Thanking my Lucky Stars

 

We were driving along to Lake Brownwood State Park for our New Year's camping trip and I came across this:

It truly is amazing when we think about all that exists out there beyond the blue of our atmosphere.  It reminded me of the Christmas camping trip two years ago when we got up early to see the James Webb Telescope launch, and the incredible pictures that have been sent back along its journey. 

We settled into the park Saturday afternoon, snuggling down for a "cold winter's nap" as the temps were going to be just above freezing overnight this weekend.  Nothing that we haven't experienced before.  But thinking of things we haven't experienced before, let me back up a moment and tell you about the drive across and refueling the truck in the little town of Early.  

We stopped off at the Allsup's gas station, which had a separate island for diesel pumps, and the prompts for the singular diesel nozzle asked you to select either "Tractor" or "Refer."  We both kinda looked at each other, having never been presented with this set of options before, we surmised that Tractor would be farming equipment and reefer would be like a refrigerated trailer on the road.  And with that, we started pumping fuel.  

And then I thought - well, why didn't we ask Uncle Google?  16 gallons in, I Googled and we found out: we had it backwards! Whoops!  Next fast Google was "will red/tractor diesel harm my truck?" (no) and then "what's the fine for putting ag diesel in an on-road vehicle?" ($10K!!) and then "how long will my engine stay stained from red diesel dye?" (it clears out after 2-3 more tanks' worth of fuel, but the current fuel filter will likely stay stained until we replace it).  Fast learning, and grateful that we didn't cause any harm. 

Thank goodness the stars aligned on that one!

Settled into our site for the long weekend, we were really surprised with how low the lake water level was. Water data is showing that the lake is only 60% full - and with the really long shorelines, you can tell it's not at its prime.  All that being said, it's too chill to swim or enjoy water sports this weekend, so we were content with just taking a walk along the water's edge and getting some steps in.

We spent Saturday evening with some of our favorite space-themed movies playing in the background (The Martian, Oblivion, Despicable Me, The Fifth Element) while we waited for midnight.  As a surprise to RDB, I signed up to have our names engraved on a microchip as part of the "Message in a Bottle" campaign NASA is running for the Europa Clipper orbiter that is launching in October of this year to orbit a potential water-based moon of Jupiter.

We're going places, y'all! ;-) 

(Speaking of “going places” - NYE I was chatting with a.Fox about tacos and she said they were fixing a batch for her in-laws next Saturday and somehow I ended up booking a flight to Arizona to join them for dinner! AND I’ll get to have dinner with WLTR on the return trip thanks to a 5 hour layover in Denver on Sunday! I blame it on the champagne and flight credits burning a hole in my pocket... and the homemade tortillas - how could I resist?) 

As midnight approached, RDB wanted to walk over the moment of New Years and I just happened to grab the trash from cooking lunch on our way out of the camper.  We ended up literally "taking out the trash" and walking into the New Year.  New tradition? Maybe so!

Monday we made our way over to the Brown County courthouse. It was an interesting building of red brick and tall columns supporting the second story veranda above arches that lead to the front entry.  It may not have the same architectural draw of some of the other court houses we've seen along the way, but it was interesting in its own right.

The former county jail across the street, with its stone-hewn castle-like style, made for an interesting contrast.

Back at the campsite, we went for a late afternoon walk around our camping loop and over to the fishing pier, taking time to play for a bit along the jagged limestone rocks exposed by the low tide. I of course managed to stab my palm and injury myself on those rocks; the painful scrape becoming a nice counterpart to the massive bruise forming on my thigh from running into the table in the camper earlier. RBD calls me his Clumsy Girl. (He’s not wrong, y’all.)

RDB was wise to check the weather forecast for our drive home Tuesday and realized that there was a high probability of rain starting in the late afternoon.  So we called it a night at a decent hour (kinda hard after staying up late for NYE and then sleeping in Monday morning while all the other campers backed up to head home.) and turned in for the evening.

As we said our goodnights, we reminisced about the last time we were at this campground- the week that we eloped on a camping trip - and how we wouldn’t mind coming back to this quiet and peaceful place again. (Maybe next time we won't wait ten years between trips!)

