New Clubhouse at the The Oaks

Charles and Heidi, Peggy and Tom came to visit us this fall and stayed at our private, secluded RV Park at The Oaks. Charles suggested we put in a clubhouse, so we are in the process. We have the main clubhouse ready for use presently. We are using it everyday for our exercise on the treadmill. We are enjoying it immensely!! Thanks Charles for the idea. Next time you are here you can enjoy it with us with free coffee, TV, sitting around the Liar's Table, laundry facilities and bathhouse. Great idea!!!

Fathers Camp in Medina, TX

In July I attended a girls camp for girls at risk. There were about 21 girls there. I was asked to be the music worship leader. It was alot of work, but I think most of them liked the music. I tried to provide a variety of songs, from action, fun songs, as well as worship. The camp grounds are beautiful and the girls had a variety of activities ie. horseback riding, swimming, hiking Mt. Moriah, they loved that, crafts. They had approximately 1 hour a day of Bible study and devotions, and a class on Purity, presented by the nurse. One girl accepted Jesus and there were alot of girls that keft with a different attitude. The last night several girls shared stories of their life. I was very thankful for the home I was raised in, although not perfect, but, I realized things could always be worse. I left camp vowing I would pray for the girls as they all went their separate ways. It was a wonderful experience for the girls to be able to attend camp free and to be able do so many things that otherwise they might not ever get to do.

Port Lavaca

Today we drove to Port Lavaca, Comfort Point and surrounding towns. Port Lavaca has approximately 25,000 people and lined with beaches. The beaches and city swimming pool were filled. The City park was very pretty, it has many amenities, overnight rv parking, bird sanctuary, fishing, and sandy white beaches The temperatures are in the high 80's. Very nice weather. We ate at the Bay Side restaurant, great fish. I had Red Snapper, and Jerry had Flounder. Port Lavaca is approximately 30 miles from the RV park we are staying at. Tomorrow we will do some more sightseeing. This has been a very relaxing trip and are enjoying our motorhome once again!!

Missy Barker

Our traveling cat "Missy" died this past week. She was almost 20 years old. This picture was taken in our back yard of our new home in Texas about a week before she died. Jerry picked her our of a litter of several kittens right after she was born. She was a beautiful red cat. She never was real friendly, she hissed when anyone got near her and she didn't like to be held and barely petted. We called her, "Miss Queen Bee". Her favorite place while traveling was on our bed. She would let us know it was time for us to get out of bed and it was her turn. So, I would make the bed, and she would lay right in the center of the bed until it was time for us to go back to bed at night. When we bought our house in Texas in September, 2008, and moved her out of the motorhome, she said she had enough traveling. She explored the house and slept in every corner of the new house. She was only in our new home for a month, in that month we took her to the vet three times and each time they said she was just upset about the move and just being a cat. However, she quit eating and drinking, and in her last week she let me feed her and hold her and take care of her. We buried her in a beautiful garden area. I learned a valuable lesson about cats and myself. Everyone needs to be loved and taken care of even we really don't want to, or even think they want to be bothered. As mean as Missy was, even she wanted to be taken care of and loved in the end. The moral of the story is, "don't give up on people or in this case our cat, they will appreciate it even if we don't think they will. We will miss Missy and I am not even an animal person, but I found that I could even love a cat!!

LBJ Library and Museum

One of the exhibits at the LBJ Library and Museum was a life-size, moving, and talking (animatronic) figure of President Johnson telling five of his tales. In 1969 LBJ returned to his his beloved Hill Country ranch where he writes of his memoirs, The Vantage Point. He

San Marcos Primitive Baptist Church

We have seen several Primitive Baptist Church's while traveling. The San Marcos Primitive Baptist Church, named because of its proximity to the San Marcos River, was organized in 1853 at the home of George Daniels, who also served as the congregation's first pastor until 1862, When James Milton Baker, one of the first five charter members, began his 48 year service as minister of San Marcos Church, a native of Alabama. He and his family had come from Alabama to Texas in 1852 and had settled in this area during the following year. The first church building and early records of the church were destroyed in a flash flood that probably occurred in 1869. But the congregation continued to meet. In 1886 J.M. Baker deeded land at this site for the church and cemetery. In 1930 the San Marcos Primitive Baptist Church moved to Luling but continued to meet here occasionally until 1970. This historic site serves as a reminder of the heritage of the Luling congregation.

Watermelon Festival

While visiting in Bastrop, TX, we took a day and drove throughout the surrounding towns. Luling's claim to fame is the growing of watermelon's and having the Watermelon festival each year in June. Luling is a small farming community with many homegrown fruits and vegetables that they sell at the Farmer's Markets.

New Upgrade for Motorhome

Our kitchen faucet broke, so I was able to upgrade..pretty nice! Jerry went on the internet and found Osborn Plumbing to install it for us...that is after he ...well you can figure out the rest!!!! Skip, the plumber, said he could have saved us ALOT of money if we would have called him FIRST! He told Jerry to stick to driving..he wasn't a plumber!!! It is a beauty though!!

Visiting the First National Bank

As you can see Charles and Jerry were having fun trying out the old phone and trying to open the safe!! Some people never grow up, but they were having fun!!!

Zoo Shows

How would like to have this big guy visit your school!!!

Capital of Texas Zoo

We visited the Capital of Texas Zoo, miles back off the road. There were over 150 animals, approximately 55 exhibits. These are just a few of the animals that appeared to be used to posing!!!

Presidential Limousine of LBJ

Jerry was admiring the beautiful automobiles in LBJ's era. This was the 1968 "Stretch" Lincoln automobile used in Washington , DC. In the lobby is a re-creation of the Johnson family's 1910 Model T Ford, which was a gift from Henry Ford II. Also, in the lobby we listened to sample recordings of LBJ's Oval Office telephone conversations.

Murphy's Steak House in Winchester, TX

This building was built in 1912 and houses a post office and Murphy's Steak House. We were told we had to eat here because they have the best cooked steaks, and prices won't break the pocket book. All true!!! The second picture is the outside of the kitchen. Every evening around 5:30p.m. the building is packed and people waiting outside on the porch. The waitress said all the county folks get on the phone and tell their friends to meet them there. As we left we took a picture of the outside of the kitchen and the Methodist Church which holds church twice a month. Heidi said she is going to suggest this to their church..hahah. There are only three places in Winchester; the Post Office inside Murhphy's, the Methodist Church and the local bar. We saw it all!!

Freddie's Bar B-Q

We went into Austin one day and took her to lunch at Freddie's. This is one of her lunch spots with the office staff. It was a pretty backyard sitting and the food was pretty good too.

Cowboy Church

We attended the Cowboy Church Sunday with Tanya. We really enjoyed it and hope she goes back. The preacher was all cowboy!! He's a roper and has a ranch too. In the old days, they had church at the roping arena, on the property too.
They had baptism in a water trough. That morning they had a dedication and also a potluck for the young man in the picture as he is going to Iraq. We are going back Wed. evening for their Bible Study.

Historic Home in Bastrop

This is the Fowler House, 1404 Wilson, Circa 1880. Also, will joining the "porch sitting". How fun!!! Some of the homes will be even be giving a tour of their homes.

Five Mile River

Tanya getting ready to swing from the rope on the five mile river. Her and Jon and friends enjoyed a day at the five mile river swinging from the rope into the river, floating on the inner tubes. The went home a little sunburned, but they had a blast!! We didn't go as we got into town later that day, but she showed us pictures.