JOURNAL OF TININTHEWIND

        It sure has been awhile since I have posted to the blog.  Kathleen has done a few but also ran out of steam. Since we are sitting for a spell and have time on my hands I thought I would at least put up something to let those who still check in that we are A-OK.

     We have spent this winter at our place in Zapata Texas, (Baron's Gate) and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  Fishing wasn't all I had hoped for as the weather played a large factor in turning the fish off.

  We are doing the security gate guarding for a few weeks on our way back North to pick up a few bucks to help toward the fuel costs we have running this big rig from Texas to Iowa/Wisconsin, and then on to our boys in Seattle.  We sure have enjoyed this gig as it has been busy.  We have just finished a 10 day frac.  Now, they will start with the coiling, and then to the flow back and finalization of the two wells we are working the gate for.  We should be here about another 12 days or so. 

     Kathleen, has been making banana bread and selling the mini loafs for $4.00 each to the workers who come and go.  She has done pretty well and promises to buy me a new fish pole with her loot, Ha.

     We are out in the boonies so to speak and have to use our Wilson booster to get internet and phone service.  Without it, we would really be bored if unable to get on line.

     We had two catered meals a day furnished while the frac was going on.  Every one was excellent.

     I hope the pictures will speak for themselves.

Posted by George at 04:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kathleen here,

November 17, 2013

We are at our Zapata site. The weather has been beautiful. As I write, I am aware of some very bad weather up north. I pray that none of our loved ones are in its path.

We've been out on our pontoon boat a few times. George more than I. I took a couple of photos of our little fishing trip and of the chores back here at our winter home. It's a warm day today. We are waiting for NASCAR to begin. Final race of the season.

We have been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner at the rec hall here in the park. We accepted. It's more fun to be with a crowd on that day.

We are well. We don't do much traveling around. Every few weeks we drive north to Laredo for supplies at Walmart. Other than that we stick close to home. We love our breezy "Veranda" so really don't care to go on road trips. Texas is pretty much all the same around here. The lake is slowly rising; that is good.

Following are some photos. Stay safe, warm, and out of trouble.

Posted by riverjones at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We have been working at a busy oil rig gate, actually two different sites since we've arrived in Texas.

Now for a couple of weeks or so we will relax and enjoy our beautiful site here in Zapata. The awning covers the coach and the wide patio area. Nice views from the direction we are facing. We love it here. The warm  evenings and the nice breeze that comes in from Falcon Lake is very pleasant. The awning is high enough, one almost believes it isn't really there.

Today, Wednesday, October 16, a cool front has come through, with low clouds and drizzle. George took the pontoon out fishing earlier but came in before noon. The next couple of days, it will be this kind of weather. That is okay for a while. The hot hot temperatures were starting to get to us.

Attached are a few photos of our place and one of the lake, which is rapidly rising. Lots of rain north of here has made the river (Rio Grande) level come up. You'd think it was the Mississippi River. Looking out over it last evening, debris that has washed off the river banks and islands and is now rushing southward.

Enjoy the photos

Posted by riverjones at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katheen here,

It looks like we’ll be leaving these parts this coming week. The drilling is all finished and the crew has moved on. Oil was found; everyone is happy. In the morning big trucks are coming to haul out the drilling rig. We’ve been told to wait here for our next assignment. (Somewhere close to Tilden.)

The first week here it stormed and rained hard. We hear that Falcon Lake is rising. That is great news. While at this site, we’ve come across several critters that are on my bad list. Not quite spiders and snakes but creepy for sure. I’ve tried to photograph some but they are fast little critters; they keep sneaking into our coach…one by one. The beetles are big, about 1.5 inches long, come out by the hundreds as soon as we turn on the outside lights. They are funny though: they can fly but when they want to stop they just fold their wings and fall straight down. They sit for a few seconds to get their bearings and then off they go. They have fallen on my head a couple of times. George spotted a long snake crossing the road about 200 feet from us. He didn’t get a picture. The brush must be full of evil varmints. What am I doing here? We’re in San Diego, TX by the way.

