Spring Weekend

It feels so much like Spring heading into summer. Friday, we took off and went to Camping World. Needed some more tank treatment. The Walmarts here stink on camping supplies. Since we needed to go north, thought we'd make a day of it again in Gruene (pronounced green). Camping World we got the necesseties - tank treatment and anode rod. Time for Sharon to clean out the water heater. :)

Sharon wanted to eat at Oma's House. Plugged it into the GPS and off we went. The GPS took us to a different spot. We weren't going to Gruene. Sharon was sure it was in Gruene. So, we turned off the GPS and went to Gruene. Well, the GPS was right. What Sharon remembered was the B&B not the restaurant. So, we ate at Mozie's instead. Great place. Had the best onion rings and french fries.



After this, we needed to walk off our dinner and take the take home box back to the truck. We stopped in at the Gruene Haus first. Sharon tried the strawberry peanut butter. Didn't like that one very well so tried the Amaretto peanut butter. Thought we were going to bring some home but she declined at the last minute. Went down to the Winery on the Gruene. I tasted a couple of their wines. Brought home a couple of bottles. I really did enjoy their peach and raspberry. Then on to the Gruene General Store. You won't believe it, we passed up the fudge. I know - hard to believe but definitely not very hungry after our lunch. Did pick up a couple of coffees, though. Got a 1/2 pound of hazelnut cream and pralines and cream. Tried the pralines and cream yesterday. It was very good. It was getting kind of late - hate rush hour traffice, especially on a Friday afternoon so we headed back.

Didn't go down for supper Friday night - still too full from lunch. Sharon said she had enough grease for the day, anyway. They were having hamburgers, hotdogs and french fries. Did I mention that Sharon thought she was an adult so tried the adult grilled cheese (smoked gouda, white cheddar, spinach and tomatoes). Along with the french fries she just needed to ease her stomach into the night. I had the smoked turkey sandwich. Yes, we brought home leftovers and had them for lunch on Saturday.

Saturday was as beautiful as Friday. We decided to go for a drive and check out the two lakes nearby. Sharon wants to do some more fishing before we leave. The lakes were very very busy. We definitely know that when we go back it will be during the week. Here's a couple of pictures from the lakes
Braunig Lake

Calaveras Lake


On Friday we went to the Post Office. On the way, we saw apple blossoms and a couple of yards with wildflowers. So, on Saturday, we went back to get some pictures. We've identified two of the flowers. Yes, the weather was absolutely perfect. Sharon wore a t-shirt and no jacket. That's how nice it was.

Apple Blossoms

Indian Paintbrush

Phlox

Yard with wild flowers


Last night we went down to the Lodge and watched a movie - The Proposal. It was very cute and funny. Sharon took a couple of pictures before we went. A perfect ending to a very wonderful day.






Today is going to be one of those lazy afternoons. The sun is out, some wind every now and then. Sharon's going to watch basketball and I'm going to do some reading. We'll go down for ice cream sundaes later today.

It truly is amazing how you're attitude can change when you've been outside and the sun is shining.

Crazy Weather

O.K. This weather is crazy. Sunday we had 78 degrees. Everyone walking around in shorts and t-shirts. Some were washing vehicles and rigs. Don't get excited, we didn't go that far. :) A couple of pictures that we took when we walked down for ice cream sundaes.





Monday - not too bad. Scanned a few more pictures. Around 250. All of my family this time. Found some pictures of my Mom's 60th birthday. And a few pictures of one of my Grandma's birthdays. It's been fun looking back on these pictures. Most of these have been around the 1989 to 1991 era.

Yesterday, we had some sleet for a little while. Some places received snow but not us. It was very very chilly. Had the fireplace on for awhile. Made soup and biscuits. Looked through some more pictures and played some games in the afternoon. The sun broke through around 5:00 pm. Woke up this morning to frost. Now it's back to being warm again.

