Are We Back In Illinois????

The past few days I have been asking myself if, indeed, we have magically returned to the midwest. For the past 2 days we have had "Illinois weather", or close to it. Just when I had thought I was done wearing the heavy coat, stocking cap and gloves, I had to drag it out of the back of my closet to take our walks. Sunday started the crappy weather with a low of 38 degrees and I was pissed...well, little did I know it was going down hill from there..Yesterday, Monday, we woke up to 30 MPH winds and the day's high temp of 33 degrees. woopie..We went into the big town of Sattler and did our laundry...Do I have to wash my coat and gloves?? Are we going to be wearing them alot more...and for how long??
On our way back from the laundry we stopped by the Fischer post office to see if the pkg we had been waiting for from Chris was there yet...I sat in the truck while Den went in..(Hey, it was too cold to walk the 20 ft into the post office, so I sat in the truck and watched the prickly pear cactus shiver.) Den walked out of the post office carrying what looked like a post card and looking confused..This did not bode well for our package..When he got in the truck he informed me that our long awaited package was waiting for us in San Marcos at the UPS office...huh?? Well, come to find out I neglected to tell Chris that you cannot send anything marked "General Delivery" via UPS..they need an address, and we don't have any. I now see a trip to San Marcos in the frigid day's plans.
We blew into the camper with our laundry. Now, our camper is pretty warm. We have our electric fireplace that is a heater plus a small little electric heater we take into the bedroom so we can have morning hygiene with some heat. Mind you, we do have a propane furnace in this thing, but why burn our propane when we can burn the campground electicity?? Also, another note..you can lose alot of heat through the camper windows, especially the huge picture window in the rear living room...these are not Anderson windows, kids, these have zero insulation qualities. What we do if it is severly cold and windy is NOT open the shades, thus creating a cocoon-like atmosphere inside..This is OK for about 48 hours and then you get a little nuts not seeing outside..nuts enough even to venture outside for a walk, albeit brief, in your winter coat, gloves and stocking hat.
And now for the tale of the trip to San Marcos. Did I mention that the UPS office in San Marcos (30 miles away) has weird hours?? Like, they are only open from 4PM until 7PM 5 days a week?? ...and if we didn't get our package by Thursday they would return it to sender?? Thus the reason we had to wait until late afternoon yesterday to venture forth yet again into the Texas "unseasonable cold".We decided to go a little early and run to WalMart there.
What we didn't remember was that "rush hour" is a universal time..3PM until 7PM...and we ended up right in the middle of it.
San Marcos is one of the bigger cities around here and we drove into it sitting in traffic bumper to bumper, armed only with our mapquest map of where the UPS place was. We managed to get to WalMart, only because we DID know where that was, having been there before. From there we were floundering around on and off I-35,(really busy interstate), looking for the UPS office. We were hopelessly lost and the air inside the truck was wrought with "tension" accompanied by a few foul words from the driver..AND.. now we could see it was starting to get dark..Don't panic, Donna...OK..but I do know how much Dennis hates driving winding hilly roads after dark..I also neglected to mention that the road we take from our campground at Canyon Lake to San Marcos is called "The Devil's Backbone"?? ..self explanatory.
To try to make a long story even longer, we went down a wrong road off the interstate... and MAGICALLY, ended up at the UPS office! Here is where I take credit for suggesting we stay the course and keep going that directions... Quick, Den, jump out, get the pkg, throw it in the back of the truck and let's "get the Hell outa Dodge"..or San Marcos. We managed to find our way back across the interstate and headed back out of town as the sun was setting (if there had been any sun yesterday). We made it back to the camper before it was totally dark, ran in and started a much needed cocktail hour.
Well, the package was worth every bit of the trip!! In it we had a brand new WebCam for our laptop, courtesy of Chris and John...PLUS 2 caps, a sweatshirt and a long sleeved T-shirt for me from John's sister, Crash Gladys..Let me explain that Crash is not her real name, it is the name she goes by on the TV/radio show in California that she is part of, called SpeedFreaks. She and 2 guys,(she's the only female), do a show about auto racing, NASCAR, stock, drag racing...all kinds of racing..One of the caps for Den was signed by all of them and I know when he wears it he"ll think he is King Shit!! It was just like Christmas opening all of the goodies..Will Den sleep in his new cap??
When we woke up today, it promised to be yet another "curtains pulled" day..temp was 28 degrees. We had coffee and peeked outside..hmmm...no wind...let's brave it and do our walk..We did and actually it was not nearly as bad as yesterday..no wind chill to deal with. We dealt with the curtains down until about noon, then I could handle it no longer and pulled up a few at a time..Hey, it was now 39 degrees, and I needed to see that I was NOT in a bad dream and back in Illinois..No, by God, I WAS in Texas!!!! AND they are predicting 70 degrees by Thursday!!
You may have noticed there are no photos in this blog...because our activities of the past few days have consisted of laundromats, post offices and kamakazee runs to UPS offices..Not great photo ops..I will blog more with photos when I finally see the sunshine and can get out of my sweatpants...Later

