Adios Texas – Montana or Bust!

Spring Tornadoes In Texas

I have been in Texas since last October and I have been sitting on my property sitting job in East Texas for five weeks now but I will be leaving next week.  I am not sure yet which direction I am going to take to get to Glacier, Montana.  Last night was a real tense night and makes me aware of how vulnerable I am to the weather living in a travel trailer.  At about midnight my emergency weather signal went off and warned of a tornado alert for a large area of Texas just south and east of my location. 

I got dressed and made my escape plan and turned on the television to see what was happening.  A large EF-4 tornado had hit the town of Granbury and killed six people and injured hundreds more.  Many are missing and the death toll will surly go up.  The good thing is the early warning signals sounded for over 20 minutes and saved many lives.  The news said there was over ten tornadoes in this area of Texas and lots of property damage all over.  It was really raining and the small hail falling on the roof of my travel trailer combined with the very loud thunder made for a very noisy and restless night.  It is still raining today also and the pond outside my parking spot is full and running out the overflow pipes now.  I’ll guess it rained at least four or more inches.

After watching all the news associated with this storm, I am glad I am not living in an area where tornadoes are common.  I would never survive being in such a storm while in this travel trailer. I have learned over the years that weather is my worst enemy out here on the road.  It requires being fully aware of what is going on at all times and having an escape plan.  Of course that is true no matter where you are and applies to fires and floods also.

I had planned to go straight north from here and visit my new RV friends, Larry and Nancy, in Kansas on my way to Montana.  I am now a little concerned that going north through Oklahoma and Kansas may not be a wise choice due to the really volatile weather patterns across the central plains area this time of the year.  I may head west and go north through Colorado.  I need to make that decision soon.

Family and Friend Times

I have been very busy while here helping and visiting with my brother and three sisters and Cousin Edna.  Cousin Edna is 85 years old and was admitted to the hospital last weekend and I worry about her.  I will go visit with her this weekend for sure.  I do not plan to come back down to Texas next Winter so I am glad I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with them.  Each one has some type of health issue and it concerns me that this may be my last visit and hug with someone I love and care about.  On Mother’s Day I drove to my 85 year old Aunt Sally’s home in Frankston (deep East Texas) and took all the food and my grill and some flowers and a red velvet cake and made her and my cousins lunch.  It was a great visit and it is always nice to see my Aunt Sally and get a loving big hug from her.

I  also had the chance to get together with old High School friends again while here and that was very special.  My new and special RV friends, Fred and Judy, from Austin came up to visit me and we had a wonderful time.  Judy thinks I make the best onion cheeseburgers in the world!  They were pretty good and I am really glad they liked them.  I was just honored they came to see me and Fred really liked my big bad truck.

My Big Bad Ford Truck

I have been getting things done before I leave here for Montana.  I greased the trailer wheel bearings and torqued the lugs and filled the tires with correct air pressure. 

I even bought myself another tow vehicle while here because I have not liked the way my Jeep pulled the travel trailer.  The Jeep had a short wheelbase and it was a little squirrely pulling the trailer and made me feel unsafe.  I loved the Jeep but this truck makes me feel safe and is fun to drive.  Anyway, I bought a one owner, in great shape, 2007 Ford Lariat F-350 long bed diesel.  I spent more than I intended but justified it by saying this will be the last vehicle I ever buy hopefully.  It already has a fifth wheel hitch and metal sliding bed cover which is good as I plan to upgrade to a fifth wheel in the future as I can afford it.  I know it will pull my little trailer with ease.  It may not sound like good gas mileage but it is averaging around 16 MPG without pulling my trailer and I don't expect that to change.  That’s 5 MPG more than the Jeep and it is much bigger and heavier.  I really love this truck! 

Having a big Ford truck like I do now almost makes me want to wear my cowboy hat and boots and hang a rifle or fishing pole in the back window.  Dexter likes our truck too.  I went to lunch today at a local place in Emory and left the electric sliding back window open a few inches.  When I looked out, Dexter was laying on the seat back with his little nose sticking out the crack!

Birds, Deers and Memories

I am going to miss the sound of the Cardinals singing every day when I leave this peaceful Texas place.  We don’t have them in Oregon and I don’t think they are in Montana but I will soon know. They wake me up singing at the crack of dawn every day and sing to me in the evenings and a whole lot in between when the crows aren’t yelling at each other.  Pati and I loved to sit on our back porch (our Veranda) and watch and listen to those beautiful birds and the deer when we lived near San Antonio.  Here’s a picture of her before she got too sick…..breakfast on our Veranda.  That's Dexter waiting for a bite.  I sure miss those days….they were very special. 

Pati and Dexter on the Veranda

Sometimes I think if I get Alzheimer’s I won't have memories of Pati but that’s a selfish attitude.  I realize how lucky I am and how special it is to be able to recall her beautiful smile and all those wonderful times we had together.  I just need to learn how to find joy and happiness in my memories instead of sadness for my loss. I think time will help me to do that. Today it has been eleven months since she passed away.  I can’t say time has flown because it has been the most sad and lonely time of my entire life.  I am not looking forward to this same time next month and the reminder that a year has passed, but I know it is coming. 

