Happy Turtle Days!

Nancy just called to tell me that the first turtle of the season has come ashore to lay her eggs, adding that this turtle's tag indicates that she 35 years old, and she returned to SPI to achieve maternal fulfillment during the town's 35th birthday party.

Mere coincidence?
We think not.

Sad News in Bongodogland

I just received word that Joey Tamayo's wife Toni passed away yesterday from a very short battle with cancer - she was only diagnosed two weeks ago. The couple has a brand new baby and that makes this sad story even sadder.

The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), 2 PM at Holy Family Catholic Church at Harrison and 24th in Brownsville.

The Bongodogs will still perform - with a stand-in singer - at Palm St. Pier tomorrow night - as far as I know. Though who could blame them if they felt they had to back out? Certainly not I...

Even if you have to crawl....

I returned home from British Columbia Monday night and have finally gotten around to catching up on all the newspapers, minutes of meetings I missed, etc. and if a concentrated diet of published vitriol and sheer lunacy does not make you want to cry and crawl in a hole somewhere then you are perhaps too heavily armored, brothers and sisters.

Hey - let the developers have their way! Who are we to stop them? Let them build their 8-story condos in your neighborhood! Forget any hopes you might have had of insisting that the southside problems not be replicated as SPI grows north because this town lacks the will to deny any little thing the developers ask for. Want to know why Sand Blasters 2008 won’t come to SPI? (I got the inside scoop last week): 1) We don’t have a town beach where crowds can easily gather, and 2) the consulting sculptor had a really bad experience with one of our town officials during a recent Sandcastle Days contest, leading to the conclusion that we are difficult to deal with.

Yes, it could have been so easy for me to fall into the depths of despair this week, but for one thing:

Turtle Days!!!!

I can’t wait to see all the painted fans at today’s Turtle Tea!

Friday night’s Lighting of the Tiki Torches is going to be a gas and the Saturn Street Strummers have a brand new song to unleash upon the unsuspecting public. You’d better be at Palm St. Pier by 7 PM or you are going to be in the unenviable position of having to listen over and over again to multiple and detailed reports of all the sublimely silly stuff you missed.

Saturday morning you really need to show up at Beach Access #1 (Harbor st.) as we unlitter the fore-dunes and recreate the Arribada with sandturtles - my goal is 100 or more and I will really need some help - no artistic talent required.

Last but not least is Saturday night’s Turtle Ball. Music by The Agency and every penny of the $25 ticket fee goes to Sea Turtle Inc. We hear tell that a sweet blue seahorse is picking up the entertainment tab out of her own pocket so that we can all get dressed up in silly/lovely costumes, flutter our fans and dance the night away -- just for fun!

I’ll tell you, it is enough to make me (almost) forget the election ugliness and the shortsightedness of our leaders and believe that there are still enough good people here to give me hope for our town’s future.

I’m heading to the Turtle Ball --
Hope to see you there.
(Get your tickets at Zeste -- I’ll be the one leaving a trail of sand in my wake....)

C'mon Baby Light My Tiki Torch!

The turtles are returning to SPI to nest and that means it’s time to get ready for the second annual Lighting of the Tiki Torches Flotilla, scheduled for Friday, May 18 at just before sunset. The reigning King and Queen Sargassum, along with their court of local kayakers, will paddle the entire length of the island, lighting tiki torches all along the bay. Upon arriving at Palm Street Pier, they will be greeted by drummers, hula dancers, ukuklele players and a special performance by the Bongodogs. This is a perfect excuse to break out the Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts and get ready for summer!

There are multiple ways to participate -- all of them FREE:

Kayakers: Meet at Ted’s Landing at 5:30 if you are up for the whole trail, or join in at any point along the way. A trailer provided by The Beach Service will help you get your kayak back up to Ted’s after the ceremony.

Bayside residents: Place your (unlit) Tiki Torch in the bay and the King and Queen of Sargassum will light it from the ceremonial torch. Contact organizer Nancy Marsden to get your location on the Tiki Trail Map.

Everybody Else: Walk to the nearest by access point to cheer on the flotilla and pay homage to King & Queen Sargassum! Then head over to Palm Street Pier to participate in the festivities.

The Island Drummers and hula dancers will be on hand to welcome the flotilla at Palm St. Pier. At 7:45 the sunset ceremony begins, culminating in “the calling of the turtles” (on a conch shell, of course!) as the island officially welcomes nesting sea turtles and the beginning of summer. Following the ceremony, the Saturn Street Strummers will break out their ukes as warmup for the ever-popular Bongodogs and their unique blend of Texmex Puro Caliche Island music.

