Living in High Cotton

Friday evening I was texting a.Fox on our drive out to Lake Sommerville State Park and said that it was a bummer to leave out later than we had hoped, but when the universe gives you the gift of a sunset sky like that? Yeah, can't really be upset about it. 

It's been a very intense month at work as my business unit is going thru a reorg, new role for associates, and manager realignments which impact my team... and me.  There's so much in flux and only so much I can control; I'm just trying to say focused and worry less.

Even with the upcoming changes, there are still lots of positives at work this season - it's open enrollment and the company is doing "Benefits Boardwalks" in the regional centers; for those of us who are remote, we had the opportunity to have a 'benefits fair in a box' sent to us.  UPS delivered the SnackMagic box as we were just about to leave, so I brought it along. RDB and I have loved snacking on the goodies I picked out! 

Late Saturday morning we went into town to have brunch.  Y'all - sometimes we stumble upon the BEST little places, and this weekend was no different. We went into town to the Blue Willow Cafe and were super happy with our expereince there.  Have the blueberry lemon curd muffin - it is worth every single carb!

Afterwards we drove the give-or-take two blocks over to the Texas Cotton Gin Museum.  We've seen the sign advertising it on 290 every time we drive past Burton, and so it only made sense to drop in today and check it out. 

I'm glad we did! Steph was on staff and gave us a quick introduction - you can tell she is both knowledgeable and passionate about the place. We watched a short movie about the historic Burton gin and the community around it that keeps it in running, functional condition even today - 108 years after it was first built!

Interesting fact: cotton fibers can hold water 24–27 times their own weight and a typical cotton bale weights 500lbs. 

Interesting fact: Tall cotton bushes are easier to pick and yield higher returns, so if you're living “in high cotton,” you feel successful and well off.

Interesting fact: cotton "gin" is short for engine - the power that separates the seeds from the fibers. 

There's no cost to tour the small museum, but donations are accepted; you can pay a small fee for a guided tour of the actual gin itself (we chose not to this time) or you can come back on the third weekend of April for the Annual Cotton Gin Festival where they not only show off all-things-cotton but fire up the engine (Lady B) and gin a few bales of cotton.  Doing this each year keeps their designation of the oldest operating cotton gin of this vintage in the county.

It was a neat walk down memory lane for me as I thought back to childhood with the cotton fields near our house and the way I thought it looked like "snow" on the sides of the roads during harvest.  Occasionally Mom would pull over and let us kids pick up a few of the bolls of cotton that had flown off the harvesting trucks, so I've seen the natural, raw material up close and personal before.  I couldn't help but wonder about the history of the long-defunct community cotton gin there on the outskirts of town that we passed every day of my youth. 

It's a real treasure that the Burton community has made such an effort to keep this part of Texas heritage alive for so long. RDB and I are already considering coming back for next year's Cotton Gin Festival. 

Keeping with the historic theme, we drove the short distance over to Giddings to visit the Lee County courthouse.  The entire block around the building, erected in 1898, is fenced off as there appears to be construction taking place.  Such a bummer, because this one, like the Ellis County courthouse we visited last weekend, is unique in that the entrances are at the corners of the building rather than on a side. (I still managed to get a semi-decent picture with my phone held on the other side of the chainlink fence.)

Back at the campsite, we set up the hammock and a chair and spent some time (achoo!) in the beautiful (achoo!) fresh country (ACHOO!) air.  It's ragweed season and though I've diligently been taking my Claritin every night, I didn't notice the ones here in the camper are expired.... so this weekend I'm suffering thru the sneezes. And the watery eyes. And the itchy ears (what is UP with that?!)

But it's worth the seasonal allergies to get to enjoy moments like this:

Saturday we got up and made a day of driving the two units of Lake Somerville SP for our Park n' Drive YouTube channel. Between the two we drove into Brenham and had lunch at a little place on the square: 30 North Gastropub. It was a neat little spot with decent food and a great atmosphere.  We're always happy when a place has cauliflower crusts for the pizza, and theirs was really crisp and delicious!

We walked over to the town square, having not realized till we drove thru town that Brenham is the county seat of Washington county.  So, another courthouse picture to add to the collection. (I wonder at this point: how many courthouses out of the 254 counties in Texas have RDB and I visited? And why does Texas have so many counties anyway?)

We made our way back over to the camper and started packing up for the drive home, grateful to have a park so close that we can spend the better part of Sunday enjoying ourselves and still be home at a decent hour.  Looking at my work calendar for the next few days (12 back-to-back meetings on Monday, 14 back-to-back on Tuesday) has me really wishing we could just stay at camp and rest and relax, but change is in the air.... here's to hoping it's not as frustrating as the ragweed that is still driving me nuts! 

Achoo!

We were at Lake Somerville State Park - Nails Creek Unit Site #50.  See that big tree to the left? It got a haircut when we got in late Friday night (and just a note: being on a ladder perched against the side of the camper, trying to prune off inch-thick branches with hand shears while fighting off hoards of flying bugs is NOT my idea of a good time) but the next camper who pulls in will be grateful we took that extra step to clear the roofline.  And see the clump of trees on the right? Yeah, those suckers got the tail end of our camper leaving when we swung wide to miss the tree we pruned.  Sometimes, y'all, spaces just fight you! Patience pays off, though, because the view out our windows was worth it. 

Coming soon:

For more camping pics....

