Great-Grand Kids

Leo    Elise

Their Mom, Amanda takes a series of pictures every Spring and Fall and has done so for all the years of their lives. These are my faves of their individual ones this time.

My time of day..

 I am currently up and getting things in order at my usual time of day (6:00 am). I had an email from sister-in-law Marlene wondering how we got into our Texas home and so thought I should share the rest of the story.

I just noticed I used the wrong "brake"  on my last blog post! This getting old is anything but easy!   When we were packing up and Butch was loading up things on his very littered desk top he saw a container and wondered what was in it and discovered all of the Texas house keys! Sometimes we have to share the responsibility for our snafus but not this time.

Butch has washed down the outside of our park model and the deck. It was quite dusty. It was also dusty inside. Not bad really but a noticeable thin layer of dust. I was happy that our neighbor Roseann had warned me about covering lampshades, furniture, and other things that might be difficult to clean when we came back. One of our biggest surprises was when we opened the door. It was decidedly cooler inside! Granted it was only 82 degrees outdoors but the difference was remarkable.  And a pleasant surprise!

Our tubs have been emptied and we have made a trip to H.E.B. I relied totally on memory so we will be needing to go back very soon...like today. The food part of this is the most unsettling to me and the one thing I need to learn more about. I have note paper right beside me and when I think of something I need, I write it down immediately. The ability to carry around in my brain 6 or more items with no problem left me a while back and I wish I knew where it went and how to get it back. Till next time...

South Texas- Here we are!

Arrival Oct. 2022

We arrived at our wintertime abode early Thursday afternoon. We had decided to go on Thursday because there was a heavy rain storm warning for Friday and we had already been through one deluge with no taste for another. So on Thursday we were in nearly perfect weather for the whole day.

We hit the ground running for the process of getting settled in. I sometimes have some sleep issues, yet I slept in until 7:30 AM, which is almost impossible for me!

And another busy day happened today. By week's end, we should be mostly settled in.

I have discovered that I brought way, way too many clothes. I didn’t think I had many items here but now I know I might have been able to get by without bringing any!

So now I have a goal of keeping better track. I say that but it is something that slips by my memory for some reason. 

There was a surprise-I had internet, TV etc. all connections up and running with one simple phone call. It seemed seamless.

Till next time I take a brake.

Southbound

October 2022

 I had the trip from Peculiar Missouri to Thackerville and then from Thackerville to the Linder's residence in Canyon Lake Texas all typed out and ready to post. And then somehow I lost it so now I am voice typing a document so that my chances of losing it are slim to none.

 We left Peculiar Missouri early Monday morning and knew there was a prediction of rain and at times we would have some light rain. When we made it to McAlester Oklahoma which is quite a trip from Peculiar, we hit a deluge of rain. It was so bad you couldn't see and this went on for 20- 30 miles. We did get out of it finally and made our way under a cloudy sky with no rain, to WinStar Casino where we stayed in The Inn which is a hotel on the property of WinStar. it was a great room; clean, up-to-date of course. Everything was wonderful. The water was so soft that when we took a shower it felt as though we weren't getting the soap rinsed off, it was that soft. I wouldn't want that every day, but it's nice once in a while.

We went to the casino to walk because it's a one-mile walk from one end to the other.  So 1 mile down and 1 mile back, you've done 2 miles of walking. They have done away with most of the eateries in the casino, ones like Dairy Queen and other small ones where you would just go for a quick meal or snack. They do have an IHOP and that's where we ate supper.

Our trip to Canyon Lake was uneventful with the exception of one snafu. We met up with a detour close to Stephenville Texas. They detoured us onto a country road no signs, no indication of how long the detour extended., We were out in thin air. There was a long line of traffic but I'm sure most of them didn't know any more than we did about where we were going or where we were. We finally found our way into Stephenville, determined to stay on Highway 281, we followed the GPS and she took us off the main road and we could see it was all dug up. They are doing major construction on Main Street throughout town. While on the detour, we went over a railroad crossing that had we been in the motorhome, we would surely have been high-centered. Shortly after that, we hit a dip that was so severe it would have broken all of the dishes in 

our motorhome had that been what we were driving. We did find our way back to 281 but I have to say it was through no help from the DOT of Texas.

I do miss the ease and slower pace of traveling in the motorhome. It is as if I went from a leisurely drive through the countryside to the Indy 500. But then I am convinced the entire world moves way too fast…I will get used to it, I assume.

Add on: For those of you with a need to know we both lost at the casino, Butch just lost a pittance and I gave them a 20. 20 is my max, if I give them that much I quit. on the other hand, we have been quite fortunate in the past at that particular Casino. 

Spiders?

