Fri March 27

Hi everybody.Well we made it home yesterday at 7pm. It was a very long day as we drove straight through from Ky.at 8 am. After emptying the trailer fridge and grabbing just what we would need for the night -we called it a night. Boy was that nice to sleep in our own bed after 3 months.I hope all our followers enjoyed the blog , Ron sure enjoyed taking pictures for it (until the camera died!) and I really enjoyed writing it to sometimes amuse everybody.We are planning our winter trip for next year so we'll talk to you then .Hope y'all stay safe. Bye for now and have a great summer!! Ron and Dee

Wed March 25

Hi everybody,We have arrived in Shepardsville Kentucky today. At 9:00 this morning looking at the rain and, there had been no storms all night, Ron thought we could make it to here if we got busy and started packing. It turned out fine but had rain the entire way here.They had a big ice storm back in Jan all down the I-65 corridor and surrounding area of Kentucky--there are branches down everywhere. It looks awful!
So we will head for home tomorrow morning possibly going right through . Once we get to Auburn , Indiana -its only 4 hrs-so who knows
Hope ya'll have a great night and will see you soon. Ron and Dee

Tues March 24

Hi everybody, well were at the park and we were making some headway for home but a bad storm is brewing in this area .We decided rather than take a chance we can sit it out and so will stay here until Thurs or Fri at least , rather than tomorrow.If it still looks not so great we can stay for another day.The winds are suppose to reach upwards of 50mph--not good towing a trailer.
We have been using the library internet and it works great!
Well that s all for today and we will keep you posted as we go.Take care all,Ron and Dee

Sun,March 22,Mon, March 23

Hi Everybody,Started the Trace today and it was nice and sunny. The red bud trees were blooming and lots of dogwood.We arrived at the Jeff Busby Park and found a spot .By 6:00 it was packed. Must be because its free,but with no showers.
We left first thing on Monday towards the David Crocket State Park. Nothing in bloom here but it is 70 deg and very nice weather for now. Its not packed but some of campers on the Trace also have come here(canadians heading home)Well thats about it for now .Take care Ron and Dee

Sat March 21

Hi everybody.Here we are in Vidalia on the Mississippi river where we started out from.Its a beautiful sunny day 79* and sunny. We took a trip south into the state of Miss. today and then rode a ferry across to the other side of river and back up the other side .Sometimes the road ran on top of the dike that keeps the river where its supposed to be.This is our campground here and its very nice.We will be leaving tomorrow morn, and going back up the TRace.That puts us out of commission for 3 days maybe-no internet.Will get back to you when we can. Thats it for today .Have a great weekend Ron and Dee

Thurs March 19

Hi everybody,This picture was taken on a drive in the neighbourhood today.Its an unusual bunch of vines growing out of the ground and around some trees.It was 80 deg. here today and nice and sunny.I'm sure it will start to leaf out any day now.

Now this is a small portion of some petrified wood we discovered right behind our trailer today. I was snooping around for some pine cones and came upon some quartz ,agate and other cool stones(for our new tumbler)and Ron found all this wood.Well there was quite a pocket of it so that was what we started to collect before leaving tomorrow.We would have had to pay to go on someones ranch to find it at any other time.

Well thats our big find of the day -oh and a 1000 pc $4 puzzle at a new to used shop in town.

Bye for now Take care all--Ron & Dee

Wed,March 18

Hi everybody .We made it to Livingstone Lake today. It is really beautiful and looks like summer here.The bluebonnets were out in bloom the whole way here along the roadsides(Texas state flower)-gorgeous!

This lake is 35 miles long and 12 miles wide and looks like it could be a busy vacation spot in the summer.Lots of people are fishing & the kids are swimming already in it.Pontoon boats are in storage and everyone seems to have a view of the lake.

This is looking southward on the lake.Livingston State Park is over there somewhere.Will stay here until Fri and then on the road again.Well bye for now --take care Ron & Dee

Tues March 17

Hi Everybody-Happy St. Patrick's day to you.Were on the road again starting tomorrow. Heading for Onalaska (just east of Huntsville on Lake Livingston)for 2 nights and then on to Vidalia La on the 20th .I know it has internet from on our trip down and its a nice park on the Mississippi River.Our plan is to do the Natchez Trace again so I'm sure we will be home by the 27th or 28,at least that weekend.Not much happening today-we went and gased up the truck for tomorow and packed away as much as we could.So were good to go now. Take care all ,bye for now Ron & Dee

Mon March 16

Hi Everybody,We made it to the rock,Enchanted Rock S.N.A.Well worth the wait!!!

Loking up to the top at 1500ft.Lots of people of all ages trying to reach the summit.I stopped at the top of the tree line.

Ron kept going all the way to 1825 ft.There were lots up there and you could walk over and around the other side to a bat cave.

View down from the summit.

View west to Little Rock Mt.where you could go primitive camping on the other side through Echo Canyon Trail .Everything is backpacked in and out.

View of rock ledge before the last hike to summit.

View looking down to parking lot and entrance road from the top. There was a 20 car lineup behind us at all times and more from the other direction when we were coming into park. At $ 6 pp they were making lots of money for the upkeep of the park.It was a good climb and we both enjoyed it!

