Corporal or capital punishment.

I worked for several years at Green Fields School in Tucson. In early days it was a boys school grades 3 through 8. Fred Baltzell was the owner/headmaster of this private school. About the time I joined the faculty, Fred went on a one year trip around the world, and our job was to begin and add a high school to the school. When Fred returned, he decided to remain as head of the lower school, and I became head of the upper or high school as well as teaching math and physics. It was a a fun time. One day Fred and I got into a discussion of punishment. At one point he had been interviewed by a prospective parent, and she had left and then suddenly returned asking Fred, "Do you believe in capital punishment?" He commented, "I believe in it, I just don't practice it." This private school is today Green Fields Country Day School.

I too believe in capital punishment, but think that our society has gotten away from corporal punishment. This brings to mind that adage "spare the rod, spoil the child." I was talking with my worker friend Roy and talking about our upbringing. Roy is from a family of 13 children which included two sets of twins. His dad did not try to figure out who was the culprit but paddled them all. That must have been quite a job. My dad used his very large hands, and they really could hurt a naughty bottom. The trick was to begin to yell or cry just as his hand landed on your bottom. Then he would not hit you quite as hard. However, if he was on to you and your trick, he hit you harder. I must have been quite naughty to think up that strategy. We didn't mess with dad. To this day I believe that a few slaps on the bottom would help discipline today's unruly kids. Happy travels.

Every day you live.......

Vern and Dot have arrived for a month from Iowa. Vern has a cab over camper and a three wheeled motor cycle that is a bright red color. We got to know them last year, and he is unique. He is a retired farmer from Iowa and delighted to be out of the cold and snow there. We traded a few jokes and comments, and then he said, "Every day you live, takes another day off your life." I loved it and had to share. Happy travels.

Chris here in San Antonio

Chris's company has been putting on a workshop for its employees here in San Antonio, which he has been facilitating, so he drove up here, and we had a good visit and dinner together. We have not seen him in quite awhile so it was good to get caught up on his family doings. Today we plan to drive down to San Antonio and do a bit of shopping and then meet Chris at his hotel after his work finishes and have dinner out at a good Texas restaurant. Should be a fun day. and besides HW2 need to go to Cost Co, of course.

We are thinking of looking at e-book readers to see if they seem user friendly for the technologically impaired (that is me) and to see what the price range is in stores such as Best Buy. HW2 has been researching this new field on-line and has learned a great deal. Apparently, you can download a book and read it and then store it or download the book to a disc so that you could pass on the book to another e-book reader. The cost of the book is less than buying a hardback or paperback copy. Amazon has over 300,000 titles and is adding more each month. Is this the wave of the future for books? After further investigation we may comment some more on this latest techy trend. Happy travels.

Hints of spring here

We have had wonderful weather here for the last few days. It has been sunny and cool in the mornings but warming up during the day. This means layering clothing and gradually taking off the coat and top layers. Yesterday the day dawned as usual, but by mid-day a front came through, and it turned windy and a bit cooler. I have been getting the mowers up to speed and mowed a bit here and there as the grass has started to return in a few places and needed trimming. I really like to mow, and so this is something to look forward to for me. Yesterday I tried to start up the grasshopper, but the battery was dead after sitting in the shop for several months. It took a bit, but I got the battery charging, and finally that mower was ready to go, so I took it down on the flat to see if it would mulch leaves, and it did a fine job. However, it was blowing so much that the leaves kept moving around, and the whole exercise was a losing proposition. Finally I mowed the leaves in our yard with the push mower and felt that I had 3 for 3, as now all of the mowers were working again.

Today has dawned sunny and windy but another beautiful day here. HW2 is still recovering from her cold and does not want to expose folks as church, but we might go out for breakfast later on when she gets up. She needs the sleep for sure. Max and I have been up for several hours already, and I think he wants to go out again so another walk is in order. Happy travels.

