Monday, November 5
Harris Hawk
Butch was grilling and called me out to see this big bird. So, of course, I did get a picture of it. It was probably 50-80 yards away. I do believe it is a Harris Hawk but I am relying on my friend Deon to verify for me.
Antenna's
Butch and I have had antenna only for at least 7 maybe 8 years now. In Jefferson, we have a roof antenna we bought for about $100 because our signals were at least 50 miles away in some cases. With the motorhome, we also have a roof antenna. I think they call it a Jack. I was looking through the tips page I have on this blog and ran across this post that is still pertinent today so I am reposting it. Even if you do not need it for practical purposes it is interesting nonetheless.
Going old school for TV
On more than one occasion we have been asked about how we get by without satellite or cable TV. I found this website that would be very helpful for anyone considering it.
Before determining what type of antenna you will need, find out how far away you are from the TV stations you want to watch.
I used this site " www.channelmaster.com/Antenna-Selection-a/134.htm" to get an idea of the stations close to me. I soon realized that most of the stations were 43 miles from my location. In total, I had around 29 channels at my disposal.
What I loved about this site is that it gave me feedback about the signal strength for each channel in relation to my location. Also, it recommended the location of the antenna for the best channel reception.
Going old school for TV
On more than one occasion we have been asked about how we get by without satellite or cable TV. I found this website that would be very helpful for anyone considering it.
Before determining what type of antenna you will need, find out how far away you are from the TV stations you want to watch.
I used this site " www.channelmaster.com/Antenna-Selection-a/134.htm" to get an idea of the stations close to me. I soon realized that most of the stations were 43 miles from my location. In total, I had around 29 channels at my disposal.
What I loved about this site is that it gave me feedback about the signal strength for each channel in relation to my location. Also, it recommended the location of the antenna for the best channel reception.
Up from the depths
Saturday the cold hit me full force and I felt like I might die. Sunday I knew I would live but still felt like a miserable lump. Butch and I binge watched Ozark. I don't know how many episodes we watched but it was more than six for sure. Binge watching Ozark was the most energy I could muster. And this morning is a little better than yesterday...so far. Let's just say I did not feel like sitting in front of my computer and if you know me at all you know that is not a good sign. But here I am back in front of my computer. Things are looking up.
Saturday, November 3
Head Colds, WiFi and other stuff.
Butch has had a head cold for 3 or 4 days now and despite being extremely careful he has successfully transmitted it to me. I had been having a bit of trouble I considered allergies but this morning it has shown itself to be a full-blown head cold. I started with the Zicam swabs right away so I hope to make this the shortest cold in medical history.
Butch and I have been watching Netflix. The only Internet we have right now is the parks free WiFi. Yes, that is correct. The parks FREE WiFi! No, I did not hack into their system to do it. I hesitate to say exactly what I did but if you are the least bit techy you can probably figure it out. I do not think I have regular readers from this park yet. That is the only reason I mention it. The more people on this system the less likely it will work but so far, so good! Last night we watched 2 or 3 episodes of Ozark without even a hint of a glitch.
If you were/are a regular reader of the Magnolia Park Blog you will find that Deon Spangler is keeping that blog up to date. It is nearly impossible to keep a timely blog going when you are not in residence and since I have been keeping that blog up and this one for nearly 20 years I am more than willing for Deon to do it. You can still send me info about that park and I will post it or send it on to Deon.
When we were in Missouri at Amanda and Brad's new home I went to the basement and saw this box. No doubt in my mind who packed this box. Brad on more than one occasion has reminded me of my sister Myrla.
Butch and I have been watching Netflix. The only Internet we have right now is the parks free WiFi. Yes, that is correct. The parks FREE WiFi! No, I did not hack into their system to do it. I hesitate to say exactly what I did but if you are the least bit techy you can probably figure it out. I do not think I have regular readers from this park yet. That is the only reason I mention it. The more people on this system the less likely it will work but so far, so good! Last night we watched 2 or 3 episodes of Ozark without even a hint of a glitch.
If you were/are a regular reader of the Magnolia Park Blog you will find that Deon Spangler is keeping that blog up to date. It is nearly impossible to keep a timely blog going when you are not in residence and since I have been keeping that blog up and this one for nearly 20 years I am more than willing for Deon to do it. You can still send me info about that park and I will post it or send it on to Deon.
When we were in Missouri at Amanda and Brad's new home I went to the basement and saw this box. No doubt in my mind who packed this box. Brad on more than one occasion has reminded me of my sister Myrla.
Here is an example. In 1993 Myrla, my youngest sister was helping Mom pack her house for a move. When I was helping Mom unpack I found this.
Can you see the resemblance?
School pics of Elise, Leo, and Devon.
And the latest selfie I tried. I am not very good at it. This old lady doesn't resemble me in my mind's eye.
In my mind's eye, I look more like this.
Browned Butter Banana Bread
Browned Butter Banana Bread
*****
Ingredients
1 h 20 m 6 servings 389 cals
1/2 cup butter
3 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
Directions
Prep 15 m Cook 50 m Ready In 1 h 20 m
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until butter is browned, fragrant, and foamy, with brown bits in it, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Measure 1/3 cup of browned butter; reserve remaining browned butter for another use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan.
