Canyon Lake Dam and Guadalupe River Trail

We had a great day today. The best part: we saw a baby armadillo! It was right by my feet when Ken spotted it. It was very cute--not a foot long. Ken got a quick photo as  it scurried away into the brush. We drove to the Overlook Park where the dam is that forms Canyon Lake (the COE is so creative in their names--we've been to lots of Overlook Parks).

We walked across the dam. From gate to gate it's .8 mile. It was a lovely sunny Sunday, so families were out for a stroll across the dam too. It's always nice to see kids in the outdoors.

We stopped to talk with one of the volunteers. Their motorhome was parked next to the Lake Office, which was closed for the weekend. The man who answered the door was younger than we usually expect such volunteers to be, and very friendly. He came out and talked with us and explained that his wife had run into some health problems, so five years ago they quit work and started volunteering. He's retired U.S. Air Force and also a teacher.

We also walked the Guadalupe River South Trail at the outlet from the dam. It's 1.25 miles out and 1.25 miles back, mostly through bald cypress forest. That's where we saw the baby armadillo. We saw some spectacularly large bald cypress trees. Just as we were starting along the trail, Chris and Anara and Shawn called to wish me a happy Mother's Day. I sat on a bench in the shade overlooking the river, a pleasant place to have a chat.

We've seen lots of deer, too. They seem mostly pretty unconcerned about people.



Terri called this evening to wish me a happy Mother's Day. She was calling from Tokyo, where it was 7:00 a.m. on Monday morning.

Read more!

Sunset Over Canyon Lake

We sat out tonight and toasted the sunset. Unfortunately, clouds obscured most of the western sky, but it was still very pleasant to sit out and look at the water. We watched a water skiier and some white pelicans stringing themselves across the western sky.

Earlier in the day we walked around the park. As we passed the site of the folks who were checking in just ahead of us, they offered us some nice cold small navel oranges. As we walked along we saw two groups of deer who paid little attention to us. We also saw several killdeer. This evening we biked around. Today we found the Cranes Mill Marina open and rode through the parking lot being wowed by all the fabulous sailboats and yachts.
Read more!

Moving Day and Whole Foods

We woke this morning to a tremendous thunderstorm! Thunder and lightning and lots of water pouring down from the sky. Oh, no! Are we going to have to pack up and move in this weather? Fortunately, by the time we ate breakfast, the storm had passed, and all that was left was some very large puddles. Fortunately there's lots of gravel, and the earth around here is thirsty, so we didn't have to contend with mud.

We drove east from Hondo towards San Antonio and then took Loop 1604 (the very outer loop) around to the north. We made a stop at Lowe's and had lunch before driving to the nearby Whole Foods. We always like to have the opportunity to stop at large, well-stocked stores with lots of healthy foods and plenty of variety. As we packed the groceries into the truck, I noticed the adjoining furniture store was named "Copenhagen Furniture." A light bulb went off in my head: this looks like the kind of store that just might sell Ekornes Stressless chairs, so they might carry Hide Bracer, the leather cleaner and conditioner that the manufacturer of our wonderful Stressless chairs recommends. They did, so now we have a supply of Hide Bracer that will last us years.

We continued on to Cranes Mill Park, a Corps of Engineers park on Canyon Lake. It has a very nice new RV loop, with some of the largest and best appointed RV sites we have every seen. We have a nice view of the lake out our rear and driver side windows. After setting up, we took the bikes down and headed out to explore the park. We stopped and talked with one of the host couples. They have a wonderful hilltop site with no close neighbors and a great view. Their only job is to make sure the restrooms are stocked, and they only have to work on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. How's that for cushy?

Read more!

Breakfast With the Gang

We go to breakfast pretty much every Sunday morning with our friends when we're in the Rio Grande Valley for the winter, but breakfast with the gang goes on hiatus for the summer. Except that this morning we were invited to join a group from Lone Star Corral who go to breakfast together every Thursday morning year round. We met them at Bill and Rosa's Steakhouse and Saloon in D'Hanis, which is just five minutes up the road.

When we walked in, we found two long tables full of folks from the park. All the men were at one table, and all the women at another. The server manages to keep track of which people go together. She must have a really good memory. I had a breakfast taco, which was delicious. It was more like an omelet in a flour tortilla, served with salsa and sour cream and filled with all kinds of goodies. We had thirteen women at our table, but of course I actually got to chat with only five or six of them. I sat next to our friend Sue Guthrie, and she helped break the ice, but everyone we've met at Lone Star has been very friendly.

We biked this morning and walked this evening. The weather forecast sounded somewhat ominous, with chances for thunderstorms, but most of the day it was just overcast, and we never saw any real rain. We found a new little historic cemetery on our walk, next to the ruins of a large limestone church. A sign out front says "Renovation Contemplated" and asks people not to remove any stones. The cemetery was in used from 1847, when D'Hanis was founded, until 1893, when it was closed due to a diphtheria epidemic.

Although it's a very old cemetery, it has some newer markers, generally placed by admiring descendents.

Read more!

Hill Country Hiking

Our adventure today was a trip to the Texas Hill Country State Natural Area. It's an hour's drive north of here mostly along a narrow county road and then unpaved park roads, but there was little traffic, so the drive was relatively easy. The natural area serves horseback riders, mountain bikers, and hikers. It is minimally developed as required by the terms of the original land donation.

When we arrived, we checked in at headquarters and showed our Texas Parks Pass for entry. We got a map and some advice on hikes to take and started off on Trail 5, continuing on 5a and 5b, to a wonderful overlook of the surrounding terrain. Much of the trail is eroded limestone, so you have to watch your step. The final approach to the peak was a bit steep and rugged, so we were glad to have our hiking sticks. A loop at the top allows views of the hill country in various directions.

When we returned to the truck it was lunchtime. We ate our picnic lunch on a table near the headquarters and near a horse washing station, which is closed because of the drought. The only potable water in the park is at the headquarters, which is also where the only flush toilet is located. We went into the headquarters to check on the weather forecast. One of the staff mentioned that they had seen a painted bunting behind the headquarters building. We looked but didn't spot that bird.

We actually heard lots of birds singing and calling in the park, but most of them stayed hidden. The ones that flashed by declined to stay long enough for their portraits to be made. We did get a brief glimpse of a wild turkey as it ran into some brush ahead of us, and Ken saw a white tailed deer.

