Smokin' and Shufflin'

At Llano Grande RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas…

Our esteemed hosts, Ed and Marilyn, promised plenty of activities while we were here, and they certainly have made good on that statement; we have certainly had plenty to see and do.  The first event today was to attend the South Texas Barbecue Cookoff held at the fairgrounds here in Mercedes. This competition had a grand prize of $10,000, and there were scores of cooking teams all around the fairground with every imaginable type of smoker.  The only common element seemed to be, well, smoke, and there was plenty of that wafting around all the visitors.

As we walked from one team's site to the next, we were occasionally offered samples of what they were cooking--beans, chicken, brisket, sausage and ribs.  Very few of the teams were offering anything early in the day, and those who did had long lines of hungry spectators lined up to get a sample.  What I had was mighty good, so it may have been quite a horse race to see who won.  (Wait a minute; I don't think it was a good idea to use the word "horse" in a post about barbecue.  Something doesn't sound right about that.)

A number of the contestants were showing their college colors on flags above their stations.  We took a photo of this Texas Tech alumnus's tent just for Bubba's enjoyment, since he couldn't be there with us.

Below is a fairly ramshackle cooking rig that was designed to look that way; pretty interesting bit of showmanship, in my opinion.

Remember Smokin' Joe from the last post?  Well, take a look at his smoker below. I can safely say I've seen nothing like it--anywhere.  He didn't give us a sample of his barbecue, either, but I do intend to get my hands on some of some before we leave the RGV.  (Smokin' Joe is sitting on the far right.)

Below is a photo of Ed having patiently waiting for a sample of chicken from this group comprised mostly of teenagers.  I tasted it, too, and found it superb--very moist and flavorful--even the white meat.

We left the fairgrounds before the judging was over, so we don't know who won, but it was most interesting to investigate the myriad of equipment and processes used to try to produce a winning piece of barbecue!

The main activity at Llano Grande this evening was a dance featuring 50's, 60's and 70's music--perfect for us geezer baby boomers!  The band was great, and we all had a good time.

Great Band!

Verna, Irene, Marilyn and Sandy Share a Laugh

Irene and Heinz Cut a Rug

Ron, Verna, Heinz, Irene, Ed, Marilyn and Sandy - What a Fun Group!

Ed Closes Another Restaurant

At Llano Grande RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas…

Today began in a fairly unusual way:  Ed, Marilyn, Ron, Verna, Heinz and Irene went to jail!  Now before you swallow your chewing gum, let me hasten to explain that they decided to go and take a tour of the jail.  Okay, whatever.  Heinz said it was interesting, but I am not exactly unhappy that I missed it.  It's amazing, if not troubling, what we retired folks will do to amuse ourselves, isn't it?

After the jail tour, Ed, Ron, Heinz and I decided to go stag to eat barbecue at Smokin' Joe's while the ladies went shopping. Normally, turning the girls loose for such a purpose would cause a loss of appetite for us, but it turned out not to have that effect.  Smokin' Joe's was touted as having some really fine 'cue, and our taste buds were all set for it.  

Now it was Ed's turn to drive, so we all had the feeling that his being behind the wheel could mean the restaurant would be closed, so we weren't terribly surprised when that turned out to be the case.  Once again, Ed holds onto his reputation as a jinx when selecting places to eat.  The guys warned me that Smokin' Joe's was a backwoods joint that really should be classified as something below a dive, and they weren't kidding. This joint is PRIMITIVE.  However, my guess is that it really lives up to its hype. I wished Ed hadn't been the one to suggest it, so I might have had a chance to try it.

Smokin Joe's

Oh well, we will be able to try some of Smokin' Joe's wares tomorrow, as we will find him competing in the local barbecue cookoff.  Joe's prepping for the competition was the reason he wasn't open today.  (So it wasn't really Ed's influence that he was closed, but we gave him a hard time anyway.)

We decided to stop at Nana's Taqueria for lunch; this is a small joint in back of a house that is run by a local family.  Tacos were good, plentiful and cheap, a winning combination.

We returned to Llano Grande afterward with a nap in mind, but I took the opportunity to put together a new Weber Q propane grill that I had ordered.  I had roped the guys into helping me transport the big box from the office to Phannie, using Ed's truck, Heinz's brawn and Ron's…well,  it was not entirely clear what Ron's contribution was; he claimed to be supervising, but I have my doubts. 

Later in the evening, the eight of us attended a mariachi concert at the Basilica San Juan.  The groups were comprised mostly of very talented high school students whose performances were amazingly good.  We enjoyed this greatly; I think it would be impossible to listen to this music and not have a smile on our faces.

Mariachis "Los Lobos" - Fabulous High School Group

What a good day!  Tomorrow is the barbecue cookoff, and I plan to be hungry.

