Weekend of Whelmed

 

What a summer, y'all.  

We purposefully don't camp in the hottest months here in Texas, because, well, a thousand (degrees) reasons not too, but man! I've been looking forward to this weekend for _months_ because I know how much more settled and rested and relaxed I am when we go camping regularly.  Between the stress at work, family situations, and the political climate in Texas right now - I've been overwhelmed. (If you're not aware, Google: Texas HB 1927, Texas SB1, Texas SB4, and Texas SB8... don't even get me started about how the SCOTUS failed Texans this week; THIS is the reason we all panicked when RBG died last year, y'all) 

Knowing that we had a long Labor Day weekend at Lake Livingston State Park, my mindset and mood this past week has been a hundred percent better.  With my work schedule easing up Friday afternoon (not a single team member had a live web on Friday, and nearly half the team was out on early vacation), RDB and I took off for the park and arrived a little after 6.  Not wanting to cook, we found the Blue Duck on Yelp and went into town to have dinner and support the locals. Generous pours of whiskey from the bartender were the saving grace (read the review, you'll see). 

I had a hard time getting to sleep Friday (to be honest: here lately most days I suffer from revenge sleep procrastination) but RDB had no trouble dozing off on the lazy-boy in the living room.  I woke the next morning to him having set up the coffee maker for me, ready to go with HEB's Texas Pecan decaf (my fav) and a cup.  He asked me later on in the day: "Have I told you yet today that I love you?" You do, RDB, by the sweet things you do for me. (Over and over again, I'm reminded how I found one of the good ones!)

We got a hankering for one of our favorite camping meals - jalapeno cheddar sausage with fried eggs and roasted veggies (I need to get a Camp Cooking post done for that one!) - so we went over to the local HEB and picked up groceries. 

Also picked up a bunch of strawberries and marshmallow fluff - RDB saw a picture of roasted fluff-covered strawberries and was intrigued.  Y'all - lemme tell you - THIS WAS GOOD!  It would be much more fun outside over a campfire, but hello-1000*-Texas-in-September, we roasted it over the flame in the kitchen.  A note, if you want to do this: it's more about getting a bit of char on the marshmallow fluff vs. trying to actually roast the berry.  That little bit of burn + the cream of the fluff + the sweet tartness of the berry = heaven in your mouth.  10/10 would recommend!

We settled in Saturday afternoon to watch our favorite movie (yes, again. We won't ever get tired of Matt Damon's humor in The Martian!) and enjoy being out in our camper.  RDB mentioned that he's heard people comment on "why would you go camping when you just sit in the camper all day?" Well, because it becomes a home-base to check out other small towns. It's a new view outside the windows, even if we are watching a movie. It's a chance to go for late evening walks among the trees once the sun has gone down.   Really, I don't need a reason at all; rest is my why.

And it looks like I'm not the only one who loves to rest....

And yes, we need to have a talk about him smoking cigars in the camper.  He's getting a little crotchety in his old age! Ha!  Of course, he deserves a nap after the walk and photo shoot we had earlier in the afternoon.

Speaking of well deserved rest, RDB was conked out with his head on my lap as the movie played on, when a text came in from Big Bro D out on vacation with his girlfriend in Colorado:

Yeah!! I am over-WHELMED with joy at how happy he is right now! I'm thrilled for him and A - they are such a sweet couple and compliment each other so beautifully; its a real joy to see how happy Big Bro has been these past months.  Looking froward to a wedding in the future and a great marriage for these two! (And even closer than all that - looking forward to camping with Big Bro in November after Thanksgiving!)

Sunday morning we woke up leisurely, and decided to go out for a late lunch rather than cook in (and heat up) the camper.  It's hit or miss sometimes, and unfortunately, it was another miss with the Mexican food place we went to back in town.  The outside was so cool, and the interior decor was a feast for the eyes, but the food was lackluster at best.  Our dining out choices were, well, under-whelming this trip. As Big Bro would say: it'll make a turd.  Lol!

At least the margarita was good!

Back at the camper, we broke out the mini Rummikub set I inherited from Grandma Ford; the box still smells like her living room in Arizona.  I won't say who won all four games we played (me) but it is one of my favorite games. 

Another movie to end the day - one from the Star Trek trilogy (what can I say? We like our space based science fiction!) and another relaxing evening. I'm so grateful that we have a three day weekend and reserved the campsite till Tuesday so that we have several full days here to rest and hang out.

I got demoted (dog-moted?) from my seat. 

