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Today was a very busy day for us. The big problem this morning was that Tyler wanted to sleep in because he stayed up late again. We had plans to go to the Living Desert Zoo here in Carlsbad today after we missed the closing time by 2 minutes yesterday. The zoo is in a very nice location with beautiful scenery around it, but I was let down by many of the cages being empty . and a lot of the animals not visible. I can only think that they stay inside their houses or in shelter from the heat. I know that it is summer and the animals are suffering from the heat, but after paying to see the animals, it is disappointing to not be able to see them. The boys liked it, so I guess thats all that matters.
From there we went to the caverns again. The boys wanted to go on a guided tour of a different part of the cave, but again we were late. We didn't get there in time for the last guided tour but did make it in time to go on the original entrance route. This is a very strenuous route that takes you 750 feet deep into the Big Room where we would catch the elevator back up to the ground level. Stella decided not to try the walk all the way and after taking the hike down, I'm glad she didn't! Even though it was cool in the cave, I was soaked in sweat. My knees ached, my ankles felt as if they were coming apart and my leg throbbed. Although I took several rest stops, I made it. It was tough but we made it. The boys didn't have too much trouble making the walk but they were very supportive of me.
On a lighter note, We were walking into the original mouth of the cave, where the bats fly every evening, and Cameron was intently watching the cave swallows swirling around near the opening when he was hit by a white sticky substance from one of the birds. He was very embarrassed and upset when it happened and of course, Tyler and I had a ball with it, but everyone had a good time. It was nice for me to get to spend some time with the boys alone. They have had fun for the trip and I'm sure it will continue when we get to Colorado.
So long.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday July 29, 2010-Carlsbad RV Park & Campground
Here we are, getting ready to go into the Roswell alien Museum. The museum has many documents that relate the story of an alleged UFO crash near Roswell in 1947. There was evidence that something did crash out in the desert and that government officials took possession of the evidence and locked it up. The explanation was that a weather balloon had crashed, causing the debris in the desert. It was widely held by UFO proponents that this was merely a cover up but ended being a good story and put Roswell on the map as a place to visit.
This photo was taken at the Area 51 "Museum" which is a rather hokey representation of "aliens" dressed and posed and is a fun area for children. I don't think either Tyler or Cameron was very impressed with it. Here the boys are standing in front of a flying alien creature.
Here is Cameron relaxing on a couch with a new friend.
Here is Cam sitting in an outhouse with another alien friend.
Even PePaw got to sit with a new alien friend.We went to eat at Happy's again this morning and had a great breakfast to start our day. We then went and had the truck serviced and the radiator flushed to try to find out what may have caused the overheating problem. It seems to be fixed now, and the only thing we could find was that the radiator was a little low on coolant, but that has been fixed now. We should be good to go now.
We came back to Carlsbad, intending to go to the Living Desert Zoo but we were one minute too late to get in. They close the gates promptly at 3:30, their advertised time, so we will go tomorrow, which will be our last full day here. We still have some more things we want to do here before we leave, so the adventures here will continue.
We came back to Carlsbad, intending to go to the Living Desert Zoo but we were one minute too late to get in. They close the gates promptly at 3:30, their advertised time, so we will go tomorrow, which will be our last full day here. We still have some more things we want to do here before we leave, so the adventures here will continue.
So long.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday July 28, 2010-Carlsbad RV Park & Campground
Here are the boys just before we went into the caverns. It was very hot outside, in the 90's but the temperature in the cave was posted at 37. It is also very humid in the cave, so its a refreshing change from the outside temps.
Here is everyone but MeMaw taking photos. I am actually using her camera, so perhaps one of my children will find it in their heart to give poor old dad a new camers for Christmas. (Shamelessly hinting for a gift)
Here is one of the many beautiful rock formations found in the cave. Some are shaped like animals, some like ice cream cones, all shapes and sizes. They are all caused by the water that erodes the rocks into shapes and colors.
There are just so many formations, it would be impossible for me to put them all in this blog. One of the things I noticed was that there are many different colors in the cave, but I read that they use only white lights and the colors seen are because of the coloring of the rocks.
We had thought about hanging around for the bat flight that starts at dusk, but as soon as we got back outside, we were greeted by very loud thunder and lightning and a very ominous storm cloud, pictured above from the truck as we were leaving. We got a lot of rain when we got home, and the power went out for a few minutes.This was our first full day here in Carlsbad NM. I woke and had my coffee and woke the boys for our trip to the caverns. Tyler was a big sleepyhead this morning, and I found out that he had stayed up way late last night and couldn't wake this morning. We ate breakfast here in the trailer but the boys didn't want to go early. We left here about 2 o'clock for the 20 mile drive to the caves.
After exploring the "Big Room" of the cave, we came back to Carlsbad and ate supper at a place called Happy's. It's a large-portion restaurant that is in a building that looks like it began as a Stuckey's due to the shape of the building and parking lot. The food was really good, even though everything is served on throw-away plates with plastic dinnerware and styrofoam cups. They also serve breakfast all day, so we'll probably try that one morning. It began storming on us while we ate, so we hurried on home when we finished eating. Cassie doesn't like being alone in the trailer during a rain storm, especially one with thunder and lightning. Sure enough, she was very glad to see us, and of course, wouldn't go outside in the rain. As soon as it stopped, she was ready to go though. As I said before, the power went out for about ten or fifteen minutes, so it wasn't long enough to cause a problem.
Tyler and Cameron went swimming again and wanted me to go with them, but I was tired from the 1.3 mile walk around the big room, so I went to bed early. Cam must have been tired too because he came back and went to bed too. It was a good day and the boys enjoyed themselves.
So long.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday July 27, 2010-Travel day San Angelo KOA to Carlsbad RV Park & Campground
We got up in San Angelo to much cooler and drier air than we are used to in Houston. We are going to enjoy this trip! It was nice to sit with the air conditioner off and still be comfortable. I turned the coffee on this morning, thinking the smell would wake the boys, not knowing that they stay up much later than PePaw does. I drank my coffee and ate my cereal, and they still didn't get up. I finally had to get them up at 7:30. We were going to try to leave earlier than yesterday, but didn't make it. The boys are getting much better at helping me get things put away outside. The problem is, sometimes they get a little overzealous, and turn things off before it is time. I have learned not to turn off ANYthing without checking with Stella first and have the knuckle-bumps to prove it. Tyler turned the water off and I heard a loud voice from inside the trailer. I asked her if that was all right and she said "I guess it is, I have already washed up everything". She is accustomed to me asking before turning the water off.
The bad thing today was that Cameron misunderstood his MeMaw and told Tyler that he could turn the electricity off before she was ready. Well now, that got a completely different response than the "that's all right honey"... We got it worked out and everything got packed away in it's proper place but we still didn't get away until 9:30, or the same time as yesterday. At least we're consistent.
I watched the temperature gauge like a hawk all day, but it never did go up like it did yesterday.
Even when the truck downshifted going up hills, the temp never moved. Thats really strange after our experience yesterday, but I'll take it. I'm still going to get the truck looked at and at least have the cooling system flushed.
We made good time on the trip today and only made one long stop for lunch, just before we got into Andrews TX. We pulled into one of those little picnic areas that the state puts in beside the road. It is nothing more than a wide spot on the shoulder. You know the kind, with a small shelter and a couple of trash barrels. This one was on the opposite side of the road, so we had to exit facing toward the oncoming traffic, but the road (state Hwy. 62) is a lonely road used mostly for oilfield workers servicing the many, many oil wells alongside the road, so there wasn't much traffic to put up with. The one thing about it was that some of the big trucks seemed to shake us worse than the other traffic. I watched one of them as he came by and he drove with his wheels off onto the shoulder of the road, apparently so he could shake the trailer when he drove by. He never came close to us, but the wind blast from his big truck sure shook the trailer.
There was no sign at the border when we crossed it. I intended to stop and take a picture of this historic occasion for the boys first going out of Texas. They actually flew to California a couple of years ago to visit their dad but that doesn't count. It only counts when one is on the ground and able to actually see when they cross the border.
We pulled into Carlsbad about 3 o'clock or 2 o'clock New Mexico time. Remember, we are in Mountain time now. We found the Carlsbad RV Park without any trouble, thanks to our Garmin, and got checked in and set up in less than an hour, including our porch and steps. Its good to be home, at least for a few days. The boys went swimming and I soon joined them for a cool dip in the pool. It was nice and refreshing. The pool was full, so I didn't stay very long and returned home. The boys came back after a little while but changed out of their bathing suits and went back outside. They found some new friends and stayed out with them for awhile. It was nice and relaxing while there was some peace and quiet in the trailer. I didn't nap, but did get to close my eyes for a few minutes. We are so thankful for the life we are able to lead.
So long.
The bad thing today was that Cameron misunderstood his MeMaw and told Tyler that he could turn the electricity off before she was ready. Well now, that got a completely different response than the "that's all right honey"... We got it worked out and everything got packed away in it's proper place but we still didn't get away until 9:30, or the same time as yesterday. At least we're consistent.
I watched the temperature gauge like a hawk all day, but it never did go up like it did yesterday.
Even when the truck downshifted going up hills, the temp never moved. Thats really strange after our experience yesterday, but I'll take it. I'm still going to get the truck looked at and at least have the cooling system flushed.
We made good time on the trip today and only made one long stop for lunch, just before we got into Andrews TX. We pulled into one of those little picnic areas that the state puts in beside the road. It is nothing more than a wide spot on the shoulder. You know the kind, with a small shelter and a couple of trash barrels. This one was on the opposite side of the road, so we had to exit facing toward the oncoming traffic, but the road (state Hwy. 62) is a lonely road used mostly for oilfield workers servicing the many, many oil wells alongside the road, so there wasn't much traffic to put up with. The one thing about it was that some of the big trucks seemed to shake us worse than the other traffic. I watched one of them as he came by and he drove with his wheels off onto the shoulder of the road, apparently so he could shake the trailer when he drove by. He never came close to us, but the wind blast from his big truck sure shook the trailer.
