Happy Easter.

Happy Easter to all our family and friends out there.  I was up real early this morning and off to Easter church service in Bandera.  It was very crowded.

Our Easter dinner consisted of potato salad, vegetables, left over grilled beef patties from last night and garlic bread.  After dinner we took a 40 minute walk around the park.  The temperature was just right. When we returned from walking John decided to load the bikes and pack up the outside stuff instead of waiting until in the morning.  Tomorrow we will be traveling to Pecos.

Later in the day cloudy skies and thunder moved in and finally…..the rain.  Luckily for Fred’s sake it didn’t last long.  Poor dog.  He is deathly afraid of thunder.

Fred wishes everyone a Happy Easter.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Sharing the wine.

This afternoon Mike and Leslie came over for our last get together before we leave this area.  We had grilled hamburger patties, sautéed onions and mushrooms, squash and corn on the cob for dinner.  For dessert we had stuffed strawberries.  As usual I forgot to take a picture of the food.  Oops. LOL

We also had a very nice bottle of wine given to us by Cousin Daniel to share with our friends.  Thank you Daniel for the great bottle of wine.  We all enjoyed it very much.

The wine tasted really good with the dark chocolate.

Mike and Leslie with Fred.

Laugh everyday.   Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Happy Birthday Leslie.

Today our friend Leslie is celebrating her birthday.  We drove over to Kerrville to attend a birthday party for her and Wayne, another RV friend of her and Mike’s.  They had a huge turnout.  Unfortunately my SD card messed up and I didn’t get any pictures.  Luckily John had his phone and got a picture of the cake.  We enjoyed celebrating with her and meeting more of their RV friends at Buckhorn Lake Resort.

Happy Birthday Leslie.

Laugh everyday.   Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Happy 18th Birthday Courtney.

Today our niece Courtney is celebrating her 18th birthday.  Happy Birthday Courtney.  We hope you have a wonderful day.

Courtney

Woke up to overcast skies and 59 degrees.  It sprinkled for a few minutes but nothing more.  Mid morning we rain into town for a few needed groceries.  Today was “catch-up on laundry day”.  That is always fun. LOL 

Dion called and stopped by on his way from San Antonio.  We were so glad to get to visit with him again.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Dinner at Mike and Leslie’s.

Woke up this morning to very chilly weather and overcast skies.  Where did the spring weather go? LOL   Later in the morning John and I……and Fred….. rode over to Kerrville to watch the corn whole tournament that Mike and his friends were in.  It was windy and cold so the weather was not ideal but Mike and his partner have proceeded the next level and will play again tomorrow.  Yeah  Mike!

After the tournament was over for the day we went back to Mike and Leslie’s and played a round of gold and then a round of 10 Penny.  Leslie won both games.  Way to go Leslie.

By the time we finished our card games dinner time was upon us.  Mike grilled some pork chops and Leslie prepared sweet potatoes and green beans.  Very very tasty.  Thanks Mike and Leslie for a delicious dinner and an entertaining day.  Fred was happy to see them and to go on a road trip.

Good luck on the tournament tomorrow Mike.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Visiting with Cousin Dion.

John and I drove back to Canyon Lake to visit with Aunt Sylvia, Uncle Michael and Cousin Dion.  It has been a few years since we have seen Dion so we were glad get the chance for a visit.  After visiting for a little bit we all decided to go to the Gristmill River Restaurant for dinner.  We just love this place.  This was our second time to eat here. Great atmosphere and great food.  John, Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia ordered ribs again.  Dion chose salmon and I ordered fried shrimp.  As usual I forgot to take a picture of the food. LOL

Dion, Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia.

We enjoyed our visit very much.  Thank you Dion for treating us to a wonderful dinner. 

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Dinner with Rod and Deb.

John had a computer workshop at the Apple store in San Antonio this afternoon.  While he was in the workshop I walked around in the mall and shopped for a new mini-chopper.  At last I found one I liked. I bought the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Processor.  Hopefully I will like it as well as my old chopper.

After the workshop was over we drove over to Carrabba’s Italian Grill to met Rod and Debbie for dinner.  This was our first time to eat at this restaurant.  It is one of Rod and Debbie’s favorites and after the delicious meal we had I can see why.  Very very tasty.  We enjoyed visiting with them and sharing travel stories and hope to meet up with them again real soon.

Debbie and Rod.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Fred back to normal.

Just a note to let everyone know Fred is back to his normal self.  We are still  unsure about why he was acting so strange.  John thinks he might have gotten small burr or sticker stuck in his paw somewhere.  Yesterday when he was acting so strange John checked him over but didn’t find any stickers on his paws or anywhere but some of them are too small to see.  John got one of these stickers stuck in his foot this morning and thought, “Hey this might be what was wrong with Fred.”  Those darn things really hurt.

Fred waiting for a treat.

We woke up to a cold 44 degrees this morning.  I was not a happy camper. LOL  Around 2:30 this morning we were awakened by a banging sound.  High winds moved through the area and we thought, at first, that the noise was the slide awnings flapping until it continued loudly.  John got up and went outside to check it out and found it was the side table on the grill.  He put it in the basement and hurried back to bed.  Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep.

