Travel With Whippets

Picnic at the Palapa & New Pup!

2012-01-30T17:01:00.001-05:00

Hi all, Dianne here. We all know how dog-crazy I am. Roger would say "emphasis on crazy." Well, a couple of weeks ago I saw a photo of a red-heeler-mix up for adoption at Cinderella Pet Rescue (where we got Bandido last January). I just couldn't get her out of my mind, and finally persuaded Roger to go take a look. Well, you know how that goes....

Bright and early on adoption day we took Bandido to Cinderella to meet his new little sister. The photo above shows Bandido as he first sees her coming toward the office.

When we got home, we ate a quick lunch and then took both dogs on a long hike at the state park next door, so they'd get used to being together in our new "pack."

Tequila is a little overweight, so we need to get her into an exercise routine to get in shape...

...This became evident as we got into the state park and she staged a "protest"!

After a few stops for rest and drinks, we made it home.

Both dogs were hot and tired, and immediately stretched out on the cool tile floor.

We'll keep at it with our walks and play time at the dog park, and help her build up more endurance. She is still an pup, 7 1/2 months old.

Speaking of the dog park, Tequila made her first debut at Doggie Play Date Sunday morning. She was a little timid at first, but after about 30 minutes she was running and wrestling with the best of them! The dog in the front is our whippet friend Klick. I learned long ago that it is very difficult to photograph a whippet without catching just a blur.

I did a bit better with Klick's brother Gabe running at full tilt. Poetry in motion!

Here is a good shot of Tequila and Bandido wrestling in the motor home this morning.
This action will look familiar to our friends Chuck and Cindy and their dog Sophie, a/k/a "the luckiest dog in Fishers, Indiana."

They play hard, but then it's time for a nap.

One other bit of excitement is that my wildlife cam finally caught an identifiable photo overnight:

This is a black-tailed jackrabbit in the green space area just beyond the chain link fence in our back yard.

I'll turn this blog over to Roger now, so that he can write about our fun hot dog and ice cream picnic at the palapa on the Rio Grande. I'm sure they could smell our hot dogs cooking in Mexico!

There were lots of hot dogs left over from the Retama Village walk-through a few days ago. What to do with them???? One of our neighbors, Linda, thought it would be fun to have a hot dog roast down by the river. Linda and a few friends organized the event and invited the Retama community.

What do I mean when I say, down by the river? Why, the Rio Grande River, of course. Bentsen Palm Development, which owns Retama Village (among other properties) maintains a palapa right next to the river. It is only about a mile from our park. Getting there was simple. You just drive out of our park onto a nicely paved road, head toward the National Butterfly Center, stay on the road when it becomes gravel, go up the rise onto the gravel-topped levy, wave to the border patrol agents, drive a quarter mile on the levy, exit the levy, stay on the gravel lane until it turns to dirt, avoid sliding into the boat dock, and you are there.

For our Indiana friends.... What is a palapa? It is a thatch-covered, open structure (similar to what we midwesterners call a shelter house - except the roof is made of grass.) VERY tropical.

Neighbor Jim arrived early to get the fire going underneath the grate in the giant fire kettle. Jim also hung around to roast all the hot dogs. He even dipped ice cream.

Everyone was asked to bring chips and dips (Dianne brought two dips: one with sour cream, the other was me.) People brought their own beverages and folding chairs.

Nothing brings out a crowd like free food! We counted around 125 people who enjoyed the food while relaxing by the river. There were swim noodles available for people who wanted to float in the river, just kidding. (Dianne again: Yes, that IS Mexico just across the river!)

Friendly border patrol agents drove through and flew over. Often you can see them in boats on the river, but not this day. They are ever-present. These guys work very hard and do a great job ensuring that this is a safe area. We would not have had such an enjoyable afternoon without their ongoing service.

(Dianne again: If any of my friends up north watch Border Wars on the National Geographic Channel, this is the same helicopter that is often seen on the show.)

All of the beautiful Retama people were there. Check out the cutie in the sun glasses.

To top everything off, there was left-over ice cream from a recent ice cream social. The men took over the serving responsibilities. Yep, that's me in the orange, with chocolate ice cream up to my elbow. Lots of people. Lots of fun. A great afternoon.

Now for the pet picture of the day. One of my duties here at Retama is to post an updated activity calendar on the bulletin board next to the mailboxes. I do this every Sunday. Since I knew we would be busy at the hot dog roast, I printed the calendar before we left and put it on the counter for later posting. Well...... It seems as if our new puppy is a counter surfer, and she is not particular -- food, treats, and apparently paper. The picture below depicts Charlie the Cat letting us know that Tequila did it!

The Dog Ate Roger's Homework!!!!

Retama Walk-Through and More Doggie Fun

2012-01-22T18:17:00.000-05:00

Hi all, Dianne here. This will be a short post just to update you on the goings-on. You might recognize the guy in the Panama Jack hat driving the golf cart -- yes, it is Roger. He had way too much fun driving one of the "trolley shuttles" for the annual Retama Walk Through the Village Open House. Our long-time readers will remember our post from February, 2010 after Roger and I visited Retama from Bentsen Palm Village RV Park next door. I took a zillion photos that day, because we had decided to purchase a lot at Retama. Those photos came in very handy when we were designing the interior of our coach house! If you're interested in seeing that old post, I've provided a link.

February 2010 Retama Coach House Tour

Last year we didn't open our coach house for the tour, because it was still very much under construction. If you want to read past blogs about the progress on our coach house construction, click on the label "Coach House Remodel" on the left side of the blog to go to the posts written during the construction. We started out with an empty shell, as you would see from the earlier photos.

This year we opened our tiny house up for "inspection" by the visitors. I should have kept count; we had lots of visitors. Poor Bandido had a rough day, because he was relegated to the inside of the motor home during the tour. I'm sure Charlie the Cat had an even worse day being shut inside with an energetic Bandido!

The day began with free hot dogs, bottled water and popcorn for the volunteers at 11:00 a.m. The open house began at 1:00, with the visitors also being offered the same refreshments before starting the trek around the neighborhood.

Since I was stationed at our place all afternoon I couldn't take many photos. Here's a long shot of visitors checking out Dave and Marilyn's beautiful little place down the block:

Here's another link to a site showing tours of several homes in the neighborhood:

"It's Only a Shed"

It's amazing how different folks use their tiny coach houses. If you check out that blog, be sure to click on "older posts" at the bottom when you get the last one on the first page; some of the ones on page 2 are not to be missed!

Today was tomato harvest day. We had enough to share with our friends Jim and Sue (payback for some delicious homemade bread they have shared with us).

You might remember from our last post that we had to take drastic measures to fend off our mockingbirds:

It worked and didn't seem to affect the ripening; if anything, I think it speeded it up.

Walking to the dog park next door is an everyday ritual for us. Bandido gets so excited that he feels he has to lead us over there:

We don't let him do it, for it would take less than 5 minutes for him to demolish a leash, but I took a photo with my iPhone, 'cause it is cute!

You'll see why he gets so excited to get there in the next two photos. A favorite game for Bandido and his "Buds" is

"Who's got the ball?" Which turns into

"Catch me if you Can!"

As I've said before, life is g-o-o-d here in South Texas. To illustrate this, I'm logging off to head down the street for an impromptu happy hour! See ya!

RV show - Gonzales Burgers - Vandals!

2012-01-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

This is only half of a Gonzales Burger!

Roger here.... We spend a lot of time within walking distance of our RV. There is so much to do here, but yesterday it was time for a road trip.

After a quick trip to the dog park for Bandido, Dianne and I piled into the car heading for the town of Mercedes, about 30 miles away. Mercedes is the home of a giant outlet mall. It is also the home of the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show. We may check that out in March, but on this day we were on our way to the annual Rio Grande Valley RV Show. The show was worth the $5 admission charge. Lots of RVs, but no class A motor homes :-( (Not that we were looking; we still love our Mountain Aire -- D.) There were more than 90 booths. We enjoyed wandering through the aisles, seeing many of our friends. Dianne did a little bit of damage at the Tupperware booth. According to Dianne, there's always room for Tupperware.

When we were ready to leave at mid-day, we were hungry. We talked about stopping at a local diner in Mission that has great food. But then, Dianne realized that the famous Gonzales Burger hole-in- the-wall restaurant was in the town of Donna, on the way home. Gonzales burgers are legendary in this part of Texas, and we had never had this particular culinary experience. So, with the help of our iPhone, we were on our way.

We had already heard that Gonzales Burgers was in a residential area, and it was. We parked on the street where we saw all the other parked cars. The restaurant had no identification sign, only an "open" sign on the door and several people sitting outside at picnic tables.

The story behind this family restaurant:
Students from the school across the street often stopped by the Gonzales household after school. The mom frequently fixed delicious burgers for the visiting students. They were so good that the enterprise of kindness became a business. An interesting fact... all the beef is ground by hand. When the hamburger is gone for the day, the restaurant closes. What fun! Glad we arrived on time.

Remember the old, old Saturday Night Live sketch at the greasy spoon that only served cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger - and Pepsi? Well, this is what we found here, with a couple of exceptions.... they had french fries, onion rings, and Coke products. Oh, and they were extremely happy and friendly -- so typical of the local people here.

After giving our order, hamburger, hamburger, fries, Dr. Pepper.... the friendly lady who seemed to be in charge smiled and told us that it would be between 30 and 40 minutes. She was so nice and her smile was so genuine, that a somewhat long wait was not an issue. We smiled back and found a place to sit at one of the outside picnic tables, later moving inside --- lots of conversations with the Winter Texans at our table who visit this place often.

"Number 80!" That's us. Wow, look at these burgers. They had to be a pound each. It was almost like eating an entire meatloaf. (Credits to our friend, Sue, for that quip.) We decided to cut one sandwich in half and take the other home to eat for supper the next night. They were every bit as delicious as they looked... fresh tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mmmmmm! Well worth the diversion from our normally healthy diets.

Dianne took a picture of her half of the burger (after she had already eaten half of it) to show how big it actually was.

So much for the great burgers.... It is time to tell the disturbing story of vandalism at our coach house. You try to be nice. You provide food for the hungry, and the hungry gratefully accept it. SO UNSETTLING!

Look at our beautiful tomatoes.
We watered them every day. We made sure they had plenty of Texas sunshine. We rolled them into the coach house on the few nights that we thought it might be too cold.

Look what this ungrateful guest did! Yes, the mockingbird whose bird bath we changed every day!

When we were not looking, he decimated several of our tomatoes (only the ripe ones, of course -- D). He had his own food --- orange slices, seeds, etc. Why would he do this to our tomatoes?

Such betrayal! Dianne now covers the tomatoes with mosquito nets to keep the mockingbirds away. And.... Bandido has a new job: guarding the tomatoes. He loves his new job.

The pet picture of the day was taken when we returned home from Gonzales Burgers. It is an action shot showing Bandido lunging for one-quarter of Dianne's one-half of a whole Gonzalez Burger. That blur you see shows that he went after the burger at the speed of light!

Mystery Dinner at Retama - busy times

2012-01-11T19:29:00.000-05:00

Roger here.... We have been remiss with our postings, but we have been very busy. Busy is good, but I do miss some of the quiet time. Dianne has been busy helping reorganize and re-shelve the books in the Retama Village Library. It turned into a three-day job.