To know that there is so much out there in the galaxies and universes beyond ours, and that the odds of the composition of stardust that created our unique DNA just happened to be on this Earth at the exact same time, in a way in which we could meet, appreciate, and love each other - and share these sweet moments together - to know how unrepeatable those odds are simply reminds me, year after year, of how lucky and blessed I am that I get to share this life with you, RDB.  I thank my lucky stars for you.

“If we have souls, they are made of the love we share, undimmed by time, unbound by death.” - Jack Harper, Tech 49 

We were at Lake Brownwood State Park, Willow Point, Site #19, 50a/W. Only one Lego unlevel to the driver’s side, this spot is everything you’d want: easy to back into, no overhead obstructions, nearly a 180* view of the water and a stones throw from the bathhouse should you need it. Only downside would be the picnic table set towards the back drivers side - great if you’re using the tent pad, not so much if you’re in a hard-sided rig. Plenty of bird life around the park and we saw lots of people boating and fishing in the lake.  

We’ve been here before for our wedding, ten years and two months ago: We could do it, ya know…

_________

PS - talk about thanking our lucky stars?  We pulled into the storage facility to put the camper to bed, and I heard this *woooooish* sound coming from under the camper as I went to open up and unload the fridge.  After 5+ hour drive home, it was in the literal last 5 minutes that we got a screw in our trailer tire that was very quickly flattening out!!  I cannot say how grateful I am that it happened where it did, as super low speeds, and not out on the highway between the middles of nowhere!

*Tent on Wheels at DISNEY* Kennedy Space Center and Rocket Launch

When RDB and I started dating back in Raleigh, NC in 2009 we visited a street art festival where an artist had drawn with chalk a rocket launching into space.  We took a selfie with that in the background and said that someday we'd make it a point to see a rocket a launch in person.

Today, we fulfilled that dream.

We drove over to Cape Canaveral to visit the Kennedy Space Center for the afternoon.  We anticipated that it was going to be a busy day because of the rocket that was scheduled to lift off, carrying the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to provide advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s weather, oceans and environment. It will map lightning activity and improve monitoring of solar activity and space weather. (All that taken from the NASA site, it's way more complex than I would normally write!)

So we made the best of the crowds and ducked into some of the displays, talks, and tours that were happening.  We sat in on the afternoon mission briefing, hosted by John, and learned a few cool tid-bits.

The KSC in the map above is where we were on and the launch pads over on the coast are where the rockets launch from.  Specifically, the launch today was LC 39A (northwest of the Space Center).  John informed us that every launch is live streamed on NASA's YouTube channel and that the Next Space Flight App was a great resource for knowing what's going on with the launch and payload. 

The International Space Station is nearly the length of a football field, and since its' completion in October of 2000 there hasn't been a single day in the past 22 years that at least one person has been on board. Also, if you use the website spotthestation.nasa.gov you can find out where the ISS is overhead and spot it with the naked eye in the night sky above. 

After the mission briefing, we went over to the Rocket Garden and participated in a walking tour - lead by John, again!  We heard his voice over the loud speakers and both looked at each other like "Didn't we just hear him at the briefing?" Sure enough, same guy!   He was incredibly knowledgable, candid, and willing to answer any questions we could throw at him.

That's an F-1 Rocket Engine (built by Aerojet Rocketdyne - a client I used to visit and do financial planning with).  There is so much cool technology that comes from the space program - there is a valve in that rocket that has been miniaturized and can be used in patience that have heart failure.  

After the Rocket Garden tour, we walked over to the Heroes and Legends building that houses NASA's Astronaut Hall of Fame. 

We kept our eyes on the time as the afternoon wore on, knowing that we wanted to be outsides and in a space where we had a clear view of the eastern sky when the launch window opened.  The last launch RDB and I watched (also on a camping trip - the James Webb Telescope) we realized that they will launch as early as possible in the window, so we wanted to be ready. And the weather was absolutely beautiful for hanging out outside.

RDB and I grabbed a spot near the grass beside the Astronaut's Memorial Wall with the Atlas rocket in the foreground, and faced east, waiting, along with hundreds of others, for the moment to arrived. 