Mash bananas in a large bowl; stir in brown sugar, white sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup brown butter.
Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Fold flour mixture into banana mixture just until all ingredients are moistened; pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Note to self: I made this in the NuWave oven, added the ring, and baked at 350 degrees for 24 minutes.
Thursday, November 1
This is supper...
Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
Unstuffed cabbage roll soup has all the great flavors of traditional cabbage rolls, without all the fuss. It's hearty, beefy, and full of veggies.
Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 35 minutes Total Time 40 minutes Servings 6 (2 cup) servings
Calories 242 kcal
Ingredients
1 lb. extra lean ground beef I used 96% lean
1 medium yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
5 cups chopped green cabbage about half of a medium sized head
4 cups 32 oz. low-sodium beef broth
3 cups tomato sauce (24 oz.)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup uncooked white or brown long grain rice
2 dried bay leaves
3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
In a large soup pot, add the beef and place over medium-high heat. Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion. Cook about 8 minutes until the beef is brown, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic. Stir and cook 1 minute.
Add the cabbage, beef broth, tomato sauce, carrots, rice, bay leaves, brown sugar, salt, oregano, and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Cook until rice is tender (25 minutes for white rice and 45 minutes for brown rice).
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Let the soup rest uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken up before serving. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Unstuffed cabbage roll soup has all the great flavors of traditional cabbage rolls, without all the fuss. It's hearty, beefy, and full of veggies.
Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 35 minutes Total Time 40 minutes Servings 6 (2 cup) servings
Calories 242 kcal
Ingredients
1 lb. extra lean ground beef I used 96% lean
1 medium yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
5 cups chopped green cabbage about half of a medium sized head
4 cups 32 oz. low-sodium beef broth
3 cups tomato sauce (24 oz.)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup uncooked white or brown long grain rice
2 dried bay leaves
3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
In a large soup pot, add the beef and place over medium-high heat. Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion. Cook about 8 minutes until the beef is brown, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic. Stir and cook 1 minute.
Add the cabbage, beef broth, tomato sauce, carrots, rice, bay leaves, brown sugar, salt, oregano, and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Cook until rice is tender (25 minutes for white rice and 45 minutes for brown rice).
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Let the soup rest uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken up before serving. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Will let you know if it's worth repeating. Instinct tells me it will be.
Wednesday, October 31
Mexico today
Biggest News of the day! We went to Mexico today and when we came home Butch took a nap...and woke up with a head cold!! Not good news for me. I went into warrior mode. Handwashing extraordinaire and doing my best not to touch my face.
We met up with Liz and Dave at Jessica's. Liz was getting dental work done and after spending some time at Jessica's we made the trip down to Hector's. Picked up some meds and learned a thing or two as we always do in our time talking to Hector. In talking about the peso and the state of both countries he suggested I read an article about what is going on in Mexico and how it has set Mexico's economy on its ear. Mexico's president has canceled a big project of building a mega-airport in Mexico City. You can read about it here.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-10-31/what-is-next-for-mexico-city-airport-after-mega-project-axed
Here is a picture of Liz and Dave dancing at Jessica's
Other stuff:
I bought a head of cabbage and I do not believe I have ever cut into a head of cabbage as dense as this one. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to cut through it and the resulting coleslaw seemed to be tough. It was better today. I think I will fry the rest of it.
We met up with Liz and Dave at Jessica's. Liz was getting dental work done and after spending some time at Jessica's we made the trip down to Hector's. Picked up some meds and learned a thing or two as we always do in our time talking to Hector. In talking about the peso and the state of both countries he suggested I read an article about what is going on in Mexico and how it has set Mexico's economy on its ear. Mexico's president has canceled a big project of building a mega-airport in Mexico City. You can read about it here.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-10-31/what-is-next-for-mexico-city-airport-after-mega-project-axed
Here is a picture of Liz and Dave dancing at Jessica's
Other stuff:
I bought a head of cabbage and I do not believe I have ever cut into a head of cabbage as dense as this one. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to cut through it and the resulting coleslaw seemed to be tough. It was better today. I think I will fry the rest of it.
Monday, October 29
Sunday, October 28
Photo of the Day
Very foggy morning so when Butch and I made our trek around the park (1.1 miles) I spotted this pretty spectacular spider web.
We decided to go to The Huddle House for breakfast. After 45 minutes and watching folks who came in after us on our right and left get their food before us, we got up and walked out. Went to the El Dorado and had our traditional and delicious breakfast taco's. Huddle House will not see the likes of us ever again. We had not been particularly happy with them a couple of years ago. Sad to see nothing has changed.
Saturday, October 27
Carrying my camera
So I am taking my camera with me most everywhere I go looking for opportunities. We were invited to a gathering and I have several pictures from that. Sorry, but the only names I remember are that of our hosts. They also are our neighbors. Dave and Liz were the first to invite and include us. That is something most people always remember and we will too.