After lunch we set out again, this time along a creek trail to Comanche Bluffs Overlook. West Verde Creek is described as "intermittent." Right now it's a series of small stagnant pools, but sometimes there's enough water to fish and swim. We did hear some frogs croaking. All along the trails we saw a rich variety of wildflowers, many of them yellow or white or various shades of purple and violet.

As we drove west out of the park, we saw the most unusual animals sighted on this trip, a family of feral pigs. One was spotted and had extraordinary large fuzzy ears. Texas is evidently infested with the hogs, which cause significant damage and are very prolific.

Read more!

Exploring by Bike

We got the bikes down from the rack today for the first time in a couple of weeks and headed out to explore the nearby countryside. Fortunately we're in a rather flat area, although surrounded by hills. We rode along a variety of corn fields and fallow fields, with giant traveling irrigation machines. Some yelping dogs let us know we were getting too close to their property (fortunately they were small and all bark). The road we were following ended in a whimsically decorated gate.

Riding down another county road we came upon a complex of four cemeteries. The largest was the Holy Cross Cemetery, and the others were Woodmen of the World (WOW), San Francisco and Santa Cruz. We wandered for some time among the graves, pondering the lives and deaths of the many people laid to rest there. Many of the graves show the predominantly German background of the settlers in the area, with another large group representing descendents of the Spanish colonization.

Read more!

Nice Folks

We walked around the park again today and met some more nice folks. Larry was one of the founders of this park twenty-six years ago. He was out walking his little dog, Rusti, who looked a lot like Sweetie. It turned out that Rusti was also a found dog and two years old when found--just like Sweetie. Larry's wife is in a nursing home in Hondo. They were at CARE in Livingston for a year. Larry is a big CARE promoter.

We walked outside the park for a bit this morning and located the rooster that woke Ken up crowing in the middle of the night. We also saw some horses and a bull. A sign on the fence advertized stud service by AQHA horses.

This evening Bob and Sue dropped by. We had an enlightening conversation about the problems they've identified with their Majestic, and of course we chimed in with our issues. They also had a real horror story about their experiences buying an HDT and getting it modified for RV towing and carrying a Smart Car.

Tomorrow we're planning on going to the Hill Country State Natural Area, which is north of here.

Read more!

Lone Star Corral

We left Buckhorn Lake Resort today and moved south a bit to Lone Star Corral. It's an Escapees Co-op park seven miles west of Hondo, TX, just off US 90. We said our goodbyes to the rally folks still at Buckhorn, with promises to meet again somewhere down the line (perhaps at Camp Horizons?).

Our first stop on the way was actually Bella Vita Country Italian Restaurant in Kerrville. We had a gift certificate we got as a door prize at the rally, and we were looking forward to a nice dinner. We were not disappointed. The welcome was warm, the service attentive, and the food delicious, from the warm ciabatta bread with whipped garlic butter to the triple chocolate turtle cake for dessert (with salads and a trio of pastas in between).

The trip to Lone Star Corral wasn't very long. We were set up in our site by 3:00 p.m. Soon we heard a knock at the door. It was a neighbor out walking his greyhound, Bessie. His name is Edmund Strickland, and he had noticed our Boomers decal and wanted to welcome fellow Boomers. He and his wife Margie used to handle the hard copy newsletter for the Boomers (which was discontinued soon after we joined, in favor of the electronic version).

After a bit we decided to take a stroll around the park and explore. It was very hot and sunny, but as we were walking we saw a couple sitting on their covered patio in the shade. Ben and Jo invited us to join them, and we had a good time sharing RV talk with them. They knew about the rally and mentioned that one of the rally attendees had just recently bought a lot in the park.

As we walked on, we saw a Majestic with an HDT and matching Smart Car, so we knocked on the door, and Bob and Sue invited us in. They had all the rally photos on a slide show on their large television, starting with the group photo. There were some really nice photos, and of course we reminisced and just had a good time talking New Horizons and hearing about their travels.
Read more!

Kerrville Riverside Nature Center and Farewell to Friends

We decided to find someplace new to walk today. Checking out Tripadvisor led us to a real gem, a small nature center along the Guadalupe River right in town.  Next to the parking lot we spotted this bat house, built to hold up to 250 bats.

We walked around the small former farm, which has been transformed by volunteers into a sanctuary for birds, insects, and native plants. Two white winged doves paid little attention to us as we walked up close to them. While we watched, they spread their feathers and flattened themselves to the ground. After a minute or so, one slowly gathered itself together and walked a short distance, and soon its mate followed suit.

TheNature Center provides a trailhead for the new Guadalupe River Trail, which is only partially completed. We walked along the section from the Nature Center to the Louise Hays Park. This section crosses the length of Tranquility Island and offers walking bridge access to the public library, which has just undergone a renovation funded in large part by HEB, which is where we went next to pick up some groceries.

This striking library overlooks the Guadalupe River.

After dinner we welcomed our friends Bruce and Mary Sue and Willis and Rebecca over to share some snacks and cherry pie along with some interesting conversation about ghosts and unusual things to see along America's roadsides. Rebecca has an iPhone app for that! Bruce and Mary Sue told us about the Moonville, OH, ghost that is seen around the railroad tunnel. Rebecca told us about a man convicted of murder on the strength of the testimony of a ghost.Tomorrow our friends are off to McKinney Falls State Park, and we are heading to Hondo, to the Escapees co-op park there.

Read more!

Rally's End

Today was Ken's daughter Rebecca's birthday. He called to wish her a happy birthday. She said that Troy and Cathy were taking her out for dinner, but she didn't know where.

Today was the final day of the 2013 NHOG Rally. We started this morning with a very informative, thought provoking, and downright hilarious session on backing and parking a fifth wheel. It was held in the Buckhorn Theater, and the seats were packed. All of us could use some tips on the best ways to get from point A (on the road) to point B (elegantly placed in the campsite). As usual, Tim found a way to make this vexing topic fun. He showed a short video titled "The Scoop: How to Back Up a Towable RV," just to get us all in the mood.