Monday morning I woke to the delicious smell of coffee, and RDB gently rubbing my shoulder.  Did I say I got one of the good ones, y'all? Because I did!  We spent some time outside the camper (ominous clouds means that we may see rain as we pack up, but at least it cooled things off for a bit) before we took a drive around the campground for RDB's Park and Drive YouTube Chanel. Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Poppers in the oven for lunch (thanks again, HEB) and it was the beginning of a great afternoon. 

We really do enjoy extending our stays an extra night, even though we know we won't be sleeping over - this weekend it gave us the chance to play a few rounds of Mario Cart 8 (which RDB won, nearly ever single time!) and sit outside again enjoying a few beers in the some-what cooler weather.  By Monday afternoon, we practically had the entire camping loop to ourselves. 

We finally packed up and made the return trip home - only about an hour and a half away, we were home before dark, backed into the driveway and greeted by Tali (the cat) who was just a little annoyed that she wasn't invited on this trip.  Needless to say, her level of attention seeking over the next few hours will likely be overwhelming.  

We were in site #99, Pin Oak Loop at Lake Livingston State Park.  Same as our last visit, not much cell service (I'm back home finishing up the blog and am blown away by how fast the photos are uploading in comparison) A nice amount of shade during the later part of the day, super close to the bath house, but a real challenge to get backed into because of the site marker on the other side of the narrow road. That being said, RDB never ceases to amaze me with his ability to navigate those tight spots. 

For more camping photos, go here. 

Equinox

 

Hello, Sam.

Huntsville State Park is one of our favorites - it's just an hour or so up the road, one of the larger nearby parks, is just a stone's throw from Huntsville, and we've typically used it as our Maiden Voyage park for the campers we've bought.  

We didn't have a chance to do that with our current rig, so here we are - enjoying the park and a long weekend as the bluebonnets are starting to bloom and the state is bursting into spring (as if we weren't snowed in just a few short weeks ago!)

An FYI, if it's been a while since you've driven up or down I-45: the construction is still a mess.  The exit for Park Rd 40 is closed off right now as they're redoing the on and off ramps, so you'll actually drive past Sam up there, take the exit and come back south (passing his backside) and then turn onto the road that leads into the park.  I couldn't help but capture a picture - dirty window and all - as it was nice to finally be back camping again, even with all the pollen from the trees starting to bloom.

We got ourselves checked in and settled into our spot for the weekend, and I threw together a quick dinner of roasted veggies, fried eggs and jalapeno sausage. It had been a long week for the both of us - but even moreso for Diesel McStinkerton.  Not sure what he's gotten into lately, but he had an explosion in the truck while we were setting up (I'll spare you the pictures) and then again several times outside (thankfully!). We knew we were in for a long night with him.

RDB was on night watch with Diesel this weekend - in part b/c it's hard for me to handle him lately.  Not sure what happened, but about two months ago I woke up with significant shoulder and upper arm pain.  Thought that it was referred pain from the disks in my neck that were damaged in a car accident about 5 years ago, and so I got back in to my pain specialist, but he believes this is more likely a rotator cuff issue - so I have an MRI scheduled for 7am Monday morning.  (There went my long weekend!).  No idea how I damaged it; all I want at this point is some relief from the pain.

We all slept in for the better part of Saturday morning. We all needed it.  RDB and I eventually got moving and took Diesel out for a walk before we went into town for lunch.

Yes, most of my pictures from this weekend are of Diesel.  What can I say? He may be a stinker, but he's our stinker. For lunch, RDB and I did our usual Yelp exploration, and stumbled across the Farmhouse Cafe. Super cute, quaint little place with reasonable priced food- delicious, hot, and oh-so-good! 

We were trying to be good (RDB avoided the breadbasket altogether, though I gave a few pieces as try for my Yelp review (linked above).  We saw the amazing display of pies in the counter case as we walked it, and thought 'naw, we don't need any' but at the end of the meal RDB asked our server what was the best selling pie - Coconut Cream.

Y'all.  OMG.  It was heaven on a plate!!

I'm not saying that this blog will turn into yet-another food blog, but we sure do find some of the best desserts via Yelp and these small towns (remember our visit to Corpus Christi? Cinnamon Buns and Banana Cheesecake. *drool*)

Back to the campsite, it was a beautiful afternoon for a walk - I asked RDB to drop me off at the learning center. I spent a few minutes chatting with the ranger on staff, grabbed a few resources, then took the trails back over to our campsite.

It was also a great day for reading a book, taking a nap, and enjoying a glass of bubbly; we truly do feel like the lucky ones some days, this weekend being one of them.

