Wonderful people in Kerrville

I have commented in previous writing about the nice people we meet here in Kerrville. Yesterday we went to the Chrysler dealer to see how to go about getting a life time warranty on the Crossfire paid back. Ann, their financial officer, was very gracious and quickly did the necessary paperwork and informed me that we would have a check in about two weeks. This lady works long days, usually twelve hours, and six days a week. Somehow she manages to stay friendly. A lovely and helpful lady.

We then went to the local RV dealer to learn about the process of getting the Malibu the necessary attachment so that it can be towed by our motor home. Fortunately, while in the office we met a man who actually does this work, and he explained the entire process and costs involved, and we are scheduled for the work on Thursday of this week. This beats a 1 - 2 week delay from Camping World and much less expensive than our dealer Ancira.

Onward to another RV supplier to discuss necessary materials for waterproofing our RV roof. He had the material and the explanation of how to best do the job. So most of our preparations are now in process, and we will soon be ready to depart. It will be sad to leave Kerrville and the many wonderful people we have gotten to know, but we will also get to see family and friends in Albuquerque and Durango as we wind our way to Washington State.

It is time for us to depart and see where our journey leads us. Happy travels.

A flower, by any other name......

Walt Disney Productions developed the movie Bambi in the 1940's. It was the first movie I remember seeing, and I believe we saw it at a drive in movie. One of the memorable characters in the movie was introduced when Bambi is in a field of flowers and meets a cute (aren't they all) skunk named Flower.

Max and I tend to go out early each morning, and it is not unusual for us to see deer which my little white "deer hunter" desperately wants to chase in the forlorn hope of catching/eating one. Yesterday I noticed a skunk in the section where there is a shuffleboard court. The white tail was high over "Flower's" back, so I turned Max around, and we went elsewhere for him to complete his morning business. I do not think that Max saw Flower. Today, engaged in the same activity, we again came across Flower, and this time Max saw him. I turned us around and departed for a different section and came across three deer, and Max gave chase to the end of his leash. I could just see trying to live with a dog that had tangled with a skunk. Fortunately for Max and us, we did not. Happy travels.

Change is good

Things are changing here. We sold our trailer that we use to transport the Crossfire car. We then traded in the Crossfire for an almost new 2009 Cheverolet Malibu. We did all of this because Foxy was not comfortable sitting in the Crossfire. The way the seat was tilted she could not get her back comfortable, and no combination of cushions worked. She really was quite patient about the whole thing. Secondly, we could not travel easily for any long distance since there was so little trunk room. We could either take Max or clothes on a trip, but not both. This is exactly why we bought a Buick last year and took it on our month long trip to New York, Michigan, and back. Thinking that we were to leave Kerrville in the spring, we sold the Buick. Finally, it was not easy to get the Crossfire up on the trailer and secured to be towed behind the motor home. With all of these considerations it became an easy decision to look for a car that could be flat or dingy towed without the trailer. Thus the purchase of the Malibu. This car, although not new, has excellent appointments and a passenger seat that can be adjusted for Foxy to ride comfortably.

Now we need to get the necessary attachments for the car to be hooked up behind the motor home. Once that is completed, we are ready to travel. We plan to leave here in early September and drive first to Albuquerque and there see family and friends, and then on to Colorado to see winter Texan friends. Once that visiting has occurred, we plan to then drive up to Washington State and visit Arthur on the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound. So we are back in the traveling mode of thinking and view this change as a good one for us. We will probably return to Kerrville late next spring or maybe travel elsewhere. Happy travels.

Max the deer hunter

This is not a page out of The Leather Stocking Tales, but apparently we have a deer hunter in the house. Max and I ventured out after dinner so that he could take care of his business. He managed No. 1 and then realized that he was looking at a small herd of deer. I think that there were three or four adults - females and two or three youngsters. They were behind the fence that surrounds the property and therefore safe from any white miniature deer hunter. Once Max had the deer in his sights, he promptly went on point. I am sure that there is a mix of pointer blood in all that Westie. That has to account for his longer than usual legs.

I then said, "Go get them, Max." Off he went as fast as his leash and little old me coming quickly behind could go. The deer noticed this flash of white and raised their white tails. Perhaps in salute, it could happen. Then prudence came to the rescue, and off the herd ran into the brush and with a final wave of white tails, disappeared. Max was very disappointed and sniffed and looked and ran up and down the fence looking for his deer. My hunter was to come home with empty paws. This hunting business is tough and might mean you go to bed hungry. Happy travels.

