The Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce is bringing Market Days back to Port Lavaca beginning Saturday, April 7th, back to its original location at the Bauer Community Center parking lot, facing Highway 35. There will be fun for the entire family with arts and crafts, food vendors, farmer’s market, and music from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Market Days will continue on the first Saturday, every other month for this year: June 2nd, Aug. 4, Oct. 6, and Dec. 1st. For more information call the Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce at 361-552-2959 or visit our website at www.portlavacamarketdays.com.

Kirk and Joanie Morgan celebrated one year at their current location (the pink building on the highway) on March 17. The Treasure Chest has been open in Port O’Connor for the past six years.

Saturday, March 17, 2012 was the day! This was the Anniversary Celebration of the opening of the Treasure Chest in the Pink building on the Highway. And what a party it was!

I was warned in advance to be sure and wear green, after all, it was St. Patrick’s Day, and when I arrived, I found not only a large container of lemonade-limeade, but beautifully frosted green cupcakes as well! No green beer though; it does bad things to your teeth and tongue!

Joanie and Kirk Morgan are the owners of this very unusual shop here in POC. You get a definite feeling of “beach living” as soon as you walk in the door as there are some very unusual and desirable beach tote bags arranged nearby. Entering and walking around you see a corner of items all in the color red and another corner holding a display of black. A huge assortment of delightfully decorated T-shirts — no, that isn’t correct as they are definitely NOT T-shirts — shirt-blouses hang on racks; I saw flamingos and stars and palm trees on some of these; and I also got the impression that you didn’t have to be skinny to wear them! I enjoyed looking at the large selection of stunningly crafted jewelry, in all colors and metals. And in another area were sandals and sandals and sandals; all very tastefully decorated. Just made me want to ditch my deck shoes and wander around showing my toes! But I’d have to see Teresa first!

On the walls are painting after painting, done in oils and acrylics, and also other types of artistic decorations; I saw a piece made from driftwood and draped with turquoise beads that really catches the wanderer’s eye; also a huge bit of polished wood with 2 ducks emerging. Many of these artists are local residents and some are from nearby areas. As both Joanie and Kirk believe in giving back to the community, it was uplifting to see so many represented.

But the prime object for me was a sign saying: “You can shake the sand from your shoes, but it never leaves your soul”, and this is what this very unusual “treasure chest” of a shop conveys.

Adding to the influx of visitors to the shop from many areas including LaGrange, Victoria, Port Lavaca and other nearby towns was a delightful band of musicians, Hiway 316. This group is definitely local being from Magnolia Beach; they play for various events, often giving of their time without recompense, and were the entertainment at the recent Benefit Dinner for Jerry Nutt on March 3rd. They perform a medley of country & western and pop music; all of which leaves you tapping your toes.

Currently maintaining winter hours of Friday and Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 10-2, Joanie said that they will be resuming their regular hours shortly. As you can’t miss this building as you are driving down the highway, it’s the only PINK one nearby, do plan to stop in and say hello.

During the past several weeks, I found myself coming and going, and therefore asked Shirley for an author who writes light fiction that I’d never read earlier. She recommended JoAnn Ross, a writer who seems to be quite popular in our library, and so I returned home with three of her books. The first in this trilogy is entitled Blue Bayou , the second, River Road, and the third, Magnolia Moon. These books are all set in the bayou country of Louisiana, near the Gulf, and about a 30 minute drive from New Orleans. I still haven’t located an approximate place for this; what with the moving, I haven’t found my Atlas yet.

Concerning a family of Cajun brothers in Bayou Bleu, the original name for the town, each book is about a different brother with a short synopsis of his earlier life, and how that makes him what he is now. I enjoyed the first and the third books; some-how or some-why, the second book did not hold my attention. All romantic novels, but the major theme throughout these books was the care and involvement of family. Definitely light reading.

A donated book, Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub really caught my attention. We have several books by Ms. Staub; she is listed as a best selling author, and after reading this, I can really understand why she has that name. This book details a family who becomes, through no fault of theirs, involved with a corrupt politician with a secret and a man who wants to bring him down. Our heroine, Lauren is going through a messy divorce, and her major concern is to spare her children emotionally the hassle of an absent father. Somehow, her youngest, Sadie, loses her favorite toy bunny that becomes the hiding place for an electronic device that carries the secret.

Ms. Staub writes the chapters in vignettes for the various characters in this book; at times, this can be distracting, but she links everything and everyone together prior to ending the chapter. An author who is highly recommended; we have several books of hers in the Library, and this one will be on the shelves shortly.

The Port O’Connor Library is located at 6th & Adams next door to the Fire Station. We welcome any visitor in this area to our Library during those hours; we currently have 5 computers available for use, and an outstanding selection of books and DVD’s. Just takes a current Library card and we will be happy to issue one!

We still have books for sale at the Library, thankfully, with donations from residents coming in regularly of many popular authors. Luckily for Shirley and me we have received a number of current books that cover a variety of subjects; even some for handcrafting special items. The monies received from these sales go to add to our DVD collection and to purchase additional books – many times those missing from a series. Do come and check them out! You won’t be disappointed!

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down.”
Karin Gillespie

Elliot Jameson, his Dad, Kelly Jameson, and Larry McConathy caught a box full of Sheepshead on a windy day at the jetties. Elliot is the grandson and Kelly is the son of the late Frank Jameson, who many of us remember as a long time Port O’Connor fisherman.

Spring Break is underway and the crowds are building; parking lots are filling up and there are lines at the gas pumps. The fronts are passing less frequently; the temperatures are rising and the tides are finally getting back to normal. This all ads up to better fishing. We have had some pretty brisk southerly winds but the water in the bays and lakes has held up pretty well. It looks like the setup for some great Spring fishing.

Big Drum are plentiful in Saluria Bayou and Mitchell’s Cut. Most of the fish are in the 35 to 50 pound class. Fresh crab is the best bet for bait.

Trout fishing has been best over shell in San Antonio Bay. Live shrimp or soft plastics have been good for drift fishermen. Waders are scoring on topwaters and soft plastics. Reds have been holding near the shorelines both in the bays and in the back lakes. Everyone I talk to is surprised at how many Puppy Drum are in the bays and lakes. In some of the lakes its difficult to find reds because of all the drum. That’s a good problem to have.

At the jetties its mainly Sheepshead, Drum and Redfish. Many of the Sheepshead are really big, upwards of 5 pounds. The reds have been in the upper end of the slot or oversized. Most of us have been using live shrimp.

Capt. Bob Hill
Port O’Connor Charters
(361) 983-4325
www.fishportoconnor.com

Crossing Matagorda Bay on a calm day, March 12th.
-Photos by Joy Fryou