Dinner took us over to our favorite steakhouse in Houston (I know, Huntsville is not Houston, but this is the best steakhouse down here!) I'm pretty sure I've mentioned 1836 Steakhouse before, but if you haven't had a chance, check out my review on Yelp and do yourself a favor - next time you're in town: GO!  Sit upstairs in the attic bar and ask for Cory (the bartender); he's a wealth of knowledge and lots of fun to hang out with.  You will not be disappointed.

Sunday morning found us sleeping in, again.  Easy to do when there are equal parts sunshine and dark sky.  The moon was super bright, it's in a waxing phase right now.  

Much of the same on Sunday - rest, enjoying the campground - it's nice having the extra day paid for, even though we weren't going to be staying overnight, because it means we can stay all day if we like (which we did!) Once the other campers rolled out, we got the chance to enjoy some wildlife right in our site.

This guy showed up first.  We have a squirrel in our neighborhood, Fat Gus, who gets fed by the neighbor's girls - but this dude made Fat Gus look like a model of perfect health.

Diesel was not pleased to be stuck inside, behind a chair barricade, unable to tell the plump interloper to get off his lawn.

Needless to say, Mr Squirrel was making himself at home. (Or mocking Diesel, one of the two!)

RDB, Diesel, and I moved outside after a bit, hanging out in our comfy camping chairs, and this incredible beauty came flittering past:

Like a little kid, I jumped out of my chair and chased it into the woods.  Not only did she pause for a few pictures, she felt perfectly comfortable with me picking her up for a few moments (BTW: be sure to never touch a butterfly's wings - they are so delicate, you'll accidentally rub off their scales.)

She climbed right onto my finger and hung out long enough for RDB to come over and check her out.  Such neat little creatures! 

Eventually she grew tired of my hand and the bunches of pictures we were taking and she flew back into the branches.  It's moments like this that make getting packed up and driving out to the campgrounds worth every minute of it.

All too soon, it was time to pack up and head back home.  We were pulling out right as the sky was growing dark, and unfortunately discovered this:

I'm not saying that this camper is cursed with water leak issues, but this camper definitely has had its fair share of water leak issues!  Thankfully, this was just the freshwater tank overfill valve (we were on such a slant that it was fine when RDB filled it before we left, but once we rolled off our leveling legos and pulled out of the site, the overflow valve did exactly what it was supposed to do.) Now, if we can just get the leak under the bathroom sink fixed..... 

We were in Raven loop, site #7 at Huntsville State Park.  It was full hook-ups, which we really do enjoy. (I forgot to take a picture of our set up, so, we'll just have to go back again *wink*).  Not very level, a few trees near enough that you'll want to have a spotter help you get settled in.  We were eyeing the sites across the way that were facing the lake - but the spot we were in was perfect enough. 

We've been here before: Happy Campers, Home again, It's Nice Outside, and It's a Wonderful Life.

For more camping photos, go here. 

Camp Cooking #13: 10 minute Whipped Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie

So, I wasn't sure what would be a more enticing title: "10 minute" or "no bake"? Because in this case, they're BOTH true!

Traveling for Thanksgiving and we're having a very toned-down family gathering at R&S's house this year, so I volunteered to bring dessert since I had just recently made this pie and RDB and I LOVE it!  It's incredibly easy - though you'll not likely have a pair of electric beaters in your camper kitchen.  

Though, for as easy as this is? You just _might_ want to bring a set!

Ok, let's go!

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3/4 can of Libby's Pumpkin Puree
Jell-o sugar free instant pudding, Cheesecake flavor
about 3/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 regular spoon's worth of Monk Fruit Blend Sugar substitute

Pecan pie crust 

Measuring spoons, can opener, spatula, electric mixer, big and small bowl

So, you'll notice a theme in the ingredients up there - this dessert is meant to be keto-friendly. RDB started eating that way last January and I've tried to be supportive - finding recipes like this that taste amazing certainly helps.  Give it a try before you turn your nose up at it... or just change out the sugars for the regular and it'll likely turn out just fine, too!

Measure out 2 cups of heavy whipping cream.  Or, if like me, you somehow manage to have measuring spoons but not measuring cups... then measure out 16 tablespoons of HWC into a dixie cup and mark a line (so that you don't have to measure another 16 tablespoons.....)

Pour your heavy whipping cream into a large bowl and sprinkle over the entire package of Jello instant pudding.  Mix on low for a moment to combine, then on high speed for nearly a minute until it stiffens.