One of the experienced Buckhorn Lake Resort wranglers picked up from there and showed Mark Polk's video on how to back and park a fifth wheel trailer. He took questions from the group--and there were lots of questions. We certainly learned some good tips.

Next we went to a session titled RV Tech #2. Neil Laubenthal has years of experience in the tech world. He shared some really eye opening info about password security (bottom line: to be secure, your passwords must be at least 17 characters long ....). He also talked about apps for smartphones and tablets.

We went to a gadget session, where each couple had the opportunity to "show and tell" one gadget. We showed off the Camco folding bucket we won at the Escapade last summer. One couple showed off a pair of folding full-size mountain bikes that come in travel cases.

This evening we had a delicious assortment of dishes for our potluck supper, including some outstanding baked salmon and great salads, not to mention the desserts. Of course we all enjoyed the meal, but didn't exactly stick to our usual healthy diets.

The closing event was a white elephant exchange.

Read more!

Day Off

Today was a free day for rally attendees. Some people made plans to sightsee, but for us the weather didn't seem conducive to that sort of thing. Last night brought thunderstorms and lots of lightning. When we woke up this morning it was very cold and windy.

We slept in and had hot coffee, hot tea, and hot showers to take the chill off. We wanted to do our laundry, but we thought the laundromat in the resort would be busy, so we went into Kerrville to the Country Clean Laundromat, which was pretty decent. Then we went to Kerrville Schreiner Park to check out the RV sites. We camped there in our 32' Excel in 2008, but our current New Horizons is much larger. We managed to identify only two sites that we thought we'd be able to use.

This evening we went over to the Event Center to view photos of "Great Places," session two. Ed Dooks had some photos of the storm last night that were very striking. He caught the sky full of lightning in a couple of pics. Then some fellow rally attendees shared their photos, including Mary Sue. We saw photos of some very attractive and interesting places from Alaska to Alabama.

Read more!

Rally Day Three

This morning we attended a session presented by a local RVIA Master Technician. It included information on lots of RV systems, so it was pretty quick and somewhat superficial, but we have some printed materials. We did pick up some good tips on exercising generators.

Next we went to a session presented by Jerry and Maddy Stephens on volunteering and workamping. They have had extensive experience in many venues and talked about opportunities we would never have even thought of, like working with a circus teaching workers' kids or putting together a Rose Parade float. Their stories were fascinating, and they provided some great resources.

We left that session and dashed home to finish cleaning up for the open house due to start at 12:30 p.m. Our home was on the open house tour for the first session, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. One of us had to be at home to greet visitors while the other went to visit other rigs. During the second session, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., we were able to walk around together to visit a wide variety of New Horizons rigs. We met the owners and got to see and hear about the special touches they have designed into their rigs. One home has a portable folding quilting table, and the area most people use as an entry closet is filled with small drawers of quilting squares.

This evening's dinner was tacos catered by the resort. They were okay, but not my favorite. The company was great, though. We sat with Willis and Rebecca and Bruce and Mary Sue again, and this time we were joined by Ken and Sue Raislegers. She is a line dancing enthusiast and interested in stringed instruments, so the Rosenbergers and Raislegers happily talked music and dancing. They ran a dance this evening too, while others played ladder ball and Monopoly or just socialized.

Read more!

Rally Day Two

Today is my friend Carol's birthday. I was glad to catch her on the phone to wish her a happy birthday. She is 73 today and still very busy working as a psychiatric nurse.

On Rally Day Two we attended some interesting and helpful workshop sessions. The first, Healthcare on the Road for RV Travelers, was put on by our friends, Bruce and Mary Sue and Rebecca. Mary Sue and Rebecca both have nursing backgrounds to draw on. Bruce invited everyone in the group to name their worst fears in dealing with healthcare on the road and got plenty of responses. The team offered some tips and suggestions, and attendees chimed in with their experiences. Bruce had drawn together some resources from on the web. Bruce was making notes on a whiteboard about conditions warranting a call to 911. When he wrote "SOB," I asked what that meant. "Shortness of breath," he said. One of the group added, "Or if you're at an RV rally, it's "Some Other Brand."

Rebecca, Bruce, and Mary Sue prepare for their presentation.
 

Rally chair Tim holds up a lost flashlight.
 

New Horizons owners Phil and Karen are at the rally, and Phil had an opportunity to tell us about what's new at the factory in the way of personnel and features. His talk was very informative. When he mentioned some of the great new features, of course people were asking, "Can that be retrofitted?"

After lunch we went to a session presented by our friend Stuart, on Preventive Maintenance with special emphasis on the Majestic. His maintenance schedule is extremely detailed and well organized. During the Q&A, after we had heard an exhaustive list of all the maintenance work needed to keep an RV in tiptop shape, one woman asked, "So why do they call it a recreational vehicle?"

This evening we had a banquet catered by the resort, with a substantial contribution from Phil and Karen. We had a lively conversation with our table mates, John and Susan Vowell. They are very young retirees (under 50) and like to do a lot of boondocking. They have a 31' Summit with full body paint. We're looking forward to seeing it as well as many others tomorrow during the open house.

Later this evening we went to a show and tell session called "Great Places." Several couples had an opportunity to show ten photos of special places and tell something about them. We saw everything from polar bears in the arctic to penguins in the antarctic and some fantastic places in between.

Read more!

New Horizons Owners' Group Rally: Day One

Many New Horizons owners have been gathering at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort for days now, but today was the official opening of the 3013 rally, with registration starting at 2:45 p.m. in the Rally Hall. As we entered, each of us received an envelope with our name on it, and we also received bags of promotional materials from Kerrville and Fredericksburg. Each couple received a commemorative RV cookbook of recipes submitted by rally attendees and put together by June Wall. We opened our envelopes and put on our nametags and Carolyn Pelzek (one of the rally coordinators) showed us the tables with signup sheets and information and told us to "go mingle."

One of the signup sheets was something special: a list of rally first timers that more experienced folks could sign up to "sponsor" (i.e., make sure the newbies don't sit in a corner by themselves). We were lucky: Bruce and Mary Sue signed up to sponsor Willis and Rebecca and us. Bruce and Mary Sue are old hands at this rally thing.

