Friends Arrive

Well, our friends the Gordon's and the Stilsons have safely made their way to Sunny South Texas and Magnolia Park. The fun has begun! Donn and Peggy Gordon treated us to supper at the El Dorado.

Bill Stilson otherwise known as Pecan Bill stops in Oklahoma to pick up as many pecans as his vehicle will allow. There are rules though as one year Kay rode from Oklahoma to south Texas with a hundred pounds of pecans between her knees. She said never again so now they all must fit in the trunk.

Here is this years pecan crop. Now Bill will have to get to crackin'!

Brady

These are pics of a happy baby who is the first grandchild of Leo and Keri Brooker

Quiet day in South Texas

I am still working on getting unfinished projects finished. I have a Swedish weaving project that is getting all my crafting attention for the time being. Butch is wandering around wondering what to do with himself. He hasn't played golf since Tuesday but the winds have not been conducive to good golf anyway. He does wander into the pool hall and play a game or two off and on throughout the day.
Our friends the Stilson's did not get to the valley today. I called Kay and she said it would be too late if they came all the way down so they should be getting here tomorrow. The Gordon's will be getting here tomorrow as well. So Butch should have plenty to do tomorrow.
We have a cold front coming through on Monday. We will have a high of 75 degrees that day and then the wind will be from the north. It is a good thing....we can shut down the AC.

This fine morning...

We have our walk done and we both noted how beautiful the weather was with moderate temperatures, a warm southerly breeze and glorious sunshine. Our friends the Stilson's are due to arrive today and we are looking forward to seeing them again. Our friends the Gordon's are due to arrive tomorrow and their house is ready for them...or as ready as we can get it. We would like to sit for a long catching up visit but we must leave them alone for awhile to get settled. And we will....maybe....
The vegetable cart is due to arrive today and I need to load up. We like to give the produce people our business so I have waited for them and being on South Beach we are feeling a bit deprived of veggies. Yeah, I never thought I would say that about Butch but he is wanting some jicama and has gobbled up every bit I have thus far purchased. I like the big fat carrots they have here too. I also hope they have some squash, both acorn and spaghetti. I tried a new squash this summer, a gift from friend Colleen, called batwing. It was very, very good. Looks much like an acorn but is sweeter. However after having a sugar-free body for 6 weeks now everything tastes sweet!
We thought we had friends coming to South Padre but now we don't so we will plan a trip there soon.
Butch is bored...never a good thing.wink, wink.

Cleaning house

We did windows today. It improved our outlook immensely.  I took this picture yesterday. There is a scrap metal place on the corner and the es was hidden from view. Cute huh?

Pretty well settled...

We purchased a new TV antenna from Mark Hvam. Mark has a business in the flea market selling RV related goods and services. Mark has been in the business for a long time and he knows his stuff. We now get 30 plus channels most of which are not worthy of watching.

The Catholic church owns the public television station here and at least 75% of their programming is church related. You can tune in most any time and watch nuns either praying or preaching. I sorely miss Iowa Public Television. Public television was my go-to station...not in South Texas.

I have made three bracelets since we left Iowa and have plans for more. Gotta keep this old girls hands busy and out of the foodstuffs. So far so good.

We went to Mexico yesterday to get some medicine for a friend but we found out it is one no longer available there. They told us the company would not send it and they had no idea when or if they ever would. So it was a wasted trip...well mostly. Butch did buy a bottle of tequila and I bought a bottle of clear vanilla. I use the vanilla for cleaning. No nachos, panchos or margaritas. Being here, where so much of the focus is on food will be a challenge for us.
After we returned from Mexico we went to our Farmers/Flea market just 2 or 3 blocks from us and  I picked up some jicama and cucumbers. Our snacks of choice these days. So really not much going on here...but I am okay with that.
.

Neat things Near Jefferson Iowa

Another great video by our Jefferson neighbors AJ and Megan. The Vineyard is located between Jefferson and Scranton Iowa
http://youtu.be/PPjeMRSR7DQ

The quiet life

I chose today to catch up on laundry. We did go over to Thompson's Grove and pick up some grapefruit this morning, enjoyed our South Beach lunch of ham and cheese and then Butch went to The Palms with Jim Rader to play golf.
I enjoyed a short nap and then returned to laundry. Yesterday I did get my haircut and Yolanda did a great job of repairing  the "Haircut by Butch" I was able to get all summer. Her fee is $12 again this season and after the $25 cuts I hear about up north seemed like a real bargain.
The weatherman has little to nothing to do here. The weather report takes about 30 seconds and that is a stretch. Highs in the upper 80's and lows in the upper 60's. We are running the AC as there is moisture even though they have not had a measureable rain in a while and not nearly enough to call an end to the drought.
So we are enjoying the quiet life for as long as it lasts.

