Good Waves Today!

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Good surf for today at Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas. I always most enjoyed surfing here when the waves were breaking well outside the pier.

Please check out the banner on the bottom of the page. This worthwhile group is seeking counselors and other positions for their summer programs. Here is a link for more information.
http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/

Here are some links to a nice Polish lady's blogs with pictures from Poland, her dogs and other things.
http://foto-donata.blogspot.com/
http://foto-dona.blogspot.com/
We The People newspaper
http://www.wethepeoplenews.net/
Here's a link to my old friend Dave Terry's photo blog:
http://daveterryphotography.com
port a cam link
http://www.corpusbeach.com/portacam2.htm

Day After The Storm

We had a big storm yesterday, did lots of damage and knocked off power where I live for thirteen hours.
today was mild, clear and beautiful
Pic from Port Aransas today with tiny, clean lines under a clear blue sky.
Click on pic for larger image.




Please check out the banner on the bottom of the page. This worthwhile group is seeking counselors and other positions for their summer programs. Here is a link for more information.
http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/

Here are some links to a nice Polish lady's blogs with pictures from Poland, her dogs and other things.
http://foto-donata.blogspot.com/
http://foto-dona.blogspot.com/

We The People newspaper
http://www.wethepeoplenews.net/

Here's a link to my old friend Dave Terry's photo blog:
http://daveterryphotography.com

port a cam link
http://www.corpusbeach.com/portacam2.htm

Dolphins In Corpus Christi Bay

Photos by Eric Schlegel, taken yesterday aboard Guy Le Roux's sail boat.
Click on pics for larger image.

Public Access Is A Right!

Photo: Cliff Schlabach
Click on pic for larger image






Keep Texas Beaches Public
Jerry Patterson Texas GLO Commissioner
Editorial in Corpus Christi Caller/Times,October 17, 2009
Can you imagine driving your family to the beach for summer vacation, only to find a high fence covered with “no trespassing” signs?
For Texans, the ability to go to any beach they choose seems natural. But that isn’t the case elsewhere.
Florida, California and nearly every other coastal state in the Union allow owners of beachfront property to exclude the public and permit public beach access only in a limited number of locations.
Our freedom to walk on any beach we choose is unique,and under constant threat. Developers,overpaid lawyers and even the Legislature fail to appreciate this freedom.
That’s why I urge you to vote yes on Proposition 9 on Nov. 3 and enshrine our right to our beaches in the Texas Constitution. With your help, we can forever recognize and protect Texans right to access their beach and add it to our Texas Bill of Rights so that it cannot be taken away.
This prescriptive right to access the beach is as old as Texas. Before statehood, when Texas was a republic, travelers regularly used the beach as a highway. In the days before roads, Texas’ long beaches served as an expressway for horses, stagecoach’s and even the mail.
This tradition of public use constitutes a common law right. Like so many common
law rights,this right faced legal challenges. It was eroded over the years as
development boomed along the Texas coast. By the 1950s,some beachfront property
owners were building fences all the way to the water to make their own private
beaches.
In 1959, the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Open Beaches Act to put this
common law into statute. Despite natural disasters,and no small amount of
controversy,the Texas Open Beaches Act has withstood the test of time and
continues to affirm the public’s free and unrestricted access to public beaches.
It has served Texas well for 50 years. It’s now time to enshrine this right in
our Texas Constitution.
Proposition 9 would elevate the freedom to access the beach to a lot of other
freedoms we depend on,like freedom of speech,freedom of worship and the right
to carry a firearm.
Just like those rights,Texans’ right to access public beaches should be protected in perpetuity. The Legislature will still have a say on how that right is managed, but the right itself will be preserved.
If you want to keep your summer vacations at the Texas beach, vote yes on proposition 9 and let’s send a signal that Texas beaches belong to all Texans.

Jerry Patterson is Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. A former state
senator, Marine officer and a Vietnam veteran, Patterson lives in Austin.

Today I Voted FOR Prop 9 To Help Save Texas Beaches!

Vote Yes On Prop 9 On November 3, 2009

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My friend Cliff Schlabach sent this and I urge all who care about our beaches to vote yes on Proposition 9 in the election of November 3rd.