We are getting settled but have not attended many functions yet. I probably should amend that, Butch has been playing golf and pool. We have started our walking routine but do not have a firm number on how far yet. We went straight from winter back to summer as the temps are in the high 80's.
This morning Butch and I went to Rio Valley Estates and visited with Mickey's sister Donna and her husband Bobby. We drove around the park and looked because quite a few of our Magnolia people have moved there but they must have been doing their Saturday morning shopping because we didn't see any familiar faces.
We then stopped at Magnolia and visited with former neighbors Mike and Carolyn and our old and dear friends Donn and Peggy Gordon. The people will be what we miss most.
A family of dogs has moved into the park, a mama dog with her teats hanging low and five or six puppies plus another single dog. They all seem friendly but that is hardly the point. I understand the dogs are being fed and befriended by a couple of different residents. The pool looked very clean and nice but Andy told me they cannot get the temperature thing figured out- the hot tub is cool and the swimming pool is hot.
We feel we have made the right decision and our only regrets are leaving our friends behind.
Here are some pictures of the past couple of days:
The above pictures were party pics the one below was happenstance on our walk. The fellow on the left asked me what I was doing with my pictures and I told him I had a blog. He said, Oh NO! I said, No worries. No one will see it or know your name! Well, Alright then!.
The above neighbors had been working most of the day readying the yards for the sod they received this morning.
Really he is not as old or as grumpy as he appears.
We are getting settled but have not attended many functions yet. I probably should amend that, Butch has been playing golf and pool. We have started our walking routine but do not have a firm number on how far yet. We went straight from winter back to summer as the temps are in the high 80's.
This morning Butch and I went to Rio Valley Estates and visited with Mickey's sister Donna and her husband Bobby. We drove around the park and looked because quite a few of our Magnolia people have moved there but they must have been doing their Saturday morning shopping because we didn't see any familiar faces.
We then stopped at Magnolia and visited with former neighbors Mike and Carolyn and our old and dear friends Donn and Peggy Gordon. The people will be what we miss most.
A family of dogs has moved into the park, a mama dog with her teats hanging low and five or six puppies plus another single dog. They all seem friendly but that is hardly the point. I understand the dogs are being fed and befriended by a couple of different residents. The pool looked very clean and nice but Andy told me they cannot get the temperature thing figured out- the hot tub is cool and the swimming pool is hot.
We feel we have made the right decision and our only regrets are leaving our friends behind.
Here are some pictures of the past couple of days:
The above pictures were party pics the one below was happenstance on our walk. The fellow on the left asked me what I was doing with my pictures and I told him I had a blog. He said, Oh NO! I said, No worries. No one will see it or know your name! Well, Alright then!.
Really he is not as old or as grumpy as he appears.
Words to live by
Many of us are between 65 and death, i.e. old. My friend sent me this excellent list for aging . . . and I have to agree it's good advice to follow. The guy who sent this hi-lighted #19.
1. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.
2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for many years, and you’ve taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter, and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.
4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together
5. Don’t stress over the little things. Like paying a little extra on price quotes. You’ve already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.
6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection.”
7. Be proud, both inside and out. Don’t stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.
8. Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There’s nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.
9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You’ll be surprised what old friends you’ll meet. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any age.
10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.
11. Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time. You may have been younger, but you are still you now, having fun and enjoying life.
12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around.
13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you’ve lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone.
14. Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer or just collect certain items. Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.
15. Even if you don’t feel like it, try to accept invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings, conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don’t get upset when you’re not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not everyone can be hosted. The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.
16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more. Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That’s a great way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer questions, but don’t go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find some good things to say as well.
17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we’re all going through. Try to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life added to you. If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.
18. If you’ve been offended by someone – forgive them. If you’ve offended someone - apologize. Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone once said: “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.
19. If you have a strong belief, savor it. But don’t waste your time trying to convince others. They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that memory sway them.
20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. So what’s not to laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.
21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking. They’ll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you’ve achieved. Let them talk and don’t worry. They have no idea about your history, your memories and the life you’ve lived so far. There’s still much to be written, so get busy writing and don’t waste time thinking about what others might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be!
REMEMBER: “Life is too short to drink bad wine and warm beer.”
Friday, October 26
Is anybody out there?
Most of the time I am too busy to take notice. And when I am out and about amongst our friends I am told on occasion that you read the blog. But we are sitting here in South Texas in an unfamiliar park and I am not hearing from anyone and it does make me wonder if anyone is paying attention. I am a big girl and it really isn't too important because I blog for myself mainly. I am also aware that Facebook is more of what people are paying attention to these days. But the thought did flicker through my head that I might be writing to the air.
Park Features that are different:
They have the little man/woman in the little house at the entrance that keeps track of the comings and goings. Butch and I rushed home one evening because we didn't know what time they closed the gate and we didn't have a code like they have at Magnolia. We found out we didn't need to rush because the people in the little house are there from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily. We have a sticker on our car that tells them we are okay. The code, the gate closing hours, and the comings and goings were always an issue at the other park.