Lunch at Crackerbarrel

Yesterday we had a late lunch with two of our friends from church. Frequently we sit in the same pew with them or just behind them. Both of these ladies are widows and are very involved in the life of the church. They have made us very welcome in our time there. Rose even sends birthday cards and currently has a project keeping up communication with church family members that serve in the military. Alijandrina (Ali) is a wonderful woman who seems to be the unofficial greeter and knows everyone. She reminds me of my grandmother Lucetta who seemed to know everyone in her community. If Ali has an opinion she will share it and shake her finger if you have not yet gotten her point.

Lunch took an enjoyable slice of time, and the talking was non stop. Rose is planning a trip to New York City and a visit to a daughter for Thanksgiving. Ali is in late stages of irreversible kidney failure and is letting nature take its course. She does not want anything special done for her. What lovely friends. Happy travels.

Good ol' Harry Truman

Harry Truman once said, "I had two choices, playing piano in a whore house or being a politician. There is very little difference." This man made tough decisions when he was President, a job he did not seek, and felt that the roof, sky, and moon had fallen on him when FDR died and he became President. I wish there were more like him today. I liked his honesty, his pleasure in playing poker (Foxy's dad was coerced into playing poker with him one night), and his Hawaiian shirts he liked to wear. He took a daily walk and walked so fast that the newsmen of the day could hardly keep up with him. Best of all, when his responsibility was over, he and Bess got in their car and drove themselves home to Independence, Missouri. What modern day person in that office behaves this way? Maybe George W. Bush comes close, since neither he nor Laura seek to remain in the limelight but continue doing things they believe in, like greeting returning service men and women coming home from Iraq. No fanfare there, just caring people, glad to see them back home safely.

There is an election that will occur this fall and a chance for all voters to vote their beliefs and send a message to the career politicians in Washington. If it were left to me, there would be term limits, and we would take professional out of their titles, only letting citizens do the country's work and retire quietly and gracefully with no entitlements like lifetime benefits.

Estate sale warriers

We may no longer have an antique business, but we still like to go to weekend estate sales. Yesterday we visited two and enjoyed looking at the offerings and also looking at the homes. We did buy one item, which is a seat thing that Foxy can use to help her back problems in the car. Now we have one of these things already, but you know, we might need another and besides it was only $1.50 plus tax, a bargain for sure. That kind of thinking gets us in trouble every now and then as we wander home with another treasure.

Last night we went over to friends for a drink and then out to eat. They sit behind us in church, and we thoroughly enjoy them. They are a wee bit older than we are but just a bit, and at one point in the evening Jeanine enjoyed telling us of several finds that graced her living room that she had found at estate sales.

We went to Valentino's for Italian food, what else, and talked non-stop only to be visited by another couple from church who were also having an evening out after taking care of their grandkids for this past week. Jeanine has a bad back and arthritis and other health problems but seldom mentions them except in passing. Her husband, Bill, has Parkinson's but gets about with a cane and a great disposition. He tried valiantly to keep the conversation on track, but the ladies veered off on topics of their choice, and we all had a great time. We each ordered an entree to be shared and salad and left the restaurant filled but not stuffed. A fun evening. Happy travels.

Camp Verde redux

Yesterday we drove to Camp Verde which is about 15 -20 miles South East of Kerrville. At one point in the history of the area there were camels at the fort located nearby. In these times it is a fun restaurant with great sandwiches and all sorts of things you might need for the home. We met Bill and Connie for lunch and a good visit. Later while the ladies shopped, Bill and I sat out on the front porch. Bill and Connie used to work at the Guadalupe RV Resort as well. They then purchased a home about half way to Fredericksburg and have been fixing it up ever since with their most recent project a deck on the back side of their house. Foxy did find some sink mats that we needed and we then drove home. It was a good visit and now we want to see their new deck.

After returning home I managed to get in my afternoon nap and then later we went out looking for a second car. If we find what we like we may also give up the Crossfire as comfort while riding is more important than traveling in a roadster. Once this project is complete then we may well hit the road and do some traveling. Happy travels.