There was no sign at the border when we crossed it. I intended to stop and take a picture of this historic occasion for the boys first going out of Texas. They actually flew to California a couple of years ago to visit their dad but that doesn't count. It only counts when one is on the ground and able to actually see when they cross the border.
We pulled into Carlsbad about 3 o'clock or 2 o'clock New Mexico time. Remember, we are in Mountain time now. We found the Carlsbad RV Park without any trouble, thanks to our Garmin, and got checked in and set up in less than an hour, including our porch and steps. Its good to be home, at least for a few days. The boys went swimming and I soon joined them for a cool dip in the pool. It was nice and refreshing. The pool was full, so I didn't stay very long and returned home. The boys came back after a little while but changed out of their bathing suits and went back outside. They found some new friends and stayed out with them for awhile. It was nice and relaxing while there was some peace and quiet in the trailer. I didn't nap, but did get to close my eyes for a few minutes. We are so thankful for the life we are able to lead.
So long.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday July 26, 2010-Travel Day-Hill Country RV Resort to San Angelo KOA
This is a picture of my Dad's house in New Braunfels where his widow lives now. It is a very nice older house up in the hills above New Braunfels. He greatly enjoyed the house during the many years that he lived there.
We took the boys around the Comal where we used to stay. Here is the entrance to the Landa RV Park and Campground or what we used to refer to as "The Dump". Boy, do we have some stories to tell you about this place....another time.
This used to be the only way into this park. It is now used for short trailers and pop-ups because longer rigs just don't fit. It is amazing that anyone can come in there with anything.
The boys are walking down the stairs to the headwaters of the Comal river, the shortest navigable river in the United States. The water is very clear and maintains a temperature of 72 degrees, year round. It is a very popular place for tubers, or toobers as they are called locally and for scuba divers that retrieve the treasures left behind by the tubers.
Two good looking boys aren't they? They are having a good time so far, but the best is yet to come.
Here is Cameron feeding a deer right out the back window at Grandma Willie Mae's house. She has been feeding the deer since they moved here. There is apparently quite a herd in the canyon behind the house. We saw a four point buck as we left. Everyone in the neighborhood feed the deer and treat them as pets. Several years ago, a new resident moved in that was apparently an avid hunter. He shot one of the tame deer with a bow and arrow and one of the older residents found the deer down in the canyon. I believe they nursed the deer back to health, but the new guy had to look for other living arrangements when they found out who did it.I filled up with fuel yesterday at a service station because we unhooked the truck from the trailer and needed fuel. We took 22.3 gallons to go 214.7 miles for a 9.6 MPG average.
On to today's drive to San Angelo. We left New Braunfels about 9:30, a lot better than yesterday's departure time. We made good time until we got to Kerrville where the low coolant light came on. When I could pull off the highway, I added some water to the overflow tank for the radiator and the light went off. I watched the temperature carefully and it rose when we went up some of the longer hills. It never got into the danger zone and immediately dropped when the engine speed slowed on the down side of the hill. It only went up a couple of times, and I called my coffee-drinking friend John back at Rayford. John told me to just keep on monitoring the temperature, and everything seemed well-enough that we got to San Angelo without any more problems. I couldn't find any leaks or liquid under the truck, so I don't know where the low coolant went. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings.
We got to the San Angelo KOA about 2 o'clock and got checked in and set up by 3. Further checks of the truck during the afternoon still didn't show anything leaking. I guess thats why I didn't become a mechanic. I'll take the truck somewhere when we get to Carlsbad to get it properly checked. Wish us luck!
So long.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday July 25, 2010-travel day-Rayford Crossing to Hill Country RV Resort
I woke this morning about 3 AM to find the electricity still off. I checked on the boys but found them snoring in the living room, Tyler on the couch and Cameron in my recliner. The lack of electricity (and air conditioning) didn't seem to be bothering them too much. Of course, it didn't bother me either, so there! About 3:30, lo and behold the power came back on! Hallelujah! It really wasn't that bad in the trailer as long as it was night time, but it would have been brutal during the day without power. We didn't use too many lights during the night, so our battery wasn't affected but the lack of electricity kept the boys from sleeping in their comfy bed because the blow-up mattress needed 110 volt power to operate. I was up anyway, so I got into Stella's recliner and did my normal morning routine.
I have been keeping tabs on tropical storm Bonnie, as have many others. I feel sorry for the people that had trips planned that had to cut them short because of this storm, especially since it fizzled like it did. I guess the only good to come of it was some rain in Louisiana and Florida.
I talked to Bill and Ornell, who went to Florida from the Heartland International rally in Nashville and they had to cut out a couple of days of sightseeing in Florida because of the storm.
The boys stayed down in their covers when the a/c came back on, and had a hard time getting up and going this morning. I didn't really push them either, and we took our time getting packed up. We pulled out at 11:30 but only have 198 miles to go today, so we shouldn't be on the road all that long.
We made our only stop at the rest stop west of Columbus and checked everything out while we were stopped. Everything is doing fine, but the boys have a bad habit of leaving their windows down and doors open, so the interior of the truck warmed up a lot. The air conditioner had a hard time catching up and I really thought there might be something wrong with it, but when we got here to New Braunfels and found some shade, the a/c unit did just fine. At least it feels better than it has been.
The Hill Country park isn't a bad park but the sites are a wee bit tight. It is a Passport America park, so it only cost half price so I guess its okay and its only for one night. I called my Stepmom, Willie Mae, and told her that we'd like to take her out to eat. We agreed to meet her at the Clear Springs restaurant, a famous restaurant just outside of New Braunfels for supper. We had a wonderful meal and good conversation with her. We went back to her house after supper and while on the way, we went down to the Comal river and to the Landa Park RV Park where we went a few times a long time ago. I took some photos and will attach them to tomorrow's blog post, so please come back.
So long.
I have been keeping tabs on tropical storm Bonnie, as have many others. I feel sorry for the people that had trips planned that had to cut them short because of this storm, especially since it fizzled like it did. I guess the only good to come of it was some rain in Louisiana and Florida.
I talked to Bill and Ornell, who went to Florida from the Heartland International rally in Nashville and they had to cut out a couple of days of sightseeing in Florida because of the storm.
The boys stayed down in their covers when the a/c came back on, and had a hard time getting up and going this morning. I didn't really push them either, and we took our time getting packed up. We pulled out at 11:30 but only have 198 miles to go today, so we shouldn't be on the road all that long.
We made our only stop at the rest stop west of Columbus and checked everything out while we were stopped. Everything is doing fine, but the boys have a bad habit of leaving their windows down and doors open, so the interior of the truck warmed up a lot. The air conditioner had a hard time catching up and I really thought there might be something wrong with it, but when we got here to New Braunfels and found some shade, the a/c unit did just fine. At least it feels better than it has been.
The Hill Country park isn't a bad park but the sites are a wee bit tight. It is a Passport America park, so it only cost half price so I guess its okay and its only for one night. I called my Stepmom, Willie Mae, and told her that we'd like to take her out to eat. We agreed to meet her at the Clear Springs restaurant, a famous restaurant just outside of New Braunfels for supper. We had a wonderful meal and good conversation with her. We went back to her house after supper and while on the way, we went down to the Comal river and to the Landa Park RV Park where we went a few times a long time ago. I took some photos and will attach them to tomorrow's blog post, so please come back.
So long.
Saturday July 24, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
We all woke this morning after a good night's sleep again. I went to have coffee with John for the last time this trip, but we'll be back of course. Cameron didn't come down today but stayed in the trailer but John's grandson got dropped off with him, so we had a 2 year old to play with and watch. He reminded me of Ian.
I taught Tyler about transferring fuel this morning. There is really nothing to learn, just how to turn the switch on and when to turn it off. We will go by the station this afternoon and fill up both tanks for the trip tomorrow. Tyler didn't want to go with us to take MeMaw to work but stayed home and played on his new Facebook page. He is up to about 30 friends on his page already. He has had a few questions but has figured out most of it himself.
I piddled around outside this morning and got a few things done in preparation for the trip. I talked to John about leaving my dish with him since we don't want to fool with it on the trip. The boys went swimming this afternoon while I took a nap, so it was a typical day in my life. We went over to pick up Stella this afternoon, which took longer. She had to get all the stuff that she had brought over to Timber Ridge out, since it was her last day to work. The boys were stuffed in the back seat with all her boxes. We went to eat at the El Palenque restaurant on our way home. It was a very good meal, and we all enjoyed it. When we finished eating, guess who was sitting at the table right next to us? Our friends from Rayford, Pete and Jean. We lived next to them last fall, and Pete is one of the many coffee drinkers in the morning. They had just returned from their summer trip and were staying at their son's house. Pete is a great story teller, and I'm sure he'll have more tales of his adventures to tell us about.
Stella decided that she would wash our dirty clothes tonight before we left, but wanted to cut my hair before she did the laundry. We went out and she chopped off all my long hair and both of us noticed some very menacing clouds rolling in. It wasn't 10 minutes before the wind started blowing and the thunder and lightning started. The boys had gone swimming again, but soon came running home because of the weather. It hadn't started to rain yet, so I went outside to see if there was anyone that needed help with anything. I went down to check on my dish antenna that I had taken down to John's place, but he had just gotten home and had laid it down on the ground. Thank you John.
We walked around the park for awhile until we could feel the rain coming. John went back home but I went over to my new friends Ernie and Debbie's place to make sure they were all right. Since they are new to the RV lifestyle, I figured they might need some help. When I got there, they had gotten everything done, but were concerned because so many people had run into the bathrooms or under the breezeway but I told them they didn't have much to worry about, especially since they have a generator on their trailer. I helped a couple of guy tie down someone's awning after they left it out. It is an electric awning, so we couldn't just put it down like in the olden days, but we did tie it off for them so it wouldn't get damaged.
I returned home and we sat in the dark for awhile. We ate a little ice cream which made me sleepy and I went to bed about 10 o'clock. I woke about 3 and soon the power came back on. It really wasn't that bad tonight because the rain had cooled things off. I'm glad the power came back on because without air conditioning it would have been really hot for Stella get things packed up inside the trailer. Not to mention that I wouldn't have had a cool place to come into to take a break from packing.