We had trivia all summer and into fall and this very question came up and was met with skepticism by a few. So here is your answer, to whom it may concern. I may use this in the trivia sessions at Trophy Gardens so you may want to tuck it away in your memory bank.

BB

Science

Are Spiders Insects? How Scientists Classify Creatures

05 | 27 | 2021

Have you ever gotten into a debate with a friend about what kind of creature a spider is? Despite their creepy-crawly behavior and abundance of legs (and regardless of what you may have heard), spiders aren’t actually insects. These critters belong to a scientific class called Arachnida, which makes them arachnids, along with other beings in the same class, like ticks, mites, and scorpions — but not insects like bees, beetles, or butterflies. Confused? Let’s take a look at how animals, particularly spiders, are classified. It might not make spiders any easier to handle if you’re an arachnophobe, but at least you’ll be able to yell at them with scientific accuracy.

Kingdom Animalia

Scientists organize most non-plant organisms into seven main groups: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Kingdom is the most general, while species is the most specific. All animals fall into the kingdom Animalia by virtue of certain shared characteristics (with very few exceptions): They’re multicellular, they eat and digest organic material, they breathe air, they move, and they reproduce sexually. As you may have guessed, spiders are definitely animals based on these biological abilities.

Once they establish that something is an animal, taxonomists will continue to classify it into more specific categories of shared characteristics. Spiders belong to the phylum Arthropoda, the largest phylum of animals. This diverse group also includes insects, crabs, lobsters, and centipedes. These creatures all have exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and paired, jointed appendages (“arthropoda” actually means “jointed feet” in Latin).

Many taxonomists also place animals in a subphylum, a category that’s a little more specific than phylum, but less specific than class. Here’s where spiders and insects branch away from each other on the tree of life. Spiders belong to the subphylum Chelicerata, along with scorpions, mites, and horseshoe crabs. Organisms in Chelicerata have four pairs of walking legs and two pairs of mouthpart appendages (the pedipalps and the chelicerae).

Insects, on the other hand, belong to the subphylum Hexapoda — derived from Greek for “six feet.” Unlike spiders, the winged insects, springtails, and silverfish in this group have six legs and a pair of antennae, as well as jaws for crushing and chewing.

Many taxonomists also place animals in a subphylum, a category that’s a little more specific than phylum, but less specific than class. Here’s where spiders and insects branch away from each other on the tree of life. Spiders belong to the subphylum Chelicerata, along with scorpions, mites, and horseshoe crabs. Organisms in Chelicerata have four pairs of walking legs and two pairs of mouthpart appendages (the pedipalps and the chelicerae).

Insects, on the other hand, belong to the subphylum Hexapoda — derived from Greek for “six feet.” Unlike spiders, the winged insects, springtails, and silverfish in this group have six legs and a pair of antennae, as well as jaws for crushing and chewing.

There is more but I am sure you are bored by now so if not you can do your own investigating. 🤩

Next couple of legs...

October 2022

 I had the trip from Peculiar Missouri to Thackerville and then from Thackerville to the Linders residence in Canyon Lake Texas all typed out and ready to post. And then somehow I lost it so now I am voice typing a document so that my chances of losing it are slim to none.

 We left Peculiar Missouri early Monday morning and we knew that there was a prediction of rain and at times we would have some light rain. When we made it to McAlester Oklahoma which is quite a trip from Peculiar, we hit a deluge of rain. It was so bad you couldn't see and this went on for 20- 30 miles. We did get out of it finally and made our way under a cloudy sky with no rain, to WinStar Casino where we stayed in the The Inn which is a hotel on the property of WinStar. it was a great room; clean, up-to-date of course. Everything was wonderful. The water was so soft that when we took a shower it felt as though you weren't getting the soap rinsed off, it was that soft. I wouldn't want that every day but once in a while it's kind of nice.

We went to the casino to walk because it's a one-mile walk from one end to the other.  So 1 mile down and 1 mile back, you've done 2 miles of walking. They have done away with most of the eateries in the casino, ones like Dairy Queen and other small ones where you would just go for a quick meal or snack. They do have an IHOP and that's where we ate supper.

Our trip to Canyon Lake was uneventful with the exception of one snafu. We met up with a detour close to Stephenville Texas.They detoured us onto a country road no signs, no indication of how long the detour extended., We were out in thin air. There was a long line of traffic but I'm sure most of them didn't know any more than we did about where we were going or where we were. We finally found our way into Stephenville, determined to stay on Highway 281, we followed the GPS and she took us off the main road and we coud see it was all dug up. They are doing major construction on the Main Street through town. While on the detour, we went over a railroad-crossing that had we been in the motorhome, we would surely  have been high-centered. Shortly after that, we hit a dip that was so severe it would have broken all of the dishes in 

our motorhome had that been what we were driving. We did find our way back to 281 but I have to say it was through no help from the DOT of Texas.

