Merry Christmas from Texas!

                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Holiday Greetings from Texas!                                                           

We hope this finds you well and enjoying this most wonderful time of the year!

Our spring and summer were busy! After a bit of surgery in March to repair a messed up knee I had recovered enough to travel to Oregon in April for the annual Duck Ladies at the beach trip. It’s great to be able to get together with longtime friends and catch up. 

We kept busy all summer with gardening and visits from many friends and family. Sister Diana came in July, for Raylan’s 5^th birthday.

In June we fit in a week-long camping trip with the boys at Lake Bastrop. (see our previous post for more on that)

It was their first exposure to canoeing, and though Raylan had a bit of trepidation about the whole project, he climbed aboard and paddled along with the rest of us, announcing when we reached the shore,

“I was very brave!” Yes, he was! 

 Scott and the boys went fishing, and both boys caught a fish! I don’t know who had more fun, the grownups or the boys!

Steve’s mom is 91 this year. She’s doing quite well, but had a problem with her back that prevented her from making her usual fall trip to Texas. We really missed her at Thanksgiving and for Jax’s birthday in December. Jaxen turned 8 this year, and is growing into quite a young man.

Steve’s doing well after his heart attack two years ago - no reoccurring problems! Yeah!

Unfortunately, Kendra is still battling her chronic Lyme infection. It’s a long process, but we hold out hope for an eventual cure. She’s often unable to drive, so we remain available to transport the kids, or whatever other assistance is needed.

Kendra created a battle ship cake for Jaxen's "war ship"
themed birthday party.

So that’s our 2019 in a nut shell!

We send warmest wishes your way. May your holiday season be filled with laughter, joy, and peace.   And please look us up if you’re out this way. . . We’re always open for visitors!

                                                                   

Lake Bastrop camping trip

Planning ahead is critical nowadays when making campsite reservations. We've learned that attendance is up in campgrounds across the country, so we check the calendar and reserve far ahead of the targeted dates. It usually works out pretty well for us, but especially in Texas, where the weather drives folks to sites with water access, it's especially important.

We planned a week-long camping trip with the grandsons for shortly after school was out for the summer, and decided to go back to Lake Bastrop South Shore as it had worked out so well for us in the spring. Again, even after making the reservation way back in March, the site we preferred was not available for all of the dates we wanted. Fortunately we had scoped out a number of other sites last time we were there, and one of the sites we had like was available for the whole week.

Our home for the week, site #12, is fairly private, has lots of shade, and easy access to the canoe/kayak launch area, a grassy park-like space called Lewis Point Commons.  The boys took advantage of the shallow water to admire the little fish, splash around in the water and play in the mud. (My only wish is that the park have a laundry facility as they really like mud!)

The mild spring weather is rapidly turning to summer, but there were still wildflowers everywhere, and our site had a nice view of a little meadow filled with lemon balm, coreopsis and coneflowers. With a bit of the lake as a backdrop it made a really pretty scene.

With a week to enjoy the park we had a lot planned, and we had fun doing it all, with a lot of relaxing in between!

The boys had never been in a canoe before, so they were really excited about the opportunity and by the end of the week 7-year old Jaxen was developing some pretty good paddling skills.

Raylan (not yet five years old) is a bit too short to manage the paddle, but he's growing fast! and he had a good time watching the wildlife in the water and on the shore.

Raylan does have a difficult time sitting still for very long, so we worried about how well he'd do in the canoe. Steve did some research before the trip and created a stabilizing pontoon-like system to keep the canoe from tipping too much. I think it gave the boys a secure feeling just to see it, it worked well, and we had no problems at all. It's easily removed for transport too.

  Paddling and watching the shoreline kept the boys so occupied they didn't seem the least bit concerned about being out in the middle of all that water.

Lake Bastrop is a prime spot for birdwatching, and there are a lot of other wildlife on the water as well.

If you're into bird watching, you might like the Bastrop County Audubon Society's 8 page checklist. It's helpful in identifying birds you may not be familiar with. A Checklist for Bastrop & Buescher State Parks Lake Bastrop. 



Soon after we arrived in camp the boys spotted a turtle they named Tiger in the park next to our site. 

We found other turtles on our walks and while canoeing. The boys saw one they were just sure was Tiger, sunning himself on a rock at the edge of the water. These Red eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) are common in Texas. They have a pretty nice life in Lake Bastrop!

A round of mini golf was also on the agenda. We planned that for early in the day, before it got too hot. The boys and a great time playing and quickly learned that getting the ball in that little hole wasn't as easy as it looked!

During our last visit we hiked and biked on Heron Trail, which goes from our campground through the woods over to several cabins. It's rather rough for biking, so we tried out a different trail this time. We took Swift trail from the entrance to the campground and followed it to Loblolly trail.

These trails are wider and smoother than the Heron trail we walked last time. Steve had purchased a bike so he could ride with Jax and they enjoyed an early morning ride all the way out to Loblolly Loop. At the same time I took the dogs for a walk starting out on Swift trail and then heading for Gideon loop.

