The Story of the Move

Hello readers,   well here is the little story of our move.   I know we are not the first person in the world who has moved.   Many of you have shared your move and your doings with that "fun" adventure.  I have loved every story and certainly know how you feel.

I think I have told you Hubby does have a wanderlust and I go along and just enjoy the adventure of it all.   We did joke though at a time in our lives we said  MOVE and our furniture just folded it's self up and was waiting at the door ready to be  put into a moving trailer.   Now when we moved back to Seminole to farm we pretty well had roots.  Deep roots and really enjoyed it with raising our daughters, farming and that is where I really got involved with my art and photography business.

Onward Annette you are wandering here !!!!!!    Alright about 8 1/2 years ago we moved to Lubbock Texas.  We found our home and could really make the yard pretty, which we did.  We planted 12 trees also.  Never to many trees in West Texas.  I knew we were in trouble though when probably not two weeks in the move and hubby was looking on line at homes around the country.  He was mainly looking in TEXAS and Arizona.   Well in November or December of 2016 he mentioned moving again.  I said alright I have one more big move in me.   ( It will have to be two moves but later on this )  We spiffed up the house, you know the drill just little things that you only notice but still want it to be nice for the buyers.  We listed the house and in our market the realtor said in your neighborhood it may take 9 months or a year to sell.   We thought alright we will be tough and endure the lookers and all that go on with it?   Well after one open house  and a couple of weeks of showing the house sold in 40 days.   Wow did we ever scramble and started doing away with things.  Good Will loved us we donated so much. We did sell a few things but donated most of it. 

Where will we go?  We didn't have a clue, no kidding.   One reason we moved to Lubbock is we just needed to move and I thought ok it is close to Arizona ( in Texas world ) and we thought we knew Lubbock so that is why we chose it.   We wanted to stay in Texas, it is a big state, but you know when you rule out where you don't want to move it isn't that big.  No really !!!!  We spent two weeks wandering Texas.  LOL  no not really wandering but in one week then a separate week .   We were running out of time before the closing and thought ok we will actually listen to our hearts and God telling us that the doors are not opening for a reason.  LISTEN !!!!!!

So our story is for the first 75 years of Eldon's life and mine not quite,  I got to Texas about when I was 9, Eldon and I  lived in West Texas--off and on but mainly on.   So why not live somewhere else for the next 25 years and by then we will be 100 or pretty close and by then it doesn't matter.   We have come to the Texas coast for many years we think at least since 1971 on spring breaks, vacations and then a month at a time.  So why not?   So we leased a home in Rockport Texas, gotta feel like we are on vacation for a year and see how we feel before we purchase a home.  Hence the second move.   We are trying to listen to our hearts on this and if the doors open then it is the place. They have a place here called Castaways, we have filled the back of the Steel Stallion every week and donated.  We had to rent a 15x20 controlled climate storage room and it is next to be donated.   We are sizing down and trying to be vicious with the junk lol  

We loaded up our two fur babies and by the way we have never traveled with fur babies and they did so good.   We put their doggie king size beds in the back of our Steel Stallion and the behaved like troopers and even stayed in the motels with us while moving down.  We could not have been prouder of them .  They are adapting to be inside dogs perfectly.  We thought they should be because of the humidity down here.  They go in and out in our postage size yard and are perfect.  

The house is tiny, really tiny but that is ok.  Like a friend, Marilyn Paragain, said it is only 4 walls.  Right now it looks like an art gallery, most walls have lots of Annette art and one has is a painting by my friend  Jane in Italy.  xoox


We are not far from the water,   Rockport has a Blue Water beach and it is so peaceful there.  Now when we use to come and visit  we would take the Ferry to Rockpost and visit and then back to Port Aransas, bigger waves and lots of business for young people.  Remember our daughters and their friends were usually with us.   They need busy places.    Several times a week we go to Sonic and get two bacon and cheese toasters extra toasted bread and go to the beach close by.   Oh we ask for extra toasty and told them that my Mother use to burn the toast and I guess I acquired a taste for really toasted bread lol    

Our view when eating our breakfast.  We park on the free part of the beach because you are so close to the water.   We have paid our permit to go into the other part of the beach but when parked you are not immediately close to the water.  Anyway that is our story and finding of it all.  