Beautiful weather here

Yesterday it got up to 60 degree,s and today it is to go up into the high 60's. What a wonderful change from very cold for several days and lots of rain for others. It was so nice outside that I walked the park four times. Max enjoyed all the chances to walk, sniff, and do his business. Then I decided to get with the program and make some stained glass crosses. We have a craft fair/flea market here in March, and HW2 signed us up for a couple of tables. She plans to knit some scarves, and I was to make some stained glass sun catchers. Since I have not really been doing anything of this sort for nearly a year since we started work camping, it was good to get back into the craft. The weather was so nice that I could work outdoors and Max could be outside as well.

I did enjoy the weather but thought how nice it would be if I could send some of this weather up North where winter has been long and is not finished yet. If a spring thaw comes your way, please enjoy. Happy travels.

Max is a hunting dog in disguise

Early today in a heavy fog Max and I ventured forth so that he could do his morning constitutional. About halfway through this I noticed a small herd of 6 - 8 deer on a grassy knoll directly in front of our motor home. I finally got Max's attention, and then he noticed the deer too. He came to a point, lifting his left front foot, tail fully raised, and uttered a soft low growl. We started to walk toward the herd when they noticed this menace approaching. With heads turned toward us and raised white tails, they were poised for flight. As we drew closer, they began to run toward the road. Not wanting to have a deer run into the road and cause an accident, we stopped. Max kept growling softly. He really wanted to get those deer.

I got him turned away, and he finally finished his morning business. The deer had slipped away into the fog. Max still wanted to chase after them. Max thinks he is a hunter, pointer, or bird dog, but in reality he is one small white Westie. Right now he is sleeping at my feet and dreaming of chasing deer. Happy travels.

Symmantha (Sam) and James David (JD)

Sam and JD were married last evening, and we enjoyed the whole evening. We have known Sam for several years since she was a senior at nearby Schreiner University. To pay her way through school Sam was a bartender at the saloon here at our RV resort. She talked to us about her several boy friends, and then fell in love with JD. JD had tried pro-baseball as a career for three years and then returned to college and supported himself by doing some maintenance work here at the RV park, too. So we had a chance to get to know both of these young people quite well.

They invited us to attend their wedding, and we looked forward to it. The wedding was held at a nearby ranch for horses and was held upstairs over the horse barn. You might think that this was an odd place for a wedding until you arrived. This horse barn has stained glass windows of horses (of course) on either side of the large double entry doors. Inside, the stables are of polished wood and floors that have interlocking cushioned blocks. The entire place is full of individual horse stalls and simply elegant. Upstairs there is a hall that can be used for gatherings and a larger room used for receptions. Of course, there are more stained glass windows, too. The small wedding was held in the first hall, and we all sat on folding chairs that had been covered with floor length covers and bows tied at the back of each chair. There were several groom's men, most of whom we knew, and an equal number of brides maids including a sister and a niece of Sam.

The minister spoke the timeless words to the young couple, and JD kissed his bride enthusiastically at the proper point at the end of the ceremony. We then filed into the reception room, which was decorated to be a winter wonderland. Toasts with champagne and lots of chances to visit were followed by a buffet about 7:00 pm.

The groom danced with his mom to the tune of "Wind Beneath My Wings" sung by Bette Midler, a favorite of ours. The bride was quite beautiful in her gown. The whole thing was lovely. We got a chance to meet parents and grandparents.

We sat at a table with Lorraine and Rick who are retired but involved in the music-dance world. Rick has roots in MoTown from Detroit and has met most of those famous people like Michael Jackson. We visited non-stop and learned that both of us had blended families of five kids and thirteen grands. They do not have a great grandchild, though. The similarities were delightful, and Lorraine will be doing a production at our church later this month. I expect we will see them again and hope this connection will strengthen.

This was a fun wedding, and Sam and JD are off to a good beginning in their marriage. Thanks for inviting us to be present. Happy travels.