We hadn't gone very far past the intersection with Loblolly when we encountered a copperhead snake.  The dogs didn't even seem to notice it, but I wasn't in the mood to meet any more of them, so we headed back to camp.  That's the nature of hiking in the woods - you never know what surprise will meet you around the next bend in the road.

You can pick up a trail map, a campground map, and a lake map with depths indicate in the office when you check in, or you can download them from the website.


The first few days of our stay were overcast, and in the 80's but it quickly warmed up. Though I wasn't really looking forward to the heat, we wanted to try out the solar oven (instructions here) the boys and I had constructed before we left for the trip.

Master Hot Dog Chef

Solar ovens don't work too well with overcast skies, but when the sun came out we decided it was time to go for it. So, solar-cooked hot dogs were on the menu for lunch, as well as chocolate covered pretzels for desert! I'm saving the oven, and maybe we'll try some other (simple and quick) recipes again this summer.

A wrinkle thrown into this trip was our home air conditioner. It died a week before the trip. With temperatures inching into the 90's it was not a happy event. Fortunately we could just relocate into the trailer so we stayed comfortable.

The repair was scheduled for Thursday, in the middle of the camping trip, so Steve went home to take care of that, while the boys and I stayed in camp.  Kendra came out and had lunch with us, and Raylan decided to go home with her. He's usually only good for 2 or 3 nights away from home at this age, so timing worked out well. 

In the afternoon Jax and I took the dogs over to the swimming beach. We played fetch with the dogs in the water until we wore out, and then Jax and his "floatie" enjoyed the warm water. He made friends with some children from Houston, so he had a really good time that day. 

Sunday was Father's Day, and of course, thunderstorms were predicted for Sunday, so we moved our plans up to Saturday.

Skot and Kendra and Skot's parents all came out for a little fishing and an early dinner. The boys took their dad out in the canoe to show off their skills, and then he set them up for a little fishing. The back side of our site had easy access to the water so they didn't have to go far. 

Raylan was so excited - he caught his first fish!
Jax came in right behind with another catch, so they both felt very accomplished! (And they let all the little fish go back to swimming around.)

More photos of the trip in the album.

It was a great trip, and we've decided will definitely go back to this park again.

We checked out several sites with an eye to alternatives in case that's necessary when we make reservations.

Spring is in the air!

Spring, and pollen, are definitely in the air!

In a matter of days our landscape has morphed from a view of gray sticks to shades of lime and emerald, ornamented with the best array of wildflowers Texas has seen for years. The approach to spring has seen wild swings from days in the high 80's to freezing temps at night. I don't know how the plants can keep track of what season it really is, as the humans have had some difficulty!

It's been awhile since we updated this blog, so we'll have to go back a few weeks for an overview.

We had freezing overnight in the first week of March and all that chilly wind and weather gave our birds a hefty appetite - they nearly ate us out of house and home! The feed store actually ran out of large bags of sunflower seed so I know we weren't the only ones feeding them.

The chill was followed by 80 degree days in the second week of March. Somehow the strange weather really suited the wildflowers and we've had a bumper crop.
Here's a view we pass daily as we take the boys home from school.... it's classic Texas!

Babies in bluebonnets

We have some varieties of wildflowers in the yard that we've never seen before! We've also had a range of insects enjoying the flower nectar, and now, in April, the hummingbirds have arrived.

They are a little ahead of schedule - not sure what that means for the summer ahead of us

The range of temperatures left us a little confused as to what to do with the garden, but the weeds solved the dilemma and completely overtook it.

We were able to rescue the broccoli and cabbage - good crops for this strange weather! But the garden itself had to wait until this April to be released from the stranglehold of unwanted greenery. Steve's working on a new drip water system so we're trying to plan the plantings around the placement of those delivery lines. Too much hand watering happened last year, and that cuts into play time!

In the meantime, Steve's main entertainment has been mowing, and mowing, and maintaining all the equipment it takes to manage all this greenery! With two riding lawnmowers, two DR mowers and a tractor, there's always something that needs a new battery or some other "fix".

March was a busy month - sister Dawn visited for a week and it was a good chance to catch up. She was also able to connect with a few of her friends who live in the area. She timed her visit well this year and caught the beginning of the wildflower season.

Her visit was immediately followed by our Spring break camping trip. With Texas weather as varied and unpredictable as it is we have a real challenge planning camping trips. Because of the popularity of local campgrounds we have to make reservations months in advance, and then just hope the weather cooperates. As it turned out, this time it did!

Our preferred spot in South Shore campground on Lake Bastrop wasn't available, but the one next door was, and it turns out we like it better!

Really.... How can you beat that view? Grass, water and lots of sand to dig in.

The site was great for the boys, with plenty of room to play hide and seek behind the bushes, ducks to watch, frogs hopping and little fishes swimming around the edges of the water.

The trail beckoned and after scouting the route with the dogs the boys decided to try their hand at riding their bikes on it.

Jax's bike did ok, until it popped a tire, but Raylan had a difficult time with the bumpy terrain and decided he preferred his scooter on the paving. I don't blame him!

