Beneficial Late Summer Rain

Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying these cooler mornings lately. You can certainly tell that the first day of Fall is Wednesday, the 23rd, and I’m ready for it! The older I get, not that I’m old, the less tolerable I am of the scorching heat and humidity.

Well after going through the middle of summer with practically no rain, the skies have opened up recently and blessed us with a nice drenching! The island has gotten close to 10 inches of heavenly water the past few weeks, enough to keep my rain tanks filled and help replenish the water table for the wells. I was beginning to get concerned about the lack of rain, but God has answered prayers in regards to that.

It’s amazing how quickly everything begins to come to life and turn green again after a nice soaking of rain. The island grasses and flowers add color to the fields and make the terrain much more pleasant to look at.

With summer nearly over, the number of weekend islanders will begin to dwindle now, and the island will become much quieter, as Fall and Winter slowly make their way across the bay. I’ll start stocking up on books to read during those days of inclement winter weather when I’m stuck inside. But I like the winter months, the peaceful solitude gives a person time to reflect and appreciate what they have, and the special people that have blessed their lives.

I’ve been trying to get in better shape lately, and a big part of that endeavor are morning and evening walks on the beach, seeing the beautiful gulf waters and witnessing stunning morning sunrises. But an early morning 7:00 a.m. beach walk a few weeks ago, turned out to be quite the opposite of an enjoyable and healthy stroll. About a mile into my walk, I came upon the drowned bodies of one, and then two, fishermen that were thrown from their boat in rough surf waters.

A third man was able to stay inside the boat until a Coast Guard helicopter from Corpus Christi arrived and landed on the beach, and the rescue swimmer swam out and brought him back onto the beach. My heart and prayers go out to the families of these two lost men, leaving this world while doing what they loved.

I cannot stress enough the respect that we must show to the seas, especially in rough waters, and the need to ALWAYS wear a life jacket in these conditions.

Well, that’s it from the island for now. Everyone take care and enjoy these cooler early Fall mornings that are upon us.