Interesting Blog

I have been following some RV travel blogs since being out here on the road and recently came across one that is very interesting.  You should check it out at http://rvsueandcrew.com.   This  lady travels alone with her two dogs full time in a little Casita travel trailer, 16 feet long, pulled by a Chevy van.  She documents every cent she spends and is living full time on less than 13K a year.  I am hoping to learn a few tricks from her so I can afford to stay out here without going broke!  Since my brother and his wife live in Hurricane, Utah and I want to see more of Utah, I will be spending more time down that way so maybe someday we will cross trails.

For now I need to get this posted and published.  I don’t anticipate too much more happening here to talk about unless the weather surprises me!   See you down the trail.

Random Thoughts

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I bought a book from Amazon and had it downloaded onto my ipad.  The name of the book is “Seven Choices:  Finding Daylight After Loss Shatters Your World”.  I am still trying to find some balance in my life since Pati’s death last June 16, 2012.  You would think I would move on by now and accept what is but I haven’t, however I am working on it. I am going to talk a little about that now.  If this makes you uncomfortable, my only suggestion is to hit the delete button.  Actually that’s how I feel about a few issues I will be writing about…..I feel like my delete button was pressed.

I was only a 22 year old naive GI when Pati and I met in January of 1965.  We got married one year later January 22, 1966.  I fell in love with her at first sight on a blind date and have known nothing but a wonderful and loving life with Pati for over 46 years.  Other than my year in Viet Nam and some overnight business trips I had to make, we were never apart.  We had two wonderful sons and we love them dearly and raising them was the joy of our life.  I loved Pati unconditionally and we grew up together and our life together was magical; she and I together forever.  I knew before I married Pati that she had medical issues from her childhood that may someday take her from me but I always hoped we would live forever.  Doesn’t everyone?  Even the nineteen years of assisting her with her special needs after the second brain tumor operation when she had a stroke and then six more brain tumor operations and many other medical issues, like losing her hearing and eyesight in one eye, didn’t stop our hope for forever.  We never wanted to accept that one or the other will have to die, even after I had a heart attack at age forty six.  I knew I could never leave her alone and I could not allow myself to be weaker than she was.

As I write, I will be paraphrasing this book I am reading for the second time, to try and express my feelings.  I am reading a chapter called “Stumbling in the Dark, A time of Second Crisis.”  It tells of a bleak, hopeless and empty future for someone like me unless I make some major changes. The structure, shape, focus and direction of the past are gone, and there is absolutely nothing to take their place in the present.  The world as I knew it has been shattered.  The writer says all one can do is make a new and different shape for their life because what has happened is irreversible.

I have been crying and sad and lonely for over eight months now and I am doing everything I can to try and get a grip on this issue.  The best thing I have read is that I am not alone.  Did you know that over 800,000 people lose their spouse every year?   The writer tells of other people’s loss in their own words regarding anger, loss of faith, strained relationships, guilt etc.  Also, the writer says, “Now, not only must we mourn the absent one but we must mourn the loss of the future we naturally assumed we were going to have”.  As I move forward through this book, it tells me some things that I have already experienced and don’t understand.  Why are people scared and embarrassed by death?    The pain and loss of a partner only intensifies when others are uncomfortable about acknowledging the relationship. 

So….after reading this book twice, I feel a little better that I am doing some things right.  I want my future to be less stressful, less sad, more happy and more productive.  I believe I am headed in the right direction by being out here in my travel trailer traveling and making a new future and meeting new friends.  Some days are very long for me but I am finding that solitude and loneliness are two very different things.  I actually relish my solitude as it gives me time to ponder and plan my new future and relish my past…..and read a lot!

I am really looking forward to some great times while in Montana this summer where I am closer to nature and all its beauty.  Right now I am enjoying the beauty created by the owner of this beautiful East Texas country property I am watching while they are on a six week cruise.  Every time I look up or out the window I see or hear something new or exciting….like a butterfly or a bird or a fish jumping in the pond or a new bush or flower or tree I didn’t notice before.  Nature is worth watching and I get the feeling she is watching me too and spreading her beauty with a smile just for me.

Maybe Pati has something to do with that.  The thought that it may be so makes me happy, and that’s what Pati would want.

Springtime In East Texas

Monday, April 15, 2013

It has been awhile since I took the time to write.  I guess I was just not inspired to express myself for some reason.  I think my time in San Antonio brought back too many good and bad memories of what we hoped would be our golden years.  I realize after my visit that I have to close that door and move forward and try to build my new life.

Right now I am sitting on a beautiful eight acre homestead near Lake Tawakoni in East Texas listening to the cardinals singing and watching cottontails bouncing around.  It is so quiet here compared to being near or in a big city.  This morning is muggy and warm and overcast with a soft breeze.  What a beautiful world we live in.  I can see God’s creations all around me and it makes me happy.

Our pad in Point, Texas

One of two stocked ponds on this property

The road leading to a two acre tract for sale next door to where I am staying.

This is the two acre tract for sale...might be a possibility.  The lake is just down the trail.