Simple Pleasures for Simple Minds

At Llano Grande RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas…

Today was a day to reduce the throttle and coast a bit.  While this wasn't a 'down' day--meaning a day with nothing scheduled and no plans--it was pretty close. (We have found that 'down' days are very important in retirement; we need time just to relax and do whatever we wish--or to do nothing at all.  It's good for mental and physical health.)

Ed, upon learning of our fondness for Thai food, suggested lunch at Thai Red Chili's near McAllen.  Six folks from our group made the trek and found the food to be excellent. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours telling stories that were completely true in every aspect. (It should be noted that this post is being written during perfect weather to reduce the likelihood of a lightning strike.)

Ed, Heinz, Irene, Ron, Verna, Marilyn and Sandy

Some of our friends had had little exposure to Thai food, but their clean plates afterward seemed to indicate it may not be their last.

After lunch, we stopped at the local farmers' market, so we now know where to go to get farm fresh produce and fruit. We will be taking some of these goodies back with us in Phannie when we head north in a few days.  

Ed and Marilyn Select a few Vegetables at the Farmers' Market

After returning to the park, we were invited to join 'happy hour' with our little group, so we grabbed our chairs and iced tea and headed for what we thought was Heinz's and Irene's RV (it was actually Ron's and Verna's), only to find no one sitting outside as expected, so we returned to Phannie and hopped in Mae for a little shopping trip into town.  (Apparently Sandy found a few dollars in one of our accounts that had not yet been spent, and she couldn't let that wretched excess lie there not being used to help get the current administration's stimulus plan going.)

As we drove toward the park exit, we suddenly spotted our group sitting outside what turned out to be Heinz's and Irene's actual RV.  We stopped quickly, grabbed our chairs and sat down, accusing our friends of performing some kind of RV shell game to keep us away.  They gave it right back, of course, calling into question my navigation skills from my flying days.

Ed and Irene demonstrated a card trick and mind game that were entertaining enough to help me forget (almost) the obvious snub from earlier.  As always, there were lots of good laughs all around, and we soon called it a day.

The enjoyment of this day underscores the satisfaction of being content with simple pleasures and the gift of a merry heart.  Having escaped the clock-driven frenzy of working to acquire stuff, I am so much more aware of the importance of celebrating a peaceful existence, love for God, family and friends and helping others, as I believe God would have us do.  May all who pass this way be so blessed.

Today's Outing Was For the Birds

At Llano Grande RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas…

We were doubly excited about today's adventure because Ed had proclaimed a start time that finally approached a degree of reasonableness--10:00 a.m.!  We took full advantage, regressing somewhat into our old habits, rolling out of bed about 7:30.  At about 9:50, we heard Ed's diesel pickup outside and scurried to climb aboard for our trip to Padre Island.  (I'm surprised he was able to restrain himself from showing up even earlier, as he and Marilyn usually arise about 5:30 for reasons that, so far, they have not been able to explain.  These are sweet people, but they are not normal.)

The trip to Padre was uneventful, and we enjoyed seeing this part of the state that somehow had eluded us native Texans for some reason.  We were immediately struck by the clarity and aqua color of the gulf waters at this location. We were more accustomed to the rather unattractive surf at Galveston that was mostly the color of dishwater, so this was really a nice surprise.  Our first stop was Dirty Al's, a legendary seafood restaurant frequented by Ed and Marilyn and those who have the good fortune to accompany them on this little side trip.

Dirty Al's

Bay View from Al's

Jesse, Irene and Heinz

Mike and Ed

Ron, Verna and Ginger

Bob, Janet and Sandy

The food was just as good as advertised, and most of us made short work of the excellent fresh seafood. There were generous portions of french fries left over for most of the food orders, and Sandy and I were somewhat taken aback when Janet pulled out a large freezer bag and began to confiscate all of the leftover fries from all our plates.  We thought to ourselves that, while the fries were quite good, we couldn't imagine how Janet would find them so appealing as leftovers--especially such a large quantity of them!  Good manners prevailed over our curiosity, however, and we kept silent.  It wouldn't be long until the reason for the french fry caper would be revealed.

After this fine meal, we hopped in the trucks and motored about five miles north to a spot where beach access was allowed.  We parked the trucks on the beach and assembled our folding chairs in a semicircle to enjoy the perfect weather and the sound of the surf.

Perfect Day at the Beach - Marilyn, Jesse, Ginger, Heinz and Ron

It wasn't long until Janet produced the bag of purloined french fries and began tossing handfuls of them toward a huge flock of seagulls who obviously were not unaccustomed to begging for scraps from the tourists.  With each toss of french fries, the flock would swarm our circle of chairs, quite reminiscent of the famed Alfred Hitchcock movie, gobbling up the fries with abandon.  Jesse, always a bit offbeat, wondered if we might ought to toss them some Lipitor pills, too, after all these french fries.

