Georgetown to Three Rivers

We left Georgetown this morning, with Lee driving. My respiratory infection seems to be getting worse, so we stopped to pick up some stronger medicine. I'm thinking it's a sinus infection, so I started to take some antibiotics, too. Hope they work. Ken drove most of the way. We stopped for lunch at this "picnic area" on I 37 south of San Antonio.

We're spending the night at Tips Park in Three Rivers, which is on US 281, our route down to the Rio Grande Valley. We've been to this park twice before, so we knew pretty much what to expect. I called a couple of days ago, and the hosts were expecting us. We think they don't get too much traffic here, though it's a pretty spot. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for them, it's in the shadow of a big Valero refinery. They seem to have several long term guests (refinery workers?), and they say they need more spaces, which are being added right now.

Our walk took us to the nearby banks of the Frio River. A sign in the campground warns of alligators, but we haven't seen any yet.

We did see some large birds, probably vultures, circling overhead, and this one, evidently drying its wings.

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Lewisville to Georgetown

Today was our first long travel day in a long time. Well, long for us. Our trip was about 200 miles and took us five hours, with stops. We got a pull-through site at Berry Springs RV Park, where we've stayed before.

This time we unhitched and set out to get diesel and bread and to visit one of the campgrounds on Georgetown Lake. Vern and Mary told us how much they had enjoyed their stay at the lake, and we think we might want to stay there next spring.

When we got to Cedar Breaks Park, we were told that the campground is closed while the Corps upgrades all the sites from 30 amp to 50 amp electricity. It was late afternoon, so we got our diesel and groceries at HEB. It was easy to tell the store was in the Austin area--lots of organic foods were available.
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Rings and Things

Today was our last day to visit Ed and Julie and the kids. We went over in the afternoon and traded photos. Then we all headed to the jewelry store in Grapevine where we would see "the RING." Julie's parents rode with her and the kids, and Ken and I drove our truck. Ed was coming from work to meet us.

Ed is giving Julie a new wedding/engagement ring for their tenth anniversary, coming up in a couple of weeks. They custom designed it and used gold and stones from some earlier rings, plus a new center stone. It's lovely, but they had to send it back for a minor repair (one of the small diamonds had fallen out and needed to be replaced). It should be ready in time for the big day.

Then we all went to Uncle Julio's in Grapevine for dinner. It's a fine dining Mexican restaurant with Vegas glitz. Ed used to work there.
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Trip to Ikea

We made a trip to Ikea today to pick up the FRACK extension mirror that we tried to get the last time we were here. Success! They actually had it in stock, along with a couple of other small things we needed. Now I just have to figure out where to install it so it's usable and doesn't interfere with anything else.

This evening we came over to Ed and Julie's. When we walked up to the house, we were surprised to see a Honda with Florida plates in the driveway. Julie's parents had arrived for their visit, a day before Julie was expecting them. It was nice to see Martha and Jerry again. They were tired from their long two-day trip. Martha has a new look--no glasses. She recently had cataract surgery, and so far she is pleased with the results.

Ed had to go to a party at the Main Event to celebrate Park Place being named one of the five best places to work in the Dallas area. He didn't get home until after 8:00 p.m. Julie's pretty much frazzled, because Jesse hasn't been letting her have a moment's peace. He is just irritable and out of sorts.
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Dinosaurs Unearthed!

Today I went over to Ed and Julie's and we all drove to the Museum of Nature and Science at the Fair Park in Dallas. We went, of course, to see the traveling exhibit, Dinosaurs Unearthed! with its spectacular animatronic dinosaurs, including a full-size T-Rex roaring in the lobby. That convinced Sam that having his dad carry him was a good idea!

The kids enjoyed the dinosaur exhibits, but Sam remained disappointed that there was no brachiosaurus--until Julie found a stuffed one for him in the gift shop.

The kids spent time in the children's areas, including the Urban Farm and the Backyard. We all watched a science experiment demonstration featuring three major concepts! Density, acid/base, and polymers were all demonstrated with household products. Cate walked away at the end with a bouncing ball made of Elmer's glue and borax with some blue food coloring. It wasn't clear how much the kids understood of the concepts, but they all certainly enjoyed watching and helping with the experiments.