                                     One of many many Sea Gulls to visit while we are eating . 

I had just fed the Gulls with my crusts off of my toaster, gotta cut down on calories somewhere. Right? 

 Now this little cutie is in our front yard only visiting.   Our Fur Babies have not seen a squirrl, in our part of Lubbock we didn't have them.  Yes Lubbock has squirrels but just not in our part.  He love to taunt the Fur Babies and the stand at the storm door and bark and bark.  Well Libby whines and Charlie uses his outside voice.  We have tried to teach him that isn't necessary but he is a guy and hard headed.

  Our Patio deck.  Nope not very big, we did have an acre in Lubbock but you know it only takes very few minutes to mow instead of us both working over 3 hours once a week to do that chore.   We still did our own yardwork and really didn't mind it at all.  Yes when in Seminole after I started my photography business I did hire the mowing etc.  I wanted the yard mowed twice a week for it to be pretty and Eldon nor I had the time then to do it.   Funny story about the mowing person, he kept saying well I do so and so on and he named a name yard.  Every time he came.  I said I don't care this is our yard and that is how I want it to be pretty for my clients in my photography.  One day I just fired him.  Called Eldon and he said oh oh I have to go home she just fired the yard person.   We did find a wonderful young man and he was awesome.  So that was good I fired the other one.  We were mostly all happy.  Except the one I fired lol


Alright, that is our thinking and doings on the big move.  One of our neighbors said the people who lived in this house had a big U-Haul truck in the drive.  We said no no this will be a 53 foot trailer on an 18 wheeler.  Kind of surprised them, but it is done and now we are fixin to enjoy our move and back to normal whatever our normal is.  For a year then who know?

Thank you for stopping by to see what is going on in Annette's world today

XOXOXO

Annette

the Cart before the Horse and the Wanderlust

Hello dear readers.   I know you might be thinking what is she up to now and where is she?   Well have a glass of iced tea and I am fixin to tell you.

I am fortunate, I think, to have a hubby with a giant wanderlust. It has passed down to daughter also.  Me?   Dear Readers I am just happy as a lark no matter where I am.  Oh I may gripe a little but I am here and when I look into the mirror I do gasp at what stares back at me but just glad to be here---wherever here is.  

Now at one time Mr. Graves wanted to move to Australia and South America.   Not on the same parcel of time  but that is two places I can remember.    I did say no,  I guess everyone has to have a party pooper,  but now  I wonder what our life would have been like if we did.   Do you ever have hind site like that at times?   His Daddy was game for Australia, he was the kindest and most quiet man you would have ever known and would not have guessed he would be game for an adventure like this.   He was game for going to  Australia, it really shocked me.  

We have moved  to Rockport Texas, a coastal town in our Texas (on May 12th)  and I will share that whole experience with you but next post---Pinkie Promise.   So I am putting the cart, what we are doing, before the horse--the moving part.   Funny saying isn't it?     Today I just want to say hello and thanks for hanging in there with me and wanted to share of few pics of what we did a couple of weeks ago at our new place of residence.  Now I do have to say Rock Port is not hustle and bustle and driving on the defensive all the time.  It is taking a while to just slow down and enjoy life.  

I have to admit we might be some of those people who you see on TV when a big storm is coming they go to the beach to check out the waves.  I didn't ever think we would be like that but there was a tropical storm in the gulf and we looked at each other and loaded up our tired from moving bodies and off we went.   Now we know how excited Brett, Piper and Kathy Austin ( they surfed and surf still in Florida).   Brett is now in Heaven but you know when we jumped in the car to see the waves he was grinning ear to ear.

Now one way to get to the  Port Aransas beach is on a Ferry.  The shortest way, well if the ferry time isn't giant.   If not into Corpus Christi and then to Port A.   The wait time is sometimes large but the little flashing sign said wait time  15 minutes.  We thought was a joke or we were in the twilight zone.  Nope a very short wait.    

 

One of the Ferry's that tote us across the water.   Sometimes big ships come in and we wait to watch them, seems like putter thru.  There was one going thru the channel but it was in high gear.  A lot of times you see Dolphins showing off in the water ride over to Port A.  