A few days ago a truck stopped to get logged out. I thought that he had a cougar caged in back. A yeowling varmint was angry and wanted loose. The driver jumped out wondering what it was. We looked beneath the truck and out sprang a little black and white kitty. He took off for the brush. Later he came out and meowed and meowed. I brought out some chicken and water and he gobbled it all down. Then he wanted to snuggle in my shoulder and hair. George said no! Don’t even think it! I looked after him all day and later in the night, one of the ranch hands came through. Sure enough, they were missing a kitten. He put up a fuss but we caught him and away they all went.

George has a bird friend…again: a genuine roadrunner. He’ll be writing a piece and adding some photos of the happy little guy. Wile E. Coyote should be somewhere out there.

Last evening we sat in the middle of our lonely road in our comfortable loungers and watched lightning flash in big old clouds just west of us. A lovely breeze was blowing so the flying bugs weren’t out. We watched the stars come out. I envisioned the cowboys of old bedding down by their loyal horses and trusty rifles. We spent a very pleasant hour under the stars in the middle of Texas.

Posted by riverjones at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Wow, it has been a while since I did a blog post.  I got a little burned out so Kathleen has posted a few.  I may now get back to adding some posts.

     A lot has happened since I was posting on a regular basis.  All Good.  We purchased an RV site and RV Cover on a nice corner lot in Amigo's RV Park at Zapata, Texas.  The fishing on Falcon Lake for Bass is fantastic and that kind of drove our decision.  Not to mention, but we like and enjoy the area.  On one of my future posts I will get some pictures up of our new digs.

      You may also remember from a previous mention that we got ourselves set up and licensed as Texas Security Guards last year and have been working as Gate Guards in the Texas Oil Field Area when work is available and we desire to give up the fishing and R & R for awhile.

      We are currently on a site at a Ranch near San Diego, Texas working entry and exit to a drilling rig.  Pretty light duty compared to the very busy site we were on last winter.  Between assignments we may even be able to return to our place in Zapata (to see if the fish are biting) which is only about a 2 to 3 hour drive from the oil area.

     This is a site that is somewhat ideal.  About two miles from town, not to dusty, decent road in and out, great people coming and going, and excellent support equipment set up for us.  We could stay right here long term if needed.  Did I mention, the internet signal is strong.

     The following are some pictures I took early this morning in between rain showers.

 Guard On Duty

Posted by George at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time to Come Clean

Clean -----  I wish?  More on that later.

It’s 4:30 in the morning and as I look out the windows of the ‘Tininthewind’ it is as bright as mid-day with light towers surrounding us and the scene off in the dark is as spooky as the scenes from “Middle Earth” from the movie                       .

Got your interest, do I??

This past year Kathleen and I got to discussing the heavy hit we are giving our 401K with our nomadic lifestyle as we enjoy our retirement travels and decided to take a break occasionally from the life of leisure and go back to work ---- but only when we wanted to.  Now --- that is a tall order to fill when both of us are up a ways on the senior rung of the ladder.

In mid- December we met with “Gate Guard Services” out of Corpis Cristy, Texas.  Through their desire to bring us on board we were schooled, tested, finger printed, subjected to background checks, and are now Texas State Licensed Level II Security Guards.

The oil field business is booming, especially in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and of course the Dakota’s.  Security to entry and exit of the various oil facilities is paramount and who better to provide that service than retired folks, with their house on wheels, and the desire to provide that security 24/7.

We are currently providing as independent contractors through “Gate Guard Services” security access and egress to the DL Ranch and Murphy Oil a little North and East of Tilden, Texas.  The Tininthewind is parked on a gravel pad and hooked up to electric, water, and sewer service.  We are surrounded by huge, high in the air light towers and as I stated earlier we are “lit up”. 

We log everyone and everything thing through the gate.  Murphy Oil has drilled four wells on the ranch and will now begin the process of bringing those wells in to production through various techniques, one of which is fracking.  We are about to get very busy with many trucks of equipment, water, sand, chemicals, support personnel, etc, etc, coming and going.  We can expect to be on site here for the next 6 to 8 weeks and more if they have any trouble.

