Pelicans Love the Red Tide

About three dozen pelicans serve themselves fish tar tar.

Since moving to the coast I've learned all sorts of stuff. For instance, one mega insurance company won't insure our home because we live within a mile of the water. The term "Winter Texans" mean people who drive down here in Winnebago's. And now, I've learned what "red tide" means.

Last night we took the kids to Corpus Christi for dinner and to see the harbor bridge lighted for Christmas. As we walked along the boardwalk we saw dozens of fish floating belly up. My husband said it was because of the red tide. I have never heard this term before.

This morning as I drove with my son along the beach, we saw dozens of pelicans perched atop the rocky breakers. And it smelled like a boy's high school gym locker. "Must be because of the red tide," my son said. 

This got me wondering what in the heck exactly is a red tide. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife, "Red tide is a naturally-occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis (formerly Gymnodinium breve).

This organism produces a toxin that affects the central nervous system of fish so that they are paralyzed and cannot breathe. As a result, red tide blooms often result in dead fish washing up on Gulf beaches. When red tide algae reproduce in dense concentrations or "blooms," they are visible as discolored patches of ocean water, often reddish in color."

But, luckily for humans, it's not a dire situation. It's usually OK to eat fish, crabs and shrimp during a red tide bloom because the toxin is not absorbed into the fleshy tissues of these animals, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife.

So unless you're a fish, red tide appears to be pretty harmless. It's just unsightly and smelly. Kind of like me after walking my dogs on a hot, humid day around here.

P.S.
On Sunday I baked banana nut bread for neighbors. I gave one loaf to my friend Winnie with a branded apron from the King Ranch. This morning she called me and scolded me. "You should have told me you put food in the bag. I didn't know so I put it under the tree for us to open on Christmas." Well, to make a long story short, their golden lab Dixie loved my bread. I don't want to see the loaves she's making.

The Wondering Texan

Top Shelf Books in My Estimation

Christmas is only a few days away and I know many will be receiving E readers from Santa. I, myself, hope to find a new E reader with more functionality than my Kindle.

This all got me thinking about reading and what has led to my reading affection. My mother was a voracious reader. But when I was growing up, I wanted to be anything and everything she wasn't. That included reading for fun.

What got me into reading was my former book club in my old neighborhood. Lord, I miss it and those friendships. Many of the members are transplanted Texans. Two were from Canada, one from England, one from New York and the others from various other states. We all ended up in the same neighborhood, all around the same ages, and all tend to be outspoken. We have stuck together through illnesses, job layoffs, children issues, and financial difficulties. Truthfully, I'm sure I wouldn't have made it through my illness without their compassion and support. One went with me to pick out my wig, two took me out for pedicures, one brought me trashy magazines soon after surgery, all took turns cooking dinner for my family all through my treatment. So, they are the ones who ignited my reading desire.

With utmost respect to my book club friends, here are my favorite books. Some we read, others I read on my own. There's no particular order to this list.

1) Great Dames (What I Learned from Older Women) by Marie Brenner. She introduces readers to notable women including Jacqueline Onassis, Clare Boothe Luce, Diana Trilling and Kitty Carlisle Hart.
2)  Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. I don't go much for pirate books, but this one I couldn't put down. Based on facts, this book details a remote 1665 colony of the English Crown in the Caribbean.
3) Interwoven: A Pioneer Chronicle by Sallie Reynolds Matthews. Anyone living in Texas or who has a fascination with history would like this book. It really makes one grateful for running water, soap, air conditioning and microwaves.
4) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. The movie isn't as good as the book. Trust me. It's funny, sad, interesting and historical all in one.
5) Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. This isn't Pulitzer Prize content, but it has special meaning to me. I read it to my mother in the month before her death. In fact, we finished the book the day before she died.
6) Ford County by John Grisham. It's a collection of short stories of various small towns and people throughout the South. Quirky characters and fun reading.
7) What Difference Do it Make? by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent. A testament to what a difference individuals can make in the lives of others.
8) The Saving of CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. A little girl's account of how her life changed for the better through a Steel Magnolia aunt and other tough as nails female figures.
9) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This is such an excellent book. Based on facts of Guernsey island during the German Occupation  during WWII. It's a story of survival, human nature and friendship. The only thing that takes getting used to is the format: the story is told through a series of letters.
10) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I read this book as a girl stuck at home sick. I loved all of the sisters and learning about that time period and expectations of women.