So, here we are – another birthday party for our great country has come and gone – and now the 5th of July has just about closed down for the night. It was a very long, but wonderful day on the crystal clear blue water of Redfish Bay. When the alarm went off at 5: 00 a.m. (aka O’Dark Thirty) it was tough not hit the snooze button more than four times – but knowing that Fred (aka TrailBoss) had the boat ready to go with poles and provisions for a day of fishing. The goal for today was to catch enough trout and redfish to provide dinner for the gang down here at the Coast.
We did have a good day on the water – what is it that they say . . . a bad day fishing beats a good day in the office! Brian landed two reds while Jean brought in a snapper and two trouts. In between a couple of hardheads, a black tipped shark and a couple of rat reds found their way to onto our hooks. All in all it so great to be out on the water.
Our real excitement was when while fishing off the coast of Dagger Island, a VERY large ship was moving across the ship channel and as result sent a VERY large wake heading our way. Now keep in mind this ship was like 3 miles away from us – so as the wake gained momentum it grew in size and speed. In less than 20 seconds we were hit with not one, but two 3-4 foot waves that set us on our toes and the boat to more than a 45 degree angle. Luckily, and we mean VERY luckily, Fred had hollered at Brian to get the anchor up and in lightning speed mission was accomplished and although hit broadside we managed to stay right side up – Jean must admit that she’s never had a wave crash over her shoulder-high while standing on a boat. Brian was on the downside and managed to hit the deck before being drenched. A big thank you to our Heavenly Father for making sure we survived to fish another day.
As crazy as it sounds, within a minute of the above excitement was over the seas returned to normal. We continued to fish for about 5 more hours. Again – it was a great day to be on the water AND it was a wonderful meal was enjoyed by all.
For tonight’s wine we ventured into the HEB in Portland and found an interesting label called Arrogant Frog – aka Lily Pad Red. The 2010 blend is a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine is French in origin and although our great nation has received many a nice gift from our neighbors – this wine is one that we would most likely return and not ask for seconds. Upon opening it has a tart, musty, earthy smell and the taste puckered up our lips so quickly that our heads spun. The finish came and went quick as a snap – translation – going, going, gone. As you can probably guess – this wine will not make the Bondy Deck Wine list.
Welp, time for bed – O’Dark Thirty returns in a few short hours and these two fisherpeople are needing some rest. Have a wonderful evening, and as always remember to enjoy responsibly and recycle whenever possible.
After leaving our good friends in Aransas Pass today, we kept an eye on the sky to make sure that the rains (though VERY welcome) didn’t dampen the rest of our weekend with the girls and their boyfriends! It’s been an amazingly fun weekend with the girls, with friends and enjoying what mother nature has to offer…be it wind, rain or sun…the weather isn’t as important as the friendships! We understand through well placed sources that the fishing TODAY was much better than the fishing YESTERDAY. At least one source has confirmed that the Redfish in the Bay were biting today — unlike yesterday.
We did make a stop in San Antonio and hit the Alamo, the Riverwalk and the Mercado – the best part (other than us all just being together) was the people watching. Amazing how many people were out and about on a beautiful Sunday afternoon after a Saturday full of rain and flooding. It was special to sit and have a snack on the Riverwalk and just spend time with the girls, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. What a treat to laugh the afternoon away before heading home to San Marcos and eventually a late dinner and more laughing around the dinner table – these are precious times.
T0night’s wine is a 2010 Shiraz from Messina Hof and features a great nose, full-body flavor and extras smooth flavors. You can’t go wrong with this fabulous flavor display of rich, dark blackberry and spice with lingering vanilla tones. Grown in the Red River Valley. Double Barrel Aged in European and American oak, this Shiraz demonstrates the grandeur of Texas and is perfectly suited for our Texas climate. It’s hearty and robust, yet well-balanced. This Shiraz is wonderful with beef, lamb, pork and even grilled salmon. It is a Double Gold medal winner at the Tasters Guild International Consumer Wine Judging, winner of the Grand Star of Texas at the Lone Star International and a gold medal winner at the Indy International Wine Competition. According to the wine maker, “Planted in 1988 in Denison, Texas. The elevation is at 619 feet , and this vineyard has sandy-loam soil that is four miles from the Red River. A very unique wine featuring smooth and silky flavors of rich berries. Gold medal winner. Perfectly complements beef, lamb, and fowl.” Needless to say, this wine is a winner and is meant to be enjoyed!
