Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – November 23-29, 2015

Monday morning: 49° at 7:00 a.m. Brrr! I had my annual physical, resulting in glowing marks. Guess I’m pretty healthy, and will be around a long time. A walk along Fulton Beach Road was my reward where we saw an osprey holding a fish in its talons perched atop a piling.

This was followed by happy hour with Jerry and Bonnie (Idaho) at their site. They have a lovely little paradise behind their coach, which they’ve cultivated over the years they’ve been here. Ferns, a willow tree, and other greenery surround their patio area. They’ve also planted citrus trees, a banana tree (with bunches of bananas on it!), and a date tree (with 2 dates growing on it!) The following photos are taken from her FB site. (Hope you don’t mind, Bonnie.) She served a strawberry/balsamic vinegar/hot pepper jelly over cream cheese that her daughter had made, with crackers. YUM! Such good friends.

We woke up to an overcast day on Tuesday, with temps a bit warmer at 60°.  I attended my first Stitch and Bitch session that morning, with 7 other friends. We discussed how and when to decorate the clubhouse for Thanksgiving and the anticipated Thanksgiving dinner. It was decided that we’d wait ‘til Thursday morning to take care of decorating, as there was a happy hour and dinner Wednesday night for which we’d have to redo the tables. This photo was taken of our group taken on November 17, where gals were embroidering, working with fleece for an afghan, knitting, crocheting, and just plain chatting. Fun times.

Later that day Dick and I attended happy hour at Lynda’s—there were about 25 people gathered around her patio. The weather was warm (in the low 70s), and friendships were being renewed. Afterwards we went to Panjo’s Pizza for dinner, along with friends, Gary and Pam (Oregon), Bob and Sharon (Missouri), and Arlene (her husband had fallen recently, injuring his foot and wrist so he didn’t join us; the next day we found out he had actually broken bones in his foot). Good food, good times. Can’t get much better than this!

Laundry was on the docket for Wednesday, after breakfast at Whataburger. Then, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road, seeing an egret and osprey. 

 Happy hour at the clubhouse was at 4:00, following by another of Chef Betty’s wonderful dinners. This night it was Dutchess potato soup, fish sliders made with grouper, coleslaw, rolls and butter, and key lime pie for dessert. YUM! Perfect meal preceding Thanksgiving’s feast! During happy hour an 8-point buck ran through the park, right outside the clubhouse windows. So cool!

Thursday morning after breakfast the gals decorated the clubhouse for Thanksgiving—tablecloths and centerpieces on the tables—anticipating the 107 people expected for dinner at 2:00, following happy hour at 1:00. Chef Betty supplied the turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy; the remaining items were supplied by the campers. Dick, Bob and Gary helped carve 10 turkeys that morning. I guarantee no one went away hungry! The pool tables were covered with cloths to protect them, and then covered with rolls, salads, vegies and other side dishes, and desserts. What a wonderful afternoon with friends, old and new, who have become our Texas family.

That evening, after naps and a day of football, we joined Bill and Carole, and Gary and Pam for 3 games of Pegs and Jokers. Guys:1, gals: 2. Woot-woot!

Weather continued to warm up. The thermometer read 71° at 7:00 a.m. Friday morning. That morning Dick and I walked along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour, where we saw quite a few holiday visitors walking, fishing, and riding their bikes—all with smiles on their faces. 

Later was happy hour at the clubhouse with live music by the park’s “Jam Session Guys.” What an enjoyable time—and yes, we do sing along quite often. The park’s owner Paul and his wife Stephanie, from Dallas, were in attendance after spending Thanksgiving with her dad in Bayside, Texas. We decided that dinner that night was with me not cooking, so off to Latitude 28°02’ in old town Rockport we went. Dick had Fish Oscar (with black drum, crab and asparagus), while I had stuffed shrimp (3 each stuffed with crabmeat and spinach). For dessert we had their crème brulee. And, I also tried their holiday specialty: crème de cacao with vanilla vodka, rimmed with crushed peppermint. The entire 5-star dinner rates a YUM-YUM! We walked out of the restaurant to an almost full moon reflecting on the water, warm temps and a slight breeze. Perfect!