At 5:30 p.m. we gathered again for a cookout put on by the rally team. Everyone had plenty of delicious food and another chance to talk with friends old and new. After dinner we left to take a short exercise walk and rest a bit (I've been feeling a bit under the weather, probably partly because of the heat and humidity). At 7:30 p.m. we gathered again for the evening activity, which included brief introductions, descriptions of the workshops, and lots of laughter.

This morning our walk took us north along Goat Creek Road. All of the drives were gated, and the streets that showed up on my GPS were all marked "Private Property." We saw some really nice homes with great views along the hilltops and bordering the creek.

Here's a really nice home with a view--for some lucky birds!
 

Read more!

Sunshine

The rain has stopped, the sun is shining, and we were able to get out for a walk around the park. It is picture perfect lovely, with nice landscaping and good use of water features and gentle hills. The entry gates are imposing.

Our site is #6013. It's a back-in on the end of the row. We're in the "Rally Circle." With only 13 sites in that circle, the New Horizons are overflowing into other nearby areas.

View of our site with the entry road windmill

When we pulled in yesterday, we saw lots of Excels. On our walk around this morning, we stopped to talk with one couple, who said the Texas Excel Rally is ending and they'll be pulling out tomorrow. The newer Excels are definitely impressive looking.

Here are the three New Horizons units we traveled with. Rebecca wondered if passersby would recognize that three New Horizons were in a row--an unusual sight. We all figured that since the three rigs are from different eras, it's unlikely that anyone except another NH owner would have noticed.

Rebecca and Willis and Blayde's unit was built in 2006.

Our unit was built in 2012.

Bruce and Mary Sue's unit was built in 2001 (they bought it in early 2005)

The New Horizons quality is evident in all three rigs.
Read more!

On to Buckhorn Lake Resort

After a last hike at Choke Canyon State Park this morning, we headed north through San Antonio and on to Kerrville, TX. We stayed in this town once before, in April of 2008, when we were brand newbies. We camped that time at Kerrville-Schreiner Park, run by the city. This time we're at Buckhorn Lake Resort, a much more upscale place. We arrived with two other New Horizons and were greeted by many, many more.

We also noticed a group of Excels as we drove to our site. Must be an area Excel rally going on now too. The New Horizons Owners' Group (NHOG) rally doesn't officially begin until Monday, but we were invited to an impromptu welcome party. We met several nice couples, but I certainly won't remember their names, at least not until they break out the nametags! We're looking forward to doing some exploring in the park tomorrow and meeting more new friends.

Read more!

Hanging Out Around the Lake

We spent the day at Choke Canyon, relaxing and walking around the campground and checking out the birds and the facilities. The lake level is quite low, but the birds seem happy enough. We saw some herons and a Great Kiskadee and heard an abundance of white winged doves. Bruce saw a vermillion flycatcher and a

As we ate breakfast, a fat tom turkey strutted past outside our window. It headed for the tall grass and disappeared before Ken could get the camera for a good shot. Instead he got the aspect that animals usually present to him: its backside.

This evening everyone came over for chili. I made two kinds of chili, my standard tomato and some white chili, since cooked tomatoes don't agree with him. I made some corn bread, too. Rebecca made a fantastic spinach salad with avocado and water chestnut slices and some Parmesan. Bruce and Mary Sue brought along the leftover watermelon and some unusual applesauce jello for desert. Everyone pronounced it refreshing.

We put the leaf in the table and pulled it out from the wall--making just enough room for six (with two folding chairs from Rebecca and Willis). We finally got to use our new tablecloth. We put the food on the island. Altogether it was a rewarding dinner with friends. Oh, and Blayde came over after dinner. He is exceptionally well behaved and a real charmer.

After dinner some of the group went for another walk. Ken and I strolled down to the lake, where we saw some ducks. I used some Off! because the bugs were most definitely out. The flycatchers and swallows have plenty to eat around here, that's for sure, and I guess the people provide a banquet for the biting gnats and mosquitoes.
Read more!

On to Choke Canyon

We set out this morning first for Slik Pitt Car Wash and Lube in Elsa to have the Majestic inspected. Trailer inspection is a rather pro forma: the guy walked around the trailer, checked that the lights and turn signals worked, looked at our insurance papers... Oops! Our insurance was renewed two days ago, and it hadn't occurred to me to print the new ID cards. Miller Insurance wasn't answering their phone yet, so I went in the trailer, fired up my laptop and the printer, and downloaded the new ID card and printed it. Gotta love technology!

We caravanned with our friends up to Choke Canyon State Park, near Three Rivers, TX. If you look closely, you can see three New Horizons fifth wheels camped together in the photo, along with the big blue dumpster that made it difficult to maneuver into our spot. The lake is only a couple hundred feet behind our site, so we have a nice view out the rear windows.

We went for a walk around the campground with Bruce, who has been here a couple of times before. While we were out, we spotted an armadillo. Ken and Bruce got photos before it scampered away.

Earlier Bruce spotted a wild turkey in the long grass behind our trailer, and we heard gobblers as we walked, but so far we haven't seen a turkey. Maybe tomorrow. We did see a cardinal and some mockingbirds and a hawk and some swallows and purple martins.

We all had dinner at Bruce and Mary Sue's place. They provided the main dish (a chicken casserole with rice) and dessert (watermelon). Rebecca and Willis brought a broccoli salad, and we took some roasted carrots. Altogether dinner was yummy, and it was good to sit down together for an unhurried meal after the hustle and bustle of the move.

Read more!

Getting Ready to Roll

Yikes! We woke up this morning to a chill rain and high winds--just not the kind of weather we like, and especially bad for outdoor work. Getting ready to move definitely requires some outdoor work, so we put on our warmest coats and got to work. Ken had to check the air in all twelve tires, adjust the pressures, and reinstall the tire pressure monitors. That involves uncovering the compressor, plugging it in, and hooking it up, and of course putting it all away afterwards.

We moved the bikes and bike rack from the truck to the trailer. I added water to the fresh water tank, Ken dumped the tanks, and then he packed up all the hoses and stuff. We also did the laundry, cut up and froze seven quart bags of grapefruit, and defrosted the fridge. All in all, it was a busy day. We drank lots of hot tea and coffee and ate hot soup for lunch to help keep the chill off. Now we'll have hot chocolate with our bedtime snack.