Now, truth be told?  You could stop right there - ignore the pumpkin puree, grab a spoon, go turn on the Thanksgiving Day parade and go to town on that pudding mix.  Cause y'all?  That stuff is the BEST.  Super simple and WAY good.  Wanna be fancy? Put it in a bowl with your favorite berries. *mic drop*

But really, we're going for pie, so, prep your pumpkin mixture in a separate small bowl by combining about 3/4 a can of the puree with the pumpkin pie spice and sugar, using the spatula or a spoon.

Next up, scrape the spiced pumpkin puree into the stiffened pudding mix, turn the mixer back on and blend it all together.

You know what's coming next - spoon the mixture into your pecan pie shell and smooth out the top.  From there - you're done!  Or, if you want to get fancy - put a few pecan halves decoratively on the top, and then you're done!  

You can cut and serve this immediately or let it sit in the fridge till later.  But I'm telling you, once you've tried this, it'll be hard to wait!

Happy Thanksgiving - or happy any day you make this delicious dessert!! 

Stay Positive

There have been moments this year that have sure felt like the universe is conspiring against us as we try to get back into camping again.

And this week was no different.  Ugh.

We noticed the last morning of our last camping trip that we had a slow water leak in the basement.  Our camping chairs were soaking wet (they thankfully took the brunt of the drip-drip-drip that had been going on all weekend.) So, RDB took the camper back down tot Ron Hoover again for a quick repair.  It was in and out in less than two days.  Awesome!  But the moment it was parked back in our driveway, this.....

RDB had parked it in the driveway, went to drop the leveling feet and she sprung a leak.  (Sensing a theme here, ya'll). With the hydraulic fluid line leaking (and actually disconnected in one spot) there was no way to raise the feet and take it back down to Ron Hoover.  This time, they were going to have to come to us. 

Thankfully,  they sent Jesse to us Thursday afternoon (we had this trip scheduled for Friday) and he was able to fix the problem right on site and quickly.  Ron Hoover's really showing us the white gloves customer service - I'm still incredibly impressed with them.

With all that behind this, we left out for Lake Corpus Christi State Park Friday afternoon. Pulled into the site before dark (yeah!) and started to set up (yeah!) and then realized that I had booked a 30 amp site (and we need 50 amp (boo!)) So, off we go to Walmart to find an adapter.  

And the closest Walmart?  Had every kind of RV amperage adapter except the one we needed. 

Without an adapter, we can't run the A/C or the fridge. And without the A/C or the fridge, we were heading back home to Houston, another +3 hour drive after we had just driven +3 hours.  Good thing about Walmarts, though, they're a dime a dozen... so we found another one, drove another 45 minutes (praying the whole way) and:

Our luck has changed!  With that simple $8 part we can camp! (And, actually, we bought two. If we can ever save someone else's day by having an extra, it's the least we can do!)

Well, I thought our luck had changed, but for whatever reason I've developed an allergy to ragweed this fall and it's miserable.  So, Friday night found me hacking and sneezing and eventually leaving our comfy bed for the recliners in the living room so that I could sit upright, try to sleep, and maybe, just maybe, breathe.  Thank goodness for Claritin and Benadryl.  

After a slow moving morning, RDB and I left Diesel in the camper and drove over to Corpus Christi.  We love camping for the ability to check out the surrounding areas. So, we found a fun place for a late breakfast on Yelp, put it in the GPS, made a wrong turn (ugh), and ended up at Blackbeard's for lunch.  THAT was a great misadventure - because the banana cheesecake was the absolutely BEST dessert I think we've ever shared.

From there, we rented a few LIME scooters and rode up and down the Northbeach beachwalk enjoying the beautiful fall weather.  We rode over to the pier alongside the USS Lexington. It's overwhelming how large these ships can be when you take a few moments to get up close to them. Though we didn't go into the museum this time, it was really neat to be so close to something so historic.

Yeah for a fun adventure.  Boo for my luck.  Some where along the way (probably on the scooters) I lost my prescription glasses.  The only pair I brought.  And my favorite pair with purple frames. Bummer.  Almost as much of a bummer as coming home to a sick dog - both vomit and poop - in our camper.  (I'll spare you that picture.)

So, if you're keeping track: Universe - 6 Us - ??  Oy.  And it's only Saturday morning.  This trip is starting to remind me of our "A Thousand Reasons Not To" trip. But, just like I said after that trip, if you let the thousands of things that can go wrong keep you from camping, then you'll miss out on moments like this:

Seriously though, aside from the hot water heater not getting hot (THAT's a refreshing discovery) and the panel that tells us our black.gray tank status not working (Universe - 8, Us - 0) I think we were done with the miss-adventures. (Fingers crossed!)

