Moved to Garner State Park today. It is on the Frio river. A great old park built by the CCC.

We get set up and Dave and Elaine go for a walk. They find a much better area so we move to another spot. Much better as it is close to the river and more people and camps set up there. More people, more fun.

Dave finds a group of guys with KLR’s but they aren’t exactly KLRs, they’ve put in a different engine.
Played Mexican Train this evening. All of us learning as we go.

Elaine wanted to learn because they play it at home. Unfortunately for her we had a set of rules that were different than the way we learned with Maud and George one evening a month ago. So it is tricky.

Day after Christmas

In the afternoon we went again to Gibson’s, (the hardware/general store), as we walked in Dave said “I want to work here!” It’s like an Elliots way back when. Then on to the ranch again.

 

By evening we were again at Jessamine’s parents house. As we walk in, Jessamine’s niece is standing in the living room like a princess in her debutante dress that Jessamine’s sister has made.

 

Jessamine and her mom are marking and cutting the dress to length. It was a scene out of the movies.

 

Elaine and I got to tour the ranch.

Watch Tom feed the sheep- black Barbado breed, no wool just hair, the rams have great curled horns. Lots of newborn kids bouncing around like they are on springs. Lots of bleating and sheep talk. Made us laugh.

We got to go in the tree house, it’s complete with carpeting and pella windows. 🙂 They do things up right nice.

Sleeping porch, bench in the trees, then up to the enclosed room.  Good blind for shooting deer.

At the base is a fire ring, with tree stumps to sit on that look like they will walk away any minute.

Saw the shooting range in an old caliche pit.

Tom is a world class marksman. I expect the others are too.

Then we drove around and Elaine fed the deer. Pouring cans full of feed out the window as Tom drove around. The deer are practically tame, popped up from the grass as we come into view. They know the drill.

Final view in the twilight of a gorgeous buck standing in silhouette against the evening sky. Perfect. Something the camera can’t capture.

Then dinner at the house, another great meal and good company.

The time spent here is the highlight of our trip. Many thanks to Jessamine and her family’s hospitality.

Lunch at the Hunt Store, which has everything, bank included.

This morning Dave took us on a driving tour along the Guadalupe river.

Area is full of summer camps for kids. Places rich for hiking swimming hunting.

 

 

 

 

Deer everywhere. Elaine thought they were all young. No just very small here.

High fencing, exotic animals.  Trophy hunting in these parts.

Elaine says this is a good place to be in the fencing business.

Lots of swimming holes- river water impounded by little dams. People are beavers.

What we call a river is a stream, creek or rivulet anywhere else. Or, sometimes as Elaine says: a drainage ditch.

Zero traffic. Miles of scrub and fencing. Occasional ranch entrances. Goats and goats.

Stopped at Garvens and there’s a peacock at the gas pump! Dave says: “Dolly don’t look to your right” and one crosses in front of me. They have a bunch. What’s a bunch of peacocks called?   How about An ostentation of peacocks. That works for me.

 

Dave bought some Garven jerky– deer and beef. Both were pretty darn good.

 

 

 

Christmas day. Dave fixes the cable tv so Elaine can watch the news in the evening. Took a bit tracing down the problem, It works!

Elaine gave us a set of dominoes so we can play Mexican train. My niece Jessica who loves to unwrap things would have loved it. A cellophane wrapped box, in a case, in a box in cellophane, dominoes in another cellophane wrapped box, then wrapped in separate bundles. 🙂

Dinner at 4:00 in the barn at the resort. Great food and interesting company. People from Nebraska, Iowa, England. Dessert galore.

 

 

Jessamine’s parents live near Kerrville so we got to visit a Texas ranch. House set on the ridge, It is gorgeous here. And oh so many beautiful things to see.
Dinner was a feast!

 

 

 

 

 

The fridge is on the fritz.

But we are in a great place and help is on the way. Dave has to wait for the repairman.

Elaine and I are going to town for whatever we can find.

I got to the HEB grocery store while Elaine had her hair done. She needs to see the HEB, a glorious grocery store. Oh oh, went to Gibson’s. An old fashioned hardware, general store with lots to see and think about.  We got dominos to play mexican train Elaine got sunglasses, and oh my goodness a great day.

Back to the coach for lunch Dave has the refrigerator working fine. Now we need a tool to check the cable for the TV to trace down the problem there. I think having the coach is just an entertaining series of puzzles for Dave to solve.

So, we are decorated-

We have cranberry fluff, banana bread, stollen and honey cookies.

We are free on a sunny day.

Life is good.

Morning bright, clear crisp at 30 degrees but no wind. After a worry over why the fridge was off Dave found a loose wire. Brief breakfast and we were off towards Kerrville.

Stopped at Wildseed farms because it is easy to get the coach in there. I’m daydreaming of bluebonnets in the area between our sidewalk and the street at home. (The city plans on grass)

Then to Buckhorn RV resort. Very nice.