Tomorrow's the big moving day for us...I don't know who is more keyed up, me or the boys.
So long.
I filled
I taught Tyler about transferring fuel this morning. There is really nothing to learn, just how to turn the switch on and when to turn it off. We will go by the station this afternoon and fill up both tanks for the trip tomorrow. Tyler didn't want to go with us to take MeMaw to work but stayed home and played on his new Facebook page. He is up to about 30 friends on his page already. He has had a few questions but has figured out most of it himself.
I piddled around outside this morning and got a few things done in preparation for the trip. I talked to John about leaving my dish with him since we don't want to fool with it on the trip. The boys went swimming this afternoon while I took a nap, so it was a typical day in my life. We went over to pick up Stella this afternoon, which took longer. She had to get all the stuff that she had brought over to Timber Ridge out, since it was her last day to work. The boys were stuffed in the back seat with all her boxes. We went to eat at the El Palenque restaurant on our way home. It was a very good meal, and we all enjoyed it. When we finished eating, guess who was sitting at the table right next to us? Our friends from Rayford, Pete and Jean. We lived next to them last fall, and Pete is one of the many coffee drinkers in the morning. They had just returned from their summer trip and were staying at their son's house. Pete is a great story teller, and I'm sure he'll have more tales of his adventures to tell us about.
Stella decided that she would wash our dirty clothes tonight before we left, but wanted to cut my hair before she did the laundry. We went out and she chopped off all my long hair and both of us noticed some very menacing clouds rolling in. It wasn't 10 minutes before the wind started blowing and the thunder and lightning started. The boys had gone swimming again, but soon came running home because of the weather. It hadn't started to rain yet, so I went outside to see if there was anyone that needed help with anything. I went down to check on my dish antenna that I had taken down to John's place, but he had just gotten home and had laid it down on the ground. Thank you John.
We walked around the park for awhile until we could feel the rain coming. John went back home but I went over to my new friends Ernie and Debbie's place to make sure they were all right. Since they are new to the RV lifestyle, I figured they might need some help. When I got there, they had gotten everything done, but were concerned because so many people had run into the bathrooms or under the breezeway but I told them they didn't have much to worry about, especially since they have a generator on their trailer. I helped a couple of guy tie down someone's awning after they left it out. It is an electric awning, so we couldn't just put it down like in the olden days, but we did tie it off for them so it wouldn't get damaged.
I returned home and we sat in the dark for awhile. We ate a little ice cream which made me sleepy and I went to bed about 10 o'clock. I woke about 3 and soon the power came back on. It really wasn't that bad tonight because the rain had cooled things off. I'm glad the power came back on because without air conditioning it would have been really hot for Stella get things packed up inside the trailer. Not to mention that I wouldn't have had a cool place to come into to take a break from packing.
Tomorrow's the big moving day for us...I don't know who is more keyed up, me or the boys.
So long.
I filled
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday July 23, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Our first night with the boys...They certainly slept well. At least this morning when I woke and came into the living room where they were, they slept very well. Our couch makes into a queen size bed with an inflatable mattress that must be very comfy, because there was a lot of snoring coming from them. I went down and had coffee with John and later Cameron came down, so I fixed him a cup of coffee.
The boys and I took Stella to work this morning and after, I took them to the Hooks Airport in Tomball. Hooks is a very interesting place where you can actually drive out beside the runways to watch takeoffs and landings. There are no commercial passenger flights out of Hooks, so there are no security measures in place. Anyone that has flown in the past few years know of the searches and questioning that is necessary to even get near the gates, much less to be able to drive out into the airport itself. Other than signs that warn you not to enter the runway, there is nothing to prevent someone from driving their vehicle onto the runway.
We watched several airplanes take off and land, including a couple of corporate jets. There is even a long pond that seaplanes can land on. There is a ramp at the end for the seaplane to pull out of the water, although none were seen this trip. I have seen seaplanes parked near this but not actually on the water.
We came on back home and hung out here. I helped Tyler get a Facebook page going. We had asked his Mom if he could do one, and I assured her that I would make certain that he didn't get into something that she wouldn't approve of. I have caught up with many of my old friends, including people I went to high school and college with and many that I worked with in the past. It is good to find old friends and I am scheduled to go to a class reunion in October. I'll be sure to tell you more about that in the future, and of course, after I go. Stay tuned...
Mike and Patrice came up this afternoon to show us their new Ford truck. Mike said that Patrice didn't feel comfortable in their single-wheeled truck, so being the good husband he is, he went right out and bought her a new one. I would do the same for Stella except that I would try to find her a better truck than the Ford. Another GMC would be my first choice but a Chevy would do. One of the new Dodge trucks would certainly be of consideration, since they don't use the Urea injection, unlike the Ford and GM trucks. I'm still thinking on that one..
We went out to eat at the 88 Buffet on Sawdust. Stella and I have eaten there s few times in the past and the food is very good. We all had a good time and made plans to get together in Colorado. They had started out to go to Wyoming, but had to return home. We are looking forward to seeing them in Colorado when we all get together.
So long.
The boys and I took Stella to work this morning and after, I took them to the Hooks Airport in Tomball. Hooks is a very interesting place where you can actually drive out beside the runways to watch takeoffs and landings. There are no commercial passenger flights out of Hooks, so there are no security measures in place. Anyone that has flown in the past few years know of the searches and questioning that is necessary to even get near the gates, much less to be able to drive out into the airport itself. Other than signs that warn you not to enter the runway, there is nothing to prevent someone from driving their vehicle onto the runway.
We watched several airplanes take off and land, including a couple of corporate jets. There is even a long pond that seaplanes can land on. There is a ramp at the end for the seaplane to pull out of the water, although none were seen this trip. I have seen seaplanes parked near this but not actually on the water.
We came on back home and hung out here. I helped Tyler get a Facebook page going. We had asked his Mom if he could do one, and I assured her that I would make certain that he didn't get into something that she wouldn't approve of. I have caught up with many of my old friends, including people I went to high school and college with and many that I worked with in the past. It is good to find old friends and I am scheduled to go to a class reunion in October. I'll be sure to tell you more about that in the future, and of course, after I go. Stay tuned...
Mike and Patrice came up this afternoon to show us their new Ford truck. Mike said that Patrice didn't feel comfortable in their single-wheeled truck, so being the good husband he is, he went right out and bought her a new one. I would do the same for Stella except that I would try to find her a better truck than the Ford. Another GMC would be my first choice but a Chevy would do. One of the new Dodge trucks would certainly be of consideration, since they don't use the Urea injection, unlike the Ford and GM trucks. I'm still thinking on that one..
We went out to eat at the 88 Buffet on Sawdust. Stella and I have eaten there s few times in the past and the food is very good. We all had a good time and made plans to get together in Colorado. They had started out to go to Wyoming, but had to return home. We are looking forward to seeing them in Colorado when we all get together.
So long.
Thursday July 22, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
There was no coffee this morning because John's daughter had what they thought was an appendicitis attack last night and they were at the emergency room until 2:30 this morning. It turned out to be some sort of cyst that was causing her the pain, so further (expensive) will be required.
I had coffee and breakfast in the trailer with Stella this morning. The refrigerator is working, and holding about 36-37 degrees, so soon we will have to go to the grocery store to replenish the fridge. It feels good, but it will likely be expensive...
I drove down to Texas City this afternoon to pick up Tyler and Cameron. I had been told not to be there before about 3 o'clock because the daycare group was going to Moody Gardens in Galveston and the boys wanted to go with them. It will likely be their last trip with this group. Cam called his MeMaw to tell her that they were back at the karate school earlier than they had expected, so I went on down to get them. First I had to load up some of the big items that we have accumulated here, the little lifesaver refrigerator, the two big adirondack chairs and several boxes of papers that Stella worked on for the doctors. All of that went into our storage area before I got the boys. Cam was looking out the door for me when I drove up, so I guess he is getting anxious to go. We went by their house to get their clothes and other stuff, but their Mom was working from home today and of course, wanted to be there when the boys left. The boys had folded up their clothes and put them into garbage bags to be taken to the trailer so that we wouldn't have to store suitcases or even duffle bags. We had gotten two small three-drawer cabinets for them to put their clothes in, so there wouldn't be so much clutter in the living room and it worked out just fine. Everything they had brought fit in perfectly, so now it is much neater.
The boys and I dropped off their bags of clothes at the trailer before we went to pick up Stella from work. We stopped off at James Coney Island for our supper tonight. They had sent out an email on a special 87th anniversary sale on coneys for 87 cents, so we all had cheap coney islands for supper. I took them to Chik-Filet for their dessert of a milkshake, so they were full when we got home. They didn't waste any time getting back into the swing of thing here, and changed into their bathing suits and went swimming almost as soon as they got back here.
It was good to have them back and we are going to have a great time on vacation.
So long.
I had coffee and breakfast in the trailer with Stella this morning. The refrigerator is working, and holding about 36-37 degrees, so soon we will have to go to the grocery store to replenish the fridge. It feels good, but it will likely be expensive...
I drove down to Texas City this afternoon to pick up Tyler and Cameron. I had been told not to be there before about 3 o'clock because the daycare group was going to Moody Gardens in Galveston and the boys wanted to go with them. It will likely be their last trip with this group. Cam called his MeMaw to tell her that they were back at the karate school earlier than they had expected, so I went on down to get them. First I had to load up some of the big items that we have accumulated here, the little lifesaver refrigerator, the two big adirondack chairs and several boxes of papers that Stella worked on for the doctors. All of that went into our storage area before I got the boys. Cam was looking out the door for me when I drove up, so I guess he is getting anxious to go. We went by their house to get their clothes and other stuff, but their Mom was working from home today and of course, wanted to be there when the boys left. The boys had folded up their clothes and put them into garbage bags to be taken to the trailer so that we wouldn't have to store suitcases or even duffle bags. We had gotten two small three-drawer cabinets for them to put their clothes in, so there wouldn't be so much clutter in the living room and it worked out just fine. Everything they had brought fit in perfectly, so now it is much neater.