The rest of this post is pretty much all about me, so if you are only interested in Dianne, it is time to sign off. (Dianne did take all the pictures.)

I am now serving a two-year term on the Retama Village Advisory Committee -- this year as vice-chair, next year as chair. Since I am coordinating all the social activities (along with the excellent work of another committee member), our quiet times seem to be a thing of the past (at least temporarily). It seems like I have returned to a full-time job :-), but that is OK. It has been fun so far.

Equally as time-consuming (but so much fun) has been the annual Retama Village Murder Mystery Dinner. I thought it would be a good time, so I auditioned for one of the roles. (Auditioning was strenuous. I told the director that I might be interested. She said, "You got it!")

The Demise of the Downhome Dealers was set in Mossy Bottoms, Texas. My role as Dickie Delaney was described in the program as a country western band member, not the smartest cowboy this side of the Mississippi. Okay, he's slow and stupid and madly in love with Dixie (the lead singer), but it is entirely unrequited. (Oh, and my character also gets progressively drunk throughout the performance.)

Here is the cast singing one of the hit songs from our latest CD.

This is a very sad scene when Dixie tells me that she loves me only as a brother.

Here I am clinging to Dixie's leg after another rejection.

I try to commit suicide, but shoot off my big toe instead.

My amazing rendition of: "I wish I was in Dixie."

The sad story goes on and on, ending in two murders, but "I dint do it!"

A shot of the murderess.

A shot of the audience.

What fun it was to do this among friends!

Dianne here: Roger is being modest -- he was very
funny in his role as Dickie the drunk cowboy, and the audience laughed and laughed. He will be known in "these parts" as Dickie from now on! I'm including another photo of the "curtain call" showing the entire cast. It really was a fun evening, with good food and good friends.

Roger's teachers reading this blog won't be surprised at his thespian efforts -- they all remember Roger's parts in the skits in the annual lip sync contest held at his middle school. The teachers (and Roger, the principal) let their hair down every year and joined the student show with their own skits. One year Roger even swung across the stage on a rope as "Guitarzan!" A classic, for sure. (The students loved it, by the way!)

Roger wasn't sure he wanted to write about himself and his part in the murder mystery, but I made it known that it was his turn to write the blog. Back to Roger....

The pet pictures of the day showcase Bandido's good friend, Rowdy the beagle, and his owner, James (our new friend), with his cute granddaughter, Naomi. James and his wife are from Switzerland and are spending the winter at Retama Village. Naomi and her mom were visiting for the holiday season. (The poodle with James and Naomi is Jagger -- another of Bandido's many friends at the dog park)

Random Photos - Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:41:00.000-05:00

Hi all, Dianne here. These photos didn't really fit into our last few blogs, so here are some random photos for a pretty new year!

One of the things I hated most about living up north was how everything was either brown or gray five months out of the year (gray skies, brown vegetation). It was pretty after a new fluffy snow, but even the snow turned ugly after a few days.

No problem like that here in South Texas! These are some shots of flowers Roger and I took walking Bandido on the bike trail leading to the state park next door.

We've had some gray, drizzly days recently, but that just means more flowers.

Now I understand why they call this part of Texas the "Texas Tropics"! This is a flower from my Mexican olive tree. The butterflies love them.

In fact, all of the plantings in our neighborhood and the surrounding Bentsen Palm development were chosen to attract butterflies and birds.

That philosophy of "Living in Harmony with Nature" is one reason Roger and I knew we'd found the right place for us.

This one's a little blurry, but I love the look anyway. Someday I'll get a better camera with a good zoom lens.

The small yellow flower in one of the above photos blooms on huge Esperanza shrubs that tower over us as we walk along.

Here's another shot to brighten a gloomy winter day:

This is a rare black-vented oriole which hangs out mainly at the state park next door, but occasionally pops over to get a snack at my feeders. Again, I need a better camera! Here's a link to an article written last year about this rare bird, with better photos. We all assume this is the same bird that visited our area last winter, since it is so rare.

Rare Bird Sighting

The pet photo of the day shows Bandido and Charlie enjoying a beautiful afternoon outside. Don't worry, bird lovers, Charlie can't reach the rare oriole!

Lil' Ole Pie Maker, Me!

2011-12-29T16:36:00.000-05:00

Hi all, Dianne here. I'll explain more about the pie-making saga later, but first, here's a short trip down full-timing memory lane:

We began our full-timing journey in December, 2008. Our first non-traditional Christmas Day (2008) was spent strolling around beautiful Savannah, Georgia.

Christmas, 2009 found us in Kerrville, Texas, fresh from our stint working Amazon's 2009 Christmas rush in Coffeyville, Kansas, and on our way to Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort next door here in Mission. A highlight was viewing the amazing Christmas Lights in Johnson City, near Kerrville.

Christmas, 2010 found us on Malibu Beach in California, spending our first Christmas in a long time with daughter, Robyn. (Not a bad view, huh?!)

This Christmas was our first spent at our winter home at Retama Village in Mission, Texas. This is such a special community that we wanted to take part in helping with their special Christmas dinner. Our planning meetings went smoothly, with an organized gal at the helm (Barb B.) and a little -- well, maybe a lot of wine to keep the good ideas flowing.

One of my favorite parts of Christmases past, other than spending it with family, was the holiday baking. My friends and family know that I LOVE
pie. I also enjoy cooking, but don't do as much these days because our eating habits have changed to a healthier diet (which does not include pie). During our first meeting when assignments were being hashed out, I heard the words come out of my mouth "I want to make all the pies." Where did that come from? Must have been the wine! What in the world made me think I could pull off making and baking pies for 90 people??

Well, the offer was made and accepted, so the challenge for me was to somehow pull it off. The other committee members I think knew how crazy it was, so they all offered any help that I needed.

The crusts were made the weekend before, rolled out and frozen for the big day. I used my favorite pie crust recipe, from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Cooking with Dave's Mom" by David Letterman's mom.

Christmas Eve was baking day. The committee met at the Retama clubhouse at 8:00 a.m. I had lots of help with peeling and slicing apples and moral support, as I began to freak out when the pecan pies refused to look done. I finally gave up and pulled them from the oven, then laid awake that night worrying that they would be a runny mess when it came time to serve them. Luckily, they were fine, and this being Texas (pecan country) it was the most requested of the four varieties. (Apple crumb, pumpkin, pecan, and Door County Cherry, a special recipe suggested by Barb B.).

17 pies later, the last were pulled from the oven a little after 4:00 p.m., and we all went home to rest up for the next day.

Christmas morning we were back at the clubhouse and it was another busy, busy day. Dinner was to be served at 3:00. The committee began the day with mimosas and baked goodies furnished by Barb.

Barb's husband, Ron, was the meat master, and spent all day in the outdoor kitchen preparing the prime rib and ham. (The meat was beyond wonderful).

My friend, Sue, prepared the scalloped potatoes and helped prepare the Red Lobster rolls for last-minute baking.

Sue also made Krumkake, a traditional Norwegian light rolled cookie. I had never heard of them before, and suggested she make a sign so folks would know what they are. Silly me, being from Indiana, I forget that South Texas is largely populated in the winter from those in North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. They knew what Krumkake was, and were quite excited to see them!

Roger took my photo behind the dessert bar, with some of my creations.

We paused for a group photo for a job well done. I'm trying something new and listing links to the recipes we used. Most of these are mine; the cranberry jello salad was the one we used at the dinner, and lots of people were clamoring for the recipe for that, so I'm including it here. I uploaded the recipes from my Mastercook files to my computer, then uploaded them from there to Evernote, a web link service. Merry Christmas!

Door County Cherry Pie
Pecan Pie
Flaky Pie Crust
Perfect Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Retama's Good Cranberry Jello Salad

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were drizzly and cold here (50s), although we were too busy to notice. It has since warmed up and the sun has returned for some sunny winter days in the 70s. The pet photos of the day show a very happy Charlie the cat on our Mexican Olive Tree, harking back to his free days in Indiana before we began fulltiming.

He was an outdoor cat in those days, free to roam the neighborhood, climb trees and pergolas, even the neighbor's roof. He has to be tied up here, though, which he's not happy about. Problem is, he is not street smart in the ways of Texas, and does not know what rattlesnakes and coyotes are, or the circling hawks and crested caracaras. Sorry, Charlie, this is as much outdoor activity as you're going to get here in Texas!

Bandido was a happy guy, too, 'cause Doggie Santa brought him some yummy treats and squeaky balls.

A Walk in the Park

2011-12-20T16:51:00.000-05:00

Bandido here.... It has been raining here since last Saturday. Mom and Dad say that the rain is needed, but I am sick and tired of sitting in the motor home watching old Dog Whisperer episodes. Except for the first rain, most of the rain has been drizzle, but it has been chilly (50s) so our fun trips outside have been short. Mom has been busy making 16 pie crusts for the Retama Community Christmas Dinner. I am not allowed in the coach house when she is cooking, and even worse, I am not invited to the dinner. I have not been a happy puppy. Grrrr.

Everything changed yesterday. The sun came out. The wind dried up the mud. The temperature climbed to the mid-70s. I let Mom and Dad know that it was time to get off their butts and get outside by closing Dad's computer with my paw and vocalizing a few doleful whines. Works every time.

I thought we were headed to the dog park when I saw Dad putting on his shoes. So, I helped him along by licking his face and nipping at his feet when he put on his socks. They surprised me though, when they did not take the turn to the dog park. At first I was upset, but I sensed that this might be a long walk. I was right.

After a short stroll, we arrived at the entrance to Bentsen Rio Grande State Park. I have been here before. It is a fun place. Lots of things to smell.

We passed a couple of Border Patrol cars as we entered the park. The agents always wave to me. They are so nice. I try to never bark at them because they might take me away from my parents and send me to Mexico.

We looked at a map to see where we would be walking. We decided to walk all the way around the park. Wow, look. We are really close to Mexico.

Mom and Dad took turns going into one of the bird blinds. One of them always stayed with me because I don't like to be alone. In fact, I don't like any of us to be away from each other. We are a family of three (not counting the cat who is really not one of us). If any of us wanders off, I try really hard to herd that person back. It is a big job. Anyway, Dad says that he saw a Baltimore Oriole and a Black Crested Titmouse. Big woop. Unless I can chase them out of the yard, I really don't care.

I would much rather spend my time smelling new smells.

After a while, Mom had to go to the bathroom. This happens a lot with Mom. Dad secretly took her picture coming out of the "Big John". So funny! Mom didn't even know he took the picture and now it is here for everyone to see. Funny Dad. He might be in trouble.

We walked to the top of the hawk tower, but did not see any hawks. I love it up there. It is so high and you can stand in the wind and see all the way to Mexico.

Mom and Dad were all excited about the water level in the resaca (a lake that used to be a bend in a river) below the tower. It almost dried up in the drought. It is not full yet, but it is getting better. That is a good thing for all the wildlife in the park.

We passed by Dad's favorite tree. He thinks it looks all eerie and creepy. He especially likes riding his bike by it at Halloween time. Just looks like a tree to me. I really don't understand why Mom and Dad get excited about some things, but I like them anyway.

The sun really was bright. Me and my shadow..........

When we got back home, Mom's pedometer said that we walked 4.9 miles. I don't know what that means, but I feel a nap coming on.