One new permanent exhibit is on the human body. One of the items it features is a giant nose that sneezes very loudly at intervals (illustrating one way to get rid of infectious agents). The sound was quite startling, and we left after a bit.

Then we all drove to Quiznos for supper and to the Orange Peel Frozen Yogurt and Donuts shop for dessert. It's a friendly place, and the kids love it. You take a cup and fill it with your choice of yogurt flavors and toppings--and there are lots of choices. It's priced by the ounce. A large flat panel TV displays a slideshow of customer images.

If you look closely, you'll see that yogurt "is helpful in indigestion of food."
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Photo Shoot!

Ed and Julie and the kids got all dressed up to take their Christmas photos. Actually, Ken took them, using Julie's new camera. Kelley came over for one last visit, and we all drove over to the creek. The setting was popular--in one spot we had to wait for another family on the same mission to leave. It was hard to find a place where the whole group would be in the shade. Mottled sunlight isn't good for portraits! Ken managed to get some really nice shots.

I took a few candids with Ken's camera, too.

Julie took this one
Later, Julie took the kids outside and shot lots of photos of them individually and together. In some of them, the kids are being a bit zany!

Kelley stayed to eat butternut squash soup, Amy's chicken patties, and salad for lunch. She definitely takes after her mom. When we were done eating, a colorful little mound of red and yellow and green chopped bell peppers sat in the bottom of her salad bowl. She had to leave after the meal: she had "lots to do."

Ed decided to take Cate with him to visit a coworker in the hospital. This lady, who has just had surgery, is an honorary grandma to Cate. She makes a fuss over her when Ed takes her to visit the Park Place dealership. Since we had some time, the rest of us decided to make another trip to Costco. This time Julie had one thing to get . . . but she didn't get out for under $100. We just barely got out for under $200, most of which was for vitamins, fish oil, calcium, and Preservision. It takes a lot to keep an older body in tune!

When we all got back to the house, it was getting too late for Ed and Julie to go to a movie, so they just went out to eat while we babysat. It was one of the easiest babysitting jobs ever. Julie fed Jesse and put him to sleep before they left, and he didn't stir the whole time. Cate and Sam and I played Wii balance games. Sam really needs some games geared to his level. He's getting pretty disgusted with his Mii hanging his head and pounding the ground, poor guy. Cate really enjoys the penguin feeding game.
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Chili Cookoff!

This evening we all went to Sam's school, Reading Friends, for a fundraiser for their playground. The theme was western, and everyone was invited to wear their western duds. Activities for the kids included milking a cow, roping a steer, and sitting in a saddle.

A banjo playing storyteller gathered the kids around the "campfire," holding Sam's rapt attention.

The "quarry" room had materials for kids to design and decorate pavers for the playground. Cate decorated hers with butterflies.

We all ate hot dogs and chips, seated around tables designed for preschoolers in tiny chairs. One room was lined with tables with 11 entrants in the chili cookoff, showing off their recipes and offering samples, which everyone was invited to evaluate. I really liked the white chicken chili.

Another room held items for a silent auction. Ed won three of the silent auction items, including a large chest of dress up costumes for boys, which both Cate and Sam really liked. My favorite item was a pizza and a tee-shirt from Turner's Pizza.

Jesse has a winning smile and twinkle in his eye. He knows when he's the center of attention. Ken took this photo when we were preparing to leave for the school.

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Bargain Hunting

Today I went to the CCA Resale shop in Lewisville to drop off some items and browse the store, only it turned out that it didn't open until 1:00 p.m. for some reason. So I went to Thrift World on Main Street, stopping first and the nearby Big Lots. My best find was a Rummikub game at Thrift World, which I picked up for Ed.

After that I went to Tom Thumb. When I got in the truck, I was surprised to find that I had been bargain hunting for almost three hours--too much of a good thing--so I hurried home.