By Saturday morning the temperatures had dropped once again to 53°, which was a prelude to the days to come when temps would drop into the high 40s at night and barely reach 60° during the day. This is what we’re told to expect for the next week. Brr! Dick worked at the office for the morning, returning to our camper to see his beloved Ohio State University Buckeyes beat Michigan State 42:13. He was a happy camper!

Dick and I attended First Baptist Church of Rockport on Sunday morning, for the beginning of Advent, and their 5th Sunday prayer service. The first Advent candle was lit, worship songs were sung, and prayers were lifted up by 4 members of the congregation for church leaders, leaders of great country and God's people. They also reminded us that Jesus and the salvation he brings is the reason we can have hope in this dark world. What a wonderful way to begin this holiday season.

After a quick breakfast at Subway, and picking up a few items at Walmart, we headed home. Dick had an 11:00 meeting with the park's owner, and I worked on Dick's sweater, that I hope to have done by Christmas. At 2:00 we met at the clubhouse for the ice cream social and a few games of Pegs & Jokers with friends Bill and Carole, Pam, Alice, Bob and Sharon. Ahem! Attention! The gals walloped the guys, 3:0! Woot-woot!

Then, we headed home to watch the Seattle Seahawks take a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 39:30. It was a good day!

That’s it for this week. Our lives have stabilized here in Rockport, but they’re never boring! Thanks for sharing our lives with us. We pray God’s blessing on y’all during this special holiday season.

Hugs,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – November 6-22, 2015

Life has settled in here at Bay View RV Resort. Most of our RV friends have arrived, although Bob and Sharon were stranded in Denver in the cold, ice and snow until yesterday (Sunday). They’re now on their way and should arrive here Tuesday afternoon. We’re so thankful we haven’t had to contend with that winter stuff! 

Dick took a 45 mile motorcycle ride on Monday, to Lamar (hoping to see the whooping cranes--nada), then on to Fulton where he saw egrets, white pelicans and a few cara caras. I stayed home to finish last week’s blog. Temperatures were in the 70s—beautiful!

By Tuesday a storm rolled in with winds and rain. I attended our first Stitch and Bitch session at the club house, after which I went with friends Marty and her sister Mary to several Bealls department stores, and to Lowes. I picked up a new philodendron for our bathroom, while they picked up some outdoor plants. Lunch was at Applebee’s; their Thai Shrimp Salad is wonderful! Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road while we were gone, getting drenched from the rain and wind.

 

By the time I returned home it was just after 2:00; Dick and I decided to go to the 2:30 showing of the new James Bond film, Spectre. Exciting! Action packed! It’s a 2-thumbs up for us!

James Bond (David Craig) receives a cryptic message leading him to Mexico City and on to Rome, where he infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of a sinister organization SPECTRE. Bond embarks on a mission to find the daughter of an old nemesis, discovering a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks. Uncovering layers of deceit, Bond reveals the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Wednesday morning dawned cool but sunny with temps only in the high 50s at 7:00 a.m. Dick offered to take friends Jim and Connie to the airport in Corpus Christi, to begin their 10-day cruise from Miami through the Panama Canal. He’ll pick them up when they return on December 1. While he played taxi driver, I had my hair cut by friend Carole who has cut my hair for the past 3 years while we’re here at Bay View. Felt so good to have that weight lifted! 

After Dick returned we walked along Fulton Beach Road. Didn’t really see anything, as it was mid-day and the birds had other things going on. Ha!

Later that day we attended happy hour at the club house, followed by Chef Betty’s dinner: her signature meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, salad, and mocha fudge cake for dessert. YUM-YUM! We're blessed to have Betty back with us this year. She's a keeper! There were almost 50 folks at dinner that night.

 

Another sunny day greeted us on Thursday: 63° at 7:30 a.m. In preparation for my annual checkup on Monday, we stopped at Quest Diagnostics for lab tests, followed by breakfast at Whataburger and a stop at Walmart for a few items (including a new patio mat). We deployed the mat later that day, and then hosted happy hour for friends Gary and Pam, and Karen and Steve. Was such a beautiful afternoon that we enjoyed being outdoors, with the exception of those pesky mosquitos. Good thing we had Cutter spray.