Settling in

Yes, still settling in... I have an appointment for a haircut with Yolanda this morning. Butch cut my hair all summer and he did a great job but every now and then we need a professional to cut it. We have returned to our routine of a morning and evening walk.
Weighed in for the first time yesterday. Our start day was October 9th after seeing my picture on Facebook. I have lost 10.5 pounds since last Spring. And Butch has lost 10 as well. Had to share... I must say I am benefiting in many ways other than looking better. As a matter of fact I am not so sure the looking better is noticeable to anyone but me...and that's okay. 

I am hoping to get windows cleaned today. The one I look out of most frequently is extremely speckled. I have also started in on bracelets again in a casual way. So the beat goes on but in a different place is all.

One of the side dishes I prepare is fried cauliflower. I prepared this when we were in Llano and took a picture of the raw state and then the fried state with onions.

I slice it up as I would potatoes...and then fry it in olive oil with onions.

The result is very similar in taste and texture to fried potatoes and as Lisa pointed out it doesn't stick to the skillet!  Try it and let me know what you think.

Left Llano TX at 7:55AM

Arrived at the park at about 3:30 PM after filling up at Flying J in Edinburgh. On the way down we saw a Trout Truck- you know, big old tankers with water and trout in them. We wondered if they threw in a little Dramamine to help them with any motion sickness. It must be quite a ride for them.
It is warm here of course but cooler than it had been I understand. And the park is quiet as not many have arrived just yet.
We had our first meal at the El Dorado. Butch had liver and onions with a side salad and I had a Fajita chicken taco salad. And it was scrumptious! Ladies, they have the most gorgeous young guys for waiters.
After our meal we went to my favorite H.E.B. for groceries. Loaded up on South Beach legal food choices.
It always takes a while to get settled in wherever we are. It actually works better to get settled in while it is still fairly quiet in the park. A good many of the people who are here have stopped by to say hello.
Well tiredness is settling in so will call it a day. But you now know we are here and safe and waiting for our friends who have not arrived yet. You know who you are!

Leaving Llano in the morning

Norcold is sending the part and after driving to Burnet and talking with the head of the parts dept he has okayed sending the part to us by mail when it arrives. They wanted the old part in case Norcold asks for it so we came home, packaged it up and put it in the mail to the dealership. So tomorrow morning we will be headed for the valley.  It is over 6 hours from here so it will be another full day on the road.
I am getting anxious to get there and weigh in. My clothes tell me I have lost weight so I am ready to step on a scale and find out how much. My BS this morning was 93. I have had regular morning readings below the 100 mark. I am taking zero prescription medications. I would very much like to keep it that way. I have taken  a pill because of water retention for 15 plus years but have not taken it now for over two weeks with no problems with water retention. We both feel we are on the right track with South Beach, and we merely need to stay on track. It doesn't seem like a problem to do so at this point. If I focus on how much better I feel it should help.

Still in Llano TX...

We called the RV dealership first thing this morning (8:00AM) and the guy we needed to talk to was not in yet. He called us at 9:00 AM or thereabouts and told me what pictures we needed to send to Norcold to prove this refrigerator was in a 2004 Newmar and not a 2007 Monaco. So the pictures have been taken and sent to the dealership. This was a different fellow than the one we dealt with the other day and he says we MUST bring our RV in for them to install it. So it looks like we will be here for awhile. There is an RV park next door to the RV dealership so we are entertaining the idea of going over there to do our waiting. Of course we will scope it all out before we do that. Cost, available sites, etc. And remember folks, we do not have a TV! We have been listening to audio books and that has worked well. We are currently listening to "Mad River" by John Sandford
Bonnie and Clyde, they thought. And what's-his-name, the sidekick. Three teenagers with dead-end lives, and chips on their shoulders, and guns. The first person they killed was a highway patrolman. The second was a woman during a robbery. Then, hell, why not keep on going? As their crime spree cuts a swath through rural Minnesota, some of it captured on the killers' cell phones and sent to a local television station, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers joins the growing army of cops trying to run them down. But even he doesn't realize what's about to happen next.

It is a good one and Butch is liking it much better than the last one we listened to which was a James Patterson book "NYPD Red". I have to agree. I thought James Patterson let us down on this book. It seemed like a 'lets crank this one out and get paid book'.

Yesterday we went for a walk down by the river and Butch walked 9 holes or so of golf after that. Since the Verizon connection seems to be working fairly well I will post yesterdays pictures.

The park is located a few feet from the Llano Police station.

Lisa thought this rock looked like a tooth

Down by the dam

The guy is Butch

Butch by the dam

Minnows on the dam

Buzzards on the other side of the river

A man and his son at the park

The rocks on the shore are submerged

I think this is mistletoe. It is a parasite that grows in trees down here.