We went over to Ed and Julie's for dinner and a visit. Ken won both rounds of Rummikub, playing with Ed's new game. Cate was partnered with her dad, and Sam decided to be my partner, announcing that it was because I brought the Wii game over!
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Workday

Today we stayed home to get some things done. Not mostly exciting things. We needed to dump our tanks, since we don't have a sewer hookup at Lake Lewisville. We got our trusty blue boy (portable waste tank) out of the truck and hooked it up to our sewer hose. First we filled it with gray water (from the sinks), just to be sure we had the routine down. Next we got braver and took a tank full from the black water (toilet). All went well, except that wrangling the tank around left me needing a break. Even a small tank like our 15 gallon job gets very heavy quickly when filled with liquid at around 8 pounds per gallon.

After lunch we decided to take another load over to the dump station, but one of the plastic fittings on the cap broke, so we made a trip to Mays RV. While we were there, of course we decided to look around. We didn't think we needed anything else, but you never know. I spotted a really neat little wooden table in their lounge area, just the size we needed to fit between our recliners. When Ken asked where they had gotten it, the woman who was helping him said that it was a damaged piece from one of the trailers they had sold, and she offered it to him for $15. We jumped on it. Now all we have to do is get it refinished in light oak instead of cherry. It fits perfectly between our recliners and even has a magazine/book rack on the bottom. The damage is just a bit of splitting on the underside of the table which will never be noticeable. Yay!

When we finished the dumping chore, we decided to reorganize our truck box and the sliding tray in our storage bay, in the process cleaning up and getting rid of some things we didn't need. We had a brief scare when the truck box wouldn't open. Once before we had to have the rivets drilled out on the latch, but this time after a few tries, we got it open. We sprayed silicone on the mechanism, at least the part we could access. We're hoping that will keep it working smoothly.
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Costco and Kelley

Julie and Jesse and I went to Costco this morning, leaving Grandpa Ken home with Sam to have fun. Cate was at school. I stocked up on some things that are hard to find in south Texas. Julie actually got out of Costco for under $100. Needless to say, I didn't.

Kelley came over to visit after her classes. She brought along the fixings for an apple tart. As soon as the kids heard that Kelley had arrived, Sam said he wanted Kelley to take them to the park. Kelley and Cate and Sam and I walked over to the nearby playground, giving the kids a chance to run off some energy and Kelley and me a chance to chat.

For dinner, Julie fixed spaghetti with a very unusual sauce:  Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce.

Ken made the salad, of course, and I made some turkey meatballs and heated up some whole wheat French bread. Everything was yummy. Kelley's delicious apple tart with ice cream topped off a great dinner.

Kelley even agreed to play a round of Rummikub, which Ken won. Kelley said she'd come back this weekend 8-)
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Dentist Visit

 Well, I thought I had an appointment this morning for additional views to follow up on my mammogram. When I got to the hospital, the person checking me in very nicely informed me that my appointment is actually for Friday. They couldn't do the additional views today because the radiologist isn't there.

We did have dental appointments this afternoon for our overdue cleanings. We chose Dr. Michael Colangelo's office in Grapevine because he is in the Cigna network and got good reviews online. The experience lived up to the glowing reports. Nice office, friendly people, and a great hygienist named Debbie.

Afterward we went to Ed and Julie's. Julie had gone to pick Cate up at school. She stays late on Mondays for a science program. Cate had homework to do--with a little direction from Mom.

Meanwhile I got to play with Jesse. He's been feeling out of sorts, probably from a combination of teething issues and adjusting to the time change. I got the job of keeping him happy while Julie helped with the homework. The most successful tactic for pacifying a fussy Jesse was giving him Baby Mums, his favorite treat. He really likes crunching them with his new teeth.

In the evening, we sat down with Ed to play Rummikub, which he said he hadn't played for years, if ever. We gave him strategy tips. Evidently we did a great job, because he wiped the floor with us! After two rounds with very small scores (Ken won the first and Ed the second), Ed caught both of us with hands so full of points we didn't bother to count.
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Sunday Visit and Concert

We started the day out like any Sunday--except that we had forgotten to change our clocks last night. Of course, most of our clocks are smarter than we are and updated themselves in the night, but the little battery operated alarm clock by my bed is still low tech. That alarm goes off at 9:00 a.m. every morning, and that's what woke me up. I was a bit startled, because I expected my Droid alarm to go off at 8:00 a.m. What could have gone wrong? Did I mention the clock by my bed is a few minutes fast? The Droid alarm dutifully went off at 8:00 a.m. CST. We got an extra hour of sleep--Yay!.