That evening we played Pegs & Jokers at the club house with Bill and Carole, Rob, Lynda, Gary and Pam. Unfortunately, the gals took only 1 of the 3 games—as I’ve said before, we don’t get mad, we get even! Their days are coming…

Friday I broke out my keyboard to play for a while, while Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road, He saw pelicans, ducks and cormorants.

Thought you'd enjoy seeing this video of a pelican working for his breakfast.

Saturday brought high winds and cold temperatures. Temperatures dropped to the high 40s to low 50s, and with the wind and humidity it was not pleasant outside. We pretty much hunkered down for the day and Dick worked on some computer projects at the office.

We attended First Baptist Church of Rockport on Sunday morning, where Pastor Jordan Mims brought the final message in this series from Hebrews. The theme for this sermon was “obedience,” while the over-arching theme of Hebrews is “perseverance.” Excellent.

We stopped at Walmart on the way home, where we had breakfast at Subway, and picked up a few items. Dick then went to the office to work for a few hours before meeting at the club house for the ice cream social and a couple games of Pegs & Jokers. Gals and guys tied at 1:1. Dick then took another walk along Fulton Beach Road while I returned home to prepare dinner (chicken pot pie and salad).  He saw ducks, egrets, cormorants, and a black lab named Pearl (who really loves the water!) By the time he returned home, dinner was in the oven. Pure comfort food! 

 

Here's a video of Pearl enjoying the surf!

We watched the last of the football game between Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. Hawks: 29, 49ers: 13. Yea! We continue to be Seahawks fans, even though we’re on the road. And besides, they have the best jerseys, in my opinion…

That’s it for this time. We hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving with friends and family. We’ll be spending it with about 80 of our friends at the club house; Betty will be preparing the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, while the rest of the meal will be provided by campers. I’ll be bringing an apple cake dessert with a warm caramel sauce (YUM!).

Until next week,

RJ and Gail

Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas – November 9-15, 2015

We spent Monday (at Rio Raft RV Resort, aka Guadalupe RV Resort) getting ready to travel to our final destination: Bay View RV Resort, Rockport, Texas where we’ll spend the winter. Weather was in the low 70s so it was a perfect day for the preliminary preparation, like emptying the tanks, loading the motorcycle, etc. We found we have a problem with the onboard battery discharging (12 volt lights are dim, and the refrigerator keeps indicating that we need to do some checking), so we need to diagnose whether it’s the battery of inverter. Good grief. We have a battery charger that we’ve connected to keep everything charged until we figure out what’s what.

Tuesday morning we had everything packed up and were on the road by a bit before 10:00 a.m. it was a short driving day, only 172 miles to Rockport, and the weather was mostly cloudy, dry, and about 80 degrees. Perfect. We arrived at 1:30 p.m., and were set up and operational by 3:00. (We spent quite a bit of time catching up with the office staff and neighbors, so we didn’t get set up as quickly as we normally do.) 

Our site, #514, is just as we left it last spring with the exception of green grass and healthier looking live oaks due to the rainfall they’ve experienced here in Texas. The ponds are full, which brings the birds—and mosquitos! Oh, my! They’re voracious! 

Later that afternoon we had happy hour at friend Lynda’s, where we met up with 20-25 friends, most of whom are winter Texans like us, and a few new ones, too (John and Dolly from Missouri). It’s almost like a family reunion with everyone laughing and sharing stories from the summer. Good times!

We decided that laundry needed to be done, so Wednesday morning we drove to the Laundromat to tackle that chore, then to Walmart to pick up a few grocery items. Dick deployed our KING Tailgater satellite dish, on the roof of our 5^th wheel. We picked up all 3 satellites with really strong signals. Yippee!

We took an afternoon walk along Fulton Beach Road, for about 45 minutes. Didn’t see many birds, only a few herons and pelicans.

That evening was happy hour at the club house, followed by our first dinner of the year prepared by Chef Betty. She served chicken Cordon Bleu, broccoli, rice pilaf, freshly baked rolls, and for dessert: our choice of Dutch apple or cherry pie. YUM-YUM! All for $7.00 per person. Can’t beat that!