November 3, 2009: Proposition 9: A Historic Choice
Something is happening in Texas that just isn’t right. Investors from other states and national investment companies have been buying up beachfront property in Texas, and lately, they have been trying to change our laws. These foreign investors are putting pressure on Texas lawmakers to keep Texans and visitors from enjoying “their” beaches. If they succeed, our right to have free access to Texas beaches will be gone forever. We must not let that happen.
Public beach access is not just a personal right. It is an important part of our tourism industry, an important source of state-wide revenues, to make sure visitors can enjoy the beach.
A trip to the beach is a time-honored tradition in Texas, and a part of who we are. Countless Texans and tourists have enjoyed the experience of splashing in the warm surf, building a sandcastle, taking a romantic sunset stroll, or just digging their toes in the sand and gazing out on a limitless horizon. They come to Padre Island, Galveston Island, Mustang Island, South Padre Island or any of the other beautiful beaches in Texas. A day at the beach is a unique and precious experience. It is a part of our heritage, something we must preserve and hand down to our children, and our children’s children.
The Texas Open Beaches Act currently preserves our free right to gain access to the beach, but it is under attack by these investors, who want to make “their” beaches private and keep others off. Fortunately, some have fought back. The 2009 Legislature put Proposition 9 on the ballot for November 3. Proposition 9 would place a guarantee of public beach access right into the Texas Constitution. Now your help is needed to preserve this right.
The annual Election Day on November 3, will not be as big as the Presidential election last year. It is still a big day. Voters who go to the polls on November 3will have a chance to make history by voting FOR Proposition 9. Your vote is needed.
Texas beaches are our heritage. We have the chance to make a historic choice on November 3, to guarantee to the public the free right of beach access, right in our Constitution.
Don't let this unique opportunity slip away, it's very likely that this will be our one and only chance to change the Texas constitution to include beach access rights for everyone.
Early voting starts on Monday, October 19.

Cliff Schlabach
Chairman
Texas Coastal Bend Surfrider Foundation


The Surfrider Foundation is an international 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves & beaches, for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education. http://www.surfrider.org/coastalbend http://www.surfrider.org 800-743-SURF

Red Tide Empties Local Beaches

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It's a beautiful day today. We had a record high temperature of 95 degrees and there's not a cloud in the sky but local beaches remain nearly empty as a red tide algae bloom works its way along the coast from South Padre to Port Aransas.
I went to Padre Island today but left immediately because of eye irritation and foul air caused by the microbial toxin.
The news reports say it is not harmful to humans but it has been fatal to thousands of fish which are washing up on shore.

Another Gorgeous Day In Port A

Warm today, and a bit on the windy side, around 20-25 mph and higher gusts. A very nice day all in all.
Don't forget to click on the pic!

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood!

Port Aransas today, 2:00 pm.
It's hot again!
Don't forget to click on pics for larger image.

Indonesia Needs Immediate Assistance

Photo: Dinas Pariwisata

Below is an email sent me from Drew Kampion. There is much need in Indonesia because of the recent tragedy. Surfers from the world over go to Indonesia to enjoy the fabulous surf and beauty of the country. They need our help.

PADANG EARTHQUAKE RELIEF APPEAL
Thursday 1 October 2009
SurfAid has launched an Emergency Response Appeal to help the people of Padang who were hit by a huge earthquake (7.6 on the Richter scale) on Wednesday 30 September.
Our Program Director, Dr David Lange, narrowly escaped death as he fled the Ambacang Hotel, which then collapsed, killing many and trapping others.
Many buildings have been destroyed with people caught underneath the rubble. There is a report that schoolchildren are still trapped underneath three schools. One hospital is destroyed and another so badly damaged that staff are working in tents outside. Doctors used car headlights and torches to operate on the injured overnight.
Dr David Lange said: “People are trapped and screaming for help but they are below huge slabs which will take heavy equipment to move. I saw dozens of the biggest buildings collapsed in town, most of the damage is concentrated in the commercial centre market, which was fully packed.”

Any donations you can make are greatly appreciated.
Please donate via our website – www.surfaidinternational.org
Thank you
The SurfAid Team