Yuma!

We made it to Yuma Friday afternoon. We are at Yuma Lakes, one of our Colorado River Adventures membership parks. We had not been here before. It's a huge park and they seem to have a lot of activities. Yesterday they had their craft sale. We bought some peach jelly and I bought a new lipstick to try. I needed to get my nails done so Ted went with me into Yuma and then we had lunch at Cracker Barrel.

It's pretty windy here and we are up early this morning to get on the road before the wind starts again. We are going to spend the night at the Chula Vista Marina campground. It's right down the street from South Coast Rv where we are checking in tomorrow to repair our bed slide! We think we will be there three or four days. The rollers need to be replaced before they tear up the wood frame and they will be coming from Indiana!

Almost to San Diego..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Lordsburg, New Mexico

We made it to Lordsburg this afternoon about 4:30. It was a long drive that we've made several times. Today there was one difference, there was actually snow on the ground and on the mountains east of Van Horn. Not sure what the elevation was but it was around 49 degrees and sunny with snow! It was a surprise to me that it hadn't melted right away! Tomorrow night we will try to make it to Yuma, another long day!

Enjoying the snow from inside the warm truck..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Ft Stockton Tx

We left Medina Lake this morning and stopped by Class A RV to see if the refrigerator people figured out why our refrigerator stops working when it gets below 35 degrees. They checked the wiring and found it ok. So that wasn't the problem.

We headed west on I-10, it was about 59 degrees. As we were going along, it started raining and started getting colder. After 3 hours I started to drive and it was raining harder and getting colder. It got down to 35 and the rain turned to slush. It was really noisy and then it was 33 degrees and snowing! It got really quiet and we could see the snow coming down. It was even sticking on the ground. Fortunately it warmed back up to 36.

We got to Ft. Stockton about 5:30. The KOA campground here has a cafe with a menu of six items. I had the ribs and they were delicious! It's still raining and the 3 of us are sitting in bed watching tv with the furnace running like crazy !
thank goodness!

Warm and dry...Ain't Life Grand!"

Raining in Texas!

It's raining here and tomorrow, the day we leave it will probably be a downpour! We have to stop at the RV repair shop on our way out of town so they can try one last time to fix our refrigerator. We are heading to San Diego by next Monday. We will also stop at the RV repair shop in Chula Vista to have our bed slide fixed before heading to Pio Pico! We'll see how that goes!

We've had lot of fun in Texas but always look forward to getting back to San Diego!

Heading to San Diego..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Guenther House!

Last night was dinner at Hungry Horse in Boerne where they give you way too much food! After dinner we headed home for cards. This time I was the big winner after being ahead and then dropping behind!

On Saturday we went to the Guenther House. I call it the home of those yummy sweet cream pancakes that I love! The family have owned and operated the Pioneer Flour Mill since the mid 1800's! The family home is a restaurant, museum and gift shop. We had a great lunch with John and Gloria and Pam and Jon. I had the sweet cream waffle. Gloria had a cup of soup and shared her huge cinnamon roll with everyone! The bread for the sandwiches was baked fresh daily and delicious! We all enjoyed our lunch and wandering the house and grounds right next to the river!

After lunch we went to see Red Tails. We all enjoyed the movie (two tissues for me)! Ted thought they should have put in the movie the reason they allowed the Negroes to even be allowed to train to become pilots, which was because of Eleanor Roosevelt. They also didn't talk about how many of the pilots were killed and how many missions they actually went on but he still enjoyed the movie.

We managed to eat some soup for dinner and Gloria finally won at cards!

Yesterday we met our friend Laura and headed out to Welfare, Texas which is north of Boerne about 20 miles.  It is hill country and we went to the Welfare Cafe and Goat Barn is in the middle of nowhere!  The town of Welfare began when the railroad built a line from San Antonio to Kerrville in the 1950's.  The post office burned down in 1916 but was rebuilt.  In 1978 the post office closed its doors and reopened 20 years later as a general store the couple tried to restore the heritage of Welfare.  At some point it became a cute little restaurant with wonderful food!  The owner is the Chef, but did not have her bio on the website.