And arrive it did!

Only a few photos, because I wanted to experience this moment in real time and not behind the screen of my phone.  I was genuinely overwhelmed - brought to tears by the significance of having this life long dream fulfilled.  From our vantage point we could see the flame from the booster, hear the roar of the engines, and feel the rumble of the incredible amount of power it takes to launch a vessel off the face of the earth and beyond the skies, into the dark beauty of space. 

I'm sitting here tonight still in awe, that we've seen a rocket launch in person, with our bare eyes.  It was worth the drive across to Florida just for this, even though I know there are so many more magical moments to come in the next two weeks!

_____°o°_____

Be sure to check out our other posts from Tent On Wheels at DISNEY!  

The Weary World Rejoices

We made it in to Goliad State Park just as the last rays of dusk slipped below the horizon in the west on Thursday night.  The cute little park would be our home for the Christmas weekend - with several other campers already in place, decorated with lights and projections to ward off the dark night ahead.  I was tempted to say "dark and cold night ahead" but let's be real here - its south Texas in December and were currently experiencing the warmest Christmas week on record.

84* for Christmas y'all.  Ugh.  Forget passing out hot chocolate after your candle-light caroling, you're going to want fudge popsicles. 

Christmas Eve morning we all snuggled in bed for a while - and by "we all" I mean "all."  If you didn't know already that Diesel is the most spoiled pooch on the planet, then you obviously haven't been reading my blog.  In fact, he's just about as old as the blog is - turning 10 in February; it's hit us hard lately to realize he's in his golden years now.  We sure love this puppy. 

I mean, how can you not love that sweet face?  We left our little critter at the camper and made our way over to the Texas Zoo in Victoria for the afternoon.  It was a small zoo, with an appropriately small entrance fee, and we enjoyed wandering around the different enclosures.  We must have timed it just right, though, because it sure felt like it was nap time that the local zoo, what with all the animals snoozing around us. 

I mean, even the peacock jumped off of his perch and walked over to the rest of the flock, who were resting in the shade.

There were a few creatures that were awake and roaming - the fox and raccoons, and the jaguars. 

The ring tail lemur inside the main building kinda looked at me like: what did you expect? It _is_ the holidays after-all?  Everyone is taking a break!

We left the zoo and drove over to De Leon Plaza in downtown, directly across from the Victoria County Courthouse.   Both the plaza and the courthouse were beautifully decorated for the upcoming holiday, and being Christmas Eve, we practically had the center of town all to ourselves. 

We got back to the camper and received the royal sniff-down.  Lots of random animal smells and Diesel was all about checking us out when we came back home. 

Joining the theme from the zoo, RDB and Diesel both zonked out for an afternoon nap of their own, and I a (very short) drive into town.   Goliad is the county seat of Goliad County, and y'all know I have a thing for courthouses.  The town square was all dolled up like a Hallmark Christmas movie. RDB and I came back over to get a few night shots, too, and once again had the town to ourselves.

Back at the campsite in the late afternoon, we enjoyed listening to Christmas music and had lox for an early dinner. Then watched a Christmas special about celebrations all around the world.  I've been pen-paling with Grandma G since the pandemic started, and learned this past year that we have Scandinavian roots. Looking up the traditions from Sweden, I realized there were some we already did, like celebrating on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas day. I partook in Advent this year, and kept decorations to a minimum (not just for sake of rediscovering heritage, but because I've just been, well, not in the spirit this year; work has taken its toll on me.)  It's been nice, actually, to keep things simple and focus on the light.  (Though, I am still trying to find a julbock.) 

Thinking of seeking the light, one of the main reasons I booked us at Goliad State Park for this weekend was their History in Lights event running thru the month of December.  Nearly 90 years ago, the Civilian Conservation Corp had rebuilt the mission that is located on the park grounds and over the holiday season the park uses displays with light and shadows to tell the story of the park and surrounding area.  With the sun setting in  the distance on Christmas Eve it was better than - more magical even - than I could have imagined.