In the morning we'll try to coordinate with Willis and Rebecca, who are also going to Slik Pitt to have their trailer inspected, and with Bruce and Mary Sue, who had the foresight to get out and have theirs done earlier. Then we'll head north to Choke Canyon State Park. We've never been there, but all our friends tell us it's a beautiful place.

Read more!

Back to the Park

We made it back to the Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park for one last bike ride today. It was quiet in the park: not many visitors, and most of the feeder stations not supplied. We did find quite a few birds at the Green Jay Blind, where the feeders had been filled. A pair of cardinals perched on the same branch and touched beaks. Lots of green jays and redwing blackbirds chattered and chased each other. A single dove stationed under a seed feeder made a meal on the seeds dropped by the jays and blackbirds. A golden fronted woodpecker visited. Of course we also saw plenty of grackles and plain chachalacas.

Shady spot to take a phone call

We also got our teeth cleaned and examined at Dr. Tomas Canales Dental Center, which we also went to in 2010. We'd have gone back sooner except that apparently he wasn't in our dental insurance network in 2011 or 2012. We have a hard time finding Cigna dentists and scheduling cleanings at least six months apart--and also trying to maintain some continuity in our dental care. We liked Delta Dental much better, but it's not available to Northrop Grumman retirees, unfortunately.

Read more!

Dead Tired

We had several things on the agenda to do today. Most of them are still waiting to be done, but we did accomplish one major task. We washed our Majestic. That's only four words, so it doesn't sound like a lot, but my body is telling me that it had quite a workout today. We used our long handled brushes, and we also borrowed the club's 18' step ladder. We washed the awning and the windows. The results are worth the effort; the rig looks much shinier and cleaner.

Read more!

Quiet Sunday

We're still mainly chilling here--except that with high temps in the 80s, there's not much chill! We spent more time travel planning and made a reservation at Cranes Mill COE park on Canyon Lake near Austin.

This afternoon we played a couple of games of pool, and of course we walked as usual. We stopped to chat with a couple who are building a bed on their patio. They've nearly finished, and today they were staining the wood. It's beautiful, and especially impressive since they don't have a workshop or even much in the way of fancy tools. They'll have to take it apart to get it in their mobile home.

Read more!

Asphalt

Work is continuing on patching and resealing the roads in the park and the pull-thrus. When we walk, we have to watch out for the soft tar on the roads, and we're treated to the aroma of hot asphalt. The upside is that the roads and pull-thrus will not only be smoother but also definitely look better once the work is done.

Not much happening here today. We did some trip planning. We'll be spending a couple of weeks in the Texas Hill Country after the New Horizons Owners Group Rally in Kerrville. We've decided to stay first at an Escapees park in Hondo called Lone Star Corral. From there we'll be able to visit the Hill Country State Natural Area and other attractions in the area.

Then we'll move to Canyon Lake. I camped there once with Chris, years ago. It was a much different experience. We were camping in pup tents, and I think I remember listening to an audiobook of The Cardinal in the Kremlin (or some such) in the evenings around the campfire. We're hoping to visit the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, which includes the ranch and the "Texas White House."

Read more!

Water Works

No, unfortunately, I'm not talking about rain (which we very badly need). We worked on our fresh water system today. We installed a new Watts 263A water pressure regulator. We also replaced the sediment filter and put some dichlor in the tank to keep it sanitized. That's probably not necessary since we've been hooked up to city water for months now, but we like to be careful.

Ken put a hose fitting on the hose supplied in the Majestic to winterize the water system. It's also the only way to get water into the fresh water tank if we don't have a water faucet. There's no way to pour water into the tank, and the hose came with no fittings. We wanted to be able to add some length to make it easier to reach a water container sitting in the truck bed.

That description of our projects sounds like we were done in a jiffy, but actually each took quite a while. We do have a sense of accomplishment anyhow.

Read more!

Running Around

Today we had some running around to do. We picked our bikes up from the bike shop, where we'd had them tuned up. Ken's bike needed a new chain, and both bikes needed a cable replaced. We still had sticker shock when the bill came to over $200. Still, it will be good to have our bikes in good condition.

We also went to the Hidalgo County Tax Assessor's office again. We went two weeks ago and filled out change of address cards, but because of the mob scene in the office, we were advised to come back after the changes had time to be input into the system. Our vehicle registrations expire the end of this month, so we were anxious to get our stickers. This time, instead of going at 7:45 a.m. to be there when the office opened, we went at 4:45 p.m. to be there just before they closed. This was a much better time, with almost no wait. The address changes hadn't made their way into the system, but that was okay. We were able to make the change of address and register both vehicles in about fifteen minutes. That job's done for another year.

We did some grocery shopping to stock up our empty larders, so we had lots of food to find places for in our fridge and cupboards. By the time we got home, the promised cold front was beginning to arrive. A north wind is blowing in cooler weather, so the low tonight will be around 55 degrees instead of over 70, as it has been recently.

Tonight we watched last Sunday's episode of Call the Midwife, which is always enjoyable.

Read more!

Home Finally

I had a rough night, sleeping on a cot in the terminal. I was rudely awakened at 6:30 a.m. by an AA phone call telling me my flight had been delayed (again) and was now leaving at 9:00 a.m. I had breakfast at McDonalds (not many choices in the terminal) and took my morning walk (with extra exercise from carrying or dragging all my luggage).

When we finally boarded the airplane that would take us to McAllen, we had another delay waiting for our pilots to arrive. I was very glad to see Ken when he picked me up, but very stressed and miserable after the ordeal.

On a brighter note, the new saute pan I ordered had arrived. I unpacked and we went for our evening walk. I managed to burn the corn muffins for dinner, but we enjoyed them anyhow. We watched a Masterpiece Classic episode of Mr. Selfridge, and then it was off for some very welcome rest.
Read more!

Home Again, Home Again (Maybe)

I got up early today so that I'd have a chance to say goodbye to Anara before she left for school, and I hoped to see Shawn briefly before she left for work at 6:00 a.m. Shawn was pulling away from the curb when I came downstairs, so I had to content myself with reading her kind note and leaving a note for her. I did get a chance to talk with Anara and give her a warm hug before she bicycled away to school.