The boys and I dropped off their bags of clothes at the trailer before we went to pick up Stella from work. We stopped off at James Coney Island for our supper tonight. They had sent out an email on a special 87th anniversary sale on coneys for 87 cents, so we all had cheap coney islands for supper. I took them to Chik-Filet for their dessert of a milkshake, so they were full when we got home. They didn't waste any time getting back into the swing of thing here, and changed into their bathing suits and went swimming almost as soon as they got back here.
It was good to have them back and we are going to have a great time on vacation.
So long.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday July 21, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
I had coffee with John this morning and returned home to find that Stella made some biscuits with sausage for breakfast. It sucks not having a regular refrigerator and freezer but the new part is supposed to be in today, so hopefully that problem will be solved today.
I took Stella to work this morning so that I could do my chores in the park-getting the money out of the laundromat machines and checking the Coke machine. When I got done there, I went to Discount Tires to have the tires rotated and balanced and to have the air pressure checked. Its a free service from DT when you buy tires from them and cheap insurance against tire problems. When they rotate the tires, they also inspect the tires for any defects or damage, so it gives us some peace of mind when we leave. I continued my truck maintenance by going to have the truck fuel filter changed at the local Kwik Lube place. More preventive maintenance before the trip.
I came on back to the park and stopped at the office to check the mail. I had seen a Fed-X truck turning into the park when I left this morning, and I hoped it was carrying my package from Dometic. IT WAS!!! I called Johnny to give him the good news and he said he was busy right now but would be out as soon as he could to get my work done. I returned home, exhausted from all the chores and relaxed (napped) some. I took Cassie out for a stroll in the afternoon, but it was threatening rain and she could hear thunder in the distance which terrifies her, so she cut our walk short and came back inside. She is funny because when we are alone in the trailer, she sleeps all over the place, but let the weather turn bad and she is in my lap. Big 'ol baby...
I went to get Stella from work and we decided to stop by Wal Mart on our way home. I needed a new storage box for my cordless drill and a couple of other storage items before we leave, so this was as good a time as any to get them done. We had just gotten into the store when Johnny called to tell me that he was at our place. I told him to go ahead and get the roof sealed and we would be right home. He said he had already started working on it and had another call to make in the park but would be here when we got back.
By the time we got back, Johnny was through with the roof and it had started to rain again just as we pulled into the site. This was a good test of his work because it rained really hard for ten-fifteen minutes but we didn't find any leaks inside. Great news! When the rain let up a bit, Johnny came in and installed the circuit board in the fridge and it fired right up! More great news! I was also thrilled to learn that Heartland will pay for the resealing of the roof under warranty.
At least now we won't have to carry the little refrigerator on vacation with us. I certainly made a good buy when I picked that thing up from one of the officers that worked for me in Manvel. It's a small under-counter refrigerators that has really come in handy for us and several of our friends who have used it when their own went out.
Now we can really get started with the preparations to leave. I go get the boys tomorrow and then the fun begins!
So long.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Back to work today for us. After coffee, I took Stella to work. We checked the park as usual and found nothing changed. We have really been impressed with the ease of running this park and most of the people in the park are very nice. There are always a few that make life "interesting". What did Forest Gump say about life being like a box of chocolates?
One of the reasons that Stella didn't want to drive today was because the truck needs fuel, so I went to the store and filled it up. I have realized that I haven't been keeping you up to date on my fuel usage and the mileage we've been getting. I realize that this information is one reason you have been keeping up with us, so I'll bring you up to date. On June 23rd, it took 21.9 gallons to go 339.4 miles for a 15.4 MPG average. On July 10th, it took 26.9 gallons to go 443 miles for a 16.4 MPG average. Today it took 23.6 gallons to go 440 miles for an 18.6 MPG average. Most of this last tank was road miles instead of in town miles taking Stella back and forth to work. I have been a little concerned that the mileage was down, but now it is back where it needs to be.
We stopped at Pancho's Mexican Buffet today, using the last of our coupons for this restaurant. Thank you Donna for letting us use your coupon book. Its not the best food in the world and certainly not authentic mexican food, but where else can you eat for less than $10.00? We can't cook this at home for that much money. Remember kids, we're living on a fixed income...
So long.
One of the reasons that Stella didn't want to drive today was because the truck needs fuel, so I went to the store and filled it up. I have realized that I haven't been keeping you up to date on my fuel usage and the mileage we've been getting. I realize that this information is one reason you have been keeping up with us, so I'll bring you up to date. On June 23rd, it took 21.9 gallons to go 339.4 miles for a 15.4 MPG average. On July 10th, it took 26.9 gallons to go 443 miles for a 16.4 MPG average. Today it took 23.6 gallons to go 440 miles for an 18.6 MPG average. Most of this last tank was road miles instead of in town miles taking Stella back and forth to work. I have been a little concerned that the mileage was down, but now it is back where it needs to be.
We stopped at Pancho's Mexican Buffet today, using the last of our coupons for this restaurant. Thank you Donna for letting us use your coupon book. Its not the best food in the world and certainly not authentic mexican food, but where else can you eat for less than $10.00? We can't cook this at home for that much money. Remember kids, we're living on a fixed income...
So long.
Monday July 19, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
It began raining last night and apparently rained all night. It continued this morning, making my walk down to the rally hall a very wet affair. When I walked across the grass, it was like walking on a sponge and there were several large puddles that I had to deal with.
Today is our day off and we had planned to go to the funeral services for Pierre but the weather was just too bad to get out. We found a huge wet spot on the door side carpet in the rear of the trailer. I had already sealed the area that we thought may have been leaking but apparently this didn't do the job. I called Jim Fenner for advice and he recommended having someone come out to reseal the back of the trailer, which I will get done.
Stella decided to get our clothes washed up today since we didn't want to get out. I took the dirty clothes down for her and she spent a good amount of time getting the clothes washed and dried. I walked around the park some today between rainstorms. At least the weather is cooler but it is sooo muggy! At least I got a little exercise.
So long.
Today is our day off and we had planned to go to the funeral services for Pierre but the weather was just too bad to get out. We found a huge wet spot on the door side carpet in the rear of the trailer. I had already sealed the area that we thought may have been leaking but apparently this didn't do the job. I called Jim Fenner for advice and he recommended having someone come out to reseal the back of the trailer, which I will get done.
Stella decided to get our clothes washed up today since we didn't want to get out. I took the dirty clothes down for her and she spent a good amount of time getting the clothes washed and dried. I walked around the park some today between rainstorms. At least the weather is cooler but it is sooo muggy! At least I got a little exercise.
So long.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday July 18, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Today was a busy day for us. No coffee this morning because John went to church early this morning, so I stayed home with Stella and we got ready to leave this morning. We went to Danbury to the Danbury Baptist Church. The church's pastor, Jason Treadaway, is my second cousin. His mother Nancy Sharp Treadaway was my cousin, but sadly, she passed away a few years ago from cancer. Her mother, my aunt Janie, called me a week or so ago and told me that Jason and his wife Katherine had recently learned that they were about to become parents again (unexpectedly) after having given away all of their baby goods. Now they need everything, so we were throwing them a surprise baby shower with help from the church. I think Jason was very surprised to see so many members of his family in church but had figured it out by the time we began the shower. We had a very nice time visiting with our family that was there, and it was good to see Jason's dad Jack and his brother Joe. Joe was a year ahead of me in high school and a good friend from the First Baptist Church in Galveston. Jack, who was several years younger was also a friend from church and was of course, married to my cousin Nancy. I hope you're not too confused with this little walk down memory lane with me.
From Danbury, we went to Kim's house in Texas City for her birthday celebration lunch. Her birthday isn't until the 26th, but we will be gone by then, so we had to do her lunch today. She decided on Red Lobster in Webster, so we loaded up the boys and took off. We had a nice meal but declined to have the restaurant staff sing Happy Birthday to her. The waiter did bring her a bowl of ice cream with a candle in it and we all sang to her anyway. While we ate, we made plans for the boys to come up later in the week for our trip.
From there we returned to Texas City to the Emken Linton funeral home for the wake for our good friend Pierre. I told you a couple of days ago about our past camping fun with him and his family and won't dwell on it again. It was a very sad time but it was good to see everyone in our "extended family" and relive some of our times together. They showed a collage of photos of Pierre on various camping trips and we were reminded of the good times we all had with him. Be at Peace with God old friend.
So long.
From Danbury, we went to Kim's house in Texas City for her birthday celebration lunch. Her birthday isn't until the 26th, but we will be gone by then, so we had to do her lunch today. She decided on Red Lobster in Webster, so we loaded up the boys and took off. We had a nice meal but declined to have the restaurant staff sing Happy Birthday to her. The waiter did bring her a bowl of ice cream with a candle in it and we all sang to her anyway. While we ate, we made plans for the boys to come up later in the week for our trip.
From there we returned to Texas City to the Emken Linton funeral home for the wake for our good friend Pierre. I told you a couple of days ago about our past camping fun with him and his family and won't dwell on it again. It was a very sad time but it was good to see everyone in our "extended family" and relive some of our times together. They showed a collage of photos of Pierre on various camping trips and we were reminded of the good times we all had with him. Be at Peace with God old friend.
So long.
Saturday July 17, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Today began as a routine day for us with coffee for me at the rally hall. I made a few more cups this morning because I knew the people from the rally might come by and drink with us, but they didn't show up, in fact, most of them left today. When I got through drinking coffee with John, I walked down through the park and saw and spoke with two of the men that I had talked to yesterday. They are farmers and ranchers in the east Texas area and had to get back to care for their animals.
When I got back home, Stella wanted to go over to Mel's Country Cafe again for breakfast. This seemed like a splendid idea because we love the restaurant and they are now open on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and since they are very near Timber Ridge, we thought we should go. No one else in our little group was up and about, so we left. When we got to Mel's there was only one other couple eating there, so we had our choice of seats. It didn't take long for the place to fill up-I guess lots of folks sleep in on Saturday morning-but the food was fine. We will definitely be back there for breakfast!
