Island Time

Between us, Live In Handyman and I took quite a few photos of Galveston Island. Fear not. I won't lay them on you all at once.

I have a semi-plan for sharing several with you over the next few Wednesdays. However, these photos are coming from three different sources, so you can bet a few will slip through the cracks and end up being a mish-mash on the last post, whenever that is. Just letting you know :)

For those of you who don't know or don't remember, in September 2008, Galveston was hit by Hurricane Ike. The Gulf of Mexico covered almost the entire island after rolling over a seventeen-foot seawall built following the 1900 hurricane that almost totally destroyed the island.

One of the structures Ike destroyed was the historic Balinese Room, home to illegal gambling from the 1940s to 1960s. The building sat on a pier and ran from the seawall out about 100 yards. This is all that is left - you can see a few pilings sticking up out of the water right beyond the sandbar. I hope you can click on it and it will enlarge so you can read the plaque.


The going has been slow, but the Island and its people are resilient. Galveston is rebuilding, better than ever. This eatery is on Seawall Blvd. overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.


Hurricane Ike also took away more than 11,000 century old live oaks. Several of the residents had the trunks of these trees carved into sculptures. Here is one of them:


And one more, so you can see two of the hundreds of Victorian homes that line the streets of the Silk Stocking District.


But the island and the sea are eternal.


And every morning brings a new day.


And a new chance to visit a . . .


More photos next Wednesday!

Comments

Colette Martin said…
Lovely! I can feel the ocean breeze.
Beautiful pictures! Looks like you had a great time. And I hope it was an inspiring trip, as well.
Miss GOP
BECKY said…
Oh...why don't we all live in such a beautiful place?? If only we could...! Thanks for sharing the photos. I look forward to many more!
Linda Kage said…
What neat wood work. And I always love ocean pictures; makes me want to go and see it. I've always wanted to see the ocean.
Joanne said…
Wow, I love their innovation in taking the poor tree trunks and turning them into fascinating works of art. Just beautiful ...
LR said…
I love that tree sculpture. And the sound of "Silk Stocking District."
Terry Odell said…
You DO know I have Friday Field Trips (virtual) on my blog. How about sharing some of them at my place one weekend? Would love to have you!

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
Manzanita said…
What a loss a hurricane causes. The carvings are usually done with chain saws. Can you imagine. I can't even lift a chain saw. Thanks for showing your pictures.
VR Barkowski said…
I plan to dig into Nic Pizzolatto's debut, Galveston (set right before Ike), in May, and these pics are the perfect accompaniment - Gorgeous. Thank you.
Carol Kilgore said…
Colette - A few days while we were there, quite a stiff breeze blew off the water.

Miss GOP - Yes. And yes!

Becky - As the old show tune says, "Wouldn't It Be Loverly!"

Linda - I love the ocean. It lives and breaths. It moves. It sings a love song and totally captivates me. I hope you get to visit an ocean one day. Come see me ... we'll go :)

Joanne - Some of the live oaks remain, and they're lovely. I'm glad the owners created something newly lovely to honor them.
Carol Kilgore said…
LR - Silk Stocking District does have a certain ring.

Terry - Good idea! Maybe June? I'll be in touch.

Manzanita - Yes, they used chain saws to make these carvings. Think of the strength it takes not only to heft the saw but to control it to make such fine cuts.

VR - My CP has been talking about Pizzolatto's GALVESTON, too. As dark as the book sounds, I may have one or two photos just for you :)
Angela said…
I know the song Galveston, oh Galveston, but I did not even know it was an island! Beautiful pictures. I hope they planted many new oak trees. (Shall I send you acorns?) Greetings from one island to the next!
Southpaw said…
Great pics! It must have been wonderful.
Jan Morrison said…
wonderful. Thanks...love the carving most of all. I like living by the great heaving beast of an ocean, don't you?
Laura Eno said…
Gorgeous photos! Love the purple tones on the sunrise and the tree art is magnificent.
Carol Kilgore said…
Angela - I don't know if your cold weather oaks would grow in hot Galveston. They have begun replanting, but it will take a while for them to grow. Greetings back.

Holly - It was wonderful :)

Jan - Yes, I do.
Carol Kilgore said…
Laura - I love that purple, too. Wish I had such talent. Wish I could hold a chain saw - LOL!
notesfromnadir said…
Great pictures! What a beautiful place. I'm impressed w/ those sculptures as some1 has taken the time to create something from the destruction.

Are there any tributes to the 1900 hurricane?
Maryannwrites said…
Thanks for the great pictures and sharing your trip. I was down there last year, but did not see any of those tree sculptures. Amazing. We did see a lot of the devastation and drove to a restaurant that literally was no longer there. We were using GPS to find a pizza restaurant that was highly rated. When we got to a spot on the road, the GPS said, "You are there." We all looked out the window and saw a bare foundation. Sad. Not just because we couldn't get the pizza, but what a stark reminder of all that was lost.
Talei said…
Oh, that is sad about the hurricane damage. Amazing how nature changes everything.

And, I'm over here in my writhing gown, heading for the Tiki Bar! First round is my shout! ;)
Those are wonderful photos! Lay them on us!
Lydia Kang said…
What lovely photos! So there really is a Tiki Bar, eh?
;)
Janet, said…
It's a beautiful place. No wonder you had a wonderful time.
Carol Kilgore said…
Lisa - Yes, there is a somewhat recent tribute to the 1900 hurricane, but I don't have a photo because we never found ourselves at that spot when we weren't moving. Here is a link with a wonderful photo and a bit of history - you'll need to copy and paste, because I couldn't make the link work:
http://photohome.com/photos/texas-pictures/galveston/storm-of-1900-statue-1.html

Maryann - We saw several places like that where nothing remains. They are slowly rebuilding. If you go back, go to the Visitor's Center and pick up the tree sculture brochure.

Talei - I'm so glad you wore your writhing gown. It's lovely! I'll have a Margarita :)

Alex - Thanks. More next week.

Lydia - Not only a Tiki Bar ... wait until next week!

Janet - Best time ever :)
Claudia Zurc said…
Thank you for sharing these lovely pictures, Carol. Can't wait to see the rest next Wednesday :)
P.S. I love the one with the indigo-coloured sky.
Anonymous said…
Hey, the Tiki Bar! Save a seat for me. I'm opening my wormhole I keep in my garage and coming right over.
Carol Kilgore said…
Claudia - That one is one of my favorites. Live-In Handyman took it :)

Talli - Yes, it is. What happened to your blog is horrible. Do you think someone hijacked it?

Stephen - Yay! Zip right over :)
notesfromnadir said…
Carol,
Thanks so much for the link. It seems surreal when you see the gentle waves in the picture & then try to imagine what it was like back then.
Carol Kilgore said…
Lisa, I think so, too. The sea has many faces.
Unknown said…
What wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to the next batch!

I love what people have done with those old oaks. Just beautiful.
Hart Johnson said…
Such a gorgeous place. I'm glad it seems to be recovering!
Carol Kilgore said…
Shirley - I'm glad they saved something of the old oaks, too.

Hart - I'm glad about the recovery, too.

Ebendy - Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Anonymous said…
I love the tree sculptures. What an astounding, creative way to use the wood.

I love these photos, especially the two penultimate ones. Yes, island and sea ARE eternal. Down with illegal gambling. Do we need that? Just give me the morning and evening sky, the ocean, and, always, the people.
Ann Best, Memoir Author
Carol Kilgore said…
Ann - Those sculptures dot the island, and are reminders of the magnificent trees that once stood there. I love the ocean. It's all things.

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