When I left Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio I went west to a small town outside of Kerrville called Ingram.  There was no real reason for going there but it was an enjoyable place to park for three weeks.  The rv park was in the middle of a large pecan orchard about five miles outside of the town.  I enjoyed being there and met some very nice folks.  Every morning some of the couples would go to the old ranch house that served as the rec center and have coffee.  All the guys would gather around the kitchen and the gals would sit at a table in the back.  I thought this was kind of strange but it worked for me since I always feel like a third wheel being alone around a bunch of couples.  I don’t usually go to the potlucks or other events because of that until I know someone.  Anyway, sitting around with a bunch of old farts can be informative and funny too.  I actually enjoyed myself and learned a few things I did not know.

Here are some pictures of the area:

Johnson Creek behind the RV Park

Our walking road behind the park.  My rig is the little brown one.

This is Austin.  He was my RV neighbor.  Singing at Chili's.

My view looking back toward the walking road.  Pecan trees.

Replica of Stonehenge in Ingram

There wasn’t much going on but Dexter and I got in a good walk everyday and we took some long rides in the Hill Country and saw some nice areas.  The best thing that happened while there was when some folks I met in Rockport came to visit on Easter.  Margie and Don are full timers and were going  back to Georgia but called me and said they were coming by to visit and Margie was cooking Easter dinner.  I had planned to stop by Austin and visit with Fred and Judy but Margie called them and asked them to come to my location so we could all get together.  They all came on Friday and stayed until Monday and it was really nice visiting with them again before leaving there.

Fred cooked some great tenderloin fillets Saturday along with Judy’s great salad and other fixings.  I supplied the wine.  We all ate and drank too much but it sure was special.  Sunday morning I took Margie and Don to Easter Services at the Presbyterian church in Kerrville.  It is a massive and beautiful church and we really enjoyed going.  After church, Margie brought her early Easter dinner over to Fred’s trailer and we ate too much again.  She made Grasshopper pie for desert and it was wonderful.  Rather than cooking a ham we ate more of Fred’s fillet roast.  All the food and great company was really special.

Weather wise, it was an unsettled day that Sunday and we were all outside enjoying ourselves and taking bets that it wouldn’t rain when all hell broke loose!  We had thunder and lightning and then heavy rain and hail.  We rushed into Fred’s trailer and waited it out.  We were all laughing because I told them it was a good thing we were outside of Fred’s trailer and not mine.  My trailer is much smaller and someone would have been standing up or sitting on the toilet due to the close quarters!   It was certainly a good time to remember and I hope we will all see each other again in the coming years.  I am really lucky to have met such nice folks while out here on the road alone.  I should thank Dexter because he is the main attraction….not me.  I’m not looking for a personal relationship but, if I were, he would be my main “chick magnet”!

Portland, Oregon and my Family

After leaving Ingram I drove up to the Dallas area and parked my trailer on the property I am watching while the owner’s go on a six week cruise to Europe.  They let me park it early so I could catch a plane to Portland and visit with my two sons and grandkids.  That saved me a bunch and I am very grateful.  I even offered to mow his very large lawn while he was gone. This was the first time I had flown in many years and it wasn’t bad except for the cramped seats.  I didn’t have any issues going through security and was glad to see that it was still in force.  I don’t mind being a little delayed if it prevents anyone from being hurt.

Flying into Seattle to change planes

Mt. Rainier in Washington State

Green and wet....that's Oregon!

I have to admit I love the Pacific Northwest.  It is so green and beautiful and the mountains were all covered with snow.  I also have to admit the Spring-time pollen gave me the fits while I was there.  It never bothered me before but it was terrible this time.  I stayed with my old friend and neighbors, Jeff and Letty.  They are such nice people and great hosts.  Here I am intruding on them to save a few bucks and they did all they could to make me comfortable and feeling at home.  I am again very fortunate to have such great fiends in my life.

Letty and Cloie (Cloie is 15 years old!)

My best friend Jeff

My American Bolivian friends Josie and Yanni.....world travelers!  We were both sucking it in for the camera.

This was the first time I had seen my son Josh’s baby son, Ben.  Benjamin Patrick Murray….seven months old and born two months premature.  He has been struggling to get a grip on life since he was born and is doing pretty darn good now after some difficult times for him and his parents.  He had just had surgery to remove a stomach tube that had been in since birth and he was a little weak but he will come around and catch up as he grows older.  He is a beautiful little boy with a full head of hair, unlike his Grandpa!  I hope someday Ben and I will get to go fishing together just like I did with Josh and Jason when they were young.

Grandpa and Ben

Kathleen, Ben and Josh

Jason’s daughter Kaitlen is four and a half and a bundle of energy!  She is a beautiful little girl and very bright.   Jason and his wife, Anna, informed me I am going to be another Grandpa in October.  I hope all goes well for them and I will be back in the area next October to be part of that wonderful event.  Maybe it will be a boy!  I plan to take Kaitlen fishing with me too someday.

Kaitlen and he friend Bailey

Anna

Jason

While in Portland, I visited with Pati’s brother John and sister Judy also.  We had a great dinner at John’s home up on Bear Mountain in Washougal, Washington.  He lives on three acres way up  the hill and has some black bears around so he named it after the bears.  It is a refreshing place to go and Pati and I always enjoyed getting together at John’s house.  It was really sad not to have her with me this time.

Pati's brother John

Pati's sister Judy

Grandpa Murray feeling pretty proud.

