Padre Island National Seashore

Today was the day! We went to the beach......We've never been to Padre Island National Park so we drove out there and I must say it's lovely! After leaving the inhabited part behind we drove through unspoiled dunes and grasslands before we even got to the park.

There is at least one campground there and it's almost on the beach and depending on how you park your rig you can see the Gulf. no hookups but it would be nice to spend time there.

After we strolled around and I took a gazillion pictures we left and drove to Mustang Island to have a late lunch. We went to Moby Dick's and enjoyed a cold beer and seafood. Jim had a fried seafood dinner and I had grilled mahi mahi, both came with fries and slaw.

Once home Jim took a nap, I guess the salt air just tired him out! I watched my soaps and entertained Boo and read for a bit. I'm enjoying my Nook!


I hope your day was enjoyable!

I was up before the sun this morning. I don't mind because I get to see the sunrise. Because of the cloud cover I didn't think we'd have a sunrise, but I was wrong. Just had to wait for it!

Sun peeking through the clouds around 0745. I can see choppy water in the bay and along the seawall the waves are crashing ashore. I could get used to this....

While waiting to wake Jim I noticed this heron sitting on the light pole. Not sure when Jim got up but after he did I started my chores. Dishes, bed making, etc. I dressed for going out because it's Sunday and we needed bread and milk and I wanted a newspaper. After spending thirty bucks we had our bread and milk and then some but no paper.

Back home we had pizza for lunch. Jim had a supreme and I had a roasted veggie without cheese. We both enjoyed our pizza. Jim turned on a movie and it was awful. After lunch he turned off the tv and went outside to clean some on the rig. Inside I turned on some football!

I couldn't watch the Saints so I turned on the Giants-Titan game. Sonsearae kept me updated on the Saints, but even in OT they lost. Bummer

Jim restrung one of the blinds after having to go to JoAnn's to buy more string. It's not an easy job, thanks sweetie!

For dinner we had spaghetti, salad and some green beans (leftover) with a lovely glass of chianti. We were watching a Resident Evil movie and after it ended and the dishes were done we went for a walk. It was around 1900 and the sun was sinking in the west.

Unfortunately the mosquitoes were bothersome and we didn't walk very far.

This heron was in the field and stood still long enough for me to snap a few pictures.

It was a balmy, breezy day here

Rainy Night

During the night we heard rain but it wasn't disturbing. But a thunderstorm woke us and I got up shortly thereafter. I looked outside and this is what I saw!

I guess the gentle rain we heard during the night lasted awhile but by 0730 the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. Of course with all this moisture and sunshine we had some wicked humidity!

After breakfast I stripped the bed and started doing the laundry. Washed the sheets then another load of clothes. Jim twisted my arm and he took me out to lunch. We drove into Corpus Christi and dined at Landry's in the Yacht Basin.

Jim ordered baked oysters and I had blackened sashimi, then we split a shrimp platter that had stuffed shrimp, grilled shrimp, lemon shrimp, blackened shrimp, rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. We ate all of it. Then had bananas foster for dessert. It was wonderful!

We stopped at Palmera Mall to walk off lunch and check the progress. Last time we were here there was construction going on. Other than the fact that it was cleaner it looks like a mall. There were scads of people there but that could be because it's Saturday and hot outside.

Back home it was time for coffee and some TV. We watched a bit of the Alabama game then Jim napped and I made the bed and folded clothes. While Jim was snoozing I was taking pictures

A flock of Long Billed Curlews flew in and I snapped pictures from inside

Cute birds

Early evening we went for a walk. The breeze off the bay was comfortable and we walked out onto the pier. Folks were fishing and crabbing.

this is the beach

Coming back we had to cross some puddles and while Jim and I walked around them Boo just plodded right through them! And I think he enjoyed getting all muddy!

Clouds forming offshore

I'm pretty sure those buildings on the left on on Padre Island

more pictures of the resident Jack rabbits

When we got home I gave Boo a bath and he looks a lot better. We didn't have dinner, just peanut butter and crackers.


I hope your day was as joyful as ours....

Corpus Christi, Texas

We left San Antonio around 1000 this morning and after one stop for lunch we arrived at NAS Corpus Christi around 1300. We drove under mostly cloudy skies and even had some sprinkles but could we get clouds to cover us? Nooooo we drove with the sun on us and it was getting uncomfortably hot!

We set up and while Jim sat outside and enjoyed his beer in the shade, with a breeze, I stayed inside and enjoyed my beer in the cooling air conditioning.

I was watching my soaps when Jim came in and showered then took a nap.

For dinner we had tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and deviled eggs. As I started working on our dinner I noticed water on the floor....So, once again we cleared all the goodies out from under the sink and discovered the drain pipe had come apart. The mess is cleaned up and some of the goodies have been put away. We're waiting for the floor of the cabinet to dry before we put the rest away.

After dinner we strolled the campground getting rid of our trash and walking Boo.

We have jackrabbits here and I'll probably get more pictures

entrance to the campground

the sites here are very nice with cement slabs and a picnic table and lots of space

we do have access to the water and sort of a beach

Corpus Christi across the bay

Sunset!

another shot of the bay

San Antonio, Texas

Apparently writing this blog has not been on my list of things to do! We've been here a few days and we've done a lot of shopping! We went to the North Star Mall our first evening here. Rain? Jim drove through pouring rain in rush hour traffic Friday so we could have dinner at Luciano's. We both like this restaurant and had a lovely meal.

Then we strolled the mall and popped into the Apple store where we purchased not one but two I-Pads. Needless to say we had fun playing with them once we got home.