Wait a minute..... This day just keeps getting better. Mom stopped by the mailbox after we got back. She ordered some special yogurt stuff to put on my dog biscuits and it arrived. Chaplin used to really like the dog biscuits, but being from south Texas, I have always thought they were a little bland. Anyway, she glazed the dog biscuits right away and I got to have one. It was yummy.

When my parents weren't looking, I helped myself to some more. (I guess they had to have been looking or there wouldn't be a picture.)

It was a perfect day.

Now for the "human" picture of the day..... It got pretty hot during our walk. When we were close to home, Mom started walking with her arms sticking out. She told Dad that she was airing her armpits because she forgot to put on deodorant after her shower. Personally, I think she was very aromatic!

Rainy Days in Texas - Finally!

2011-12-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Roger here... Excitement in South Texas! It actually rained --- not just a little bit, but a full-blown, all-day event. Just look at our concrete driveway -- Not just drops, but yes, it is completely wet.

I know this is not big news for our friends in most of the country, but this is the first rain Dianne and I have seen in South Texas since January of 2010. Most of the rain fell on Saturday, but it continued at a lighter rate most of the next day. Our scientifically accurate rain gauge (yardstick in Bandido's wading pool) confirms that over a two-day period we got about three and one-half inches of rain. Wow!

What did we do during the two days of rain? Well, on the first day we did not do much. The electricity went off at 9:30 a.m. Power was not restored until 6:30 p.m. The important task of the day was firing up the generator in the motor home, then connecting the coach house refrigerator to the motor home so that our food stayed cold.

I also had some quiet time to begin planning our travels for next spring, summer, and fall. The first stop will be at the April RV Dreams Rally in the Texas Hill Country --- then on to southern Utah, near Zion National Park. We'll be there for a month, AND our daughters and granddaughter will be joining us there for a week. Can't wait. After that, more travels in Utah, and an extended stay in the mountains of Colorado --- all subject to change.

Back to the rain and the power outage... Dianne and I could not figure out why the power went out, and why it took so long to repair. It was not windy. There was no ice on the lines. It obviously was not snowing. There was no lightning. Did a truck hit a power-line pole? Did terrorists attack the power station?

The answer is kinda interesting: Since it had not rained here for so long, the transformers were covered with dust, AND the wooden utility poles were extremely dried out. Evidently, the rain caused arcing at the transformers, which ignited the dust, which set the utility poles on fire. 4000 homes were without power while workers extinguished fires in several locations and reconstructed the damaged lines and power poles.

The second day of rain was much calmer, but it was still wet and even a little chilly. So, we mostly stayed inside. I did some more trip planning. We made a couple of campground reservations in the places where we intended to spend a month. I watched a couple of taped Purdue basketball games --- both were victories for the Boilers.

Dianne took a few pictures of our previously thirsty plants. We water the plants nearly every day, but it is amazing how green things can get after a soaking rain.

Our new jasmine vines; we hope they eventually cover the pergola!

My tomatoes are getting big!

Ixora blooming and Sago Palm

We sloshed through the mud to the dog park. Bandido laid down in the water tub, rinsing off all the mud. What a good dog!

Ah-a-a-a-a!

Eight Chachalacas sittin' in a tree....

Dianne downloaded a couple of wildlife pictures that she had taken at the Butterfly Park.

Rare Yellow-Angled Sulphur

I walked Bandido in the rain.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset at the end of a rainy day. Life has been good.

I have been trying to get Bandido interested in Purdue basketball --- to no avail. The pet picture of the day documents my failure. I am afraid that Bandido is far more interested in my popcorn than my Boilermakers.

Please, Dad, can I have some? Maybe some beer, too?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2011-11-30T19:39:00.000-05:00

Hi all, Dianne here. This will be the first Christmas since 2007 that we will have a "house" to decorate, tiny though it is. It was fun to dig out the very few Christmas decorations that we'd stored away, and added a few new ones, too.

This charming Nativity scene was purchased in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico last April before we left the Valley. I love it because it reminds me of the warm, friendly people who populate this area of deep south Texas, or "Texico" as some folks call it.

A favorite decoration was given to us by our dear friend Nancy R. when Roger's mom passed away; it reminds us both of Nancy and Roger's mom, and it's beautiful besides (the photo doesn't do it justice). It's very fragile, so it has been packed safely away since 2007 and we're glad to see it again.

We have our little LED tree in the front window, so that it shows from outside.

Roger got into the spirit, installed hooks, and strung "snowflake" lights outside:

Yesterday, Roger finished up by decorating the patio outside and stringing lights over the pergola:

Retama is such a special community: Last season they had a fundraiser to purchase new Christmas decorations for the clubhouse. You might think it was a simple matter of purchasing new lights, etc. Well, not here! The work began last March -- Quilts were made, shopping went on all summer, and the end result was magical! My photos wouldn't do it justice, but here's just a sample, showing the outdoor fountain.

Roger and I attended the open house to unveil the new decorations, and it was packed.

Better photos of the beautiful decor can be found on the Retama Holiday Blog, a blog put together by the gals who did the lion's share of the decorating, and chronicled their progress. Check it out!

The neighborhood is also sponsoring the local children's home for Christmas, so today I was able to do a little Christmas shopping for a young boy and little girl. If that doesn't put you into a Christmas mood, nothing will!

Despite the greenery and lights, it's still warm and beautiful here in Mission, TX. We attended our final butterfly walk last Friday morning, and John, one of our guides, found a beautiful Sphinx moth for us to inspect.

Here's a beautiful sunrise I saw one warm morning as I drank coffee and watched the birds on my patio. You might think it would be difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when it's so sunny and warm most days. Well, I'm here to tell you that the warm people down here more than make up for a change of seasons. Y'all can keep the snow and gray skies up north!

The pet photo of the day shows how the action is picking up at our "play dates" at the dog park! Bandido can be seen in the center top in the background, chasing a brown dog at full speed. Tomorrow is December 1, and someone at the dog park this morning said that 42 RVs are scheduled to arrive at the adjacent RV park tomorrow! The same folks come back year after year to spend the winter at Bentsen Palm Village, so if you want to visit, you'll need to make a reservation by early March. That's a sure sign of a very special place!

She's a Project-Lovin' Woman....

2011-11-22T18:50:00.001-05:00

Hi all, Dianne here. (Note: blogger is acting squirrely and cutting off text. I apologize in advance, 'cause I can't figure out how to fix it.)

Back when we had a "real" house in Indiana, the guys at my local neighborhood hardware store once called me a "project-lovin' woman," because I was in there so often buying supplies for whatever I was working on at the moment. Just to prove that you can teach a 61-year-old woman new tricks, I decided to try to tile our coach house backsplash. This was the last remaining "finish" item on our to-do list in the coach house.

This blog may not be of much interest except to friends and family, namely those who know the saga of the Italian tiles. For those of you who couldn't care less, go ahead and scroll to the bottom to see a cute photo of Charlie the cat watching the pet sitter video on tv. For those of you with way too much time, continue on....

In September 2004, Roger and I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tuscany, Italy with a group of friends. We all pooled our resources and rented an Italian villa at a working vineyard and olive oil agriturismo, Fattoria de Cinciano. What a wonderful trip!

At the time, we were in the process of remodeling our kitchen. We purchased a series of hand-crafted Italian tiles and had them shipped to Indiana to be incorporated into our backsplash. I held back three of the tiles "just in case" we ever sold that house. Here's how the tiles looked in our kitchen remodel:
Italian Tiles

If you should want to see the entire finished kitchen, here's a link to the other photos: Finished Kitchen 2005. Those of you who have seen our little coach house will recognize a few items, like the black Silgranite sink, faux copper ceiling, open dish cabinet, kitchen table and chairs, wine rack, and now, my three remaining Italian tiles. I still have my "dream kitchen," except now it's very, very tiny! Isn't it Murphy's law that as soon as you get your house just the way you want it, you decide to sell it and move on? That's just what we did; we have been fulltiming now since December of 2008, so only enjoyed that new kitchen for a couple of years.

I finally summoned up the courage to go to Home Depot to buy my supplies. While there, I noticed a product called "Simple Mat," an adhesive mat that takes the place of mortar. I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. I'll update this blog if the whole wall of tiles decides to peel away from the wall and fall down, but it seems to be solid (so far, so good....)

I'll just describe the process I used in photo captions:

Simple Mat Cut and Applied to Wall

You simply peel the "wall side" paper off and stick it where you want the tile.

The first tile sheet applied 1/8" above counter

When ready to stick the tiles, you remove the "tile side" plastic off the Simple Mat and position the tiles. You have to be careful, because once they're on, it's very hard to reposition them.

Snipping Tiles around Switch Plate Opening

Roger did the Math to help me lay out my Italian Tiles

Let's just say it's a good thing I married a smart man. I'm mathematically challenged, and would have goofed this step for sure!

Ready to Install the Third Italian Tile

Grouting is a messy job!

So is wiping the grout!

Caulked and Polished!

The hardest part for me was wiping the grout haze from the little tile faces. Just wiping with a dry cloth didn't work, so I had to wait and use tile cleaner after 24 hours. I spent a whole afternoon polishing each little tile until it was the way I wanted it.

The mosaic glass tiles are "Midnight Blue" and have shiny copper, black, and white accents throughout the glass.

I found a perfect light switch plate to match the copper, but had to order the matching outlet cover. I also had to readjust the switches underneath and use longer screws on the switch box to make it flush with the new tile.

Now all I have to do is await my outlet cover and it will be totally finished!

One final touch: While we were exploring Tuscany on a rainy day, we happened upon a beautiful monastery which allowed tourists.

We could hear the monks singing as we explored the grounds.

In the gift shop, I purchased a small hand-crafted tile as a memento. It had a lovely cypress tree hand painted on it; it just seemed to symbolize our entire trip, for we saw those lovely trees everywhere in Tuscany. The little tile is an odd shape and not perfectly symmetrical, so it could not be incorporated into a wall. It now has a home (hung by fishing line) behind my sink. All of our things just seem to look better and fit better in our coach house.

The pet photo of the day shows Charlie the cat watching the "pet sitter video" I put in for he and Bandido one evening before we went out. Bandido watched it for a while, but Charlie was so excited by it that he meowed and jumped up on the dash to look behind the TV to see just how to reach the darned squirrel!

Days of the Grackles

2011-11-06T13:19:00.001-05:00

Great-Tailed Grackles

Roger here... How to start? Our time in south Texas is filled with activity, but the pace is slow. Does that make any sense? This post will give a taste of some of the things that keep us busy. Dianne will start with an explanation of the opening pictures.

Dianne here: I've loved great-tailed grackles since I first saw them in Coffeyville, Kansas in 2009. They make the most amazing whistles and crackling noises. They love my bird seed, but they're too large to roost on the feeder.

Golden-Fronted Woodpecker

They congregate on the ground below, looking up at the feeder and waiting for the resident woodpecker (who is a very picky eater) to come and push the small seeds out to get at the peanuts. Now that the green jays are frequenting my feeder, they help out the grackles, too.

Mockingbird

We also still enjoy the gang of mockingbirds who hang out and mainly come for a drink.

Green Jay

I've had a couple of exciting additions lately, though:

Inca Doves

Roger again.... I had a unique experience the other day while riding my bike at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park. I ride several miles in the park three or four times a week. During those rides, I have occasionally seen bobcats. Typically, they are trotting along the road or doing one of those lion-like (I'm in charge) kind of saunters. As soon as they see me, they bound into the brush.

