The Corps

That’s corpse if you speak Obamaese. To steal a line, “I don’t care who you are that’s funny there”. We have a president who can’t pronounce ‘corps’. How would Dan Quayle or George Bush be treated if they said corpse for corps?????? Ya’ think!!! But I’ll drop it there. You all probably know where I stand on all of that.

We have spent the last couple of weeks in Alabama and now Georgia at Corps of Engineers parks. Isaac Creek, Six Mile, Holiday. In Alabama it was the Alabama River Lakes system which is 245 miles long with 35000 acres of water 12000 acres of land and now in Georgia its West Point Lake, right on the Georgia/Alabama border. All of it is pretty nice and peaceful and we’ve met some real nice folks. Just another segment of living the RV lifestyle.

We stopped in Montgomery too see Uncle Charlie and Aunt June. Charlie was 96 just a little short of 97 at the time and doing OK. Aunt June requires in home care now but they are managing. We took Charlie out for lunch and had a good visit. Charlie was studying the menu and trying with some difficulty to pick something healthy and I had to think to myself, “Holy Cow Charlie you are 96 years old, does it really matter”. “Eat something totally unhealthy!” But then I had to reflect on my own circumstance regarding smoking. Way back maybe 20 years ago when I quit, I said that when I reach 65 years of age I would start smoking again and have steak and eggs fried in axle grease every morning for breakfast because 65 was old enough, and besides it would probably take another 10-15 years to do me in anyway. That’s plenty old enough! Well I passed that benchmark a couple of years ago and still don’t smoke and eat more granola for breakfast than steak or bacon. Maybe Charlie has the right idea?!

Stitch removal in LA

Got’em out two days ago. But I still get a little squeamish when I pick up the hammer. Kat had the medical duty that day so she took them out. All went well except for that last one in the worst spot in the middle of all the carnage that was my left index finger. She yanked twice on that one because it was stuck and she wanted to make sure that my first scream wasn’t just for practice but the real thing. Then she figured out that last stitch wasn’t cut which, I can tell you, makes them easier to get out. But all is better now, if not peachy. I still get frustrated at being pretty much one handed for anything requiring actual strength and dexterity. Yesterday I got mad at myself when trying to tighten our hose to the motorhome water inlet and let a couple of expletives fly about my finger and its shortcomings. I got in trouble for that because there were kids walking by. I maintain they didn’t hear a thing until I got smacked up side the head with a broom handle by Kat. So if they were offended it was her fault and most likely they were not. I probably don’t cuss near as good as most 3rd graders today.

I need to clarify a point that may have some of you confused. Or it would if anybody read this, but I’ll mention it anyway. I have written somewhere I think in this Blog of Kat’s medical ability. Specifically, that she can reattach a thumb with two Band-Aids and some wood glue. Ah ha! You say. Then why did you have to run to the doctor for your finger. Well, that is simply the difference between smashing and making a clean cut of something. Kat has only been medically qualified to deal with woodcarving wounds, the clean cut variety and stitch removal. So there it is.

We had a good visit at cousin Shirley’s. Kat learned a few more things about her family and Shirley’s Grandson Jarred fixed us a nice Tequila chicken meal. We went out for some good Florida Barbecue which really was pretty good and actually was in Florida, unlike the Hawaiian place that we went to in Gulf Breeze that I maintain was either in or awful close to Mississippi. Shirley says it wasn’t that far, but I’m pretty good at direction, time and distance, or maybe I was just hungry. Mostly it was just a good relaxing visit with Shirley, Jarred and three pretty spoiled pups. Bo, Sugar and Toto. (Poodle-poodle-silky in that order) At times there may have been a couple more running around. Shirley loves animals and she’d be the first to admit that hers might be just a little on the spoiled side. Bo is not sure if he has legs he gets picked up so much. But it was a good visit and the only one really ready to leave was Jade. I think she was thinking cats didn’t fit in real well.

