TX Hill Country

Johnson Creek RV Resort and Pecan Orchard

Becky near JCRV

JCRV

David behind the clubhouse

1-6-10:

Arrived at Johnson Creek RV Park in Ingram, TX, just outside of Kerrville.  It's a pretty little spot, maybe 40 sites, in the middle of a pecan orchard.  Johnson Creek runs alongside the rv park.  It's a beautiful creek about the size of the Guadalupe River which is also in the area. 

Rocky, Bec, Private and Major

1-1-10:  Went to Fredricksburg.  Fun little tourist trap loaded with German heritage. Got cowgirl hats for Laura Lee, Brooke, and me. Learned to play Hand and Foot with some of the ladies at the rv park clubhouse.  Really a fun game! I'm off bingo.

1-12-10:  Ate at Hole in the Wall in Ingram. The perfect burger!! Homemade buns.  Learned to play Screwy Louie today. 

Elk

Antelope

WMA turkey

1-16-10:  Took a drive up hwy 39 to FM 1340, to 41 and back to 39. Gorgeous!  Saw exotic animals at several game ranches. Drove through Kerr Co WMA.

Stonehenge

Easter Island at TX Hill Country

Happened upon Stonehenge!  And Easter Island statues. Much of today's drive is on the Guadalupe River -- beautiful. Homes and ranches all have names and the gates are sometimes more elaborate than the home!

Nimitz Museum

Nimitz Museum

1-18-10:  Went to the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredricksburg.  Now, I'm not a big museum buff, but this one was great!  Kind of a tearjerker. WWII, Sullivan Bros, Pearl Harbor, Midway, etc. Worth a repeat visit!

Playing Pennies from Heaven

Dee and Ann - card peeps

Card Peeps: Bec, Sarah, Dee, Ann

1-19-10:  The card playing ladies: Dee and Ann, decided I was ready to learn Pennies from Heaven. I'm hooked!  I've gotten these ladies hooked on wearing visors while we play, as Cookie and I used to do in college.

JCRV birds

woodpecker at jcrv

1-21-10: June and Pinky -- our friends from Admiralty -- came to visit today.  Met at the Lakehouse for lunch, then came back to the camper for a visit. Fun to see them again.  Pinky was Santa at Admiralty.

1-23-10:  Met Al and Annette today who used to live in Greeley, CO.  I asked them if they by any wild chance knew Janis and Roger. They said they used to live in the same neighborhood and went to church together.  Kristy used to babysit for them. Small world.  Also learned today that Sarah -- one of my card peeps -- has a niece who is married to Mike Young from Texarkana. Sarah is from NC.  Small world!!

Bandera

1-25-10: drove over to Bandera today.  Cute little cowboy town.  I think the night life is hopping, but we don't like sharing the road with the Axis deer at night.  So we'll let others enjoy that.

Rocky with Boo Boo and Sugar Baby

Cooooold!

Snow at JCRV

1-29-10:  SNOW!!  little tiny flakes. and the sun shining the whole time. Hill Country peeps call it "dry rain".

2-2-10:  Went to Boerne (pronounced Bernie) -- another German town full of yuppies. Loved it. We took 479? to get too I-10 today. Saw signs that said "Loose Livestock" and cattle guards on the road. Herds of sheep crossing back and forth on road. Saw several mini-donkeys, and black-buck antelope. So cute!

2-3-10:  Wanda back in hospital in Wichita. Compression fracture in back causing lots of pain. Then, a staph infection.

Shopping in Fredricksburg

2-4-10: Some of the RV girls: Dee, Shirley, Ann,  Sarah and me went resale shopping in Kerrville/Ingram.  Hit about 7 shops. Fun day.

2-8-10:  Played cards all afternoon with the girls. Then again tonite with the hubbies.  Yep, I'm hooked on Pennies from Heaven.

High Tea at Queen B's

2-9-10:  Had "high tea" at Queen B's in Ingram with Dee, Ann, Shirley, and Sarah.  They provided minks and old lady hats for us to wear thru lunch.

2-11-10:  Snow in every state of the USA today! Dallas and Texarkana getting record snows.

2-12-10:  David and I drove to San Marcos via the scenic route. Went thru Comfort, Sisterdale, Kindalia, Blanco. David did a little shopping at the Columbia outle in SM.  Came home thru New Braunfels, Boerne, Bulverde.  Saw Indian antelope, sheep, goats, whitetails, axis, black buck antelope, female elk....

Valentine's Dinner at JCRV

Tom and Dee -- NOT AR fans!  Thx Jakeb!

Shirley and Chuck from Wisconsin

2-13-10:  Enjoyed the Valentines Day dinner at the rv park tonite. Great food and entertainment. Got to talking to Chuck and Linda Moats about workamping.  Found out they used to own land in New Meadows, ID -- where Jerri and George live.  Small world again!