We had ordered and one of the patrons was asking how his pork shoulder was cooked and the Chef actually told him.  We were obviously interested and asked a few questions.  Next thing we know, we had a sample of the pork along with the dips which were a jalapeno pesto, mango salsa and a Korean sauce.  Needless to say they were all spicy and I thought the pork was really delicious just as it was!  I had grits that were the best ever.  I thought they were scrambled eggs but they were made with corn meal and had Parmesan cheese in them.  Very yummy.  Laura had apple pancakes and the apple was cooked in the pancake not just plopped on top!  She said they were great.  Lucy is the resident dog and sort of wandered in and out but was never a pest and very sweet!

When we left we walked out back.  They have a large event center with two outdoor patios, one next to the restaurant and one by the event center.  The event center was open so we walked around.  They have a fireplace, a small stage and upper area with a bar and beautiful wood throughout.  The outside patio also had a small stage and I imagine it is a fun place when the weather is nice!  We will definitely go back again!

After brunch we took a ride through the hill country back to Boerne and to John and Gloria's.  We had dropped off Max before meeting Laura.  We watched the two football playoff games and had another wonderful meal with them.  John had cooked ribs for us and they were really delicious!  I really liked his sauce and the meat just fell off the bones.  Of course Gloria made a yummy dessert!  Wow, full again!

Having two funfilled days with friends and family..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Still hanging!

Got all the laundry done! Eight loads including Max's blankets and towels and jackets! We are all clean!

Had dinner with john and Gloria last night and played Phase 10! Ted pulled off a big win overcoming John and I by just a few points! We usually come home after dark from John and Gloria's about 25 miles. It's scary because it is a dark 2 lane road and there are a lot of deer. Ted's thinking we need to get a deer guard or stay at the campground in town. With the cost of diesel it will probably be more cost effective to stay in town! A lot better than worrying about hitting a deer!

Thankful we haven't hit a deer..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Sunny again!

Yesterday was drizzly but warmer so the refrigerator worked fine! We were headed to San Antonio to meet friends Pam and Jon and introduce them to Gloria and John. A semi driver fell asleep hit the center divide and veered off, hit a car and flipped over across I-10 fwy and caused a huge traffic jam. We turned around and went back and had John's yummy Belgium waffles! In the afternoon we ventured out to look at barstools. They didn't find anything so we headed back and played a game of Mexican Train! It was a good game with Ted and John competing for the win, back and forth like a ping pong ball! John won by 3 points taking 1st place from Ted! Meanwhile Gloria and I vied for last place! It was a fun day and we headed home after eating some leftovers!

Today we are staying home, need to get laundry done and some other chores!

Hanging out, playing games and eating..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Lots of shopping!

On Wednesday Max got his hair cut and looks very handsome and cooler!  Wednesday night after dinner at Gloria's house we played Mexican Train dominoes and I won!

On Thursday after dinner on Gloria's new kitchen table, we played dominoes again and this time John wiped the floor with us!  He catches on fast!

On Friday the RV service man came out and replaced the circuit board in our furnace!  Ahhhh heat again!  The refrigerator still shuts off when it gets down to 32 degrees.  Dometic claims that is the way it is supposed to work?????  Two problems with that; one it didn't start doing that until this past December and it's 5 years old and two, it doesn't come back on automatically!  You have to turn it off and on until it decides it is warm (11:00 a.m. because it's been so cold) enough outside to come back on!  They are going to talk to Dometic again.

Friday afternoon we went shopping with John and Gloria.  They had a list of things for the house they wanted to find.  We also managed to find a couple of things to buy!  We had dinner at Cracker Barrel.  They like the Cod on Fridays.  It is always good food.  We got back too late to play cards but had some dessert (of course) before heading home!