Snafu

Hate those Snafu's. Called to see if the part was in just as a precaution. Norcold will not ship the part because according to their records this particular refrigerator had been installed in a Monaco and ours is a Newmar. They need pictures of the refrigerator, the serial number, the coach etc. and email them to Norcold before they will send the part and then it will be another 3-5 days before we will receive it if they are then satisfied. Why didn't the Lee Hoffpaiur RV place call and tell us this right away? I do not know but it certainly perturbs us no end! So at this point we have no idea when we will be able to leave here. The pictures cannot be taken and sent till Monday so it will most likely be late next week before we can be on our way. Not earth shattering but definitely a big old bummer!
So now we are sitting and steaming in Llano Tx.

Texas Tin Lizard- The bottle tree store

 Here is the website for the bottle tree store. It will give you an idea of what it is like.
http://texastinlizard.com/

Still in Llano

Still in Llano...phone has not yet rung to inform us that the part is in for the fridge. Yesterday the guys once again played golf. They walked this time  and it was raining when they started. A cold front has come through and it feels like an adequate fall day in Iowa but we are in Texas.
Lisa and I checked out a bottle tree place of business yesterday. She asked that we not take pictures so we didn't. She sells them without bottles starting at $150 apiece. They were all very elaborate. Some very beautiful and some not. The proprietress is the artist and does her own welding. We enjoyed visiting with her but didn't buy anything. I do have some ideas for son Jason if he ever decides to take on the business.
We then went to lunch at The Acme, a small little restaurant in an old building downtown. Their specialty is crabcakes which seems slightly strange since they are not near an ocean. I enjoyed a crabcake and a salad for lunch. It was scrumptious.
Lisa and I then hit the thrift shops, a better place to browse than antique stores. The prices are better. One place was named The Junk Store another the Retell Store. At the Retell Store Rachel has all kinds of costumes among bunches of other stuff. There was a young Texas cowboy type in the dressing room trying on dresses. We assume for a Halloween costume. He tried on one that he liked and Rachel said, "I think it is too short." He replied, "No, It is fine. I like it." Rachel said, "Okay as long as you are happy with it." He walked out of the shop with the too short dress and a pair of size twelve purple high heels. Sure would have liked to see him in his new outfit.
We returned to our Rv's and after supper we played cribbage with Lisa and Terry. The guys had whomped on us the night before but we battled our way back with 2 skunks last night. Terry and Lisa will be leaving today but we must remain and wait for our phone call.

Pictures from Llano Tx

Butch and Terry Linder on hole # 8 which happens to be a few feet from the motorhome

 Butch says "Bye" " See you in a few hours"

Lisa and I went for a walk near the river

Some campers a stones throw from the river

Lisa said that white goose looks like a chaser. She was right.

Last Spring when we left Llano going north I spotted this sign. It will surely gain ones attention.

Here is the explanation of it

This stone has become very overgrown. There were a couple of 2012 graves so it is still being actively used.

Lucy Lee Murphy...liked her name

Lelah Belle born in 1893 and died in 1897

I am sure the request was to be buried in the shade of a tree.

This woman's name was Texas Calvin- DAUGHTER of a Mr. McCoy

 Llano Historical Museum

Her picture was hanging in a shop named Whimsy. Doesn't she look "whimsical"?

Refrigeration in Llano Tx

We drove over to Burnet, Tx (30 miles)and the Lee Hoffpauir RV and Truck Repair facility yesterday afternoon and were treated most kindly. We waited a mere 15 minutes for service and they were able to temporarily fix things so the fridge would work until the repair part gets here. It was the recall box. There had been a previous recall and it was this box that went bad. The bouncy roads of Oklahoma had helped loosen a battery cable and may have been the cause. Butch suspicions it anyway. But the part has been ordered and they trust Butch to put it on so we can drive over in the car to pick it up when it gets here. What it really means is that we are here till the part arrives and may delay our departure to the Rio Grande Valley. We were planning to leave on Sunday but it may not happen. I will call and tell those expecting us what the deal is if we are delayed. If they are blog readers they will already know!

Our friends Terry and Lisa Linder from Canyon Lake Tx arrived yesterday while we were gone but we quickly caught up. Went to the Burger Bar for supper and we are finding it easy to eat out on South Beach if we are careful when we order. Butch had chicken fried steak and a salad while I had chicken salad on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. Tasty and filling. My BS level this morning was a normal 100! BS=Blood Sugar in case you attach a different meaning to BS. wink, wink.

Today's plan includes golf for the guys while Lisa and I are going to take a long walk and then be Llano tourists. Llano is a small town similar in size to Jefferson and their beautiful courthouse square is surrounded with interesting little shops.They do not have a bell tower, however. One of the shops is called Stuffology and contains just what you might imagine-stuff. I plan to be busy with my camera today. Llano's motto is Llano-Land of Legend and Lures. Maybe I can find out what the legend is. The lures refers to fishing I am guessing. The RV park we are staying in is connected to a 18 hole golf course and a river. Their rates are very reasonable...one of the reasons we are here.

