Happy as a Clam at High Tide

Oh, camping - how we've missed you!  

It feels like forever long ago that we were last with SETPUCC - now renamed the All Campers Welcome Club (ACWC) - and agreed to scout for this trip to Galveston Island State Park.  Just a short hour or so from Houston, its a great campground to head to after a long week of work and travel.  It was nearly 10pm when we finally arrived, though, and as much as we wanted to socialize with the Club, we went nearly straight to bed!

Saturday morning, we woke to beautiful weather and an awesome short jaunt to the beach.

Diesel wasn't all that excited about the sea water (there were stickers on the path to the beach, and we have a feeling he got stuck and then stung by the water).  I was loving it, though.  It has been so long since I've walked along the Gulf of Mexico with my feet in the water, feeling the cool waves lap at my ankles.  It was amazing how beautiful and clean the beach was; the only thing littering the coast was the multitude of teeny-tiny little mussels.  

After a lengthy morning walk on the beach, we found ourselves back in the camper again, enjoying the air-conditioning and deciding what we wanted to do with the afternoon, before our scheduled pot-luck with the Club. 

Pros and Cons of Galveston Island State Park: Pro? You're super close to a very private beach. Con? Not a tree in sight.

I had a few ideas on what I wanted to do around Galveston, Trip Advisor had a few more suggestions as well.  (I did *not* know there was a train museum and running train in Galveston!! We will be going back to do that for sure!!) And no, even though the Bolivar Ferry was rated as #1, you will not see me going on that adventure! We finally decided on eating lunch at a favorite spot on the water and then heading over to a well-known tourist spot.

So, if ever you're in Galveston, and you're hungry for some of the best fried seafood on the Gulf Coast, head over to the Fisherman's Wharf on Pier 21.  RDB and I have had lunch here before - watching the cruise ships leave out on a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago.  We didn't expect to see them again this trip, but both the Carnival Freedom and the Triumph were anchored, getting ready for their next trip out.  The Fisherman's Wharf has seating both inside and out - with direct views of the pier and harbor.  I guess you could say, it was lunch and a show! ;-)  And just so you know, the Shrimp Kisses (part of the appetizer platter) were the absolute best thing we had - although the mini crab cakes (also an appetizer) are what brought us back again for lunch!

^^ Look!! It's a Ferris brick!! A HOUSTON Ferris brick! I had no idea they even existed!

With full bellies, we headed towards Hope Street and the Moody Gardens pyramids.  I had been to this indoor rainforest once before, back in 8th grade, and thought it would be a great idea for an afternoon adventure.  RDB wasn't so sure: rainforest? Hot, humid, tropical environment? It wasn't until I told him they'd designed the pyramid with air-conditioning that blows directly onto the walking paths that he agreed to go.  Can't say I blame him!

I'll write a separate post for our time at Moody Gardens - it was such a neat experience, and I have lots to share about it!

Once we returned from our rainforest adventure, we headed over to M&D's campsite where everyone was gathering for the pot-luck dinner.  Since renaming the Club this spring, we needed a new banner - M&D took it upon themselves and came up with a great one:

 "Owl" bet you didn't see that coming! ;-)

We had a rather large group this campout: M&D and D's mom, JS&D and their daughter, D&J, the Happy Camper, The Photog and K, their daughter and niece, and a new (younger!) tent couple: Submarina and Isle.  There were several other new additions to the group, as well, but I didn't get a chance to get around and meet them all.

The pot-luck, as always, was wonderful. It never ceases to amaze me how we can all come together with different tastes and dishes, and no one ever leaves hungry!

We brought the Bird with us as well.  It took no time for the guys to crowd around RDB and ask about all the features and capabilities of our DJI Inspire1.  While he played around with the quad-copter, I got old school and went over to the beach to fly a kite.

I absolutely love this one:

True to form, after dinner M suggested that we head out onto the beach for a walk: a Crab Crawl, if you will!  Several of us walked out to the sound of the waves, under a deep full moon, and chased the tiny little critters as we came across them. Submarina was by far the most hilarious, blinding the crabs with her flashlight and then taking off in a rush after them when they'd gather the courage to jump out of the light and make a break for freedom.  One she chased all the way to the edge of the tidal line, where it stood for a moment with a look at the waves like "I can't swim!" but then jumped into the swell at its own peril.  It was a perfect end to a great night.