For brunch we had Three-Minute Spinach Quiches, one of our favorite recipes. Then we headed over to Ed and Julie's. Cate ran out to tell us that they were going to the circus! The kids were very happy to find out that I had brought the Wii game.

For lunch, Ed grilled salmon with pineapple slices again--always great. Ken made the colorful salad. While we were cooking, Sam was having fun playing with his little brother. Jesse was sitting in the high chair, and Sam bounced up an down in front of him, to Jesse's great delight.

After lunch Ed and Cate and I played Ingenious. I was the first winner, with Cate second and Ed the "first loser"! Ed and Julie took the kids to the circus, which had the kids very excited all day long.

This evening we drove to Denton for a concert at the university, at the newly renovated Paul Voertman Concert Hall. The concert was a faculty recital, with five very diverse performances.

The first piece was a trombone fanfare--Ken's favorite. The second was a piece for amplified flute and percussion, titled "An Idyll for the Misbegotten." Before the piece, these lines by the composer were spoken:

Mankind has become ever more "illegitimate" in the natural world of the plants and animals. The ancient sense of brotherhood with all life forms (so poignantly expressed in the poetry of St. Francis of Assisi) has gradually and relentlessly eroded, and consequently we find ourselves monarchs of a dying world. We share the fervent hope that humankind will embrace anew nature's "moral imperative."

The piece itself was evocative of a dying world and generally discordant and unmelodic. Interesting, but for us, the best part was the percussion, performed by one very large drum center stage and two banks of percussion instruments, one on each side.

Next was a piece called "Gerry Rigged" for clarinet and 8-channel interactive electronics. Very experimental, and not something we were really prepared to enjoy except as a curiosity.

Third was a series of songs in German (translation kindly provided in the program) entitled Liebeslieder Walzer, Opus 52 by Brahms. The singers were a mezzo soprano, a soprano, a tenor, and a baritone. The songs were a series of counterpoints between the women and the men. I enjoyed the performance more than Ken did.

After the intermission, the final piece was Piano Quintet in G minor, Opus 57, by Dmitry Shostakovich. I liked the piano playing, and the musicians were all good, but by this time Ken and I were both ready to head home, so it wasn't our favorite.

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Taking a Walk

We went over to Ed and Julie's house today. You'd think by now I'd remember that the first thing the kids would ask was "Grandma, did you bring the Wii???" I said I'd bring it tomorrow.... along with the Ingenious game.

When we got to the house, Ed was watching the Illinois-Michigan game on the big screen TV. Ken quickly became engaged in watching and cheering for Michigan (of course). Neither defense showed up for the game, so it was very high scoring, ending up at 67-65 after three overtimes.

Jesse is, of course, growing quickly and learning new skills, which he was proud to show off--like making a clucking noise with his mouth and waving bye bye.

Ed and I took the kids and dogs for a walk/ride. Ed pulled the green wagon with Sam riding in it some of the way. Kate rode her bike. Bijou and Charlie eagerly led the way. We ended up at a playground, where Ed played Angry Birds, Bijou and Charlie were teased by a squirrel, and the kids played on the equipment, showing off their skills and having a great time. I snapped photos of this moving ensemble/menagerie and did manage to capture a few good moments.

Later, Julie went to get her hair done, and I fixed dinner: Betty MacDonald casserole, refried beans, squash and onions, a small chili casserole made from poblanos grown in their garden, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chips, and a couple of small fiery red peppers for the brave. Cate even tried some of the Betty MacDonald casserole, but Sam ate mac and cheese.

After cleaning up the kitchen we played Can't Stop!. Cate came very close to winning, making it to the top of two numbers quickly and then needing to roll only one more four to win. Somehow I came from behind, closed out the fours, and ended up winning the game.
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Tyler to Lewisville

Today was another moving day--from Tyler to Lake Lewisville. It was an easy drive, only 120 miles and all state highway and freeways. Still, it was nearly 2:00 p.m. when we finally sat down to eat lunch. We had a reservation for site 6, which is on a lawn overlooking the lake, with expansive views of grass, trees, and the lake.