Not a single filter or edit on any of those photos.  And it wasn't until I was uploading them here that I realized that second to last one - the one of the full mission from a distance away - actual has a faint 22* halo over it.  The blues and purples of the sunset behind the whitewashed walls of the mission... were truly magical.

Of course, we played around a little with the colored lights we purchased from Amazon, a tripod, and RDB's iPhone 13 Pro Max - it really takes stellar night shots. 

After walking back over to our camper, we settled down for the night, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. 

We set an alarm for (way too early) Christmas morning so that we could watch the live stream of the James Webb Space Telescope launch - a once in a lifetime opportunity to see this billion dollar piece of equipment sent over a million miles into deep space. What a gift! 

 

Right at the top of the launch window opening, the rocket achieved nominal trajectory and the birth of the next phase in space exploration had come. I am truly in awe of the power and ingenuity of human innovation, and that we can participate in this (literally from our bed!) from all across the world!  To add to the experience? There's a website up that tracks: Where is Webb? (as I type this, the telescope is 119,160 miles from Earth... and counting!)

After that early morning wake up call, we lazily lounged around the camper till lunch; I made a charcuterie board with some of the miscellaneous tasty tidbits we had in the fridge. Pretty proud with how this one turned out!  And no, Diesel, you can't have any!

We spent Christmas day mostly at the campsite, watching movies on NetFlix.  One of my favorites (The Christmas Chronicles with Kurt Russel as Santa), a few new ones that were interesting takes on the origin story of Santa Claus (A Boy Called Christmas, Klaus), a classic (White Christmas), and a typical "Hallmark" love story (A Castle for Christmas). RDB just jogged my memory that a few of those we actually watched at home this past week, but I'm bundling them in here anyway!

Christmas dinner was smoked steaks and some of our favorite side dishes: butternut squash with sage, roasted asparagus, and mashed cauliflower (yes, went went to H-E-B on Christmas Eve; yes, it was as crazy as you'd think it would be!) along with a bottle of cabernet from Rodney Strong.  We enjoyed a few glasses of eggnog (spiked, of course) to finish off the Christmas meal...  it was a perfect kind of laid back day!

Sunday we woke and enjoyed coffee and tea on the couch, deciding on how we wanted the day to play out. Wind speeds definitely play into it when we travel, and so we had our eyes on that.  That, and really? Neither of us really wanted the weekend to end!  So, we drove back in to Victoria to have lunch. 

The Pumphouse Riverside Restaurant and Bar was such a cool little local place to try out for Sunday brunch. Food was good and the view of the Guadalupe River from the patio was perfect; the service was lacking, but I'd give it another try at another time (would love to try their lunch menu).

On our way back over to the campground we stopped in to the newly renovated Visitor's Center set up in the Custodian's Cottage and had a chance to look around and understand a bit of the history of the CCC who, in essence, used the building of this cottage as a practice for the Mission de Espiritu they were charged with rebuilding.  The shell alcove over the window along with the log-hewn staircase were practice runs for the shell above the main door of the chapel and the staircase that led up to the bell tower.  

The camp host/docent at the Custodian's Cottage even invited us into the area reserved for their office while on staff - that being the dining room and kitchen of the surprisingly well laid out home.  I was so impressed with the incredible attention to detail that the CCC showed, even in the smallest things, like the clover carved into the top of the nailhead in the pantry door in the kitchen.  

I picked up a pressed tin heart from the park store to remind me of what a lovely time this weekend was.  Truly, a perfect Christmas that this weary heart needed. 

We were at Goliad State Park, Karankawa loop, Site #9.  It's a pull-thru loop of sites, but we made the decision to back in to this one, as the big tree to the right and the posts to keep you from running over the connections to the left were going to be a tight fit.  Though the reservation system online says this is a 50' site, it was plenty long for our rig and truck (we usually look for 60' sites).  Plenty of space between and behind the sites in this loop and so much to do at the park that we really didn't have a chance to do it all! (I'm already looking at booking another trip down here in the late spring next year!) 

We've been here once before: Going for Gold at Goliad

For more camping photos, go here.

And for a drive thru of the campground, go here (coming soon!)