< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 FEATURE DECORATING DUO When it comes to holidays, islanders like to be early and ‘over the top’ story and photos by BARBARA CANETTI When it comes to holiday decorations, William and Tirzah McLain go all out. Halloween is Tirzah’s favorite, she said. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 4142 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 43 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 43 FEATURE W itches, ghosts and pumpkins start lining up at William and Tirzah McLain’s Galveston house before Labor Day. The McLains believe in “over the top” holiday deco- rations: Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, Flag Day or Easter. Their house, on busy Avenue O, is a show place of fun and festivities. But Halloween is Tirzah’s favorite, she said. She began collecting items as a young girl, watching her mother, who owned a flower shop and used interesting and colorful holiday pieces in her arrangements. Some of the items she has are more than 40 years old. “It’s like a garden — always room for one more,” William said. Tirzah doesn’t think you can have too much décor. “I’m always looking to add to my collections,” said. 44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 FEATURE COASTAL CARVINGS Putting a seaside spin on pumpkins is fun and easy with the right tools Coastal Texans celebrate holi- days in their own seaside style, and that goes for decorating pumpkins. Whether it’s a boat or bony fish you plan to carve, here are some tips for smooth sailing. photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS WHAT YOU NEED Tape, for attaching the template Straight pin Serrated knife or craft saw battery-operated candle rubbing alcohol to remove pen lines, optional Orange paint pen to correct mistakes, optional Orange or yellow tissue paper, optional PICKING A PUMPKIN To make carving easier, choose pumpkins with smooth faces. For the anchor and the ship, choose a tall pumpkin; and, for the bony fish, choose a short, round pumpkin. Try to ensure the base of the pumpkin is somewhat flat, so it will be stable. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 45 GET GOING Carve a hole to insert the candle in either the top or the bottom of your pumpkin. Print two templates — one to trace onto the pumpkin and one to reference as you carve. Clean your pumpkin with soap and water, dry, and tape the pattern to the flattest side. OUTLINE THE DESIGN Use the straight pin to push holes along the pattern. remove the pattern and connect the pin pricks with a fine-tipped pen or dry erase marker. Carefully cut along the lines with a small knife, working in sections for more complex designs. If you see any pen lines, use rubbing alcohol on a cloth towel and gently scrub to remove. Once you have finished carving out your design, place one piece of orange or yellow tissue paper flat against the design inside the pumpkin to soften the glow. Note: Use tissue paper only if you’re using a synthetic candle. Don’t use tissue paper if you’re planning to use a real candle. HONORINGOURPAST. Buildingourfuture. JoinusforHomecomingOct.14. GalvestonISDishometoformerCentralHighSchool- thefirstTexaspublicschoolforAfricanAmericanstudents. OnAug.26,weconnectedourpresenttoourpastbyhonoring thelegacyofthecentralhighschoolbearcats. Weinviteyoutojoinusaswecontinuebuildingourfuture. Onecommunity,GISDstrong.Together,werise. www.gisd.orgExquisite Homes Laffite’s Cove, Galveston TX 13615 Moyenne | $1,175,000 3726 Nueces | $1,100,000 3427 Lanyard Place | $1,525,000 3509 Christmas Tree Point | $1,800,000 Sold New Listing Sold Sold 281.773.3477 bjennings@greenwoodking.com BET JENNINGS 2022 Real Trends America’s Best Real Estate Pros in Galveston & Texas Specializing in the Pirates communities: Laffite’s Cove, Pirates Cove, Pirates Beach & Pirates Beach West A long-time resident of Laffite’s Cove Director of Laffite’s Cove Board Pirates POA & UTMB Development Board GREENWOOD KING PROPERTIES a place to find your home48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 FEATURE ‘YOUR LUCKY DAY’ Sea-bean hunting on area beaches is becoming an ever popular pastime story by BARBARA CANETTI T he upper Texas coast is known for its bounty of shells and sea glass along beaches. But it’s also an agricultural trea- sure chest of hundreds of species of sea beans that wash up along the shore from far away. All seeds, nuts and fruits that float in the seawater for longer than a month are considered sea beans, and there are about 250,000 species of seed plants on Earth. But only about 250 species are collectible. They can float because they’re lighter than seawater. Powerful currents of wind and water carry sea beans from their native lands — as far away as Africa and South America — to beach shores. They can be found along the wrack line — the line of organic ma- terial and debris left by the receding tides — especial- ly after strong winds from the southeast push seafaring debris onshore. Hamburger beans, which look like little brown sandwiches, are the most popular sea beans found along the beaches. PHOTO: COU r T e SY CA r LOS r IOS COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 49 Maureen Nolan-Wilde, a Texas Master Naturalist and sea bean collector, and John Wright, a Galveston Island State Park guide and Texas Master Naturalist, show off hamburger sea beans. PHOTO: COUrTeSY ALAN WILDeNext >