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Winter Updates

By on April 8, 2026 in The Pearl
“Grandparent [gran-pair-uh nt] one who breaks most of the rules and loves every second of it.” –Unknown 

Our winter in Rockport was relaxing and full of warm comfortable days. Besides our trip to Belize at Christmas it was pretty low key. Just the way we like it. We truly like spending time with our Texas family and we love the restaurants in town. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Winter Updates

By on April 8, 2026 in The Pearl
“Grandparent [gran-pair-uh nt] one who breaks most of the rules and loves every second of it.” –Unknown 

Our winter in Rockport was relaxing and full of warm comfortable days. Besides our trip to Belize at Christmas it was pretty low key. Just the way we like it. We truly like spending time with our Texas family and we love the restaurants in town. 
We decided to head home to Lewisburg on March 3rd. A bit earlier than the past few years, but we had grandparent duties and we missed our house. It was still cold in Pennsylvania but our yard was beginning to come alive. Watching spring arrive in the north is a lot of fun and a bit unbelievable. Changes appear over night and you feel like you can see the plants growing. 
Our life in Lewisburg isn’t very exciting but it’s full of time spent with family, great shopping opportunities and when the weather warms up there will be a lot of new places to explore. 


One of our favorite places to spend time on Texas Pearl is on the top deck. There is nowhere else in Rockport with a better view.

Our last few days in Texas were full sunshine, friends and good food.

Good bye Rockport. We left Texas Pearl on March 3.

On the road again. Beginning our 16th summer on The Pearl.

We spent our first night on the road with friends in College Station. It wasn’t actually on our way but it was fun to visit with them and leaving from CS let us skip going through Houston and Louisiana. Which was very nice. 

After dinner we spent a little time in their hot tub.

Our first weekend home we spent time with family. Hattie decided she wanted to get her ears pierced. So we went to a little shop in Sunbury called Body Mods. On our way to the shop Brytanie and I decided to get a second piercing. I’d been wanting to do it for years. The shop was like a little museum of oddities.

We were all happy with our earring selection.

Having cute little grandchildren is fun, but once they grow up a little they can fix you breakfast. You can’t beat that.

The kids love to come to our house to play in the yard, ride skates, bikes and scooters. They also love to have ice cream at Sweet Frog.

“Blessed with a grandson—God’s perfect gift wrapped in giggles”

Easter weekend was beautiful…the perfect time to celebrate with family with a cookout and plenty of time to play in the yard.

We didn’t miss all the winter weather. It snowed a few days in March but both times the snow melted by the end of the day.

I took this photo the first Monday we were home. Compare it to the photo below I took four weeks later. Things grow so fast you can almost see differences each day. It really is fun to see how things just return year after year.

A few of our early blooms…our yard is full of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths now.

What It Means to Be a Grandparent

By on February 23, 2026 in The Pearl
To be a grandparent is to love all over again. But softer this time. Slower. Wiser. With eyes that know how fast it all goes.

It’s holding tiny hands with fingers that once zipped coats and wiped tears from the faces of their parents.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

What It Means to Be a Grandparent

By on February 23, 2026 in The Pearl
To be a grandparent is to love all over again. But softer this time. Slower. Wiser. With eyes that know how fast it all goes.

It’s holding tiny hands with fingers that once zipped coats and wiped tears from the faces of their parents.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Feb. 11-12 Night on the Hook

By on February 20, 2026 in The Pearl
“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul” – Kate Chopin
We don’t get too many perfect days to take Texas Pearl out and anchor overnight. The wind in Rockport is constant and intense…making it uncomfortable to spend the night on the hook. But last week we found a wonderful day and we had a great time enjoying the sun, the water and the dolphins. The dolphins followed us from the time we left the harbor until we crossed the ship canal. They returned as soon as we anchored and entertained us all evening. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Feb. 11-12 Night on the Hook

By on February 13, 2026 in The Pearl
“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul” – Kate Chopin
We don’t get too many perfect days to take Texas Pearl out and anchor overnight. The wind in Rockport is constant and intense…making it uncomfortable to spend the night on the hook. But last week we found a wonderful day and we had a great time enjoying the sun, the water and the dolphins. The dolphins followed us from the time we left the harbor until we crossed the ship canal. They returned as soon as we anchored and entertained us all evening. 

We anchored close to Mud Island which is between Aransas Bay and the barrier island to the Gulf of Mexico. We took our dinghy down and paddled over to do a little exploring. I found lots of shells I can paint. I’ll save most of them to paint next winter. 

Our beautiful, comfortable Texas Pearl is a dock princess and she proved that to us again on this trip. Even with new batteries we had an issue with them giving us enough power to keep things going over night. Although we think we learned what we need to do the next time. Hopefully we have a chance to try again before we forget. 