It always gives me a thrill to see them, but the interaction last week was the best. As I turned a corner, I saw a large bobcat walking along the side of the road. I was approaching him/her from behind. For some bizarre reason, he did not hear me coming. I continued approaching, trying to make as little noise as possible. He did not see me until I was right (within three feet) next to him. At that point, instead of running, he froze and stared at me.

We stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity, but was actually only an instant. I will never forget those eyes. I rolled past him about 20 feet and braked the bike. He remained frozen for about a minute before his eventual leap into the brush. Something I will never forget.

It all happened too quickly for me to get a picture. It would have been difficult to get the camera out while riding the bike, and if I had tried, the movement would probably have shortened the encounter. However, Dianne looked up a link that will take you to a photo of a bobcat that one of our neighbors, John Rosford (a professional photographer), took at our state park. It will give you a sense of what I saw: http://www.rosford.com/mammalia/felidae/lruf.html Might even be the same cat!

This was really one of Dianne's activities, but I was the guy with the camera. We have been intending to repaint the wooden Adirondack chairs that we have on our back patio for a couple of years now. They were originally bright red, but over the years they faded to a dark pink. Dianne was inspired the other day, and located the red paint that we purchased last year for this purpose. (I am not allowed to touch a paint brush.) The photo above contrasts the new paint job with the old. Here is Dianne, hard at work.

We dragged the chairs to the front of the coach house to be painted. When we were finished, we liked how they looked in the front, AND the front has the only shade in the middle of the day. Sooo.... We decided to leave them there and order new chairs for the back area.

The new chairs arrived yesterday. They are sturdy, heavy, and made of polywood (recycled plastic) so they should last a long time. It was my job to assemble them. I had some trouble finding the correct phillips screwdriver to use with the provided screws. I wanted to use the phillips bit on my electric drill, but the box of bits is lost somewhere in the recesses of our storage room. Finding them would be far more of a project than struggling with a hand-held screw driver.
(See why??!! I'd say we're making the most out of our little storage closet! -- D.)

After a longer than necessary time, struggling with the screwdriver and the screws, the chairs were assembled. We like the way they look. (They are comfortable, too -- D.)

Roger here again... Remember the bit about Dianne painting the chairs and me not being allowed to touch a paint brush? Well.... Dianne had her very own painting incident. Since it was nearing wine-thirty and Dianne was working so hard, and because I felt like I should be doing something useful, I brought her a glass of wine. Guess what happened! After a few sips of wine, Dianne dipped the red paint brush into the red wine glass instead of the paint can :-)!!!!!! What a hoot!

This is not too exciting, but it is something we enjoy. Every day, the half-mile walk to the dog park involves passing a farmer's field. Brahman cattle are often grazing in the field. Before coming here, most of the Indiana cattle that we saw were hereford or black angus. There are all kinds of cattle in Texas, including longhorns, but the Brahmans are unique. Evidently, they are well suited for the extremely hot summers here. Lots of loose skin that allows heat to dissipate. We love the floppy ears and the hump. We love watching them graze in the field, just across the fence from the dogs in the dog park, who do not faze them at all.

The dog park here does not have a nice pond like the one in Fishers, IN, but it does have a doggie tub for hot days. After endless trips retrieving a tennis ball, Bandido heads for the tub, drops the ball in the water and enjoys a good soak.

Soon after, he digs in the water. Much better than digging in our yard.

Dianne here... Activity is picking up at the neighborhood dog park.

A group of us have set up twice-weekly "play dates," which are fun for the adults as well. As they say, a tired dog is a good dog, so we do our best to wear them out.

Click, Bandido, & Pepper

Pretty Katie

Lady

Roger again... In addition to dog park get-togethers, there are many social opportunities here at Retama. Here are a few events that we have attended during the past two weeks:

Dianne and I enjoyed homemade bierocks, German potato salad, cole slaw, and beer at Retama's Oktoberfest party.

I attended a couple of the men's breakfasts at Chuey's, a local Mexican restaurant (I crave the Mexican omelets).

We have enjoyed sampling new beers a few times with our friends, Jim and Sue, while Bandido plays with their whippets, Gabe and Click.

We are also attending a weekly butterfly walk the month of November with neighbors John and Audrey, who are naturalists and very knowledgeable guides -- D.

Oh, and Retama has a men's organization called the Lumbermen. From time to time the group gets together to discuss lumber (that is what we tell our wives). Evidently, the first meeting took place in a local establishment after a trip to a lumber yard. Since that time, the group thought it would be safer to meet at someone's house. I was invited to my first meeting this week. A riveting discussion of 2X4s ensued.

Dianne... I'm enjoying water aerobics twice a week. This Thursday morning it was too cold, so instead Bandido and I took a 5 mile walk to the hawk tower in the state park and back. He wore his backpack and carried my binoculars and his water. Here he is at the top of the hawk tower on a very windy morning:

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido's method of telling us it is time to go to the dog park.

If that doesn't make us smile and reach for the leash, he has been known to get "verbal" as shown in this 30-second video snippet:

Butterflies Were Free - Mission Butterfly Festival

2011-10-23T17:03:00.001-04:00

Disclaimer: My actual outfit for the butterfly walk was shorts + tee

Roger here.... Is this a birder, OR a butterflier? Note the sensible long pants, the sun-protecting long sleeves, the many pocketed vest, the floppy hat, the sunglasses, the binoculars, and the identification books -- all very practical for both hobbies. One really can't tell the difference between the two (birder or butterflier) by the wardrobe. They both look the same. In order to tell the difference, one must make careful observations of behavior.

You see, birders tend to be a quiet lot. They move slowly behind bird blinds and seldom speak louder than a whisper. It is considered bad form to talk loudly, sing, or make sudden jerky movements. You will scare the birds and they will fly away. The above person is probably a birder.

Butterfliers, however, are an enthusiastic and rambunctious group. They tend to yell, flagellate, run, laugh, and occasionally swear when they spot a rare specimen. Note the rare photograph below. We were very fortunate to snap this picture at just the right instant before the butterflier made a blurry exit.

Case in point..... Dianne and I attended the Mission City Butterfly Festival on Saturday. It was located at the North American Butterfly Association's (NABA) national headquarters about a mile from our motor home. Normally, there is a ten-dollar-per-person admission charge, but during the festival, admission was free.

It is our understanding that there are fewer butterflies than usual this year due to the drought and a rare early spring freeze. Nonetheless, there were lots and lots of butterflies. We had some time to wander through the park just prior to a scheduled guided walk. It was fun reading the placards and seeing the different butterflies flying around the plants that attract them. After a careful look, we discovered hundreds of Red-Bordered Pixies on the tree that served as their home. Cool, huh?

Time for the guided walk and our observations of butterflier behavior. We met our guide under one of the palapas. A dozen or so other people joined the group. Our guide was dressed appropriately as a butterflier, and spent a moment pointing out how his garb was appropriate for his hobby.

At that point, our guide behaved much like a birder. He was calm, knowledgeable, interesting, and non-demonstrative. He quietly led us through the various planted areas of the park while pointing out a plethora of various butterflies. Most of them were difficult for novices such as ourselves to photograph, because they were constantly flitting like -- like -- well, like butterflies. However, we were able to get a couple of pictures:

Guatemalan Cracker

And then it happened! Our first glimpse of true butterflier behavior. A somewhat agitated butterflier approached our guide with his camera. He apologized for interrupting the walk, but explained that he just MUST know the species of butterfly that he just photographed. Our guide politely offered a couple of possibilities, and the man left. Not a big deal.

However, within seconds a second butterflier began shouting. "I KNOW WHAT IT IS! I KNOW WHAT IT IS! I KNOW WHAT IT IS!" Picture a guy hurdling over plants, waving his arms, with binoculars swinging like a pendulum from his neck. He looked like he was running the 110 low hurdles at a track meet. He landed in the middle of a planting area insisting that everyone help relocate the butterfly. At that point, we lost our guide (for a time) as he shuffled through the knee-high plantings --- the telescopic lens of his camera moving from plant to plant, searching for the elusive butterfly. The frenetic butterflier (the running shouter) apologized for disrupting the walk, but stated that this would be the first sighting of this species of butterfly in the United States, and that it must be found. At that point a wildly smiling lady, who had evidently photographed the butterfly, lifted her fist in the air and shouted, "Hot damn!" She then apologized to several small children who were in the area.

Dutifully, we scanned the area for the prized sighting. There were many questions and comments during the search:

- "What does it look like?", a lady asked. No response. Again, "What does it look like?" The answer, "Nondescript - dark brown." "It might have some dots on one of its wings." (So I am looking for a nondescript butterfly?)

- "How big is it?" Answer, "Small."

- "Is that it?" "Where, where!?" "Don't lose it!" "No, thats not it."

- "What is its name?" Answer, "We don't know for sure." "I know the scientific name, but I don't know for sure."

I thought, all this ruckus and you don't know what it is called?

Oh well, I have to admit that watching the ecstatic butterfliers as they whooped, hollered, and flitted around (like butterflies) in their butterfly garb was great fun. What enthusiasm. These people truly love their hobby. Good for them. Selfishly, I am glad I didn't miss it. I am still smiling. (Dianne here: Later during the tour, our guide remembered the name of the butterfly that caused all the excitement, an "Osca Skipper." It feeds on sugar cane, and since there are large sugar cane fields next to the butterfly park, that is probably what it is.)

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido napping with what remains of the third "indestructible" squeaky duck that was his favorite toy. He is able to disembowel them in record time now, so no more duckies for Bandido!

Birding, Exercising, Hanging Out -- It's Good to be Home!

2011-10-17T15:28:00.002-04:00

Green Jays

Hi all -- Dianne here. We've settled back in at Retama Village, and both of us have restarted exercise routines (still trying to work off the midwestern pounds we gained this summer).

We take turns, one of us taking Bandido for a long power walk or to the dog park for playtime, and the other can get up and out the door before the heat of the day sets in, and ride bikes, swim laps, or go to the fitness center here at Retama. Both of us enjoy riding our bikes next door to and through Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park (we get in free with our neighborhood pass). Roger here.... on the days that Dianne bikes, upon her return, I head to either the fitness center or the pool. Today was a pool day. I reached my goal of swimming a mile. Yippeee.

The state park is especially nice for biking, because there is no vehicle traffic, other than the park rangers. R: Also, the roads are laid out in concentric circles, so it is easy to keep track of the miles while enjoying the ever-changing scenery.

Here's my bike this morning, ready to take off for some exercise and birding:

My birding friends (unless they live here) can only drool at the recent sightings below:

Golden-Fronted Woodpecker

I didn't see all of these birds, but in addition to the green jays in the opening photo, I did see an Altamira Oriole, a road runner, and these birds at one of the bird blinds along the route:

Plain Chachalaca

2 Great Kiskadees

The chachalacas and green jays were sparring

over rights to the seed feeder --

But the green jays won out (as shown in the opening photo). On Roger's bike ride yesterday, he was lucky to see some wood storks and a
green kingfisher at the hawk tower. There are usually serious birders staked out at the
hawk tower with telescopic lenses, and they
are
always happy to share their knowledge and
point out unusual birds to us novices. Roger
also saw a bobcat. I saw lots and lots of
javelina scat, but no actual sightings. They
were all over the place at the park the first
winter we were
here, but after the park flooded during the
spring of 2010 hurricane, they are just re-establishing themselves again.

