Two Leos' Wanderings: November 2013

After spending five months in the Rocky Mountains, it has taken me a while to get in an "island mood". The flat uniformity of a beach is a stark contrast to the rugged peaks and valleys the Leos had become accustomed to over the summer.

Mustang Island Beach, Port Aransas, Texas

But after being here at Port Aransas for two weeks, I'm beginning to come around. A few visits to the local establishments for some good sea food and a healthy dose of the National Beer of Texas makes a fellow mellow. And that is, after all, what the island life is all about.

About the only thing I found disappointing about Colorado was my inability to obtain Lone Star. For some reason Coors seemed to be offered as a substitute, which it IS NOT. Before I head west next spring, I'll fully stock my cargo bay.

The Trusty Companion has had no problem with the change of scenery. Dogs have such a wonderful way of living in the moment. This moment for Leo calls for running after every shore bird he can find from the time we got here. As soon as he leaps out of the truck door onto the sand, he is running as hard as he can go toward the nearest seagull or sand piper. Of course, the birds take flight just before he reaches them, but that doesn't slow him down. He continues his mad dash for exactly 15 feet, then makes a hard right or left turn and runs in a circle around me and repeats. 15 feet? That's the length of his retractable leash. If I hold tight, he only jerks my shoulder out of joint as he hits its limit and tries to launch himself after the birds. A looser grip and he pulls the leash from my hand and gives chase further down the beach.

No matter the occasion, Leo manages to turn it into a party.

Let's go for a ride on a party boat!

So, following Leo's example, I have been spending each day living in the moment.

Sunrise on Port A

After a few hot and humid days when we first arrived, the weather has cooled and been perfect most days for relaxing on the beach. It's only about a five minute walk from our trailer to the surfs edge. We spend most mornings there with my good friends Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, Jane Candiotti, Carter O'Brien and Alex Cross, all of whom live in my Kindle. After about a half an hour of chasing his gull friends up and down the beach, I can generally get Leo to sit in his beach chair with me for an hour or so while I learn of my friends latest adventures. Then we repeat the process. Chase the birds..relax...chase the birds...relax. Tough duty.

And as we have settled into this routine, I have found that all I had to do to break the monotony of the flat open beach was turn around.