On Thursday our friends Karen and Steve arrived from Wisconsin. Actually, they had been in the area for about a week, staying in a motel until their “new to them” 5^th wheel arrived. They had been in an accident, in Illinois, on their way down that totaled their travel trailer; thankfully, they weren’t hurt, nor were their 2 dogs, and they were able to salvage almost all their belongings from the trailer. Knowing how tired they would be, and how sick of restaurant food they were, I fixed dinner for them: mac & cheese with kielbasa, salad, and rolls. Pure comfort food. They were so appreciative, and it did our hearts good, too. Here's a photo of their new "home."

 That evening we played our first Pegs and Jokers games of the season. Three couples played that evening, men against the women. Not good for the ladies. We lost to the guys 3:0. Oh, they were so proud of themselves. Huh…we just hadn’t gotten warmed up yet! And, as I told the guys, we don’t get mad—we get even!

Friday morning I tackled the camper windows, both outside and inside. Whew! Climbing up and down the ladder, washing, wiping dry, and applying a rain resistant coating took about 1½ hours. So glad that’s done. We can see out again! While I did that Dick took the black truck for an oil change, and stopped for a few items from Walmart. When he returned he walked along the water and got these photos of egrets and pelicans.

That afternoon was another happy hour at the club house, with live music performed by park friends Steve and Tom: vocals and 2 guitars. Good times, good music, good friends.

Girls day out was on the calendar for Saturday morning, as Karen, Marty, Pam and I headed to Aransas Pass for “Christmas By The Bay” at the Convention Center. It was pretty disappointing, as there weren’t as many vendors as last year, and the selections weren’t as good as I remembered. We had a good time anyway, and made just a few purchases. Our next stop was to the water and Redfish Willie’s for lunch, where we noshed on fish tacos, a Philly steak sandwich, an oyster poor boy, and a hamburger. Good food, but a bit on the pricey side. From there we drove back to Rockport, to Castaways (similar to Goodwill). Then to Old Town Rockport to a used book store and a couple of eclectic stores (so eclectic that we don’t really know what kind of stores they are…ha!).

Saturday afternoon we took Gary and Pam (full-timers from Oregon here for the winter) to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the winter home of the magnificent Whooping Cranes and all manner of other wildlife. We saw no Whoopers (probably too early) but found a large gator, turtles, deer, and other shore birds including: egrets, spoonbills, herons, a couple ibis, turkey vultures, cormorants to name a few.

On the way back to the park we stopped at a local place, Pop’s, for a burger. We arrived at about 6:45 p.m., sat down and ordered our dinners within about 10 minutes. We didn’t get served until 8:00 p.m.! We decided we would not go back, even though other friends rave about that place. 

Sunday morning we attended First Baptist Church of Rockport. The youth pastor, Jordan Mims, continued his sermon series from the book of Hebrews, chapters 11 and 12, on “running the race.” It was good to be back among friends there, too. 

 

After lunch at home, and the ice cream social at the club house, the ladies took on the men again, for another few rounds of Pegs & Jokers. Remember how I said we would get even? Well, the gals took 2 of the 3 games that afternoon. We’re just getting started…

 

Dick took a 40 minute walk along Fulton Beach Road afterwards (most likely to cool off from their loss…ha!), while I fixed dinner: pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, Waldorf salad. Good stuff! He saw this guy on his walk.

That’s it for this week. We’re happy to be “back home” in Rockport for the winter. More friends will continue to join us over the next couple of months, or so. Stay tuned!

Hugs,

RJ and Gail

Sonora, Texas to Canyon Lake, Texas – November 2-8, 2015

Our last day in the Sonora, Texas area was spent in Sonora: all things internet at the library, seeing the historical parts of the town and a wonderful lunch at a little café that we happened upon in the heart of downtown.

Every little town has its treasures. Sonora, itself, is seated in the ranching world of old Texas. About 1885 a rancher and merchant named Charles Adams settled on land, that he named Sonora, after a family servant from Sonora, Mexico. By 1890, the town had a post office and was selected the county seat of Sutton County. There were 18 houses, 3 stores, 2 livery stables, 2 hotels, a schoolhouse and 14 tents. That same year the weekly publication, Devil’s River News, began operating—it’s the oldest continuously operating business in the county. Within 2 years Sonora had added 2 saloons, a grain and flour mill, a restaurant, 3 physicians and at least 1 church—it was a community on the move, especially since it was also connected to San Antonio by a mail stage. A courthouse was constructed in 1893, the same year the First National Bank of Sonora was established.

