Family and Friends

How wonderful to be living in a place that invites entertaining friends and family! We've had friends over for several dinners and one birthday party (the almost-annual party we hold with several friends [including Gerri Lynn] who have birthdays during the first quarter of the year), and have had dinner with various Seigelmans several times.

Elizabeth will be spending a week with us, flying in from California this Saturday, and Susan and family plan to come visit with us all the next day. Susan and her family got to enjoy the Seigelman pool and hospitality when the extended Tallarita family (17 people) stayed at our house for a week after Hurricane Rita hit Beaumont, and Marian and family were able to take advantage of that same pool and hospitality later when they stayed with us for a while after moving back to Texas from New Mexico, and both families remember it with awe and fondness. I don't believe Elizabeth has experienced the place, so it will be fun introducing her to it. 

And Tom's brother Richard and his wife Marsha spent the night with us Monday night en route from Baton Rouge to their home in Tulsa; we have seen very little of them in recent years, so it was good to have them.

Oh, my goodness; we're buying another house!

A couple of weeks ago, Tom enlisted the help of three Clear Lake Shores friends, Tommy, Ray, and Ken, to help us to find some hidden treasures in our storage unit. We had accidentally (actually, the movers had accidentally) taken a couple of David's items from the rent house, and we needed to move stuff from the front of the storage unit to find them. A box bound eventually for the boat was also behind other hard-to-move items, and we needed the help of some hearty helpers to do the moving. T, R, and K were of great help, just another example of the kindness of friends.

When we returned the three musclemen to their homes at Clear Lake Shores, we passed several houses for sale, as always, but this time one caught our eye, as much for the sign out front boasting of an elevator as for the small size, neat appearance, and location on the water. Thus began an astonishingly quick decision and negotiation leading to what appears to be our purchase of the house.

Ronnie and Nancy (think the Reagans) Richards, current owners and sellers of what will be our house; they're as happy as we are about the turn of events.

Before we began our cruise, we bid on the house next door to this one, the brown one seen in the photo, but the owner of that house changed her mind. We almost bid on another, and, before moving into the Seigelman pool house, almost rented an inland house on the island. Yes, we've wanted to move here for years.

Clear Lake Shores is a small island the housing of which is a delightful combination of old, small,funky, ground level houses; new, extravagant, elegant mansions; and everything in between. But it is mostly the sensibility of the occupants that appeals to us: these are water people, mostly boat-and-golf-cart owners, families and retired folks, folks who make it a point to watch the sunset each night, flip-flop folks. We have good friends here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooM-RGUTe2E
The house is small, about 1700 square feet. It has a full garage with high shelves for storage of garage valuables should another Hurricane Ike hit. The living area is raised; Ike's surge brought water 4 feet up into the garage, but not anywhere near the living space. It has an elevator and a handicapped bathroom. A new roof and very-recently remodeled interior, almost all of which we are very happy with. The size of the yard (little bitty!) is perfect, big enough for a tomato plant and herb garden, small enough not to require much upkeep. Two bedrooms, two and a half baths. A great front deck upstairs, with ceiling fans to ease the summer heat and humidity and keep mosquitoes at bay, and a small outdoor sitting area downstairs, big enough for some of our (now stored) wicker furniture. A boat slip out front!

It was out of our price range, but not as much as advertised since we are willing to allow the Richards to live in the house for six months while they build a new house on the other side of the island. This will give us time to figure out our plans with the boat and our lives. Clearly, regardless of our decision regarding the boat, we decided to settle here in the Houston area, close to family, friends, and doctors. We have seen many a desirable potential habitat through our travels, but the Texas Gulf Coast has become home, and you know what Dorothy said.

Check it out on Google Earth: 639 West Shore, Clear Lake Shores, Texas.

Evening at Peacock Stables

The Big House

Springtime, and the Critters are Frisky

For Those Who Tire of Photos of Annie:

Evening stroll

Two of the three monster dogs - now our friends and friendly as they can be

Captain the Cool

                                                   Fight! Fight! Testosterone, Peacock Strain

Are you going to feed us or what?  (Answer: No. That's Lonnie's job.)

She's Doing Better, and So Are We

 Annie has not adjusted completely; we're told that she seldom shows herself when we're not around. But when we visit, she becomes bolder, like a toddler who explores happily as long as her parents are in sight. Like that toddler, Annie cuddles up to us, rubbing our faces with her head, reestablishing the relationship (that is, that we belong to her), and then, as we walk the stables, she accompanies us like a faithful dog.

Communing with the horses















We are starting to socialize again, inviting folks over and going out, as well. Right now we're sharing the pool house with Pat, but he is readying himself to return to his happy place near Mora, New Mexico. Gerrilyn and oldest daughter Victoria are traveling in Russia right now, but the two younger daughters, the lovely Laura and radiant Rachel, have shared a couple of dinners with us, and we enjoyed visiting Richard, home last weekend from his weekday home in the valley, where he works as an anesthesiologist. We helped Gerri and Rachel plant a huge garden last week, and have taken on the responsibility of tending it.

And with good friend Larry (and a birthday bottle of wine from Joe and Sally)

Not photoshopped - and you can't direct peacocks

Annie's New Digs

Where am I, and why have you done this to me?

Horses and peafowl and hens, oh my!














But worst insult of all: other cats, all of whom are more worldly than she:

This was the only drawback to life at Peacock Stables: no cats in the pool house. We thought that Annie might take to life as a temporary barn cat, but doubts accrue; further reports will ensue.

Our New Digs

The poolhouse as seen from the ground floor of the main house.

And from the upstairs balcony of the main house.

                                                               Quite a sunset after a brief but welcome rainstorm

Check out the next post to see Annie's new digs; she may be feeling a bit resentful.