Eat pray and love

Yesterday we went to see the Julia Roberts movie, 'Eat, Pray, Love.' It was all right, I guess. it was not exactly the type of movie I enjoy. I did enjoy some of the scenery in Rome. I also liked the line, "You must learn to first forgive yourself." We all do things that later we are sorry happened. So the idea of forgiving yourself for past transgressions is a good idea. I will not make a list of things that I forgive myself for since it would be quite long. I do believe in letting go of a hurt and letting go of things that are beyond my control.

If you want to see Julia eat, you will enjoy the first part of the movie. If you are intrigued by India or gurus or meditation, then you will enjoy part two. The third part of her journey was in Bali, and I guess that was where she experienced love. He was not my type. The soulful eyes didn't compensate for the rest of her love mate. It is a chick flick and definitely needs more action than a near miss between bicycle and car. Jason Bourne, where were you? Happy travels. P.S. The expensive popcorn was acceptable.

I am getting hard of hearing

My hearing is deteriorating, and if there is any background noise at all, I hear less and less. I find myself getting closer to the speaker and frequently asking for a repetition of some comment. In church the echo is hard, and that seems to interfere with what I hear. We do sit up close to the front, and that helps. Best of all though, I find myself trying to make sense of what I hear, and the result is not always anywhere close to the actuality. So then I comment on what I think I heard and find that was not at all what was said. When I get really old, maybe I will look into getting hearing aids. I am not that old yet. However, just remember that I am making up what I think you said, and that is frequently not exactly correct. Bear with me and contribute to my hearing aid fund, if you must. You can also tell me that I really am that old. But, I won't hear you say it. Happy travels.

Reflections on blogging

Long before blogging, for me there was letter writing, good conversation with others, and a daily diary started when I retired. It has been fourteen years since that retirement, and I must say that those years have flown by. When I was introduced to the idea of blogging by Rachael and Kristy, I thought I might try this media, little thinking about topics or who might read my musings. I quickly gave up the diary and have thoroughly enjoyed the blogging process although the problem of thinking of something to write about has been a challenge now and then. I do find that commentary on daily happenings is fun, if not always exciting for the reader.

Knowing that someone might read the blog does cause some editing on thoughts and comments that did not happen when I was doing the diary. I do not want to offend by inappropriate thoughts or cussing. I have not missed that and am sure if I were to reread my diaries that I did not do much of that there either.

I really like to learn and comment on funny things about the human condition and hope that at my funeral only funny stories will be related. I only wish that I could write about funny things in each contribution but that seems like an impossible goal. Not everything commented on can be funny.

To those of you who read and comment on this blog, I thank you. You have enriched my life. Hang in there, as I may think of something funny to comment on. Happy travels.

North to Llano

Yesterday we asked the kids/grands what they wanted to do and learned that they wanted to visit and shop in Fredericksburg and then go on to Llano to Cooper's for a barbecue lunch. They had a good time wandering through the many stores, and Tim, James and I frequented the many benches while the ladies shopped. At one point we got so good at this activity that when Tim said, "Assume the position," James and I did not hesitate and sat on a convenient bench. Finally the ladies tired of their shopping, and we were all treated to ice cream, which held off the hunger pains until we had driven the forty miles north to Llano.

We sampled most of the barbecue available and also enjoyed the beans, potato salad and kohl slaw. Satiated, we drove back to Kerrville and left the family to an afternoon swim and snooze. We came home to give Max a break and me a short snooze and finally returned to celebrate James's fifteenth birthday with chocolate cake and more ice cream.

Today this family heads south for a few days with friends and then they fly on the 23rd to Costa Rica. Eight months there is a long time, and we will miss them unless we manage to visit while they are there. That would be fun. Happy travels.

Kids and grands visit

Last night about eight in the evening Kristy and family arrived. They are on their way to Costa Rica for an eight month immersion in learning the Spanish language as part of their preparation to become missionaries on the Texas Mexico border. It will be quite an adventure for them. They fly there on the 23rd of this month. Fortunately for us, they are stopping for a couple of nights here to visit with us.

