Channel Marker

The entire Intracoastal is well marked.  The familiar red and green markers are well placed, and well maintained.  Some like this one have flashing lights.  In the Canal, red markers are on the land side, and the green ones are to seaward.  On the many channels which cross the ICW,  you must remember: "Red right returning".  This means that when you are proceeding up from the Gulf, the red markers will be on the right, or starboard side of the boat, the green will be on the left (port).

Range Markers

Range markers are only found on the ship channels, not on the ICW itself.  The idea is that as long as you have the two markers lined up with each other, you are still in the channel.

Pipelines

There are many oil and natural gas wells in the gulf.  The produce of these is often piped directly to shoreside facilities.  These pipelines are common and are marked by signs such as this.

The La Salle monument

This monument stands on the shore of Matagorda Bay at the old seaport of Indianola.  The following is from the Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia:

In 1684 he sailed from France with a fleet of four ships on an expedition to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. When he reached the Gulf of Mexico he was unable to find the Mississippi, and landed on the shore of what is now Matagorda Bay, Texas, believing the bay to be the western outlet of the Mississippi. After several fruitless searches by land for the mouth of the river, La Salle realized his mistake. In January 1687 La Salle set out for Canada with a party of 17 men to procure help for the few members left of the original expedition. His men mutinied, however, and he was killed near the Trinity River. One of La Salle’s supply ships, the Belle, sank in 1686 during a storm and was discovered in Matagorda Bay in 1995.

Disrepair

In past years, the south Texas economy has not always been as good as it is today.  Even now, it lags behind the rest of the state.  And, given the Mexican economy, the future does not look all that great.  Sights like this are not uncommon.

Gulls

Gulls are, of course, ubiquitous, as are a great number of other birds, from Vultures to Whooping Cranes.  I really wish that I had taken more pictures of the birds.  Next trip, I promise I will.

Cattle

I think that I mentioned something earlier about ranches.   Well where there are ranches, there are cows, and once in a while a cow likes to go for a swim.  Go figure.  Maybe, like Gary Larsen said, this is one of the things that cows do when they think no one is around.

The author

Here is a good example of why it is a bad idea to fish when there is a camera around.  I remember this fish as being about two feet long.  I think I'll get a new camera.  A real complicated one.  Then I won't show my wife how to use it.  Yea, that's it.