next time:)

 The ancient picture above shows a teenage Tres, Joey, and Carly (now parents themselves); and a few pre-teens like Matt, Sara, Amanda, and Kimberly.  So much fun to see how we looked as a young family (of course I haven’t changed much:)  Just outside of Beaumont is a country restaurant/dance hall that hosts our every growing group.  There is a dance floor for the kids to ride their pint-sized four-wheelers; and a huge dining table for the adults to enjoy catching up on the latest family gossip.  This year we are kicking around the idea of heading for St. Thomas for a family reunion, or maybe someplace closer to home?  Either way, I can’t wait!

Hands down favorite surfing competition on the island – who doesn’t love our furry family members showing their “hang 10” style for prizes and pets.  All Humane Society volunteers come out in force, including yours truly, to parade our adoptables and encourage the crowd to add another furry friend to the family.  This year I lucked out with a multi-colored chihuahua, Muchu.  All the kids loved him, but I found it difficult to talk the moms into taking little Muchu on.  Just as I was about to give up, one of the local Vet Techs gave in to her son, and viola, it looks like Muchu has a new furever home:)

It was a beautiful day, with the blue water coming all the way onto the beach.  This doesn’t happen often in Galveston, and we took it as a good sign.  On the down side, the waves were less than spectacular, thus you notice many dogs surfing backwards and sideways:)  That was just fine with us, even the little chihuahuas had no problem handling this surf.  The best news of all, all the proceeds go to the Galveston Humane Society, for our ever-growing population of adoptables.

Every day is special on the island, but Mother’s Day goes beyond extra special as husbands, sons, and fathers go outside their comfort zone to tour the historical homes of Galveston and make mom happy.  As the stories unfold about these century-old buildings, all are glad they took the time to learn of this beautiful island’s colorful history.  It began with the currently gutted City National Bank building, containing vaulted 3-story ceilings and leaded glass skylights to take your breath away.  To make the story more interesting, one of the Moody family members, who happens to be an eligible bachelor, has taken on the project of turning this awe-inspiring commercial building into his residence.  The building has a long way to go before bathrooms, bedrooms, sitting rooms and a kitchen will be created.  The fun is in imagining what each room will become.  We’ll have to wait till next year to find out!

The residences ranged from 484 square feet to over 6,000, and each held it’s own charm.  Wood floors over a century old have been preserved by painstakingly applying linseed oil over the years, while some have had the interiors completely gutted to add the modern conveniences.  There were quartz kitchens, granite and marble bathrooms, intricately inlaid parquet floors, and all were air conditioned.  The interior decor was impeccable in each and every one.  So many new ideas to ponder for my own little condo.  My hands-down favorite was the tiniest 484 square foot 2-room beach house with old wooden wine crates used as cabinet doors in the kitchen.  The entire space was paneled with reclaimed wood in a dark rustic walnut stain.  You just wanted to sit down on the couch, turn the tv on and kick off your shoes.  What amazingly creative islanders we are blessed with.  So proud to call Galveston home.