On Saturday Boerne had its monthly craft show.  More shopping!  I bought some earrings made from orchid petals that were dipped in resin.  They are really pretty.  Gloria managed to find a couple of things for the house!

We came back to their house and had John's homemade beef vegetable soup and cornbread.  Gloria and I then took off for some more shopping!  We hit Ross, Home Goods, TJ Max, Target and World Market!  I was pretty pooped and glad we were headed home after three hours!  Gloria did find some things for the new house and I found a couple of birthday gifts so we were happy!

Today was a little drizzly and low 50's.  We went to John and Gloria's for sloppy joes and Gloria's homemade apple pie (delicious) and played Pokeno and Phase 10.  John won at Phase 10...again!  We are home early tonight so had time to do the blog!

There are still a ton of deer around the campground and Ted managed to capture a picture of this buck who decided to pose for him!

Enjoying the animals at the campground..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Visiting Laura Joann!

Yesterday we met our friend Laura Joann for lunch at the Bear Moon Bakery in Boerne.  I had the quiche and it was very fluffy and delicious!  They have lots of desserts to drool over!  After lunch we followed Laura out east about 10 miles to her place.  We were going to use our truck to move her fifth wheel for her.  She has a couple of acres and has been slowly building a house.  She got the fifth wheel to live in for the time being.  She has added some sheep and goats, but had to put a couple of her older dogs down in the past year.  We had a good visit and got her RV moved and leveled.

Today we took Max to Heloites to get groomed.  With his bad leg it will probably be pretty trumatic for him but he really needed to be groomed.  Ted and I are working on some projects.  After I finish the blog I will defrost the freezer and Ted's fixing one of our window boxes.  They loosen with all the traveling and then some times he has to make new holes because they just won't hold any more!

Tonight is dinner with John and Gloria and I think we are going to play Mexican Train dominoes!  Will let you know who wins!

Grooming, chores and dinner..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Visiting downtown Boerne

Yesterday we met our friends Pam and John Pullen, San Antonio transplants from San Diego, at the Cypress Grill for lunch in downtown Boerne. The restaurant has really nice atmosphere and we all enjoyed our lunch. After lunch we strolled through a small part of town venturing in some of the shops! It was a delightful afternoon even though the sky was gray and it was a bit chilly!

After shopping we went over to John and Gloria's for cards and a bite of dinner. Ted won Phase 10 so Gloria should win the next time we play!

Ted and I are relaxing this morning. Ted's on the computer checking out cruises as I blog. We've had rain off and on through the night and this morning so dreary and kind of chilly!

A lazy morning..."Ain't Life Grand!"

In Boerne, Texas

On Thursday we drove west and straight to the RV repair shop in Pipe Creek (halfway between Boerne and our campground). They figured out why our refrigerator would turn off at 32 degrees. It had to do with a thermostat inside the refrigerator.   Now we will have to wait until it gets cold again to see if the problem is fixed!  They also figured out what was wrong with our furnace and ordered a new circuit board.   Hopefully they will bring out the part next week and we'll be back in business!

On Friday we took Max to the vet again for his limping, clicking leg. He has a torn ACL in his knee which is never going to get better. It doesn't seem to hurt and he's made his own adjustments (hence the limp). Now we have to try and make sure his other leg stays strong so he can support himself. He looks pretty pitiful, poor puppy.

We had dinner at Ted's cousins' home on Friday night. Her daughter and her family came over for dinner and and we had a fun evening! After dinner I won at Phase 10, beating Ted, John and Gloria.

Yesterday we went with John and Gloria to Chris Madrid's for lunch and dinner. It's a great hamburger place which is not in the best part of town in San Antonio but very popular! Their nachos are thin and really good covered in cheese and beans. The cheeseburgers are really big and really good, done but juicy. We got a basket of fries for the four of us and had left overs. It is always packed but they have it figured out and the wait usually isn't long!