I titled this segment Stitches In ‘LA’ probably giving most of you pause as to where we really are? You thought we were in Florida not Los Angeles. Well some of the folks in the Pan-Handle of Florida prefer to think of themselves as more like Alabamans than Floridians, I suppose justifiably so. Sooo…. Here ‘LA’ refers affectionately to Lower Alabama. Ya’see! How ya’ gonna’ learn all this stuff if you don’t read my Blog.
At Shirley’s we were right next to Eglin Air Force Base and near Hurlbert Field, home of Air Force Special Operations. Her property line borders the woods that extend almost to Alabama and is Air Force property. They were conducting some kind of exercise and we were privileged to listen to it a couple of nights. It was aircraft, ordinance, and ammunition. What I affectionately refer to as the sound of peace. Those on the left might think it the sound of war, I beg to differ.

We didn’t get to see Shirley’s black bear. She has had one coming through the fence recently and causing some damage. Yes they do have bears in Florida! Maybe they think it’s really Alabama. Must be that ‘LA’ thing.

And we got the frig fixed.

The Gulf Coast 2010 Edition

We skipped some of the Gulf Coast to go to Livingston and pick up our mail. Mostly we wanted to get my mail order VA meds. We were thinking we’d just get the mail on Monday and be on our way. But the mail room was open on Saturday when we got there so we got our mail and left early Monday. It was about 200 miles down the road we realized that we got no meds in the mail. Crap! You’ll remember our intent was to especially get my meds. I don’t know, CRS, oldtimers, just impatience, whatever, it seems to happen more these days. So Kat called to find out they had come in that afternoon and had them sent on to our next mail stop.

Because they were in our line of travel we chose to stay at a couple of casinos, one of which was pretty good and one I don’t know that we’d go back to. Unless the reefer was working properly, which it is not, and we could just use the parking lot for free. Lots of folks do. But the frig is not working real well on LP right now. We have maintenance scheduled tomorrow so we should be ‘good to go’ for a little boondocking as necessary and appropriate down the road.

We bypassed New Orleans this time and didn’t get back to the coast until Mississippi at Bay St Louis. I think it is safe to say that Katrina is mostly cleaned up but the coastal area is still a shadow of its former self. Lots and lots of vacant lots and naked pilings. There were a few areas where more homes than not had been rebuilt but my impression is that they were the more affluent areas. The less well to do areas are still very sparsely populated and there are many ‘for sale’ signs. We looked at one large lot right next to the beach in a nice area. But the 1.4 million price tag kind of scared us away. We did wonder what the other places were going for? But it was ‘just’ wondering. And how long will it be before the area fully recovers and what’s keeping everybody? I’m told a lot of the problem is insurance. Many insurers went broke and it’s just not doable. Still sort of depressing. But the roads and beaches are good and Waffle House, Lowes, and Home Depot seem to be doing well. Time will heal things I reckon.

Our mail, and my meds even, beat us to Mary Esther, Florida, and cousin Shirley’s. She is well and we are enjoying our stay.

The Goliad Hammer

After a stop in Rivera, TX, on Baffin Bay we stopped at Goliad State park. Little did we know we were driving in to 300 years of Texas history and a very nice park. There are two Spanish missions dating way back, which we missed an I’ll explain in a minute. Then there is the birthplace of General Zaragoza at Presidio La Bahia, and the Presidio itself, the site of the massacre of Colonel Fannin and his troops who were made prisoner there after the Battle of Coleto Creek during the Texas War for Independence. Plus a couple of Indian tribes that figured in somewhere? So we saw the Presidio which has been restored and the Fannin monument. Fannin and his force of 400 were massacred by Santa Ana as prisoners of war based on a Mexican decree that anyone in Texas bearing arms against Mexico was to be executed. This occurred not long after the defeat of the Texans at the Alamo and prompted the battle cry at the later battle of San Jacinto where Santa Ana was defeated. That cry being, “Remember the Alamo and La Bahia” Bet you didn’t know that! But before that General Zaragza was born at La Bahia, probably before he actually became a General. However he was responsible for the pivotal victory in the Mexican War for Independence from France on May 5, 1862, and by this time he was a General. Ring any bells? How about the Mexican National Holiday of Cinco de Mayo. Bet ya’ probably didn’t know that one either. But it wasn’t a test. I would have flunked too. Anyway it was very nice and picturesque. So there you have it, except for the pictures of which there are none.