Irene, Ed, Bob and Janet and her Seagulls

It occurred to me that one of us may fall victim to a certain bodily function of birds, who seem to exercise no discretion at all as to when or where they release their droppings.  It has always puzzled me as to why they feel the need to launch one of their missiles in mid-flight instead of waiting at least until reaching the ground or a perch as any respectable animal would do.  And, while I'm thinking about it, what do they eat that always seems to give them diarrhea?

It was during my musing over these imponderables that two of the missiles found their targets, one on my freshly dry cleaned shirt and another on my brand new pair of shorts.  Sandy immediately shrieked, jumped up and held her folding chair over her head in an attempt to save her new hat she had purchased just the day before in Mexico.

Soon and mercifully, Janet exhausted her french fry stash, and the fickle gulls  abandoned us, reverting to whatever gulls do whenever they aren't poop-bombing innocent humans--in this case, lining up on the beach, all facing south, as if they were expecting another group of french fry-toting doofuses to come their way.  

Adding to the indignity of my receiving catcalls from the others in our circle--none of whom were victimized by the aerial assault--was my realization that I needed to figure out how best to remove the little crap piles from my clothing. I couldn't quite bring myself to use my bare fingers or even to use my handkerchief, and Sandy was no help, as she was still standing there with her chair over her head, laughing along with the others.

Finally, a good samaritan in our group--I don't remember who--produced a paper towel, and I was able to clean up the mess.  Then the question arose among the others as to the configuration I would need to attain to be allowed to ride back to Llano Grande in my soiled condition.  Two possible choices were offered: 1) I could ride in my underwear in the cab or 2) ride sitting on the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the pickup.  Neither of these appealed to me, and Ed finally relented, allowing me to ride in the cab so long as I sat perfectly still and didn't touch anything.  

On the way back to Mercedes, we stopped at Reyes' Seafood on the island to pick up some fresh shrimp, which we cooked later for dinner.  It is so yummy to get these little morsels so soon after being harvested.

Even with the seagull bombing, it was a fine day with lots of laughter among good friends, and another good memory was made for all.  But I've decided I don't like seagulls.

Texas Invades Mexico

At Llano Grande RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas…

A shopping trip to Mexico was on the agenda today.  Neither of us slept very well in anticipation of the inevitable sounding of the alarm on Sandy's iPhone.  Apple tried to keep the alarm as pleasant as possible, so the sound supplied is quite subdued, almost if the phone were clearing its throat or saying 'excuse me' as if it really hated to disturb us.  In fact, it was the fear of missing the alarm altogether that caused us to wake well before its scheduled time of 6:00 a.m. Drill Sergeant Ed would have been giddy to learn that his reprogramming techniques--obviously learned from a gestapo training manual--had had their intended effect.  We were officially zombies, and it was only day two in the RGV!

Once again, we summoned the will to get ourselves outside just as a large four-door pickup pulled up.  Ed and Marilyn were sitting in the back seat, and a couple unknown to us was seated, chauffeur-like, in the front.  "Ed has reinforcements," I immediately thought. I caught myself before giving a Nazi salute to what I imagined in my sleep-deprived delirium to be Ed's military staff car.  Emerging from the truck, he introduced Ron and Verna, friends who were escaping the winter cold in Llano Grande away from their home in Missouri.  These folks turned out to be a very pleasant couple, joining us on our trek to Nuevo Progreso which, like us, they had never seen before.

The drive to the border crossing was quickly traversed by Ron, with Ed's directions that were accompanied by his occasionally interesting  monologue describing items of local color.  (All kidding aside, Ed's and Marilyn's presence was much appreciated as they guided us expertly to all the best Nuevo Progreso had to offer.  We would have been ill-prepared to find anything on our own.)

Ron and Verna, Ed and Marilyn, Sandy and Mike arriving in Mexico

The big draw for winter Texans, or snowbirds, to visit Mexico is the bargains, of course.  We stopped in a bakery for a little early snack and were serenaded by some excellent mariachis (I love mariachis).  Sandy dropped off a prescription for new glasses at the office of a local optician, whose price was less than half the cost in the U. S.  She also sat with the rest of the group for a pedicure and foot massage (only $12). She also picked up some medications at a local pharmacy, saving several hundred dollars over U. S. prices.  We had a very nice lunch at Arturo's, then a bit more shopping before heading back across the border.  

The Group and Rene's Bakery

Talented Mariachis at Rene's

Mass Pedicures in Progreso

Somehow, Ron and Verna got separated from the group and, unable to find us, made their way back across the river to his truck, thinking we might have been waiting there.  We weren't.  Instead we were propped against the sidewalk window of one of stores in Progreso, growing older at a time of our lives when every minute counts.  Finally, we decided to walk back across the border to where Ron's truck was parked, as that was pretty much the only option left.  We would need to get started if we were going to have to walk back to Llano Grande!  Calling on the cell phones would have solved the problem, of course, but visitors to Mexico--cheap ones like most of us, that is--usually don't carry them there to avoid exorbitant roaming charges.