The wind shifted as the sun set Saturday night. We went to bed with it whipping around at anything that wasn't tied down, and then sometime after midnight the sky fell out.  RDB and I both woke at various points to the crash and bang of thunder and lightening, and the constant drumming of rain on the roof.  Before we went to bed, a last minute tent camper had shown up in the spot beside us; by the next morning, they were gone.

Perhaps you can see why:

Seriously. We went to bed and there was a tent in the spot between us and Happy Camper's trailer (in the upper right hand photo). We woke up, and they were no where to be seen.  And that was only 1.5" last night.  We checked the radar, we were in a lull in the rain and it wasn't going to get much better, so RDB packed up the outside, while I quickly packed up the inside, and we were on the road back home again in no time.  There was quiet a difference in the swell as we rode along the Seawall and made our way back to Houston.

Yet another wonderful trip, and another wonderful campground.  We were in site 15 on the beach side at Galveston Island State Park. Very level side to side, but also a low-spot if it rains.  No trees (obviously) so bring a pop-up shade tent if you're planning to hang out at the campsite for a while.  The park has recently undergone (and is still undergoing) renovations to make repairs from the 2008 hurricane season.  Ike did  a number on the island, and the beautiful beachy park was not spared.  All that being said, I think Diesel liked it well enough.  Happy dog.  

For more camping photos, go here.

Work. Life. Balance.

It's nearly a week after we've gotten back from our latest camping trip and I'm just now getting to a post. The laundry from that weekend is still in the hamper in the back of the truck.  Diesel's still wearing his camping collar.  I think the only thing that got done when we got home was unpacking the cooler and ordering a pizza.

Work has been insanely busy these past few weeks - at last count, I've got seven different projects that I'm a part of: some of my own choosing - like applying for a different role in my same company - and some that I'm honored to be chosen for - like the Leadership Development Program that will run the next nine months giving me access to Senior VP mentorship - and some that are just busy work but I'm expected to participate nonetheless.  I'm worn thin, and pretty sure the next project that comes my way I'm gonna have to turn down.

Life is sweet. RDB and I celebrated our first anniversary this week... but I was in Dallas for work the actual day.  We had planned to go out to a really fancy dinner last night, but that fell thru.  We're looking forward to the holiday season and the knowledge that we'll be spending it with each other. 

Work.  

Life. 

I'm still searching for that balance part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We left out of town Friday night after having put Clyde in the shop to fix a sensor that was causing the engine to loose power - thanks, btw, for all the great suggestions on things to do to fix it ya'll - too bad it still needed repair work.  We were excited to head over to Buescher State Park as this was another SETPUCC weekend and we knew of several families that were planning to attend.

Arriving at the park after dark is always an adventure. This time around, there was both a Ranger and a Fire Captain there at the check-in board.  I grabbed my map, found my name, asked for a recommendation of the three sites still available and Ranger Steve asked: "Do you work for TPWD? You sure look like you know what you're doing!"  That just made my day!

We woke Saturday morning to the sound of (lots) of kids running around and having fun.  A little after 9am, we heard a bull-horn from down in the tent camping area: "Alright Ninja Campers!!"  Come to find out - there was a karate club camping there this weekend, and although they were well behaved, they were quite a noisy bunch!

Diesel was the belle-of-the-ball this weekend.  We had several campers walk past him and compliment how quiet he was being and how well behaved he was.  I really think that there are 3 things that factor into that: 1 - his bark collar, 2 - he really is a sweet dog, and 3 - he's more afraid of you than you are of him!

As RDB took a nap Saturday afternoon, I wanted to work on a craft (more on that in another post) but as I set up to play around, I noticed the very large tree behind our site was just *perfect* for climbing.  Yes, I know I'm 30-something years old and it's probably been a decade or more since I last climbed a tree, but this one just called to me.  So, up I went!  A couple of people walked by, commented on Diesel being such a "good looking dog," and I yelled down "Thanks!" from the top of the tree.  Laughter ensued as the guy asked if I had been treed by the Doberman and did I need him to call the Ranger to come rescue me?

Not too far from Buescher SP is the Kreische Brewery State Historical Site and Monument Hill. If you're staying anywhere near LaGrange, you really should drop by for a visit. No entry fees, and the view is outstanding!

We spent the better part of the evening by the campfire in the center area of our loop. Cozy Circle there at Buescher was certainly created with group camping in mind - every site has its own fire ring and privacy, but there's a nice cleared out area (with a few trees) in the center and a table and fire ring there for the community to use.  We bought 3 bucket's worth of cedar logs from the park headquarters and enjoyed a great time talking and fellowshipping around the fire.  

