Sophie "Rose" from San Antonio

San Antonio Rose! I wanted to name her Rose but Sharon likes

Sophie and it's her dog.  She could have been the "Kerr" from

Kerrville!! How about Kerrdog???

Sharon's early Christmas present........

We got her this morning in San Antonio. She is a "Morkie"......

a Maltese & Yorkie mix. Should get five to seven pounds. Sharon

is very happy for a while now!!  We will see about 2 in the morning

when Sophie needs to be taken out.......the fun of parenthood.

Pictures from Lon

 Scenery @ Bella Vita Restaurant in Kerrville

                                                                                Scene from Medina Mountain

                                                                        Texas Heart

                                                       Pawnee Street @ our park

                                                     Christmas Craft Show @ Kerrville

                                               Scenery behind our RV site

                                         Longhorn down the road.

                                                         Our Christmas Tree

                                                                  Our site

                                                          Our Site

Government Subsidy for Retirement Transportation

One of our RV friends has sent me some information on a new government program to help seniors purchase new RV's and Tow Vehicles for travel during their retirement. Under certain circumstances where you have different kinds of disabilities the government Medicare program will pay for the entire cost of the RV and Tow Vehicle. Larry, thanks for making us aware of this program.

If you are not aware of this program, you may be able to find it online. I know Sharon and I are very appreciative of this government assistance and are considering a new purchase as a result. We are now changing our customary conservative views to be more tolerant and accepting of government social programs.

When you arrive at 65, you may also consider a purchase similar to ours! Thank you Congress! See OUR NEW RIG below:

                                                                               

                                                                             

                                                                               

                                                                             

                                                                               

                                                                           

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE HAVE MUCH FOR WHICH TO BE THANKFUL!

We could fill this page with things we are thankful for and never cover everything. We are most thankful for you who read this page. You are the ones who mean the most to us and who have filled our lives with happiness. Thank you for loving us and being a part of our lives. We hope you have the best holiday season ever. Enjoy each other, life is short.

Day Trip

This was in the city park at Fredericksburg. I guess it is some kind of German Christmas decoration.  Fredericksburg is a German town with lots of restaurants and shops.

It is also home of the National Museum of the Pacific War and the Admiral Nimitz Museum.

One of the most respected leaders of the Pacific campaign of World War II was Chester Nimitz who was born in Fredericksburg, Texas.

The Admiral Nimitz Museum includes highlights from the Nimitz family and Chester Nimitz from childhood to his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, his role during World War II, and the years until his death in 1966. There is also a fifteen foot model of the carrier Nimitz.

The Nimitz super carriers are a line of nuclear-powered  U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

Many of the buildings downtown look similar to this one. It struck me how much it looked like buildings I used to see in the western movies.

There are all kinds of gift shops, antique stores, and restaurants with everything from great German food to BBQ and hamburgers.

We opted for lunch at Waverly's and had a reuben sandwich on rye with German potato salad and red cabbage. (much like red cabbage sauerkraut) It was a very good lunch accompanied by cold glass of Shiner Bock beer. Shiner Bock is a product of Shiner, Texas.  Fredericksburg is a nice, clean town of about 10,000 population.

This is another picture of the landscape you will see in Texas hill country. Often times there will be short, scrubby trees with twisted limbs. Many don't seem to get very big. I guess from growing in the rocks and dry conditions or maybe it is just the variety.

The next field may look similar to the picture on the left, with lots of cactus and rocks.

This was a picture of Junction, Texas from a scenic overlook east of town.

You drive down the hill, cross the bridge and you are in Junction. We did not go there to see a specific attraction. It was one of the towns to the west of us and was within an hours drive.  Again, just checking out what is in the area of where we are staying.


                 Below:
         Deer Antler Tree

Maybe the neatest thing we saw in Junction was the deer antler tree in front of the deer processing building. At least it was enough to get me to stop and take a picture.

If any of you have been to Jackson, Wyoming this might remind you, as it did me, of the Elk antler arches on each corner of the square. Somewhere in our collection we also have pictures of those.

We enjoyed the tour around hill country just seeing the sights. Another time we need to take a trip to Austin and to San Antonio. Undoubtedly, there will be much more to take in.