We are paid pretty well we feel for what we do considering that everything is provided for us at no charge.  All of the essential services that I mentioned earlier plus all the bottled water we want, catered meals as we are included with the crew when they bring in a caterer---one could maybe get tired of rib-eye steaks I suppose.  The pay stub goes ca-ching every day for us at the minimum of $125.00 and can progress on up at an added $75.00/day depending on increased activity.

We have met both the day and night bosses, called simply the “Company Man”.  Leo the day boss, said on shaking my hand, “anything you need just let me know”.  I asked for a 5 gal jug of drinking water and about 2 hours later a “roust about hand” stopped with two jugs.  I mentioned that the entry through the gate was a little dark at night.  Shortly a huge light tower showed up, was erected, and we have daylight 24/7.  Everyone we have let through the gate has been extremely friendly, jovial, and fun to be around.  We of course are overwhelmed by the huge equipment coming on site from portable housing units for all the men to portable shower buildings, to porta potties, to you name it.  They have it. 

The wells are about 1.5 miles back on the ranch from the gate.  We have neumatic lines strung across the road on both directions that “ding” a bell if someone is coming or going so we get plenty of warning to step out the door to log them in or out.  Never fails though ---- go to the bathroom, drop your pants and the bell will ding! The drivers are patient though---been there, done that, I suppose.

We will stay on with this crew and rig for the duration 6 to 8 weeks or so and will then hang up our Texas Spurs till some time next fall.  When we come back as Winter Texans if the fish aren’t biting we will pull in to the “Gate Guard Services” yard in Whitsett, Texas and let them know we are ready to do it all over again.  Hopefully we get another gate as nice as this one seems to be.

In coming posts either Kathleen or I will try to give a little more detail to our daily activities and routines.

Oh, and as to Clean ---- The dust at times can get a little heavy but all will wash off.  Just dust off the windshield of the car occasionally to run to the store (nearest is 35 miles N) for supplies

Stay busy and well friends ----We are!

Posted by George at 04:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello, Kathleen here

We spent several days at Choke Canyon State Park in Mid-Texas. Nice spacious sites next to a beautiful lake full of fish and crocodiles (we saw none). I followed a path to the waters' edge until it began to get weedy and swampy. I feared a "creature" from the depths of the lake might be lurking so I returned to safer ground.

We did see lots of deer. They casually walked through the campground and never showed any fear. One evening we eyed a fairly large spotted deer. He was almost too big to be called a fawn. We couldn't get a photograph of him; he was following several other deer and they disappeared quickly. The next two pictures are of a lone deer right next to our coach. The next picture shows the sunset over the lake. Look closely at the lakeshore. To the left, an egret is fishing. To the right a deer is getting a drink.

One evening we took a drive and spotted a flock of vultures or buzzards just settling in for the night. There were dozens and dozens of them roosting on trees just off the road. They reminded me of cartoons of old, when they sat all hunched over just waiting for some creature to fall. Maybe in Wile e Coyote vs the Road Runner or maybe it was Bugs Bunny. Those were the days when kids got a thrill out of the enemy being an ugly old red headed buzzard following the heros of the story. I got a few photographs of them. I wondered if I walked over close and plopped myself down in the ditch, would they cruise on down and, well I of course didn't do that.

We have left the park and now are right next to a very small town called Whitsett. Still windy. We have gone to a few restaurants in this area. Barb-b-que is all that they offer. George loves it. I am tired of it already. The menu consists of BBQ ribs, sausage, briskitt and chicken. A choice of potato salad, coleslaw, hashbrowns, or beans and more beans. doesn't look too bad really but I'm hungry for a hamburger or maybe just a big dinner salad. We'll be in this area a little while longer. Not too much going on.

Be sure to always put the curser on the picture and it will identify what it is.

Love you all. Until next time, God bless and stay well.