Upon reuniting with Ron and Verna, we ribbed them unmercifully for abandoning us in Mexico.  They were very apologetic, but there was no harm done except laughter pains. We decided the whole incident could have been avoided if Ed had devised a better plan for mustering the group in case we got separated.  For Ed, who enjoys a reputation as a quintessential planner, this must have been a dark day indeed.

What a fine adventure we had today, and Tuesday will be a trip to South Padre Island for seafood and surf watching--sounds great! We're not leaving until 10:00 a.m., so I'm not sure what Sandy and I will do with all the extra time to get ready!

Boot Camp at Llano Grande

At Llano Grande RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas…

After a windy drive through the nondescript south Texas plain on Highway 77, we arrived at Llano Grande around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.  Ed and Marilyn were waiting for us at the registration center and led us to our site, only a couple of streets north of their location.  This is one of the nicest RV parks we have ever seen, and it is easy to see why our friends return year after year.  I'll have some more photos in future posts.

Our space at Llano Grande.  Love the palm trees!

Ed took us to Fat Daddy's, a burger and barbecue joint not far from our park, and we all had a nice meal and did some catching up.  

Fat Daddy's

Ed had previously supplied us with a 'schedule of events' for the first week of our stay here, and we talked about getting an early start each day, a phenomenon that we knew was standard operating procedure for these folks.  I reminded him of my confession in a previous post that Sandy and I had devolved into sloth-like creatures upon my retirement, thus celebrating not having to get up early by not getting up early. It's not something I'm proud of, but my shame is mitigated somewhat by my great satisfaction in thumbing my nose at the infernal alarm clock that had been my morning nemesis for oh, so many years.

Having arrived on Ed's turf, it was now time to 'man up' and abide by the rules, however silly, of my host. I thought for sure this is what arriving at boot camp must have been like.  I didn't complain, though, for we were grateful for their interest in showing us around.  I did mention to Ed that we had been unfairly portrayed in his blog as sleeping until noon each day. That was a blatant exaggeration, I told him; we have never slept later than 10:30 since I have been retired!  Ed was unmoved and even repeated this wicked falsehood in a subsequent post. Well, Ed is not without a few foibles of his own, so he will be fair game now in this rag.   

After not getting enough sleep to recharge a fruit fly, Sandy and I rolled out of bed, bumping into each other and commenting that neither of us had taken a shower before in Phannie when it was dark outside.  Somehow, we were able to get it together and exited our rig just as Ed and Marilyn pulled up to our site at 0800.  I didn't have to look; Ed was there exactly on time as I knew he would be.  I thought to myself how funny it would have been if someone had let the air out of his tires.  Then I thought it probably wasn't a good idea to think impure thoughts, as we were on our way to church.  

We made our way to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, a very large and beautiful church seating over 2,000 worshippers. 

Inside Basilica

 It was filled to capacity, and the music was provided by very talented mariachis. 

Mariachis at Mass

We found the service and the sermon to be unique, moving and inspiring.  Marilyn gave us a tour of the building, and we enjoyed that, too.

Ed then drove us to the Don-Wes flea market nearby, where we looked around at the myriad of things offered by the vendors.  It was within the market that Ed had proposed lunch at the Bean Pot Cafe, an outreach of a local Christian organization.  Naturally, it was closed, leaving intact Ed's growing reputation of forever selecting restaurants that are closed or out of business.  Perhaps to assuage his guilt somewhat, Ed bought us a sack of freshly cooked mini-doughnuts, which were delicious.  This nice gesture brought us close to forgiving him and delayed our collapse from starvation long enough for him to locate another eating spot for us.

This one was a winner for sure; Don Beto's was very crowded, and we all ate until stuffed.  Sandy and I agreed this was definitely some of the best Mexican food we have had, and you can bet we will patronize this place again before we leave the RGV.  Ed, all is forgiven; you outdid yourself with this pick.

After returning to Phannie, Sandy and I sat in the recliners and conked out for the rest of the afternoon, after which, Sandy was revived enough to go shopping for stuff for the grandkids--one of her favorite pastimes.  Then we watched Downton Abbey and prepared for another early departure the next day, this time for Nuevo Progreso, just across the border in Mexico.  Ed, ever magnanimous, informed us that we could 'sleep in' in the morning--we would not be leaving until 8:30!  What a swell guy.

RGV, Here We Come!