To walk off our lunch/dinner we went to Trader Village. It was a beautiful sunny day to walk the huge flea market. Vendors rent space and sell new things and there is an area that is like a yard sale the individuals can rent space to sell their used things. We didn't buy too much but the walk was good for us! We left there and went to Rooms To Go furniture store.  John and Gloria decided to buy a dining room set they had seen there for their new house! Since they had a huge sectional with recliners that vibrated Ted, Gloria and I hung out while John took care of ordering the table! We left there to drive around the world through the hill country to pick up Max and head back to their house for apple cake (made by John) and Phase 10. This time John was the big winner!

A great day in Texas..."Ain't Life Grand!"

Columbus, TX

We had breakfast with the gang yesterday morning and then most of us left for parts unknown!  We went west back to Columbia, Tx.  Our campground is right on the Colorado River.  There are about 6 sites that back right up to the river and we were lucky enough to get one.  The river is pretty dry but it's still fun to see the fog on the river in the morning and lots of little baby ducks.  It was 30 degrees this morning when I walked Max (but so far no mosquitos thank God)!  The campground is full of Pecan trees but there was no rain last summer so the trees have no pecans.  A lady told me that last year they had tons of pecans!

There are lots of deer in the campground, this one was keeping an eye on Max and I.

Today we drove in to town to have lunch at one of the barbecue restaurants.  My ribs were really tender and the sauce was good but not great!  We drove into the historic district and saw the Opera House.  They have concerts one a month, special events, weddings and more.

On one side of the square there are some shops (we didn't find any shops to visit):

Across from the Opera House is the old Water Tower which is now the Daughters of the Confederate Museum.

Enjoying the local scenery..."Ain't Life Grand"!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We had a great time with the Traveling Supremes bringing in the New Year!  We had a chili cook off (and for the wimps like me we had Potato and Beef Vegetable Soups)!  Of course we had corn bread and for dessert we had very yummy creme brulee.  We've definitely eaten like Kings and Queens this week!

Around 8:00 p.m. they started the entertainment!  Ardis was the Master of Ceremonies and members of the group were the performers.  It was really entertaining!  They started off with a song sung by Barbara and Polk.  Next was a reading.  Marie told a story about the training her mother gave her on "public restrooms".  It was hysterical and every woman has been there.  Patsy Cline (aka Rosalyn) sang a song, I think it was "She's got You" and pulled things out of her blouse...again sooo funny!   There was a skit by Judy and Mike.  Mike was a judge on his first case and Judy was a woman who had been humiliated having a mammogram.  Again, every woman has been there, so funny!  There was a skit of old people in a nursing home (and they were dressed for the part) and the nurse brought them a new pill because the doctor thought they had been depressed.  It was viagra and they really kicked up their heels!  Next was a judging of a chili cookoff (not the ones our ladies made).  There were 3 judges and 1 of them was from Michigan because the Texas judge called in sick at the last moment.  I have never heard Ted laugh so hard.  As the chili recipes got hotter, the third judge drank more beer and was more descriptive of the problems he was having eating the HOT stuff!  They really played their parts well!

Next was a tribute to America and the soldiers and veterans of the many wars America has been involved in.  It was all very touching.  John Branndon sang America and the National Anthymn and did such a wonderful job! 

After the entertainment came the gift exchange!  We had all brought a food/drink item valued at $10.  It could even be homemade!  Ted and I ended up with a fruit cake which we gave away since we don't eat them but kept the much less healthy chocolate truffles!  They are delicious!  This was a different way to do the gift exchange.  We picked a gift one by one and could steal up to 2 additional times, but we never opened the gift until it was all done!  It was fun and with almost 40 gifts did go alot faster that way!

We were all done by about 10:30 and many of us left for our homes to bring in the New Year (or go to bed).  We actually stayed up to midnight!

My friend Jeri posted this on Facebook.  I thought it was cool:

Happy New Year..."Ain't Life Grand!"