Friends

Livingston has actually become home.  It's because of all the familiar faces I see when we return from a trip.  No one here is a stranger.  We are welcomed into any group activity and conversation is always at a premium.  We met old friends today at the pool and it was a great time.  They have daily pool exercise group twice a day and you can show up or not what ever floats your boat.  The people we meet always seem glad to see us.  Good feelings.  I feel safe and secure here and participate in the activities - especially tomorrows ice cream social.  The Escapees Escapade is at the end of August in Gillett Wyoming and we will be there.  A thousand sites are there for the week long event held for all Escapees everywhere.  I am so looking forward to it.  Most of the folks around here volunteer here at the park or Habitat for Humanity or the SPCA.  I decided to do my part and start washing dishes at the Escapees Care center Monday until they hire someone.  The Care center is for elderly Escapees who need meals, some medical care, rides to doctors etc.  Their campers are parked around the Care building and many people volunteer to keep the center running.  I think it is a great service and am grateful to be part of such a wonderful group of people.

Back home

It feels really weird to say, "I'm back home."  But Livingston, Texas is my address so we have returned home for a few weeks.  I have to say all our beach adventures were spectacular.  I love the coast.  It is very hot everywhere now, but at least at the beach the breezes blew continually.  Since we're going to be here a while, I may take the opportunity to volunteer my services and the Care Center.  These are elderly people who have been full time work campers and need care in their elderly years.  The center is staffed mostly with volunteers who stay here in the park.  So tomorrow I will trek up there and see what's up. 

Vic and I always complained of yard work and house maintenance.  "We'll go on the road so we won't have these worries."  Ha, ha, ha and laugh out loud.  Everyday presents us with challenges, be it truck repairs, camper repairs or finding out how to get medication and doctor care on the road.  There is always something that pops up to keep us learning our way through this experience.  So here we are at home base getting ready to find insurance agents, a bank and doctor.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining in the least.  I'd much rather be out here roaming around and taking care of business too.

Through the Gate to Corpus Cristi

 Rockport is a great little seaside town.  We have enjoyed every minute of our stay.  One good thing is that it is only 30 minutes from Corpus Cristi.  We traveled the distance the other day and were delighted with our experience.  We visited the Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier.  They've set it up for guided and self-tours.  Vic and I toured on our own and were well rewarded.  Lots of walking and climbing up and down, so we definitely got our workout for the day.  After a brief rest we toured the Texas Aquarium.  Delightful and beautifully designed are the words that come to mind.  It's only minutes from the Lexington and affords a view of the bay and the city skyline.  Of course we saw all the critters and fish but watching tankers, shrimpers and schooners come and go was a great side benefit.  We also watched the dolphins frolic with their trainers at the aquarium's outdoor arena, then watched the wild dolphins in the bay trail the shrimp boat as the nets were hauled in.  We laughed with the children who screamed and squealed in the water park, as buckets of water splashed down on their heads and as rays of water came at them from the water guns. All in all we had a ball.

Dog joy

Phoebe, our yorkshire terrier, knows no fear.  On our evening walks on the beach she has no problem swimming out a ways  to examine some flotsam or other.  Tonight, much to the consternation of a very seasoned fisherman, she decided to fetch his net back to shore.  Thank goodness Vic got to her before she could snatch the net.  The fisherman with a frown quickly drew his net to shore to avoid the dog mischief. Darn tourists.   Throwing things into the water for her to fetch is a great game, but  tonight was a different story. She did her business on the beach. Not wanting to leave it for others to step in, Vic covered with sand then threw it out in the water.  Before he could stand up, she was swimming out to bring it back. Vic had to wade in to stop her. What a hoot. I usually bag it but no bags tonight.   Her biggest joy is chasing any and all birds in her sight. Tonight she decided to pick on a huge wading bird. Running lickity-split with ears flying, her tongue in the wind she got close before the bird flew off with a squawk.  She gets wet and sandy and brings the sand into the truck and the trailer.  But who can deny a little dog her joy.

Rockport

Arrived in Rockport, Texas today.  The RV park is huge but under new management.  As a result the registration office was chaotic.  We finally got a site under the live oaks.  This particular tree winds and wends its way through growth creating graceful bends in the trunks and branches.  The canopy offers respite from the blazing sun so we're happy with the site.  We thought the small lake attached to the park would be fun to swim in.  However, to our chagrin, alligators lurk in the lake and warning signs are posted all along the shore.  So I guess Phoebe won't go swimming.  We did find enough to do all week - museums, art galleries, bird trails, and the beach of course.  It's a beautiful area so we're excited.  Unfortunately we did find that the cell signal is poor and we have to leave the park to make a phone call.  Also our computer is extremely slow so I'm not sure I can even publish this post.  I'll try to keep in touch  with everyone the best I can.  Happy trails.