I took Stella to work and dropped her off and returned home. It was another hot day and most everyone stayed inside and out of the heat. Ricky said he had to go in to his office this morning, so I stayed home with Cassie. Ricky later told me he wrote a contract on a house which is great news. With the depressed housing market, it seems like years since he has sold a house. At least he remembered how to go into his computer and pull up the forms.
We all got together in the late afternoon and decided that we would go to Hooters for supper and have some of their hot wings. We all love their food, so after I went and got Stella, she came in and freshened up and we rode over to Hooters. Peggy and Len didn't go with us but said they would see us when we got back. We had a fun time at Hooters but when we came back home, we learned that a storm had blown through damaging some people's awnings and generally blowing things around the park. My satellite dish had blown over, damaging the LNB holder. I sat it back up, but since the thing is cracked, I just switched us over to cable and didn't try to realign the dish. We're only going to be here for a few days more, and can put up with not having Dish network that long. I hadn't planned to take it with us on our trip with the boys anyway. It was still raining a bit when we got back, so there was no sitting out tonight and we all turned in. Another good one in the book for us.
So long.
When I got back home, Stella wanted to go over to Mel's Country Cafe again for breakfast. This seemed like a splendid idea because we love the restaurant and they are now open on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and since they are very near Timber Ridge, we thought we should go. No one else in our little group was up and about, so we left. When we got to Mel's there was only one other couple eating there, so we had our choice of seats. It didn't take long for the place to fill up-I guess lots of folks sleep in on Saturday morning-but the food was fine. We will definitely be back there for breakfast!
I took Stella to work and dropped her off and returned home. It was another hot day and most everyone stayed inside and out of the heat. Ricky said he had to go in to his office this morning, so I stayed home with Cassie. Ricky later told me he wrote a contract on a house which is great news. With the depressed housing market, it seems like years since he has sold a house. At least he remembered how to go into his computer and pull up the forms.
We all got together in the late afternoon and decided that we would go to Hooters for supper and have some of their hot wings. We all love their food, so after I went and got Stella, she came in and freshened up and we rode over to Hooters. Peggy and Len didn't go with us but said they would see us when we got back. We had a fun time at Hooters but when we came back home, we learned that a storm had blown through damaging some people's awnings and generally blowing things around the park. My satellite dish had blown over, damaging the LNB holder. I sat it back up, but since the thing is cracked, I just switched us over to cable and didn't try to realign the dish. We're only going to be here for a few days more, and can put up with not having Dish network that long. I hadn't planned to take it with us on our trip with the boys anyway. It was still raining a bit when we got back, so there was no sitting out tonight and we all turned in. Another good one in the book for us.
So long.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Friday July 16, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
This morning, John and I met some guys from the Lufkin Sams RV club that had come into the park for a small rally. They had come down to go to the rally hall where they were to meet for breakfast with their group. They stopped off and talked to John and I as we drank our coffee. We offered them some of our coffee but they declined.
I took Stella to work today and came back to the park. It won't be long before I will have to start getting ready for our short summer trip, getting the truck checked out and such. We don't want to have any problems on the road.
I knew that Mike and Patrice were leaving this morning for their vacation trip to Wyoming. Remember, I had given him my kingpin tripod? Well, about noon, I got an email from Patrice that they were returning home because her dad, Pierre, had passed away. I had met Pierre through them while we were camping with them at different holidays. There were three families, Mike and Patrice, Patrice's sister Paja and her husband Don and their father, Pierre and his wife Darlene. They took us in as if we were a part of their family and we had many great times with them. Remind me and I'll tell you a story about our times sometime.
Pierre had been in rather frail health for a few years and today he apparently had a fatal heart attack at home. He was a great man and loved to play his guitar and sing. He entertained us many times around the campfire. We went to the Manvel Opry several times with him and he played there. He will be greatly missed by many of us. Rest in Peace, old friend...
Mike and Patrice had just pulled into Sam's Restaurant in Fairfield when they got the news about Pierre. They immediately turned around and started back home when they had a blowout on one of the trailer tires. Wow, what luck! Mike called me while they waited on their road service guy to come change the flat and asked me to find them a tire store near where they were. I located a store about twenty miles from them and gave him the location as well as a telephone number.
Later in the afternoon, I went down and got Len and Peggy and we went to pick up Stella from work. I took them on a quick tour of Timber Ridge and we picked her up. We all met Tommy and Susan at Mel's Country Cafe for supper. Susan had to work today, even though she was supposed to have been off but she missed a couple of days earlier in the week and because of the oil spill that she was working on so hard, she had to go in today. We had another great meal and came back home. Ricky and Dee had arrived and we all sat outside their trailer. They just picked their trailer up from Camping World, even though it wasn't fixed. CW has had it for a couple of months and can't seem to get the job done. Doesn't say much for their service does it. Also, when Ricky got it here, the battery was completely dead, to the point that he had to go buy another battery. All they had to do at CW was plug it in every few days to keep the battery up enough to not kill it. I'm not saying anything else about Camping World but I hope you know what I think of their work.
So long.
I took Stella to work today and came back to the park. It won't be long before I will have to start getting ready for our short summer trip, getting the truck checked out and such. We don't want to have any problems on the road.
I knew that Mike and Patrice were leaving this morning for their vacation trip to Wyoming. Remember, I had given him my kingpin tripod? Well, about noon, I got an email from Patrice that they were returning home because her dad, Pierre, had passed away. I had met Pierre through them while we were camping with them at different holidays. There were three families, Mike and Patrice, Patrice's sister Paja and her husband Don and their father, Pierre and his wife Darlene. They took us in as if we were a part of their family and we had many great times with them. Remind me and I'll tell you a story about our times sometime.
Pierre had been in rather frail health for a few years and today he apparently had a fatal heart attack at home. He was a great man and loved to play his guitar and sing. He entertained us many times around the campfire. We went to the Manvel Opry several times with him and he played there. He will be greatly missed by many of us. Rest in Peace, old friend...
Mike and Patrice had just pulled into Sam's Restaurant in Fairfield when they got the news about Pierre. They immediately turned around and started back home when they had a blowout on one of the trailer tires. Wow, what luck! Mike called me while they waited on their road service guy to come change the flat and asked me to find them a tire store near where they were. I located a store about twenty miles from them and gave him the location as well as a telephone number.
Later in the afternoon, I went down and got Len and Peggy and we went to pick up Stella from work. I took them on a quick tour of Timber Ridge and we picked her up. We all met Tommy and Susan at Mel's Country Cafe for supper. Susan had to work today, even though she was supposed to have been off but she missed a couple of days earlier in the week and because of the oil spill that she was working on so hard, she had to go in today. We had another great meal and came back home. Ricky and Dee had arrived and we all sat outside their trailer. They just picked their trailer up from Camping World, even though it wasn't fixed. CW has had it for a couple of months and can't seem to get the job done. Doesn't say much for their service does it. Also, when Ricky got it here, the battery was completely dead, to the point that he had to go buy another battery. All they had to do at CW was plug it in every few days to keep the battery up enough to not kill it. I'm not saying anything else about Camping World but I hope you know what I think of their work.
So long.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Today I woke feeling pretty poorly with my mouth and jaw still pretty sore. I had heard from John yesterday that he had something to do and wouldn't be down for coffee, and Larry sometime stopped by on his way to work, and since there wasn't anyone else that drank coffee, I didn't go down either.
Stella felt like she could handle driving in to work again, so I allowed her to drive my truck (LOL) over to the other park. I felt a little better and took a walk around the park a couple of times during the day. I needed to get out of the house and get some exercise anyway, so I walked a few laps around the park. I also went by the office to see if my refrigerator part had come in. it hadn't, so I came back home.
Tommy went to the store and bought some steaks for everyone and Len and Peggy volunteered to cook, so we all went to their site about 6 to eat supper. We had a great meal, although Peggy's brand new fryer didn't work the way it was supposed to. it would only get to 415 degrees before it would cut off, which is not hot enough to fry things properly. We worked it out though, and everyone had plenty to eat. The sirloin steak that Tommy had bought for me was HUGE, and way more than I could eat, so I shared it with Stella. Together we finished it, but boy, were we stuffed. We had a choice of watermelon or coconut cream pie for dessert, and I chose the pie. I know, I know, it's not the best thing for me to have, but it looked soooo good and I couldn't resist. We had a great meal and later Billy and Gwen came by and ate some of the watermelon. We had some good conversations with our friends, but when my jaw started hurting me again, I came home. Yeah, I'm a big baby, but it hurt! The party didn't last much longer because Stella came home later when the skeeters started biting. It was another great night and we enjoy our lifestyle so much.
So long.
Stella felt like she could handle driving in to work again, so I allowed her to drive my truck (LOL) over to the other park. I felt a little better and took a walk around the park a couple of times during the day. I needed to get out of the house and get some exercise anyway, so I walked a few laps around the park. I also went by the office to see if my refrigerator part had come in. it hadn't, so I came back home.
Tommy went to the store and bought some steaks for everyone and Len and Peggy volunteered to cook, so we all went to their site about 6 to eat supper. We had a great meal, although Peggy's brand new fryer didn't work the way it was supposed to. it would only get to 415 degrees before it would cut off, which is not hot enough to fry things properly. We worked it out though, and everyone had plenty to eat. The sirloin steak that Tommy had bought for me was HUGE, and way more than I could eat, so I shared it with Stella. Together we finished it, but boy, were we stuffed. We had a choice of watermelon or coconut cream pie for dessert, and I chose the pie. I know, I know, it's not the best thing for me to have, but it looked soooo good and I couldn't resist. We had a great meal and later Billy and Gwen came by and ate some of the watermelon. We had some good conversations with our friends, but when my jaw started hurting me again, I came home. Yeah, I'm a big baby, but it hurt! The party didn't last much longer because Stella came home later when the skeeters started biting. It was another great night and we enjoy our lifestyle so much.