Saturday morning I was up early enough to view our beautiful sunrise. Jim was too but I think his I-Pad was calling him :)

We spent the morning playing with our new toys and in my case washing sheets and making the bed. After lunch we went shopping! Alamo Quarry was our destination. I needed to have my glasses adjusted and I wanted to stop in at the Whole Foods Market. We had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. The whole area was packed with shoppers and it was bumper to bumper around the shopping area.

Back home we just relaxed with our new toys and had leftovers for dinner. Oh, it rained again.

Today we spent the morning just hanging around and after lunch we went shopping! Well it didn't start out that way, but we did go to La Cantera, http://www.theshopsatlacantera.com/ to stroll the outdoor shops. I figured it would be fairly safe, if it started to rain we could always duck into a store and wait out any showers! Fortunately it didn't rain. But we did find another Apple store and we both got covers for our I-pads.

On the drive home we ran into some sprinkles and made one more stop at HEB to get a newspaper. It's Sunday and I need my coupons!

We had white beans with sausage over rice for dinner and we've been watching football all evening.

So now you know what we've been doing for the last couple of days. We're staying at the fam camp at Ft Sam Houston and it's pretty nice here. I want to take pictures but it keeps raining.

Who Knew?

We've just been hanging around the resort and for myself I'm just staying cool inside. The afternoon temperatures have reached 90 or so and with the humidity it's to hot to go outside.

Jim has kept busy with chores inside and out. He had to clean out the truck because of a resident mouse. I think we brought it here from the last campground! Anyway, he took everything out of the cab and found where the critter was nesting and then placed a trap. Overnight the mouse took the bait and no more mouse!

I've been taking pictures around here and I've included some of them. Hope you like them!

actually I tried to take a picture of a butterfly but he flitted as I snapped and all you see are pretty flowers.

It took this little gal a day or so to find the feeder, but she's been back daily to entertain me

Early yesterday evening I discovered a herd of deer moving through the campground! Who knew they were here? They didn't care much for me getting to close but I managed to take quite a few shots before the vanished back into the trees

it was fun watching the little ones frolic and chase one another

This is the one that sounded the alarm and stayed while the rest bounded off to safety

Hot and Humid Here

This morning we did laundry. They only have two wash machines here so I walked the first load up the hill only to discover both of them were in use. So I stayed so I'd be next in line. I spent that time going through the coupons discarding the expired ones and keeping a few for myself.

While I was gone Jim was busy doing the breakfast dishes and putting the shelf he built under the sink. Now it was my turn to put everything away. It looks so neat and tidy now!

Time for another load of laundry but this time I drove up with a load bringing the first one home to dry. At $1.25 a load to wash I wasn't about to pay to dry them. Brought the sheets home to dry and Jim went back to get the second load taking his rags down to wash.

Time for lunch, then Jim headed back to pick up his rags. After lunch Jim did the dishes!

We spent the afternoon drying everything that had been washed and watching movies. It was James Garner time on AMC. We watched Support Your Local Sheriff, Support Your Local Gunfighter and Maverick. All funny movies!

For dinner I fixed spaghetti and we had bread with olive oil dip. After dinner Jim did the dishes again! Thanks honey......

I fixed some fried apples for dessert and this time I did the dishes. Presently we're watching another movie, Wild Wild West with Will Smith and Keven Kline.

It was a busy morning. I got up after 0730 and got Jim up at 0800. We were drinking our coffee when the plumber called and Mark showed up just before 0900. He worked on the pipes under the sink and even tied the sink filter into the ice maker.

After he left I made us some breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and cantaloupe, we were hungry! I did the dishes and discovered the leak was back. Another call and they said Mark would be back.

Meanwhile the house was a mess. A lot of stuff was tracked in and Jim started cleaning. I walked to the office to pay for our tamales (they were so good!) and by the time I got back our house was tidy again. We got the call from the Sears repairman, he was here!

He started the washer, filled it with water and declared it was the transmission and it would cost half the price of a new one to repair. He suggested we buy a new one. So that’s what we’ll do. And he didn’t charge us for the service call!

Jim got busy searching the Sears website and found a washer just like the one that we have. So we know it will fit. They will deliver it, soon I hope! After a lunch of Tuscan Bean soup Jim got busy pulling the wash machine out of the closet. He wanted to make sure the space was clean. We both manhandled it out of the rig. Then Jim relaxed with a cold beer, he sure earned it!

it needs a wash machine

Anyone need this for parts?

We relaxed the rest of the afternoon and for dinner Jim grilled chicken and steaks while I made some sweet potato chipotle fries and heated some beets. It was pretty tasty washed down with a glass of wine.

Now it's time for the NFL opening game with the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints!

By The River RV Park and Campground, Kerrville, Texas

We were packed up and ready to go just before 0900! It was going to be a long drive and we wanted to get away early. Well that didn't happen. The truck wouldn't start and we ended up call our emergency road service. They were out pretty quickly and fortunately it was just a battery problem. Once they started the truck we didn't turn it off until new batteries were installed in Kerrville!

We finally got on the road around 1100 and the skies were gloomy. Of course I like driving with clouds, not as hot in our black truck.

As we left Big Spring on Highway 87 we saw a lot of Wind Turbines, miles and miles of them.

As the afternoon wore on we had more and more sun but the clouds never left us. We did not have any rain. We made a couple stops for lunch and stretching. We pulled in about 1545, long drive and we were both glad to be here! As I walked into the office I smelled something wonderful cooking! A sign out at the street said tamales available at the office. I ordered some for dinner.

We quickly set up and once Jim was done outside he headed out to get batteries. Our poor truck had been running for hours. By 1730 Jim was back and enjoying a cold beer with his tamales.

These ducks are the official greeters here. They wandered over while we were setting up.

the view from the back of our rig. It's a fork of the Guadalupe River and across the causeway is tent camping. We were here a couple years ago and it looked the same then so there isn't a rise in water here as there is east of here. Hermine sure dumped a lot of rain!