BBQ

The cold front finally got here bringing rain and the temperature plummeted to 25 degrees C.  We had planned on a trip down to Mustang Island but the fogginess and potential for heavy rain deterred our journey.  Instead we shopped for sandals (my last of 2 pair having given up the ghost while washing the Bigfoot last night), a new choke chain for Kirk since the 4 Jack Russell terriers moved in a few RVs over (Party time! -as my sister said when I bemoaned to her Kirk’s sudden loss of training memory), and a trip to the art gallery.  

Cam spent the afternoon out in the rain scrubbing the high, cooked on bug spots I missed on the Bigfoot so I went to town for a hair cut (found out about all the best seafood, po-boys and Texas barbecue in town).  Apparently, this town has the freshest oysters in the U.S. as they come off the boats "onto your plate with the sea water still runnin' off em".  Not being a raw oyster fan, we had barbecue from Hatfield’s BBQ which was one room with a wall sized blackboard menu listing your choices of barbecued meat and sides to go with it (this being coleslaw, beans, corn, mac & cheese, etc) and beer brands, a roughed in L shaped bar/order counter, picnic tables for seating, a small partitioned off 10 x 7 kitchen open to view, and whitewashed walls on which you could write your own words of wisdom, draw or sign your name (and many had). The smoker/barbecue was outside.  The kitchen counter had a large sign that said “No you can’t have it done your way”. The owners were friendly, the food was very good and being Texas there was plenty of it. Total bill for ribs, chicken and sides was $18.22.  The hair stylist had said it was family run and indeed the 3 generations were there running it. They made the TOP 50 Barbecue in Texas in the Texas Monthly magazine.  The Corvette and Hummer outside can attest to success as I was the one driving the 400,000 km Accord in the parking lot and their only customer at 4 p.m. before the Friday crowd.  

Rockport, in the 'winter' is the right mix of things to do and see, a variety of restaurant choices (ranging from gypsy caravans $$ with smokers along the road to fancy $$$$, lots of fresh sea food, very little traffic, shore/pier fishing spots everywhere and good weather.  The people are also a mix of local fishermen, merchants, the weekenders from Houston, the regular working guy, seasonal snowbirds, and travellers (like us). Houses ranging from $100,000 to million dollar mansions (cabins) all mixed together.  Everybody seems to have a boat, the majority being either 18 ft flat boats with high hp engines or 50+ foot yachts. There are a few sailboats and the odd catamaran and of course working fishing/shrimp boats.  All I can think of is there must be one hell of a boat service industry here.  When I think of the maintenance we used to do on a 40 ft fishing boat the thought of owning a really large boat makes me want to run screaming in the other direction.  Of course, if you can own it you probably aren’t the one maintaining it.