Until next time, I will bid adieu and safe travels.

Leaving San Antonio

Tuesday, February 19. 2013

I decided today to go downtown San Antonio to the Riverwalk and have lunch.  I parked in a parking garage because there was no on street parking.  I still find it hard to accept that it costs upwards of $20.00 to park a car for a day in big cities.  Anyway….I started my trek thinking I was going to enjoy it.  I must admit the Riverwalk is beautiful and unique and I did see areas I had not seen before due to the inability to push Pati’s wheelchair places.  But it was just not enjoyable by myself, as I am finding most things I do every day now are not enjoyable.  I am trying hard to get over this attitude or feeling and move forward but it is a slow, if never ending, process.

I talked myself out of sitting at one of the many nice outdoor restaurants where I planned to people watch so I just took a very long walk and got in some good exercise with a different type of scenery than walking around the RV Park with Dexter. I didn’t realize how many up and down stairs there were going over the river and up and down to the street exits so I took all of them and I must say it was enjoyable.  As I was going back to my car at the parking garage I saw a WhatABurger so decided to have one of their big Patty Melts.  It was good but I can’t do that too often.  I can’t believe I actually ate a big greasy unhealthy burger when I was considering eating at a nice healthy meal at Landry’s like shrimp and oysters.  I want to lose 30 pounds this year and I sure won’t be doing it if I keep that up.  Maybe with all my walking it was a wash.

I visited the Pearl Brewery area just north of downtown San Antonio while out also.  That area has been transformed into a very unique and beautiful area of shops and condos right along the river.  It was interesting and reminded me of the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon.  Developers transformed a former warehouse area in downtown Portland into a major living area and it is spendy and classy.  When I give up my road roaming lifestyle I may have to consider renting an apartment in that area of Portland just to live my final days in a much different way surrounded by the big city.  I wouldn’t even need a car.  I could order my food delivered from the store and walk anywhere I wanted to go and if the kid’s want to see me, they can come see me or pick me up and take me home for a home cooked meal….that would be neat.  Something to consider when I get too old to drive anymore, hopefully ten or more years from now.

Rain is on the way tonight and tomorrow so I plan to hang close and not get run over by someone out on the roads.  I have decided to stay here at Fort Sam until the first part of March since I have made some dinner obligations with friends and it is a long drive back into town from where I am going to relocate at Canyon Lake.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

The rain didn’t amount to anything but it did get windy and cooler the past few days.  Today I decided I had best make some reservations at the military recreational RV Park at Canyon Lake.  I was told it was booked solid because of Spring Break so now I have to make different plans.  I have to leave here on the 7^th of March.  I will have to do a little research and calling but fear I may run into a problem due to the Spring Break issue in most places.  I think I will try to head NW into the Hill Country towards a little town outside of Kerrville called Ingram.  Pati and I used to love driving up to that area and making a big loop back to our home through the country.  Ingram is an artist colony type place, small with not much there but it is quiet and peaceful and the river runs through it.   Kerrville is about ten miles away so close enough for shopping and other needs.  

I got lucky and confirmed a two week reservation at a real nice park in Ingram called Johnson Creek RV Resort.  It looks nice on the web site and the reviews are excellent from folks who have stayed so I think this will be just fine for me.  I told them I may stay a third week so left that option open.  From that location I can just relax, get in some country walking, fish in the stocked creek (catch and release but good practice), go to Fredericksburg and some other small towns in that area and have some good country cooking.  I am looking forward to it now.

Speaking of fishing, I read an on line article the other day about how to set up a fishing pole for fly and bubble fishing.  My good friend, Jeff, will find this of interest. This is interesting to me as well because I want to learn to fly fish but I need to buy all the equipment that goes with it and learn casting etc.  Since I already have two spinning rods and reels with me and my basic fishing tackle box from long ago, I can simply buy a water-weighted plastic bubble and some different wet and dry flies and practice using my existing equipment.  I am going to re-string my reels as they have not been used in many years and I don’t trust the line to be good.

Anyway, I am going to try this when I move up to Ingram next month.  The article explains how to cast and present flies with this technique and gives tips on setting the hook and holding the pole to prevent the fish from leaping out of the water and throwing the hook.  I hope to report next month that I actually caught a fish with this method.  If it works here, I can go fishing while on my property sitter job in April and May at Lake Tawakoni.  I need to get over to the Bass Pro Shop here and get supplies necessary to do this.  I may just buy a cheap fly rod and reel too to practice with.

I have decided also to fly back up to Portland, Oregon to visit with my sons and granddaughter and new grandson, the one I have yet to meet.  I checked my Alaska Air Lines mileage plan and I have 47,800 miles.  I checked online to cash them in on a round trip ticket to Portland and it will cost me 47,500 miles to go.  Lucked out on that one.  As soon as I hear back from my sister in Dallas that she will take in Dexter while I am gone, and my son Josh that Ben will be home and available for a visit, I will get those tickets booked.  I need to jump on this quickly to get the flights I want.

