Geeky Grammy gets frustrated

We are trying to upgrade our television system in our motor home. About a year and a half ago we replaced the TVs with digital TVs and then the antenna with one that electronically can find the satellite we need. HW2 looked into a different satellite receiver that would get HD TV and even have the ability to record shows so that we would not miss a show we like to see. We had this ability in our system in our house in Omaha and really grew to like it.

HW2 did all the leg work and was assured by all that we could get this done. The dish technician came to our motor home to do the work and we found out that we could not do this yet. Our antenna needs a program upgrade which can only be done at certain RV repair places. Since ours is 40 miles away on the way to San Antonio, I am afraid this upgrade will have to wait until we get some other minor repairs scheduled. So HW2 was put out that she did not succeed in her quest even though it is obtainable. Keep questing. Happy travels

Crossfire Buddies

While wandering about town for Hallowe'en masks, HW2 had seen a charcoal grey Crossfire. Later we went for more errands, and this time we saw a yellow Crossfire convertible. As we were driving into Walmart on the last stretch before getting home, we saw a third one, this time dark blue. Well, I had to stop and meet Skip and his 2006 Crossfire. We don't see too many of these cars and generally about half of the drivers want to visit. Another nice way to meet folks. Skip wants to locate a manual for the navigation system, and we said he could make a copy of ours. So we expect to see him next week and to continue our conversation about Crossfires. I guess we are Crossfire Buddies.

I reported earlier on another buddy that we met while we were parked in Interlochen, MI and helping Kim with her two boys. He was a real talker and we began to wonder if he ever slept. He did give me several pointers that have proven helpful. Happy travels, buddy.

The River Rock Saloon

The River Rock Saloon is about 200 feet from our front door. At this time of the the year, it is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. We decided the sun had gone over the yardarm somewhere and walked over to the saloon for a beer. We met Jerry, who had helped convert this old building into a saloon. He had worked around the Guadalupe RV campgrounds for some time. Many of the recent upgrades have been his handy work. We were then joined by Byron, a retired farmer from the Dakotas, and then by Susie, a retired rancher. We talked and talked about our farming adventures. Jerry had been a rancher in West Texas for some years too. What a nice setting in which to meet some of the many people that either live or work here.

To add to the evening, in came Justin, who has worked on HW2's hair for several years here in Kerrville. It felt like old home week. She does have an appointment for next week with Justin. We will see what he does, next since he is responsible for her hair being longer at this point.

Tonight is our annual Halloween party, at the River Rock Saloon, of course. We are going as Winter Texans, cowboy hats and all. We hunted all over town for eye masks and finally found some after trying many places. Happy travels.

Looking in on old friends

Yesterday we had to visit the Sunrise Antique Mall located on Water Street here in Kerrville. It is owned and run by Bobby and Vicky L., and Rosetta, Vicky's mom helps, too. Frequently Bobby's mom Frances helps, too. Frances and I always have fun trying to decide who is older. I can't remember which one is the winner of this discussion.

One of their cats had recently had two litters of kittens about eight months apart. So their back room is quite busy housing these two families. They have tow neutered males that are looking for good homes and three or four younger ones that will be needing homes in the near future. If you think you might want a kitten, let us know.

The antique mall is doing fine and was quite busy while we were there. We used to have a booth in their store and in the process have become good friends.

We also got caught up with Don and Jeanne who run/manage our RV resort. They do such a fine job and have really put this place back in good order. Ken, who also works here keeps busy repainting the many buildings in the park. The other folks that help run this place are new this year but are friendly and a pleasure to get to know. We haven't seen Carl and Betty yet but will soon. Roger and Leah are our next door neighbors and have been coming here for several years. So we are settling in and enjoying the good weather. This morning it was 55 degrees when we headed out for our walk. Lots of blue skies and sunshine too. Happy travels.

Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman, author, gentleman, and friend, has died today. Tony loved to tell stories. He particularly liked to tell stories of the Navajo people and their legends and customs. He managed to tell exciting mystery stories and yet always treated them with the respect they deserved. His detective was Joe Leaphorn, and he knew the ways of his people and could always work out who had done the crime.

