Dog Days

We’re running an experiment

…on the towing capacity of our Toyota Prius. So far we’ve managed to load three adults, two children in their car seats, one stroller, one large suitcase, three “personal items,” a diaper bag, a small cooler, and a large cooler bag all at once. We’re debating about installing a trailer hitch on the back to increase our load, but it wouldn’t solve the problem of wedging an adult between the two car seats.

We were the first to arrive to Stewart Beach on the Sunday morning of our first trip when someone miscalculated the elevation changes in the open parking lot and got us stuck in the sand. Thankfully the lifeguard wasn’t too far behind. Add a lift kit to future Prius mods.

For all its faults, it’s how we’ve managed to spend the dog days of summer in Galveston. Making PB&J sandwiches, peeing in the ocean, and watching the shorebirds. Applying and reapplying the kid’s sunscreen. Getting covered in sand, showering off at the stall, and still coming home crunchy. In my bag is my SX-70 and a pack of film for each trip to capture the memories (and my Nikon Zf + telephoto lens for birding… but that’s for another post).

Ruby grew up close enough to the Gulf to create memories of going to the beach growing up. She remembers it fondly. I only visited once as a fourteen year old boy and was too preoccupied with my hair “swoosh” to have made any meaningful memories. As adults and as parents, we both really like it. Stewart and East Beaches are both really well kept, good fried seafood is easy to come by, and it has that special port town charm that hasn’t been totally rooted out by late stage capitalism. I imagine the hurricanes help.

“Making drops.” 2025.

Birthday Girl. 2025.

Ferry Ride. 2025.

Galveston fills me with anticipatory nostalgia. I want to be a sandy old man with bright white veneers beaming under sunken eyes and leathery skin. Tan lines from my sunglasses, loose-fitting linen clothes, and sandals. I want to spend summers in retirement beachside with Ruby in an RV. Drinking cold brew, walking the beach, and reminiscing over these memories. All of us so young, happy, and rose-colored. I want the kids to see these photos as adults and remember that I love them.

The Boardwalk. 2025.