Saturday, April 23, 2011

If you build it, they will come

With temps in the 80s and climbing every week, summer is all ready here. And living by the coast has its perks, because going to the beach is one way to beat the heat. And one of the most fun things to do at the beach is to build sandcastles. And in this part of the world, we take it up to a whole other level! Last weekend, I got to enjoy the Port Aransas SandFest, the world's biggest sandcastle building competition.

Check it!

(Click on pics for a bigger view)





























But it's not just sandcastles you get to see at the festival. You see some really amazing stuff!
































I wish I had taken a camera with me on Saturday, when the builders started building and finished their works that day. But I still haven't gotten a replacement camera. So, Monday, I picked up some disposable cameras and went to capture what remained of the creations.

Some of the spectacular creations had been destroyed by wind and water. But quite a few still managed to survive. Check it!















And this is one way to enjoy the beach!

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

And my favorite sand sculpture:

It's the Peanuts gang!









Oh my! Linus is blown away by a gigantic Charlie Brown erection...

of sand!

And there's Snoopy in the back, getting a tan!



The Easter Bunny stopped by to drop off candy and eggs.










And speaking of eggs...

It's Lady Gaga!

Baby I was born this way!



Waiter! My egg is undercooked!

The beach is a great place to find hotties laying around.



Just remember to be safe when playing with new friends



or you might get crabs


















Check out the rest of the fantastic sand creations:





























Y'all come back now!



As you can see, there used to be two mermaids. But the second one got taken out by erosion...or eaten by a sand shark...or probably fell apart after some drunk idiot tried to hump it.

26 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos! I recall seeing a sand castle building competition on South Padre Island when I lived in McAllen in the mid 90's. It was great to watch them!!! I'm glad you managed to get some photos, Eros. Thanks for sharing!!

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  2. I'm feeling scrambled after seeing the Lady GaGa pic...
    Loving the magic fairy castles... and always beware drunken humpers.
    Sx

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  3. Oh wow. Love the mermaids and your safe play message.

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  4. just delightful Eros! there is a real skill and technicality to building such fantastic creations. Your tracking down of a camera for the event was worth all the effort and thank you for sharing the outcome.

    They are most spectacular...

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  5. I'm pleased to see you out and about with your camera again.

    As for the mermaid, even a drunken fool should know that a coupling isn't possible.

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  6. I love PortA!

    Thanks for the wonderful tour!

    Happy Easter!

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  7. Those are phenomenal. I love sculpture, and seeing sculpture in sand is great. I especially adore the temporary nature of it all.

    Have a super Easter.

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  8. Ponita, You know, when I talked to some of the master sandcastle builders, they said that Port Aransas and the sand all the way down to South Padre is the best for making sandcastles! I'm glad you got to see a sandcastle competition. It sure is a lot of fun to watch those artists at work.

    Scarlet, That Lady Gaga egg was quite popular with people doing Lady Gaga poses next to it for pictures. Some of the most amazing sandcastles had color painted on them! But by Monday, all the colors had been blown or washed off by nature. Yes, friends don't let friends drunk hump.

    Roses, Safety first! Crabs belong on dinner plates, not in one's underpants.

    Princess, Thank you. I'm really glad I was able to capture some of the fantastic creations. It is amazing what these artists can create in a few hours; I can't imagine how much more magnificent their creations might become if they were given days, not hours, to create!

    MJ, Unfortunately, the fools around here aren't much wiser when they're sober!

    XL, Happy Easter to you, too! Port A is a nice little getaway...miles of beach without worrying about over development--and plenty of nice seafood places nearby.

    Snooze, It is truly astounding what people can create using their imaginations and hard work! Everyone had smiles on their faces just looking at these awesome creations. And the nice thing is that sandfest is used to remind people why protecting our coastal areas and nature is so important.

    Happy Easter to you, too Snooze!

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  9. *Looks pitifully down at my sand shack*

    I would've loved to see those artists work on the sand like that! Awesome photos, Eros!

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  10. Tara, I know, right? Totally makes whatever I make at the beach look like kids stuff. No, scratch that. Some of those fantastic sand sculptures were made by kids!

    But yeah, I count myself lucky to live nearby so I can go watch those awesome artists at work when it happens every year around this time.

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  11. Just a thought:

    http://www.justgiving.com/kazblog

    Thanks!

    Rog

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  12. Dude, have you gone and got yourself a 'real' life?

    *pokes eros in the ribs*

    Remember us?

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  13. Hi Eros...
    I just called by to say hello.
    I hope that you are keeping well and that life is treating you kindly...
    I miss you... We all miss you.

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  14. Hello again Mr Eros,
    Still thinking of you...
    P XXX

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  15. Hi, Eros Den! Am trying to contact you with MJ's help to see if you're still alive. If so, wanted to let you know I've started blogging again under Snippets From Spaceship Orion, Again. If you're NOT blogging, then forget this, if you want.

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  16. Wishing you the best Christmas ever.

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  17. Rog, What a wonderful idea! I actually kept Kaz in mind during our fundraising events this past October. I count her among the angels I've had the pleasure of knowing prior to their ascent into the heavens. I think of her as one of the stars who guide the rest of us in the dark night.

    Mago, Thanks for the concern. I hope that you are doing well.

    Savannah, I've missed you, too! I'll be sure to swing by and visit you soon!

    Roses, Sorry. Life just got busy unexpectedly. And I haven't forgotten any of you. How could I? You're all so unforgettable in every way!

    MJ, Thanks MJ!

    Princess and Scarlet, Thank you so much for the kind words and concern. I'm fine. Just busy. And I want you to know that I've missed you all as well.

    WW, Hi! It's great to see you back to blogging! I'll definitely come by to say hello! I've been away from blogging for most of the year because of life--work and personal matters demanded much of my time. But I'm back now and I can't wait to visit everyone!

    XL, Thank you so much! Feliz Navidad to you and the household! I hope y'all are staying nice and warm and safe this holiday season! Cheers!

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    o*o*-]o[-*o*o


    Apologies to everyone who's left a comment. Thank you for your concern. As much as I plan and prepare for the future, life has a funny way of taking my well thought out plans, ripping them up into tiny pieces, and throwing the confetti remains on my head before pushing me into the deep end of the pool; and if I'm lucky, life has a nice cold screwdriver waiting for me poolside. But I'm doing well. Just had so much going on at the time and sometimes, I found myself having to put on hold some parts of my life to focus on things that needed my attention (and the majority of my time).

    But I want to say Thank you so much for your concern and well wishes. This week is the first time in months I've been able to get back to the blog and I plan on visiting everyone soon. So Have a very Happy Holiday Season to All!

    Cheers and Best Wishes for good fortune, good times, and good company to all!

    .....[*]
    ...[*].[8]
    [+].[X].[+]

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  18. Hooray! Hip hip Hooray!
    Lovely to see that you haven't dropped off the face of the earth Mr Eros...
    Have a wonderful Christmas XXX

    some times the real world just happens to get in the way...
    Welcome back!

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  19. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!
    Was getting seriously worried about you!
    SXXXXX

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  20. Thank you for the holiday wishes and concern Scarlet. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season!

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