I met Tony when he had survived a heart attack, as I had, and we were walking daily at Presbyterian Hospital's exercise center. We enjoyed walking the track and found that we enjoyed visiting with each other. We agreed not to talk about my school business or his writing business. In spite of this choice, we managed to talk non-stop while getting in our daily walks. Tony and I enjoyed our recuperation time together. I continued to read every book that he wrote and shall miss his stories. Happy travels, Tony!

Other happenings and new beginnings

Yesterday, on our way to Kerrville, about 100 miles out, we noticed that we were driving into a big front of some kind. It seemed as if the clouds were tumbling over the hills for many miles in a north - south direction. Shortly we were into the front. At first it was no longer sunny, and then we were driving in a light fog. This kept up for many miles. We noticed a drop in the temperature, and finally, after many miles, began to drive out of the light fog. By the time we got to Kerrville, it was sunny again.

Once we got set up at The Guadalupe River RV resort, we treated ourselves to dinner at Mamacita's Restaurant for an early dinner. They have dips and chips and home made flour tortillas that are wonderful, as well as great entrees. On the way home we stopped at Walmart for supplies and settled in for the night. During the night it dropped in temperature from the 70 - 80 range to the 50's, and we got up to close windows. Maybe the front we drove through brought the cooler weather, but HW1 does not care as long as it is cooler. She does not suffer hot weather very well.

As to the new beginnings, we plan to get onto a diet and exercise routine. We started this morning with a walk to the office for the local papers. We will bike and walk and get back into a better shape, at least that is the plan. If we put this together with eating sensibly, hopefully it will all come together. My goal is to get down to 185 pounds. HW1's goal has not been specified. Maybe the next time we get to visit friends and family, we will hear, "What have you guys been doing? You look great! etc!!!!" Happy travels.

We are in Kerrville

We arrived here in Kerrville this afternoon and began right away to get set up. Car is unloaded, bikes unloaded, slides out, awnings out, chairs set up, flowers and herbs set out, and birdseed hung in the feeder in the tree. We feel like we are home again. This is the 5th or 6th year that we have wintered here, and we are glad to stop and smell the roses and watch the Guadalupe River go by. Happy travels.

On the road to Texas

By nine o'clock we were hooked up, said our goodby's and hugs and left. All this happened with Jerry's help. He got tires up to the correct air pressure and got the car trailer out and helped load the car. Without his help we would have still been at the starting point at eleven. We drove through Albuquerque and picked up I 40 and headed East through the Sandia Mountains. At Moriarity we stopped for diesel and then drove to Clines Corners where we headed South on US 285.

This road took us through South Eastern New Mexico and into Texas. It is a 300 mile or more stretch of road that is flat, straight and is the shortest and quickest way to get from Albuquerque to Kerrville, TX. We saw prong horn antelopes, stray cows, some agriculture dependent on irrigation and lots of oil being pumped. Other times when we have driven this way it seemed to us that this area was pumped nearly dry and many wells were shut or being pumped very slowly. This time there was much more activity and even new wells being developed. We spotted at least six new wells and several new pumps. I think the rise in gasoline prices has been the underlying reinterest in this area.

This oil producing area is vast in that it covers several hundred miles of New Mexico and Texas. There is not much to see other than cactus and Creosote bushes and oil wells or oil storage tanks. Fortunately the roads are straight and the speed limit varies from 70 to 75. There was little traffic and frequently we drove for miles without seeing another traveler.

Shortly after five in the afternooon we stopped at Fort Stockton for the night. Here we get I 10 and head East for the 240 remaining miles to Kerrville. The speed limit in this part of Texas is 80 mph. We will get passed by most other drivers as I do not try to drive the motor home that fast. Happy travels.

Settling down, if we grow up

While we have been in Albuquerque we have occasionally looked at apartments should we ever give up the motor home traveling life style. We found apartments up closer to the mountains that have lovely views but are too far from everything. Then we looked at some that were near to all of the east side shopping centers. HW2 liked that location. Shop, shop, shop!!!! Finally we looked at some nearer to Jerry and Marlene that were also close to some shopping. We liked those too. Shop, shop!!! Anyway as we leave this beautiful spot and move on to our winter digs in Kerrville we have things to think about. It was 30 degrees here this morning. Can winter be far away? Currently we are planning to start on Saturday morning. Happy travels.