The Bongodogs appearance at the Tiki Festival should come as no surprise. "Above all, we are citizens of the Island and lovers of the sea" says David Cassady, the Bongodogs bassist. "We hope that our involvement will inspire others to take an interest in the sea turtles...".
David, his wife Cathi, and Dave Lorhy are all Bongodogs and avid divers. "Cathi and I have had some great turtle experiences in both Belize and Hawaii" said David, "but last year was probably the best! We all three traveled to Mexico to do some diving and had many wonderful close encounters with these very friendly creatures."

"This one took a particular liking to Dave!"

"We hope everyone on the Island, and in the Valley, will come out to support this event. See you there!"

The Tiki Trail flotilla is part of the week-long “Turtle Days” festivities which is being brought to you by a whole bunch of hard-working island locals who take their silliness very seriously. Other Turtle Day events include A Turtle Art Exhibit and Turtle Tea at Treasures of the Gulf Museum in Port Isabel; Sand Turtle Arribada workshops with a local sand sculptor; and the much anticipated Turtle Ball on Sat., May 19.

For a complete schedule of all Turtle Day events, surf on over to SPIonline.com.

The Turtles are Coming!

The Turtles Are Coming!

Come one, come all,
To the Turtle Lady’s Turtle Ball.

Come one, come all,
Even if you gotta’ crawl.


Mark your calendar for the first annual Turtle Days’ Celebration to be held the week of May 13 -19, 2007. The week-long events will celebrate the Turtle nesting season and the beginning of summer on the Island. The planning committee, led by local resident Nancy Marsden, is putting together a program of activities to entertain local residents and visitors to the area.

Special events include:
? A Turtle Art exhibit at the Treasures of the Gulf Museum in Port Isabel
? A Turtle Tea Reception at the Museum on May 17th . The event will honor local artists who have contributed their talents to help support local charitable events such as the Sea Turtle Inc. Fundraiser.
? A Sand Turtle Arribada with special sand turtle workshops by Sandy Feet.
? The 2nd annual “Lighting of the Tiki Torches” with a flotilla of kayaks traveling south on Tompkins Channel to Palm Street Pier for an Island celebration complete with a drum circle, island dancers, the Calling of the Turtles by the SPI Sirens, and the crowning of the new King and Queen of the Sargassum. Friday, May 18
? The culminating event will be The Turtle Ball, a fanciful masked costume ball with the theme: “Where Sea Creatures Meet Sanderella”. The Ball will be held at Padre Bar and Grill on South Padre Island and the “Agency” will provide the music for guests to dance the night away on Saturday, May 19, 2007

Tickets for the Turtle Tea and the Turtle Ball will be available on May 1, 2007 and may be purchased at Zeste or by calling Nancy Marsden at 956-371-9120. Tickets for the Turtle Tea Reception are $5 per person and only 50 tickets are available;
Tickets for the Turtle Ball are $25 per person.

The week-long celebration is intended to raise awareness of the turtle nesting season on the island. The Kemp's Ridley turtle, the world's most endangered sea turtle, is returning in greater numbers every year, thanks to the great work of Ila Loetscher and Sea Turtle, Inc. Monies raised at the various events will benefit Sea Turtle Inc.

This annual celebration will draw visitors to the Island and educate people about the Kemp’s Ridley turtle and the work that Sea Turtle Inc. does to help protect and preserve these beautiful creatures that grace the Island’s shores.

If you would like to assist in the planning effort, want more information about the activities, contact Nancy Marsden at 956-371-9120.

The turtle nesting season is beginning on the Island. It’s important for all beach goers to watch for them on the beach, help keep the beach clean for the turtles to build their nests and call the Nesting Turtle Hotline if a turtle is sighted.

Getting Ready for Turtle Days!

Christy McDonald (the island's own "Betsy Ross") and Nancy Marsden ("Turtle Days" project manager) show off the new flag that will fly during "Turtle Days" 2007.

Yes, it is blurry! The flag's official unfurling is scheduled for 10 AM Friday, Feb. 16 at the SPI Visitors Center. Local dignitaries expected to attend will include Mayor Bob Pinkerton and the reigning Queen and King Sargassum (JoAnn Evans and Gary Rupp). Jeff and Lucy from Seaturtle Inc. are also expected to say a few words, and the Saturn Street Strummers will perform "The Unlitter Song" with a brand new verse honoring sea turtles.

Turtle Days begin when the first nest is found and end when the last hatchling swims away (roughly late spring to early fall.) Lots more Turtle Days activities are in the works - stay tuned!