47 dregrees for low this morning in our end of the Rio Grande Valley

 55º here in Kenwood RV aat 9:15 am Thursday.  Was a chilly (for us) 49º when we got up this morning.

Phyllis siinging in choir Sunday.
I was home with stomach issues

Here are a few pictures from Men & Women of A-Chord barbershop chorus practice Tuesday.  We perform at our first concert this Sunday in McAllan.

Our first performance will be this
Sunday in McAllen, TX

This morning I helped Phyllis set up tables for her quilting ladies who work from 9 to 12 today.  Whole room was set up with chairs, I guess from Tuesay's jam.  Removed most of them and set tables as she needed them under lights so they can work.

Somewhat complicated steps Tom Urban is making in his Texas Room.  He still made them nearly 8" risers---which he will surely regret as he gets older.  I wouldn't make anything higher than 6".

Yesterday we took Maria and Sal with us to South Padre Island for the "Shrimp Boil Port of Brownsville boat tour.  You can read about them BY CLICKING HERE  

We were on top deck.  About 45 passengers

This is a telephoto shot of the Spacex site.
Spaceships are made and worked on in this
facility, but launched about a mile away to
prevent damage to facillities in case of explosion
Click HERE to read about Spacex

Couple of old retired people

Neighbors Maria and Sal

There were a lot of equipment in the Port of Brownsville Shipping Channel which runs from the tip of South Padre Island to Brownsville  Numerous places with huge pipelines that were used to pump the sand from the bottom of the channel to the shore.  This ship actually loads it and then goes to a pipe and hooks up to pump onland.  CLICK HERE

to see about this dredge pumper.

This huge barge was anchored and pumps into a veery long pipeline that pumps out on shore.

The Port of Brownsville is undergoing a major channel deepening project, the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Improvement Project, expanding from 42 to 52 feet (and 54 feet at the entrance) to accommodate larger vessels, with Phase 2 dredging starting in late 2024 and scheduled for completion in FY2026, using federal (IIJA) and private funds for new work and beneficial reuse of dredged material. Dredging uses cutter head or hopper dredges to remove material from the bottom, placing it in upland areas or offshore for beach nourishment, with recent contracts and groundbreaking for Phase 2 starting in late 2024. 

Project Details

• Goal: Deepen the main channel from 42 to 52 feet and the entrance channel to 54 feet.
• Phases: The project is moving into Phase 2, with construction commencing in late 2024.
• Funding: Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), private funds, and TxDOT loans.
• Dredging Method: Dredges (cutter head or hopper) suck up material from the bottom.
• Dredged Material Placement: Material is placed in designated upland areas (DMPAs) or used for beneficial purposes, like beach renourishment on South Padre Island. 

Current Status & Timeline

• Funding Secured: Full funding for the project is in place.
• Phase 2 Start: Dredging for Phase 2 began in November/December 2024.
• Completion: New work dredging is scheduled for completion in Fiscal Year 2026. 

Impact

• Economic Growth: Supports regional industries, increases trade, and attracts
•  new business.
• Job Creation: Expected to create thousands of construction and permanent jobs.
• Navigational Safety: Enhances safety for vessels servicing the port and offshore energy sector. 
• ***********************************************************                                                              
• We went by an area where ships are cut up for scrap, and after salvagiing anything that 
• can be reused, the scrap iron is shipped to China.  We saw the last bit of the aircraft carrier Kitty
• Hawk, but I didn't get a picture of it.  Cousin Kent Miles took us on a tour of that ship docked in
• San Diego back in the 1990's!  This is the largest salvage yard in the United States that scraps
• ships.
• 
  

  

  Serving up shrimp, potatoes, sausage, corn

  
  
  
  
  

We had arrived at the island a little early so we drove north a few miles to show Marie & Sal the sand sculptures that are on exhibit.  They change the sculptures every year.  Takes a lot of time and patience.

This gives some facts about
the sculpture and how it is preserved

Look what I stumbled on to.  I
can't determine what year.

This showed up on Facebook from about 10 years ago

Sign where we were waitiing for the boat
on South Padre Island.

This is the boat we were on, taken as we got off.

Well, I think I have caught up.  Phyllis is

down at the Rec Hall oveerseeing the quilting.

This afternoon Lauri Kause is hosting a "Winter Happy Hour" at the Rec Hall at 4:00 pm  Hoping the 

various groups that do their own happy hour every day at someone's trailer will join!

This is getting too long, Till another time, LCM