Max loves his ball

Max has a wonderful ball. We got it at Albertson's when we were checking out and saw this box of balls the size of tennis balls. When bounced they light up. Max surely needed them, so we decided to bring one home for him to play with. He loves to chase the ball when it is thrown and then plays hard to get when you try to get it from him. It is one big game for Max. Of course, when he loses it under one of our recliner chairs, he barks to get it back until you get up and help him or shut him up.

Tonight we were again playing throw the ball, chase, and lose it under the recliner. It gets very annoying for sure when it continues. Then he decided to bark while he had the ball in his mouth. Max has a piercing high bark, and we try to get him not to bark when inside. When he has a ball in his mouth, the bark is muffled and much lower in intensity as well as tone. It was very funny to hear him bark with the ball in mouth. HW2 is not amused at all by this activity, but even she had to laugh. Happy travels.

HW1's sister's adventures in Thailand - Ribit, Ribit

HW1 has a wonderful sister Susan, and she and her husband Al were invited to visit his cousin and his wife in Thailand. At the end of their stay there, they moved to a hotel and waited for a van to take them to the airport to return home. Susan has a wonderful way with words and is indeed very funny. I thought you would enjoy her latest adventure which she wrote to us in an email.

"Al and I were outside the hotel in Bangkok on Wednesday morning about 3 am waiting for the airport van. Obviously, it was dark......and man, the frogs were going crazy. Rivet! Rivet! Rivet! The floor of the outside was this black shiny marble.....So, I started walking on the tiles toward all the millions of plants that were screaming "RIVET!" looking for all the froggies. And, before I knew what was happening, BAM!!!! I had taken one more step and walked right off the black tiles into the frog pond, which was also pitch black, and came up sputtering, totally WET........The pond was 5-6 ft. deep......Al said he heard this gigantic splash and looked over and couldn't believe his eyes; he rushed over and leaned over, looking at me treading water for all I was worth, and said something like, "SUSAN, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN THERE??!!" He repeated himself a couple of times - sounding REALLY MAD - and I yelled, "Quit yelling at me and help me out of here!!!!" Al was NOT mad, just totally shocked hearing the BIG splash and realized it was me doing the breast stroke in the frog pond. (Many employees had rushed out to see what the noise was all about and were laughing like crazy - Thailand style.) There was not one part of me that was not soaking and dripping wet. There I was in my cute little travel outfit with everything to match, including my socks and with the only jacket I brought, dripping wet from head to toe, in stinky frog muck!!!! I was escorted into the lobby bathroom, and some employees brought me towels and bags for the wet clothes. I dried my hair with a towel, grabbed a t-shirt, pants and shoes from my suitcase, and off we went to the airport. I was laughing hysterically the entire time........(AFTER Al stopped yelling at me. I told him to knock it off,.......like, dude, I AM the one who just went into the F-ing frog pond and am wetter than a friggen frog) Then he started laughing, too. We still are laughing about it. It was unbelievable! If it is going to happen, it will happen to me. What a mess I was.......and I had to travel in summerish clothes. One flight attendant told me to steal a blanket, which I promptly did......I was quite "smart" looking in my United Airlines shawl. (Actually I took 2 so we'd have matching blankets for our camper.) Bad, bad, girl. Frog water must have seeped into my brain. Rivet, Rivet."

I laughed when I read this until I cried. Hope you enjoyed Susan's story as well. Happy travels.

Your family

Your family is important in many ways. There is a saying that you can pick your friends but not your family. Why is that? I have had many friends who were like family, and they would do anything that they could to be of help when and if necessary. You can get into a squabble with a family member and after some time elapses, usually, the problem gets resolved, and things go back to normal. However, when a member of your family has a crisis, you circle the wagons and come to their aid. Over the years we have tried to assist various family members when there was a need. Being retired has given us a flexibility to do this. It is interesting to observe the reactions of a family member when you are trying to be helpful. Some appreciate the assistance, and others not so easily. Is it harder to receive than it is to give? Probably!

These situations also occur with your friends, but the bond of family is stronger. I like to think that "pay it forward'\" is my underlying philosophy. By this I mean that when you do something for another, you do not expect anything in return. However, I always hope that they will do something for someone else in the future.