The Other "Windy City"

Today is Saturday, Dec. 13th. We had thought about going into the town of Sattler f or the Christmas Parade, but it is soooo windy, I doubt their floats will hold up...and Santa's hat will blow off. So, we stayed at the RV and made a great bacon, sausage and cheese omelet with toast for breakfast after our walk.
We have been having a campfire here every night, even though this county had been under a "burning ban"...Apparently, inside the park they were still letting people have a campfire as long as it was in the fire ring. However, last night they came around telling everyone that campfires are temporarily banned inside the park because of the extremel dryness ...Damn!
Thursday night was such a beautiful evening, we did sit outside by the fire until about 8PM. The deer were out and running all over by the lake, so I took the opportunity to get a pretty good sunset photo. I was totally unaware that the deer in the photo happened to be a nice buck, but when I downloaded it to our laptop I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out! See for yourself...


This place is really pretty. The lake is fed from the Guadalupe River, which is sooo turquoise and so is Canyon Lake. Today it has white caps on it. Thursday nite when we sat outside I took a few more photos. That evening the wind was gone and the moon was full...sooooo peaceful and relaxing by the fire..

Tonight we are having grilled turkey bratwurst, scalloped potatoes, salad and some veggies. Before you think that I homemade the potato dish I wish to inform you that Betty Crocker made them..I will just cook them in a skillet. I don't use my oven a lot..I use the stove top or microwave, and Dennis usually grills the meat. I also have a crockpot onboard and I use that if it is rainy or too cool. It really makes the RV smell wonderful! I also have all of my Christmas CD's downloaded onto I-Tunes, so all I have to do is plug our computer speakers into our surround sound speakers and it is all around us in the camper. Den's next trick will be to find a way to wire from our surround sound to an outside speaker, so we can listen outside, too. I use to bring all our CD's and take a CD player outside, but I finally managed to download ALL of our CD's to I-tunes and we don't have to bring any with us, they are on our laptop.
Here is another picture of our campsite, before we had a burn ban in the park...


...and here is the view looking our our rear window of the RV..not too bad, eh??


Well, it's almost cocktail hour and my recliner is calling. Actually, the wind is gusting so hard that the camper is rocking a bit..now that's what I call windy!! More later...

Potter's Creek, Canyon Lake Texas

We arrived at Potter's Creek yesterday about 1:30PM. We drove from Lake Charles, Louisiana and it took about 6 hours with one stop for fuel..diesel was $2.39 a gallon. The weather here was 74 degrees, cloudy and very windy. We are set up right next to our good friends from Minnesota, Wayne and Ronae Seale. We were really happy that the spot next to them was vacant. It is really nice to see people you know on the road.
We got all set up. It was no problem to set up the satellite dishes, there are no trees. We are right on Canyon Lake and the wind was really hawking. I had to have Dennis help hold down my picnic table cloth while I clamped it down, and then put big rocks on top to help hold it.Hopefully it won't be as windy tomorrow.
Here is a view of the lake when we arrived.

We woke up this morning and took our walk in jeans and T-shirts. It was already getting warm. When we got back, we took our coffee outside and enjoyed the view...so peaceful. Of course, I just couldn't relax too much..Our RV needed a good wash and so did our truck, so I changed into shorts and I started out on the camper. Den went to find some firewood and he came back with a truckload. He helped me wash the camper and I finished the truck. By noon we had camper and truck both washed, firewood unloaded and the camper windows all washed...time to quit!! I took my book outside and honestly didn't read a word..It was so nice to relax in the breeze..I almost fell asleep.
Shortly,it started to get windy again, so I came in to blog. We are all set up so I thought I would tke a few photos of our home for 3 1/2 weeks..
This is our camper in the foreground and Wayne and Ronae's behind it.


Here is where we relax..do puzzles and read..our life is soooo busy...but just look at the view!!


Yet another view of our temporary little chunk of real estate ...We love it here~


I will blog more tomorrow..Our weather is suppose to turn cold...low 50's for the next few days and very windy tomorrow..I see some crockpot chili for tomorrow's dinner...Later

More Swampland Photos

Today is about 58 degrees and Den and I took a walk around the lagoon about noon.