So long.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Wednesday July 14, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Today began as a typical day in our life. I went and had coffee with John this morning and came home and took Stella to work. Pretty uneventful and routine, but then the "fun" began.
I came back to the park and went to the office to talk to Melissa and Crystal about this winters activities that are being planned. They told me that a committee will be formed to make these plans but that it will be changed from last year. I told them about some of the ideas I have for planned activities for the winter Texans and they said they would keep them in mind and make note of them for consideration.
I had a dentist appointment with Dr. Nellis here in the Woodlands for the beginning of my dental work. He pulled three teeth that have been bothering me for a long time and although I am quite sore tonight, I am certain that my mouth will be well in just a few days. I still have an appointment with a dental surgeon for October when we return from our summer trip, and THEN the real fun will begin. He will make further recommendations about my teeth and we will go from there. I really can't complain about Dr. Nellis' treatment at all. He was very gentle with my sore mouth and didn't make me cry which was a good thing.
I came back home and hung out until time to go pick Stella up from work. This job thing is working out pretty well. I have suggested that Stella get a job at the new Wal Mart store near the park, but I don't think she's going for it. Actually, my suggestion was for her to walk the two miles from the park to Wal Mart which would have allowed her to exercise her bad knees and make them stronger. It would make her legs stronger too, and if she took a sack with her, she could pick up cans that have been tossed out by passing cars, which would have done her civic duty by cleaning up the litter and we could use the money from the sale of the cans. It's a win-win situation, but like I said, I don't think she's gonna buy it.
So long.
I came back to the park and went to the office to talk to Melissa and Crystal about this winters activities that are being planned. They told me that a committee will be formed to make these plans but that it will be changed from last year. I told them about some of the ideas I have for planned activities for the winter Texans and they said they would keep them in mind and make note of them for consideration.
I had a dentist appointment with Dr. Nellis here in the Woodlands for the beginning of my dental work. He pulled three teeth that have been bothering me for a long time and although I am quite sore tonight, I am certain that my mouth will be well in just a few days. I still have an appointment with a dental surgeon for October when we return from our summer trip, and THEN the real fun will begin. He will make further recommendations about my teeth and we will go from there. I really can't complain about Dr. Nellis' treatment at all. He was very gentle with my sore mouth and didn't make me cry which was a good thing.
I came back home and hung out until time to go pick Stella up from work. This job thing is working out pretty well. I have suggested that Stella get a job at the new Wal Mart store near the park, but I don't think she's going for it. Actually, my suggestion was for her to walk the two miles from the park to Wal Mart which would have allowed her to exercise her bad knees and make them stronger. It would make her legs stronger too, and if she took a sack with her, she could pick up cans that have been tossed out by passing cars, which would have done her civic duty by cleaning up the litter and we could use the money from the sale of the cans. It's a win-win situation, but like I said, I don't think she's gonna buy it.
So long.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thursday July 8 thru Tuesday July 13, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Well. I've managed to get way behind on this record of our adventures, so today I'll try to get all caught up. It's been pretty uneventful around here for the most part, but here goes...
Thursday we didn't do much of anything but go to work and come back home. We stopped off and ate on the way home and came in and hung out for the rest of the evening.
Friday, John and I went to PPL to look at trailers for John and to see if they had the part that we needed to fix our refrigerator. They told me at PPL that the part would not be available from Dometic until the end of July. Wow, this parts thing is going downhill fast...We also went to Camping World while we were on that side of town, but they said they have never heard of that part number. Since we were down the street from Holiday World, we went by there for my part, but they were no help either. I did get a telephone number for Dometic and when we left the store, I called them. Dometic, who is not known for their customer service, was no help at all either. I spoke to a clerk who seemed to be put out when I asked about a certain part number, but she told me that the part was indeed back ordered and would not be in until near the end of the month. I asked about exchanging my fridge, since I have a refrigerator that cannot be repaired and is still in warranty but of course, she could not make that call. When I asked to speak with a supervisor, she said he was not in his office, but took my name and telephone number. I am still waiting for his call...Our last stop this afternoon was at the Ron Hoover dealership. They don't have much of a parts department, so I just met with Kevin, the salesman that is working with me on the rally in October. He gave me some Heartland brochures and business cards and showed John a Landmark trailer that he really liked. Perhaps he'll decide to buy one. Tommy and Susan came in today with their new air conditioner on their motorhome. It works much better now and they are very happy. They also had someone make them some covers for the front windshield and side windows to keep the sunlight out too, so that is another energy saver. We all like Mel's Diner in Tomball, so I took them with me when Stella got off and we went to eat there with them. There was a nice breeeze when we got back to the park, so we sat outside at their place and visited with them.
Saturday was just another work day for us. I took Stella to work and came to the park. I hung out here until time to pick her up, but Tommy called and said he was making coney islands for us to eat when she got in. We stopped off at the store and bought a key lime pie for dessert. We had a very nice meal with our friends and sat out chatting until the skeeters started biting.
On Sunday, we went over to Brookshire where we met with our friends A.D. and Dee, that we had worked with at Stephen F. Austin state park. We met them at Orlandos Pizza Buffet and had another great meal with them. We enjoyed our time with them and sat in the restaurant for about an hour and a half and came on back to the park late in the evening. Tommy's sister Peggy and her husband Len had come over to the park along with their grand daughter Megan and her friend Amber. We all sat outside for awhile and got caught up. Its nice to have all these friends here with us.
On Monday Stella and I went to see a new dentist, Dr. Nellis, who was recommended by Gwen. He is a very gentle man that was very careful with my sore mouth and teeth, and after taking x-rays, he gave me the bad news. I will have to see an oral surgeon and will have to have some major dental work done soon. Rats, this will interfere with our plans to have some improvements done to the trailer next year when we go to the Heartland rally in Goshen. Oh well, it's only money!
We also got some more bad news tonight. Susan's mother was rushed to the hospital with what was thought to have been a heart attack. The doctors are still doing tests on her, but I'm sure that Tommy and Susan will be going back home sooner than they expected to.
On Tuesday I talked to Jim Fenner at Heartland and learned that Dometic has assured them that my part will be in on Wednesday and will be shipped out to me overnight mail. I sure hope so. We are leaving Sunday the 25th and won't be back here until October. Thats a long time to go without a fridge.
Stella made an appointment for me at Dr. Nellis' office for tomorrow to begin the removal of some of my teeth. If you hear me screaming, don't worry, they're just pulling teeth. Wish me luck!
So long.
Thursday we didn't do much of anything but go to work and come back home. We stopped off and ate on the way home and came in and hung out for the rest of the evening.
Friday, John and I went to PPL to look at trailers for John and to see if they had the part that we needed to fix our refrigerator. They told me at PPL that the part would not be available from Dometic until the end of July. Wow, this parts thing is going downhill fast...We also went to Camping World while we were on that side of town, but they said they have never heard of that part number. Since we were down the street from Holiday World, we went by there for my part, but they were no help either. I did get a telephone number for Dometic and when we left the store, I called them. Dometic, who is not known for their customer service, was no help at all either. I spoke to a clerk who seemed to be put out when I asked about a certain part number, but she told me that the part was indeed back ordered and would not be in until near the end of the month. I asked about exchanging my fridge, since I have a refrigerator that cannot be repaired and is still in warranty but of course, she could not make that call. When I asked to speak with a supervisor, she said he was not in his office, but took my name and telephone number. I am still waiting for his call...Our last stop this afternoon was at the Ron Hoover dealership. They don't have much of a parts department, so I just met with Kevin, the salesman that is working with me on the rally in October. He gave me some Heartland brochures and business cards and showed John a Landmark trailer that he really liked. Perhaps he'll decide to buy one. Tommy and Susan came in today with their new air conditioner on their motorhome. It works much better now and they are very happy. They also had someone make them some covers for the front windshield and side windows to keep the sunlight out too, so that is another energy saver. We all like Mel's Diner in Tomball, so I took them with me when Stella got off and we went to eat there with them. There was a nice breeeze when we got back to the park, so we sat outside at their place and visited with them.
Saturday was just another work day for us. I took Stella to work and came to the park. I hung out here until time to pick her up, but Tommy called and said he was making coney islands for us to eat when she got in. We stopped off at the store and bought a key lime pie for dessert. We had a very nice meal with our friends and sat out chatting until the skeeters started biting.
On Sunday, we went over to Brookshire where we met with our friends A.D. and Dee, that we had worked with at Stephen F. Austin state park. We met them at Orlandos Pizza Buffet and had another great meal with them. We enjoyed our time with them and sat in the restaurant for about an hour and a half and came on back to the park late in the evening. Tommy's sister Peggy and her husband Len had come over to the park along with their grand daughter Megan and her friend Amber. We all sat outside for awhile and got caught up. Its nice to have all these friends here with us.
On Monday Stella and I went to see a new dentist, Dr. Nellis, who was recommended by Gwen. He is a very gentle man that was very careful with my sore mouth and teeth, and after taking x-rays, he gave me the bad news. I will have to see an oral surgeon and will have to have some major dental work done soon. Rats, this will interfere with our plans to have some improvements done to the trailer next year when we go to the Heartland rally in Goshen. Oh well, it's only money!
We also got some more bad news tonight. Susan's mother was rushed to the hospital with what was thought to have been a heart attack. The doctors are still doing tests on her, but I'm sure that Tommy and Susan will be going back home sooner than they expected to.
On Tuesday I talked to Jim Fenner at Heartland and learned that Dometic has assured them that my part will be in on Wednesday and will be shipped out to me overnight mail. I sure hope so. We are leaving Sunday the 25th and won't be back here until October. Thats a long time to go without a fridge.
Stella made an appointment for me at Dr. Nellis' office for tomorrow to begin the removal of some of my teeth. If you hear me screaming, don't worry, they're just pulling teeth. Wish me luck!