At Rayford Crossing RV Resort, Spring, Texas…

We delayed our departure from home a couple of days to allow for the persistent cold and dreary weather to improve.  We prepped and loaded Phannie on the day before launch day, but we still found a lot to be done before we could close up the house and pull away for another month on the road.  Sandy, as usual, agonized over her wardrobe selections, proclaiming that it is just not possible to carry the "right" clothing for a warm destination when there is the probability--especially given this extreme winter--that it could be quite cold at any time and blow up her whole plan; it is February, after all!  Jokingly, she wondered aloud if it would be feasible to tow an enclosed trailer along with Mae, so that she could just take all her clothes.  Calculating the length of a 40-foot motor home pulling a tow car and a trailer, I told her gently that she might want to consider a different plan. 

After much gnashing of teeth and uncountable substitutions of one garment for another, she came up with what turned out to be a quite reasonable collection that fit nicely in the two-thirds of Phannie's bedroom closet normally occupied by her clothes. 

As for me, it took about ten minutes to assess my wardrobe, make any needed adjustments and put the final pieces in Phannie's closet, all accomplished smoothly and without any forethought.  This caused Sandy's eyes to roll back in her head like the wheels on a slot machine and to issue a rebuke for my insensitivity.  She thought it would have been much more chivalrous if had at least scratched my head a bit.  I considered reminding her that, for women, proper clothing fit would always be a problem since God created woman from a crooked bone--a man's rib. Then I thought better of it as my survival instinct kicked in.

Sandy is a really sweet person who puts up with more of my mischief than she should. Happily, she is not above a bit of mischief herself and gives as good as she gets.  We were clearly meant for each other.

We have had a nice but much too brief visit with the kids, and we'll be leaving today and pointing Phannie toward Mercedes, Texas and the Llano Grande Resort for a couple of weeks.  We'll get a late start from Houston after having lunch and saying our goodbyes, then we will have a short leg to Victoria for an overnight stop.  We're looking forward to joining good friends Ed and Marilyn and their band of merrymakers on Saturday.

Home Again - But Not For Long!

At home in Fort Worth...

We are back home after helping Mindy and Tyler as they got new baby Pryce settled at home in Houston with his four-year-old brother Mason who, thankfully, is very accepting and affectionate of his new competition for attention.  We had wondered how that would go, and we were very surprised and pleased at Mason’s reaction. The only negative response so far is Mason’s covering his ears when Pryce cries. On those occasions, Mason proclaims his little brother, “Too noisy!”  

Mason and Pryce:  May they always get along so well!

We certainly won’t be missing the Northlake RV Resort in Houston, situated as it is near perhaps one of the busiest railroad tracks in Texas.  I never really got used to the incessant horn-blowing of the locomotives so, although a very nice park, we will not be staying there again.

We’ve been busy going to medical appointments now that we’re back in town for a while.  I used to scoff at older people and their traipsing to their doctors all the time; and now, God help me, I’m one of them!  I try not to go to the doctor whining about every little ache and pain, though; I’ve determined that having things hurt just comes with getting old.  A really cherished old friend, responding one day to my complaining about some body part of mine that was hurting, said:  “Mike, just get over it; when you get to be my age, if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not working!” I’ve never forgotten that, and it helps me gain perspective.  I am grateful that I do not have any major infirmities; I will try to ignore those that are merely annoyances.

We are busy making plans for our upcoming trip to the Rio Grande Valley, an adventure for which we could never carve out enough time while I was still working, although we had been invited several times by friends Ed and Marilyn, who often spend winters there.  Although lifelong Texans, we have spent very little time in the RGV, and it seems odd that we would be relying upon Missourians to help us get acquainted with that part of our own state.  My only defense is that Texas is a really big place, and it’s not easy to see it all! 

After a brief trip to Motorhomes of Texas in Nacogdoches to have them look at Phannie’s inverter, we plan to leave here on February 8 for Mercedes, Texas with stops in Houston (wonder why?) and Corpus Christi (just because we like it).  We will arrive on February 15 at Llano Grande Resort, where we will spend a couple of weeks. 

The Pryce is Right!

At Northlake RV Resort in Houston…

I can't think of any happier event than welcoming a newborn into the family!  Pryce David Girard arrived at 10:04 PM on January 3 at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands, weighing 7 lbs., 12 oz., and 20 1/4 inches long. There were no complications, and Mindy is doing fine.  Pryce joins his big brother, Mason, who is four and still trying to figure it all out.  Mindy's and Tyler's labrador retriever, Ruby, had 10 puppies a couple of days earlier, so this complicates Mason's understanding a bit.  Somehow, he has developed the idea that these births are related, and he was expecting perhaps a similar number of siblings to join baby Pryce upon his entrance.  So funny!

Mindy and Baby Pryce

Proud Dad Tyler

Proud Mimi!

