Good News, Bad News

RDB and I are avid cruisers.  Usually for my birthday week, we hop on a Royal Caribbean ship for a 7-day cruise out of Galveston, but with the coronavirus pandemic, and the cruising industry being at a standstill, we took our normal "spring break" a little later in the month, and took off on a week long camping trip.

Darn. ;-)

We're taking the longer timeframe to head to a few places we've not been before - and will even be able to catch up with a few friends that are just getting into RV-camping as well. 

Our first leg north took us back to the DFW area - the Arlington KOA to be specific.  Though we don't think of KOAs as a "destination," we sure do appreciate how conveniently located they are to the things we want to do, and along the roads we travel to get to where we're going.  This KOA was seriously impressive with it's mature trees between sites, and amenities like the swimming pool, corn hole boards, horse shoes, and community fire pit.  We were in too late on Saturday night to get to enjoy the s'mores, but I was seriously considering walking over to the pancake breakfast Sunday morning.  

We spent the better part of Sunday afternoon at Dad and Bunny's - with Grandma G, too!  I had texted them Saturday afternoon on our way up, asking if they would be ok with us bringing over fried chicken for lunch (I know how to bribe - no cooking, no dishes? Instant yes!). It was SO GREAT to be able to see the three of them and, since they're all vaccinated now, to give them hugs for the first time in over a year.   

It was wonderful to be able to hug G-ma G and spend time chatting with her.  She and I have become pen-pals during this last year, I told her: RDB typically brings the mail in, and when her cards arrive, it's "Grandma Mail Day!" and we sit down and read her letters together.  RDB and I brought her an Easter "goodie bag" with few 6-packs of her favorite beer, a new puzzle, some chocolates and other fun things.  She returned back the basket we had left on her front door from last Thanksgiving, when we did the same.  I'll be honest, ya'll, I think her hug, 94 years young and all, was the most intense and strongest of them all.  I'm so blessed to have had her as a part of my life for so long, and so grateful that she lives right next door to Dad. 

All too soon, my phone was reminding me that I needed to take another dose of pain meds - which I had left back at the camper.  We said (hugged) our good byes and spent the rest of the evening back at the KOA.  We were glad to have been able to take Diesel over to Dad's with us, and grateful that the KOAs have fenced dog parks (Kamp K9) where he can have some off-leash time.  We liked the the Arlington KOA had a separated small-dog and large-dog park - though each time we went over it was just us and Diesel playing around.

So, tons of good news this weekend - from a week off work to camp and refresh, to seeing family, getting to hug my G-ma G, a great place to stay over the weekend and good times for Diesel dog.  But you might have noticed the line above about pain meds - and that's the bad news: we had to cut our last camping trip short by a day to get in for an MRI early Monday morning and the results are in: I have a torn rotator cuff and subsequently, since the muscles have atrophied, a winged scapula.  At this point, it's non-surgical (good news!) but it means I'll have to go thru physical therapy for about 6-8 weeks (bad news).  The pain meds definitely help make it bearable (good news!) but they have side effects of their own (bad news).  I had my first PT appointment Friday before we left and met Dale (hi, Dale!) who is also an avid RV'er (good news!) but happens to be retiring next week (bad news - for me at least: he was kind, knowledgable, and really put me at ease about my prognosis).  Thankfully, the exercises he assigned are all things I can easily do while we camp (good news!) but they tucker me out pretty quickly (bad news.)

One final good thing - Dale instructed me to ice my shoulder often (why hadn't I thought of this?!) and it really helps!  I was able to get an ice pack shoulder wrap off Amazon before this trip, and have worn it in the truck as we take off for the next spot; totally worth it!

We were in site #324 at the Arlington (Texas) KOA.  Pull thru site, relatively level, and full hook-ups.  We got a call from the front desk right at noon on our check out day (we were running a few minutes behind) and texts from them before we arrived at the park - lots of great communication, we appreciated that!  We were impressed by the mature trees, all the amenities, and the numerous cabins and tent camping areas.  It's a little oasis in the middle of the metroplex, and we could certainly see using it as a home base when we come back to visit family again.  And get more hugs. ;-)

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. 

Back in the Swing of Things

It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks since we last camped! I've started a new job at work leading a team of Virtual Education Consultants who provide online workshops for our workplace clients; lots of incredible talent there, and LOTS of learning for me as a new people manager.  Texas froze over for a week - literally. We managed to come out with only the sprinkler system damaged, and didn't lose power; though I'm a bit worried about what the electric bill will look like once it comes in. 