This next week I have made plans to have lunch at our old Glenwood neighbors, John and Dixie’s house, and to have dinner with a friend I made while working Real Estate, Lisa and Harry, and then to spend the weekend with some other friends we met when we first moved here, Rick and Sandy.  I am looking forward to seeing all of them before I leave this area this year.  I am very fortunate to have made some good friends throughout the country and it is always pleasant to visit with them.  On my way up to Montana the end of May I am stopping in for a brief visit with Larry and Nancy Cedar.  They are one of the couples I met while at Rockport and live in Kansas.  I will be driving right by their place.  I am also going to visit some dear friends we have known since we were neighbors in California back in the early seventies, John and Linda Hayden.  They live near Missoula, Montana, just south of where I will be working this summer.

Sunday, March 03, 2013

I have been pretty busy lately.  I had dinner with my friends, Harry and Lisa.  Harry is a recently retired Coast Guard Warrant Officer and I sold them a house when I was working in Real Estate down here in San Antonio.  It was nice visiting with them and they told me they are moving on to Florida in the next few years.

I also had lunch with my old neighbors, John and Dixie.  It was strange driving through our old neighborhood and seeing our dream home we had to sell looking just like it did when we left. I did enjoy my visit with my friends.

I also spent the night with our good friends, Rick and Sandy.  We drank a lot of beer because Rick has a tap set up on his patio full of Shiner Bock.  It was a real nice visit and they are such great hosts and made me feel right at home.  I really enjoyed taking a shower in their large home shower after taking showers in my travel trailer the past seven months.  Rick gave me a lot of great fishing equipment and a fly rod and reel too so I have a head start on my fishing gear.  He said he is done with fishing and had no need for it.  They are also talking about moving soon.  They are looking at California or Arizona.  It is difficult to adjust to other places after living in the West so I understand their thinking.  We will keep in touch wherever they go.  They sure loved Pati and couldn’t tell me enough how much and how sorry they were for my loss. 

This morning I went to church at a small Lutheran Church and sure felt good about doing that.  I have been trying to go to church every Sunday but it is difficult when traveling.  I must say I am really enjoying the Lutheran Church since I have been going to it for awhile.  I may just continue with them if I keep feeling as good as I do about attending their services.  It actually feels good to get back into going to church services after not doing so for many years.

After church today I tackled giving Dexter a haircut.  He was really looking shaggy so I clipped him pretty short and he looks great and feels great.  Now I need to bathe him and clip his nails.  He does not like me clipping his nails but we get through it.  He is such a great little dog.  I hate the thought of losing him in the next 3-4 years, if we are lucky to go that long.  He turns eleven in April.  I do know I will find another doggie friend to live with me when I have to face that day.  I have no intentions of trying to find someone to replace Pati but I will replace Dexter so I can continue to have that king of unconditional doggie love and joy to keep me from going insane alone.

I purchased my tickets to Portland so I will be going back there April 3 – 8 to see the boys and grandkids and Pati’s brother and sister.  I really hate flying but I need to see everyone, especially Ben, since I won’t get back until October.  Speaking of October, I have decided to stay in Oregon next winter instead of coming down here to Texas.  I am going to hang out in McMinnville as long as possible so I can take some winter trips to Bend and check out the real estate market.  I am strongly considering going back to my original plan of looking for a manufactured home in a senior park in Bend as my home-base.  If I do this and get too bored or cold in the Winter, I can always hook up the trailer and head south for a few months.  I really miss the Pacific Northwest, especially Bend.  That is one great town and I am going to do all I can to live there. It is also close to family and I can fish until I am blue in the face, from fishing or the cold, whichever comes first!

For now I am looking forward to leaving San Antonio Thursday and getting on with my plans.  I will be back in a few weeks or more to catch up with more pictures and less words.

 

Canyon Lake and San Antonio

Monday, February 4, 2013

I left Shiner, Texas today and decided to head over to Potter Creek Corp of Engineer’s Campground in Canyon Lake.  I enjoyed my stay at Shiner but made the mistake of assuming they had brewery tours on weekends.  They didn’t so I just kind of drove around the area.  No free beer for me!  They have a beautiful Catholic church in town that is historic and dates way back but I didn’t go in.  I am not sure why but I was a little afraid to go in.  I want to go into a Catholic church because Pati was raised Catholic but I am having a hard time doing it.  Maybe next time.  I did buy a great half chicken dinner from the Elks Club that was selling them and all you had to do was drive through and pay…so I did.  Pretty good deal for eight bucks.  Shiner is a really neat small Texas town and I enjoyed my visit.  I stayed in the community park and it was very nice.  No one around me and plenty of room to walk with Dexter.  Very nice stay and Sunday I just stayed close and watched the Super Bowl and ate my chicken and it was fantastic.  I didn’t care who won….it was just a very good time.

This is the Catholic Church in Shiner

My RV Site at the Community Park....nice.

I arrived at my campground at Potter Creek about one o’clock and was able to get a spot that Pati and I had stayed at before…about 2005.  It is just wonderful to be here at this beautiful location feeling the closeness of Pati and the beauty of the area.  The weather is wonderful, about 70 degrees and no humidity.  I sat outside looking at the beautiful lake and talked to my brother Mac for a long time and then I talked to my other brother Waldo for a pretty long time too and realized how fortunate I am to have family I can call and talk with when times get just a little lonely.  I also talked briefly with Josh but the connection was not good and he will call later this week. I know he and Jason must still be having a hard time with the loss of their Mother and I hope they are dealing with it OK.  I sure do really miss Pati today, maybe more because we shared this camping space I am camping at and we had such a good time being here and I know that will never happen again. 