Making New Friends: A Good Way to End 2013

At Northlake RV Resort, Houston…

We have had the good fortune of meeting in person a number of couples whose writings we follow in the RV blog world.  When Kevin and Evelyn of RV Khronicles of Kevelyn fame mentioned in their blog that they were coming through Houston, we thought it would be a good opportunity to meet for lunch and visit about the RV lifestyle that we have in common.  They readily accepted, and Sandy and I drove over to the Blue Water Seafood Restaurant near their park in northwest Houston.  

As has been the case with all the bloggers we've met, we had an instant rapport with these friendly folks, and the conversation never waned over our fine meal.  We voiced our admiration for their determination to chuck the working world when still relatively young to follow their dreams as fulltimers, removing obstacles as necessary to make it happen.  Clearly, they are delighted with their decision and obviously are having the time of their lives.  Their enthusiasm would be encouraging to anyone contemplating this sort of lifestyle change. They are both physically active, enjoying a lot of outdoor activities, including hiking and golfing.  I don't think Sandy and I could keep up with them for very long!

I also commended Evelyn for the warmth of her writing style and for personalizing her posts in a way that is appealing to readers.  In earlier posts in this blog, I have encouraged bloggers to follow this simple advice:  Don't just post photos and add captions like a travel brochure; tell a story about your experience and how you and others related to it.  Remember, the more personal, the more interesting and readable it is.  Evelyn clearly has a good instinct for this, and I'm sure many other of her readers will agree.

After lunch, we bade them goodbye and safe travels, having been recharged by their positive outlook and life energy.  Godspeed, you two; here's hoping we cross paths again one day.

Mystery Solved

At Northlake RV Resort, Houston…

Okay, let's just go ahead and call this what it was: A "duh" moment.  You will recall in the last post my puzzlement over the very low representation of higher-end RVs at this park.  It didn't make sense to me why this beautiful RV resort appears to be shunned by big rigs and populated almost entirely by what appear to be working folks.

Now, before you begin labeling me as some sort of snob, you should know that I have absolutely no problem with this; I feel perfectly comfortable here, and I certainly wouldn't let this influence my choice of RV parks.  However, I know now why this park is not the choice of most retired folks (who largely comprise the big rig community and who can be a bit cranky about this sort of thing):  It's the trains and planes.  Less than a half mile away from this park are some mainline railroad tracks that carry perhaps two dozen or more trains every day, around the clock.  The international airport is also nearby, but the aircraft noise is very minor compared to the trains, whose engineers seem overly enthusiastic about their use of horns.  Even so, this doesn't bother us all that much, as we generally keep the windows closed and use a fan for white noise at night.  But we know some other RVers who wouldn't be caught dead in such an environment.   

Therefore, the "duh" on my part. This oversight in planning represents probably the first time I have chosen a new park without reading reviews about it--reviews that would certainly have mentioned the proximity of the railroad tracks and the attendant noise factor.  Actually, I'm not unhappy with Northlake, for it is, obviously, a super nice park from the standpoint of amenities; I'm just a bit irritated at myself because I forgot to check it out thoroughly, and that represents yet another of the little daily reminders that I'm not getting any younger and neither is the old brain.  However, don't count me out yet; I still recognize what's-her-name sitting across from me.  

Holiday Blur: Back in Houston

At Northlake RV Resort in Houston…

I'm beginning to see a pattern here:  Thanksgiving away from home in Branson and Christmas away from home in Houston, both holidays spent with Mindy and her family.  When you're retired and "portable," as we are now, you have some interesting choices in where you gather for family functions; we like that!  Branson was a lot of fun, and we were so glad when Mindy insisted that we join them for Christmas.  It was such a hoot to watch Mason open his gifts--he is so into Santa this year.

We did not come empty handed, of course.  Phannie served well as a "sleigh" on our trip from Ft. Worth to Houston. We had gifts packed everywhere; the overflow from the lower bays went in the cabin, so it was lucky we didn't have any extra passengers.  After arriving in Houston, it took two cars to transport the gifts from Phannie to the kids' house.  

Here is Mae, stuffed to the gills:

We made a video of Mason's wakeup on Christmas morning, and his reaction to Santa's largesse was priceless.  We're so grateful to Mindy and Tyler for sharing this time with us.  And we're so grateful to God for providing us with our blessings of health, prosperity and happiness.  Sadly, many people cannot make that claim, and that would be especially painful this time of year.

We are eagerly awaiting the appearance of our new grandson Pryce.  Mindy is, too; her due date is January 10, and she is pretty uncomfortable most of the time now.

Can't be long now---

We are at Northlake RV Resort in north Houston for a month.  We had tried to get a reservation at Rayford Crossing, a favorite upscale park in Spring, but they couldn't accommodate us for such a lengthy stay.  Northlake is a new and very nice park, well manicured, with all concrete pads and roads.  In that regard, it is every bit as upscale as Rayford Crossing, but we haven't quite figured out the rather remarkable difference in clientele.  Northlake is quite full, but almost all of the occupant rigs are older fifth wheels and travel trailers.  There are a few older gas motorhomes, but there are only six late model diesel big rigs like Phannie.  At Rayford Crossing, there would be a much greater mix of higher-end rigs. We think the location of this park attracts more longer-term guests who are still in the work world.  It doesn't appear there are many retired folks like us here.