The wine exhibits a terrific nose of fruit and spice; we couldn’t believe how smooth this wine SMELLED! That’s right—smooth! The taste was equally as impressive, but restrained because, Texas wines just seem to miss out on what the fruit can actually taste like! The finish and body of this wine are both top notch. We can’t imagine a better looking, better tasting bottle of wine from our fair state! The wine went with kung pao chicken tonight and was a terrific complement to sitting on the deck and enjoying the fruits of mother nature’s rainfalls. . . It’s a wine meant to be shared with family, friends or all of the above – which we did in abundance over the past several nights!!!
Until tomorrow, please remember to enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and recycle whenever possible!
So, here we are – 30 years of marriage + one day, and . . . yes, we are still together!
When we awoke this morning, we got to talking about all the “stuff” we had witnessed in our lifetime – in fact, we started a list in order to see what we had accomplished (or at least thought we had!). Ready, Set, Go –
Since January 29, 1983 we have at minimum and in no particular order:
Seen albums come and go; cassettes come and go; compact discs come and go – along with pay phones, fax machines and typewriters
Watched the Redskins in Miami win Super Bowl #XVII and see Mrs. Blake (Jean’s third grader teacher) at Walt Disney Florida during honeymoon
Experienced Hurricane Alicia
Watched the Challenger explode after liftoff & Columbia explode over Texas
Given birth to two beautiful daughters
Had two cats – Bob and Elliott
Seen five presidents elected to office
Been to the Baseball Hall of Fame twice
Brian has been to two World Series games in Texas – different years
Had five dogs (gone are Calvert and Hershey) – still have the three (Pepper, Andie and Jasmine)
Had 19 cars – three got wiped out along the way, thankfully no injuries
Lost seven immediate family members – many more on the extended side
Lost four dear friends
Had 17 employers
Lived in two states
Moved nine times
Owned five homes
Watched the Cardinals play in 3 World Series – won 2 of them (2006, 2011)
Been to five different zoos – but love the St. Louis Zoo the best!
Watched the Rams win the Super Bowl & lose the Super Bowl–Hmmm, Spygate???
Witnessed first-hand the McGwire / Sammy Sosa slugfest . . . still can’t stand Barry Bonds
Watched Kurt Warner in two Super Bowls with two different teams–which team does he wear going into the Hall of Fame?
Caught and eaten well over 100 redfish and trout
Each caught one sailfish on the SAME trip
Been to CA wine country three times
Been to Mexico twice
Been to Canada five times
Been on two cruises
Been to at least ten baptisms
Been to at least 20 weddings
Been to at least 15 high school graduations
Been to at least five college graduations
Been to more than a few high school reunions
Flown over 100,000 miles
Driven over 900,000 miles – must be why we’ve had 19 cars !
Whew – makes us tired just thinking about it – can’t even begin to count the number of wines we’ve tried. So, tonight in honor of “numbers”, we decided to open Cuatro Pasos 2008 from Spain. Cuatro Pasos means 4 steps. It is made 100% from Mencia and brought to us by Bodegas Martin Codax in Cacabelos (Leon) and is part of the Bierzo DO (denomination of origin) in Northwestern Spain. Calling it ‘old vines’ would not be an exaggeration since the grapes come from 80-year-old stock.
When we poured it into a glass – it was deep, dark red with a hint of violet . . . but mostly ruby-red. On the nose it was so-so, nothing to write home about, but you got the whiff of cherry and fruits with a dash of toasty cedar – again not a nose bomb, but enough to peak your interest. Taking a sip took you down a path of rich fruit – not overpowering, but fruity and flavorful – smooth and balance, but again not overpowering. The finish was also smooth – went very well with Brian’s Kung Pao Chicken – spicy, but not overly so and the wine really balanced everything out.
Jean picked this wine up during a midday stop at HEB in Austin for under $12 – haven’t seen it here in San Marcos, but if we do find it – would definitely purchase again. Seems to go well with food (and Thin Mints courtesy of the local G.S.’s). We could see this as a great deck wine – wishing it wasn’t so dry here so we could even put a fire in the pit.
So, as we take one final look at our “list” – we do realize that it “adds up” to a wonderful life thus far – we have many more years together ahead of us – but up to this point, it’s been pretty darn spectacular.
Please remember to enjoy responsibly and recycle whenever possible . . .
After leaving our good friends in Aransas Pass today, we kept an eye on the sky to make sure that the rains (though VERY welcome) didn’t dampen the rest of our weekend with the girls and their boyfriends! It’s been an amazingly fun weekend with the girls, with friends and enjoying what mother nature has to offer…be it wind, rain or sun…the weather isn’t as important as the friendships! We understand through well placed sources that the fishing TODAY was much better than the fishing YESTERDAY. At least one source has confirmed that the Redfish in the Bay were biting today — unlike yesterday.
So, here we are – 30 years of marriage + one day, and . . . yes, we are still together!
casa del vino 