Birthday wishes go out to LOGAN today from Gramma & Grampa.Have fun -lv u..

Thats it for today(hope this posting goes through).tke car Ron and Dee

Mon

Sat,March14,Sun March 15.

Hi everybody,Well Sat it rained all day again and was 43 deg. No one did anything around here !Finally today the sun came out around 11:00 and has been sunny all day.You can now see a shade of green in the pastures and grassy areas.There are no barns here you know-the cattle are all out in open fields and the cow patties are piling up everywhere.It will take more than 4 days of rain to clear them out I think!We went over to W-Mart today and stocked up on some anti freeze for trailer in case we need it on the way home, and then slipped over to HEB for supplies and a barbecued chicken for dinner tonight and tomorrow night.
We've been told that HEB stands for Herbert E Butts and his wife 's name is Ophelia.Not sure if thats the truth or NOT. Well better run for now , take care everybody, Ron and Dee

Fri, March 13

Hi everybody,How's it going today?Not much happening here except more rain. Lots more rain!I guess all the praying for rain has finally paid off and the end of the drought has come after 1 1/2 yrs.All of Texas hill country is very happy to see the rain and no one is complaining.
We went into Boerne today in the downpour to a rock shop. Lots of neat items there and Ron found his tumbler to polish rocks.So that was a good trip.Made it back home in time for late lunch.We've spent the afternoon watching rv's come in for the weekend likely.It really thinned out over the week.Everyone is heading for home like us. YEA!! That 's it for today,hope y'all have a great weekend and good luck to you for the rest of the night!(Fri-13) bye for now, Ron and Dee

Thurs March 12

Hi everybody,Well its been a wet couple of days. Yesterday we had 4.50 " of rain, along with several thunderstorms which started during the night and went all day long.Everyone just hunkered down for the day and read like we did i suppose.We have a deep ditch behind us which got half full and flowed like a river.Today got up to 43 degrees.WOW.
Karen & Ruth --I have tried at the quilt shop to get those printed panels but with no luck yet. No one seems to carry them here. Will keep trying though.The Wall- Marts are going out of fabric also like Can.They say no one sews anymore-you can buy it cheaper!!!
Hi to Emily, Trent and Logan-hope you guys have fun over the March Break .We sure miss and love you*******Well bye for now
Remember Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly***Ron and Dee

Tues March 10

Hi Everybody. Well we did finally get some rain today and expecting more for the next 3 days.Today's never really amounted to anything but it did stop us from climbing the mt.We drove instead northwest to Mason--the topaz capital of Texas. We checked out some stores and had a terrific lunch there.Also 1 house left from Fort Mason of yesteryear.When we got back home had a great dinner from the crockpot - roast beef done in an onion soup sauce with potatoes.Thats about it for today. Hope y'all had a great day. Ron and Dee

Mon March 9

Hi Everybody,Just thought i'd catch up on blog as we were having a lot of problems with internet yesterday.This picture is the Texas White House on the L B Johnson ranch.A National Historic Park has assumed part of the 2,000 acre s, and are now giving tours.

This is LBJ's outdoor pool in which he did a lot of swimming in . The building is the indoor pool which Mrs. Johnson and the girls used.

This is part of the original stone house before was enlarged to the size it is now(9bathrooms and 8 bedrooms).It is still a working ranch and has a large herd of prize livestock.We drove through the farm itself and over many cattle crossings.

The door to the Texas White House where he did a lot of presidential busines when at home. He grew up just down the road and attended the schools in Stonewall.His boyhood home was part of tour.

His very modest but handsome desk with pictures of their favorite dogs on the walls.The walking tour of house cost $2.00pp.I can only imagine what that cost would be in Can.

I should mention this ranch was only 1 of 5 or so others. LBJ is buried here along with other members of his family in a family cemetery down the road along the Pedernales River under many huge beautiful live oak trees.(also part of tour).There is also an airstrip and hangar on the property.

Ron and I drove yesterday past this rock in the Enchanted Rock State Natural Park.The humongous granite rock is the next thing to see sometime this week. Those are people climbing it and we will too.Its 18 miles from here and a must to see. Thats about it for today.It looks like it might actually rain today.LOL. bye for now take care Ron and Dee

Sat March 7

Hi everybody,Here we are today in Luckenbach Texas. Willie, Waylon and the boys were not here today --Darn!This really is the town with a population of 3.

This is a picnic area beside the post office where you can drink your beer and eat your fries.

This was the origanal scool.

This is the wall of the Post Office. Our other pic didn't turn out so i guess we go back to get another one. The sign says "Do not deface the building"but everybody signs it anyway.

Back of Post Office where these guys were having a brewsky at 11:00 am.

I'm getting a coffee--Honest!

The outdoor stage behind the post office(maybe Willie sings there) and a hat store.
Same pic

Close -up of stage

Dance hall indoors .It was going to get going at 1:00.(maybe Willie sings here)

Seating in dance hall

Menu on the Feed Lot Restaurant at the end of the dance hall.5 jalapenos poppers $3.50.Eat at your own risk!