My view of Canyon Lake from my site

Really nice sites here

I just walked outside and it is almost dark but you can see the lights of homes reflecting around the lake, hear the sound of dogs barking in the distance and even hear voices of people talking.  The sky is beautiful and clear with stars and a flicker of the sunset and the air is perfect….no humidity and no mosquitoes.  Perfect with the only exception that Pati is not here to share it with me.  So…..I came back in and I am writing this to express my feelings at this time.  Lonely …..yes ….sad ….yes ….happy to be here….yes….and looking forward to a better tomorrow….you bet.

I am moving in a few days to the RV Park at Ft. Sam Houston, an Army Base, and I will be there for the next thirty days.  I am going to buy a new Cannon EOS camera to show better pictures of my trips, a good fly fishing rod and reel, and other supplies I think I may need when I leave here and head north to Montana for my summer adventure.  I plan to visit some very nice folks we met while here in San Antonio also and I am going to enjoy as much of this wonderful city that I can while here.  It will be very difficult when I go see our old neighbors in Glenwood, the community we lived in and built our dream home in, but I am going to work hard to get past that issue and move forward with a better tomorrow just around the corner.

Next Monday I am going to the San Antonio Rodeo and Livestock Show and seeing Reba in Concert.  I really hope that is a good day.  I will be doing many things while here in San Antonio and I will share them going forward.  I really feel good about being back here…..it is like coming home.  I really love this area and the Hill Country north of here and I am going to seriously look for a place, somewhere in the Texas Hill Country, that I can turn into a Winter Home Base……wish me luck.  Talk soon.

Tuesday, February 6, 2012

Yesterday turned into a frustrating day.  I had a water leak from the cold side of the bathroom faucet.  So I took it apart and it needed a new rubber washer.  All was fine until I put it back together and then decided to check the hot side also but I forgot to turn the water back off and I got a little wet, as did the bathroom.  I drove all the way to the nearest Home Depot, about 40 miles and bought the last of their washers which was a packet of two.  Anyway, I get back and fixed the darn thing and all is working well.  I then looked in my little stash of stuff I keep for emergencies and I had a bag of about ten of those same washers!  I don’t even recall buying them but must have somewhere way back when.  Expensive gas boo-boo.

Today Dexter and I went for a ride around the area and I found a really nice brand new home for sale not far from where I am staying.  I am trying not to look at homes but this one caught my eye and I called on it.  The seller (builder and real estate agent) told me it is listed at $177,000 and has a half acre lot with no restrictions on parking an RV on the lot.  He told me where to find the key and said I could go in and check it out so I did.  It is very nice and very similar to our home we sold when I moving Pati back to Oregon.  It is half the size, about 1300 sq ft and 3br and 3bath.  All upscale with stone exterior and granite and tile and bronze fixtures.  Very nice and very private but in a location with other homes close by.  The other good thing is this home is only five miles from the Corp of Engineers boat ramp into Canyon Lake, which is a free ramp.  I am sure I could buy this home for around $150,000 if I wanted to make an offer.

I could easily live in this home and keep things simple but I told the agent about my RV Home I want and that I wanted a lot with no CCR’s that I could build my RV home on so he is going to look around for me.  It is a start but I have my doubts I will find what I want here due to homeowner association restrictions.  I may have to look further north in the small Hill Country towns that don’t have such restrictions.  I have my mind set on finding a lot or acreage South facing, elevated somewhat with no restrictions so I can have my RV shelter/home/deck/workshop/laundry and TV room built on it and be able to stay here November thru May and go back to Oregon June thru October.

As we continued our drive we ended up in a town called Blanco.  It is a small town with a very nice state park and the Blanco River running through it.  Pati and I both liked this area when we lived down here.  They have the Lavender Festival every year here but we never got the chance to go.  I ate lunch at the Redbud Café on the town square while Dexter gave me a very bad look as I left him in the car.  This café has been around a long time and has a good reputation for food so I ordered the Rueben sandwich with cold slaw.  Wow!  I couldn’t eat but half and will have the rest for dinner too.  Very good lunch but lacking one thing and you know I am going to say Pati.  I am sure having a hard time enjoying eating out by myself.

Redbud Cafe in Blanco, Texas

Courthouse on the square in Blanco, Texas

That’s it for now and tomorrow I move into San Antonio for a month.  It is going to take some adjustment to tolerate all the traffic and people but I hope to get some things accomplished while there.  I am just not a big city kind of guy!  The weather down here is perfect….a little rain last night, in the seventies today and no humidity and going for the eighties tomorrow.  This is Texas so I won’t get used to anything as it can change on a dime.

Thursday, February 14, 2013 – Valentine’s Day

I have been at the RV Park at Ft. Sam Houston for one week today and have decided to stay one more week and then move back up to the Canyon Lake area for awhile.  It is just too busy and noisy here for me.  The darn trains go by every thirty minutes day and night and I had forgotten how many people there were in this city.  Of course when we lived here we lived outside of the city and came into the city for reasons but our lifestyle was nice and quiet up in the Hill Country.