M&D were Scouts this time around, and  JS and DP were there, too (they have a new truck - it's nice!)  The Host - now renamed Camper Bob - McG, and J&D were also there.  It was great to get to spend time with these couples who are becoming friends and welcoming us into their group.  I think Camper Bob said it best with the *awesome* gift he gave us:

We were in site #5 - which was definitely the ADA site, all paved, and a little odd - the table and fire ring were behind the camper because of the way the site was laid out.  We met the camp hosts, Anna and David before we left - Anna came out to thank me as I was walking around the fire ring in the middle with my trash bag (something I always do before we leave: walk around and pick up an little pieces of trash we might have missed, weather its ours or not, and also make sure I didn't miss any Diesel bombs).  She said that it makes her life so much easier when we take that extra step. I mentioned that its one of the easiest ways to make sure the park is taken care of so we can enjoy them for years to come!

For more camping photos, go here.

A Gift: Long Weekend, Long Post.

Yes, that is a South East Texas POP-UP Camper's Club banner beside a travel trailer.  Why? Because we Scouted this weekend, and because this all-inclusive Club doesn't discriminate by breed, creed, gender, religion, or what you go camping in! (Although, to be totally honest, we did join the club while we were still in a pop-up...)

RDB and I took a few extra days off to make the Labor Day weekend a little longer, and left late out of Houston after running errands, going to the gym, and dropping Diesel-Dog off at doggie day care (we wanted a bit of a vacation to celebrate RDB's birthday and Double D doesn't understand what 'sleeping in' means). Honestly, it was a little odd without him.

We're back (again!) to an old favorite - the Texas State Rail Road campground up in Rusk, TX.  (Remember how last year, RDB said he'd gladly spend his birthday here again?) M&D from the camping club beat us there and had already picked out one of the more secluded sights.  J/D had family in the area and weren't coming over until Saturday morning.  We made ourselves at home in site 10 and snuggled in for the night.

By the way - if you haven't picked up a dog-bone for your camper, you should do so. Our 30amp wasn't working, but the 50amp was - so the connector (which was still new in the package after all this time) finally came into good use.

Friday morning we slept in(!), enjoyed our coffee and breakfast, lazed around the camper for a bit, then took a trip into Palestine (to have lunch at Giovanni's. Again!)  We made a stop off at the Walmart - one set of my outside rope lights had died on our past trip, so we picked up another - and we spent a little time in downtown Palestine.  I had researched a quaint little shop called the Texas Art Depot before we left: they were supposed to be a Thomas Kincaid gallery (I think we saw one print) and had several different local artisans. We thought the metal works were really neat and ended up buying one for my Dallas Bro.  

See the red-headed poker player at the bottom? Yep, that's my Bro.

Back at the campsite, we spent some time talking with M&D.  They had gone to the Caddo Mounds  Historical Site that morning, and were planning on riding the train on Saturday once J/D got in.  Since RDB and I have ridden the trains twice, we opted to spend this trip sight-seeing (and eating... a quick side note: I packed only 3 main meals (just dinners, no lunches) because we always come home with food. 4 nights, 3 dinners this trip, and somehow we still came home with food uncooked?!)  We finished up chatting with them and walked back to our site just as the sky opened up and it down-poured on us.  Good thing I bought Despicable Me for RDB's birthday....

The sunset Friday night after the rain was just glorious. I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

I don't think the steam and diesel trains in the campground will ever grow old to me.  There's just something so magical about the type of travel we used to do - and hearing the train whistle totally delights me.  I spent a good bit of time after the rain Friday evening walking the tracks and taking photos of the empty station (you can see them in my Flickr feed - link at the bottom).  I ventured out Saturday morning to wave to the other SETPUCCers who were going for a ride on the #7 Diesel that morning. M&D said they had known about the trains up in Rusk for decades, but had never made the time to actually go and ride.  It's for that very reason I'm glad we Scouted this trip!

While they were off on their rail adventure, RDB and I drove down to the Caddo Mounds State Historical Site.  We've driven past the mounds nearly every trip up to Rusk, but had not taken the time to go walk the site.  The museum is currently under construction and will reopen partially  in October ("When the politicians are available.") and will be fully completed in December.  Rachel, the education coordinator, was extremely knowledgeable and gracious enough to lend us the keys to the golf cart ("It is August, after all!") so that we could ride around, rather than walk the mile trail between the mounds.  I really do look forward to going back once the new museum is open and spending a bit more time there learning about this ancient culture.