Fall Has Settled in Here; Time to Move On

As we drive about town (Albuquerque), we have enjoyed the fall colors on the trees, bushes, and vines. The air is clear and the skies a turquoise blue, and all this color has a backdrop of the Sandia Mountains. Best of all, we have re-connected with family and friends. But as the days get cooler, we begin to think it is time to travel to Kerrville, Texas, where we like to winter.

Probably we will leave here later this week and take a leisurely two days to get to Kerrville. The trip can be done in one day, but we prefer not to since 700 miles in a day is a bit long for us. We have had a wonderful time here and thoroughly enjoyed kids and grands. Happy travels.

Is Monday Your Wash Day??

When I was growing up, Monday was wash day. In the early years it was all done by hand and a wash board. When my younger brother Gary was born in 1946, we had enough money to by an Easy Spin Dry Washing Machine. It was a great advance, but we still had to hang all the clothes outside to dry. By the time my sister was born in 1953, we had an electric washer and dryer, and we no longer had to hang clothes outside, unless you wanted to do so. The whole wash day process continued to be held on Monday.

Today is Monday, and I think we will catch up our bit of washing. It feels right to me to do it today. Actually, we wash whenever we want to. We save our quarters for the washing machines, and the job gets done quickly. We also have to go grocery shopping. You can see this is an exciting day. Happy travels!

Football and Birthday Celebrations

Grandson Andy turned eight years old yesterday. What a delight he is! He had a joint party with Michelle on her birthday about a week ago, and each got to invite a few friends to the party which was held where the kids could play games and have cake. We were told it would be quite loud and stayed away. So Andy's birthday celebration was low key. He opened family presents while we were away helping other family members at Presbyterian Hospital. When we got back from the hospital visit, we changed clothes and went to a University of New Mexico afternoon football game where they played San Diego State University. Jerry had received tickets from a hotel his business uses to house out of town visitors, and it included a tailgating party in the east parking lot. He had eight tickets, and so we got to go to the party, too.

I had never been to a UNM football game, and HW2 had not been in years. The tailgating party included lots of barbecue and was very good. Other folks from Jerry's office were there, too. Andy took a friend Michael, and they had a fun time climbing a rock wall and a bouncing contraption after they finished their barbecue.

About four p.m. we went into the stadium and sat down to enjoy the game. I had taught at both universities in the past but had no trouble deciding to cheer for UNM (Lobos). Imagine our delight when the Lobos quickly got on the score board and followed that with touchdown after touchdown. At halftime the score was Lobos - 49 to SDSU - 0!!!!

We left at half time because the rest of Andy's treat was to go to a Chinese restaurant for Orange Chicken. When we got home, we learned the final score was 70 to 7!! I guess I rooted for the better team. We finished the evening by playing Pitch. See, Anne, how your fame is spreading. Michelle won the second game and was delighted with herself. Andy and I were partners but we just had a good time.

What a joy to be able to be present and participate in a birthday celebration. I think that this is one birthday that Andy will remember for many years.

Damn Good Team

Tonight the Valley Administrative Team got together for dinner and a visit. None of us work there any more but we all worked together for many years. So we met with Toby and Bernice H., Leah and Patrick G., Barry and Carol G., Gus and Pam G. and us. Barry is retired as are we but the others are still employed in the Albuquerque Public Schools. Toby reminded us all that one year our motto was, "Damn Good Team." He also remembered the combination to the school safe was 60 - 50 - 40 - 21 and three of the numbers were ages of administrators of the team. Now he wants to know if they have changed the combination. Somehow we all managed to talk non-stop and relive old times. These folks were wonderful to work with. They created a great environment that enabled us to establish a wonderful educational situation for our students. Even though I retired 12 years ago we all keep in touch and want to know what is happening in each others lives. Of course now we also talk about how many grand children we each have as well as what the children are all doing. You know, it was a Damn Good Team. We were missing Jo S. and Terry H.

It Is Getting Colder Here

We woke up this morning to temperatures in the 40's. It is about time for us to leave this lovely place, but we are not quite done here. We still plan to visit with two more friends, and we have a dinner with several administrators that HW1 used to work with at Valley High School. Andy's birthday is this week, and so we must do these things before we leave.

