Even in October, Crystal Beach in Galveston, Texas is a refreshing place to dig your toes in the sand.

     The crowd was different in October than it is at Spring Break.  The hair was whiter, less beachcombers sported bikinis.  Almost everyone walked with big dogs or little dogs, many folks rode golf carts.  The lady in the beach house next to us brought her beautiful horse!
      My husband and I had decided last summer that the first school vacation that popped up, we would rent a small beach house.  We scanned through Swede's real estate offerings.  They listed homes that welcomed pets.  We chose Unruh; the price was right, and we could take our beloved collie, Sherman.     On arriving, I was dismayed that the beach house was rather dingy and needing repairs.  The yards was still littered with Hurricane Rita's remnants.  However, we zipped up to the Gulf Coast Market and purchased cleaning supplies.  (I can't blame the last renters;  the owner did not even supply a bucket or any type of cleansers.) We had the place feeling fresh in no time, as the tile floors could be cleaned easily.  The view was fabuous!      What can I say about October weather?  Cool breezes at night, warm enough during the day without being too hot.  We walked.  We watched Astros games and hokey Lifetime movies.  We caught crabs--19 in two days. We cooked and laughed and relaxed.     As always, I carried my diary with me.  I use times away to evaluate my life and set goals.  All I could come up with, after four days of deep thought and soul-searching, was that I needed to prepare a travel kit and keep my duffel back semi-packed. That way, we can jump in the car the next time we get the urge and run away again.