Waving Goodbye

Well we didn't expect to see the shrimpers leave today, but that's exactly what they did.  Not all at once but at a leisurely pace, each prodigious ship with their rugged crewmen sailed out of the harbor every ten minutes, their horns blasting announcing that shrimping is about to begin.  As the crews stowed their gear and readied for sail yesterday I heard them joking and spied a few rough-housing together.  A huge excitement permeated the air and their camaraderie, almost tangible, caused a slight grin on my part in appreciation for their exuberance.
Vic got a picture last night of the harbor with all the lights blazing and the ships lining up.  We didn't realize at the time that all the activity foretold their departure for today.  If you look on Vic's facebook page you can see the night time shot.
Tomorrow is our last day here in Palacios.  We probably stayed longer than we should have given the lack of things to do if you don't have a boat or fishing tackle(which we do but sadly not with us).  Saturday we'll wend our way further west along the coast and stay in Rockport, which promises many activities to keep us occupied. We've explored every nook and cranny of this area, and the pool is hotter than the air so until then the five books we bought today should help us out through tomorrow.  The bookstore by the way is very quaint and has a coffee bar so I'll be there tomorrow morning to chat with the locals.

Observations

I have added a page called Glimpses.  These are pictures of where we are in our travels.  Take a moment and have a look.  Click on the word Glimpses on the right hand column.
Today I  watched charter boats come in across the channel.  A beautiful family of four, two little boys, flew onto the pier and excitedly unloaded their catch.   Mom took pictures while dad and the boys stood next to one flounder and three big trout.  I know they will remember this day for a long time. 
We chatted with a woman who asked if we knew anything about one of the sail boats for sale.  We didn't but a passerby on the dock said that an elderly couple lived there but that the man had fallen ill.  Later this afternoon I happily observed the young couple, 84 years young returning to the same sail boat.  How marvelous it is to know that you can live a dream at any age.
We took a side trip to Matagorda beach.  Very nice small beach town.  All about fishing and we were wishing we had our boat with us. 

Gateway to the Gulf

Actually we are on Palacious Bay.  All the shrimp boats are in until July 16th, then out they go. A tidbit of information - the port authority called a moratorium on shrimping to give the brown shrimp a chance to mature.  That way no waste when small shrimp are thrown away during early shrimping. So from our window we can see 100s of shrimp boats ready to sail next Saturday.
Today is dad's birthday.  He left for better shores in December but how can I forget all the family get-togethers for his birthday every year.  I have so many photos of those times with his big smile. I remember  his laugh amidst all of us joking and  carrying on.  Happy Birthday DAD, I miss you and love you. 

Meeting new challenges and people

Well we still have a few more loose ends to clear up for our new residence and future jobs.  So we'll stay here in Livingston one more day possibly two.  We are beginning our Escapee network and meeting a ton of people who have done exactly what we have.  They are full of great information so if we have a question we just go to our next door neighbor or the club house and find what we need. 
The next part of our odyssey is Palacious, Tx down on the coast.  We'll be right on the water at the harbor where all the shrimp boats come in and out.  I always feel at home when I'm near the water.  Depending on how we like it we may make it an extended stay.  But that's the way this life is.  The biggest problem we have is deciding where to go next.  Living life one day at a time.

Day to Day

This morning we went into town to get a few things including some flags and bows to decorate our camper home for the 4th.  Tomorrow we will watch a parade of decorated golf carts(there's a plethora of carts in the park)and then go to the social at the clubhouse.  Happy 4th everyone. 
Everyone here is friendly and helpful.  Vic became very helpful when a couple approached us asking if they could try our key in their door lock on their RV.  We have a camper but we agreed since both were made by Coachman.  The key didn't work so we all stood around wondering what to do next.  The couple told us they had a small window used as an escape hatch but only a small person could fit through. (Not much  of an escape for them.)  Vic decided he may be able to get through the window that on this RV was almost 2nd story high.  They put up a ladder and what do you know, he squirmed his way through and opened the door.  No drama at all except I let out a little giggle when all we could see were his legs sticking out the window while he put the toilet seat down so he wouldn't end up in the can. Ha.  Come to find out later Vic was "going commando" and worried that he would flash all of us standing on the ground looking up.  I assured him that I didn't see anything but could not speak for the other two.  Do you think that's why they left soon after?  Just kidding. 

Musing

The other day sitting outside on the chaise lounge, I decided to listen.  I heard doves cooing, crows cawing, birds singing merry little tunes, roosters crowing.  Peaceful and satisfying.  Settling in to enjoy, a distant bellow came wafting into my consciousness.  I strained to identify the sound only to hear a louder version.  I envisioned a huge monstrous being crashing through the woods, teeth gnashing, slobber gushing from its mouth.  Expecting it to appear any moment, I dipped my toe into reality for anchorage and listened again.  A huge bellow resounded through the trees, aha, reality serving me well I identified the sound as a bull from a nearby field. 

As the day passed, I traveled with my husband to town to register our vehicles.  Silly me I expected to get this chore done in one day.  However, the clerk at the tax assessor's office, patiently but mechanically informed us of the paper work, and certificates we were going to need.  I have to admit I allowed a dark cloud to appear over my head as we exited the building.  My husband was unscathed.  He calmed me down and reminded me of the real monsters of this world that attacked the twin towers in New York City on 9/11.  Because of the scars left from the evil of that day, the licensing agencies in the USA have insisted on real and substantial proof of citizenship.  Yes, it will take more days to complete our mission to become Texans, but I know that the teeth gnashing monsters from the east, will be deterred.  God Bless The USA.