FRI 10/8

We could go on and on about how romantic an evening boat ride sounds: the quiet
flow of the current, your sweetie’s face against the setting sun. But that ain’t
squat compared to witnessing a gator nail his prey firsthand. “We once saw an
alligator leap out of the water like a dolphin,” says Tina Proctor of Artist
Boat, an organization that leads artsy canoe trips through Christmas Bay, Armand
Bayou and other surrounding areas. “We could see his feet, the whole side of
his body — he was only six feet away from us.” Proctor can’t promise that kind
of Discovery Channel action during this Friday’s paddle through Christmas Bay,
though you will see “plenty of critters and some of the most pristine areas
in the Galveston Bay,” she says. Dress to get wet, pack a lunch and arrive early
for a paddling demonstration. After a two-hour kayak tour, you’ll beach on the
wetlands for a quick watercolor lesson — the perfect opportunity for you and
your first mate to kick back, watch for gators and capture the moment on canvas.
2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, October 8. Group meets at Ernie’s Bait Camp, 2211 East
Highway 332, Beach Exit 6 at Christmas Bay. For information, call 409-770-0722
or visit www.artistboat.org. $20 to
$40. –Steven Devadanam

Take a Dive

SAT 10/9

Interested in some buoyancy compensators? How about some spare air? Then you’re
either way too into metaphor or you’re a scuba diver, which means you belong
at this weekend’s Scuba Diving Flea Market in Clear Lake. Yes, our brownish,
oily Texan waters are great places for spotting wildlife, spearing fish and,
of course, practicing conservation activities. The members of Bay Area Divers
will greet guests with barbecue and door prizes, and there’ll be plenty of opportunities
to buy, sell and learn a thing or two about scuba — even for those of us who
think a “regulator” is someone who hangs with Warren G. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,
October 9. C.D. Landolt Pavilion, 5000 NASA Road. For information, call 281-474-9406
or visit www.bayareadivers.org.
$4. — Julia Ramey

This article appears in Oct 7-13, 2004.