I did go to the Rodeo and Reba concert as planned last Monday.  I must give my little buddy, Dexter, a lot of credit for putting up with me being gone so long.  I left at 3pm and got home at midnight.  He was sure glad to see me, and me him, and he did not make any mess in the trailer.  What a great little dog and friend.  I cannot imagine being without a dog that is always glad to see me when I come back….even if  it is for a short time.  Their unconditional love is amazing.

My seat was a lot further up than I thought but I eventually got to it and quickly realized it, and all the others around me, were made for little bitty people.  It was much worse size-wise and foot room size-wise than any airplane seat I have every sat in.  I don’t know how people do it!  Especially larger people.  I had too good size men on either side of me and we were all “sucking it in”!  Check out the photo below and you will get the idea of where I was and what I saw.

Best I could see with full extension of lens

This is a shot of the large tv lens they had over the stage

I must say I liked the rodeo and Reba is amazing so no complaints.  I should have sprung for better seats but the next lower level, just below mine, was about $175 vs. $40 for mine.  I just could not bring myself to spend the money.

With that day behind me, I went to the Cardiologist the next day for a checkup.  All is well and he only changed one med to help control my cholesterol.  I will be taking some blood tests in about three weeks to see if it is working.  Overall a good report and I feel better knowing there are no major health issues to worry about when I head to the remote mountains of Montana for the summer.  I have all my stuff and photos ready to turn in tomorrow so I can have a passport when I am at Glacier this summer.  I may want to go over into Canada so I need to be prepared.  Pati and I never left the country after they changed the rules for Canada and Mexico so I never got us passports.

Today I tackled the bathroom sink leak I have been struggling with for a few weeks.  I must say I was just about to give up getting off the little plastic connectors or washers that are way back up under the sink and hold the faucet to the sink.  They were on very tight and I had a heck of a time but patience and fortitude prevailed (at least two hours) and I got them loose.  I took it all apart, cleaned it, checked it for cracks etc and could not find a problem so I put it all back together and put it back in place and hooked up the hoses and turned on the water….and can you believe it did not leak!  I think it was on too tight and caused a stress point to leak.  Anyway….it is working and I am happy.

After all of that effort, I decided to just hang out today and do my weekly laundry and linens.  Now I have to make my bed but I don’t mind.  I love nice clean linens so it is worth it.  As I work on this posting, which I am doing in Word so I can work offline, I see Dexter outside wondering if I am still here.  I need to give him a bath and some pampering so I will do that later or tomorrow.  I think I will go downtown to the Riverwalk this weekend when more people are around and eat lunch and people watch.  That was Pati and my favorite thing to do….people watch.  Many a day we went to the mall and sat with an Orange Julius and just watched the folks going by.  Pretty cheap entertainment and I am sure we were the focus of others that did the same thing.

For now….I am going to make my bed and then, for dinner tonight or actually this evening since I eat before six o’clock,  I am going to enjoy a half pound lobster tail I bought at Costco yesterday when I picked up my new prescription.  It was a knee-jerk buy but I cannot remember the last time I had lobster.  I am going on line to make sure I know how long to boil it so I don’t ruin it since it cost me about ten bucks.  Until later……bon apatite!  

Leaving Rockport, Texas, Hello San Antonio!

I am leaving Rockport on Friday with some regrets.  I got here and was feeling a little sorry for myself and down but I have met some of the nicest people since being here that I really hate to leave but I know I must move on for now.  I have had some really good times and have felt very welcome since being at this park.  Not all RV parks have the personality or good friendly management this park has so I plan to come back here again next Winter, maybe in February and March and do some fishing next time.

My neighbors, Lauren and Debbie and their dog Oscar from Arkansas, that I told you about in my previous posting, live in the "Lil Snoozy" travel trailer next to mine.  We have come to know each other well the past six weeks and I have really enjoyed visiting with them daily and in the evenings around our fire.  They have decided they like my trailer and are going to look for one similar to upgrade to.  They love their trailer but it is a little small for full time living.

My other close neighbors, Fred and Judy (Fred is a very young 79 year old) and their dog Cookie from near Austin, Texas and Larry and Nancy and their big dog Buddy, from Nebraska, have been wonderful as well and we have shared some great talks and happy hours together on the patio and around the campfire.  In addition to my close by rv neighbors, fellow rv'ers from the front section (they like to tell us we live in the low rent district since we are in the back section) come down and visit almost daily.  Dickey and his dog Betsy from Tennessee, Margie and her dog Sweetpee from Georgia, like to come down and we turn all the dogs loose and let them play and run.  It is fun for them and us.

I have met so many nice people here.  Jon and Jolene from Illinois, Randy and Martha from wherever they are at the moment, Gail and Rick from Indiana I think, Wanda and Darryl from Iowa I think, Larry and Terrie from way up in the Panhandle of Texas and the hosts, Pam and C.J.  I never imagined I would meet so many folks in such a short time and feel like I have known them for a long time.  I hope to see most of them back here in the coming winters as many of them have been coming here for years.  So to all my new friends, I wish them safe travels and good health.  Here are some pictures of my new friends in Rockport, Texas.