In September 1902, a fire wiped out nearly half the town’s businesses. Those who could afford to do so rebuilt their businesses, this time with native stone. The First National Bank was among the businesses that survived the fire. Supplies were freighted into town from San Angelo by wagons, a round trip that took from 6 to 15 days. With hopes abounding, a railway was awarded a contract in 1908 to lay track from San Angelo to Del Rio with a stop in Sonora. After a wait of about 23 years and numerous delays due to financial problems, the first train rolled into Sonora in 1930. From a population of 738 in 1904, the town has grown to just over 3,000, and has added more churches, a second newspaper, numerous small businesses, and a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (in partnership with Texas A&M) dedicated to researching livestock diseases and methods to improve production. The Sonora Wool and Mohair Company (a consortium of local sheep and goat raisers) was formed, and now sponsors the annual Sonora Wool and Mohair show, where the National 4-H Wool Judging Contest has been held since 1938.

 

We found it interesting that in 1901 a member of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, William Carver, was shot and killed in a Sonoran bakery/feed store, when the sheriff was attempting to arrest him on suspicion of murder. Before he died, he was heard muttering “Die game, boys!”—defiant last words that have become legend in the folklore of Wild West outlaws. His grave marker only has the date he was killed.

Another point of interest is that Dan Blocker, who portrayed “Hoss” on Bonanza, was a high school English and drama teacher in Sonora before he was cast in that TV series. Who knew!!?

After spending time at the library, we began our walk around town. We came upon the 1889 home of Isaac Miers, only the 5^th structure built in Sonora. Isaac was shot during a disagreement over the town well; he died shortly thereafter at his home.

Surrounding the court house are quite a few “Sunday houses,” used by ranch families only on weekends when they came into town to attend church and conduct any other business they deemed necessary. Along the front walk of the court house are historical markers of the pioneer settlers of Sonora. Many of their descendants are still prominent citizens of Sonora. 

We continued to walk around, and soon discovered it was time for lunch. I decided to stop in at the old Mercantile Building to get a recommendation, when I happened upon Gigi’s on Main, a luncheon café in that building, that touts color and happiness. Boy, I guess so! All the patrons voiced that it was the BEST place in Sonora for lunch. We were not disappointed. Dick and I both started with broccoli and cheddar soup, followed by a grilled Reuben on marbled rye (Dick), and a fried green tomato BLT on grilled sour dough. YUM-YUM! Even if you’re passing by on Interstate 10, and find it’s time for lunch, it’s worth a stop. They’re only open from 11:00-2:00 Monday through Friday. I guarantee you’ll be impressed with both the food and the waitstaff!

Tuesday was a travel day again, this time to Canyon Lake, Texas, where we planned to stay for 10 days before our final stop in Rockport for the winter. It was a short day, just over 180 miles driving. Our reservations were at the Cranes Mills Corps of Engineers Park on Canyon Lake. When we arrived we found the park closed due to flooding from the week before. Now what?? The rangers at Cranes Mills recommended we try Rio Guadelupe RV Park, on the Guadalupe River, to see if they had space. They did, so here we parked. (After selecting our site, we met our neighbors Howard and Elaine from Illinois, who had been evacuated from the Corps of Engineers Park just a few days prior.)

The park has 80 RV sites with full hook-ups and 22 cabins, located high enough above the Guadalupe River to preclude any flooding. There’s internet, cable TV, an onsite store, as well as a pool and volleyball court; river rafting is adjacent to the property. The only issue is that there was no water in the park due to the flooding; the city was working on restoring it, and we had water by Wednesday morning. Yay! 

During our stay in Sonora we discovered the motorcycle had a flat rear tire, so Dick did his due diligence and found a motorcycle repair shop in Canyon Lake, who was more than happy to help out. Griff, the shop owner, ordered the tire and said it would probably take a couple of days to get it in. When asked, he recommended Granny D’s for breakfast so off we went.

Granny D’s is located on Highway 306, just a few miles from our site. It’s not really much to look at from the outside, and the inside is wooden tables and booths—nothing fancy. But…the food! WOW! It’s really down home southern cooking, and it’s really good! Here are photos of our breakfasts. And, no, Dick did not eat all his pancake. (We also found out the difference between pancakes and flapjacks.)