Chris rode the bus with me and got off at the Max to make sure I could find my way. I waved goodbye to him and got on the Red Line to the Airport. The train stops right at the airport, which is the end of the line, so that's an easy ride. I was in plenty of time to go to the Alaska ticket counter and pick up my boarding passes and head for the gate. The flight to Orange County was uneventful, but when I deplaned, a man at the flight board asked what flight I was on, and when I told him, he said that all American flights were being cancelled.

That was the start of a bad travel experience. No one had any real information, least of all the American employees. I talked with the flight crew for the plane I was scheduled to fly on, and they admitted that they had not been informed of any problems before they showed up at the gate. My flight was not cancelled, but it was delayed enough that there was no way I could make my connection in Dallas for my flight to McAllen. I spoke with a friendly American employee at one of the gates, and she rebooked me on the first flight to McAllen in the morning and told me there would be someone at the gate with hotel vouchers and such.

That was the last nice thing that happened. My flight was overbooked so they asked for volunteers to take a later flight in exchange for a $300 flight credit. I was the first to volunteer, but they ended up not needing any volunteers, so the net result was that I was almost the last to board the plane. They wanted to gate check my roll aboard through to McAllen, but I asked for it to be sent just to DFW, since I expected to spend the night there. After a brief mixup, the gate attendant waved me aboard with the suitcase. The flight crew weren't too happy about that, but miraculously, a place was found in the overhead bin after some rearranging.

At DFW, I found myself in a long line of people waiting at the gate to speak to one rather unfriendly AA employee about rebooking and hotels and meal vouchers. When the young couple with a baby in front of me reached the counter, the employee told them there were no hotels. When they got understandably upset, she was exceptionally rude to them.

It was late, and I was resigned to spending the night on a cot at the airport. First I ate dinner at pretty much the only open restaurant in the area, Papasita's. The $12 dinner voucher didn't go very far toward covering my meal. Cots were dropped off, and people set them up wherever they wanted. It was a long time before blankets arrived, and no pillows were ever seen. I did score a Smarte Carte while I was out walking the terminal for exercise, and that made it much easier to tote all my stuff and walk around.

Read more!

Cate Is Nine!

Today is Cate's ninth birthday. We called and all sang Happy Birthday to her.

Unfortunately it was also a very sad day, as explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon spread carnage and chaos, killing three and injuring over a hundred more. Such a tragic end to a happy day in Boston, shaking the country's faith in the effectiveness of our anti-terrorism efforts, but so far no claims of responsibility and no idea what the motive may have been.

We made more progress on the landscaping. Shawn spent most of the day working on a paper for her course, but she took a break to join us in walking to the Whole Foods and again to go to Oregon Decorative Rock Company. Chris and Shawn and Anara picked out some flat stones for the tree lawn.

Meanwhile, back in Texas, some friends took Ken out to dinner at Casa de Marisco in Weslaco. (He's not in the photo, so I guess he's the photographer.)

Willis and Rebecca, Bruce and Mary Sue

Read more!

More Gardening

Today we were on a mission to find more plants and garden furniture and tools, everything to make the townhouse yard beautiful. We went to Lowe's and Home Depot and Livingscape and Portland Nursery and Target and Livingscape again. Livingscape is a small, friendly neighborhood garden store that also sells outdoor and kitchen needs, rents snow shoes and skis, and supplies bees and chickens. Portland Nursery has extensive varieties and gardening supplies. We came home with lots more to plant. Chris and Anara diligently turned over and removed the unwanted volunteer grass in the planting strip/tree lawn to make room for some "steppable" ground covers.

This evening we watched Michael Moore's Sicko, which is enough to make anybody sick and left us wondering why the United States is the only advanced country that does not have universal health care. It just seems such a basic human right.

Read more!

Kitchens and Circa

This morning Shawn went to her art class, as she usually does on Saturdays. This week the entire group is preparing for an art show next weekend, so everyone stayed over to clean up and prepare for the show. Meanwhile, Chris and Anara and I went to the Kitchen Revival Tour sponsored by the Architectural Heritage Center. Eight homes were opened this year for viewing of their kitchen renovations. The kitchens spanned the gamut from late Victorian to mid-twentieth century modern. After we had seen six of them, we picked Shawn up and went to the last two. I always enjoy going through homes. Some of the renovations were really fascinating, especially in how they made all the modern amenities available, but hidden or disguised.

We went home for a bit and ate a light lunch and rested up.

We had an early dinner at a restaurant called Ox this evening. It opens at 5:00 p.m. and doesn't take reservations. It's popular enough that we wanted to be among the first there so we could be sure of getting a table and having dinner before the show we were attending later. Fortunately we did get a table immediately. The food was unusual and delicious, starting with the complimentary "amuse bouche" of pumpkin soup with lime garlic oil and finishing with the "Cheesecake Panna Cotta, Roasted Banana Pudding,
Cinnamon Graham Donut Holes" that we shared. (Actually, Anara had one, and Chris and Shawn and I shared one.)

After dinner we drove downtown to the Newmark Theater where the White Bird Dance presented an amazing performance by Circa. Circa are a group from Brisbane. The show was 75 minutes with no intermission and not a word spoken. The seven performers, four men and three women, created an engaging, intimate, awe inspiring experience. Their strength and grace were amazing.

Read more!

Garden Fever

This morning Shawn had several errands to run. Chris made waffles for breakfast, and then he and Anara and I walked to Whole Foods. After grocery shopping, we stopped in the Multnomah County Library branch located in the same neighborhood shopping center. I picked out a DVD of Michael Moore's Sicko that I've been wanting to watch, and of course Anara got several books.

After lunch we all went to Garden Fever to pick out some plants for the small fenced backyard at the townhouse, which was virgin territory since Shawn and Chris and Anara moved in here last December 1, not a great time for gardening in Portland. The builder was nice enough to cover the bare ground with bark mulch. Garden Fever is a surprising find in an urban neighborhood, with a wide selection of plants. Staff are knowledgeable, and plants are grouped according to their growing needs.

When we got home, Shawn could hardly wait to get her hands dirty, but first Chris and Shawn had to go buy some gardening tools, since they couldn't find any in the garage. I chose to mainly watch from indoors so I could warm myself by the gas fire. Portland spring weather is warm by Portlandian standards, but not for someone acclimated to south Texas.