Our little spot at Retama, being right next door, also has golden-fronted woodpeckers, kiskadees, and other occasional exotics. I'm still partial to my gang of mockingbirds that
stop by for a drink now and then.

We also got some good clean exercise by
washing the thousands of miles of grime off
our motor home the other day. I'll let Roger elaborate:

The picture above looks like yet another
picture of our back pergola area, but its not!
It is actually a picture of the newly-cleaned
side of our motor home. Pay attention, and
you can see the graphics of the motor home.

Saturday was wash the motor home day.  I got
out of bed, and with dogged determination vowed that the task that we had been putting
off for a week would be accomplished on that day.  No excuses and/or rationalizations would
be accepted ---

- It's too hot!
- We would have to skip exercise for the day.
- We'll have to move all the furniture.
- I'm too tired today.
- It might be cooler tomorrow.
- It might rain later in the week and rinse off
   the grime -- yeah right!
- It will get dirty again anyway.
- I don't want to get wet.
- Bandido will be bored.
- Dianne doesn't like to sweat.
- Yada, yada, yada.

I took the dog for a walk and assembled all
the cleaning supplies while Dianne went on a shortened bike ride. As soon as Dianne
returned, the fun began.

I hosed down each section, starting with the
roof. (Those colorful Texas birds tend to
make nasty messes on the roof.) (Scissor-tail flycatchers are beautiful birds, but I can tell you for certain that their poop is just as unsightly as the grackles -- D.)

I then scrubbed with soapy water, then
scrubbed again with a wet brush attached to
the hose. Dianne followed by re-hosing the
clean surface with soft water, using a squeegee
to
wipe off the water, then going over the surface one more time with a microfiber cloth.
Bandido hid under the outdoor furniture to
avoid getting wet. Dianne and I actually
enjoyed being soaked. The hot day did not
seem nearly so hot. It took several hours,
but
the results were worth it.

Ah!!!!!!!! The sense of accomplishment!
Time to sit in the shade with a good book
and several glasses of ice water.

The pet picture of the day is an older one of Bandido at the dog park with one of his toys.
I think that particular toy survived about a
week before all of the outer surface
mysteriously
came off. He loves plush squeaky toys, but
has become an expert at disembowling them within 10 minutes, so now he has to make do with the indestructible types. -- D.

Drenching Rains in Mission

2011-10-12T18:02:00.001-04:00

Roger here.... The storm clouds are gathering. Yay!!!!! We are finally going to get a soaking rain in Mission.

Dianne and I watched the radar on our I-phones. It is headed this way! We brought in the chair cushions and took pictures of the clouds as they rolled in.

The winds picked up. It was blowing so hard that the water from our fountain blew away from the collecting bowl and onto the driveway.

I am so glad we spent the money to have gutters installed on the coach house. We are really going to need them today.

Here it comes! A four-incher! Just to clarify, a four-incher in Indiana would mean four inches in depth. A four-incher in Texas means four inches between the raindrops. In Indiana, rain is measured with a rain gauge. In Texas, rain is measured with a ruler.

Dianne and I actually sat outside during the hour-long spitting of rain and enjoyed getting splattered even though we did not really even get wet. Bandido thought it was fun.

Ixora

All of last season's potted plants died during the five months we were away -- not nearly enough rain. (Zero probably equates to not nearly enough). We expected that would probably happen. As Dianne mentioned in the last post, one of our first tasks was to buy new plants to replace them. With daily watering, the new plants are doing well.

Portulaca

Bougainvillea

Firecracker Plant

Since we were already playing in the dirt, we decided to add a couple large blue pots to our landscaped areas.

Pride of Barbados

We even found a place to grow a couple of tomato plants that Dianne grew from seed and has been babying in the motor home. The pots are on rollers so we can move them inside if it gets too cold --- right now it is hard to imagine that it would ever get too cold here.

Almost all of the plants that were in the ground survived the drought. Our planting areas and our lawn have an underground drip irrigation system. However, I must say that they are doing even better with a daily squirt of water.

The survivors (a few of them)......

"Belinda's Dream" Shrub Rose

Aloe Vera

Dianne here: They try to keep with organic landscaping here at Retama. The other day the landscaping crew sprinkled composted manure on all the beds, and yesterday they came back with fresh mulch. Roger and I have spread truckloads of mulch over the years at our various homes, and it's so nice to just enjoy the results here without the backbreaking sweat that goes along with it!

Prickly Pear Cactus & Meyer Lemon

We measured lemon tree (I grew it from seed about 5 years ago) just before we left last May, and it was 16" tall. The day we returned, Roger re-measured it, and it is now 24" tall (shown on the right in the above photo). I guess lemon tree likes it here!

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido inspecting the pumpkin zombie that appeared in our back yard after the drenching rain. His first reaction was to growl at it while slowly slinking forward. Then he figured out that it was one of Dianne's toys.

A final note from Dianne: This little scarecrow (it's an iron frame with a loop on top to place a pumpkin head) has had several incarnations over the years, as shown in the following photos from our former home in Pendleton, Indiana:

White Pumpkin Scarecrow + "Little Mermaid" Kaia

Here it is another year, with another photo of a very young Kaia posing beside it (I've shown this photo before; it's still one of my favorites of Kaia):

Painted Pumpkin Head + Kaia

And finally, Kaia and her mom, Amanda, posing with my scarecrow on a different Halloween:

Amanda, Kaia, and Carved Head Pumpkin Scarecrow

I haven't been able to use my scarecrow frame for the past three years that we've been full-timing, so it was fun to get it out to use it here in Texas, with a few minor modifications! A real pumpkin wouldn't last a week in 90+ degree temps, so we found a metal one here at the local grocery store. I substituted a small prickly pear cactus instead of a basket of apples for the same reason.

Port Lavaca and Home to Retama

2011-10-06T16:52:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Dianne here. Well, we're back at our winter home, Retama Village, in Mission, Texas. First, though, I'll chronicle our short stay at Lighthouse Beach RV Park in Port Lavaca on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Lighthouse Beach RV park is a municipal-run park right on the bay. We enjoyed full hookups and a view of the bay for $29/night. The sites are close together, but we were lucky in that the sites on either side remained empty during our stay.

Most of our time was spent either enjoying the view and tropical breeze at our site or walking the 2,200-foot-long boardwalk over the marsh and viewing the shore birds. Egrets, small blue heron, willet, roseate spoonbill, ibis -- these are just a few of the interesting birds that we saw during our walks. Bandido enjoyed the boardwalk until it ventured out over open water and he could see the water through the cracks; then he didn't like it at all!

There is a small beach area at the park. We didn't use it, because dogs are not allowed on the beach.

Here's a final sunset shot from Port Lavaca, bringing this summer's travels to an end. We've been on the road for five months; it's time now to settle in and save our pennies for next summer's adventures.

We were anxious to finally get home to our winter spot. We pulled into Retama Village around 3:00 p.m. last Monday and made our way down Mallard Drive to our tiny little home. It was still all buttoned down for the winter, with Reflectix in the windows and all of our outdoor furnishings stacked inside. (This is necessary in case of hurricane winds; even the garbage can is supposed to be stored inside in our absence.)

We had only been home an hour or so, when down the street came our friends Jim and Sue (who we met up with in Duluth this summer), bringing us each a cold beer and a chew-bone for Bandido! What a nice welcome! They've been back a couple of weeks, getting their newly-purchased home furnished and settling in.

Most folks have not returned yet, but several have arrived even since we came in on Monday. It's fun to renew acquaintances, and we look forward to lots of fun times this season.

Bandido is very happy to be able to chase balls and run free at the dog park. He will enjoy it even more when his pals arrive from up north. He has already renewed his friendship with Gabe and Click, Jim and Sue's whippets.

If I sound a little tired, it's because we've spent all week moving our things back outside, buying new plants for our containers, cleaning, and doing the loads and loads of laundry that I saved up, waiting to use my own washer and dryer -- no more laundromats for me until next summer!

Here are a few photos of our place now that we've settled back in:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This year we can just enjoy our place and not have construction going on, as we did all last winter. Our only chore this year is to repaint our faded Adirondack chairs a brighter red; they've pretty much faded to pink, as shown in the above photo.

We moved my antique metal comfy/bouncy chairs to the side area in order to take advantage of the afternoon shade. It's still really hot here (mid-90s), but with the constant breeze and low humidity, it's actually very pleasant so long as you stay in the shade.

We probably won't be updating the blog quite as often while we're holed up here for the winter, but we'll keep you posted on our Retama winter fun as things occur.

The pet photo of the day shows Bandido and Charlie laying on the bed in Port Lavaca, keeping vigil out the open window at night. (See why we keep a sheet on top of the bedspread? It's Charlie's favorite spot, especially when that window is open.)

Shiner, Texas --- Home of my Favorite Brewery

2011-10-02T19:22:00.000-04:00

Roger here.... On most mornings I awaken to someone licking my nose -- not Dianne, Bandido. This morning was different. The first thing that roused me from a deep sleep was the Shiner Comanche Marching Band (drum line) as the musicians practiced on the football field right next to the municipal park where we are camped. Marching band must be first period.

We are parked in Green-Dickson Municipal Park in a spacious (water/electric) site ($20). It is a great site, but our arrival was not the best. We pulled into the wrong entrance of the park because there was no signage. After a few stops along the roadway, Hector, a park employee, pointed us to the correct area. (Hector is the kind of friendly Texan that we have come to respect in this state.) When we found our spot, directly behind the city war memorial, the wind picked up and the sky turned purple. Rain. YES! Oh no, I haven't hooked up the electricity. Crap. Oh, well. Rain. YES!

In order to pay for the site, we needed to drive a couple of miles into town to pay at the Municipal Building. Since Bandido is afraid of thunder, he went with us, hopping along on Dianne's lap the entire way. This blog does not have audio, but suffice it to say, audio feed of the trip would have included several of the following: "Ouch!, sit still!, Bandido SIT DOWN!, ouch, you're hurting me! ouch, ouch, ouch...... When we pulled up to the building, the sky broke loose --- a torrential rain, accompanied by Fourth-of-July type lightning and thunder. I was soaked when I burst into the municipal offices. My first sight was of the employees who were literally laughing and dancing because it was finally raining. I did not mind being wet, and I enjoyed the Texas hospitality that I was afforded.

OK. You may be asking.... Why did we travel to a small Texas town in the middle of nowhere, between San Antonio and the gulf coast? The answer is simple: Beer.

The Spoetzl Brewery has been brewing Shiner beer since 1909. The local German and Czech immigrants were anxious to find a German-type beer to remind them of their homeland. They constructed the first facility and brought Kosmos Spoetzl from Germany to serve as the first brewmaster. It is still a family operation. The hops used in the brewing process are still imported from Germany and Czechoslovakia (and the State of Washington).

I first tasted Shiner Bock when we visited Luckenbach, Texas a few years ago. It seemed to be the only beer that the concertgoers were drinking. I liked it, and still do. (Even I like it, and I'm not really a beer drinker -- D.) When planning our return to Retama, I discovered that Shiner, with a slight detour, was on the way. So here we are. Don't touch the copper cauldrons --- they're hot!