We had planned to spend all morning anchored…enjoying our coffee and the view. But issues with power sent us home early. Those issues meant no coffee and no power to the refrigerator, so we headed back to the dock. The sunrise was as beautiful as the sunset, but soon after the sun rose the fog moved in. Making our return trip a little wet and less enjoyable. 

Leaving the marina on Wednesday.
The entrance to the canal leading to Rockport Harbor.

It felt nice to be out on the water.

We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. The water in Aransas Bay in the winter is beautiful. 

I never tire of watching the dolphins swim in front of the boat.

Mud Island…not a lot to look at, but beach combing on an island only acceptable by boat is always better than a public place.

She’s an old lady, but she still looks great at 45.

Not a ripple in the bay…a very rare sight. The extremely low tide gave us more treasures to find.

These clam shells make a great medium to paint. The people in Rockport will love them.

Happy hour on the top deck. Life doesn’t get much better.

Good bye to a wonderful day.

The glow of Rockport behind us.

Good morning from Aransas Bay.

This is the entrance to the canal into Rockport Harbor on a foggy morning. Quite a bit different than yesterday.

Returning to the marina on Thursday morning. A bit different too…but still beautiful.

January Updates

By on February 12, 2026 in The Pearl
January was a busy month filled with catching up with friends, playing the guitar, painting and going back to favorite places. Our time in Rockport is pretty low key. We truly enjoy this little coastal town and we really love the restaurants. Lots of seafood…things we don’t get when we are in Pennsylvania or New York. I wish we could find a restaurant we like as well in Lewisburg. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

January Updates

By on February 12, 2026 in The Pearl
January was a busy month filled with catching up with friends, playing the guitar, painting and going back to favorite places. Our time in Rockport is pretty low key. We truly enjoy this little coastal town and we really love the restaurants. Lots of seafood…things we don’t get when we are in Pennsylvania or New York. I wish we could find a restaurant we like as well in Lewisburg. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Belizean Cuisine

By on January 8, 2026 in The Pearl
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” -Anthony Bourdain
One thing that I love about traveling to a new place is trying the local dishes. Specialties the people in the area love. Belizean cuisine is a vibrant mix of Mayan, Creole, Garifuna and other cultural influences. It’s a delicious blend of tradition and fresh, local ingredients. Here are some of their key dishes. Seafood is also very prominent. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Belizean Cuisine

By on January 8, 2026 in The Pearl
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” -Anthony Bourdain
One thing that I love about traveling to a new place is trying the local dishes. Specialties the people in the area love. Belizean cuisine is a vibrant mix of Mayan, Creole, Garifuna and other cultural influences. It’s a delicious blend of tradition and fresh, local ingredients. Here are some of their key dishes. Seafood is also very prominent. 

Rice & Beans With Stew Chicken – Is a staple in Belizean households, this dish features seasoned stewed chicken served with rice and beans in coconut milk. It’s comforting, flavorful and a true taste of Belize. It was our first meal on the island and it was very good. 
Fry Jacks – Fluffy, deep-fried dough triangles often served at breakfast. Enjoyed with honey, jam or stuffed with savory fillings like eggs and beans for a satisfying start to the day. We all enjoyed these.
Ceviche – Belizean ceviche is a refreshing appetizer made with fresh shrimp, conch or fish. It’s then marinated in lime juice with onions, cilantro and tomatoes. Alex fixed us ceviche as an afternoon snack. Made with conch and shrimp. 
Panades – These are Belize’s version of empanadas — fried corn pastries filled with fish, chicken or beans. Served with a spicy onion relish, they’re a popular snack among locals. We had these several different times filled with chicken and beans. 
Tamales – Belizean tamales are a comforting classic made from seasoned meat and masa, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. The flavors are bold and hearty, offering a delicious bite of tradition. We had these with our Christmas Eve dinner. Which made us feel like we were at home. 
Hudut – A Garifuna specialty, Hudut is a fish stew cooked in a rich coconut broth and served with mashed plantains. It’s a flavorful dish that showcases Belize’s coastal bounty. We had this for dinner on our last night in Belize. It was full of lobster, conch, fish and shrimp. Very good. 
Salbutes – These are fried corn tortillas topped with shredded chicken, cabbage, tomatoes and avocado. Similar to the Mexican chalupa.
Chimole (Black Soup) – This savory soup gets its rich color and flavor from black recado (a spice blend), and is made with chicken, hard-boiled eggs and vegetables. It’s a hearty dish that’s popular in Creole households. We didn’t get to try this dish. 
Coconut Tarts – For a sweet treat, try coconut tarts — flaky pastry shells filled with sweetened grated coconut. These desserts are a staple in Belizean bakeries.
Belizean Rum Cake – Made with local rum, this moist and flavorful cake is a dessert that perfectly encapsulates the essence of Belize. I love rum cake, but I didn’t find any in Placencia.