Tonight Chris and Anara and I went to Anara's high school, Cleveland High, to see a production of Hamlet. It was quirky and quite enjoyable. Several male parts, including that of Hamlet, were played by young women. At 2 1/2 hours, it was an "abridged version." The cast got a standing ovation. Anara knows one of the players and is thinking of getting more involved in drama next year.

Read more!

Portland Via DC?

We got up early this morning so that I could catch an 8:20 a.m. flight from McAllen to Portland. My ETA in Portland was 7:55 p.m., which is 9:55 p.m. CDT, so my trip was scheduled to take 12 1/2 hours. That's more than twice as long as a flight directly through DFW to Portland. My frequent flyer trip today was routed through DFW and then Washington Reagan. Yup, I had to fly to the east coast to fly to the west coast. The consolation this time was that I was flying first class all the way (there were no economy flights available for frequent flyer tickets).

First class meant that I didn't have to worry about meals. The coach cabin occupants are lucky to get a couple of cokes, but in first class I had lunch and dinner, and the food was actually pretty good. The drinks were accompanied by deluxe mixed nuts heated in small ramekins. My seats were actually wide enough to be quite comfortable.

The best part of the whole trip was arriving in Portland to find Chris and Anara greeting me with big smiles and open arms. They had waited dinner for me, so I had another meal to top off the day. Shawn had everything laid out when we got to the townhouse, and we had some delicious SoupCycle salad, soup, and bread. The soup was one of my favorites from past visits:

Your Tongue Takes You on Vacation (veggie/vegan)
This coconut, corn, cauliflower, red potato chowder transports you from Souplandistan to Asia and back again. The sweet and savory flavors are accented by cayenne and fresh dill.†

It was delightful to share it with Chris and Shawn and Anara (though she subbed in ramen for the soup). It was also my first time to see the townhouse finished and furnished. We saw it under construction when we were here last July.
Read more!

Preparations and Packing

The order of the day today was preparing for my trip to Portland tomorrow. We did laundry. We made meatloaf and chili to freeze and verified that Ken has everything he needs while I'm gone. I packed my bags, so I'm ready to leave in the morning (way too early in the morning for my preferences).
Read more!

Shopping Trip

Our big excitement today was a shopping trip to Barnes & Noble for a gift card for Cate's birthday and HEB for food. It was hotter than heck here today, and more of the same expected for tomorrow. The only saving grace is that it does cool down in the evening.

Our order from the RV Water Filter Store arrived today. Tomorrow morning we'll install our new Watts water pressure regulator and a replacement sediment filter.

Read more!

Another Quiet Day

Today was much like most days recently. It was overcast this morning, but the sun soon burned off the clouds, and it was sunny and very warm most of the day. We showered and sat in the hot tub and chatted with folks for a while. We walked as usual. We spent some time picking burrs out of our shoes and feet--ouch!

We made reservations at Lake Sidney Lanier for our visit with Ed and family and Terri in Georgia. We got the last available campsite, and now we're wondering if we'll really be able to get into it. The map seems to show a rather tight turnaround, and we are long and have three axles and don't turn around very tightly. It wasn't the best plan to wait until now to try to make reservations near Atlanta for the fourth of July weekend, but we hadn't noticed that our planned time period might include the holiday weekend.

Read more!

Sunday

Sunday is still one of our favorite days, even though we once thought that once we were retired, we wouldn't notice a difference between weekdays and weekends. One thing is that we look forward to some Sunday radio and TV programs.

Tonight we watched the next episodes of Call the Midwife and Mr. Selfridge. During those two hours I finally got around to redoing the Gelish polish on my nails. It has been helping at least some of my nails recover from the persistent peeling that has affected them.

I talked with Julie today. She says the kids are so busy playing with their neighborhood friends that they are watching very little television. Sam is excited about playing soccer, and Cate is very involved with her piano lessons.

Read more!

Carrots and Beet Greens

Another gleaned crop was being given away today: local carrots. We picked some up, and I'm planning to roast them tomorrow. We were out walking and passed by just as someone was getting ready to discard the tops from some gleaned beets. I sauteed them for dinner. It's great having fresh from the field produce.

We had a quiet day today, no outings, to rest up from yesterday. I did pull everything out from the cargo bay and clean and reorganize it. Same with the truck bed. Not exciting, but I do have a positive sense of accomplishment.

Read more!

Change of Address

We got up early this morning so that we could be at the DMV office by 7:45 a.m. to try to beat the crowds to the 8:00 a.m. opening. Some people were even earlier birds than we were. Evidently not too many folks were there to change their addresses on their vehicles, so we were in one of the shorter lines. We ended up just filling out change of address cards rather than waiting in the massively longer line to renew our registrations. Now we have to go back for another early morning vigil after the very busy person responsible for entering changes of address in the system has had a chance to get ours processed.

Our next stop was at the Department of Public Safety office in Mission to change the addresses on our driver licenses. We had to take a number and wait our turn to get our pictures taken and our thumbs printed and pay $11 each for the duplicate licenses. Now we have temporary licenses to carry along with our old licenses, which now have a corner cut, while we wait for our permanent licenses to be mailed out to us. Fortunately, DPS will also take care of the change of address for our voter registrations.

Next we went to Green Gate Grove to take care of some things. I did a bit more yard work and filled another large trash bag with weeds and leaves and such. Fortunately it will be composted by the park. Next year maybe we'll figure a good place for a compost heap in the back yard. We sealed the drains and toilet in the Texas room to prevent evaporation and put out two large containers of water to provide some humidity. Ken turned off the water. We set off a bug bomb and put out a couple more mouse traps.

We biked around the neighborhood one last time for this season and loaded the bikes in the truck. Then we were off to Subway for lunch and Just a Cut for a quick haircut for me. We dropped the bikes off at Bicycle World for tune-ups and did some grocery shopping. By the time we got home and put the food away it was nearly dinnertime. Busy day, and we'll still have to make a trip to the Hidalgo County Appraisal Office to claim our homestead exemption on our property taxes for 2014, but we'll do that in the fall.

Read more!

Blue Skies

We had another lovely day today--blue skies, a bit of a breeze, and warming from the 60s this morning to the 80s this afternoon. We got our tax return signed and in its envelope, ready to mail tomorrow, so now all we have to do is wait for our refund. Not much else doing. We called around to see about changing our address on our driver licenses and vehicle registrations. We'll tackle those jobs tomorrow.

