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| Each comments entry box in the guest book is limited to approx. 250 characters including spaces. For longer messages please e-mail us at morton@rmortonc.com |
To view the photos click on “Photos February 2007” above.
The month of February began with drizzling rain and temperatures in the low 40’s , and an appointment for Lobo to renew his thyroid medication. Later that week the temperature would reach the high sixties during the daytime with bright sunshine. We didn’t do much except enjoy the scenery and the weather. Renée and Lobo went jogging almost daily. Chuck had to have a crown re-cemented on the 7th at a local dentist (free of charge!) and on the 8th we celebrated Renée’s 60th birthday. We had used the Internet to select a restaurant with a very appealing menu, but as we arrived at the restaurant, it was closed to the public that evening due to a large private party. Instead, we went to a Japanese restaurant with the chef preparing the meal at the table. A distinct advantage was that we could control the amount of salt and sodium-filled spices that were being used. The food was quite good and the chef quite entertaining. Renée joined in the entertainment by catching shrimp in her mouth that the chef had aimed and thrown at her. After the meal, the staff sang “Happy Birthday” and presented a delicious cheese cake for dessert. We extended our stay at Toledo Bend so that we could attend the Mardi Gras parade in Leesville (see photos). This was |
nothing like what one could have seen in New Orleans, but nevertheless, something that you don’t experience in the rest of the US. It is amazing how excited people can get about catching string beads and penny candy! Of course, we got caught up in the excitement also. But what do you do with the beads after it is over? We are saving them for Katja when we get to Indiana. On Sunday, February 18th we sadly left Toledo Bend, heading toward Texas. We drove as far as Henderson, TX and spent the night at Wal-Mart. The following morning was Lobo’s 12th birthday so we had a small celebration for him and then we drove to Tyler, TX where we stayed at the 5 Star RV Park. Renée’s former co-worker, Carolyn Ricks lives in Tyler and we wanted to pay her a visit. One of our laptops was in need of repair so we dropped it off at Best Buy since we knew we would be spending a week in Tyler. We spent the first few days on household chores and short walks with Lobo in the nearby woods. On Thursday we visited with Carolyn who had prepared a superb meal. This was no surprise though since she has always been an excellent cook! We spent the afternoon reminiscing and having a good time. On the following day the weather suddenly changed. The wind became so strong on Saturday that when Carolyn came to visit, we had to roll up the awning and spend the day inside. We began receiving tornado warnings on the TV and the RV began to rock with the wind. We had withstood winds in excess of 70 mph last year so after the tornado warnings had passed, we weren’t that concerned, even though it was a bit rocky at times. We did manage to grill bratwurst and chicken, and then took a few pictures (see photos). On Sunday the weather settled down and we again had summer-like temperatures. We spent the day getting ready to leave. Best Buy informed us that the laptop would not be back for several days so we left Tyler on Monday, February 26th with the intent to return and pick it up. We arrived at East Fork Park in Wylie, TX that afternoon. The park is a Corps of Engineer facility with the camp sites several hundred feet apart. Unfortunately, when we arrived they had a water main break and we spent the first 1½ days without water. But part of our checklist is to always fill up the fresh water tank before we hit the road, so we were prepared for such an emergency. After setting up, we went shopping. The first impression of this area was that all of the new housing construction was not to our liking. The multi-faceted, high-arched roofs are combined with baroque-like towers on houses that are spaced ten to twenty feet apart in a sub-division of 50 to 100 similar houses. The size and shape of these structures would be acceptable on a few acres of land, but not crammed together on a city block. We have also noticed that in this part of Texas, you can see a beautiful and well-kept structure surrounded by manicured grounds in the middle of a run-down area with shacks and junk yards. On Wednesday, February 28th, we went to visit David Young and his wife, Lee. Chuck and David worked together for several years in Heidelberg. David retired in 2005 and moved back to Plano, TX. They bought a home and David has been spending his retirement years (and income) on remodeling it to their liking. As Chuck and David sat on the patio grilling chicken for supper, Lee and Renée got to know each other. Lobo and Gretchen briefly met and it was decided that they would not be as friendly with each other, so Gretchen retired to the bedroom for the evening. After a nice supper and long evening of conversation, we made plans to meet again at our camp site on March 2nd. To be continued in March 2007. |
Travel Journal February 2007
Our Motto: Home is, where our RV is.
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| Feb. 8th, 2007 Renée celebrates her 60th birthday |