We had prepared a late dinner, and since there are seven of them, we ate outside. As it darkened, out came the candles and as one of our favorite English actors might say, "Welcome to our candlelight supper." Hyacinth would not have approved of Chinett plates, but she would have approved of the delightful ongoing conversation. The grands helped both in preparation and cleanup. They grow up so fast. Today is a birthday for one of them, James. We will celebrate his birthday tonight, as well as his dad's, with some chocolate cake and ice cream. Max was delighted to have kids to fuss over him, not that he lacks for attention. Happy travels.

Memorial for Gordie

A friend of ours passed last Sunday and his memorial service was held yesterday. Gordie lived the end of his life in Guadalupe RV Park in his park model home. Frequently we would see him out and about and always with his dog Rusty. When Gordie developed esophageal cancer several years ago he went through therapy and returned to his beloved dog and home. His long time companion Betty was a staunch supported throughout. At the memorial service we learned much about his life and service to others. What came through strongly was his love of this country, his enjoyment of traveling (He wrote a book about RV travel), and his service to others. He set a fine example for us all.

His dog has found a new home with another winter Texan, Vivian. So Rusty is in good hands. Gordie is in a better place and at rest. We treasure his friendship. Happy travels.

More kids and grands visit

Tomorrow Kristy and family arrive for a two day visit on their way to South Texas. The following week they leave for Costa Rica for an eight month stay for intensive language training in Spanish. This is in preparation for their new lives as missionaries. We can only applaud their good intentions, and who knows, maybe we can even visit them while they are there. This is quite a lively family with the five mostly teenager grands being great fun. Never a dull moment in this family. Our job will be to feed them and if time, to play cards or dice and enter into the non-stop conversation. Max will get lots of attention which he needs, since our quiet lives tend to be boring for a dog.

This has been a lovely summer of seeing three kids and lots of grands. Our only regret is that we have not been able to see them all.

Two of our kids and their families will be out of our country at the same time. One is currently in Brazil, and of course the other is going to Costa Rica. Another son is moving from Wisconsin to Kansas and arrives there today. There are lots of changes in the works. Happy and safe travels

Little things

You know how you put off doing little jobs. Well, in times like we have been experiencing recently, some of those jobs that were put off came back for attention. The trailer we use to transport our car behind the coach has needed painting for at least a year. Left outside the weather has taken its toll; the boards needed repainting, and any rust spots needed touching up. That finally got done after thinking about it for at least a year. We also needed to replace a wheel hub, and that got done. The motor home needs a wash, and the roof needs to be resealed, and those might be my next jobs this week.

Inside the coach we have some finishing touches from the remodeling. The slides went in and out just fine. I did have to remember that the bedroom slides only go in if the television in the bedroom is in place. It seems that there is some type of switch that prevents the slides from moving if you have not done this. I had to search my little grey cells in my head to remember this important fact. Finally I remembered, and the slides worked. We only called three repairmen in the meantime, but fortunately all were busy. Happy travels.

Peterson Hospital is going

For many years there has been a seven story hospital downtown in Kerrville. Within the last two years or so, this building was replaced with a new edifice erected across the river near the main post office. Then came the discussion within the community. Could the old building be used for apartments? Should it be replaced by a high rise hotel? Do we need a convention center, and if so should it be placed downtown on the old hospital location?

Finally after much time and discussion it was decided to tear down the old hospital. This has now been happening for several months. Piece by piece the wreckers have taken the building apart. Sometimes it looks like giant grasshoppers sneak in during the night and take out giant bites of the old building. If you run across one of these grasshoppers, go in the opposite direction and quickly as apparently they can chop through steel and concrete.

We still do not know for sure what will be built on the site of the old hospital. Hopefully it will encourage a renaissance of downtown and encourage other businesses to locate there. Happy travels.

Max and his toys

Max has four balls. Walk-a-proud, walk-a proud. What I meant to say was that he has four toy balls. Two of them light up when bounced, one is a tennis ball, and the final one is a rubber ball that might remind you of a base ball. Max loves to play with these toy balls and has several favorite games.

One game is to chase the ball thrown by me. It is quite a sight to see Max returning with the lit ball in his mouth, and after he does this a bit he gets all growly. Somehow listening to him growl with a lit ball in his mouth makes me laugh. It is particularly fun to do at night as he can find the lit ball in the darkened bedroom. Another favorite game is to toss the ball in the air and see if he can catch it before it hits the floor. He has gotten quite good at this game, too, and really responds when we say, "Good boy, Max." He is up to seven or eight straight catches without losing the ball. He will play this game as long as you are willing to toss it.

