It”s Almost Gone

The Beginning of the Eclipse

Yes, the year 2010 is on it’s last days. We have made good use of the the year. Our wheels were rolling most of the time, although we managed to spend plenty of time seeing friends and the sights.

We left the RGV last year about the middle of March and made our way up the coast spending time in Corpus Christi and Rockport. From there we went to Bourne where we met a group of the Class of 07. After a fun filled time we traveled to Colorado Springs, home of our daughter and her family. Chuck had a repair job done, and a not so successful try at cataract surgery. We had planned to fly our grandson from California out to the Springs, but there were no longer nonstop flights, so we decided that we would pick him up in Vegas. We headed into the southern part of Utah, seeing the Arches, Brice's Canyon and Mount Zion. Wow, we think those should be on everyone's ”bucket list”.

Come to find out there were no direct flights from Sacramento to Vegas either. Our son and DIL decided that they could use a little road trip and drove him down. About that time the weather decided to heat up big time…..110 to 115. The air conditioner never quit. Then it was on to San Diego, where we camped right on the beach on Camp Pendleton. We figured we had about 2 weeks with our grandson before he had to be back for all-star baseball practice. But after buying tickets for 3 different attractions, we were notified that he had to be back in 5 days. Marine World, San Diego Zoo, and Animal Kingdom in 3 days, we were done in, but he made it back in time for practice in the afternoon. We spent a few weeks visiting friends and family. Then several couples joined us in going to southern Oregon for a week.

Friends Barb and Bob/Chuck live in southern Idaho, which was our next destination. Sun Valley is in their back yard, gorgeous country. We left there planning on seeing some of Yellowstone that we had not taken in the last time we were there, but the weather played a large part in making the campgrounds unable to accommodate us due to the large amount of rain, and parking being all grass. But we did make an unexpected stop that was a real treat in Medora, North Dakota. Each summer they put on a first class musical and we took that in. Then it was on to Wisconsin, a visit with a few relatives and we were off to Elkhart. We spent 2 months in that area, taking in Nick’s Rally, the Escapee’s Rally, and yes a third, the Montana Rally. Each one was great in it’s own way.

A “Gathering”, Lisa’s, was happening in Tennessee at Defeated Creek! What a great campground, but the locals love it too, it is pretty much reserved up for the weekends well in advance. Then it was down into the panhandle of Florida where we caught up with Kevin and Arlene who were work camping at the Topsail State Park. Once again a beautiful park. We left there for the infamous Betty’s, where we were meeting a few other couples for Thanksgiving. Great, great, great. Finished off our stay in Louisiana by popping into Kinder, for a last casino fix. Texas has none, so it is a long time between dues paying, which is just as well. We hit San Antonio, and after a few weeks we finally made it back to the Rio Grand Valley. And dagnabit, just writing about it made me tired, but it was a great year. Can’t wait and see what next year holds in store, as we have no plans that are not written in Jell-O.

We are getting settled in, doctor appointments for both of us. Told Chuck we are in the repair, replace or discard part of our lives. Big card party tomorrow night, also a dance, but think we are more for the cards. Bought a golf cart so we can tool around the park, either sell it in the spring or store it.

Have to share, our great-grandbabies, Roinn & Kylee

HAPPY NEW YEARS

LIFE IS GOOD

It Feels Like Home

Unlike a lot of full timers we have no place other than a mail box in Livingston Texas, that we can call our home base.  This is our second year at Alamo Palms and the welcome we have received from so many of the people that we met last year, and all our new neighbors, gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling.  This has to be one of the friendliest parks in the valley, and the busiest.  There is so much going on, there is no way you could not have a good time. 

Today is Chucks birthday, make that his 74th one, wow, how did we get so old so fast.  We don’t think we are any where close to what our bodies seem to be, which at times, is at the bottom of that famous hill.   As long as we stay away from “boot hill”, all is well.  The park is having a viewing of the lights tonight, and they are having hay rides and breaking out all the golf carts so everyone can partake.  After wards one of our neighbors has invited a group over for a get together.  Sure that it will be fun and we will get to meet more of the neighbors.  I’m going to sneak over a cake for birthday boy. 