Here are some photos we took...
Now this is definitely NOT camping..This 5th wheel is 40' long,(ours is 30'), has 3 axles, and is pulled by an International Semi Trailer Tractor...also, notice the boat on top the truck..We talked to this guy this morning..they are full timers originally from Oregon..


We took a few more "bird" photos...You just cannot have enough pictures of Blue Herons

I have absolutely NO idea what the Hell these ugly-ass geese are..does anyone out there know? I so, email me...


I do know that this next picture is an "old bird"....

Well, enough of the swampland photos...We are going into town this afternoon to find a cocktail and maybe dinner to bring back to the camper...We shall see. Tomorrow is another exciting "laundry day"...always an adventure. We leave here Monday morning and drive about 350 miles to Canyon Lake, TX, just North of San Antonio...the route takes us through downtown Houston...pray for us..

Our Last Stop in Louisiana

Yesterday we arrived at Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles Louisiana. We will be here till Monday. If you check your Atlas, we are just North of a huge bayou area and not far from the Gulf. I was hoping to take a scenic ride on what is called the Creole Nature Trail, but some of the roads are still closed due to Hurricane Gustav.
Our campsite is in the middle of the tall trees and Den thought it may be a challenge finding our satellites, but he had no problem and we have our Direct TV AND we are online. (This isn't really "camping"..this is "RVing"). When we arrived yesterday, it was 74 degrees and we sat by our campfire until 7PM in just a sweatshirt. Not JUST a sweatshirt, mind you. For those of you who know what I wear after 4PM..YES, I did have on my "uniform", striped socks and all.Sometime I'll post a photo. Dennis grilled some great lamb chops and we had our usual wonderful dinner.
This morning, unfortunately, the weather has changed and it is only 50 degrees and dreary. We walked our 2 miles and this is a very pretty park. We are camped just across from a lagoon,aka swamp, with bald cypress trees and dripping moss...and, I am sure, some alligators.

There are also some very strange looking geese that didn't appreciate us and chased us a few feet. I put Dennis in front of me in case they were going to get more hostile, and they are pretty fast if they get upset..which they were.

After lunch, I decided to get some more fresh air with my camera, going back around the swamp. I was hoping to get some strange bird photos and I was pleasantly rewarded for venturing back out in the chilly damp air. Here a few bird photos from the swamp..(Jane Hathaway, eat your heart out! All I need is khaki shorts..)This is the Mallard I spotted with a few other ducks..

I think the next one is a Pintail...

And now for the "weird geese"... what the Hell ARE they??


I walked out onto a bridge to see what the sign said that was posted there..I should have known.."DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATORS"..Maybe they should tell the alligators NOT TO EAT US!! It was so eerie, creepy and quiet. I found myself looking all over, in case an alligator was lying as still as a stick, somewhere on the shore.. (where I was wandering with my camera)..Did I mention that Dennis was back in the warm RV doing Sudoku?? I DID take my cell phone with me..(as if that wouldn't get eaten right along with ME!) I crept back cautiously onto the road and started going back around the swamp. I got another bonus as I looked across the swamp...I believe this is some kind of Heron...

I was almost back to the camper, when I spotted a huge woodpecker flying over me. Of course I followed, and found him in a tall tree in the swamp..I carefully walked down toward the bank and got this shot of him..we never see Woodpeckers this big at home unless it's on cartoons, and his name is Woody.

Well, my adventure for the day was over and I scooted back toward the HitchHiker and safety. Here is a shot of our location in the woods.

I probably was never even near any danger, but the swampland made me remember the movie "Creature From the Black Lagoon"..Next time I'll take my bodyguard..screw the Sudoku!! Later...

Revisiting the Natchez Trace

Today we drove back out to the Natchez Trace Parkway to see a few sites we missed on the way in with the RV. There is a section of the original old trace that we wanted to walk into. We took this photo looking just ahead at that section of the old trace..


Keep in mind this was begun by the Indians about 1600 and taken up by the travelers going North. Here is another closer photo..as you can see, we couldn't get very far due to the trees, felled by erosion. The original trace eroded due to topsoil being blown off through many years..and the pathway virtually "sank" in many spots..


This whole thing just blows my mind..to think of all who came before us, walking, riding, pulling wagons..all along this trail to go North for prosperity. This next photo is one taken from the trace looking out at the parkway...Notice the old Indian Scout on the right...is he a ghost?? or maybe just my imagination..Oh..it's only Chief Drivealotamiles, Dennis.