Beautiful grounds at Northlake

Great outdoor cooking pavilion

Phannie (background) sitting contentedly in her January parking spot

Inviting pool and guest center

Concrete everywhere but, oddly, nothing but trailers; where are the big rigs?  Phannie is lonely.

Everything is neat, clean and manicured.  No mud ever to track into your coach.

We plan to take a few side excursions while we're in Houston this time, perhaps to Kemah and Galveston, among other places.  Next Tuesday, we are meeting a couple of cyber friends, Kevin and Evelyn, whose blog we read and who are passing through Houston. it will be exciting to visit with them in person.

In February, we are looking forward to traveling to Mercedes, Texas to visit dear friends Ed and Marilyn at their winter home in the Rio Grande Valley.  These two and their cohorts there will provide a fun experience for sure.

GPS: Garmin-1; Rand McNally-0

At home in Fort Worth...

In a previous post, I was complimentary toward a Rand McNally GPS for RVers that I had recently purchased. Well, I no longer have it. It left my residence in a garbage truck, and I really don’t care where it is now. It has been replaced by a new Garmin 760, a model also designed for RVers and truckers.

It was during Phannie’s transit through Springdale, Arkansas en route to Branson that the Rand McNally display froze and went blank, never again to return to life, irrespective of my attempts at resuscitation. Now, before you get the idea that I just toss things away willy-nilly, let me explain my thought process following the event and my rationale for ditching the Rand McNally in favor of a different one: When I purchased the Rand McNally unit, I was a bit skeptical about quality, as I knew it was the mapmaker’s first foray into GPS and surmised the company was counting on its name recognition to drive sales. It was because of this skepticism that I bought a used one. If it had turned out to be a good unit, I could have had the satisfaction of a bargain; if it didn’t, then I wouldn’t have lost much money.

While I would have been satisfied in keeping the Rand McNally unit if it had continued to work, there were a few things about it that I found annoying—mainly that it wasn’t very user-friendly. Entering data was a bit clunky, and it wasn’t easy to access certain screens on the fly, but the good seemed to outweigh the bad. I suppose if I had been in love with it, I would have had it repaired or bought a new one.

I bought the Garmin unit new at Best Buy. It was on sale during Black Friday, and I knew that Garmin had a good reputation; so far, I really like it. It’s definitely more user-friendly; and, you can load in the statistics (weight, height, etc.) about your RV, and it will keep you away from roads that do not meet the restrictions of your vehicle. It also picks up traffic reports, has Bluetooth and displays warnings on the screen. I also like the big 7-inch screen and the elevation feature; I suppose my former career as a pilot has something to do with that.

So, that’s the latest with Phannie. We will be loading her up next weekend and traveling to Houston, with Santa’s gifts in the lower cargo bays.  Christmas will be at the “kids” place, and we will remain there at Northlake RV Resort through January, as we welcome our new grandson, Pryce Girard, who is due on January 10.   

Thanksgiving in Branson

At home in Fort Worth...

Perhaps people call us square, but we love Branson. It is possibly one of the last places in America that we recognize as the kind of place in which we grew up. The entertainment is entirely family-friendly, and every show celebrates patriotism and our Christian heritage. Everyone we meet there is super-nice and friendly, and we never see any evidence of crime, substance abuse or even rowdiness. The police surely must not have much to do there. There are no mosques, no peep shows...heck, I don't even remember seeing a bar! And where else will drivers famously motion you ahead of them in the never-ending queue of cars along the highway 76 main drag?  Yes, I know, this is somewhat pollyanna-ish but I don't care; it's the world as I want it to be.

It's no wonder then, that we visit Branson fairly regularly and decided to spend Thanksgiving there this year. Mindy and Mason went with us in Phannie, and Tyler flew up and met us there. We saw a couple of shows that we enjoyed greatly, but mostly, we just had the best time introducing the "kids" to the magical entertainment scene, fully regaled in over-the-top Christmas decorations.  They especially loved Silver Dollar City and spent most of their time there.

We had our Thanksgiving dinner at the Big Cedar Lodge along with several hundred other people who had the same idea. The food was plentiful and fantastic.  Big Cedar must be one of the most beautiful settings anywhere for getting away from it all and just enjoying the wonder of what has been created there in the Ozarks on the shore of Table Rock Lake. Words just can't describe it. Mindy said it was her favorite vacation, second only to our trip to Europe a few years ago.

