Winters on the upper Texas Coast are mild. On many winter days, you can find people walking the beaches in shorts. We can still enjoy coffee and meals outside on most days. And seldom do we have to scrape ice off our windshields. We can’t complain, but sometimes

Laura Elder

we still do, to paraphrase rocker Joe Walsh. By February we all get a little antsy for flowers blooming and a little sunshine.
For many reasons, spring is a sight to behold on the coast. But one of the most wondrous spectacles to locals and tourists is the birds. Hundreds of tourists will flock to the island April 9-12 for one of the largest birding festivals in Texas — FeatherFest.
Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula are among the top spots for birding in the nation, and FeatherFest is held during early spring migration.
The festival offers expert-led excursions by bus and boat to a variety of habitats, from beaches to bays, bay marshes to wetlands, and coastal prairies to upland wood mottes.
Along with all the feathers, we celebrate fashion this spring. We searched area boutiques to find the latest in spring trends, which we’re happy to report are bright, pretty and flattering to figures. And after a long series of rainy, gloomy days, we thought we’d brighten some pages with our favorite green finds in a recurring feature “Hues You Can Use.”
Also in this issue, you’ll meet artists, ballerinas, boaters and all the interesting people who make this region unique.
Happy Spring!

Galveston resident Joylisha Lloyd at the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens. Makeup by Desa Polivka, a Mary Kay independent sales director, 409-682-1113, www.marykay.com/desa. Hair by Rebecca Rivera, of Total Technique Salon, 3226 13th Ave. N., Texas City, 409-945-9542. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Special Thanks
Coast Monthly extends a very special thanks to Joshua Buckley and others at Moody Gardens, which was the site of our cover and fashion shoot. Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid was the perfect setting for our Wild About Spring theme. Even the birds cooperated for the cover photo.
The popular Galveston attraction offers a rare, up-close and interactive experience with endangered plants and animals, ranging from giant Amazon river otters to Saki monkeys and Chinese alligators, and, of course, beautiful tropical birds, including scarlet ibises, macaws and more.
Visit www.moodygardens.com for information.