They've been advertising the home and garden show here. Make you think of Spring. We went into town today - had to pick up some scripts and did a little grocery shopping. On the way in, saw some farmers in the field. They were doing a little cultivating and spraying. We're curious to know what they plant. We won't be here to see it grow, though.

Sharon's excited. Found out she's going to have a new nephew. We were at Walmart this afternoon and saw the cutest dress. Guess we won't be going back and picking it up. Well, maybe next time.

Well, it's getting close to supper time. Had BBQ in town so probably just a popcorn night. Sharon had the ribs and I tried the brisquet and turkey. We've wanted to stop by this place. We've been told it's fast food BBQ - cafeteria style. Well, that's a very good description. The meat is smoked at least 18 hours with Live Oak wood from the hill country. Live Oak - now that's another story. You pick up a tray and tell them what you want. The prices are reasonable. Sharon had baby back ribs with 3 sides for $7.50. I had two meats and 3 sides for $7.50. The portions were just right. The sides are very interesting. We both said yes to hashbrowns. For Iowans, this means fried potatoes with onions. Slice like fried potatoes - crispy and tender. They were excellent. I tried the pinto beans. Well, they were beans.

I'm sure I can talk Sharon into popcorn. She very rarely turns down ice cream or popcorn. I think it's a VanderPloeg trait.

Guess we'll see what tomorrow will bring.

Saturday - Nothing going on

It's been a very quiet day. Even the neighbors have been boring. Haven't seen them out and about today. They're an interesting family. First they had a hi-lo. Pretty old looking. Three adults live inside. We're guessing their son is around 20 - 25. They haven't been out and around to strike up a conversation. They now have a short fifth wheel. Most people were glad to see the Hi-Lo go. You either felt sorry for 3 living in that little thing (smaller than a pop-up) or it was just real ugly to look at. Sharon has a nickname for our neighbors. She calls them Mr & Mrs Cutie Pie and Sonny Cutie Pie. We've seen them walk to the bath house. Sort of reminds you of the Iowa State Fair years ago. You wonder if people really do wear clothes like that in public. Then, they get in one of their trucks and leave. We thought they worked nights since the vehicles left around 9 - 11 and returned early in the morning. Now, we're not sure. We think Sonny Cutie Pie lost his license. You don't see him drive any more. This family is a topic of conversation among the staff but no one knows too much about them. I must say they are very quiet. Just a little unusual.

Started going through another box full of pictures today. The few I found so far are from 89 - 91. Maybe I'll start scanning them in tomorrow.

The weather has been nice. It's been cloudy today but at least no sun. They say we may have freezing temps on Tuesday night. Guess we'll wait and see. Maybe rain on Tuesday.

Good thing the TV in the bedroom still works. Have been watching the olympics. Have really enjoyed the figure skating. We've been watching curling the past few days. Very interesting.

Talked to another neighbor last night at supper. Went down to the lodge for beef stew, biscuits, corn bread and dessert. The dessert had strawberries in it. The cook made me a special dessert (without strawberries) just in case I came down for supper. She's great. Back to talking to our other neighbor. They just got a new RV. His wife says he can't call it a camper any more. They picked up a Carri Lite fifth wheel by Carriage. They had an Wide Open by Gulf Stream. They didn't want the toy hauler anymore. They love the new camper. It's very nice. Still like mine better, though. They have leather couch and recliners. TV is the same size as ours. The shower's in the front. Not sure if I'd like that.

Sharon saw a gold finch the other day. Reminded us of Iowa. The pond now has two loons. We keep saying we're going to get a picture but haven't done it yet.

Hopefully the parts will be in for the camper this next week. Also need to make a trip to Camping World.

Heard DM was going to get more snow this next week. Very glad we chose this year to retire and be in Texas. Even if a little cooler than normal and a little more rain.

Guess that's all for awhile. Just playing around. Maybe next week will be more exciting. But it's nice to be able to "play" around. Finished another book this past week as well as scanned in a few hundred pictures.