 Now after your little wait the patient people who work for the Ferry company  ( I guess that is what you call it) they point to you which side and where to park your cars.   You turn your car off and just enjoy the ride. 

 

 This was the Ferry we rode over to Port A. All of them are named.   So I guess William was a good guy.  I will have to look it up how they are named. 

 

                                                         Now this is a hat!!!!

 Some people get out of their cars and some don't, it just depends on your mood.   Do you want your hair to blow all over the world of just wait til you get on the beach.   An 18 wheeler was on the right side of the ferry we were loaded on and I wondered if it rolled a bit or if the brakes really hold it still. 

 

Well I guess this was for extra protection to not to roll, boy howdy that would really cause some excitement if it rolled around wouldn't it? The truck stayed nice and still.   It was not parked to the very edge of the front of the ferry either, usually when you are up front you are pretty close to the little"bridge" from the ferry to the ground when docked.   I guess  the truck front  needed a little extra room.   I am not sure how these little cables will hold that big truck but I will not question.   Maybe next time.   Daughter did ask I we knew all the Ferry people by name now.   LOL, no but will get there I bet.   Y'all that know me, know that I am not shy for visiting people and am not a snob. I think sometimes I embarrass my family but hey they will talk back to me or ignore me.  RIGHT?. 

Now in a part of the 15 minute wait I did have to snap a pic of these off shore rigs.   Almost positive that is what they were doing,  either stacked-waiting to be put to work out in the waters or maybe some repairs.   Not positive which one but I did  see some cranes and figured being worked on.  

 This was taken from our  1996 Painted stallion.  Of course it is red in color and may become the BEACH RIDE.   We will see how that works out.

 

This pic was taken while in the line to get back on the Ferry and back to Rockport.  

 

                 Some of the little ferry watchers, might have to be painting material for Annette.  

Here I am.   Hi y'all and glad to be here.    Waves looking good and there are some dots out there and those are humans waiting for the right wave to come.  The now greying big time hair is blowing in the wind, or did you notice?   

 Dear hubby on the pier for us to check things out.  Had to be a good day for us even the fee for everyone was waived that day.   There were several people standing at the gate just looking etc and when we left I went over and said there is no fee for today.  They thanked me and their group of many smiled and just walked on in.

 

                                                        One more pic of Hubby.  

One of the reasons we came, to see the waves.   We didn't expect to see surfers but got a treat to see them.   

 

                                        Enjoyed watching them all  "Ride the Waves"

 Saw this girl a lot, she did outshine a lot of the surfers but know our Piper would really do awesome with these waves. 

 Now these peeps have got to have patience, waiting and waiting in the sun and heat for one good wave.  This was just a tiny amount of surfers on the right side of the pier.  The left I think had more and there were lots more on this side.  Someone was just to lazy to get them all.    Hummmm me maybe?  

 

There ye be, I didn't take tons of pics but you got the jest of how exciting it was out there.   I didn't take pics of the rock jetty with the lapping waves.  I didn't want to get my camera wet and if we hadn't been in the 4 wheel drive Painted stallion we probably would not have gotten very close to the jetty.   Where you usually park was under water or soggy as all get out.   

 

This ex surfer is the one who took our together pics.  He use to be a surfer but hurt his back really bad so he said he surfs thru the camera.   Now looking into the future I see a painting of this young man soon.  

 

                                  Some of the notices on the pier.  Boooooo Lionfish  

 

There was this young man on the pier, probably about 8 having the time of his life, cutting up fresh bait.   One of his poles had hooked the under part of the pier and between the surfers and his dad got the pole free for this little guy to fish more.   

 

Another character we visited with, he comes down to Port A as much as he can is going to move full time soon.   I just had to catch this and his trailer of goodies.  I asked him-----let me guess you are going to fish?  He just chuckled and the convo began.  

 

 

There you go the pier, oh I could have written more about the stories but didn't want to bore you.   Lots of camera out and snapping up a storm.  I bet next storm we will be there again.  

                             Here we are, surfers in the background and being semi beach bums.

There you go dear readers.   Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is happening in my world.

XOXOXO

Annette