The weather cooperated and Skot and Kendra were able to come out and join us in the late afternoon for burgers and toasted marshmallows. We had a great time, and we're hoping we can fit in a lot more outings like this in the future.

I followed the camping trip almost immediately with a bit of knee surgery. It's only been three weeks but I'm almost back to my previous operating levels. The weeds didn't slow down a bit while I was recovering, so there's a lot of catching up to do!


In February I took a glass class at  Green Devil glass studio up in Austin. Kendra had given me a certificate for the class for Christmas and they are so popular it had to be scheduled a long way ahead. The class was really fun!

I hadn't melted any glass since chemistry class in high school, and it wasn't as "artistic" as this. I learned a lot, and came home with a glass flower, but I don't think I'll take it up as a hobby just yet - my craft room is already too full!

More photos of the camping trip and wildflowers in the album.

A NEW RV..............NOT!

While taking the year off of travel due to helping out with family and health stuff I started looking around at different RV's.  Our 15 yr. old Arctic Fox is in reasonably good shape but needs some TLC in the near future.  An active mind is a terrible thing to waste but usually ends up costing money!!

We considered a bunk-house model of trailer or motorhome so the grandsons would have a better sleeping arrangement.  I looked at dozens of floor plans and we looked at several models at RV dealerships in the area.  Other considerations included a dual AC hookup due to the summer heat, and a little shorter trailer to access tighter camping spots.  The motor home idea was quickly dropped due to the cost and any bunkhouse type was at least 32 ft.  which is the same length as the current trailer,  An additional motor to service and the likely need for a different vehicle to pull behind.

In my research I found that most travel trailers are advertised as Lite and have noticed compromises in the frame construction and lack of storage compared to my Arctic Fox.  Most have outdoor kitchens which I don't need or want.  I found none of the shorter (less that 30 ft.) bunkhouse trailers acceptable and the ones with acceptable storage to be 35 ft. or better.  It is interesting that in the central part of the U.S. most trailers are larger (35+ feet).   RV parks and the Corp Of Engineer Parks and State parks have larger spaces than what exist out west in a lot of govt. campgrounds.

 I was able to narrow down my research to two acceptable trailers.   A Winnebago 29DDBH  and a Nash 29S.  Both are similar in length to my current trailer.  The Winnebago has a double slide the greatly expands the interior space but comes with a outdoor kitchen and limited exterior storage and the bathroom can't be accessed unless the slides are open.  The Nash is a "older style" non lite designated trailer that has a heavy duty frame and plenty of outside storage.  It doesn't have the outside kitchen.  The Winnie can be optioned with the dual AC but that option is not listed on the Nash website.  Such an option requires a 50 amp. service.

The cost of  "quality trailers" are not cheap.  You can find plenty of cheap trailers out there but they are built poorly and will not last the long term.  The cost of the Winnie would be somewhere between $35,000 and $45,000.  It is a new model so there are no used ones out there.   The Nash is built by Northwood the same company that built my Fox.  A 2017/2018 model is listed for $29,000 and a new one is in the same ballpark as the Winnie.

Based upon this research and evaluation of my current trailer we are sticking with the current Fox.  When traveling w/o guests it meets our needs.  We have made several alterations to the floor plan that works for us, have added solar, and now have an auxiliary AC for the bedroom.  We were concerned that after the bathroom flood a few years ago we could have problems but those have not surfaced.  It is structurally sound.  It has been paid for for many years.  We have portable bunk cots that fit in the living area for the boys when they are with us.  I am not convinced some of these Lite trailer models will hold up in the long term however the Winnie and the Nash are the exception.

We plan on giving the interior and exterior a detailed cleaning/sorting,  replacement of springs and other suspension components and inspection of the roof seals.  Painting of the exposed metal and resealing seams as needed.  Our trailer has been stored under cover all of its life and I feel that has been the reason it has weathered the 15 years fairly well. It's crazy that the NADA book lists its current value as only $5000 to $8000.  I may spend a thousand or so bringing it up to date.

Who knows what tomorrow may bring but we plan on sticking with the old tried and true Arctic Fox 30U. Northwood no longer makes the floorplan but it had a long run and used ones are hard to find.

One of our large Oak trees has been showing health issues for some time.  It did not seem to be getting any better so we decided to remove it.  Unfortunately it was located between the shop and the house which made it necessary for professional removal.  Hated to see it go but wanted to eliminate the worry about it falling onto the house or shop.  The tree service folks were professional and completed the job in a few hours.  The guys reminded me of the logger/outdoor types I knew in Oregon.

Since Christmas we have been doing projects around the house, maintaining equipment and helping out with the grandsons.  Winter is still here but spring will be quickly approaching which will involve several "opportunities".  Plans for tree work, gardening and trailer projects abound.  No long term trips are planned at this time but we have a camping trip planned for spring break in March and Daphne will be heading to Oregon for her visit with the "Feathered Friends" in April.

Future plans are as usual in "Jello".............take care all!