On the road again!

Let there be no doubt, leaving for five months on the road is nothing like taking off on a two week vacation. First, There are the major projects, like the solar panels and the cabinet we added. Then there is the inventory - do we have everything on the list? What's not on the list that we wished we had last year? What did we take that we didn't use and need to leave behind this year? Then you also  have to budget time to take care of all the things that decide to break just before you leave. Last year it was plumbing, this year it was a television just about to go out of warranty. Then, at the last minute, all perishable foods needs to either go in the rig, to neighbors, or in the compost. Bird food, extra flour and other baking items go in the frig. Anything that might attract bugs or other critters is stashed in the frig or in metal containers. Bug bombs are set off in the shop and garden shed (last year when we returned everything we owned was welded together with mud wasp nests and other bug eggs). Plants are put on water timers, outdoor furniture stored, vehicles moved under cover (to prevent hail damage), anything with a battery is put on a battery maintainer, and so on! Yes, it's a bit of work, but worth it!!!

First thing to check: Before we left home we pulled the RV out of the shelter to test the solar panels. The system is working! It looks like it will work as designed, but we can't report for sure until it's been tested under boondocking conditions. Right now, quoting the Wagon master "It's too hot to boondock!"

First stop: South Llano State Park
We knew we wouldn't be on the road very early in the day, what with all the things that had to be taken care of at the last minute, so we planned a near-by stop so we would have a head start the next morning.

Flocks of wild turkeys are common

We've been to the park before, in the spring and fall, but never in the summer. There are more birds  this time of year, and the deer are still plentiful. It's so hot now that the small mammals pretty well stay out of sight until evening.

We enjoyed sitting in the shade of a huge live oak, watching birds flutter in and out of a watering trough, and both realized the view reminded us a lot of our yard at home!

We did see one bird we don't have at home, and that I've been hoping to catch a glimpse of. The Vermilion Flycatcher is a beautiful bright red and black bird. There were several of them sailing around us and perching like little red Christmas ornaments in the lacy mesquite branches - absolutely beautiful!

Another thing we noticed is the effect the drought has had on the area. Even the cactus look starved - they're pale yellow and the pads have shrunk to nearly paper thin. In some drought years the ranchers burn the spines off the pads so the cattle can eat them - there's not much there to eat this year!

Official weight check - 28 pounds!

At least the river is still running. Just as we were packing up to head out this morning our neighbor brought in a 28 pound cat fish. It was a big as a child!! He's been fishing in this part of the river since before the park was formed, and it was a record size for him. He talked about seeing a "cave" under the rocks in the river and just knew there would be a monster lurking there - he was right!

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