Jerry helped us make some changes to the trailer that we use to haul the car when we are traveling. These changes should make it a bit more difficult for someone to steal. He had one taken right out of the yard and has learned this lesson the hard way. So now we have a cable intertwined between the wheels and a ball lock cover so that it is not so easy to just hitch up and drag it away. The trailer also got a coat of paint to help slow down the wear and tear on the wood floor.

Anne, you will be happy to know that Jerry's family now can play Pitch, too. We taught them last night, and now you have some more folks that enjoy this card game. I think Marlene won but am not exactly sure this morning, since I rarely remember who wins. I just enjoy playing. Michelle caught on quickly, but Andy was not sure of all of the rules. He will get it quickly if we can play again. Happy travels.

Visiting Family and Friends

We have continued to visit with family and friends. We drove to Los Lunas (thirty five miles south of here) on Friday to visit with 1HW's sister Sue and husband Mike and their three sons and families. James is married to Candace and they have a 2 1/2 yr old daughter Cammie. James teaches English on the Navajo Indian Reservation and is in his fifth year of teaching there. Matthew is married to Heather. Both work and go to the University part time. Matthew is employed full time in the Air Force Reserve and has been on several rotations to Iraq. Charles is completing his senior year at the University while working full time. It was a delight to see this family together and to be able to spend an evening with good food and conversation.









Last evening HW2's sister Susie and husband Al hosted a family get together for her side of our family. Brother Herb and his wife Sue joined us and the six of us had a great time. We had not been together for a long time, as we are seldom in the same city, much less the same state or country. Susie fixed a great dinner of steak, twice-baked potatoes, salad, and fresh fruit for dessert, and the conversation kept up non - stop throughout the evening. Saturday morning we met long time friends Cal and Susan at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Loyolas, for breakfast. HW2 is gradually getting her red chili fix. This time she had huevos rancheros. I stuck to eggs and pancakes. Two hours later we finally left after greeting the whole staff that has worked there for many years and seeing other friends from the antique dealer world, too. We have traveled with Cal and Susan on a barge trip through the Bordeaux, wine growing region of France. What a marvelous trip we all had, and the wines were enjoyed by all. We may yet get together for dinner this coming week as we have not finished talking to each other. So it goes. Happy travels!

Michelle's Birthday

Michelle is now twelve. She wanted dinner at home and a dinner consisting of pot stickers, rice, and stir fry vegetables. Dessert was root beer floats. It was Thursday so Jerry picked up his brother Scott on the way home from work so he could join the celebration. It was good to see Scott who currently has a day job on Sandia Base at guest housing as a janitor. He continues to live in his group home with two other males and a full time staff that helps them. Scott is able to get to work by using the public bus system although it takes him nearly two hours to get there each day.

Once dinner was over and dishes cleared and the root beer floats enjoyed, it was time for presents. Michelle received some clothes, a book, a cookbook on making cup cakes, decorating supplies and cake mixes, and boots for winter days. Throughout this time she just smiled with great enjoyment over her special day. Andy, who has a birthday this next week, gathered up the tissue wrapping paper and did boy things with it like throwing it in the air until his dad made him put it in the trash. A fun day for the whole family. Our treat was to be able to be here too. Happy travels.

Family and friends

We are having a wonderful time visiting family and friends. Jerry and Marlene have made us feel so welcome. We get to visit on a daily basis and thoroughly enjoy the grands. This week is birthday time for Michelle and Andy. So, lots of celebrations. We had lunch with Susie and Al (HW2's sister and husband) and talked non-stop for two hours. We see them so seldom since they winter in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico while we are in Texas. Our paths seldom cross but when they do, it is a joy.

We have plans to meet Peggy, Pat, Cal and Susan, Valley High School Administrative team and others. Life is full, and we are thankful that we get to meet and greet these great friends. All of this happens in the beautiful clear air of New Mexico and decorated with balloons each morning. Who could ask for more?

Today HW2 and sister Susie are going shopping, which they both love to do. I will remain here as it is not my favorite thing. Happy travels.