Ann took us on the first tour of the day. What fun it was to hear about the local history and Kosmos Spoetzl, who must have been quite a character. The brewery employs 90 workers, including a man (honored in the main hall) who continues to brew beer after 63 years -- a better man than me. Watching the brewing and bottling process reminded me of our tour of the Tabasco Factory a couple of years ago. Lots of fun. (Unfortunately, no cameras allowed inside the brewing facility).

The tour ended at the gift shop, of course. Not a problem for me. Every participant was given four tokens, redeemable for sampling four beers. The gold-medal-winning (out of 99 breweries) seasonal Oktoberfest beer was my favorite. There were lots of things to buy. After the hospitality, how could we not buy a few things?

We helped Shiner's bottom line by purchasing a large thermometer for our patio area at Retama, a Shiner ice bucket, a couple of t-shirts, a visor (for Dianne), a bottle cozy, two Shiner beer glasses, and a decal for the inside of one of our outdoor bays. (Sounds like a lot, but we knew before we got there that we'd be shopping for some cool Shiner stuff for our patio) -- D.

After I ran out of beer tokens, we headed for the local post office to pick up our mail. Along the way, Hector (the guy that helped us find our site at the park) recognized us while driving by in his truck and waved. I am sure that all Texans are not overly friendly, but we seem to encounter those that are everywhere we go.

Lunch time. We selected the Shiner Restaurant and Tavern. The inside matched the outside. The walls were lined with old library shelves displaying Texas artifacts. The ceiling was tin. Right after we sat down, Dianne noticed Hector at another table, also having lunch, and he waved to us again. (We feel like members of the family). I insisted that Dianne pose between the Indian and the Shiner ice bucket. Not her idea. Really, not her idea. What a good sport.

We both had the Friday lunch special -- chicken fried steak with made-from-scratch gravy and mashed potatoes; we are in Texas, after all. Definitely not on our diets, but sometimes ya gotta splurge. A heart attack on a plate, but sooo good. Tonight, I will only eat veggies. Really, that is true.

After dinner, we took a few pictures of the restored downtown area.

I noticed a common theme. Can you pick it out?

We drove by a beautiful Catholic Church (stained glass windows imported from Bavaria)....

I insisted that Dianne pose again.......

And we headed back to our peaceful spot in the park.

Prosit!!!!

Dianne here: Stop the presses! This was the original end of the blog today. Just had to add a little more:

Should you camp in the municipal park at Shiner, you may not need your alarm clock. 7:00 a.m. Friday morning the marching band practiced (had to be before school, not first period as Roger stated). We planned our departure for first thing Saturday morning, heading to the gulf coast. Well, 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning we awakened to the sound of multiple school buses and hundreds of adolescent voices right outside our windows!

We were completely surrounded by the trappings of a multi-school cross country invitational tournament! And I do mean surrounded -- even our picnic table was piled high with gym bags!

The runners went on a route around the large field across from our motor home, and back on the road directly in front of our large windows before looping back to the finish line. It was obvious we were not going to be leaving any time soon!

One of the best things about retirement is the lack of schedules. We decided to forget about leaving before the end of the tournament (we couldn't have anyway) and just kick back and enjoy the view. It brought back memories to Roger of his days as principal of a large junior high school and all the extracurricular events he attended there as principal. This also seemed to be junior-high-age kids.

The pet photo of the day shows Charlie and Bandido watching the cross country runners pass by our site. Even they enjoyed the show!

Tomorrow.... on to the Gulf of Mexico (unless we change our minds).

Fort Worth, Texas

2011-09-30T18:21:00.002-04:00

Roger here... We recently crossed over the Texas State Line at Texarkana. That border crossing marked the half-way point in our trip to Mission, TX from Indianapolis. Texas is a big place.

We did not need a Welcome to Texas sign to know that we had returned. This state has a feel to it that is immediately recognizable. Here are a couple of examples:

The Texas flag flies EVERYWHERE. You can hardly turn around without seeing it. Texans are truly proud of their state.

They are also proud of their high school football. Friday Night Lights is not just a great TV show. Check out one of the many high school stadiums that tower over every Texas town --- large or small. In Indiana, stadiums that are nowhere nice as this one have caused tax revolts.

After a nice overnight stop at the Ramblin Fever RV Park ($12.50 for full hookups with Passport America) in Mt. Pleasant, we drove along the south side of Dallas. Our destination was Holiday Park (Corps of Engineers) on the Benbrook Reservoir, just outside Fort Worth. Fort Worth was our home for five nights.

We had a beautiful, huge, secluded spot --- right on the lake. Wait a minute, where is the water? Oh yeah, it hasn't rained here for a while. The entire green area from where I was sitting to the tree line was once part of the lake. Scary. Hard to believe that there is not global warming when you see something like this.
If you look on the right side of the photo below, you can see what is left of the lake in the distance.

We spent our time here visiting with my cousin, Beth, who recently lost her husband. We helped (in a very, very small way) her get ready for a move to Chattanooga, where her kids are. Dianne helped her erase the hard drives from the computers that she did not intend to keep, while I went on a crusade to find moving boxes. I hit the jackpot at the Fossil Creek Liquor store in Arlington. It was so good to see her.
We also spent time reading under the trees at the campsite, walking and biking.

One of our first walks was through the dry lake bed to the water. We thought that Bandido would have fun in the water, but there was a lot of broken glass, etc. that made us uncomfortable. Dianne was also afraid that there might be the proverbial snakes in the grass. So, this was a one-time walk. Check out the cracks in the mud. They were about an inch wide. When looking straight down into the crack, the bottom was not visible. Creepy. While we were walking by, a small frog hopped out of one of them. That, at least, made us smile and took our minds away from the dry conditions. (The next morning I awoke to itching legs due to multiple insect bites of some kind. Yuck.)

At one point, this dry lake bed was obviously soft, but now it has dried to the point that it was like walking on concrete. The foot prints are from someone else, who was here before it dried out. -- D. Back to Roger....

The views along the lake were fascinating in a depressing kind of way. Look at the dead tree trunks that were supposed to be under water. I have seen low lake levels before, but nothing like this. I hope that Fort Worth has another source of water.

The eerie views at twilight actually had a kind of stark beauty.

The other notable feature that we experienced at Benbrook Lake was, unfortunately, the odor. Though not overwhelming, it was ever-present --- difficult to explain. It had the essence of burnt popcorn, mold, and plant decay. I have never smelled anything quite like it. It was not pleasant, but it did not keep us inside.

Don't misunderstand me. The Holiday Park facility is outstanding. We will go back again, but the next time, we'll check the water levels beforehand :-). (I'd try for site #83 again; it was huge and would be right on the water. If the lake was at normal depth, this would have ranked as one of the top camp sites we'd ever had -- D.)

Believe it or not, it has rained since we've re-entered Texas. I like to think that we brought the rain with us. The pet picture of the day shows Bandido attempting to hide under one of the motor home front seats. He is still (and probably always will be) afraid of thunder and lightning. Poor baby.

Digging for Diamonds

2011-09-28T19:15:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Dianne here. We put on old clothes and took a day trip from Lake Catherine State Park to Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas for a day of prospecting for diamonds at the only productive deposit of precious mineral diamonds in the United States. Best of all, it's "finders keepers" -- you pay an admittance fee and any diamond, rock or mineral that you find is yours to keep.

We did a little research and discovered that dogs are allowed, so Bandido came along for some digging in the dirt. (In May of 2009 a Yorkie actually found a 1.11 carat white diamond at the park!)

We also knew that it would be a long, long day, so a picnic lunch was packed and off we went. We made a wrong turn that added at least a half hour to our drive over there; by the time we actually arrived we were ready to eat our lunch at the scenic picnic area next to the parking lot.

Then it was time for a treasure hunt! We knew ahead of time that our chance of actually finding a diamond was small, but there were lots of other interesting rocks to look for, including amethyst, jasper, agate, and more.

The visitor's center showed displays of what to look for, instructive videos showing surface searching, dry and wet-screening techniques, and friendly park guides on hand to verify your findings at the end of the day. We rented a screen and trowel and headed to the plowed field.

The decision was made that one of us would walk up and down the plowed rows with Bandido, doing some surface searching. We planned to take turns sitting in the dirt and digging and sifting with the screen. I ended up doing all of the digging and sifting, because I was having so much fun doing it. I hadn't had that much fun playing in the dirt since I made mud pies as a little girl, decorating the tops with dandelions and whatever else caught my imagination.

The area is large -- 37 acres -- and the whole field is purported to be diamond-bearing soil. There were several other folks spread out over the field digging, searching, and wet sluicing. We learned that diamonds have no static charge and will always stay clean; dirt and mud will not stick to them. For that reason it's possible to just do the surface searching technique, watching for shiny objects on the surface of the soil.

Typically the diamonds found are about the size of a match head, and either white, yellow, or brown.

I had lots of fun digging in the dirt, but had no luck at all finding any diamonds or minerals. Roger found lots of pretty stones while surface searching, including a small, shiny stone that had possibilities; we learned at the end of the day it was an agate.

Bandido started panting and acted like he was getting too hot, so we moved to a different area of the field where there was nearby shade. When we walked closer, I realized that there were actually dog pens in the shade!

What a nice surprise. We made Bandido comfortable in the shade with some water, and continued our search nearby.

We spent about two-and-a-half hours prospecting before we decided to call it quits and start the long drive back to the campground. No diamonds, but we had a lot of fun looking. We came home with some nifty Jasper stones to add to our collection, along with Roger's tiny agate. What a unique experience! If you'd like more information, here's a link to their web site: Crater of Diamonds State Park

Gotta say, though, that by the time we reached our site back at Lake Catherine I was totally exhausted -- wiped out -- from the hot sun and exertion of the day. Would I do it again? Sure would!

The pet photo of the day shows that I wasn't the only family member exhausted by our field trip. Bandido was "out" the moment he hit the back seat and slept all the way home.

Hot Springs National Park

2011-09-27T09:18:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Dianne here. We spent four nights at Lake Catherine State Park. In addition to hiking the rugged trails, we spent one afternoon in nearby Hot Springs and the next day at Diamond Crater State Park in Murfreesboro.

This third "catch-up" blog will detail our visit to Hot Springs:

Hot Springs National Park is a unique historical park, showcasing the restored Fordyce Bathhouse and the lovely street known since the late 1800s as "Bathhouse Row."

There are 23 restored rooms in the bathhouse, where individual tubs in private cubicles once had natural hot spring water piped into them. The rooms also include steam cabinets, Zander mechano-therapy equipment, massage tables, "cooling off" rooms for both men and women, and ornate dressing rooms.

I took a photo of the ornate stained glass ceiling in the men's central bath area. There was no such stained glass ceiling in the women's side -- although, I don't think they would have appreciated the naked mermaids as much as the men probably did --

Two more outdoor shots:

Pretty much all Roger and I did was visit the National Park visitor's center and restored Fordyce bathhouse, and have a delicious lunch at a local cafe across from Bathhouse Row called "Granny's Kitchen" (grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches to die for, and wonderful homemade blackberry cobbler a la mode).

Back in the day, Hot Springs was Al Capone's favorite getaway. Other notables who came "in season" to take the waters include Lillian Russell, President Herbert Hoover, Bugsy Siegel, and Will Rogers. Hot Springs is also where former president Bill Clinton spent his childhood and graduated from high school.