We did intend to go back and get some pictures. We didn’t know about all this and of course didn’t have the camera. So we were going to go back until the dispute between the hammer and my left index finger. The finger lost. Smacked it pretty good! I probably said a couple of expletives which I will not put in, and then thought to myself ‘ I need to go to the doctor. So I went to the motorhome door and told Kat “ I need to go to the doctor”. She rushed around gathering towels and ice to staunch the flow of blood and we were off. Dr Claire Zingerle of the Goliad Family Practice Clinic put in 6 very nice and neat stitches about an hour later. “Piece of cake!” The clinic and the Park staff were great. Because we stopped at the park office about where to go and for directions we had to do an accident report when we got back. I guess the whole thing is, that it seemed to be one of those times when you are being looked out for, like maybe somebody is up there watching????? Anyway if it had to happen, this seemed to be a really good place for it! Which is not to take anything away from Kat. She was her usual competent self, if a little tight in the tummy. And of course I’m not really squeamish myself and pretty good in a pinch. Like I said, “piece of cake”. But we didn’t get back for those pictures and the park was full after that. But it was a good place to put on our list of places to go back to. So remember, Goliad Family Practice on Franklin Street and while I’m at it the ‘Empressario’ restaurant on a really neat old town square. They have an old ‘pressed tin’ ceiling and great burger. And the DQ is pretty good too.

I just had to get that ‘pressed tin’ thing in. One of those funny things. I noticed the ceiling and knew it was pretty old. You just don’t see those much any more. But I don’t think I ever knew what that kind of ceiling was called and I was thinking of mentioning it but I didn’t know what is was called. So I’m reading a novel about the Pennsylvania oil fields in 1936 a couple days later and there it is! ‘Pressed tin’ ceiling! How cool is that? Well I can see it’s not ‘blowing your dress up’, but I thought it was pretty neat!

And in 3-4 more days I’ll take the stitches out and get back to doing some carving. If my finger weren’t smashed I probably wouldn’t be so impatient to be carving. But it is and I am. You don’t miss it so much until you can’t do it.

When ya' headed out?

That is the question now in the Valley. Folks are longing for home, the kids, and grandkids, worrying about what winter left behind, or in some cases including ours, just kind of getting itchy to move on. The answers very a little from mid-March to April sometime but the migration has started. More holes in the campground on a daily basis.

We’ll be pulling out on Sunday the 21st. That’s right after spring break, we think and hope. Last year we hit spring break perfectly and it followed us all the way to Washington state. We want to not repeat that this year.

We’ll generally head east toward Georgia and our next real major stop at Upper Stamp Creek. That’s a Corps of Engineers Park near Cartersville, northwest of Marietta and Atlanta, GA, where we will volunteer for two months. But we don’t have to be there until May 1st so we have opportunity to mosey that direction visiting friends and family along the way. In July we start our Rally tour. That’s the Grand National in Louisville, the Escapade in Goshen, and I think we just added a Fleetwood Manufacturers Rally in DuQuoin IL. And in between it’s more moseying mixed in with family and friends especially in Ohio, the Heart of it All. As Fall approaches we’ll be heading back in this direction and once again take up residence in the RGV for another season of softball, Pickleball, wood carving, crafts, reunions with old, new , and more friends. And we can answer the question………………………………… “when’ja get here?”