Once we all made it in from our respective 'rides,' we debated a bit about dinner.  Tradition has it on SETPUCC trips, that there's a potluck on Saturday night.  With just 3 families attending this weekend a potluck seemed a bit over the top.  So, on M&D's recommendation (aka, TripAdvisor research) we jumped in the truck and went back out to Palestine for dinner at Little Mexico.  (J/D stayed in... which in hind-sight, was the better choice!)  The place was packed, but the service was severely lacking. And the food? Ehn.  I think we'd have done better going back to Giovanni's (again!) which happened to be literally right next door! (I think I've figured out why I keep coming home with extra food....)

Saturday night we planned to go for an Owl Prowl after we got back in from dinner.  RDB and I got back to the camper, unlocked the door, grabbed our trash and as I took it to the dumpster, he closed our gray tank.  I got distracted chasing a frog as he made it back around to the front door.

"Look what I caught!" I said, motioning to the frog.

"Look what I can't open." RDB said, tugging on the camper door.

(Somehow, magically, our door had re-locked itself and we were stuck outside.)

I said: "No problem! I have a spare key in the truck - I just need the truck keys, but they're..."

"...in the camper?" RDB said.

"Maybe we could use a screwdriver to pry it open? I have a tool set, but it's..."

"...in the camper?"

"We could.... call AAA? I've got a membership! I just need my phone, and it's..."

"...in the camper."

About that time, D and D showed up and joined us in pondering how we managed to get ourselves locked out of our camper (it felt like the old "Who's on First" routine all over again.)  Thankfully, M had a tool set back in his pop-up and after trying a multitude of non-violent attempts to pick the lock, RDB decided "force" was the only means necessary, and skillfully broke the lock. I say skillfully, because he only broke what was necessary to get the handle to open - the door still latched, and the deadbolt still locked... but it will eventually need to be replaced.  You know, I had a locksmith back in Raleigh tell me a story once about Gremlins....

Speaking of Gremlins, we did some Geocaching on Sunday (Gremlin, Garmin. Get it?)  We found four, but didn't do much searching beyond that.  When your Hubby says, "I'm getting itchy just looking at that one," you know you've gone about far enough.

Found our tiniest Geocache ever, and our first TravelBug.  I'd say four was plenty!

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the campsite (and watching Despicable Me 2 when it started raining again).  I cooked coconut crusted chicken for lunch, and though it was good, I'll never do it again - frying stuff, even lightly, in the camper leaves a fried-fast-food-restaurant smell that even Febreeze had a hard time getting out.  After lunch, once the rain cleared, we took another walk around the lake.

Life is sweet to us right now.  We really enjoy our camping, our friends, our life together.  It's hard to imagine that only a year ago next week, RDB proposed.  It may be his birthday today, but I feel like I'm the one waking up each morning to a gift.


For more camping photos, go here.

Going back for Seconds

Sometimes there's nothing better than getting home from a camping trip and taking a shower.  Long, hot, lots-of-elbow-room, not-in-the-drafty-campground-bathhouse shower.  So, after a long weekend at Brazos Bend I could smell the campfire smoke all over again when RDB and I got back to the house and got cleaned up.

We spent lots of time socializing this weekend.  It was the annual camp out for the camper's club that we've become a part of.  It was great to see old friends and make some new ones.  We're excited about all the camp outs that are scheduled for the remainder of the year and look forward to adding a few into our camping schedule.

I volunteered to administer the SETPUCC's website - in an attempt to make communication about camp outs and who's scouting a bit easier.  The group seemed happy to have some "young blood" willing to help lead it in a new direction.  RDB and I just love camping (and blogging) so much, it seemed a natural fit for us.

We got to camp Friday night - we really like that Brazos Bend is just an hour from the house - in fact, it was close enough that The 5 J's came over just to roast marshmallows and enjoy the campfire!  It was also the first time they got to see our new set-up with the travel trailer - crazy to have 4 adults all standing in the camper at the same time and having plenty of room for it (couldn't do that in the pop-up!!)  Also had plenty of room for CJ who happened to be grounded and had to sit inside and do homework while everyone else was outside.... glad that didn't keep the rest of the family from enjoying the campfire!

We had lots of visitors in the morning before the potluck - I can't help but love our new Vice Big Kahuna, JSP, who is kinda like the club's one-woman marketing team.  She brought several of the other club members by our site to introduce them to us.  We are certainly making some great new friends as a part of this group!  Even Diesel got to make friends with Comedy Central's dog: an Australian shepherd named Max.  The weather was really nice on Saturday, so we spent a bit of time walking around the park as well.