The rest of Hot Springs didn't hold our interest, so we headed back to our shady glen to do a little lake watching under the trees, and enjoy our nightly glass of wine and campfire.

The pet photo of the day is a pretty portrait of Charlie the Cat that Roger took one evening as Charlie kept a watchful eye on the wildlife outside his big window. (R: Do you think he has green eyes?)

Lake Catherine State Park - Arkansas

2011-09-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

Here's the second of our "catch-up" blogs:

Roger here... The trip from Rend Lake, IL to Lake Catherine State Park, which is located just south of Hot Springs, Arkansas, involved two days of driving. The first day was one of those frustrating days. We attempted to stop at four different RV parks at the end of the day. Two were scary looking. One was OK, but exorbitantly priced (and the guy behind the desk in the office was wearing pajamas at 2:00 p.m.) The fourth evidently no longer exists (we could not find it). We eventually settled into a safe spot at the Lonoke, Arkansas Wal-Mart. The irritating day of driving proved to be worth the aggravation when early the next day we arrived at Lake Catherine. The opening picture gives you an idea as to why we were so pleased with our four-night stay.

What a beautiful campground. We were parked in a huge back-in site across from the lake. We had the most magnificent view from our front windshield every morning.

Dianne here: The only downside to our beautiful site was that once again, we were nestled in deep woods, with no chance of satellite internet or tv. We scoped out several other camp sites, including this one (site #45) that we plan to reserve next time:

Here's the view of the lake from site #45:

Back to Roger....

Our full-hookup site (#65) backed up to the woods and it was huge. The hook-up area was set in concrete, among the best I have ever seen. There was a large compressed gravel sitting area that included a metal picnic table, a grill stand, and a fire pit. In addition, a separate tent pad, also compressed gravel was located at the back of the site. A great spot to sit in lawn chairs to watch deer wander by. I hear that those fluorescent blue eyes are very rare.

We went hiking every day. All the trails departed from the campground. After passing through a covered bridge that included a colored mural of the trail system and a description of the trails, the fun began.

We went up.

We went down.

We rested. (Well, Dianne and I rested.)

We took in panoramic views and walked through a pristine woods.

And we rested.
(I love this picture of Dianne.)

Bandido waded in the water.

We took time to appreciate the small things - the brilliant green moss and the huge praying mantis.

Every hike ended by crossing a very cool suspension bridge. The first time that Bandido and I crossed it, a man hollered behind us to be careful because he had built the bridge in 1981 and it might not be stable any more. Of course he was joking. We had an interesting talk as we approached the campground. He told me that he had built all of the stone steps on the trails, as well as the amphitheater and, of course, the bridge.

Bandido took the man's words to heart. After that first crossing, our brave dog resisted going across the swaying bridge where he was unsure of his footing. Look at our poor boy as he creeps next to me - his legs as far apart as they can get without straining ligaments.

The end of each day always ended with a nap on the picnic table....

And a campfire by the lake.

The pet pictures of the day are entitled: A Man and his Dog -- A Dog and his Duck.

Headin' for Texas, Y'all!

2011-09-23T16:19:00.001-04:00

Hi all, Dianne here. We actually have just crossed the Texas state line (still only about half-way to Mission), but due to some lovely, tree-filled RV parks along the way, we are way behind in our blogs. We finally have a clear sky, so today's plan is to write several catch-up blogs. We'll post them one at a time over the next week, so check back soon for updates!

As we drove through Indianapolis heading west on I-70, I snapped a quick shot of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, and what Roger terms as the "Finest stadium in the U.S." It actually is pretty impressive, with its retractable roof. We were able to attend a high school football exhibition game there when it first opened, and even got to sit in the VIP section.

We've been in the Midwest for months now, and having both grown up in this area the scenery wasn't what we would term breathtaking, so we resumed our trusty auto "bingo" game. We had just finished the last game (which we started a few months ago), having kinda-sorta cheated on seeing a grist mill. (It was a fake one at a wedding chapel in Indiana). The photo above shows the easy sides of the cubes. Later on, there are things such as drawbridges, teepees, totem poles, and passenger trains, that aren't as easy to spot.

It's such a long drive to our winter home in Mission, Texas that we decided to make our way slowly southwest, making multiple stops and side trips. We spent our first several nights in site #61 (a non-reservable site) at Rend Lake Corps of Engineers campground near Benton in Southern Illinois. Huge, beautiful, wooded sites. It is right next to a lovely resort area and golf course. Definitely a place we'd like to revisit. Next time, we'll make reservations ahead of time and choose one of the open spots we noted on our map so that we can get satellite and Direct TV. Then it will be perfect!

We rode our bikes on a 6+ mile (3.8 miles out and back) section of paved bike trail through wooded areas, around a lovely cemetery and next to corn fields.

More bike trail scenes:

The weather was perfect during our visit. Each time we returned from our bike ride, here's the scene that awaited us back at the RV:

"Awaiting our Return."

Bandido wasn't totally deprived, though. While walking around the several loops of the large campground, we happened upon a very cute female Blue Heeler and her proud owner. Bandido thought she was quite a dish! The female is a pure-bred blue heeler, and with the two of them side by side it was easy to see the differences.

(Ears and tail and size, among other things). I guess we're actually "Traveling with Blue Heeler" now instead of "Traveling with Whippets," but the memory of our two dear friends, Jasper and Chaplin, is still very fresh, so for now whippets it will be. I will probably change our header photo next time around.

The pet photo of the day is a pretty picture of Bandido looking out over Rend Lake.

Trees Again in Arkansas

2011-09-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

Dianne here with a short update. We are heading toward Texas. Spent a few nights at Rend Lake in Southern Illinois. Now we're spending four nights at Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Arkansas. What a beautiful place! We have a view of the lake out our windshield and a huge wooded site. Same story at Rend Lake -- so many trees, not a chance that our Motosat would find a satellite. I'm pecking this out on my iPhone, and we'll post some updates as soon as we're back in civilization. At least our smart phones work, but I will be disappointed to miss two of my favorite tv shows' premiers. Guess we'll make the best of it, hiking, reading, and sitting around the campfire. Come to think of it, those are my favorite things to do, so I won't really be all that deprived! I'll just have to wait and see what happens with Meredith and McDreamy!

Chaplin... Another sad day.

2011-09-14T10:15:00.000-04:00

Roger here... Nine years ago we visited a local kennel near Indianapolis, Wildaire Whippets, to find a playmate for our whippet, Jasper. We came home with a nine-month-old whippet whose nickname was AWOL. (I can't remember for sure, but his AKC name was something like "Catch me if you can" -- also appropriate! -- D.) The name was appropriate. He was an escape artist during his first few years. We renamed him "Chaplin," due to the black eyebrows over each eye that reminded us of Charlie Chaplin. Within a year, the spots disapeared. (You can see them in the professional photo below of Jasper and Chaplin taken in the fall -- D. In the photo below, you can see that Chaplin even lunched at Sloppy Joe's in Key West. At least he didn't have a boring life. -- D.)

The breeders intended to keep him as a show dog. He was a handsome boy. However, his personality did not lend itself to the show ring. He was a quiet, submissive, easily-frightened dog who was also a little stubborn. He would never do anything unless it was his idea. Good news for us, because he was also a loving dog. He was a perfect fit in our family.

When he was younger, despite our efforts, he did escape a few times. One time neighbors brought him back in the bed of a truck after we scoured the neighborhood with pictures. Another, very notable time, he bolted (there was no catching a dog that runs at 35 mph) at Lake Cumberland State Park in Kentucky. We tramped through the forest and along the roads for four hours. People had seen him chasing the wild turkeys, but we could not locate him. A very kind park ranger befriended him and brought him to us.

Chaplin was the most gentle dog I have ever known. He did not bark. He was never aggressive in any situations. When he wanted attention, he would stand next to you, quietly begging to be petted and occasionally licking your hand. He spent countless nights snuggling next to me on the couch while I watched TV. If I became tense (while watching a Purdue basketball game), he would hop down and seek Dianne.

He loved playing with other dogs, especially when he was younger. He ran like the wind. He hopped around in a manner that reminded me of Tigger. He was a chick magnet whenever people were around. He always seemed to find ladies and girls who wanted to pet him.

When our granddaughter, Kaia, was a toddler, he reluctantly allowed her to play with him. She used to dress him up and on one occasion put pink lipstick, a skirt, and a pink ponytail elastic with a bow on his head. Poor little guy. (Needless to say, the ponytail holder was removed from his head immediately after these photos! -- D.)

This has not been a good year for our boys. We lost Jasper in January due to a tumor on one of his kidneys. On September 11th, of all days, Chaplin lost his battle with subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer.

Unlike the unexpected loss of Jasper, we knew that disease would eventually claim Chaplin. We first discovered the disease 2 1/2 years ago at Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina, when we could not stop the bleeding from a sore on his stomach. We had that tumor removed, but the local vet in Indiana did not recognize the disease. Over the past two years, vets in Texas diagnosed the disease and removed multiple tumors on two occasions. His last tumor was in an inoperable place. We knew that when it inevitably started to bleed (With this disease the blood does not clot and the wounds never heal), that we would lose him.

We truly miss our gentle, quiet dog that has been our constant companion for the past nine years.

Bandido, Mr. Energy, does draw our attention away from our loss. BUT, things are not the same around here. We miss our quiet, loving boy.

I guess we're no longer "Traveling with Whippets," but we're keeping the name, for now at least. Jasper and Chaplin both will be traveling with us in spirit. -- D.

Amish Country in Ohio -- a visit with my brother

2011-09-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

Roger here... My brother lives in Central Ohio, a little north and a little east of Columbus. A visit to see Dick and his wife, Pam, has been on our itinerary for months. Unfortunately, Pam was forced to go to Indiana before we arrived to take care of a medical issue with her mother. So, it was just the three of us, Dianne, Dick, and me.

We parked in Dick and Pam's driveway, where we connected to their electricity. We had a great time despite Pam's absence. Dick prepared meals on his new outdoor grill. We played Mexican Train. (Dick won every game and he had never played before. Dick always wins, and I am really getting tired of it :-). (I especially missed Pam while we were playing Mexican Train -- a little female backup would have been helpful; just a bit too much testosterone in the room for me! You can read into that that I came in dead last each and every game -- D.) We also did a little shopping and sight seeing.

Ohio Amish country was about an hour east. We spent a day driving through the rolling hills and well-kept farms. It is an extensive community, consisting of several towns. Horses and buggies were prevalent on the main highways and the side roads. Dianne told me that it was bad form to photograph the Amish without their permission. I agree. I did, however, take a picture of an antique buggy that was on display outside one of the shops in the town of Berlin (the opening picture).

We stopped at a wine shop to sample some of the local Ohio wines and bought a couple of bottles, a Malbec and a Sangiovese. Surprisingly good!

The highlight of the day was a stop in Kidron, Ohio to visit the flagship store of Lehman's. The gigantic store (30,000 square feet, nearly a quarter- mile long) is billed as the best of Ohio's Amish country. It was founded in 1955 to serve the local Amish with non-electric, old-fashioned products. Dianne and I did some serious damage in the store, purchasing new dishes for the motor home (lightweight and unbreakable), as well as a few other interesting items. (This then necessitated a trip to a Goodwill Store to drop off our old dishes -- something in, something out! -- D.) I will be very surprised if Dick does not make a trip back with Pam to buy a couple of the most comfortable Adirondack chairs that my derriere has ever rested in.