Posted by riverjones at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi George & Kathleen,

I hope this message finds you well. I came across your website during
my research for a new TV show that I'm working on, and I had to
contact you immediately.

My name is Kiran Malhotra, and I'm a producer currently casting for a
new TLC show about the RV lifestyle. In our show, we will document 3
or 4 different people who are involved in RV lifestyle and celebrate
their nomadic living situations. I would love to hear more about your
story: your lifestyle, your goals, and what brought you to where you
are now. If this is something that interests you, please email me
asap, as our deadline for casting is next week.

Would you also be willing to post our casting call on your site to get
the word out to others in the RV community? I've included the text at
the end of the this email.

Thanks so much for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Best,

Kiran Malhotra
Coordinating Producer
Sharp Entertainment


CASTING CALL

RV Owners: Major TV Network Wants to Hear Your Story!

Major cable TV network is currently seeking RV owners for an upcoming
pilot. If you live in any type of home-on-wheels and love the open
road, we want to hear from you! Seeking all personalities and
lifestyles. Whether you have a unique story to tell, or have an RV
like no other, please tell us a bit about yourself by emailing:
RVcastingUSA@gmail.com

Ms. Malhotra,

I can imagine with your reach out marketing such as this you get many
reply's that are lengthy and filled with detail and find many that hold
interest. From us you will not get such. Our life story, or at least most
of it, has already been written in our web site www.tininthewind.com or
better yet told in the day to day, week to week, month to month blog
archives of www.tininthewind.com/blog/ and thus it is there for you to read
in whatever great length your heart desires.

We can tell you up front we have no interest in becoming part of anything
that would be a reality thing portrayed as somewhere between Jerry Springer
and the Kardashians.

We are currently doing what any full-time retired RV'er should be doing and
that is enjoying our "geritol gypsy" life style.

If you still have interest in us after following the leads above please feel
free to jump on a plane bound for San Antonio, TX, when on your way to your
departure airport, e-mail us (we check our e-mail often). Plan to rent a
car on arrival in San Antonio and we will tell you where to find us about an
hour from there.

I assure you, upon arrival, you will meet two of the most interesting people
to cross your casting couch.

Sincerely,

George and Kathleen Brosius

PS: The next update to our blog we may include your casting call request.



-----Original Message-----
From: RV Casting
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 1:24 PM
To: george@tininthewind.com ; riverjones@tininthewind.com
Subject: Seeking RVers for TLC Show

Hi George & Kathleen,

No Kathleen, my love, I will not ride in the limo with three yipping mutts and two cats!

Posted by George at 05:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here it is January 1, 2013. I wish all of you a healthy prosperous year.

George and I are in Zapata, but plan on leaving in a few days. We hope to travel north toward San Antonio. When we get settled in, we'll let you know. George hates to leave Falcon Lake but right now the old lake just isn't giving up any fish to speak of. The water level is still quite low and the bass are difficult to locate. We need a change in scenery.

We have met a lot of great folks here in Zapata. Our closest friends are Teri and Corinne Reynolds from Urbana, Ill. George and Teri have caught many really big bass-mostly last year. Corinne and I have traveled to Laredo quite a few times to Walmart and other shopping sites and to a movie now and then. They had us over the other night for some of Corinne's fantastic spaghetti.We had a great time, as always, with them.

This morning George and I drove around the area looking at the various RV parks that overlook the lake. We are always looking for a spot where we can come and set up houskeeping on a more permanent level. George knows that I am not interested unless I can see water. Of course right now, there is no water. Not much anyway.

We watched New York City bring in the new year last night, but after that we both fell asleep. All seems OK on this first day of the new year. I pray that your world is Ok too. I've posted a couple of photos to amuse you.

Until next time. God bless and keep all of you well.

Posted by riverjones at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Hello to everyone. We have had a busy few months; we hope to get our blog all caught up on our life as nomads. We are in Texas parked on Falcon Lake in Zapata. About 50 miles south of Laredo. George has been fishing, and catching lots of fish. He hauls home crappie for the freezer and catches and releases the bass.