We were surprised when they informed us of parking protocol. They do not want people parking on the street because of possible emergency incidents. However, you can park in vacant lots parking or even in the grass if that is all that is available and if you know your neighbor is not in the valley yet it is okay to park in their driveway. Common sense should prevail though. If you know your neighbor just went to Walmart it would not be neighborly to park in their driveway.😉
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Definition of me:
We were invited to a gathering at 4:00 today, Just down the street from us. Dave and Liz. Looking forward to it. I hope they are okay with me being unfuckwithable.
Park Features that are different:
They have the little man/woman in the little house at the entrance that keeps track of the comings and goings. Butch and I rushed home one evening because we didn't know what time they closed the gate and we didn't have a code like they have at Magnolia. We found out we didn't need to rush because the people in the little house are there from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily. We have a sticker on our car that tells them we are okay. The code, the gate closing hours, and the comings and goings were always an issue at the other park.
We were surprised when they informed us of parking protocol. They do not want people parking on the street because of possible emergency incidents. However, you can park in vacant lots parking or even in the grass if that is all that is available and if you know your neighbor is not in the valley yet it is okay to park in their driveway. Common sense should prevail though. If you know your neighbor just went to Walmart it would not be neighborly to park in their driveway.😉
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Definition of me:
Unfuckwithable –
definition, and meaning(adj.) when you’re truly at peace and in touch with yourself, and nothing anyone says or does bothers you, and no negativity or drama can touch you.
We were invited to a gathering at 4:00 today, Just down the street from us. Dave and Liz. Looking forward to it. I hope they are okay with me being unfuckwithable.
Wednesday, October 24
Combine?
I received this email and two pictures and I do not know who they are from. The text on the email said, "U we're out to early yesterday had a wild ride. Ryan finished beans early tonite. Rear axle broke in the middle."
So when you send someone pictures and they say I didn't get them and you say but I sent them, they came to me!!
So when you send someone pictures and they say I didn't get them and you say but I sent them, they came to me!!
Update
Butch and I toured the park looking for a bit better place to settle in. The site we were assigned when we made our reservation was on the dog run street. If you are into watching dogs do their bathroom business it would have been perfect. Or if you had a dog and you needed a place for it to do its business it was directly across the street. Not being dog owners the place held no interest for us. So we toured the park with a map in hand and checked off prospective places. A person can quickly become overwhelmed doing that and as one might expect we chose the last one we looked at and it is the next street west from where were in the first place. Moving was not a big deal and now we are settled into our new spot # 454. We had to ask that a tree be trimmed and it was done well and in a timely manner.
Butch is currently at the pool hall. No surprise there! He said he was not going to play every day like he did at Magnolia, however, the only thing that has changed is the time of day. It is now 1:00 pm instead of 6:00 pm. It does help the supper situation. I always had to rush to get supper on the table by 5-5:30 so he would have time to eat it before getting to the pool hall.
Later...
When Butch came home we putzed around for a while and then went to supper at the El Dorado in Alamo. It has been a choice place of ours to eat for years and now we are considerably closer than in past years. A quick stop at Walmart 😣and then back home in time for Survivor.
Butch is currently at the pool hall. No surprise there! He said he was not going to play every day like he did at Magnolia, however, the only thing that has changed is the time of day. It is now 1:00 pm instead of 6:00 pm. It does help the supper situation. I always had to rush to get supper on the table by 5-5:30 so he would have time to eat it before getting to the pool hall.
Later...
When Butch came home we putzed around for a while and then went to supper at the El Dorado in Alamo. It has been a choice place of ours to eat for years and now we are considerably closer than in past years. A quick stop at Walmart 😣and then back home in time for Survivor.
Sun where are you?
The first glimpse of sunlight for a very long time and this was on the day we left Canyon Lake. In the entire month of October, and it is nearly over, we have had 2 days of partial sunlight where we had it for a few hours only.
This was part of the same day.
A puffed up Mockingbird trying to stay warm.
A dove working at it as well. Stay warm little dove!!
And then it turned to this- same day and been this way or worse ever since. They are telling us it will return tomorrow. Southbound 281
A dove working at it as well. Stay warm little dove!!
Tuesday, October 23
déjà vu?
Deja vu isn’t what it used to be
October 17, 2018, Greene County News Online
~a column by Colleen O’Brien
I attended a high school football game last Friday with my son. It was a crisp evening, perfect FB weather. The bleachers were crowded for both the home team and the visitors. Skinny boys with huge shoulders bounced up and down on the sidelines cheering their pals as they ran onto the field like a herd of skittish ponies. The band played loudly and mostly in tune. The cheerleaders were full of pep even if they were never quite sure where the ball was. The parents shouted encouragement; a few of them yelling directions at the refs. The scene was familiar; a déjà vu, in fact, right out of my past.
Except for one thing. A young father, maybe 30, 35, sat near us with his 4- or 5-year-old son who had a toy truck. The child ran the truck along the benches of the bleachers right up to where we sat, then away in a screeching wail over the ridges of the seats. His father said nothing. Although there were plenty of looks passing among the surrounding crowd. no one said anything to the boy or his dad.