For a drive thru video of the park...

./` On the Road Again... ./`

Continuing on the 2022 Texas Miata Challenge with a trip up to north Texas to get the remaining four courthouses we need.  Great news is that we were already planning a trip up to Dallas to visit with family and celebrate my Grandma G's 95th birthday.

I'm so thankful that RDB will drive me all over creation for various reasons - and even drives while I work in the car (yeah, virtual job!) so that we could actually surprise Grandma on her birthday last week. Two trips to Dallas in two weeks would be crazy for some, but not for RDB and me. 

We had a great lunch with She-B at Stirr in Addison on Sunday, before catching the last of the courthouses and heading home. 

On the road again..... 

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Stop #7: Ellis County Courthouse - Waxahachie

Stop #8: Dallas County Courthouse - Dallas

Oh boy, do we have a number of camping trips in Dallas County, and all of them at Cedar Hill State Park!  This state park is a favorite of ours when we come to visit family while we camp, so we've been here in a few different campers, too. Turkey Trip #5: Into the Holiday Spirit, Fine Art, Family, Food, and Friends, Thanksgiving Part 1 and Part 2, and Wow, What a Weekend!

Stop #9: Tarrant County Courthouse - Ft Worth

We've stopped off at the Arlington KOA over Easter holiday last year at the beginning of a longer trip. And the Vineyards Cabins and Campgrounds in Grapevine is another favorite place to stay when we're up visiting family. 

Stop #10: Denton County Courthouse - Denton

Way north in Denton county is Lake Ray Roberts, and two units of the state park are there.  We've stayed at both, and both times I only did photo posts! Traveling for the Turkey Part 3, and Family, Friends, Fotos.

One Grand Adventure

We put Diesel's blue tie on the gallery wall of the camper this weekend.  Someday I'll print a photo of him wearing it and I'll put the tie on the frame, but for now, he'll continue to travel in our hearts as we start camping again this fall.

It seemed, for a bit, like the universe was seriously fighting us as we're starting up camping again. RDB and I both found ourselves having a hard time getting motivated; there were maintenance issues we had to address, and by the time we finished lunch, the window to miss traffic had closed.  But, eventually, we got on the road Friday evening, and made our way south to Jamaica Beach RV Resort on Galveston Island.  Y'all even the bugs were out to get us!  (It's BYOBS (Bring Your Own BUG SPRAY) on the coast!)

Galveston has so much to do - from cruise ships and the Pleasure Pier and the Strand, to the railroad museum and Moody Gardens 'pyramids' to some incredible historic places.  Inspired by our recent courthouse challenge in the Miata and the beautiful architecture, RDB and I spent Saturday touring the Bishop's Palace and Moody Mansion. 

At 130 years old, the Bishop's Palace was absolutely stunning. I'll simply let the pictures speak for themselves:

We worked up an appetite and made our way over to Marios Italian on the Seawall.  Delicious Italian, the bacon-spinach-Parmesan-sauced-tortellini was delicious (and almost soup-like, there was soo much sauce!). We finished up lunch then headed back over to Broadway to tour Moody Mansion. 

At only 129 years old, the Moody Mansion wasn't going to be out done by Bishop's Palace. I was in awe with the way the light hitting the metallic paint on the walls and ceiling made the rooms glow in the afternoon sun. 

I think the Miata club would get a kick outta this!

Obviously whoever made the 'don't touch' signs for the Moody Mansion has a snarky sense of humor!

Saturday evening we did a little driving around along the seawall and found ourselves on the beach for a bit.  The easy-to-access public beaches are one of the things that I love about Galveston Island. 

Back at the RV Resort, there was plenty of fun to be had as well.  You could fish in the pond...

Just watch out for the BIG fishes...

... you can play a round of golf with the pirates...

...and is it "checkmate" or "shipmate" - I can't remember?

Just around the corner are the water features - starting with the kids splash pad....

...and pool with a lazy river for the adults!

Sunday morning we slept in, and then made our way over to Number 13 Steakhouse for brunch.  We would definitely go back for the salad and crab cake again- it was delish!  And the view of the marina was second to none!

We slowly made our way back over the camper, driving thru a few of the neighborhoods on beach side and then bay side, dreaming and discussing what the future may hold for us, knowing that change is in the air.  Ironically, I had a dream this past week that included a hilarious face-to-face meeting with a camel, and a quick search for meaning revealed that a camel seen in a dream symbolizes auspicious changes in life.   It was spot on.  Our life really is just one grand adventure after another. 

We caught the tail end of the morning football games before packing up, the Steelers just squeaking out a win in overtime.  The RV resort was kind enough to give us a 'late checkout' when I asked to buy another night so we could stay a bit later on Sunday.  We really appreciated the extra time and all the amenities this location had to offer. 

We were in site Premium #106 at Jamaica Beach RV Resort, full hook-ups. Premium because it's on the end of a row and your front yard isn't someone's back yard and you can see the waters of the Gulf over the dunes, but you are less than 50' away from the main road, so lots of road noise between you and the Gulf and no direct access to the beach.  Mosquitos and other flying bugs come out in droves once the sun sets, but I won't ever blame a campground for that.  Overall, it was a great jumping off spot, and if you're looking for on-site activities they have several. For the last little bit of summer, it was a good place to enjoy Galveston from. 

For more camping photos, go here (once I figure out why Flikr isn't playing nice with my Mac.)