After breakfast we rode over to Canyon Lake to visit with Aunt Sylvia and to pick up my Zaggfolio for my iPad.  Such a cool device.  I am loving it.

It allows me to have a full keyboard connected to my iPad all in a case.

Update on our friend Bennit via Facebook post by Wallace:

The latest on Bennit "at present" it appears that he may have had a stroke. They are doing an MRI on him now.

Needless to say , Bea is really upset. Will post any update as we get it.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Bennit and Bea. We hope he gets a good report from the MRI.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

John goes to computer class.

John up very early this morning and off to computer class in San Antonio.  Since it was a class for his Mac Pro and not for the iPad I slept in.   His one hour class turned out to be an hour and a half but I think he got a lot out of it.

After lunch we went for a bicycle ride within the park.  The uphill stuff was not fun to me.  I think I need to work up to that…..guess I need to whip my butt into shape. LOL  

Since the weather was nice and warm John grilled some pork steaks and pineapple slices and we decided to eat outside.  I steamed some kale and made a pasta dish to go with the meat.

My plate.

Fred chilling out while John watched the grill.

After dinner we took a 40 minute walk and returned home just before dark.  There were lots of deer and rabbits out.  I had lots of photos ops but no camera. Awe!

We received word later tonight that our friend and fellow Escapee member Bennit who had open heart surgery on Thursday has experienced some complications.  Our thoughts and prayers are with him and Bea.

Bennit

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails. Stay safe.

iCloud class and meeting Kathy and Robert.

Fred woke up this morning acting a little strange.  He was making a yelping sound whenever we would go to pet him.  Really strange.  John checked him over and did not find anything wrong. There certainly wasn’t anything wrong with his appetite. He gobbled up his food just like always.  Last night he got tangled up in the bedspread on the bed and we thought he might have pulled a muscle or was just freaked out.  Hopefully he will be back to normal soon.

This afternoon John and I went to the La Cantera Mall in San Antonio to attend a computer class on iCloud.  Lots of stuff; some of it made perfect sense and some was a little confusing.  The more we use it the easier it will become.  We found out John set the iPad and his Mac Pro up correctly. Yeah!

After the class Kathy and Robert came to the mall and met us at PF Chang’s.  It was great to finally meet them in person.  What a nice couple.  We hope to meet up with them somewhere down the road real soon.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Dinner with Mike and Leslie.

John and I drove over to Kerrville to visit with Mike and Leslie this afternoon.  John and Mike played five rounds of corn hole with several other men in the campground.  They won three out of five games. Yeah!  After their game was over we went back to Mike an Leslie’s for dinner.  Leslie prepared hamburger steaks, steamed squash and corn on the cob.  Very very tasty.  Thanks Mike and Leslie for a delicious dinner.

Oops, I almost forgot to take a picture of my plate. 

Mike and Leslie.

We received word via Facebook tonight that our Georgia friend Bennit was in surgery for a triple bypass.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Bea and Bennit.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

11th Street Cowboy Bar in Bandera, TX.

Mike and Leslie drove over to visit with us this afternoon.  Tonight we all went to the 11th Street Cowboy Bar.  Wednesday night is steak night.  You bring your meat to grill and buy your side dishes there.  Everything is outside so you eat while listening to the band play.  A great atmosphere.

The side dishes.

The sausage John grilled.

John and Mike having a discussion.

Mike

Leslie and I.

We had a great time and met some of Mike and Leslie’s friends from Buckhorn. Tomorrow we plan to drive over and see Mike and Leslie.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Bandera here we come.

Up at 8:30 and on the road to Bandera before 11:00 a.m.   The trip was uneventful and we arrived around 1:00 p.m.   We had our pick of sites.  There aren’t many people here so it is quiet.

Our site.

Later in the afternoon we decided to go for a ride and check out the area.  On the way back I saw something I just had to get a picture of.

Sometimes words just can’t describe things.

Laugh everyday.   Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Last day in Canyon Lake.

Today is our last day in Canyon Lake.   We spent the day hanging out with Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia. Tonight we ate at a local place called Plooky’s Cajun Boiling Pot.

I almost forgot to get a picture. Shrimp, corn and potatoes.  Yum Yum.

After super we went back to Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia’s and visited for a while.  I managed to get some sunset pictures.

We have enjoyed our visit here very much.  Thank you Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia for all the hospitality and for being our tour guides.  Love you guys.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Thomas Michael Riley

Another great day for an outing.  Uncle Michael, Aunt Sylvia and John and I ventured over to Lukenbach to listen to some music.  Thomas Michael Riley and his group were playing today.  It was a wonderful concert.   This guy sang and played for more than four hours.  During the last portion of the concert a harmonica player joined in.  It was awesome.

Thomas Michael Riley signing autographs while mingling with the crowd.

Mike and Leslie and  a group of people staying in Kerrville also came over for the concert.  It was good to see them again and meet a few new folks.

