Tierra Grande Tours Lower San Bernard

 Part ll

The first Saturday of each month is always a busy time in our community.  It is that special time when neighbors gather to enjoy a community breakfast and good conversations.  September’s Saturday was a very special occasion. Not only did we have our regular breakfast and later that day, the annual Board of Director elections,  but we also entertained guests from an upriver community known as Tierra Grande.

 In a previous post,(August4) we spoke of our meeting with the Tierra Grande landowners association in July and our plans to more fully integrate them into the FOR San Bernard organization. To recap, Tierra Grande is a rural subdivision in Fort Bend County just outside of Needville that straddles the San Bernard River and consists of multi-acre home sites.  The neighborhood includes two very nice recreational areas with pavilions and picnic facilities and a large lake which borders the river .  The residents enjoy their unspoiled environment and share our common interest in protection of the San Bernard River watershed.  

As discussed at our July meeting in Tierra Grande, the F.O.R. Environmental Committee invited the TG Landowners Association to join us for breakfast and a tour of the lower San Bernard River area.  As many of our upstream neighbors had never seen the lower river, they were excited at the prospect of a guided tour.

 After a wonderful breakfast, spent with our new friends from Tierra Grande, we all boarded Nelson and Vanessa’s newly repaired vessel and set out on a tour of the lower river.  Nelson provided a running commentary, which coupled with his extraordinary knowledge of the area waters and fishing, kept everyone's rapt attention.  

The tour included the lower San Bernard to within hailing distance of the beach and then a run down the intercostals to the Brazos floodgates and out to the mouth of  the Brazos River into the Gulf of Mexico.   

We then proceeded upriver to Larry and Erma Vacek’s home where we enjoyed a much needed bio-break and a feast of delicacies set out by Erma.

Picking up Larry’s pontoon boat, we split into two parties and headed up river to the FM 522 Bridge.  We then rafted the two boats and did a slow drift downstream while we visited and enjoyed each others company.  The weather was beautiful and I cannot think of a better way to enjoy it than to be on the water with good friends – both old and new!  

My personal thanks to the Taylor and Vacek families for opening their homes, providing boats, and being the gracious and generous hosts that they always are.

My apologies that we did not have enough room for everyone – we’ll have to do it again!