Tuesday - We Did It

Today, we got up at 6:00 AM. O.k. So Sharon got up at 5:45 to make coffee and I got up at 6:00. At this time of the morning, you need coffee to get moving. Or at least thinking. We packed up. Well, most of it. The slides did have to come in. We went to a local dealer. Arrived before 9:00 am. Pretty good for us. Our living room TV went out. While we were there, we also had them look at the bathroom vent fan, the stove, and our tires. I thought the oven wasn't working quite the way I wanted it to. And I don't mean burning food. They checked out everything. We need a new bathroom vent (the motor was burned out), a new top burner on the stove (the auto ignition had burned out and this may be what is causing my oven problems) and a new TV (yes- they agreed the sound wasn't working). Very nice people. They needed to order the parts and check with Jayco to determine if new motor or just replace the whole vent. Everything is under warranty. They don't keep extra TVs, so need to order one of them, also.

When all of the parts arrive, we'll be making another trip back. Depending on how long it takes to fix - we may want to wait until a little later in the day. The downtown traffic wasn't too bad at 8:30 but I think it would be better after 9:00.

Today was a beautiful day. I opened a couple of windows. Sharon came inside from playing and closed them all. She thought it was a little too cold. It was 70 in here. It's been colder than that. The furnace didn't run - so what could be the problem?

Last night we went down for grill night. Bring your own meat to grill and a side dish to share. I made scalloped corn and took some brats. It was nice last night,also. Shirt sleeve weather for me - light sweatshirt for Sharon. She says it's the cumedin but I think it's old age. You know, she will be another year older next month. lol Oh yeah, back to supper last night. One lady brought a zuccini/tomato dish. It was great - had some parmesan cheese and some italian herbs. We also had 7 layer salad. I even ate some even though it had cold peas in it. Also had garlic cheese bread, brownie bites and peaches & cream dessert.

Tonight, we had left overs for supper and will be going down to play games a little later. Our neighbors got a new camper. It's a Carri-Lite. Fifth wheel. Very pretty. They're fulltimers and as soon as they got stuff put away, we get a tour. It has a shower up front over the hitch - where our closet is. Can't wait for the tour. New campers are always so much fun.

Not sure what's in store for tomorrow. Supposed to be close to 70. I guess it just depends on how we feel.

Valentine's Day

What a beautiful day. For awhile thought I may have to open up the windows. Went out for breakfast this morning. O.k. Just down to the lodge but still up before 9:00. The staff was impressed, too. They had a brunch today for $5. I'm glad the portions were small so I could try various foods. I had fresh fruit cup (no strawberries - made especially for me), slice of cinnamon/cream cheese coffee cake, apple/cinnamon muffin, waffle, peaches & cream french toast casserole, eggs ranchero casserole, orange slices, pineapple chunks, broccoli/cheese quiche, non-alcoholic mimosa, virgin bloody mary, and, of course, coffee. The mimosa was made with fresh orange juice. I don't remember what Sharon had except she did manage to eat a few strawberries. Some even dipped in chocolate.

We talked with some people who've been fulltiming for 15 years. Picked up a few more tips from them. They've worked in campgrounds and volunteered for fish & wildlife. Very interesting couple to talk to. They're going to wind their way to Oregon for the summer.

We finished a jigsaw puzzle and talked with some of the people who hung around after breakfast.

It's a lazy afternoon. Doing some reading, picture scanning, and playing on the computer. Overall, a very nice day. Tomorrow we'll need to run to the store. We promised we'd go down for grill night. You bring your own meat to grill and a side dish. Tomorrow, we'll also be starting to put things up for traveling on Tuesday am. TV gets looked at. I'm sure we'll need a new TV but they want to double check the wiring. TV is still under warranty - so don't care which way it goes. It'll be good practice taking the camper out. It's been a while since we've moved it. I'm also anxious to know if I rearranged the cupboards o.k. for traveling. Guess we'll find out on Tuesday.