We decided to stay home tonight and get some needed rest before starting our visit with Ed and Julie and the kids tomorrow.
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Day With Carol

I spent most of the day today just hanging out with Carol. Ken stayed home to work on his photos and chill. I got over to Carol's around noon and got to test her new muffin recipe with cranberries. We managed to find spots for some pieces of the chicken puzzle she's working on. Each chicken has some unique and humorous feature, so I couldn't help chuckling as I hunted for pieces.

Dick commented that it has been ten years since they moved from Nacogdoches to Tyler, which brought to mind that it's been fifteen years since I left Nacogdoches to go to school in L.A., never guessing by what circuitous paths my journey would bring me back to Texas.

Carol made Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce for dinner. The recipe was adapted from a blog, Eats Well With Others, so of course I looked it up. It's one I'll definitely make. Today I got to help by putting the sauce ingredients together and blending them with the immersion blender I got Carol for her 70th birthday. It worked well, and the final dish was delicious and amazingly quick and easy.

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Salmon Search

Another overcast, rainy day. On our walk this morning, we saw a jet taking off from the airport--very briefly. It disappeared quickly into the low clouds.

On our way over to visit Dick and Carol, we stopped to pick up some salmon to fix for dinner. We started at the Granary, a small health food store near the Hurzeler house. It had a pretty good selection of canned and dry goods for a small community, but no fresh fish. So we went on--first to Brookshire's, since it was right across the street. They had no fresh salmon, but said they expected a to get some in tomorrow. Next we decided to try Albertson's--they had fresh salmon, but it was Atlantic farmed fish. So on to Super 1. Again no fresh wild caught salmon, but they did have some appealing frozen salmon, and at a good price too.

By the time we got to Dick and Carol's, it was time to start cooking dinner. The salmon was a hit, and we enjoyed the salad Ken made.

On the way home we stopped at Walgreen's to see if they had a sofa side snack table. No luck, but they were just clearing away the Halloween items, so they might get the tables in for the holidays. We'll try again later. Read more!

Visit With Debbie

We slept in this morning and just hung around until we took our walk. Just as we stepped out the door, the rain picked up, so I went back in and got my hat and rain jacket. Ken relied on his umbrella. It wasn't really raining hard. We walked around the small campground and then out the access road, which is quite long. It provides a good buffer zone to protect the campground from the highway noise.

We made a quick shopping trip before going over to Dick and Carol's. Debbie and the kids were there, and Carol had make-your-own pizza fixings out. Ken had crushed pineapple on his mushroom and pepperoni pizza and said it was excellent. I passed on the pineapple and opted for spinach instead.

Sam is 7 1/2 months now and very mobile. He's crawling on all fours and pulling up, anxious to be part of everything his big brother, Robbie, does. Christine was working on one of the cat puzzles when we got there. Later Debbie was knitting, and Christine wanted to try it too.

"The boys" head down the hallway.

Don't Debbie and Christine look just alike?

We got in a few rounds of Boggle. Christine is playing with 4-letter words, now, just like the rest of us.

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Goodbye, CARE

We said goodbye to the folks at the CARE Center this morning, packed up, and headed to Tyler. Some of the volunteer couples are planning to come down to the Valley in January and stay at the Circle T RV Park in Mission, just 10 minutes from Bentsen Palm Village RV Park, where we stay. We're planning a reunion.

I hoped to post some photos from CARE, but my Droid camera decided to take blanks today, darn it! That's the second time I've had this problem. This time, powering the Droid down and turning it back on appears to have fixed it. The really frustrating thing is that the camera acts and sounds like it's taking pictures--it just doesn't store the images.

The drive to Tyler was easy. We stopped for lunch at a picnic area just north of Alto, about an hour out of Tyler. We stopped at the southbound picnic area in the same location last year. We're staying at a different RV park: Spring Creek, west of Tyler on Hwy 64.

Notice our big tree! Good thing it's cooler this week.

We got set up, had supper, and then went over to see Carol and Dick. Carol was working on a puzzle with lots of cartoon pics of chickens scattered on a white background. I managed to find a few pieces while we talked. Tomorrow we hope that Debbie and the kids will come over for supper, so we'll get a chance to visit.
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