In Texas there is a roadside sign, "DRIVE FRIENDLY." When I first read this sign, I thought it was simplistic. I have come to believe that this simple directive is really quite subtle, and that people here really do behave in nice ways on the road and in personal interactions, as well. This directive sets a tone that affects peoples' lives. So if I have any suggestions today, they would include, "Drive friendly, help others, continue to be supportive of your family members, and pay it forward." Happy travels.

Cold weather and burst pipes

It has been unusually cold here getting down to 10 degrees one night and into the teens on others. We have had frozen pipes in lots of places and worked to get them thawed out. Unfortunately, the next night it happened again but this time with burst pipes. These occurred in the ceiling of our spa building, and we decided to cut off cold air to the attic above the ceiling and worked to replace the breaks. It was a case of lots of water, and that had to be cleaned up, as well. So for the last two days we have worked on the spa water system and finally, with the aid of Roy, got the breaks repaired and most of the mess cleaned up.

Today it dawned with the temperature about 16, and my neighbor, who did not have his rig hooked up, still had internal frozen pipes with icicles and a pool of water gathering under his rig. I don't know if he has discovered his mess yet, but it is there and will have to be dwelt with. Most of the Winter Texans have arrived and come from the frozen North to get away from low temperatures and snow. They really are unprepared for the weather we have been having, in that their rigs are not as well-insulated as the homes they left behind. Generally, they are good natured about the whole thing though, and we try to help where we can. I will appreciate warmer weather when it gets here. Happy travels and stay warm.

If you can't do anything about it ..........

The latest Roy-ism is, "If you can't do anything about it, then I love it." He was commenting about our weather, which has been quite cold by central Texas standards. The rest of the country is freezing, dealing with snow, and wind chill with below zero being normal, and we are worrying about being cold. Roy is correct. We can't do anything about the weather except try to be prepared and wear warm clothing in many layers. It has been very cold here getting down below 32 degrees. Tonight it is supposed to drop into the teens or lower, and we are all wondering whether out water will freeze again.

We had frozen pipes today, as did another work camper, but we worked on it ,and tonight we both have running water. If we leave the water dripping in the sinks, hopefully we will still have running water in the morning. Saturday is supposed to be the coldest day of this current Arctic air mass to hit Texas. However, we have no snow, and the wind has died down, so I guess we can deal with it. Roy says to love it, but that seems a bit much to me tonight.

There is much truth however in the "If you can't do anything about it" part. We all need to learn to quit worrying about things we cannot change. A good lesson for us all. Happy travels.

Shopping in San Antonio

We try to go shopping in San Antonio at least every other month. It takes us about an hour to make the 65 mile trip to the city but can then visit HW2's favorite store, Cost Co. We took Max to the groomer on the way and invited good friend Byron to accompany us. When we arrived, we checked with Best Buy to see about the condition of our old computer and learned it needed a new mother board at a cost of $6-800, which we did not do since, of course, the warranty had run out. Then HW2 walked to nearby Penney's to check for a sale, her favorite four letter word.

Off to Cost Co for coffee and assorted items of interest. It always seems to cost us several hundred dollars to get out of there. Finally, a lunch break at Mimi's and then back to a few more stores. Finally, we dragged ourselves back to Kerrville in time to get the cars washed and pick up Max, who now looks much cleaner and clipped but especially sporting a cute kerchief. Max was glad to be home but whined all the way home. Apparently he does not like to travel in the car. Maybe he needs to go more often to get used to traveling. However, he loves to ride on the golf cart and will get on any one that is handy. We grazed for dinner and watched a bit of television and read and were glad to climb in a warm bed and settle down for a good sleep. This shopping makes me real tired. HW2 gave a contented sigh and settled in to dream of future shopping and SALES. Happy travels.

Do you Sudoku?