Just a lazy day. Hope your day is going well.

Plain Ol Friday

Woke up early this morning. It was almost 8:00 am. Imagine. No one was in the laundry room up here so went and did another couple of loads. I couldn't imagine having 6 loads of laundry but this week I did 8. It doesn't pay to get behind. I even got the rags washed.

This afternoon the sun is shining. Still a little chilly but it's amazing how your attitude can change when you look out and see the sun. Yesterday, it rained all day. Don't think it quit until late last night. On the west end of the campground, we thought they may decide to start a new pond. I forgot to take a picture. Water wasn't above truck tires or up to camper steps but it did cover a lot of the ground. Today, it's starting to diminish.

Yesterday, Sharon needed to pick up a script so we headed into town. Had some fun at Walgreens just looking around. Of course, in honor of Valentine's Day, I bought me some chocolate. Sharon had to have her M&Ms. She still has the M&M dispenser. Since she loves the color PINK so much, we bought the regular colors. :) I got a chocolate covered caramel heart. It was raining and we didn't feel like doing much else so we decided to find the meat market that the campground host told us about. The GPS got us there. It was a little confusing. The GPS said we had arrived but all we could see was a gas station. We moved the truck a little more forward and AHA there it was. It was a great meat market. Now, I really want a little freezer. But we bought accordingly and it fit in our freezer along with some ice cream. Tomorrow, I'll be making boneless ribs for dinner.

Tonight, we'll go down to the lodge for supper. It's pasta night. I suggested red velvet cake for dessert but haven't heard yet what it will be. Sunday, they're having a Valentine's brunch. A little more expensive $5. The menu is great: peaches & cream french toast, fresh fruit, eggs ranchero, breakfast casserole, assorted muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, tuxedo strawberries, chocolate fondue, waffles, non-alocoholic mimosas, and virgin marys. Should be great. Of course, all the coffee you can drink. I know I'm leaving something out. Oh well.

Realized that I needed a few more groceries so after laundry, headed back into town. This time went to Walmart. Have you tried the Mac Snack at McDonalds. Of course, it's good if you like Big Macs. Tried one this pm before checking out. It's been cold at night so had to have one of the LP tanks filled. Been filling them one at a time rather than both at once. Makes me feel better. Don't have to fill quite as often since it's been warmer. Last time was on Feb 1st. Looking forward to warmer weather.

Doesn't look like we'll make it to the rodeo. Maybe next time we're in the area. I took a break from sorting through some more pictures to scan. This time I had some from Sharon's family reunions. Need to get them done and see what's in the next box. Old pictures can be fun to look at. The scanning is great and the card works real well on the digital frame. Well, I guess I better get back to it.

Super Bowl Sunday

So what do you do when your TV stops working on Super Bowl weekend. Cry. Of course, not. You either go down to the Lodge and watch it on the BIG SCREEN or you watch it on the small set in the bedroom. Not sure yet which but I can guarantee you the game won't be missed.

The sun finally decided to shine on Friday. We needed to make a trip to the Post Office on Friday so it was nice to get a few rays. After mailing the packages, we just didn't want to go back. So ROAD TRIP. Where? That was the next question. We had heard about Floresville, so what about going there. On the GPS it was only 14 miles away. Not bad. Looked up shopping in Floresville on the GPS. Have I mentioned how much I love that GPS unit. Arriving in Floresville, we saw a sign for Visitor Center. Good place to start. It was a little building in the middle of this parking lot. A very nice lady was working inside sitting at a desk. We looked at some of the brochures and then just had a nice chat. We wanted a place to have lunch and we wanted to find Mrs. Annies and Sisters. Sisters is a gift shop - just so happened to be right next to the Visitor Center. This was meant to be. Mrs. Annie's has peanut and pecan brittle. We tried a small sample at a gas station and it was absolutely wonderful. Since it was made in Floresville, we should find it.