We jumped back into the truck and went a few more miles up the trace to a National Historic Site called Emerald Mound. This is an old Indian Mound created by the Mississippian Indians,(who were related to the Natchez Indians). Best guess is that it was made between 1300 and 1600 as a place to build temples for worship of the sun, ceremonies, and burial spots of the chieftains. I seem to recall that there are some old Indian mounds back home in Illinois around Ottawa, on the way to Captain's Cove restaurant and marina. These mounds are formed like a platform of land with two 30 foot hight mounds at each end. At one time, on each of the big mounds were temples. Here is Dennis climbing to the main mound.


And here I am...at the top of the tallest of the two , standing where a ancient Indian temple once was..gives me goosebumps. I don't know where or how deep the burial sites are..I don't think anyone does for sure.

Here is the view from the top...If you look close, you can see the other mound at other end of this area.


On this sign in the following photo is a drawing of what it looked like and also what one of the temples might have been like. "How did they build those mounds and move all of that dirt?", you ask. So did I. Then I read more about them and apparently they carried the dirt in baskets and animal skins to keep building them higher..Amazing...

(Remember that you can click on any of these photos to make them larger and easier to see.)
Well, tomorow we move on down the road to Lake Charles, Louisiana. We will spend 5 nights at Sam Houston Jones State Park, just North of there. I fully intend to find a cajun joint with deep fried oyster poor boys...I will blog from there in a day or two. As for right now, Chief Drivesalotofmiles is building a campfire, and you know what the "Chief" says..."Too big fire, need sit away...Little fire, sit close"..whatever. Later

Historic Natchez

Yesterday we drove about 200 miles from Grenada to Natchez, MS. We jumped off the interstate at Jackson and got on the Historic Natchez Trace Parkway. This is a beautiful drive. There is no commercial traffic allowed and there are no roadside billboards or any signs at all except for historic roadside markers and speed limit, which is 55 mph and strictly enforced. I truly don't know why you would want to go any faster. The roadside greens are all groomed and mowed, but there aren't many green areas because it is mostly a road that drives through trees and dripping moss. I tried to take a photo on the fly, but it doesn't do it justice.

We got pulled off at one of the historic deserted towns called Rocky Springs. All there is left is a few cisterns and a few old safes. This little town was jumping back in the late 1800's, but you can't hardly even tell there was a town there. It is about 3 miles off the road deep in the woods, but we drove the RV up into it. As it turns out, we were going the wrong way up a one way road, but this time of year we were the only ones there (luckily).

We got to the Natchez State Park, paid our $33.00 for 3 nights, which includes the $3.00 a night discount for Dennis (65 and over). We found a good spot just out of the trees for both satellite dishes, had our cocktail hour and enjoyed the quiet. This morning we got up about 7AM and did our 2 mile walk down to the lake and back. I fixed some sausage English muffins with our coffee,(I do use the oven about once every 2 weeks), and left for Historic Natchez.
We floundered around finding the Natchez Bureau of Tourism, but it has been our experience that a tourism office gives you all the "stuff" you need not to get lost or go down a once way street the wrong way (sometimes). The oldest and most historic part of Natchez is on or close to the Mississippi River. I took some pictures of a few of the antebellum homes. This one is called Rosalie and it was the Union Army Headquarters during the Civil War.

Natchez is a lovely old town and we drove around the area of many beautiful homes. There were also some very small little homes, but almost every home here, big or tiny, has pillars in front( and not the ones you sleep on). There are also some very poor sections here, as you can imagine. Here is another of the lovely old antebellum mansions.

I had been online and read about the area just down on the river called the "Under the Hill" section of Natchez...It was only one short street long, right where the riverboats would unload, and it had one saloon, one brothel, and one boarding house and one eating establishment. A lot of travelers would come in on wooden boats loaded with all of their worldly goods, and when they got to Natchez, they would sell it all, even the boats for the wood, buy a mule and wagon and head up the Trace for a new life. I am sure "under the hill" was a popular place in the 1700 and 1800's. I also read about the "Under The Hill Saloon", the oldest saloon on the Mississippi River, built in the 1830's..need I say we went in?? Here it is from the outside.

We had a couple beers,hey, it was 5 O'clock somewhere, and talked to the bartender. He was very helpful and told us alot about this area. He told us to walk into the back 2 rooms and take some photos, no problem, so we did. This one is a very old fireplace, probably circa 1830..I loved it. Unfortunately there was a fooseball table right in front of it, but they gotta please everyone.

I took a few more photos before we left. This is the kind of neat place I like to search out.



Of course I couldn't resist to have Dennis take my photo out front..If only this place could talk.

Tomorrow we are spending our last afternoon here going back up the trace a few miles, where there is an old inn I need to see. Also,just about 2 miles from our campsite is a section of the old trace you can see . I will probably blog another few photos tomorrow. Right now, it's wine O'clock...Later