Here is what I found out about the Llano River which runs by us about a 100 yards from our RV. We are staying in the Robinson City Park.

Llano River

Llano River is one of the last wild rivers left in Texas. Starting in Kimble County, which boasts over 1000 springs, Llano flows eastward from Kimble Country, through Mason Country and into Llano County before it empties into Lake LBJ at the junction with the Colorado River at Kingsland, Texas.  The Llano River flows through rocky terrain covered with mesquite, bee bush and cactus. It is dotted with live oak and post oak trees.

Some of the fauna you might view along the Llano River include bald eagles, hawks, kingfishers, owls, wild turkey, quail, dove, white-tail deer, escaped exotics, wild hogs, rattlesnakes, coyotes and all manner of varmints inhabit the river banks.

The Llano River flows over granite and limestone with sand and gravel bars common. Wading is easy for fishing. Fly fishermen can do wet wading from the middle of Spring until the first freeze which usually occurs in late fall.  Fishing from a canoe or kayak is also great on the Llano.  

The Llano is a navigable stream. As long as the angler is in the water, it is considered public land.  Property rights of landowners should be respected at all times. Frequently you will be allowed access if you ask. Public access is available at the James River Crossing, the Highway 87 Bridge south of Mason, the town of Castell, Rio Llano east of Llano, Robinson City Park in Llano.

We are in Llano Texas

They wouldn't even talk to us about the refrigerator in Norman at either RV place. They just said, "Too busy", "Our schedule is full and we have no idea when we can even look at it." So we bought a cooler and some ice and headed on down the road to Llano Tx. We have arrived and in time to call a dealer in Burnet, Tx, a 30 mile drive from here. Marlene and Bernard will be familiar with the area we are in, as they used to own a house not far from this area before buying a place in the Rio Grande Valley.
They were very kind to us at the Lee Hoffpauir RV & Truck Service in Burnet, and letting us know it was a favor, gave us an appointment for 2:00 tomorrow afternoon.
The trip here was uneventful and we listened to a great book. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of  Mr. Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.
"Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn't seen or heard from in 20 years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. Harold pens a quick reply and, leaving Maureen to her chores, heads to the corner mailbox. But then, as happens in the very best works of fiction, Harold has a chance encounter, one that convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. And thus begins the unlikely pilgrimage at the heart of Rachel Joyce's remarkable debut. Harold Fry is determined to walk 600 miles from Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed because, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie Hennessey will live. Still in his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold embarks on his urgent quest across the countryside. Along the way he meets one fascinating character after another, each of whom unlocks his long-dormant spirit and sense of promise. Memories of his first dance with Maureen, his wedding day, his joy in fatherhood, come rushing back to him - allowing him to also reconcile the losses and the regrets. As for Maureen, she finds herself missing Harold for the first time in years. And then there is the unfinished business with Queenie Hennessy. A novel of unsentimental charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise - and utterly irresistible - storyteller. "

The book finished about 15 miles from our destination...incredible timing.
So we are settled in and trying not to think about the food in the freezer and refrigerator that is relying on ice to survive.
Tune in tomorrow for the next episode of the Warm and Toasty Fridge.

Quick note

We are parked at the casino in Norman OK. When we arrived and after a trip inside the casino, I won 20 and Butch lost 20, our refrigerator started beeping and would not quit. It was an L1 fault code and the book said it could not be owner corrected and to contact an authorized dealer. So I went online to find one and in so doing found there was a recall on ours and to turn it off immediately if the numbers were such and such. They were. It seems it is a fire hazard. So our first order of business will be getting that fixed. I found several dealers in the area. So tomorrow will not be an early start for us as most do not open till 8:00 AM.
Otherwise the trip was fine but windy...very windy!

Quiet Weekend with Missouri Family

As quiet as a weekend with a two year old can be. Gary has been on Football overload, not of his choosing, and it will not get better till the season has passed thus we were not able to see much of him. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Let's just say he will have much to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.
Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Missouri sunrise on Saturday

They have not had a frost here as yet so the leaf color is still quite vivid.

Elise helping Nana Susan get a treat.

Butch was sitting this way and Elise was copying him but she would quit when I pointed the camera at her.

On the grandparent swing.

Hairdresser Elise

So many pictures had to be deleted due to a blurry Elise. I left this one in.

Here nose needed wiped but otherwise a great shot.

Her favorite playmates

Elise with her Mom. Amanda is expecting another one next April so Elise's world will be changing. We find out soon if Elise will have a brother or a sister.

Just a swingin'.

Catching Nana Susan as she comes down the slide.