Today he learned another game where the pall is placed on his nose and he tries to catch it before it hits the floor. Another successful game for Max. The rubber base ball seems to be the best for these last two games.

Now we are trying to get him to stay while a treat is placed on his nose and only take it when told to do so. Some of our kids have taught their dogs to do this. As to Max's other toys, and he has several, you will have to await future posts on this blog. Happy travels.

Max and the deer

Poor Max has known that something was different these past several days and has moped and wanted to be up on my lap more than usual. He is not yet a confirmed traveler. However, when we got to the new park, he was glad to have new places to sniff and to check out. This morning we set out as usual to take care of his morning constitutional. He quickly took care of nature's call, and then we went for a short walk through this part of the park. Max saw some movement, and this was followed by taking a three leg stance and standing stock still. Maybe Max has some Pointer blood as well as Westie, which might account for why he is getting so big. Diet dog chow is looming in his future.

The deer snorted and darted around. As we came around the block, we again encountered this group of watchful deer, and Max stopped again and pointed. Food on the hoof ! Road kill? A bit big for a small white dog though. There were two bucks and two others in the group. They raised their white tails and pranced off in the opposite direction. Max desperately wanted to give chase. Hunter instinct taking over for sure. A disappointed, Max followed me home.

He is currently asleep at my feet and growling. Is he dreaming about those deer? I hope so. Happy travels.

A time for reflection

In times of stress it is important to take time for reflection. It was quite a blow to be told not to report to work the next day. We were released and felt like we were fired. We felt that we had been doing a good job and could not figure out why this had happened.

In the spring of this year we had decided that a year of working at one place was a good length of time, and we needed to try someplace else. Our friend Byron encouraged us to go to Colorado and try work camping at the park where he works in the summer. We had talked to Byron's boss, and all was arranged. We let Don know that we were planning to move on.

Then almost at the same time I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and we decided to stay here in Kerrville and work with the doctors in the area. Don agreed to keep us on and that I would need time off after any surgery. All of that came to pas,s and we now think that Don waited until I was recovered and ready to move on when he told us that were no longer employed.

We have learned much in our year and a half working at this resort park. Both of us had jobs in areas where we had little previous experience. We worked hard and really enjoyed the learning and the interaction with other work camper,s as well as the guests staying at the park.

Will we do it again? We are not sure at this point. We have much to be thankful about and plenty to think about as we look toward the future. I am sure there is humor in here somewhere, but guess I need to dig more deeply. Happy travels.

What a difference a day can make

About 4 pm on Monday we got a call to go to the office and meet with the boss - Don. When we got there, he got right to the point and informed us that we were no longer employed at this RV park. We were not to report to work on Tuesday and needed to have packed up and left no later than the fifteenth of the month. We went home in complete shock.

We had some minimum things that needed to be done to the motor home and had to arrange time to make room in our storage unit so that things we would not need could be taken there and stored. That was quite a da,y since we needed to sort and rearrange and then do the same at the coach and then transport stuff to the unit. Friends helped us get our grill there, and we took the rest in several trips with our small car.

Finally this morning we completed the work on the coach, pulled in the slides, hooked up the trailer, and took off. We will stay here in Kerrville at another park for a month and figure out what to do next.

We know that we are not in charge of our life, but we sometimes wonder what God has in mind for us as this new page in our book is turned. Hopefull,y the month will give us enough quiet time to reflect and make new plans. The implementation we leave to Him above.

We just learned that our good friend Arthur, who had us help with his B & B several years ago up in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in the Puget Sound of Washington just now learned that his brother Donn has pancreatic cancer. His brother is about 80 and has always watched what he eats and taken good care of his body. This a a real blow to the whole family. Arthur wants us to come back and perhaps help out until the B & B gets sold. So we have one idea already to consider. Happy travels.

Neighbors good example

Ron and Paula are neighbors of ours in every sense of the word. We don't intrude on each other but do look out for each other and enjoy the company. The other day I was talking with Ron, who had just returned after picking up Paula from her visit with family. He mentioned that he did not get out much while she was gone but did get to the swimming pool for his daily exercise. Best of all, he had lost twenty pounds this past month since starting this exercise regimen.

