We woke up to a beautiful sunny day! Here are two pictures in comparison to last night!
The rooster doesn't look like a drowned chicken today!
Jack made breakfast. It was wonderful and I hope I don't have to tell you I ate the whole thing!
After looking warily at the weather reports, and still disbelieving that today could be so beautiful after last night's experience, we decide to follow our original plans; a boat ride across Trinity Bay, the northeastern portion of Galveston Bay.
As we leave the house, the remnants of the storm are manifested in huge gouges in people's lawns and the parkways where people drove their cars out of the street and onto higher ground as they stalled out.
The trip to the bay isn't pretty. It is along the Houston ship channel, and filled with oil refineries and storage facilities.
Jack and Susan keep their boat at the Houston Yacht Club. This is a relatively new boat for them, having sold a trawler, the Lady Jane, about three years ago. One hurricane too many convinced them to opt for something smaller and trailerable. This new boat is a Robalo 22.5 ft. dual console outboard motor boat.
Michael does sailboat racing, and a few years ago, they owned a J-22 boat called Popsicle, in which he won a few trophies.
Here's Jack getting the boat ready.
We are headed to Anahuac, where Susan and Jack's son-in-law's family lives. They have a "home place", newly built, on property that has been in the family since Stephen F. Austin gave them a land grant with permission from the Spanish. This was in 1821-24 They are among the proud Texas Old Three Hundred families. It is such a wonderful heritage, and although the land has been divided among the generations, Bert and Frank Smeal have a wonderful partnership with her brother and retain ownership in land, and also lease land for cattle grazing. Their property was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Ike in September of 2008. Water washed over this low lying area, and demolished many cherished building on their property. Some they have rebuilt, and others are just memories.
We were last there when Roy and Kathryn (our niece) got married. The house used for the wedding reception belongs to Bert's brother Carroll. Now the Smeals' have a new house close by.
The ride across the Bay took about an hour. No rough weather and we were surprised by a bottlenose dolphin breaching the water close by!
We had called Bert and Frank, who were waiting for us at the dock. We had taken a quick detour up Double Bayou before stopping at the Hurricane Cafe, where we were meeting to have lunch! But not before we took a quick trip up Double Bayou.
Bert talking to John and Susan on the dock.
The Hurricane Cafe
After a lunch of fried oysters, okra, soft shell crabs, boiled shrimp, red rice and beans, fried pickles, cream cheese stuffed japapenos, and a few rounds of beer, we were ready to drive up to the home place for a tour.
The house was magnificent. They have only been there since last fall, but it has already entertained numerous family occasions, including holidays and a wedding, and it is just what they dreamed of. Every room was carefully and lovingly thought out, and filled with wonderful family antiques, furniture and mementos.
Here's Bert showing us her music room. She was privileged to have a music teacher who trained at Juilliard, and she plays for her own pleasure now.
Susan, Bert at the organ, Jack, Michael and Divya.
As we leave this wonderful setting and people, we take a moment to pose for a family picture by the side of this wonderful home.
Jack Byrne, Bert Smeal, Susan Byrne, John Blake, Frank Smeal, Divya Byrne and Michael Byrne.
As we head back out the bayou, and into the open waters of the bay, the weather is still looking great, and we speed back to the yacht club.
The three captains. Did I really hear we were going at 24 knots?
Divya pointing out the ship cranes near the club.
We follow Michael and Divya to their home in the Montrose section of Houston. Here we are, all admiring the front of the house, and their vegetable garden.
We had a tour of their beautiful home, saw Michael's handiwork in the paintings that adorn every room, and admired the car he is preparing for an upcoming Houston event called the Art Car Parade, on May 11. Michael paints, develops games, records music and does beautiful photography. You can view his work on his website: http://www.spongeaamp.com.
We enjoyed a wonderful Mexican meal that waited for us from the previous night. Divya served a ppular Indian dessert called Gulab Jamun. It was a great evening and we feel so lucky that our family is growing with spouses we adore!
Home to bed!
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