Finally, at the start of the second quarter, a young woman near me said in a low voice to the child, “Please, that screechy noise hurts my ears.”
I watched the boy look boldly into the woman’s face and zoom his screechy car back and forth in front of her.
I looked at the dad, who hitched his shoulders and sat back in his stadium chair intent on the game. He said nothing. He had a stern countenance, rough stubble on his face (in vogue right now), and I had the sudden thought that he liked that his son was annoying everyone around but would yell at his kid if he was doing this at home. I said nothing.
On the way home from the game, my son said, “I wanted to ask that dad if he’d corral his son, but I got this feeling that it might not be a good idea.”
“Yeah, me, too,” I said, and told him my theory of the family dynamic.
My son’s take was a little different from mine, however: “You never know these days who might be packin’.”
“Packing? You mean carrying a gun?”
“It’s the times, Mom. I could picture a scene of blood and screams. I felt I should do something, but I knew that if I did, things could turn ugly. Why chance it?”
Lordy. The times, they are a changing…again. Or returning to the bad old days of the wild west. There are forces afoot that bear ill will. You never know when it will break through in just the place you might be.
The next day, we went on a walk/run fundraiser for breast cancer – hundreds of families with laughing, dancing kids, babies in strollers, friends in arm, groups singing and chanting, all of us enjoying one another and the autumnal walk through trees that overnight had turned to red and gold. Indian drummers and Hispanic steel drum bands played along the way, stirring me to march instead of walk – another déjà vu – the beat of football homecoming parades around the square when I was in high school.
Toward the end of the parade for breast cancer, atop one of the buildings along the route, I spotted a watchful, helmeted, riot-geared police sharpshooter.
On second thought, my weekend wasn’t déjà vu at all.
October 17, 2018, Greene County News Online
~a column by Colleen O’Brien
I attended a high school football game last Friday with my son. It was a crisp evening, perfect FB weather. The bleachers were crowded for both the home team and the visitors. Skinny boys with huge shoulders bounced up and down on the sidelines cheering their pals as they ran onto the field like a herd of skittish ponies. The band played loudly and mostly in tune. The cheerleaders were full of pep even if they were never quite sure where the ball was. The parents shouted encouragement; a few of them yelling directions at the refs. The scene was familiar; a déjà vu, in fact, right out of my past.
Except for one thing. A young father, maybe 30, 35, sat near us with his 4- or 5-year-old son who had a toy truck. The child ran the truck along the benches of the bleachers right up to where we sat, then away in a screeching wail over the ridges of the seats. His father said nothing. Although there were plenty of looks passing among the surrounding crowd. no one said anything to the boy or his dad.
Finally, at the start of the second quarter, a young woman near me said in a low voice to the child, “Please, that screechy noise hurts my ears.”
I watched the boy look boldly into the woman’s face and zoom his screechy car back and forth in front of her.
I looked at the dad, who hitched his shoulders and sat back in his stadium chair intent on the game. He said nothing. He had a stern countenance, rough stubble on his face (in vogue right now), and I had the sudden thought that he liked that his son was annoying everyone around but would yell at his kid if he was doing this at home. I said nothing.
On the way home from the game, my son said, “I wanted to ask that dad if he’d corral his son, but I got this feeling that it might not be a good idea.”
“Yeah, me, too,” I said, and told him my theory of the family dynamic.
My son’s take was a little different from mine, however: “You never know these days who might be packin’.”
“Packing? You mean carrying a gun?”
“It’s the times, Mom. I could picture a scene of blood and screams. I felt I should do something, but I knew that if I did, things could turn ugly. Why chance it?”
Lordy. The times, they are a changing…again. Or returning to the bad old days of the wild west. There are forces afoot that bear ill will. You never know when it will break through in just the place you might be.
The next day, we went on a walk/run fundraiser for breast cancer – hundreds of families with laughing, dancing kids, babies in strollers, friends in arm, groups singing and chanting, all of us enjoying one another and the autumnal walk through trees that overnight had turned to red and gold. Indian drummers and Hispanic steel drum bands played along the way, stirring me to march instead of walk – another déjà vu – the beat of football homecoming parades around the square when I was in high school.
Toward the end of the parade for breast cancer, atop one of the buildings along the route, I spotted a watchful, helmeted, riot-geared police sharpshooter.
On second thought, my weekend wasn’t déjà vu at all.
Monday, October 22
And now for something completely different...
Here are some photos I could not get posted for one reason or another in the past week.
Large grey moth in pot on north side of front door in Jefferson.
All of these Deer pics were taken in the Linders yard at Canyon Lake Texas. A couple of them I thought were above average.
Bamboo in Texas??
Large grey moth in pot on north side of front door in Jefferson.
All of these Deer pics were taken in the Linders yard at Canyon Lake Texas. A couple of them I thought were above average.
Bamboo in Texas??
And then we did what?