What is commendable about all of this is how Ron and Paula have taken charge of their lives and worked out an exercise routine and also have begun to change eating habits. My real point is that each of us need to do exactly what they are doing. We are in charge of our lives, and if we want to make change,s we need to think it through and go for it. During the past year I have lost 30 pounds with the hardest part, keeping it off. I feel so much better and think it was helpful when I had to go through cancer surgery several months ago.

Foxy works hard to keep me on a reasonable diet and eating in a healthy way. We do allow for the occasional splurge and enjoy eating out. You can not keep at it all of the time. We are encouraged by our neighbors' fine example, and maybe I should set a goal to lose five more pounds. If I get down to 175 pounds and stay there, I will keep you posted. Happy travels.

Mirrors

This seems like a good title for the 800th entry. I have been thinking about mirrors and how useful they are in our lives. After all how could you get your hair combed or fixed without one? I wonder what you see when you look in the mirror. I know that I do not always see myself as I am, but rather as I think I am or wish to be. That brings to mind the Disney movie where the bad Queen asks the Mirror, "Who is the fairest of us all?" She is expecting the mirror to answer that she is and instead the mirror answers, "Snow White." The result of this answer is not good for the Queen, Snow White or even the mirror.

We are all vain in various degrees, and so when we look at the reverse image of ourselves, do we see the wrinkles, the sagging chin, grey hair, tired eyes or any of the reality? I think we hold as much of the truth as far away as possible. Lately, when I have time, I try to look in the mirror and say, "Who are you old man?" or, "How did you get to be so old looking?" This makes me laugh at myself and say that I earned all of these age related facial considerations. Then I pass another mirror trying to hold in my stomach and think myself thin. Thanks, mirror! I would like to be thin so that I could wear the clothes the models wear and look good in them. Oh, the reality of it all. Happy travels.

To make a long story short......

Recently we were over at the saloon enjoying 'a little something' and visiting with friends when Don put on a song from the juke box and we started to listen to the lyrics. The lyrics included the age old question, "Do these jeans make my ass look big?" As the song continued the commentary included, "To make a long story short, she's gone." As I had previously commented, you can not answer that question and live. We loved the song and when we returned home tried to find out more about the song. We wondered what the title was and who wrote the song and where could we get a copy and questions like that. We had not heard the song well enough to realise what the title might be.

Foxy began the googling process on our computer and tried, do these pants make my ass look big. That did not generate anything so she tried jeans and finally gave up. Several nights later we asked Don to again play the song and he found it on record 45, the eleventh song. We then learned the title was 'To make a long story short, she's gone.' We also learned that apparently the song was written by Willie Nelson who is not only a great country western singer with a bad hairdo but also a prolific song writer. I do like to hear Willie sing, I just don't like to look at him. Foxy is going to try to put a link on this blog so that you can hear the song. It is one funny song.

The Willie Nelson song is not the correct song so furthur research is necesary. Happy travels.

Thankful

As I approach my 800 th entry, I reflect that I am very thankful. I am still around to make observations on the human condition. I have a wonderful wife and helpmate. I have lots of supportive family and friends. I have a terrific family that I love deeply. I have a good dog Max, who really perks up when we say, "Good boy, Max."

You never know when humor will pop up either from the human condition or a comment overheard or a clever email. I do wonder how the folks that make a living creating comic strips manage to be so clever and frequently cause one to laugh out loud. I would love to have such a talent.

Recently we tried to replace our recliner chairs with new ones that were craftsman styled. We went to San Antonio and looked in several furniture stores but did not see any that we liked. Then I went to a local store to look some more and found several we might like and later took Foxy after work to get her opinion. We discovered that the store had exactly what we wanted, and so we decided to get the pair. Several days later Gordon and I drove back to the store to pick up the chairs which turned out to be really heavy. On the way back Gordon decided that we needed to get George to help us get them into our coach.

We unwrapped the chairs, removed the backs, and lifted the bottom parts, and they would not go in until I removed the handle by the door we use to not fall either in or out of the coach when entering or departing. Then we moved the passenger seat back as far as it would go, and the three of us managed to twist and turn the bottom half, and finally it was in. The second chair followed, backs re-inserted, and we had our new recliners.