Some of the bikes coming in for a huge bike rally expected later in the day.

Another beer joint opening at Noon.Yes this was Luckenbach and we drove through it 3 times before realizing it that this was it.4 buildings total but not to be missed if you're ever in Texas.

The sun did'nt appear today and it MIGHT rain in the next couple of days.Well thats about it for today.Think spring as you turn your clocks ahead. bye Ron and Dee

Fri, March 6

Hi everybody, Here we are today in downtown Fredricksburg. It is the shopping mecca of the area with lots and lots of country stuff, eating stuff, Texas stuff, pottery stuff --did I miss anything.?

As you can see we started early this morning and hardly anyone was here. By the time we left the streets were packed.Our goal today was to see the National Museum of the Pacific War down the main street from the stores.

This paticular building is the Admiral Nimitz Museum which was an original hotel that belonged to his family . They built it up from a 1 room hotel/bar to a grand hotel. Adm. Nimitiz went on to become Commander of the Pacific Fleet during WWII. We toured some of it which led into the Veteran's walk of Honor(a tribute to all the soldiers who lost their lives in WWII.There were many names on the wall and all the ships that went down at sea.

In the George Bush Gallery there were extensive exhibits of the tension building to the attack on Pearl Harbor.Battles of Guadalcanal,Midway,Iwo Jima,and many others were shown in detail.A 2-man Japanese Minature sub was on display.The landing craft above was part of the Pacific Combat Zone display called a coral crawler.

We had a tour guide take us through the displays ---this is a typical beach landing zone with hidden Japanese bunkers on the hills.

Japanese tank destroyed by the American forces.

One of Two A- Bombs.The other stored in New Mex.It was all very interesting and educational at the same time.Ron took many more pics but couldn"t put them all in our blog.

It got up to 83 today with a strong gusty wind all day.(it started in the night last night).
Well thats it for today -hope everyone is enjoying it.Have a great weekend! Ron and Dee

Thurs March 5

Hi Everybody.Here we are in Fredricksburg Tx. Our lot is much smaller than back in the hill country but its only for a couple of wks,so it should be fine.

There's so much to see while were here and hoping to get a start on it tomorrow.The park is nice and has a LOT of big rigs here with 4 and 5 slideouts.I noticed its all full as i did my walk here. They have a trail set up to walk 3 times = 1 mile.Worked for me!

Well thats about it for tonight -should have some great pics tomorrow.The LBJ ranch is here . Take care everyone Ron and Dee

Wed March 4

Hi everybody,How's it goin' today? This backhoe was working out in the middle of the river today making room to build a dock for the paddle boats that have been put into the river.It is on the property next to our campground and he pushed all the rock into the middle of the river.So much for the crystal clear waters of the Frio.
We are heading out tomorrow for Fredricksburg and will miss this place and our neighbours Gale and Ken.I think it will be a tad more crowded up north.
The last potluck was tonight and it was delicious as always with tons of great casseroles and desserts.Old fashioned bread pudding with an icing was just 1 of the desserts.Does anyone remember that one???
Also the live band was playing tonight after the meal. A couple of the folks here got up and sang along with them.These guitar players bring their wives who also do a bit of singing. They will probably play until 10 o'clock or so .
Well bye for now --hope to talk to you tomorrow night , Take care - Ron and Dee

Tues,March 3

Hi everybody.Well another beautiful day in the hills of Concan.Its 75 here now,sunny and breezy.It wouldn't be Texas if there wasn't a wind some part of the day!
Happy Birthday Ruth* did you get our card yet-this snail mail is definately slower.Sure hope ya'll have a super day!
We been slowly putting our things away for travelling-may be out of touch for a day or so depending on wi-fi situation.The park we wanted to stay at was all booked up until Apr.1 so we got the last site in another nearby park .Hope its a good one.
Thanks for the e-mail Gary and Mickey -your granchildren looked like they were having a great time in the snow. Bye for now take care Ron and Dee

Mon,March 2

Hi everybody, here,s that flowering cactus we came across the other day.Its a prickly pear and the flowerette may be the pear part. Just a guess.Its really nice and sunny here today.

At least its not -14 like back home . You're right Ruth --thats cold!

The Garner State park. It was busy on the weekend and quite a few people in swimming and fishing. They have their paddle boats out now to use for the spring break in the next couple of weeks. A few more people pulled out today,sure is getting thin in here,not even 20 now.Well thats it for today. take care everybody. Bye for now Ron & Dee

Sun March 1

Hi everybody, Wow March 1--- How time flies when you're having fun!Ron and I did a bit of a bike ride today and found a couple of small cactii. They were not in bloom like the one the other day. We have to go back and get a picture of it to post.
It was nice today just to sit in the sun as it was a bit cool.
Had a great chat with my sister Karen today-really enjoyed that!She was having typical Ontario weather ,cold with snow in the air.Hope your cold improves Dave.
Tonight on TV is Lord of the Rings.Part 3 or 4. We watched the 1st and missed some in between.oh well. Thats about it for today. hope everybody has a great night . take care Ron and Dee