Yesterday we made our way from the Terry Linder residence at Canyon Lake Texas to Trophy Gardens RV Park in Alamo Texas and it was a good day. That is a distance of about 275 miles and we saw some sun and some clouds but no rain. Traffic was somewhat light in San Antonio and definitely the reason we chose Sunday as our travel day. The next time we need to get through a city it is worth the wait to take a Sunday. Everyone we encounter is complaining about the cold, cloudy and rainy weather day after day and I have to agree with them. On top of that Hurricane Willa is sitting out in the Pacific as a Cat 5 with a plan to hit the Mexican coast soon. The good thing for us is we will not be directly hit but the area we just came from will be-San Antonio, Austin, and Canyon Lake are due for a butt-load of rain and they have already had a butt-load of rain. We will be getting lots of rain but by Wednesday it should be much better with sunshine and dry skies
We are liking the park for the most part. We found out there was free wifi and I was elated when it worked extremely well and then I stopped in the office and asked how well it worked when the park was full and the answer was not well at all! So bottom line, same old story of days gone by. Park-wide wifi does not work consistently well and that still holds true. So then I turned to Spectrum and found out it is not available in this park because the lines for it have never been run! Had I known that ahead of time it would have been a deal breaker. So all I have available to me is AT&T and that has never been good news. So staying in this park may be a one-season experience. We have some questions for the current management to see about getting Spectrum in here and they are going to give it a try. So it isn't a dead deal yet but I do not hold out much hope.
We are liking the park for the most part. We found out there was free wifi and I was elated when it worked extremely well and then I stopped in the office and asked how well it worked when the park was full and the answer was not well at all! So bottom line, same old story of days gone by. Park-wide wifi does not work consistently well and that still holds true. So then I turned to Spectrum and found out it is not available in this park because the lines for it have never been run! Had I known that ahead of time it would have been a deal breaker. So all I have available to me is AT&T and that has never been good news. So staying in this park may be a one-season experience. We have some questions for the current management to see about getting Spectrum in here and they are going to give it a try. So it isn't a dead deal yet but I do not hold out much hope.
Friday, October 19
Sitting Still and loving it
We very much do not mind sitting still with time on our hands. It is rarely the case. Lisa's mother has had a heart attack so Lisa and Terry have had some extra issues to take care of but they have opened their home to us which includes the Internet, a hot tub if we choose to use it and a few other creature- comforts. It is all good. There is a place in town called the Bare Bull BBQ and we went there for lunch. We each had a brisket philly and were we to do it again we would split one. It was extra large and very yummy. I brought half of mine home.
Thursday, October 18
Yesterdays travel-2
Yesterday we left "FunTown" OK and headed for Canyon Lake TX and our friends Terry and Lisa Linder's RV spot in their yard. I think they came up with a name for it which I do not remember so I will call it LinderLand RV. Yesterday was not a fun travel day. We started seeing rain on I-20 and when we reached Lampasas TX I texted Terry and asked him to check radar and see how much more of it we would have. He said we should get out of it at Lampasas and sure enough we did shortly thereafter.
We fueled up at Marble Falls Walmart and that should get us the rest of the way when we start out on our last leg next Sunday. They say it will be a dry day. We are ready for a dry day, week and month!!
I do have Internet here if I come in the house. WiFi is not strong enough to reach the MoHo but having any is okay with me. I can make it work.
Terry cooked us supper and we played cribbage. A fun night in stark contrast to the day. I must add that I am grateful and appreciative that we did get here safe and sound and I never want to forget that.
Lisa showed us a video of where we had originally planned to stay and the bridge to where we would have had to cross to get there was in danger of high water. The water was roiling and high beneath the bridge. Very scary looking.
Today Butch and I are on chill time-literally and figuratively. Anyway, it is all good.
We fueled up at Marble Falls Walmart and that should get us the rest of the way when we start out on our last leg next Sunday. They say it will be a dry day. We are ready for a dry day, week and month!!
I do have Internet here if I come in the house. WiFi is not strong enough to reach the MoHo but having any is okay with me. I can make it work.
Terry cooked us supper and we played cribbage. A fun night in stark contrast to the day. I must add that I am grateful and appreciative that we did get here safe and sound and I never want to forget that.
Lisa showed us a video of where we had originally planned to stay and the bridge to where we would have had to cross to get there was in danger of high water. The water was roiling and high beneath the bridge. Very scary looking.
Today Butch and I are on chill time-literally and figuratively. Anyway, it is all good.
Tuesday, October 16
Yesterday's Travel
Yesterday was the stint from the Downstream Casino Galena KS to the Winstar Casino and the FunTown RV park. It was a good travel day and for the first time in over a month, we enjoyed the sunshine for a good chunk of the day. We enjoyed every minute of it!
We are in the Funtown RV park at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville and it is COLD. Unfortunately, it is not much warmer south of here. We are sitting still for an extra day in hopes the rain situation betters itself. We will make a dash for Canyon Lake tomorrow in between raindrops and sit tight there till Sunday morning to make our run through San Antonio. Yes, we will be driving once again through the heart of San Antonio on I-35 to I-410 to I-37-and that flows seamlessly into hwy- 281 and from there on we do not need navigation except for road hazards.