Looks like Mike was having a good time. LOL

Roosters hanging out enjoying the concert.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Bandera Wild Hog Explosion

Another beautiful day.  This morning Uncle Michael, Troy, Robin, John and I rode over to Bandera for the  annual Wild Hog Explosion.  While we were walking through looking at the arts, crafts and other stuff for sale, Troy and John decided they would enter the hog catching contest for the heavy weight division.  We had a some time on our hands before the events started so we grabbed some lunch. 
The competition started with three and four year olds and piglets and went on up to the heavy weight division and large hogs.  Troy and John watched the other contestants and developed their strategy. The contestants must catch the hog and drag it over the finish line before 60 seconds is up.   Finally it was time for Troy and John to take their places.   The hog was released, John lunged forward catching it, the hog shot between his legs and he held onto it while Troy ran forward catching it and dragging it over the finish line…..all in SIX seconds flat.  They won and were awarded the Grand Champion 2013 Bandera Wild Hog Explosion belt buckles.  It happened so fast we were glad Uncle Michael videoed it so we could watch it again.


John and Troy showing their Grand Champion Buckles.
The funny thing is they both were just going out there to get a score and have a good time.  They never thought they would win.  Sometimes surprises just happen. LOL
For those who would like to see their championship hog catching here is the link: 
2013 Wild Hog Explosion Champions 

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Spending the day with family.

Another warm beautiful day.  Uncle Michael cooked breakfast for us this morning.  We had bacon, eggs, grits and biscuits.  It was so good.  Our compliments to the chef. 
Enjoyed the day chilling out with Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia.

John and Aunt Sylvia on the porch.

The view from the porch.
Later on Troy, Robin and Tip came over.  Tip showed us the videos from his trip to Germany.  Very interesting stuff.

Uncle Michael and Tip at the computer.

Troy and John having a conversation.
Tomorrow we plan to go to Bandera, TX and attend the Wild Hog Explosion.  This is an annual event where people get into a ring and try to catch a wild hog in 60 seconds.  Sounds like fun.
Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Fredericksburg

Up early this morning and over to Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia’s.  We had plans to go to Fredericksburg and to tour some of the areas to see if there were any bluebonnets in bloom.  Our first stop was breakfast at Sweetie’s, a local bakery that serves breakfast items as well as donuts.  It was yummy.

After leaving Sweetie’s we stopped of at Wal-mart to pick up our prescriptions that were supposed to be filled yesterday.  They filled both of John’s and one of mine.  For some unknown reason they did not fill my prescription that  had 60 tablets left on it.  I was not surprised.  It never fails.  They just can’t get it right.  When I asked why it wasn’t filled they didn’t have an answer.  The lady told me I would have to pick it up later today because they had one pharmacist on duty and that she would call when it was ready.  I wasn’t going to hold my breath on that one. LOL

Our next stop was Fredericksburg.  It was lunch time when we arrived.  Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia suggested a place called Wheelers Restaurant.  They have eaten there before and knew it would be good.  We all ordered the chicken and dumplings that comes with a side of cornbread.  For dessert we had bread pudding.   It was so good.   Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it. 

After our delicious lunch we were off to check out a few stores.  When we were finished looking in the stores Uncle Michael took us through some areas where we might possibly see some bluebonnets. Unfortunately, there weren’t many in bloom yet.  We did see a few.

Here are some of the bluebonnets we saw.

It was late by the time we returned from Fredericksburg so John and I went back to the campground.  While I fed Fred and walked him John went to Wal-mart to pick up my prescription that was supposed to be ready.  They never called so I called them and they said it was ready so off he went. 

We enjoyed our day very much.  Thank you Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia for being our tour guides.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Happy Birthday Aunt Mary.

Today my Aunt Mary Kraft is celebrating a birthday.  We hope she has a wonderful day.  Happy Birthday Aunt Mary.

Aunt Mary.

Still enjoying warm sunny weather here.  We spent most of the day doing a few household chores.  In the afternoon we made a grocery run then a Wal-mart run for prescription refills.  You know that is never ever my favorite thing to do.  As usual there was a problem at the pharmacy.  The clerk looked up John’s  prescriptions and told him they wouldn’t be ready later in the afternoon or tomorrow because of a computer glitch. When she looked up mine she commented that I had only 60 tablets left on one of mine.  I am thinking,  “Oh here we go again.” LOL   She said she would call the other Wal-mart store to get the prescriptions transferred and then she would call once they were filled.  Later in the afternoon I received a text that John’s prescriptions were ready.  I never received any texts about mine.  We plan to pick them up tomorrow so everything should be ready by then.

Tonight Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia treated us to dinner at a place called The Gristmill River Restaurant.  Thank you Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia for a wonderful dinner. The food, service and atmosphere were all fantastic.  Everyone got the baby back ribs except me I chose the grilled chicken. Everything was very very tasty.

The front of the Gristmill Restaurant.

Michael and Sylvia.

The view from our table.  We were lucky enough to get a table outside.

My plate.  I almost forgot to take a picture of our food.

John’s plate.  Glad I remembered to take a picture when I did or he would have already eaten it all.  You know how fast he is. LOL

After our delicious meal we walked around the area where the shops were then went back to Uncle Michael and Aunt Sylvia’s to visit for a while.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.