New Mexico things

Fall in New Mexico means to me the smell of roasting chilies wafting through the air, balloons in early October, red chili ristras, the smell of pinon wood burning in fireplaces, and beautiful blue skies and cool nights.

Yesterday HW2 needed a red chili fix so we went to Garduno's for lunch, and I can report that she is much happier now. When you go to a restaurant here the question is frequently, "red or green?", which also considered to be the "State Question." What they are asking is how you want your chili. We are split on this question as I prefer green, and HW2 prefers red.

This morning we went outside of the motor home and could see many balloons coming our way. Some of those pictures may even get into this blog. The sky is blue and the air chilly enough to require a jacket. Wonderful!!!!!

We have been having fun with the grands. Andy is a kick and he loves to play especially when he gets you to join in. Michelle and Kait are dears with lovely smiles. Michelle delightedly helped HW2 make dinner last night. As we sat around the table we managed to tell stories of their dad and some of his adventures when he was young. The kids love to hear stories about their parents. We are having a wonderful time and today plan to take Michelle shopping for her birthday. She wants boots for the winter months. Happy travels.

Albuquerque Balloon Festival

The first full week in October is the date for the annual Albuquerque Balloon Festival. There are hundreds and hundreds of colorful balloons in the skies with times set aside for mass ascensions and balloon glows followed by fireworks. There are great prizes for the pilots such as a new car if they can grab the keys while flying their balloons. You have to get up early in the morning, since that is the time when the winds are the lowest and the temperatures the coolest, with the balloons setting off at day break. Albuquerque is also the home of "the box," which is a unique climate condition where the air flows one way at one altitude and the opposite direction at a different elevation. This gives great flying conditions for the pilots.

Jerry and Marlene live up close to the mountains, and we are treated to balloons flying that can easily be seen from their house. As we left the motor home to walk over to Jerry's house, we were treated to the sight of many balloon flying by. If you ever get a chance to see hot air balloons, do so. Albuquerque is the capital of it all. We had not seen this wonderful celebration for several years and are delighted to be in the area at this time. Happy travels.

Onward to Albuquerque

We got up a bit early on Saturday and headed south to Albuquerque. Denver had clearly expanded since we were last here, with a new baseball park for the Rockies and evidence of a commuter train system for the area. As we continued, we noticed the fall colors on the trees with lots of yellows and golds. It was beautiful! We also saw two long trains with cars full of coal probably also heading south. One of the trains had six engines, two in front, two in back, and two in the middle. If the train had to go over Raton Pass like we did, then all the engines on the train made sense.

On the New Mexico side of the Raton Pass, beautiful chamisa was in full yellow bloom. This plant adds much to the color of the countryside. We also saw a small herd of prong horned antelopes and a coyote crossing the road. When we got to the Pecos Wilderness area northeast of Santa Fe, we realized that there were many cars parked along the freeway. We finally figured out that they were picking pinons or pine nuts. We saw so many pickers and cars that I believe the entire crop will be harvested in a few days.

As we drove south from Santa Fe, we saw the construction of the high speed train track that will take commuters from that city to Albuquerque or vice verse. When this project is completed, we hope to be able to enjoy that train ride, too. It has been talked about for twenty years, and finally the project is underway. There is already a connection from Albuquerque to Belen, which is thirty miles south.

We are now parked in Jerry's driveway with a full hookup he put in several years ago for us. They had us over for dinner, and we enjoyed to see how much Andy and Michelle had grown. Kait was off to a homecoming dance so we will see her on Sunday at some point. A lovely rain lulled us to sleep. Happy travels.

Terry H.

We had a wonderful time visiting Terry H. who now is living in Denver, CO. She gave us directions to her town house, and we quickly found our way and sat and visited, checked out her home, and had a great time catching up. We then went for lunch at a Mexican restaurant and kept on talking. When we came back outside, there were grey clouds overhead, so she went home to wait for a workman to come and install a ceiling fan in her bedroom, and we went back to the motor home to close windows. We agreed to meet for dinner at her son Josh's home, and she gave us directions on how to get there.