We picked up some fresh onions today--literally. In this agricultural area, some crops are available for gleaning after harvest. Right now, it's onions, and one of our fellow RVers has picked up loads which he is giving away.

We had an interesting experience today. A motorhome pulled out, towing its toad. So far, nothing unusual. Then its horn started playing an extended version of "On the Road Again." Wow! We play the song every time we leave a site--but we play an mp3 on our sound system, much less dramatic and public!

Read more!

Windy

It's windy this evening. We have some windows open but also have the shades pulled down, so they are rattling. The slide toppers sound like distant bowling in the sky. Altogether it's rather unsettling, but we remind ourselves that south Texas may be breezy, but we're not in Kansas anymore!

Not much doing today. We've been talking with and emailing insurance agents. Most of the responses are no joy, but we have one agent who apparently thinks she can write us a homeowner's policy with Foremost. Another agency is calling back in the morning, so we're still looking for more info.

Read more!

Laid Back

Not much doing today. It was mainly overcast but quite warm. We walked and showered and enjoyed the hot tub. We placed an order for some things we needed from the RV Water Filter Store. We always have to be aware of opportunities to order things and have them delivered when we know where we'll be for a while.

This evening it had cooled off a bit and was quite pleasant for our evening walk.

Chris called this evening to talk about my upcoming visit. It's working out very well that Anara is off school Friday. Chris is taking vacation days Friday and Monday, and Shawn has a four-day work week, so she's off on Friday. Chris has lots of interesting things planned. I talked with Anara for a bit too. She knows some of the people who have parts in the production of Hamlet at her high school that we'll be attending Friday evening.

Read more!

Moving Day

Moving days always involve some stress, but today was more difficult than most. We haven't moved for a while, so we're not really in practice. The space we were assigned turned out to be too difficult to get into. The road isn't very wide, and the narrow gravel drive was flanked by wooden rails. After an hour of trying, we gave up and asked for a different site. The new site was much easier to get into, and we like it a lot. We won't move again until the end of the month. We're hoping to get some of our chores done and just take some down time. Square dancing is winding down, and people are heading north.

I talked with Aunt Iris this evening. She's been very busy with church and choir for the Easter season. Unfortunately her back and hip and leg are causing her a lot of pain, which apparently is due to a spinal issue. She has an appointment with a neurosurgeon in a couple of weeks and expects she'll probably have surgery. Meanwhile she and Beth are driving to North Carolina this week to see everyone. Sadly, Aunt Janice has been diagnosed with leukemia and has decided not to have radiation or chemo.
Read more!

Happy Easter

We had a delicious Easter dinner at the clubhouse with our friends Hardy and Judy and more than one hundred neighbors. The club provided ham, and the rest of the meal was potluck, with the usual wide variety of side dishes and desserts. One of the best parts is that the cleanup is quick, even though we took our own place settings.

We made some preparations for our move tomorrow. Ken added air to the duallies to support the weight of the Majestic. We did some laundry and packed up the folding chairs and tables and such. I did some more yard work, and we made arrangements to have the grass cut while we're gone.

This evening Hardy and Judy came over, and we watched Paint Your Wagon, a perennial favorite. We're very familiar with the music because we listen to the CD, but some of the dialogue and situations still seem new each time we watch the movie. Lee Marvin is just great.
Read more!

Last Bike Ride to Bentsen State Park

Today was our last bicycle outing down to the state park for this season. The round trip, including two miles each way to the park and one loop around, took 53 minutes. It was a rather warm day, but cooler in the park because the trees absorb some of the heat. I love riding in the park.

Back at Green Gate Grove, Ken looked up information about where to go to change our address on our truck and trailer registrations and on our driver licenses. I spent some more time putting in tree fertilizer spikes and raking and chopping the grass and weeds from along the shed and around the patio cover posts. My body is definitely protesting at being asked to do all the bending and twisting.

We stopped by to talk with Judy tonight when we were out for our walk. She is feeling better, but not 100%. There are suitcases around the living room. She's started packing up to leave. One big advantage of taking your home with you pretty much everywhere you go is not having to pack and unpack. The only time we use suitcases is when we fly out to visit our kids.

Speaking of kids, we've been seeing kids in the park and at the swimming pool the last couple of days. I just realized that they must be on spring break and visiting their grandparents here.
Read more!

More Work

Happy birthday to our friend, Nanci, in Olympia, WA! We hope she's having a great day.

We did some more yardwork today. Ken was putting in tree fertilizer stakes when he hurt his back, so I took over that job. It is a back breaking job, especially when the ground is very hard and dry. Even after running the sprinkler for quite a while, it wasn't easy to get those darn spikes in without crushing them. Besides, I was worried about hitting some of the many utility lines running under the property (power, water, cable, telephone). There's more to do tomorrow, but we did make some progress. We can already see the new fruit setting for next year, so that encourages us.

I spent more time working on raking and chopping the uneven areas and pulling crabgrass and weeds. Then I sprayed the area near the house with weed killer to keep things from growing back--or so I thought. It turns out that the stuff I was using (bought at a yard sale) only kills the plants you spray it on. It doesn't keep weeds from growing back.

After dinner we walked over to the hot tub to ease our aching muscles and Ken's back. He's also using his new little hot pad. He's definitely improving, and we're hoping he'll feel better tomorrow.

Read more!

Project

This morning we biked around the neighborhood and around Bentsen Grove. We stopped by to see Hardy and Judy and got a bag of grapefruit from them. We also borrowed a shovel and rake. This afternoon I tackled an area alongside the rear part of the Texas room and the shed where the previous owners had placed some sod. Unfortunately the sod created a bumpy, unsafe surface, and the grass mostly died, except for some crabgrass. It's going to be a big job to get all that area leveled and cleared, so I have a project that will take me a few days.

Tonight was the last Thursday evening Darryl dance. Next week the Thursday dance will be in the morning, and it will be at La Hacienda. We never go there without remembering our friends Bob and Doris, who used to live in this neighborhood. We had exactly four squares, so everyone got to spread out and dance. We said goodbye to John and Sandy. They'll be heading north early Sunday morning.

Read more!