It was quite cold during most of our stay, but Phannie didn't miss a beat.  We stayed nice and warm with her two furnaces, and the big propane tank supplied all the energy needed.  This time, we stayed at the Branson KOA campground.  It was nice enough, with friendly staff and a fairly level site and, best of all, it was just a short drive to all the attractions.We rented a cabin for the kids, and they seemed to enjoy the rustic nature of this little getaway.

Following are a few photos taken during the trip.  

Here is a scary one--Sandy and Mason, reading a road map, helping me navigate.  (Not to worry; the GPS was right on the money.) 

Our little family at Big Cedar Lodge:
 


"Mimi" and "Poppy" with Mason overlooking Table Rock Lake from the Lodge:

We just had to eat here; Mason loved the big chicken:

And how about some shopping while in Branson?  Lots of places to do that, unfortunately for my pocketbook.  This photo is for Sandy's friends who know of her unending quest for a purse big enough to hold all her stuff (Marilyn, you will get a kick out of this). I think you've finally found it, dear...

Where Did the Time Go?

In Branson, Missouri...

I am way behind on my posting.  This is one that should have been uploaded a couple of weeks ago.  We’re in Branson now, so I’ll just have to get caught up.

After our return from Houston, the time flew by as we made preparations for our Thanksgiving trip to Branson.  Our last time at the home base after our extended stay at Red Bay encompassed only five days before we left for Houston for another month. We discovered that such a short amount of time was woefully inadequate to take care of all the chores that accumulated while we were away.

If I were reading this rag, I would be curious as to what chores could possibly take more than five days for us retired people.  Permit me to elucidate.

We have learned that the time freed up by retiring does not automatically accumulate as spare time now.  We quickly filled that void with other things, like:  

1. Sleeping late; this is a very important activity that prepares us for the many added chores to come during the day. 
2. Fixing breakfast; this is also important. Like sleeping late, it provides the energy needed for added retirement activities and is something for which we had little time while working. 
3. Planning lunch; this must begin immediately after breakfast. It is important to determine early whether lunch will be eaten at home or not, because Sandy must dress accordingly.  I, on the other hand, have no such complication; slacks and a shirt are acceptable anywhere. Sometimes it is more efficient to grab a quick bite on the fly and, if we’re careful, it is often no more expensive than eating in, especially if we consider that our time is worth something. 
4. Making and going to medical appointments; retired people are generally older and have more body parts that don’t work all that well, so we have to go see physicians, dentists and optometrists often to perform maintenance on the old carcass.  Then we have to go to the pharmacist to get filled all of the prescriptions they give us to keep us going.  Sandy, the planner and organizer in the family, takes great care to see that our medications are expertly managed.  Left up to me, I suppose there is some likelihood that I wouldn't be here to worry about it.  I'm very grateful for her, because it's not easy to keep up with it all.  I often tell people that I have a drug problem and that Sandy is my pusher; it's not far from the truth!
5. Planning dinner; see #3 above.  We generally jump at the chance of eating out with friends, and we do that probably more than we should; it’s a hard habit to break. And for Sandy, a determination must again be made as to whether she needs to change outfits.  This will depend on several things, including the type of restaurant, the weather and, most importantly, whether her outfit has been seen by our companions in the last month or so.  As for me, I just wear the same slacks and shirt, and I can never recall any time in my life that a male friend ever took note of or commented on my attire.  Guys simply don’t care when anyone last wore a garment.  It just never comes up. If Sandy and I are not going out, we have to decide on something to fix at home that we don’t have to fuss over too much.  After all, we ARE retired.
6. Performing maintenance on the house and rolling stock; there is always something that needs repair or servicing on a stick house, a motorhome and two cars.  If I can’t (or won’t) do it myself, I have to arrange for a repairman and wait on him to show up.  
7. Miscellaneous stuff; dealing with this is often time consuming.  A recent example is a tiff I had with the post office.  Seems they no longer wish to hold our mail while we’re away on trips.  They said we’ve been abusing the hold-mail program, so I will need to get a post office box.  That means spending months advising people and businesses of our mailing address change.  I had been toying with the idea of letting Escapees handle our mail, but we live very near our post office, and allowing the mail to accumulate in a large post office box while we’re gone seems like a more convenient solution.
8. Planning the next trip; this is not something to take lightly, especially for someone like me who hates planning. For example, I was going to make reservations for a couple of weeks in February at Llano Grande Resort in Mercedes, Texas to visit with friends Ed and Marilyn, but when we called today, they informed us that we can’t make reservations for less than a month’s stay until January 1.  Now I have to remember to call again then to make the reservation, and it’s not that easy for me to remember stuff as it used to be.  Planning also includes being alert to things that will make life easier on the road.  I found these three-drawer cabinets at Target that fit perfectly in one of Phannie’s lower storage bays.  Great for organizing “blue” stuff, and only about twenty bucks apiece!

So long for now; must work on another post.