Terry has three children: Steve, Josh, and Joie. Josh and Joie are both married and living in the Denver area. Steve lives about 100 miles north. We followed her directions, got lost, put on our GPS system and found our way to Josh's house. Of course, it took asking a neighbor if we were at the right house since no one seemed to be home. She had never heard of Josh, so she checked the neighborhood directory, and we were one house away from where we wanted to go. So we drove next door to find Terry enjoying Josh's two boys. Terry was babysitting for the weekend while Josh and his wife were in Phoenix.

A short time later Joie and her husband Scott and their two kids (a boy and a girl) appeared, and we had a fun time. We had not met Scott or any of the four grands, all three years old or younger. Just as HW2, Terry is known as Grammy to the grands, so I am including a picture of Grammy Terry and her four. We have known Terry since all three of her kids were in middle school about 25 years ago. The grands were lively and beautiful, and we talked and talked. Joie is starting her first year of teaching high school English.

We also found out that Terry confuses left and right which makes directions interesting. But who cares, we had a great time visiting with good friends!

Upcoming Presidential Election

I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming election. To me, the candidates have been quite disappointing, and the continual gibberish we have heard these last two years, intensely irritating. Finally, my biggest gripe of all is the immense amounts of money that have been raised and spent on the campaigns. In spite of all of this, any prospective candidate must undergo intense scrutiny by the press and from partisans of other candidates. No wonder, no one in his or her right mind, meaning any average citizen of this country, will seek to be elected to any office.

Now that I have griped and could go one for much more, thankfully, you are to be spared. My final thought is that all of us of voting age have a sacred duty to vote on election day. I do not intend to tell anyone who I vote for and do not want to hear your thoughts, either. I do want you to vote your conscience.

I am left with the funny thought to vote early and vote often, which has the smell of voter fraud about the idea. Do exercise your right to vote, and let the chips fall where they may. If in four years we are still dissatisfied, then throw the bums out of office, and vote some other candidate in.

I think we need to adopt the British system where they call for an election in ten weeks, and it is all over. Enough of this running for office for years and years. I know I am griping again, but really, a bit of common sense here would help.

It is harvest time in the heartland

As we drove to Denver yesterday we saw many fields of corn and soybeans in the process of being harvested. All the farmer's hard labors come to fruition at this time. There were combines in the fields and many trucks on the road carrying corn or soybeans headed for storage or to be sold. It is a busy time for the farmer and we all benefit when he has an excellent crop. As we drove westward it gradually became apparent that it had been a dry year in this area. The only reason that some crops had survived was due to irrigation. The corn crops seemed to be not as high as we drove through eastern Colorado as the lovely fields we were used to in Nebraska and states East.

The price of diesel fuel has dropped from this summer's high of nearly $5.00 per gallon. It was nice to be able to purchase it for just under $4.00. How quickly we can get used to higher prices. I believe the days of $2.00 or less are gone. This makes travel by RV a very expensive process. We have to plan and save and not make trips on a whim. It is more like, travel to some spot and then stay there for a longer time. We plan to winter in Kerrville, TX. We had wanted to travel to Florida and perhaps visit the Florida Keyes. I think that will have to wait. After our two night visit in Denver we plan to then travel southward to Albuquerque to see friends and family. Then on to Kerrville.

Games Re-do

Keilah played with her Warriors in a volleyball game in Council Bluffs late yesterday afternoon at 5:30. We drove to Council Bluffs for the game and arrived in time for the beginning. The small crowd lined the edges of the floor in this small gymnasium and loudly supported their teams. The Warriors proved not to be up to the challenge but did their best. The two game event was quickly over.
Gas expenses - $4.00
Admission - $6.00
Watching Keilah play - priceless

So while we have been here in Omaha, we have attended five athletic events and another that was canceled due to wet fields after we arrived. We got to see the twins play in two games, Susannah in two, and Keilah in one. James plays baseball and basketball, and this is not the season for either of his sports. How our kids manage their busy lives to get these events in and everything else that they do is mind-boggling to us, and we admire their abilities to be so organized. The grands benefit from the many activities, and we benefit from being able to see them grow in their abilities and sportsmanship among other qualities.

It has been fun to be here, but we leave tomorrow for a two night stay in Denver to visit with good friend Terry and then on for a stay in Albuquerque before returning for the winter in Texas. Happy travels.