Sunday we traveled back into Corpus Christi (praying that the pumpkin we gave Diesel with a small serving of breakfast would keep him, well, contained) so that we could head over to the Texas State Aquarium. 

It. Was. AWESOME!

We were both really impressed with the set up at this aquarium- lots of tanks and several types of fish we hadn't seen before. They have several interactive touch tanks, and bubbles that "immerse" you into the middle of the action.

We enjoyed the Gulf of Mexico exhibit first, then made our way over to the Caribbean Journey. 

Where we were pleasantly surprised with waterfalls....

... and parrots...

...turtles...

 ...and flamingos!

If you get a chance to hang out with the flamingos, you should! It was hilarious to watch them interact with each other and the guests, prancing around and preening their feathers. Such weird looking birds!

They had an incredibly large shark tank (I think I counted 6 sharks) that you could view from various angles - standing up on the balcony over the top of the water, seated in an amphitheater style area in front of the tank, or even walking thru a tunnel that had a portion of the tank above you.  Such a cool experience to see these incredible creatures from different views. 

Though you can't get in the tank, you can still get up close and personal!

It was a great afternoon and we'd highly recommend a visit if you find yourself in the area.  On a Sunday afternoon it wasn't crowded at all, was very easy to social distance, and everyone inside - both guests and volunteers - were respectfully wearing masks.  Even the river otters out front were following safety protocols!

Back to the camper, hoping and praying that we weren't going to have to clean up another mess (we didn't! yeah!), a simple dinner made for a great end to a perfect day!  RDB made me smile as he poured the last of our Rodney Strong into my glass: "It's always kinda sad when the bottle ends." (I agree, Babe!)

Monday morning was slow and enjoyable; I made the last minute call Friday morning to go ahead and take the extra day off. With the pandemic, and my 15th anniversary at work (our service award is an extra 5 days vacation), I have a fair amount of paid time off that I haven't taken, and need to use up.  Adding on to our camping trips with an extra day is the BEST use of that time. 

We jumped in the truck and drove back over to Corpus Christi for one last meal out - finally making it over that the breakfast-all-day diner we were trying to get to Saturday before the wrong turn took us over to Blackbeard's.  We thought about it again on Sunday, only to find out they were closed ("for church" so says their menu). Persistence pays off, though, because lunch at Sandi's Diner was OUTSTANDING! Check out our Yelp review in the link, and trust us when we say the cinnamon bun/roll is HEAVEN! 

One last adventure as we drove back to camp - you'll notice driving down towards the coast that there are fields of wind turbines.  I had mentioned to RDB that I'd love to chase one down someday just to see them up close (he's done this once before in his car camping adventures in the Hybrid Hotel). 

So, Sunday on the way back from lunch, we took a turn off the main road, "Just keep them in your windshield and keep turning towards them," found ourselves down a dirt road, into a field (no gates, no fence, no trespassing, right?) and at the base of this giant energy producing machine.

They are SO MUCH BIGGER when you're standing under them that I had ever realized!

The one we were checking out wasn't actively moving it's blades but it was making odd noises.... I'm not sure how to describe it other than imagine the sound aliens make in movies when they're trying to communicate off the planet to the waiting fleet ready to swoop down and destroy us? It sounded like that.  LOL - just kidding! I'm sure J2 won't harm us!

Back at the campsite, and eventually we'll pack up and head home.  We really enjoyed having the extra day on Monday to enjoy a long, full weekend (and booking the site thru till Tuesday morning so we can actually stay all day Monday). Looking forward to our next trip - as we head back to the DFW area and Cedar Hill State Park next weekend. Even if we may not have the water heater fixed by then, we'll just have to, well... stay positive!

We were at Lake Corpus Christi State Park, Opossum Bend Camping Loop, Site #17. Remember, these are 30 amp loops (Javelina is full hook-ups, so I'd assume they're 50amps).  The site had zero shade, but that was probably a good thing - the trees down here are scraggly and short, and we certainly wouldn't have been able to pull our big camper under some of the limbs over other sites in this loop.  Be aware as well, the grass out here is covered in sticker burs. We were worried that Diesel would have a hard time with them, but surprisingly enough, his adult dog foot pads had no issues.  Also, the ground out here is really sandy - I was vacuuming nearly every afternoon.  But all that aside: this campground is a great jumping off point for days of fun in nearby Corpus Christi.  

For more camping pics, go here.