We had never stayed here at the Big Ass casino long enough to look over anything in the area until today. So we drove into Thackerville to see exactly how big it is and it looks to be about the same size as Cumberland Iowa. The one thing it does have going for it is the closeness to I-35 and the Big Ass casino. They have a sizable RV park right in town and it looks like a good one. It is Red River Ranch RV Park with lots of amenities. They are a Passport America Park and with their regular rates at $40 a night it is a good thing they are. So with a Passport America membership, they are $20 a night and that is more like it. There are no restrictions although their weekly rate (negotiated) would be better if you were indeed staying that long. Their park is mostly pull-throughs, roomy, flat and wide. It would be easy getting into and out of the park. It looks like it is a winter home to quite a few snowbirds and they have full facilities for park functions. The only thing we could say about it in a negative way is that it is not nearly far enough south. If you are looking for an in-between season place to stay for a.while it could be the place for you.
http://www.redriverranchrvresort.org/
And then we moseyed on over to the Big Ass- Fancy-Shmancy golf course where their rates to play would make Butch quit listening and they did! $99 for a round of 18 holes most days. I will not bore you with the rest of the particulars.
So today I have spent the better part of it so far checking our route tomorrow. I found this website called Drive Texas https://drivetexas.org/. With this site you can find out about construction, floods, water covered roads etc. and it is constantly changing. I was impressed and found enough info to change our route. Now we will stay on I-35S to I-820 to I-30W to I-20W to hwy 281. It saves us from water covered roads and construction. Neither of which we knew about before. This trip seemed so easy in the past. Darn weather!!
We are in the Funtown RV park at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville and it is COLD. Unfortunately, it is not much warmer south of here. We are sitting still for an extra day in hopes the rain situation betters itself. We will make a dash for Canyon Lake tomorrow in between raindrops and sit tight there till Sunday morning to make our run through San Antonio. Yes, we will be driving once again through the heart of San Antonio on I-35 to I-410 to I-37-and that flows seamlessly into hwy- 281 and from there on we do not need navigation except for road hazards.
We had never stayed here at the Big Ass casino long enough to look over anything in the area until today. So we drove into Thackerville to see exactly how big it is and it looks to be about the same size as Cumberland Iowa. The one thing it does have going for it is the closeness to I-35 and the Big Ass casino. They have a sizable RV park right in town and it looks like a good one. It is Red River Ranch RV Park with lots of amenities. They are a Passport America Park and with their regular rates at $40 a night it is a good thing they are. So with a Passport America membership, they are $20 a night and that is more like it. There are no restrictions although their weekly rate (negotiated) would be better if you were indeed staying that long. Their park is mostly pull-throughs, roomy, flat and wide. It would be easy getting into and out of the park. It looks like it is a winter home to quite a few snowbirds and they have full facilities for park functions. The only thing we could say about it in a negative way is that it is not nearly far enough south. If you are looking for an in-between season place to stay for a.while it could be the place for you.
http://www.redriverranchrvresort.org/
And then we moseyed on over to the Big Ass- Fancy-Shmancy golf course where their rates to play would make Butch quit listening and they did! $99 for a round of 18 holes most days. I will not bore you with the rest of the particulars.
So today I have spent the better part of it so far checking our route tomorrow. I found this website called Drive Texas https://drivetexas.org/. With this site you can find out about construction, floods, water covered roads etc. and it is constantly changing. I was impressed and found enough info to change our route. Now we will stay on I-35S to I-820 to I-30W to I-20W to hwy 281. It saves us from water covered roads and construction. Neither of which we knew about before. This trip seemed so easy in the past. Darn weather!!
Monday, October 15
Katch up
Written on October 14th, 2018
The travel from Peculiar Mo to Galena KS( Downstream Casino) was trouble free and only a bit of mist now and then. We can stay free here with a players card which we do have. Well, Butch has one. Mine is outdated. Leo and Keri sent us snow pictures from Jefferson and Omaha. Their daughter Emily lives in Omaha, with her husband Joe and children Jorgen and Clara. We went into the casino and showed them our players card for our free night in the RV section of the parking lot and then promptly lost $28 in the casino so I guess you could say we do pay rent in a way. We have won in the past but not enough to balance it out.
Oh well. We had a good time with family Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. Amanda and Brad's new home on an acreage is perfect for them all. They will greatly enjoy it through the youngsters growing years and beyond.
Elise and Leo working on a video game.
Inventive with the new magnetic shapes I brought for them
A masterpiece
Brad has bought himself another full-time job with the upkeep on the new acreage
Elise will be Herminie from Harry Potter for Halloween.
Butch and Brad looking things over.
The Teeter Tots enjoying their new home.
Laura and Jason cutting up at the Trade Fair
They will most likely be seeing many deer from now on.