Yesterday was our first trip to the flea market.  Ordered a outside roller shade for the back window, and to have the fabric replaced on the awning.  Can not touch the price here, so get’er done.  Wonderful to buy huge bags of oranges and grape fruit for 3 dollars each. Plus got the ingredients for Chuck salsa.  Nothing else interested us.  The market was really very empty compared to last year, but maybe after Christmas.  Can’t say the same for the restaurants, they are full from 4:30 on.  We usually have linner (lunch/dinner) before 4, that way we beat the crowd and pay lunch prices.  Nothing cheap about us, I’ll have water with lemon, please, add a sweetener and whala….lemonade, group.

Well, I’m off to play bridge, Chuck had a doctors appointment this morning, and he has not made it back yet.  Hope they are not holding him hostage again. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL 

Find the Pickle

It was a tradition in our family to hide a pickle in the tree, come Christmas Eve it was a great joy to be the one to discover it.  Can you find the pickle?

Did get the decorations up in time to be able to enjoy them.  Do love the memories of all the places they were acquired from.

The Great Escape

Our stop over in San Antonio was for one reason, for Chuck to get fitted for new hearing aids at Audey Murphy VA Hospital.  In the process of doing the mandatory physical they found fluid in his lungs, especially one of them.  After a few more tests they decided that he should be admitted and the fluid removed.  Once that had taken place they scheduled several other tests, but after two days of waiting, Chuck decided it was time to make a jail break and head for the border. He will get in touch with our doctor here ad get things started next week.  Right now he is so tickled to be here, actually he is playing cards as I type, he does love his games.

As of now we are in the resort that we spent last year at, Alamo Palms.  We really enjoyed our time here last year with the exception of the size of site.  So this year we booked one that is in an area that is mostly mobile homes, and we do have space.  Room for another RV with space to spare.  Not complaining though, oh no.

Getting the decorations up now, they don’t consist of all that much.  I have limited my keepsakes to an occasional ornament, and over the years they have grown to quite a collection.  But they also take very little space.  I hang a long lighted garland over the big slide and use that to display them.  Brings back many memories of the places we have been.  And I love the new side board, five feet of display space.  Pictures will follow, once it is all done tomorrow.

Life is good, no it is great! 

Love’n Texas

We have been in San Antonio, at the Lackland AFB famcamp for a few days now.  The weather was absolutely lovely the first few days, but it has cooled of some.  Still very comfy. Today we decided to take in the lights at the Riverwalk, better than fighting the crowds of the week ends.  And it was mission accomplished, there were very few people there.  We had a very nice dinner at Tony Romas, which actually cost us nothing but an hour of our time.  Yep, one of those freebies for listening to a time share spiel. We got way laid on the way to the Riverwalk and “offered” a 75 dollars credit card just to listen,  we decided we had time to kill, so why not.  Well, when  they offered this time share for the low buy in of 68,000, and we laughed they basically couldn’t get us out of there fast enough.  Ah sucks, guess we are just trailer trash, on the other hand we get to go every and any place, and sleep in our own bed.  Hard to beat that. 

Oh, back to the lights, I personally, thought they were disappointing. 

Pretty yes, but I had read about all the luminaries and there were none, it was just lights streaming down from the trees.  Worth seeing, yes, glad we did it, yes, but the margarita at dinner, priceless.

Being officially Texans we must have our truck put through a safety inspection when we enter back into Texas.  After searching on the internet I got a few address where this could take place, but they were erroneous.  So we just went in search driving the vehicle repair area, and came upon one. 

I certainly feel safer now that I know that everyone has to go through this procedure. He basically took our money, scraped the old sticker off, put the new one on, done, finished, have a good day.  By the looks of the building we shouldn’t have expected much more? 

Chucks appointment with the VA is early Thursday, and he had hoped to get fitted and tested for new hearing aids, but now it seems that first he has to have a physical.  Have a feeling we will be coming back for his testing and all.  Know that it won’t hurt to have another physical but he did have one in California this spring.  Oh well, it is what it is.

                     Life is Good.