So long.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tuesday & Wednesday, July 6 & 7, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Both Tuesday and Wednesday were just slow working days, plus we got a LOT of rain. Last year was very hot and dry and this year has been the opposite. Of course, we have already had one named hurricane and one more tropical depression. I guess I will need to keep an eye on our destination of Bentsen Palms Village for September to make certain that they have no damage if storms keep going that way.
On Thursday, Stella had called a local dentist on Rayford Rd. to ask if they took walk-in patients. The young girl that answered the telephone obviously didn't understand the question because she answered " well, I guess we can take you if you can walk in". I just don't know about this younger generation...She said that they would be closed for the holiday weekend but would be open next week, so today I stopped by the office, which is near the park. The office door was locked but I called the telephone number and left a message that I needed dental work done. I got a call back and was told that they couldn't see me until tomorrow at 6:15PM for the exam but I would have to come back for an appointment to have the work done. I decided to try to find a dentist that could take me a bit quicker than that.
I got in touch with Gwen to get a recommendation, and she told me of a great dentist on Grogans Mill that I made an appointment with for Monday. Luckily for me, my teeth have stopped bothering me as much, so I should be able to make it. Several doses of whiskey a day seems to have made me feel much better!
On Wednesday, my friend John came down and knocked on the door, telling me that there had been a fire at the Hooks Airport in one of the hangars and asked me if I would like to ride with him to look at the damage. I checked my calendar and appointment book and told him that I could indeed squeeze him into my busy day, so we left. We stopped off at Neal's Family restaurant in Tomball for lunch and then drove over to the airport. The Hooks airport does not take commercial flights, so there is no security there like the larger airports in Houston, so we were able to drive out into the airport and found the burned-out hangar. We couldn't tell what was being stored inside, but of course, it was destroyed in the fire and looked like machinery parts. It could have been a warehouse for airplane parts, but we couldn't tell. We also went to a four-wheeler/Jeep store for John to look at some parts for his Jeep. I also looked around but didn't find anything that I needed, so we returned home. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, even though it rained most of the afternoon.
So long.
On Thursday, Stella had called a local dentist on Rayford Rd. to ask if they took walk-in patients. The young girl that answered the telephone obviously didn't understand the question because she answered " well, I guess we can take you if you can walk in". I just don't know about this younger generation...She said that they would be closed for the holiday weekend but would be open next week, so today I stopped by the office, which is near the park. The office door was locked but I called the telephone number and left a message that I needed dental work done. I got a call back and was told that they couldn't see me until tomorrow at 6:15PM for the exam but I would have to come back for an appointment to have the work done. I decided to try to find a dentist that could take me a bit quicker than that.
I got in touch with Gwen to get a recommendation, and she told me of a great dentist on Grogans Mill that I made an appointment with for Monday. Luckily for me, my teeth have stopped bothering me as much, so I should be able to make it. Several doses of whiskey a day seems to have made me feel much better!
On Wednesday, my friend John came down and knocked on the door, telling me that there had been a fire at the Hooks Airport in one of the hangars and asked me if I would like to ride with him to look at the damage. I checked my calendar and appointment book and told him that I could indeed squeeze him into my busy day, so we left. We stopped off at Neal's Family restaurant in Tomball for lunch and then drove over to the airport. The Hooks airport does not take commercial flights, so there is no security there like the larger airports in Houston, so we were able to drive out into the airport and found the burned-out hangar. We couldn't tell what was being stored inside, but of course, it was destroyed in the fire and looked like machinery parts. It could have been a warehouse for airplane parts, but we couldn't tell. We also went to a four-wheeler/Jeep store for John to look at some parts for his Jeep. I also looked around but didn't find anything that I needed, so we returned home. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, even though it rained most of the afternoon.
So long.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday July 5, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Today is the final day of the holiday weekend. The park was pretty full but several people had cancelled due to the rain on Friday. It was their loss because the weekend was fine but hot, not unexpected in Houston.
I went over and helped Mike get his rig closed up to go home. It all came back to him just fine and he really didn't need my help. I went over to see other friends that were leaving this morning and actually missed seeing Mike and Patrice when they pulled out. One couple, Eddie and Debbie, were out for the first time in their new toyhauler and I figured they might need help more than Mike would, so I went over to see if I could help them. They had talked about trading their travel trailer for a fifth wheel toyhauler and I gave them a Heartland contact card and invited them to our rally in October.
After most of the rigs pulled out, I came back home and hung out in the air conditioned comfort of the trailer. While sitting in my recliner, I noticed the refrigerator light was on, and told Stella about it. About an hour later, the light was out again, so its still not working properly. This has been going on long enough and I hope the part comes in soon. I was told by the Heartland Parts Dept. that it was being sent by priority mail, so maybe it will be here tomorrow.
We washed clothes later in the afternoon. I took the clothes down for Stella and came back and picked up the clean clothes and walked them back home. Our friends Larry and Pat came back from their weekend trip to Fredricksburg and brought us some Fredricksburg Farms salsa that will be delicious. I visited with them some before coming back home for the night.
So long.
I went over and helped Mike get his rig closed up to go home. It all came back to him just fine and he really didn't need my help. I went over to see other friends that were leaving this morning and actually missed seeing Mike and Patrice when they pulled out. One couple, Eddie and Debbie, were out for the first time in their new toyhauler and I figured they might need help more than Mike would, so I went over to see if I could help them. They had talked about trading their travel trailer for a fifth wheel toyhauler and I gave them a Heartland contact card and invited them to our rally in October.
After most of the rigs pulled out, I came back home and hung out in the air conditioned comfort of the trailer. While sitting in my recliner, I noticed the refrigerator light was on, and told Stella about it. About an hour later, the light was out again, so its still not working properly. This has been going on long enough and I hope the part comes in soon. I was told by the Heartland Parts Dept. that it was being sent by priority mail, so maybe it will be here tomorrow.
We washed clothes later in the afternoon. I took the clothes down for Stella and came back and picked up the clean clothes and walked them back home. Our friends Larry and Pat came back from their weekend trip to Fredricksburg and brought us some Fredricksburg Farms salsa that will be delicious. I visited with them some before coming back home for the night.
So long.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sunday July 4, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Here is the best shot I was able to take of the fireworks that the park set off tonight.
Two kids from the park enjoyed the show. They sat there for over 30 minutes, watching the fireworks.I woke this morning and went to the rally hall for coffee. I met a very new couple to RV'ing that had just bought their very first trailer that had many questions. I talked with them for a long time and gave them some ideas, and hope I was able to help them. They said they will be back tomorrow for more coffee, but we'll see.
I came back home and ate breakfast in the trailer. We had decided yesterday to go see an old friend, Bob Holley, who is the first Mayor of Dickinson and a good friend of both us and Mike and Patrice. Patrice began her career as City Secretary under Bob's regime and he signed my first Police Identification card at the Dickinson Police Dept. where I worked for 18 years. Bob was also a director of the Citizen's State Bank where Stella worked, so we both worked with him as well as being friends with him. Bob retired a few years ago and now lives in his RV about 25 miles away from us here.
Bob guided us to Fajita Jacks restaurant near Lake Conroe, where we had a good and great conversation. It was really nice to sit with him and reminisce about Dickinson and the people we know there. Bob had the best memory for people I ever saw. If you came into his drug store, not only would he remember your name, he could remember your ailment. Amazing!
After we took Bob back home, we came back here to the park. I came inside because my recliner had been screaming for someone to come sit on her and relax for a few hours, which I was glad to help in doing. I am just that kind of guy...
Mike finally figured out what was mis-wired in the television cables and got his TV to pick up the cable signal. Now Patrice is a happy camper! And of course, Mike is happy because Patrice is happy.
We watched the small fireworks display tonight and came home. It was a very nice 4th of July celebration down here.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
Saturday July 3, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Today begins the big 4th of July celebration here at the park. We had coffee again and I turned the coffee maker on in the Rayford Room because we were having breakfast served by the park. Billy soon arrived with the breakfast tacos and breakfast began promptly at 8 o'clock. Stella soon arrived and we went in and ate. I visited with several people that I knew and Mike started calling me the "Mayor of the park". I told him that the name belonged to one of the winter Texans but I was glad to keep it going in his place.
Later in the morning we all went to Sam's club to do some shopping. I bought a new Little Giant ladder there and two of the director chairs for Ricky. With the new ladder, I can reach the top of the trailer without having to stand on the top step of a ladder, which will make it much safer for me. It is something I have needed for a long time.
It started to rain really hard just as we got back to the park. One of the beach balls out of the pool was blowing down the main street, so I got out to catch it and take it back to the pool, and while there was called in to help Melissa and Crystal with taking the shelter that had been used by a DJ down and fold up some other items. By the time the rain let up and I was able to walk home, Mike and Stella had most of my stuff out of Mike's truck. I left my new ladder in the bed of Mike's truck and will get it out later.
There was a potluck hamburger supper where the park furnished the meat and buns and guests brought the other side items for burgers. We had a nice time visiting with folks there and met another couple that are staying in the park, John and Judy. John had some expensive whiskey that he let us sip on and told us about a new brand of Texas whiskey that will be coming out next year sometime. Since I don't drink any more, I didn't pay too much attention to the brand. I'll find it out for you if you want me to.
We came back home and sat outside for awhile in the cool evening. The thing we like about the site that we're in is that we have good shade in the afternoon and it cools off sooner than other sites. We chatted with several people that came by during the evening. I spoke with our old friend AD from Stephen F. Austin state park and we made a "date" to drive over there next Sunday to see him and his wife Dee. Our friends Tom and Marti are at SFA this weekend and had run into AD and said hello from me. Mike and Patrice called another old friend of ours, Bob Holley who is the first Mayor of Dickinson. He is living up here in the area, and we made arrangements to meet him tomorrow. It will be good to see him again after many years.
Billy and Gwen's son Nick bought some fireworks and set a few off tonight, but we will wait for the big show tomorrow night and went inside for the night.
so long.
Later in the morning we all went to Sam's club to do some shopping. I bought a new Little Giant ladder there and two of the director chairs for Ricky. With the new ladder, I can reach the top of the trailer without having to stand on the top step of a ladder, which will make it much safer for me. It is something I have needed for a long time.