I am completely hooked on doing Sudoku on a daily basis. It all Marlene's fault. She loves doing it and got me into it, as well. When we visit her and Jerry, it is a race to see who gets the morning paper and the Sudoku puzzle of the day. In her defense she frequently lets me win the race. Not too long ago she told me that she had moved on by trying to complete each puzzle without writing potential numbers in the empty boxes. Now that is not an easy task. I am tempted to reply in the style of Forrest Gump and with the appropriate drawl, "My momma always told me to put the numbers in the box, Forrest. You need all the help you can get." I did take up Marlene's challenge and will try the easy puzzles without putting any trial numbers in the box, but old habits die hard, and usually I am back to writing down the possibilities in the boxes.

HW2 gets me a Sudoku calender each Christmas which also has a daily puzzle. This year it has colored sections and the boxes are big enough to get lots of potential numbers in the empty boxes. I like this new version. We also get the local and San Antonio papers, and I usually get to do their puzzles as well. So in the mode of good friend Arthur, "Keep practicing." Happy Sudokuing!!!!!

Day off and catch up

Monday turned out to be cold but sunny. It was a day to get caught up, and we did so by splitting up duties. I went to do laundry and some quick shopping at Walmart while HW2 cleaned and put things away. When I got back with the fresh and folded laundry, I then went to our storage unit with the empty travel bags and some Christmas decorations. Then it was time to continue to work on income taxes and pay a few bills.

Byron convinced us to go to Cici's for senior night pizza. The fellowship was excellent, but the pizza left much to be desired. HW2 would prefer to never return, and I think that she is right. I guess the seniors will have to eat cheap pizza without us in the future.

Max and I got in some good walks, which I most certainly need as does Max. He has been eating well while on his vacation, as have I. It is time to lose some of the lovely eating and gaining that I have been doing for the month of December. Happy losing and happy travels.

It is 2010, a new year

We managed to celebrate out the old year and welcome the new one under a full blue moon. We are very glad to be able to visit and travel, but we are also glad to be home. We dove right into work and worked both the 1st and 2nd day of this new year. There have been lots of folks coming and going and much work to keep us very busy. Today is Sunday, and we managed to get to church to do our first of the month ushering duties and to greet and be greeted by so many of our friends. It was quite a lovely return to Kerrville. John gave a splendid sermon on why some people feel the necessity to be in church on Christmas Eve but find it hard to be there the rest of the year. Today we also installed new Deacons and Elders. It was a very moving ceremony, and the laying on of hands is timeless and inspiring. It is good to be home from our travels.

New Year's Eve

We arrived back in Kerrville about 4:30 pm and quickly learned that the park party was to start about 7:30. We got the car unpacked, some things put away, and quickly dressed for the party. Whe ever there is a park party all of us work campers are expected to volunteer time, which we gladly and tiredly did tonight, as well.

Don had provided good finger food, beer, soda, wine, later champagne, and a live band. We got greeted by many other work campers and lots of park friends and thoroughly enjoyed the evening, even managing to get in some dance. The party broke up shortly after midnigh,t and we started the cleanup until Don told us all to go home, and we could finish in the morning.

Morning arrived all too quickly, and we were back at work. HW2 works in the office, and I work outside maintenance. The day flew by as we scarcely finished one thing, and two more things took their place. All of a sudden it was 4 pm, and then more people arrived, and it was time to go home. Quite a homecoming for sure. Happy travels.

Oklahoma City

We arrived in Oklahoma City after driving across Arkansas. The roads were good, but there was snow along the roads which had been plowed the previous day. We settled into our hotel and waited for Kristy, ,and five kids to arrive. Once they settled in, we all went to Brick Town for dinner at our favorite pub. Back at the motel we watched the Nebraska vs Arizona bowl game which Nebraska won as a shut out. Then off to bed.

Up early the next morning to have a quick bite, and Kristy and Tim saw us off to Texas while they headed home to Nebraska. We promised to call each other and did so when we arrived at our destinations. It was good to be home, tired but happy from our month long travel seeing family and friends.