After a stop at a local grocery for a few items, we returned to our camper and decided to get the motorcycle to Griff before the impending rain started. We were able to pump enough air into the tire for Dick to ride it to his shop. Then, the rain started…

We had steady rain for most the night, and into the next day. That put a real “damper” on our plans to see much of the area on Thursday. Dick decided a haircut was in order, so while he was out doing that he drove back to Cranes Mills Park with the hope of getting photos, but that was a no go. He was able to get some photos of the nearby marina, though.

When he returned he received a phone call that the motorcycle was ready! Wow! That was quick! So off we went to pick it up. Later Thursday we drove into New Braunfels to see the movie, “Our Brand is Crisis,” starring Sandra Bullock, who plays a battle-hardened American political consultant who is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia. She finds that she has to compete against a long-term rival consultant working for another candidate (played by Billy Bob Thornton). We attended the 4:40 showing, and were the only ones in the theater! We had our own private showing!

As we drove into the park a small deer greeted us at the end of our road. Cool.

Friday we took in the historical town of Gruene, Texas, a German settlement dating back to 1872. The town is named after German immigrant Ernst Gruene, who purchased acreage adjacent to the Guadalupe River, settling in with his wife Antoinette and 2 sons. Recognizing the area’s potential, he began developing a farm system for growing cotton. The cotton industry was booming and the land was excellent for growing cotton, which brought 20 to 30 families to Gruene’s lands. Gruene built more homes, a mercantile (built in 1878), and a cotton gin powered by the Guadalupe River was added shortly after. Then came the Gruene Hall (a dance hall and saloon), which became the center of the community’s social life. The town prospered for over half a century, but hard times hit when Ernst Gruene’s son and heir, Henry died in 1920. In 1922 a fire destroyed the original cotton gin, but the invasion of Mexican boll weevils and the Great Depression brought economic disaster to the area, from which Gruene’s businesses couldn’t recover. All the Gruene family businesses closed as a result, except for the Gruene Hall, which never closed. Much of the Gruene estate was sold in 1974, and along with new owners came new businesses. 

Before we walked through the town, we drove across the Guadalupe River, just to check its flow here. Wow! Quite a few businesses in the area were destroyed. Here’s a video of the river in Gruene.

Here are just a few photos of Gruene (pronounced "Green.") What a fun place!

My favorite place in the entire town is the mercantile or general store. It’s eclectic, it’s fun, and there’s so much stuff in it that it’s difficult to see everything! And, it’s been selected as one of the 40 best things to see in Texas! 

Just a bit of additional information: musicians like George Strait, Hal Ketchum, and Lyle Lovett got their starts playing at the dance hall in Gruene. Today, the Gristmill Restaurant, overlooking the Guadalupe River, opened up in what remains of the old cotton gin—the 3-story brick boiler room. All of Gruene was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Of course, we had to have lunch at the Gristmill. YUM! We shared tortilla soup (the best I’ve ever had!), and a smoked turkey sandwich on sour dough, along with onion rings. Again, YUM!

That night we had a short (but loud!) thunder storm around 11:00 p.m. Then it turned cold, with temps in the very low 60s for all of Saturday. And, it rained off and on all day. Brrr!

By Sunday the temps rose again into the 70s, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day with blue skies and no clouds. Dick took a 40-mile motorcycle ride through the surrounding countryside, along the Guadalupe River. Along the way he saw a herd of prong horn deer, and a group of white tail deer. 

Down the road from our RV park there’s another RV park that appeared to be hosting a bicycle rally, with about 500 cars and over 1,000 bikes, passing many of the bicyclists on his ride.

He also saw the devastation caused by the raging Guadalupe River during last week’s rain. Unbelievable. Besides the uprooted trees and debris washed down the river, there were campers, 5^th wheels, and other remnants of and campgrounds destroyed by the waters. Sad. Other than that he said it was a beautiful ride.

That’s it for this week. Tuesday we head down the road on our final leg to Rockport. We’re looking forward to getting settled for a few months, spending time with wonderful friends, in a beautiful place.

Love ‘n’ hugs,

RJ and Gail