The inside of the coach looked like recliner heaven. We had the new chairs. We had the old chairs. We had the driver's seat and the passenger seat. Now six recliner chairs in our small space was a bit much. Se we talked about what to do with the old recliner chairs.

We could sell them to other work campers, or maybe Don would buy them and use them as needed in the cabins. We could put them into storage except that we are unable to even get into our storage unit. It seems that it is very full. I do like to open the storage unit garage door and look at all of the stuff we have there and wonder where anything is. The answer to that thought is always, "Hell if I know." I guess we will have to get another storage unit. There is something wrong with this picture.

So, we did nothing, just sat in one of our recliners and thought and thought. After sleeping on our problem, we again broached the recliner problem. We finally admitted to each other that we had made a mistake, and since we were still in the five day grace period, we could sent the new recliner chairs back to the store. We drove to the store, explained our decision, filled out the necessary paper work, and agreed to be home on Saturday for their men to come and retrieve the chairs.

Saturday arrived, and we awaited the men. I again removed the handle used to enter and leave the coach. I moved the passenger seat back and waited. The men arrived. They looked like they had been linemen on a local football team in a former stage of their lives. One of them barely fit in our door. Backs of chairs were removed, and instead of the three of us who had brought them in, it only took the two of them to take them out, with a small bit of coaching by me on which way to turn the bottom of the chairs so that they would fit through the door.

All of a sudden our coach was back to normal. We had two fewer recliner chairs. Now we do not have to sell our old chairs, and Max can find his food dish which was hidden behind one of the chairs. We heaved a sigh, sat down, and enjoyed all of the extra room we suddenly had. Then Foxy said, "Do you want to go to the other furniture store and check out their recliners?" What could I say? The question made me think of another question you can not answer and continue to live, "Do these jeans make my ass look big?" There is no answer to that question. We went to the store, of course. Happy travels.

Dog days of summer

I believe that we have hit the dog days of summer. When Max and I get up any time after five in the morning, we go out for his morning constitutional. He takes his time and sniffs around for the perfect place to do his business, and I get to watch the waning stars and sliver of a moon. I do notice the humidity and the fact that it is rarely in the seventies and nearly eighty degrees even at that hour. Max finishes and is glad to head back into the coach where it is cool. Even though I am not thrilled with warm days, I do realize that all too soon summer will be gone, fall here and back into winter.

Even Gracie our resident spider seems to have troubles keeping her web business going. Does it ever get too hot to be a spider? I think that this coming week I will be back to work full time and hope that I can manage in the late afternoon when it really gets hot. We need rain here as the grass begins to brown up. I guess that means that I will not have to mow so much. When we do mow, it really seems like we are mowing dirt, and we come back just covered.

Am I complaining? Not really. I am thankful to have my health and be on the recovery trail and have something to do with these dog days of summer. Happy travels.

Anniversary

It is our 21st wedding anniversary today. I still remember our wedding as if it was yesterday and wonder at how quickly these 21 years have flown by. It took us both a try or two to finally get it right, and now we can celebrate our wonderful years together. In the interim we have been blessed with our children getting married, although Jerry and Marlene had been married five years when we got started. The greatest blessing is that they are all still working on their marriages and enjoying their children. We now have thirteen grands, with one married and starting her own family, so we have a great grand as well. Two grands graduated from high school this year, and others are not far behind. It is quite a rollicking family and we enjoy keeping in touch often. Happy travels.

Bill and Connie visit

Bill and Connie have been work campers here off and on for several years. We got to know them quite well and were pleased when they decided to bring their coach and stay over night to go dancing at the saloon and visit their old buddies. Since they live just a few miles north of town on the way to Fredericksburg, we do get to see them on occasion. They parked next to us, and we enjoyed an evening at the saloon and were joined by Roy and Laura and Dave and Lois. The music was good if loud, and we did do a bit of dancing as well.

The next morning we cooked a late breakfast out on the grill and just relaxed and visited. Then all too soon, they packed up their rig and drove the short distance home. The friendships that are built between the work campers are one of the things that we enjoy the most.

Last night we stopped by Gordon and Diana's rig to check out their new recliner chairs for a short visit and stayed quite awhile. We will certainly miss them when they leave in September. They will have been here for a year and think it is time to move on probably to Arizona for the winter. We will have to keep in touch by e-mail. Happy travels.