Our camper was down at Ron Hoover for water leak repairs, and thankfully they took the time to winterize it (though they missed the inline water filter, which in turn froze and burst, but they took full ownership and repaired it before turning the camper back over for this trip.) I'm telling you, they're doing one hell of a good job at keeping our business! (Though we are getting a little tired of having to drag the camper down there after every trip, it seems.  But, that's just par for the course, I think, when it comes to owning a new camper.)

Yet - here we are! Back in the camper again, back to 75* days, and back to a nearby favorite: Lake Livingston State Park. We left out Friday evening after work and made it to the campground before sunset (yeah! longer days!).  We had booked side by side sites so that R(m)B(r) could join us, but they needed to stay home and tend to a few repairs themselves. 

Saturday we slept in, enjoyed a few Bloody Marys (the coffee pot, unfortunately, had broken. RIP Cuisinart), and cooked lunch in the camper.  It's so nice to be "off the clock" and "out of the office" even though I can check my email via an app on my phone (proud to say, at 2pm on Sunday, I still haven't checked my email!).  Camping is all about unplugging, and starting the weekend off with a few delicious drinks definitely helped set the tone.

RDB and I took a little trip over to Gookey's Old Town Emporium  - we've passed it every time we come to Lake Livingston, but this is the first time we went back to check them out. Cute little antique and odds-and-ends store, with a candy counter that would make you think you woke up in Willy Wonka's factory store. 

We enjoyed a few scoops of ice cream outside as an afternoon treat before heading over the the Wal-Mart to restock a few items (and buy a new coffee pot).

I spent the better part of the afternoon out in the hammock, reading.  (Besides not checking email, that was the one objective I had for this weekend!) Diesel cracked me up - he had 25' of lead to wander throughout our campsite, but he wanted to be right up against me the vast majority of the time.  Goofball.

We topped off the night watching our favorite movie ($10 if you can remember which one that is) before calling it a night.

Sunday morning, we hung out in the camper - enjoying the new coffee pot, fixing a late breakfast/brunch, and eventually made our way over to the Polk County Courthouse.  Interesting fact: this structure is the 5th county courthouse for Polk County... makes you wonder what the heck is going on around there!

We grabbed a quick geocache there by the courthouse, too. Nothing fancy; nothing left behind.  Jumped back in the truck and drove back over to the campsite to start packing up to go home.

It was a good, relaxing weekend - as I sit here on the couch back at home.  Tali is purring on RDB's lap beside me, Diesel is snoring on his bed at our feet. We all have full bellies from dinner and I can truly say: I am a happy camper. (Oh, and the replacement coffee pot? Works just fine!)

We were in site #98 at Lake Livingston State Park.  It's in the new Pin Oak area - nicely level, big concrete pads, clean bathhouse within maybe 100'.  We'd definitely stay here again, even though the internet was weak (to say the least: we couldn't even get local channels on the TV!) 

We've been here several times before: Birthday, Bentely, and Bliss,  A Thousand Reasons Not To, and A Relaxing Weekend at the Lake.

For more camping pics, go here. 

Last Call

Only pictures from Lake Fausse Point State Park, and not too many at that.  Winding down to the last weekend of our two week trip; it wasn't that RDB and I were tired of being on the road, or camping - it really had been a wonderful adventure - it was simply that we were within striking distance of home.... and this camp ground, out in the beautiful no-wheres-ville of southern Louisiana, had no cell service.  

Like, none. Zip.  Zilch.  Nada. Which meant no blogging, no TV, no surfing thru social media, no geocaching.  And with wet trails from the prior days' rain, a whole lotta not much going on.

Even Diesel was looking at me like: what're we supposed to do here?

So, we called an audible and Saturday morning got up, made a late breakfast, then packed up and hit the road back home to Houston.

This campground has great potential - if you really want to be off the grid and detached from the outside world (and after this week's political chaos, that's not a bad thought!)  RDB and I even saw a bald eagle flying across the marsh as we were driving out - so I'd anticipate there's an opportunity to see really incredible wildlife.  

The big downside of this site though, was the way they had the sewer hook-ups set up.  I kid you not, we'd have had to have a 50' stinky slinky to make that connection work!  RDB said that other sites weren't set up as poorly, so maybe just be on the lookout if you're in this one.

We were at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in St Martinsville, LA Site #9.  Pretty active park - it wasn't completely full, but there were obviously a few camping groups there Friday night as we pulled in.  In the welcome packet from the front desk there was a flyer for the local Dutch Oven Cooking group - looks like they meet on a pretty regular basis and cook up some fun.

Cause if there's no cell service, you might as well spend the day tending a fire, right?

For more camping photos (mostly of Diesel's big snoop) go here.