S.G.I. 2021 Chapter 5

Can I just say that work REALLY interferes with writing blog posts! Of course finishing this up has n.o.t.h.i.n.g to do with my procastination for that last vacation blog post from a trip. Nope.

Regardless, let’s put this one to bed…………………

The Beach. Even in the winter months, there is still beauty along the surf and in the sand.

One enterprising family created this and so far, the surf had not destroyed it. Not sure how long before the surf crushes their creation.

A little further, sand, water and wood made an interesting photo. It kind of looks like a castle.

Weather at the end of the week was less than charming, but it didn’t stop our anglers.

Dennis was sure he could catch something on the other side of the rocks.

Just to prove that I walked down in ‘yucky’ weather……………..the hood is up for a reason, it’s lightly raining.

Luckily for me (and Warner) he hooked a fish and the action began.

Team effort – remember? Dad gets to climb over the wet, slippery, dare I say ‘treacherous’ rocks to net the catch.

Once again, it was a team effort, as Warner (somewhat) patiently waits for the verdict concerning length of his catch.

Yeah! It is within the slot. The left photo had a freshly caught redfish (minutes out of the water) and the right photo a redfish (after some time on ice) back at the rental after everyone cleaned and warmed up.

Catching such a beauty was a nice way to end the week, fishing The Cut.

Let’s get back to the meals………

Sometimes you need meat, like these burgers and dogs. Grilled outside gave a nice char to them.

Add in some beans and baked potato wedges – and you have a meal.

The last night’s vacation meal is usually a bit over the top, on purpose. We’re celebrating a week with good friends and good memories in a special place. This trip was no different.

With shrimp being locally caught, it is always included in the meal planning. A trip to Dail’s was an easy task. It’s located midway on the island. This time the final product were stuffed with crab.

Our fish for the evening was redfish, blackened. It is a production. Fillets are prepped, along with the necessary butter.

Warner and Eric took care of lighting the grill. Yes, it got dark before we ate.

No matter, the fish was mighty tasty. Add in the green beans and rice and the meal was (mostly) complete.

I say mostly complete, because you ‘need to fill in the cracks’ with ice cream.

Alas, the week on S.G.I. was over except for a last few group shots. Dennis staged this one.

While I wanted a photo on the beach. Yes, the wind was still blowing.

I don’t know Dennis, I may like your photo better. 🙂

You may have noticed another member of our vacation party which made their photo debut above. Remy. It took him a bit of time to get used to us – he was very protective of his family of four. By the end of the week, he came around. That and I was the only one in the house for a short time on Saturday.

I’m not really a dog person, but did enjoy his antics throughout the week. Although Eric fed him tidbits of meat and sat as his feet during dinner – you never knew what Remy was thinking.

So ended another fun-filled week with friends at S.G.I.

Ginny

S.G.I. 2021 Chapter 2

The previous post I mentioned The Cut. Formally it was known as Bob Sike’s Cut. A google search revealed it as the #2 activity from TripAdvisor. BTW – #1 was the State Park, ironically at the opposite end of the island. Ha! It’s odd this being #2 since they only way to access this area is (1) rent/own a place inside The Plantation or (2) have a boating vessel to get you there.

But I digress. It was created in 1954 and I found an on-line photo from that time. It was named for Bob Sikes, a prominent politician from this area. He was a state representative for the US Congress 1941 – 1978.

It’s creation was for efficiency, giving more direct access to the Gulf – both for recreational fishermen and commercial operations. Here is a more recent photo I found on the internet. Weather and hurricanes have taken their toll. And yes, so has development. Looking at the bottom photo you can see some docks and houses have been built. This area is gated off – a gated community within a gated community.

Take a glance as the anglers. You can definitely see the rocks that keep The Cut channel open.

Notice all the coats? These were the temps that greeted us one morning. Add in the wind, the moistness, and sitting on the rocks – you have one cold day.

It wasn’t too bad walking to The Cut to grab my photos but was a real bear walking back. Not running today.

So how was the fishing? See for yourself. Audrey was the first angler to hook a keeper redfish. That wording was deliberate. She hooked it, Eric reeled it in and Warner netted the fish. Definitely a team effort.

Dennis caught this beauty. There are a minimum of 10 ‘spots’ on this Redfish and we only see one side………..

Eric pulled this one in – out of the slot, thus after a quick photo it went back into the water. Redfish this size tend to be the females and are a breeding size and are not kept to ensure the Redfish population continues. This lady is only showing 1 spot near the fin.

The following day Dennis caught another redfish.

Winter fishing (for us, well not me) was all about The Cut. Next up, some of the fabulous meals that sustained us during the week.

Ginny