First, Sisters Gift Boutique.



This place was awesome. I told Sharon it was a good thing we now live in the camper, otherwise...... It's one of those stores where you can find some very unique presents. They had clothing, jewelry (no, I didn't buy any - tempted, though), plaques, candles, dishes, etc. It reminded me of the General Store that was at Valley West Mall. They were having a sale on some items. Did buy this plaque.



If I had a place to put a magnet, I would have bought this that said: When I get tired of shopping, I just sit down and try on shoes. :) Yes, they had shoes at this store, too.

After this, we decided to have lunch. There were two places she mentioned since we didn't want Mexican food. Jack's cafe and Trail Riders Steak House. So off we went to find Jack's Cafe. We finally found it.



We had two of their daily specials. Sharon had grilled catfish, baked squash, and coleslaw. I had marinated pork chop, mac n cheese, and green beans. Of course, we had an appetizer, sweet potato fries. They were absolutely excellent. All of this for under $20. The lady was right, this was a great place to eat. Jacks is named for a family not a person. It was the first letters in their names: Joseph, Autumn, Calvin, and Kaitlin.

We then went in search of Mrs. Annies. Also wanted to drive downtown. The downtown district is historical and has a lot of small boutiques. We found Mrs. Annies and decided to come back again for some of the other shops. Reminded us a little of Valley Junction.

We headed back home. Friday night we had supper at the Lodge. Theresa had made chicken enchiladas, that's why no Mexican in Floresville.

Last night, we went down to the Lodge and watched the movie Blindside. What a great movie.

Sharon's watching Iowa play and of course, it's pizza today - Super Bowl.

Just a little ol' update

It's been awhile since I've written. So, what's been happening. A little shopping, a little cleaning, some game playing, visiting with old friends, and of course, for me, movie watching.

We've been hanging around the camper the last few days. Some friends of ours, Buddy and Maria, stopped by and visited this past weekend. They were traveling from Arizona back to Louisiana and stopped off to see us. We had a great visit. They're awesome people.

Seems like it's been drizzling or raining off and on over the past couple of weeks and will continue into next week. This past week we did a more thorough cleaning of the camper. The cupboards are all so nice and neat. You can see the floors and the chairs are cleaned off. Found a home for everything. Took down a few of the knick knacks and stored them away. Sharon wanted to put some pictures up. The digital frame is nice but she wanted something a little more. Found some frames that have multiple pictures and lay sideways. Don't remember where but 50% off. Just love those sales. So, for awhile, we'll have something different to look at.

We've been playing games in the afternoon and I've been trying new and different recipes. Figured out the oven so now I don't burn everything. It did take awhile. By the way, you definitely don't want to boil over cheese soup on the stove. It gets down inside and is just aweful to clean. Had to get the manual out to remove the stove top to clean inside. It was definitely grooooooossssssssssssss!!!!

We contacted David and Patricia and we have jobs for the summer. We are very grateful to them. We'll be in the office. We will be able to attend the graduations and the State Fair. They're pretty awesome, too. Oh, it's at the DM West KOA where we stayed last summer. David and Patricia have helped us out quite a bit in learning our camper.

It's going to be one of those cloudy, rainy, windy days. Two new recipes for today: Texas cornbread and Chicken Enchilada Soup. I'm not sure why it's called Texas cornbread but I can guarantee you there will not be any peppers in it. Just ask Sharon.

We're doing well. Just wanting the rain to stop for awhile. We're hoping to get to the Botanical Center, Zoo, Western Movie Town, and Nimitz Museum. That's for starters. We haven't been to Braunig Lake, yet so I guess that will be a stop, also.

We're planning on staying the month of February and Sharon is thinking we'll be staying here until we head up north in April.

Well, better get to working on the soup and cornbread.