Today is the first Saturday of the month, which is when the SPIKE (South Padre Island Kite Enthusiasts) usually gather on the Flats to fly their kites. Hardy suggested a trip to the Island, and Jan and Steve, Pat and Bob, and Ken and I thought that flying kites would be a good way to see in the new year. We rode with Hardy and Judy. It's an 86-mile trip that takes nearly two hours, so we were glad to have the company.
When we met the others at the Flats, we tried to park so as to create a wind break. The wind was whipping up white caps on the ocean and blowing sheets of sand along the beach. We saw a couple of windsurfers, and one quad in the air briefly when we arrived--but no more SPIKE members were on the beach.
Jan got a little kite with a twirling tail up quickly. Steve commented, "Low tech!"
Hardy and Judy launched their kite with its humongous tail into the air, and it rode the wind steadily.
In fact, Hardy and Bob flew it from their chairs on the beach.
Steve got another kite up with Judy's help.
Ken managed to launch his dual line kite with the ribbon tail attached and fly it briefly. It danced and swooped in the air.
Unfortunately, the heavy winds were too much for it, and it crashed, breaking a couple of the fiberglass spars.
Judy and I walked over to a restroom, and along the way, I spotted a couple of butterflies.
We went to Daddy's Seafood and Cajun Kitchen for lunch.
We stopped at B & S Kites on the way home. Ken got his kite repaired--it turned out to have a broken line in addition to the broken spars. Hardy and Steve found some things that looked fun. The owner, a member of SPIKE, said that the winds had been up around 28 mph--not a good day for kite flying.
Then we headed home. We were treated to the sight of the orange sun sinking below the horizon as Judy drove across Military Highway.
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