Loren and Debbie and Oscar

Judy and Fred and Debbie and Loren

Debbie, Dickey, Judy, Nancy, Larry and Loren

Don, Larry, Fred, Judy, Nancy and Margie

When I leave here on Friday I am going to Shiner, Texas where Shiner beer is made.  It is a little town of about 2500 but has a brewery that has been putting out beer for over a hundred years.  I am going to take a tour and I will tell you more about it after the tour.  From Shiner I am going through Lockheart, Texas and overeat some of what is called Texas's best bar-b-q.  I will also tell you about that later.  After that I am heading for Canyon Lake, near where we used to live for a few days before I park for a month at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio.

I ordered tickets to go to the San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show on the day Reba is going to be in concert.  I could not bring myself to pay $175 for center area tickets (center going up!) so I bought balcony tickets for $40.  I will need to remember to take my binoculars!

I have a cardiologist appointment while there and want to make sure all is functioning correctly before I go on my summer adventures.  I have a property sitting job lined up April and May on a large lake in East Texas.  All I do is be there most of the time to prevent crime or call the fire department etc on these folks estate while they are on a cruise.  Free rent so going to do that and I will be close enough to visit or have visits (maybe) from my brother and sisters that live close by.  I will tell more about that later.

I have to head toward Montana after that gig as I have committed to a job at Traveler's Rest Lodge in East Glacier Park, Montana from mid June to the end of September.  I will have free parking and utilities plus wages for 25 hours work per week.  I will make that a separate posting as I am sure there will some good stuff to talk about while there and on the way up there and some amazing pictures....maybe even one of the trophy trout I catch!  I am going to learn a lot there like living around Grizzly bears and wolves.! Should be interesting.

After that, I plan to head back to Portland, Oregon and stay there over the holidays with my children and grandchildren until the end of the year.  Until later, be safe and happy trails.

I  just learned that one of my friends only read the email notice of my blog.  To read the real blog in living color, just click on the name of the blog above the Google symbol on the email. and you will be transferred to the whole blog from start to finish or you can add it to your Google page by clicking on the Google symbol.

Happy New Year

Here it is January 2, 2012, my Mom's birth date.  She would be 105 if she were still with us.  She was here 93 wonderful years so longevity seems to be in our genes.  Living so long was not so wonderful for Mom and I recall her saying she didn't understand why she wasn't called to Heaven as she was very tired of living here on Earth.  I hope I don't have to live that long.  Maybe my days will get better but right now I can't imagine 25 more years without Pati.  That would seem like punishment.  My Mom lived 39 years after losing my Dad  in 1954.

Anyway, on a lighter subject, it is, and has been, raining for a few days here.  Pretty cold too....lower 40's out there.  So, living in a travel trailer has it's disadvantages...like now.  Cabin fever. I did put my canopy out since it is not windy but it is cold so not so nice sitting outside.  At least my patio is dry.  I am typing this as I, and Dexter, look out the side window and wish we could go outside.  I will go outside soon since Dexter does his business outside so not a lot of choices there.  My sister in law, Susan, is probably grinning (although I am not even sure she reads my blog) and thinking I need a cat like her cat Mo who doesn't know how to go potty outside!  Oh well, it forces me to get out and get a little exercise so not so bad.  I will say, if, and I really doubt it will ever happen, I had a cat I would want one just like Mo.  He is really a cool cat.

This is how it looked before the rain!

My pal Dexter keeping me company during cabin fever!

I am going to go outside shortly and cook me a Buba-Burger on my grill.  If you haven't tried Buba-Burgers you should treat yourself sometime.  Pretty darn good.  Add some Bushes Bourbon Baked Beans and not a bad meal.  Last night we had an after New Year's gathering at the rec center here at the RV Park.  It was pretty nice and I met a few people I had not met previously and had munchies and some champagne so overall not a bad evening.

My neighbors who live in the little trailer I showed you last posting are having some difficulty with condensation in their trailer.  They were drying it out today with the windows open and the heater on high so I invited them to sit with me and Dexter for awhile in our trailer.  They are quiet impressed with our trailer and said they may consider getting one to replace the small one they have. I have been giving them some pointers I have learned along the way so hope it helps them make a good decision.

I changed my mind about staying here in Rockport (too boring) so I went to the RV park I had reserved a spot with for February and got my deposit back today.  I plan to go to San Antonio and see if they have some space on the military bases for me.  If so, I will stay two weeks at Brook Army Base and another two weeks at Lackland AFB.  Both have real nice rv parks but they can fill up fast in the Winter.  This will give me a chance to get a doctor's appointment and get a check up while I am in the area.  I have been havingsome weird Vertigo spells lately so need to see what is going on.  After that I plan  to go to Canyon Lake, just north of San Antonio, and stay awhile at a real nice Corp of Engineers RV Park called Potter's Creek and look at lots.  I will get a chance to visit some nice friends Pati and I made while we lived in San Antonio so I am looking forward to that.  I hope to get the chance to have a visit with my nephew, Clifford Ray, while I am there.  I have only met him once a few years back but he is our family and I hope to spend some time with him.

I really don't see much to tell you about around here so my next post will probably be after I get to San Antonio.  That is a neat city with lots to see and do so I will keep you posted from there.  Until then...happy trails.