I do miss the  ease and slower pace of traveling in the motorhome. It is as if I went from a leisurely drive through the country side to the Indy 500. But then I am convinced the entire world moves way too fast…I will get used to it,I assume.

Add on: For those of you with I need to know we both lost at the casino, Butch just lost a pittance and I gave them a 20. 20 is my max, if I give them that much I quit. on the other hand we have been quite fortunate in the past at that particular Casino. 

Weekend is...

 drawing to a close. We had a wonderful and very tasty steak dinner at the Teeter residency. Great fun touching base and reminiscing about many things from the past.

Tomorrow we will be heading south despite the chance of 100% rain. So far it is only listed as rain and not a storm and I hope it stays that way. Tomorrow we have a 400 + mile trip to Winstar Casino so till next time...

In Missouri

Our take-off from the old homeplace was a smooth transition. We arrived at the Missouri kid's place at about 2:00PM without incident. I was very tired however and I think the newness of the situation and the thought that needed to go into it was all a bit much. Today I feel a bit perkier. We always enjoy our time with the "kids". Today is a bit of a settling-in thing but with leaving Monday AM we can't settle in too much.

Monday will be a long day for us. Our destination will be the Winstar Casino in Thackerville....so till next time.

New Chromebook & Other Stuff.

 My old computer still works. It isn't old by some standards at 5 but it must be acknowledged when the signs start happening. I have been a fan of Chromebook for quite a while for many reasons; when you embrace the concept you do not lose anything if your computer goes belly up, they are relatively inexpensive, compact, and lightweight. I had the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 in my hands in 2 days, turned it on, and within 30 seconds was seamlessly up and running with everything working and looking no different than my old HP. I have been working with it ever since, trying all the things I used a computer for in the past, and not once did I run into something I could not do on the Chromebook that I could on my old computer.

At first, I planned to take my old one to Texas but now I am secure enough with the Chromebook to leave the old one at home.

We are 80% packed and ready to load the car. However, the past two mornings have started out at 18 degrees F. Being the hothouse plant that I am I will not venture forth to do outside work. It is supposed to be better tomorrow.

Next piece of business?- Off to the courthouse for a ballot. A friend says she has nearly worn out her mute button and so have we! We get tired of the ads even for the folk we intend to vote for!!

Progress?

 Yes, we are progressing toward our departure date of 10/21. The pool hall is tucked in for the winter. I miss it already! Tomorrow we can pick up our absentee ballot. Heaven forbid there be a snafu on that issue! Jerilynn and I will be livid. The temperature was 18 degrees Fahrenheit at 6:00AM this morning. I think it might have set a record. It makes it very unpleasant to get the car packed. We hope for it to be an easier process next fall, having this new routine behind us. One thing about it, we look forward to leaving much more anxiously than we would if the weather were balmy. On our arrival date in our Texas home, the weather is forecast to be a high of 81. And that sounds very good to me!

This morning's photo shoot.

Easily entertained

 In Sunny South Texas, we are fifty miles or so from the gulf but still, we know that the water used to be where we can stand on dry ground these days.

That is not all of my story. I used to golf until I wore myself out doing it but way back when I played the executive course in Weslaco I would now and then pick up a shell that had made its way to sunlight and put it in my pocket. Fast forward to today- I told Butch perhaps he might want to take my clubs to Texas and use them there and leave his here so we would not need to haul them back and forth. He liked the idea so started cleaning out my bag and ran across a couple of seashells I had saved. 

Here they are: 

Seashells far from the seashore...

When disturbing the soil in south Texas it is not uncommon to find shells.

Sunsets

 After supper at the Mexican restaurant, we went for a short ride out to the golf course (The Hill) because Butch wanted to see if the cornfield next to the course had been harvested yet. Every year he likes to go out and pick up a hundred or so golf balls that are easy to find.

It has not been combined yet but the sunset was spectacular. 

Plan for a Pumpkin

 I could not pass this one up! If we were going to be here longer I would try this.

Brooker Siblings

 Butch, Leo, Bill and Marlene

Cucumber Salsa 2

 Okay, I am on my second batch of Cucumber Salsa 2 and I am the only one eating it. Yes, it IS that good.

I did add dill weed and dried cilantro to it.

Cucumber Salsa 2

Dice 2-4 large cucumbers- I take the seeds out.

Dice 6-8 Roma tomatoes-Again, I take the seeds out

Dice half a red onion-whole, if you enjoy more onion flavor

Mix 3-4 TBSP Vinegar with one packet of dry Ranch dressing mix.

Mix together and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Enjoy with Scoops