FAMILY GENEROSITY CREATES PREDICAMENT

Is Lon getting his blood pressure up? Sharon is worried he is going to tear up something!

I'm sure this post will fall on deaf ears, however, I think I need to get this situation out in the open before the Holiday Season arrives. I have almost waited too long. It is upon us.

If you have spent any time in an RV you are aware of the space issue. Imagine having all your worldly possessions in your RV and how much extra space you might have. In our fifth wheel we also have very little wall space. What we have is filled with family
                                                                                    pictures and other memorabilia. Just enough already, don't need more. You think your house is full wall to wall, check ours out. I'm sure you see some cute holiday figurines. Sorry, don't need any.
                     
If you haven't figured out where I'm going with this, let me spell it out in very plain English. WE really don't need ANYTHING for Christmas. I know some of you will call me "SCROOGE" and tell me about the spirit of giving and it is more blessed to give than to receive. Well, listen to the LON philosophy. We have NO PLACE for gifts and we want for nothing. We have everything we need and if we do need or want something, we go get it.                  

Okay, now for how we are going to handle this. We have discussed this and we want to send each of our son's family a monetary gift to be used as the family sees fit. It can be for a family gift, extra and more extravagant kids gifts, (all of you short change your kids) kids and parent's gifts, given to the troll under the bridge, or in whatever way the family decides. How does this sound so far guys??   We are the parents and this is our wish.

Now, for the hard part. If you have been listening, we want for nothing and need nothing. We are getting along better than we even imagined. In this lifestyle, there is little to need or want. What we want is not stuff or material things. What we want is for "YOU" to have what "YOU" want! The "YOU" meaning your whole family. You guys are still in the want and need stage of life. We have pretty much gotten past that because of the lifestyle we have chosen. What we need mostly is good health to keep on enjoying what we are doing. You might help with that by keeping us in your prayers.

You were all much too generous when we retired. Had we known that, we would have retired sooner. We still have lots of gift certificates and if this post seems like we are ungrateful, that is not the case. We have our "gift" in our retirement and lifestyle. We want you to splurge, spoil yourselves and your kids. Soon enough, you will be at our stage in life and you will understand our feelings. We love you all! Have the best holiday season ever and know that we are with you..........in your thoughts and hearts and in our thoughts and hearts. Knowing you are happy makes us happy and is the best gift you can give! Thanks for the gift!!


**RV Holiday Dilemma picture from Nov/Dec issue of Escapees magazine.

FALL COMES TO KERRVILLE

The leaves are turning the past few days. We had a freeze last night with the temperature dropping to 27 degrees. This morning as the breeze blew, leaves were coming down like snowfall. Very pretty today with temps in the upper 60's. I didn't let my water drip last night and guess what? Yep, it "froze"! Not supposed to do that here. We came here to get away from that. I knew it was going to be below freezing and just forgot to drip the water. Tonight it will be in low 40's and then much warmer the next week or so. I will learn. Pay attention to the weather man! Sometimes he knows what he is talking about. I guess if I find I can remember, I can get a heat tape. So far, very few are wrapping their hoses or using heat tapes. Temperatures around Kerrville & Ingram are always a few degrees cooler than San Antonio, about fifty miles south east of here, where the TV station we listen to is. It didn't freeze there last night. They do give a breakdown for the Kerrville area though, so I can't blame the weather man.

I know my pictures are not very good ( I need that new iPhone 4s ) and really don't show the colors. Probably  to far away. I decided to use them just to show you the "lay of the land". These pictures were taken between here and Kerrville. There is a valley between where I took the picture from and the trees in the background. Our park is on west of here in the valley.

This has not been an active week for us. Sharon has had a sinus infection and didn't feel well for four or five days. Took her meds and is doing better today. We just stayed around here pretty close this weekend. Doing all the things you do at home. Cleaning, laundry, fixing meals, etc. Maybe next week we will venture out a little more. Can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving. There was a bell ringer at the grocery store Wednesday. They were delivering the Christmas tree to Rockefeller Center this morning. Time marches on!

Talk to all of you guys later. Happy Thanksgiving!! Be careful on Black Friday!