2-14-10:  For Valentine's Day I gave David ..... a break! Played cards all afternoon. Like I don't do that most days anyway. Temp dropped 20 degrees while I was playing.

Rocky and Private w/Major on the way

Rocky w/ Boo Boo and Sugar Baby

2-16-10:  David went to Wichita to see Wanda, who is still in the hospital. 30 or so deer in the orchard this evening, when Rocky and I went over to feed carrots to Major, Boo-Boo, and Sugar Baby. Mr. Ken gave me a Razorback belt buckle during my card game today.

When was the last time you saw one of these? This one is in Kerrville

2-17-10:  David gave me a good report on Wanda.  Still in the hospital, but better.

Snow on the ground at LBJ Ranch

LBJ bison

David at LBJ Ranch

Part of the historical working ranch at LBJ

One of these is a dingaling

2-25-10:  David and I went over to LBJ Ranch in Johnson City.  Snow still on the ground in spots. Interesting ranch!  LBJ memorabilia when he was born, car collection, airport, working farm from the days and bison herd. Saw some camels outside of Fredricksburg.

Zunft Baum in Fredricksburg

In downtown Fred, there is a tall wooden or metal tree on the square. It's called a Zunft Baum. A sort of trade tree. German towns put them out in the town squares to show what kind of trades or businesses are there. Trade symbols decorate the trees. Thx Andy and Lisa for that info!

Harley and Becky w/Becky

3-3-10:  Got together with Harley and Becky at Paw-Paw's bbq.  Fun visit.  Been a long, long time since I've seen them.

3-4-10:  Wanda's kidneys shut down.  Packed the camper up in record time and headed for Wichita about 3:00 pm.  Got just north of Ft Worth about 10:30 and spent the night. 

3-5-10:  Left Ft. Worth about 7:30 a.m. and arrived at the hospital at 2:00ish.  Spent the night with her there. 

3-6-10:  Wanda died shortly after 4 this afternoon with family by her side.

Pallbearers

Gus corrupting Andrew

Laura Lee and Asher

3-11-10:  Wanda's funeral.  Gus and Laura both drove to Wichita for the funeral, so we got to spend a little time together for the first time since Fall. All of Mac and Wanda's kids and grandkids made it in for the funeral. Sweet family.

Asher and statue

End of the day

Ride 'em

Taking it easy

On guard

Brooke and Andrew

The boys and their new friend

So much to see

Here's a cool donkey!

Looks a little familiar

3-23-10:  Went to the zoo with Justin and family. Fun day.  David took lots of pix and made Andrew and Asher a book online of their day.

Playing Panties

4-3-10:  Went to Justin's for supper and cards.  Taught them Pennies from Heaven.  All -- even the guys -- wore visors. They thought I was saying Panties from Heaven.  So that's what we'll call it now.

David's first pedi

4-7-10:  David got his 1st pedi at a little shop in El Dorada, KS.  As he sat there, I snapped pix and emailed them out without him having any idea. Quite fun! The lady painted his toenails clear!! I removed that when we got home.

4-8-10:  Babysat the boys today. Whew - were we tired after! Came home and both of us fell asleep.  haha.  But really enjoyed the time with Andrew and Asher!

4-9-10:  Had the guys vs girls Panties rematch.  Girls won again!

David, Greg, Linda Sue, and Rocky on the dam hill

4-18-10:  Dandelions everywhere at campground.  Asher would love it! Linda Sue and Greg visited today and we all climbed the dam hill. Met Excel owners Ron and Belinda Miller from Topeka.

Z Bar Ranch

Nat'l Historic Preserve

Flint Hills Area

4-20-10:  Drove to Cottonwood Falls and Council Grove (I could live in CG) Lots of range burnings going on in the area.  Matfield Green --60 trains come through there each day.  Visited the Z Bar Ranch at Strong City which is a Nat'l Preserve.  Pretty cool.  I really like the Flint Hills of KS.  Very pretty. Cattle are brought in from TX and all over the country to graze there from May-June.

Our Rocky

4-23-10:  Laura Lee's 28th!! Wish we were there with her. Rocky hurt his back jumping off the bed today.  Took to El Dorado vet and he gave him muscle relaxers and steroids.

4-27-10: Staying in Topeka now as we head toward Iowa. Drove around Shawnee Lake. Happened upon an Excel there and it was Ron and Belinda Miller.  funny.

Heading out in a couple of days to spend some time with Laura Lee in Iowa.  Can't wait to see her!  Not looking forward to staying in the Midwest during tornado season - in a camper.  But really anxious to hang out with our baby girl!


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The Gamers