We stopped for some amazing apple-cinnamon doughnuts and fruit at the local orchard (a mile from Dick and Pam's house). We made the trip a couple of times. The first time we were in the car. The second time we walked, making the purchase of the doughnuts a little less of a guilt trip.

We don't have any pictures of my brother, but we do have a picture of his fancy sports car. Here is a shot taken from the motor home while he passed us
on his way to check on Pam and her mother.

(We had said our good-byes an hour or two earlier in Ohio and watched him speed off into the horizon. We were surprised to see him pass us again in Indiana. A phone call to Dick received an explanation that he had stopped for "a quick lunch." I pointed out to him that it couldn't have been very quick, noting the discrepancy between his swift little sports car and our lumbering motor home; good to see him again, nevertheless! -- D.)

We are back in the Indy area right now, waiting for the annual service appointment for our motor home at Mt. Comfort RV tomorrow. After the appointment, we will slowly make our way back to our winter home in South Texas.

The pet picture of the day shows Chaplin and Bandido resting on the couch.

Oubache (Wabash) State Park - with pictures this time

2011-09-07T12:14:00.002-04:00

Roger here.... The sunset photo segues a goodbye to the Indy area and an arrival at Oubache (pronounced Wabash) State Park just outside Bluffton, IN (near Fort Wayne), where we spent eight nights.

This particular state park was a very pleasant surprise to us. Lots of hiking trails, biking trails, and unique nature viewing. We had scheduled a time to visit my brother in Ohio in early September, and needed a place to stay for eight days, including Labor Day. Oubache State park more than filled the bill. The only drawback was a pesky tree branch that partially blocked our satellite reception. We were able to get TV, but not internet. Oh well --- a small price to pay for eight activity-filled and relaxing days in one of our favorite campgrounds.

I'll start with the relaxing part. Our campsite was surrounded by trees that allowed dappled sunlight to penetrate all day long. It was also huge.

Three trees located just behind the motor home provided a perfect setting for the hammock that we only drag out of the bay for worthy settings.

Here is a shot of Dianne enjoying a good book while resting on the hammock.

Here is a shot of Dianne ten minutes later.

(Photo used under protest....D.)

Oubache has lots of hiking trails. Bandido drug us along on all of them, including a six-miler on the last day of our visit.

Several of the trails led to the lake. A good place for Bandido to cool off.

Most of the trails provided a healthy environment for an abundant growth of various types of fungus. Right after taking this picture, we noticed that the forest surrounding us was filled with hundreds of red fungi. Dianne took a picture that we did not think would capture the view because of the dark shade. We were wrong. We love this picture.

I mentioned the unique wildlife. Here are a couple of examples. Have you ever seen a coal-black squirrel? Before Oubache I had only seen squirrels in various shades of brown. This guy in the picture above hung around our campsite. Sorry about the fuzzy picture; with his constant movement, this was the clearest picture we were able to get. He was an active little bugger.

The big surprise at Oubache is its bison (buffalo) area. Several of the hikes led to the huge enclosure where a dozen or so bison, including this little guy who was born in early August, make their home.

Bandido showed off his herding prowess by attempting to reign in the bull (on the other side of the fence).

When we weren't relaxing and hiking, we were biking. Oubache has an outstanding six-mile paved bike trail that winds along the Wabash River into the quaint town of Bluffton. Half of the trail meanders through the woods in the state park. The other half is part of a public parkway that skirts the river.

This covered bridge, near Bluffton was fun to ride our bikes through. (We are evidently in Amish country.)

The wooden sculptures on which the mile-markers were displayed added to the atmosphere.

Manicured gardens and interesting old houses provided additional scenery along the way.

Back at the campground... A really nice extended family (grandparents, parents, and kids) occupied several of the sites near us over the Labor Day weekend. Before departing on Monday, they offered us a load of their very burnable firewood. We spent the last two nights and the chilly day in the middle huddled next to the fire. We even used it to grill the chicken for our chicken burritos.

In a side note... during our stay the daily high temperatures certainly ran the gamut. During the first few days it was in the lower eighties (perfect). Then it broiled to nearly 100 degrees for three days in a row (hiking and biking only in the morning). (There was such a demand for power with the crowds and heat on Saturday that the electricity was out part of the hot afternoon. We were sure glad when it came back on! -- D.) During the last two days the temperature never made it out of the 50s! Brrr! Great campfire weather.

The pet picture of the day is a special one.

During our last hike (in the chilly weather) we met a lady walking four greyhounds -- an unexpected surprise. An hour later, during the same hike, we met a man walking two whippets. It is amazing to see how normally sedate Chaplin perks up when he sees other sighthounds. After talking with the owner for a few minutes, we determined that his older whippet, Dyson, was found through the same breeder Wildaire Whippets where Chaplin was born in Mt. Comfort, IN. It is a small world! Here is a picture of Dyson and Chaplin:

Right now we are visiting my brother in Ohio for a few days. From there we have an appointment for motor home maintenance back near Indianapolis on the 13th, so we'll be heading back to the Hoosier state, at least for a couple of days, before starting our long trek south.

Ouabache State Park

2011-08-31T10:12:00.002-04:00

Hi all, Dianne here. This will be a short update, since we are under trees and I'm pecking this out on my iPhone since our Datastorm can't get a signal. We will be here for the next week or so, hunkering down here for Labor Day weekend. What a beautiful campground, and we have it almost all to ourselves. -- At least until the weekend crowds arrive. There are miles of hiking trails and, best of all, a paved bike trail through the woods that connects with another bike trail which winds next to Wabash River all the way to Bluffton, Indiana.

This morning we hiked with the dogs for a couple of miles. This afternoon we plan to check out the bike trail. We'll post an update when we're back in the land of satellite signals-- aka no trees!

Disturbing the Peace part 2,3,4 - whatever

2011-08-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

The first "Disturbing the Peace" post documented Jasper's displeasure with an armadillo that was hopping around under the motor home in Florida. Since then, there have been several installments. The latest incident took place yesterday.

Ahhh..... Roger here.... Sitting behind the motor home watching the Indiana corn grow. Sooooo peaceful.... Sooooo quiet..... Soooo tranquil........

Hey, Bandido..... shut up!

"Bark, bark, bark, howl, howl, woof, woof, grrrrr."

Is there a threat in the corn field? There is nothing there! Oh. OK. I see what you are trying to protect us from. "It's OK Bandido. It's just a hot-air balloon. It won't hurt us. OMG. It's bigger!

It's OK. Mommy will pet you. It's OK. Don't be afraid. "Woof (subdued), woof.

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! "Now two of them are attacking us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bandido actually hid under my lawn chair until the hot-air balloons were gone. "Such an aggressive, protective, brave, brave, baby!"

Other news... I met a few of my former teachers after school Thursday. What fun! Andy, Eric, Jeff, and Jenny... it was great to see you.

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido, staring at the hot-air balloons, while hiding under my lawn chair. What a good, but "chicken" guard dog!

Summer in Indiana - Pleasant Times with Friends

2011-08-23T18:41:00.003-04:00

Roger here... We are still in the GloWood (no-frills) campground in the middle of the corn fields - a quiet, no-hassle setting that has grown on us. Amid the car appointments, eye doctor appointments, bicycle tune-ups, trips to the dog park, and regular doctor appointments (my doctor confirms that I am much healthier --- in fact very healthy --- due to our new lifestyle), our time has been filled with various events with long-time Indiana friends.

I had lunch with my former colleagues and very good friends - Mike and Mike - at Qdoba last week after visiting my friends at the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Administrative Offices... Lynn, Jackie, Denise, Cecilie, Terry, Cherie, Rose, Bev, Mary Anna, Nancy and Nancy. Hope I did not leave anyone out! (Rose's husband is now a successful author. You can find him on your kindle. Just type in "Sweazy" at the kindle store). A little later in the week, I again met one of the Mikes (the man who has my former job) and my colleague, Brian (my former asst. principal who later was the first principal at Hamilton Southeastern's second junior high school) for dinner at The Bank in Historic Pendleton, IN. It was great to catch up. The next night Dianne and I had dinner with my former head of guidance, Lois, and her husband Val. I am forever indebted to Lois for my new Slippery Rock (her alma mater) Sweatshirt, among lots and lots of other things.

Now for the events documented with pictures.... Thursday evening we attended a fund-raiser for the Anderson (IN) Symphony Orchestra. The concert, featuring individuals from the symphony, took place in the gardens of our dear friends Jay (in the picture) and Nancy. A cacophony of cicada chirps accompanied the musicians. We did not photograph the performers, but we did take some pics of their amazing gardens. What a pleasant evening.

(Now that's a potting shed, complete with lush thyme blanketing its front lawn -- D.)

The next day.... Off to Lake Cordry... We dropped off the boys (Chaplin and Bandido) with Karen, our most trusted dog-sitter, and filled all the water and food bowls for Big Chuck. Oh, and Dianne spread all of Big Chuck's toys on the floor (including the catnip mouse). Does Big Chuck look happy? Kinda mellow? (The small toys are normally put away so that Bandido won't eat them, so it was like Christmas morning for Charlie the cat).

Jay and Nancy picked us up for the hour-plus drive to their lake home -- one of the most peaceful places I know. (Check out the opening photo.) We ate, delicious meals. We played Mexican Train on the deck -- our new favorite game. We solved the problems of the world, I wish.

I was drinking coffee on the deck, over the water, early on Saturday morning, and was treated to amazing, fog-filled views of the lake. The sequential photos are a montage of time as the fog flowed across the dam and eventually vanished into a sunny day.

Nancy soon told us that we would be having breakfast on their pontoon boat in the middle of the lake. Our lives have changed from speed boats to pontoon boats -- and it does seem comfortable.

Good food. Amazingly peaceful setting in crystal clear water.

OK... Back to Glo Wood... One of my former teachers, Kathy, has been trying to figure out a time to see us while we were in town. She finally found a time that we were not busy and arrived on her bicycle with chicken to grill. Soon another of my former teachers, Laurie, arrived with a delicious side dish and dessert. What a treat! So good to share time with two of the most talented teachers that I have had the privilege to work with. Kathy has coached and coordinated -- this year-- two Destination Imagination teams (higher- level thinking skills) that finished runner-up in the Global Finals at the University of Tennessee. Laurie, a science teacher, organized an award-winning outdoor, hands-on, education campground for all of our seventh graders for many, many years.

Notice I have a mouthful of food. It was a big deal for me to share a meal with them. The quiet dinner was a big deal to me.

OK time to brag... (Pet pictures of the day) I have taught many people to swim, including my granddaughter, Kaia, and a lot of people who are almost my age. Well... my young, one-year-old puppy (dog), now knows how to swim.

He was terrified when I sat him down in the shallow waters of the Guadalupe River in the Hill Country of Texas in March. The Pierson Dog Park in Fishers, IN was the location for my latest swimming accomplishment. Bandido wanted the tennis ball. HE REALLY WANTED THE TENNIS BALL.

So, I threw it in the water, a few feet at the time.

A few, few, few feet further and then, Good Dog!

I am soooooo proud of my new son! He is a SWIMMER!

More friends to come.... Jim and Debbie, Chris and Shawna, Chuck and
Cindy, and Audrey and Pat. Next post.