Here are a couple of good pictures.  This is Turtle Creek in Kerr County. By Marilyn Knight.

                                                                                

Great pictures taken from "Texas Hill Country" posts on Facebook.  Below, on the Guadalupe River.

TUESDAY TRIP TO BANDERA, TEXAS

We decided to travel this Tuesday to Bandera, TX by way of Hwy 16 from Kerrville. It is quite scenic. However, this is definitely a road you don't want to be pulling the RV. At some points it is quite steep with hair pin curves, much like older mountain roads. There is however a Truck Route which is much easier to travel. There are lots of neat little places to see.

THIS IS THE JONES HOUSE IN BANDERA, TX

You can't see it, but the name "JONES" is on the front of the house. I couldn't resist taking the photo but I did not stop to ask if they knew my buddy Paul. 

TYPICAL HILL COUNTRY HILLSIDE
Rocks, trees, cactus, & dry grass

MORE HILL COUNTRY  CLOSE TO  MEDINA

Medina is known for its apples. They grow regular size apples on dwarf trees.

Cowboy Mural in Bandera
Bandera is known as the "Cowboy Capital of the World"

Motorcyclists in Bandera
We were slightly disappointed in Bandera. It is a town of about 1,000 population.  We went to the  "Cowboy Store" which was a clothing store with all kinds of western attire. We also checked out several gift and souvenir shops. However, we did not find anything we could not live without.

Camp Verde 

 Returning from Bandera via Route 173 (the truck route) we found Camp Verde General Store. More on the history of this popular place below. A great place to eat a 2:00 o'clock lunch and end our Tuesday, Travel Day!

CAMP VERDE GENERAL STORE

HISTORY (The following taken from camp verde website)

Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, on the banks of the Verde Creek, the store was first established in 1857. The present day, two story stone structure of Southern colonial design was constructed after a flood swept away the original building around 1900. Originally, the general store was established to offer goods and services to the soldiers stationed at Fort Verde, a mile to the west. By the time the US Army deactivated the Fort, the Camp Verde General Store and post office had become an important part of the community, serving the growing number of pioneer ranchers in the area.

Camp Verde evokes a feeling of stepping back in time to a place full of history, yet is welcoming and new. Half way into its second century, this unique store occupies a special setting along the Verde Creek, offering the surrounding community a link to the past and a place for today.

Since 2003, Camp Verde General Store has been gradually undergoing a sort of renaissance, introducing a new spirit to this part of the Texas Hill Country. Everywhere you look there are distinct touches that add to the historical setting of this remarkable venue. A spectacular outdoor patio is perfect for a gathering with friends and family. An old fashioned front porch inviting you to "sit a spell" and enjoy the day. Shade trees that have offered shelter for hundreds of years. Great care has been taken to honor the past while welcoming the future.

THE CAMEL EXPERIMENT

In 1854, Secretary of War Jefferson Davis (who later became President of the Confederacy) petitioned Congress to appropriate $30,000 for the Army to experiment with using camels for supply transport and other military purposes. With the support of President Pierce, the bill was subsequently approved by Congress on March 3, 1855. Major Henry Wayne and Lieutenant David Porter were put in command of securing the camels from the Middle East. The first shipment from Egypt (of nine swift dromedaries, twenty burden camels, plus four others of mixed breed) arrived via naval supply ship in April of 1856. Four native drivers (who were given "American" names of Greek George, Long Tom, Mico and Hi-Jolly) accompanied the camels to the New World.

It was late August of 1856 when this first group of camels finally arrived at Fort Camp Verde. The second load of 40 animals arrived during the spring of 1857. By the time the Civil War had begun, there were over 50 camels in residence at the Fort. During the winter of 1861, the Fort was captured by the Confederacy. When the Fort was recaptured by the US Government in 1865, there were more than 100 camels.

The animals passed every test of their ability - carrying heavier loads and traveling longer distances than the mules and horses used in the area. However, the War Department sorely needed funds for Reconstruction after the Civil War. The Fort was deactivated in 1869 - ending the experiment. While a fire destroyed the buildings of nearby Fort Camp Verde in 1910, the courage and bold spirit of the Great Camel Experiment survives to this day.