After the potluck, we jumped in the truck with M&D and rode over to their house.  Yes, house - they live only 4 miles from the park! It was really neat to met their animals, see all the gardening they've done, and we even came home with a giant bag of citrus fruits from trees in their back yard! D is actual our new Big Kahuna for the year - which I think is amazing, as both she and JSP really have a passion and love for camping.

Most of the evening was spent cracking jokes and sharing stories by the campfire (The Host tends an awesome fire, by the way.  That man has talent!).  M&D took a small group of us on an "owl prowl' in the dark.  Brazos Bend has a handicap trial (all concrete) which makes for a nice walk in the dark.  Well, nice except for Comedy Central, who was lagging behind the group, throwing sticks into the brush off the side of the trail to scare us.  Or, well, me.  We did see several alligators in the pond, but no owls, along our late-night walk.

We were at Brazos Bend State Park this weekend, site 224.  Nice, big and open, but a pain to back into.  JSP's family had a really great site right down the way (site #221).  We didn't go to the observatory this trip (it was cloudy) but they are currently fundraising to try and repair the 36" scope before the 25th anniversary of the installation in October.  I made a donation in honor of RDB for Valentines.  Ya know, because his love for me is out of this world! :-)

One last note, before I turn this off to watch the Big Game (Go Seahawks, ehn).: today is Diesel-Dog Doberman's 2nd birthday.  Sure do love our 'little' pup!

For a few more camping photos, go here.

./` Rain, Rain at La Grange ./`

Go back and read the title again... only this time, sing it to the tune of "Home, Home on the Range."

Go on, do it.. dooooo it!

There, that's how it was intended.  :-)  Now, shall we continue?

./`./`./` Rain, rain at La Grange!          

Where the eggs turn out looking strange.

./`./`./` Where books will be read...

While RDB rests his head, ./`./`./`

./`./`./` And the skies will stay cloudy all day! ./`./`./`



We went camping this weekend with the South East Texas Pop-up Camper's Club at Oak Thicket Park in La Grange, TX.  The park sits on the edge of Lake Fayette, which is the cooling reservoir for the nearby power plant (seen in the photo above).  It was great to meet back up with some of the families we met back at the Brazos Bend camp out at the beginning of the year.  Once again, the food at the potluck was outstanding!  (Whoever made that triple layer German chocolate coconut cake that was light as air - we LOVE you!) Unfortunately, though - it rained.  And rained. And rained. And rained. And no, I did not get a picture of the rain.  I didn't get many pictures at all, since we spent the majority of our trip in the camper.  On a positive note: we finally got to use the deck of cards I packed.  Go-Fish can be quiet a competitive game, thank-you-very-much!  On a negative note: one must remember to put the awning at an angle so the rain can run off, instead of pool on top.... and again, no, I did not get a picture of that, either. Thank-you-very-much.

If you're curious about the strangely pink eggs - no, it's not caused by the after-effects of being near a power plant.  I got beets in my Green Box this week and went searching for a recipe to use them.  I came across a recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch Eggs, and thought, why not? They look odd, but boy, do they taste good!

We did get a few minutes without rain - and enjoyed a bit of time outside.  I'm studying for classes relating to work right now, and so had to devote a bit of the weekend to my 4-inch-thick textbook.  Blah.  But Diesel made sure I wasn't studying too hard.

We caught glimpses of what will probably be the last few bluebonnets of the season going for a walk with Diesel.  The wildflowers this year have just been tremendous - lining the roads on the way out and back on all these trips we're taking.  It's one of the reasons we both love driving as much as we do. Ok, so one of the reasons why I love driving.  Can't speak for RDB on that one!

It rained most of the night - once we got back from the potluck we spent a few minutes on our 'front porch' but quickly turned in.  I guess one of the downsides to camping so much is that eventually you'll have to deal with rain.  Of course, the company you keep, and the attitude you have, make a huge difference on how you'll fare when it does rain.  I sure love having RDB as my camping buddy.

But if you're ever stuck with a day that's gray and lonely, just stick out your chin and grin and say:

*cue music*

./`./`./` The sun'll come out, tomorrow!

Bet your bottom dollar that tomrrow -

There'll be sun!! ./`./`./`

./`./`./` Just thinking about tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow,

Till there's none!! ./`./`./`

./`./`./` Tomorrow! Tomorrow, I love ya, Tomorrow!

You're only a daaaaaay aaaaaaaa-way! ./`./`./`

For more camping photos, and no singing, I promise, go here.