It started to rain really hard just as we got back to the park. One of the beach balls out of the pool was blowing down the main street, so I got out to catch it and take it back to the pool, and while there was called in to help Melissa and Crystal with taking the shelter that had been used by a DJ down and fold up some other items. By the time the rain let up and I was able to walk home, Mike and Stella had most of my stuff out of Mike's truck. I left my new ladder in the bed of Mike's truck and will get it out later.
There was a potluck hamburger supper where the park furnished the meat and buns and guests brought the other side items for burgers. We had a nice time visiting with folks there and met another couple that are staying in the park, John and Judy. John had some expensive whiskey that he let us sip on and told us about a new brand of Texas whiskey that will be coming out next year sometime. Since I don't drink any more, I didn't pay too much attention to the brand. I'll find it out for you if you want me to.
We came back home and sat outside for awhile in the cool evening. The thing we like about the site that we're in is that we have good shade in the afternoon and it cools off sooner than other sites. We chatted with several people that came by during the evening. I spoke with our old friend AD from Stephen F. Austin state park and we made a "date" to drive over there next Sunday to see him and his wife Dee. Our friends Tom and Marti are at SFA this weekend and had run into AD and said hello from me. Mike and Patrice called another old friend of ours, Bob Holley who is the first Mayor of Dickinson. He is living up here in the area, and we made arrangements to meet him tomorrow. It will be good to see him again after many years.
Billy and Gwen's son Nick bought some fireworks and set a few off tonight, but we will wait for the big show tomorrow night and went inside for the night.
so long.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday July 2, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
I took Stella to work again today and came back home. Mike came over to visit in the morning and after he left, I had a nice nap. It was raining again today, so the rain was soothing and kept the temperatures down making good napping, but it's getting old. I know we need the rain, but enough already...!
I went over to Mike and Patrice's trailer later in the afternoon so that we could go pick up Stella after work and we would go eat. We went to Mel's Country cafe in Tomball for supper. Mike said they have been there several times before with their motorcycle club so they were familiar with it. We had a great meal and came back home. It had quit raining so we sat outside for a little while watching others arriving and talking to the people walking around in the park. It was pretty cool and nice to sit outside. A good night before the big 4th of July weekend.
So long.
I went over to Mike and Patrice's trailer later in the afternoon so that we could go pick up Stella after work and we would go eat. We went to Mel's Country cafe in Tomball for supper. Mike said they have been there several times before with their motorcycle club so they were familiar with it. We had a great meal and came back home. It had quit raining so we sat outside for a little while watching others arriving and talking to the people walking around in the park. It was pretty cool and nice to sit outside. A good night before the big 4th of July weekend.
So long.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Here is our trailer in the foreground with Mike and Patrice's in the row behind ours. They bought another truck to pull the trailer, so they are all ready to resume their traveling. Its about time!After coffee, I took Stella to work and came on back home. I knew our old friends Mike and Patrice were coming in today, so I had to get a few things ready for their arrival. I may have told you before about a pair of Adirondack chairs that I bought many years ago. We used to carry these big 'ol things around with us because they were comfortable chairs and we didn't have any good folding chairs. They were too big to carry in the bed of the truck and would have blown out on the road, so I carried them inside the doorway of the trailer. They were the last thing to go into the trailer and of course, the last to come out. Patrice said that she knew when we had truly arrived because when she saw the chairs come flying out the door, we were there. Stella hated the chairs because they were right in the door and she couldn't get in without moving them so when we were in our site, she would throw them on the ground and go inside the trailer. She couldn't use the bathroom on the trailer while traveling because of those chairs. I refused to get rid of them and used them for a long time on the front porch of the house, simply because they aggravated Stella, but they were truly comfortable chairs and too good to just throw out. I bought some cushions for them to make them even more comfy and they too are still in our storage. I brought them out for Mike and Patrice's arrival to bring back the old times that we all spent together, and put the chairs in their site right across the street from us. They got a big kick out of seeing them when they drove up.
I helped Mike get set up with their new trailer. It is a 2007 Bighorn that has been modified by the former owner. He did some interesting things to the trailer, and time will tell if Mike keeps them or changes things up to suit himself. They knew we have a Bighorn because they read this blog to keep track of us. It's a shame that we haven't been able to stay in touch because Mike and I go back a loooong way. We first worked together for the LaMarque Police Dept., back in the early 70's, again at the Dickinson Police Dept. and finally for the City of Missouri City. Patrice is the City Secretary for Missouri City and previously for the City of Dickinson. We have been traveling and camping with them for fifteen years or more! Wow, how time flies...
We had some good times together, and maybe someday I'll tell you about them. They are good tales, so you might want to stay tuned...
We got them all set up and Mike and I sat outside to start catching up on old friends and times. We sat outside in the old Adirondack chairs for probably two hour before going into our trailers. It was good to have them back.
I went to pick Stella up after work and we decided to take Mike and Patrice out to eat some mexican food at the Casa Imperial. It was another good meal and good times with old friends. It had started to rain again, so we didn't sit out at night.
So long.
Tuesday & Wednesday, June 29 & 30, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
Tuesday and Wednesday were both very ordinary days for us. We only went to work and came home and hung out. I helped Stella do the park checks both mornings and filled the drink machine and robbed the quarters out of the washers and dryers.
Tuesday evening, Kevin from Ron Hoover RV was supposed to have come by to drop off some brochures but we sat outside waiting for him but he never showed up. I went back inside and watched my TV show. We came back outside for awhile but no one else was outside and the skeeters started biting, so we went back inside.
Wednesday evening we stopped off and had Chinese food on the way home. What a boring life we lead...
So long.
Tuesday evening, Kevin from Ron Hoover RV was supposed to have come by to drop off some brochures but we sat outside waiting for him but he never showed up. I went back inside and watched my TV show. We came back outside for awhile but no one else was outside and the skeeters started biting, so we went back inside.
Wednesday evening we stopped off and had Chinese food on the way home. What a boring life we lead...
So long.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Monday June 28, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
We got up this morning, intending to go down south to see one of Stella's clients and to pick up some items from storage. When we got started, I had the brilliant idea to go by Ron Hoover RV to see the salesman that will be coming to our rally in October. When we got to downtown Houston, there was a serious accident on I-10 that made it very difficult to get to the RV store, so we decided that we will come back later when the traffic has died down.
We went on down, planning to see the doctor, but Stella finally got through to her on the phone and they decided that they didn't need to meet after all, so we went to our storage lot and got the items that we wanted and took Cassie-girl to the veterinarian for a checkup and to have her shots updated. She came through all the tests with flying colors but she has gained a couple of pounds, so it looks like she will be taking more walks and getting more exercise to drop some weight.
We went back to Houston to the Hoover store. I met with Kevin and his boss Ray and we talked about the rally. Kevin wants to fix a big gumbo, so that sounds good to me. We also talked about the units that they will bring to show at the rally. Kevin wanted to bring a Road Warrior toyhauler trailer and a Landmark, but I asked him to think about bringing am Elk Ridge or Greystone. I feel that either of these would be interesting to our rally attendees, but they're the sales people and should know their markets.
Since we had the little girl with us, we had to come straight back home, and Stella fixed us some supper and we stayed in all night long. It had been a long day and we were all tired. We got a lot accomplished though, so it was worth it.
So long.
We went on down, planning to see the doctor, but Stella finally got through to her on the phone and they decided that they didn't need to meet after all, so we went to our storage lot and got the items that we wanted and took Cassie-girl to the veterinarian for a checkup and to have her shots updated. She came through all the tests with flying colors but she has gained a couple of pounds, so it looks like she will be taking more walks and getting more exercise to drop some weight.
We went back to Houston to the Hoover store. I met with Kevin and his boss Ray and we talked about the rally. Kevin wants to fix a big gumbo, so that sounds good to me. We also talked about the units that they will bring to show at the rally. Kevin wanted to bring a Road Warrior toyhauler trailer and a Landmark, but I asked him to think about bringing am Elk Ridge or Greystone. I feel that either of these would be interesting to our rally attendees, but they're the sales people and should know their markets.
Since we had the little girl with us, we had to come straight back home, and Stella fixed us some supper and we stayed in all night long. It had been a long day and we were all tired. We got a lot accomplished though, so it was worth it.
So long.
Sunday June 27, 2010-Rayford Crossing RV Resort
I went down for coffee again this morning but I'm sure you're tired of hearing about that, so let's just assume that I went for coffee every morning unless something comes up and we don't do it, okay?
I came back home and Stella fixed us a delicious breakfast. Since the dang fridge is still out, we had limited selection of breakfast, but she whipped up some eggs on tortillas that were very good. We just hung out here in the trailer until Tommy contacted me and said he would like to come by. Susan had to go in to work for awhile this morning, so he dropped by to visit. We had made arrangements with our neighbors, Larry and Pat, to go out to a late lunch or early supper (lupper?) at the Adobe restaurant on Westheimer in Houston. It is one of our favorite places to go for people watching and has really good food too. I drove us over and we all enjoyed ourselves and had a great meal. We were all drowsy on the way back here, but we made it without any problem. We all went in, intending to come back outside but I think everyone probably sat in their recliners and went to sleep. I know I did...
So long.
I came back home and Stella fixed us a delicious breakfast. Since the dang fridge is still out, we had limited selection of breakfast, but she whipped up some eggs on tortillas that were very good. We just hung out here in the trailer until Tommy contacted me and said he would like to come by. Susan had to go in to work for awhile this morning, so he dropped by to visit. We had made arrangements with our neighbors, Larry and Pat, to go out to a late lunch or early supper (lupper?) at the Adobe restaurant on Westheimer in Houston. It is one of our favorite places to go for people watching and has really good food too. I drove us over and we all enjoyed ourselves and had a great meal. We were all drowsy on the way back here, but we made it without any problem. We all went in, intending to come back outside but I think everyone probably sat in their recliners and went to sleep. I know I did...
So long.
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