Tomorrow morning I will be checking the weather because the nasty stuff is supposed to be ahead of us and behind us. We have decided to make a change in plans because the weather for golf at Llano Tx is not going to work because of cold and wet weather. We were going to meet Terry and Lisa Linder there but instead, we will drive on into Canyon Lake Tx on Tuesday and stay a few days at their place. Terry and Lisa put in an RV hook-up in their yard so friends can stay with them. The guys may not be able to play golf but the four of us can play some partners Cribbage. We all enjoy that game. So we will be heading to Trophy Gardens in Alamo TX after staying a few days in Canyon Lake. It will depend on weather among other things. We are not due to arrive in the valley until the 20th so we do have some wiggle room and we do like navigating through San Antonio on Sundays. But then there is old antsy pants. So we will see how it goes.
As it turns out we have EXCELLENT WiFi at the Winstar Casino RV Park. The park has been leased to FunTown and is now called FunTown RV Park. It is still connected to the casino. The WiFi has never worked here before and I was not expecting anything this time either but what a pleasant surprise. We will be staying 2 nights here. The negative side of this is that their rates are much higher. $40 a night on weekends or event days and $30 on weeknights. They do offer back-in sites for $20 a night and that is what we are doing.
More tomorrow...
The travel from Peculiar Mo to Galena KS( Downstream Casino) was trouble free and only a bit of mist now and then. We can stay free here with a players card which we do have. Well, Butch has one. Mine is outdated. Leo and Keri sent us snow pictures from Jefferson and Omaha. Their daughter Emily lives in Omaha, with her husband Joe and children Jorgen and Clara. We went into the casino and showed them our players card for our free night in the RV section of the parking lot and then promptly lost $28 in the casino so I guess you could say we do pay rent in a way. We have won in the past but not enough to balance it out.
Oh well. We had a good time with family Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. Amanda and Brad's new home on an acreage is perfect for them all. They will greatly enjoy it through the youngsters growing years and beyond.
Elise and Leo working on a video game.
Inventive with the new magnetic shapes I brought for them
A masterpiece
Brad has bought himself another full-time job with the upkeep on the new acreage
Elise will be Herminie from Harry Potter for Halloween.
Butch and Brad looking things over.
The Teeter Tots enjoying their new home.
Laura and Jason cutting up at the Trade Fair
They will most likely be seeing many deer from now on.
Tomorrow morning I will be checking the weather because the nasty stuff is supposed to be ahead of us and behind us. We have decided to make a change in plans because the weather for golf at Llano Tx is not going to work because of cold and wet weather. We were going to meet Terry and Lisa Linder there but instead, we will drive on into Canyon Lake Tx on Tuesday and stay a few days at their place. Terry and Lisa put in an RV hook-up in their yard so friends can stay with them. The guys may not be able to play golf but the four of us can play some partners Cribbage. We all enjoy that game. So we will be heading to Trophy Gardens in Alamo TX after staying a few days in Canyon Lake. It will depend on weather among other things. We are not due to arrive in the valley until the 20th so we do have some wiggle room and we do like navigating through San Antonio on Sundays. But then there is old antsy pants. So we will see how it goes.
As it turns out we have EXCELLENT WiFi at the Winstar Casino RV Park. The park has been leased to FunTown and is now called FunTown RV Park. It is still connected to the casino. The WiFi has never worked here before and I was not expecting anything this time either but what a pleasant surprise. We will be staying 2 nights here. The negative side of this is that their rates are much higher. $40 a night on weekends or event days and $30 on weeknights. They do offer back-in sites for $20 a night and that is what we are doing.
More tomorrow...
Thursday, October 11
Last prep day
Tomorrow we will be headed south. Butch is doing the final touches of getting the house ready. I am doing a couple of loads of laundry in the motorhome to make sure a seal hasn't dried up or some other pending problem hasn't reared its ugly head. So far so good.
One of the very oddest of coincidences is that we left last year over 5 weeks later than this year and the weather is exactly the same! In the thirties! Nothing like little reminders to tell you it is time to skedaddle for warmer temperatures.
Tonight is our last trivia time at Hyvee for 2018 and our number one guy with an encyclopedia for a brain will not be there. We are going and we will do the best we can. It should be interesting even if it is painful.
Tuesday we voted for the mid-terms, gave our internet a shut-off date, paid our second half car insurance and went to Ames for our last dermatology appointment. Mickey invited us for supper at her house and it was delicious. Her new kitchen is beautiful.
The rest of my today will be readying the inside of the motorhome for travel. That may sound easy but when you have to think about and how everything might move if jostled it becomes more of a puzzle. It is a puzzle with which I am very familiar.
Back to work!
One of the very oddest of coincidences is that we left last year over 5 weeks later than this year and the weather is exactly the same! In the thirties! Nothing like little reminders to tell you it is time to skedaddle for warmer temperatures.
Tonight is our last trivia time at Hyvee for 2018 and our number one guy with an encyclopedia for a brain will not be there. We are going and we will do the best we can. It should be interesting even if it is painful.
Tuesday we voted for the mid-terms, gave our internet a shut-off date, paid our second half car insurance and went to Ames for our last dermatology appointment. Mickey invited us for supper at her house and it was delicious. Her new kitchen is beautiful.
The rest of my today will be readying the inside of the motorhome for travel. That may sound easy but when you have to think about and how everything might move if jostled it becomes more of a puzzle. It is a puzzle with which I am very familiar.
Back to work!
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