So I just carved our itinerary in Jell-O and nailed it outside on a tree in the sun. That ought to work and you can consult it anytime. I think I spoke of commitment in my last piece. I would honor all that I make, which is why now, I would just rather not: make commitments that is. I would have made a very good Gypsy don’t you think? Kat and me. What a pair, and what a life style eh?” That’s Canadian for ‘what a lifestyle!”

Little Theater

Early on I got kind of roped in to Little Theater. Just another of the activities here at Bentsen Grove. There’s clogging, line dancing, Melody Theater, holiday shows, fun night, and probably a couple I have missed. All sorts of ways to strut your stuff or make a fool of yourself on stage.

Pictured are the "Wannabe Singers' who definitely got hooked and the ladies military drill team. They were outstanding. Plus a picture of most of the cast and me in my roles as L'il Beaver and God.

I was asked to come to Little Theater. So once a week I went to rehearse for my part in a performance of the radio show, Red Ryder. Some of you may remember and some will obviously not. Red Ryder began in the 40’s and I do remember the show. Anyway we were coming back from softball practice one day and Art mentioned Little Theater and Red Ryder and I stupidly said “you betch’em Red Ryder” in my best L’il Beaver imitation and before I knew it I was signed up for my part as L’il Beaver. I don’t consider myself a thespian but it was just a play of a radio show and all I had to do was read. No problem! Except then they added a TV show and I somehow I had two more parts. We did the Gong Show and I got the part of the “hooker” and then had to replace someone in a short skit where I played God. No problem, right! We did a matinee and an evening performance and it all went off pretty well. I didn’t make a complete fool of myself. At least nobody threw vegetables.

I don’t know that I want to do it next year. Too much of a commitment. As I have said before, “I have found what I am perfectly suited for, retirement! That to me is being footloose and fancy free. No commitments! I make an exception for softball. Me thinks that one is enough!

Kat was asked to take pictures and share her data card with another photographer and he shared with her. So we got lots of pictures and a DVD of the performance. I’m not sure that’s a good thing. One thing is glaringly apparent. I need to lose weight. L’il Beaver was not! It may sound like I get lots of exercise but it ain’t enough. Too much of the good life and too much eating out!

Honorary Canadian

So now I am one. I’ll ‘splain.

We finished the regular season in pretty good fashion. We were either one or two games above 500. ‘bout where we should have been. So we were either second or third in the standings and made the playoffs. Did I say that there are four teams and we all make the playoffs. A slip of my mind! Anyway we then played the second or third place team (whichever one we were not). We won that game to make the finals. Long story short, we lost. But second place ain’t too bad. And we had fun and got through the season without major injury. Two of the major goals of the league. We had some great fans for both games but try as they might they could not cheer us on to victory. And they did try! I am, of course pictured demonstrating my hitting and pitching prowess. And that is Evelyn (co-manager) and me on the right. Evelyn played played over 150 games last year between here in the winter and Canada in the summer.

Maybe the biggest event in softball here is the annual US-Canadian game. The last event of the softball season. As it turned out I didn’t sign up to play the game. Probably a mistake on my part because it really was fun, but it turned out very well. There were four or five Canadians on our regular season team and when they found out they had no pitcher for the Canadian team, and that I wasn’t playing for the US, they ask me to pitch for the them. So I did. There was a game in each of the three divisions. I didn’t get pictures and haven’t found any yet but just imagine a good crowd at a little league game with the Stars and Stripes and Maple Leaf flags flying all over and then age the players 60 or 70 years. Kind of like that. You should have seen all the tee shirts, flags, banners, tattoos, and National spirit. All in good fun. Nancy, one of my carving friends was there to pass out flags and I didn’t even recognize her. I don’t know what you call the Canadian equivalent of Uncle Sam, but that’s what she looked like. And add the tattoos. So, at least in Senior Texan League softball, I am an honorary Canadian. Oh! And we lost! But it must not have been because of my pitching because I am invited back already.