Dolly: This is the nicest place we’ve been in the coach.

Dave <laughing>: Don’t get used to it.

Signed up for our part of the pot luck dinner tomorrow and we will go to Walmart to get what we need. Adventures at holiday time.

Dave took us to Easter Island.

Then on to Stonehenge

Then he took Elaine and me to shopping in a little artsy area. We saw gorgeous belt buckles for thousands of dollars. An artist’s studio, her work was great, painterly pastels. A jewelry shop… The only thing Elaine didn’t like were the day of the dead characters in an import shop. No te gusta.

Me: are you sure?

Elaine: I’m sure.

End of the day, we were all tired. Dave asleep in bed before the rest of us.  Elaine up reading a bit longer. Clare on Elaine’s bed. I’m on the net at the moment but my computer is nearly out of juice so I’m out too.

Me: Nite nite

Elaine: Roses under your pillow.

 

 

 

First stop today, Garrison Brothers Distillery. in Hye Texas.

Brr its cold today. 47 and windy. Bourbon makes it seem a bit warmer.

The process of making bourbon is interesting. It has to be made of more than 50% corn. Can’t have any additives. Has to be aged in new barrels made of American oak. The Garrison Brothers bourbon is made of corn, wheat and barley (malted). Wheat gives it a different flavor than rye would. And Garrison Brothers use organic grains exclusively. The corn and wheat are grown in Texas.  Barley is a cold weather crop that comes from the north, Washington and Canada. Otherwise they would buy barley from Texas.

We got to taste the mash, what they cook up before it gets to the yeast, tastes like the best porridge ever. Quite sweet naturally. I should make it for breakfast regularly. Lets see… 3/4 cup ground corn, 1/8 cup wheat flour, 1/8 cup malt, or something along those lines, cook a bit in filtered rainwater till good and sweet.

Anyway, we enjoyed the tour.  Everyone there has a passion for the product. That makes it fun.

Now we are off to Fredricksburg, Looking for a grocery store, need milk and hazlenut cream for coffee. And lunch at Ratskellers.  12:04 Dave: are you guys hungry yet? Sure we can eat.

Lunch was bratwurst sandwiches with sauerkraut and mustard on a sweet bun. Pretty good but not as good as I remembered. Next time I’m trying the reuben.  Lots of good German food here in Fredricksburg. Our waitress (we’ve had her before), has an alpaca ranch so we caught up with the latest news. New baby alpaca they are having to hand feed. Pictures of her were darling. Wish I had one. But alpacas die if they don’t have others. So I’d have to have two. Or three. Dolly needs a farm.

Sunny and warm enough in the lee of the buildings.

Walk around Fredricksburg. The square has that whirlygig thing in oversize form. Elaine loves it.

 

 

In the city park, Clare has to be on a leash. Dave’s interpretation.

 

 

Arrows making the handrail up to the church.

 

Checking out the vineyards on the drive back to the coach. Tons in this area. Might have to stop at one tomorrow. Right now I’m hoping for a nap. But then, I’m always hoping for a nap. 🙂

At the state park again, we walk down the trail to the falls. It is a Texas size version of Johnson Shutins in Missouri according to Elaine and Dave.  It is a fairly steep trail and Elaine takes to walking a zig zag course to get back up the hill to the car.  She is a trooper.

I get my nap while Dave and Elaine watch for deer.  Early to bed this evening. It is going to be cold. Expecting overnight low of 29. We do have sunshine, but it’s winter in Texas.

Pictures will follow tomorrow. Too slow a connection to make them happen today.

 

 

 

 

 

Our evening for the next couple of nights is Pedernales Falls State Park. Nearest town is Johnson City. Got here around 5:00 just in time for a walk at sunset. Internet here is iffy so these posts the next couple of days will be sporadic at best.

 

1:09
Aaannnd we have sunshine!

Going to have lunch at the Koffee Kup in Hico.
Great Pies

Well, we ate too much to even think about pie.

 

Elaine stop, Let me take your picture!

We are off to the wilds of Texas.
Left home yesterday. Got all the way to the warehouse. 🙂 I love staying at the warehouse in the coach. It reminds me of being a kid: “Mom! Can we sleep in the tent in the back yard?” Sure

So we spent the night in the coach safe and sound under cover.
This morning it was raining hard and cold. So we waited for a break in the weather to pull out. Just now got on the road around noon.

Elaine is in the passenger chair, Clare is at Elaine’s feet. Dave and Elaine chatting. All’s right with the world.

Dave and Elaine are the sunshine kids. So I thought we should go south for Christmas.

Dave has been working on the trip ever since. He has a spreadsheet, google maps, regular maps, garmin… planning is one of his favorite things.

We pick up Elaine at DFW then many days later she flys home from Corpus.  So we have Texas to see again. Elaine is a great traveler. And Dave is wonderful on vacation. It’ll be grand.

Go to photos

 

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