     I keep busy here in our little home. Lots of projects are on the shelf waiting for my attention. My first love has become writing and I spend a lot of time at the computer, sometimes staring at it, a lot of time researching stuff. I spent a whole day trying to figure out if there was a highway through the Cascade Mountains back in 1910 for a story I am writing. You know, ya gotta get the facts right.

     We are parked on the shore of Falcon Lake. Although the water is low, it is still a beautiful place. I love to look at it. Not the old Mississippi but almost as beautiful.

     Following is a poem that I recently wrote for an on-line writing club. As Christmas is upon us, I decided to share it with you. I hope that you enjoy it. We wish all of you a blessed Christmas and a grand 2013. We promise to stay in touch, as we have a new adventure on the horizon to talk about.

Papa, a Star

Papa, Papa, is that a star?

Papa, Papa, is this the night?

I'm ready to go. Will Mama go too?

May I take my pet lamb? She's very light

You have told me the story

You have taught me well

A Savior is coming

Old Prophets doth tell

The star is so big

And it hovers so low

I hear voices singing

Papa, Papa I think we should go

Please take me Papa

I wish to go see

Does He know who we are?

Papa, will He really know me?

I know it's not far

We must follow the star's ray

We're not lost Papa

The star's showing the way

Papa, please lift me up high

I want to see what you see

Oh Papa! Oh Papa!

It's a tiny baby

The great star, Papa

Look at it now

They are angels, oh look

Before Him, they bow

Papa kneel with me now

Please kneel, all of us

For there is our Savior

Baby Jesus

I want to give Him a gift

Papa what shall it be?

Something pure and soft

My baby lamb, with love, from me 

by Kathleen M. Brosius

Posted by riverjones at 08:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

         One of the first things we wanted to do with our new retired life back in 2006 was make the "Inside Passage Cruise" to Alaska but due to other things or just plain procrastination we just never got it accomplished.  Well, that is about to change.  We have our trip scheduled and are about as excited as two newlyweds who just headed for the motel room.

     The decision to go this summer was enhanced when our pilot son Scott reminded us that we could take advantage of his 'Interline' privileges and book a trip at nicely reduced rates as parents of a pilot.  We began to explore the possibility and found that our budget could indeed handle the cost.  The rest is history, our boarding passes are in hand.

     Expect in future posts to this blog to be treated to a lot of stories and pictures of the trip.  We will try to take you along vicariously with us as we make this beautiful passage aboard the Holland American ship ms Zuiderdam.

     Here is a little tease that I hope will get you to come back and see our photo's and video's that we will put together on return from our trip.  Click on happy face below.

                                                             Alaska Adventure

Posted by George at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

              Above are pictured just four of the reasons that we hussle ourselves out to the North West for the summer.  Place your curser over the picture and each will be identified.   I know I am biased but these four are the best grandkids, ever!  We love having them around and look forward to a lot of visits from them throughout the summer.

             After leaving Texas our stop in the Mid West for family visits and our medical check-ups went well.  We got to see all Jim and Alyce's family and especially the little ones.  We look forward to that every trip.  My mom is still doing well with her stay in assisted living and we sure enjoyed our visits with her. Seeing and spending a little time with long time friends is always a treat.  We had an uneventful trip out here after our visits and medical stuff in the Mid West. 

            The weather here has been the typical spring NW weather, one day nice then 4 or 5 straight days of drizzle or rain.  That will soon change for the summer and when that happens there is not a better place on the planet to spend the summer.

           We have some interesting things going with us looking at some property out here for our future when we slow down a little from our travel on wheels.  Not to worry, those of you who travel along with us on our travel blog as we are not looking to settle in one area just yet, just thinking about our possible future needs.  If we come to any decisions or secure a spot I will be sure to let you all know.

           I hope to do a better job of keeping up with entries to the blog now that we have landed in an area for awhile.  More pictures coming soon.

Posted by George at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     The two pictures above are two views of the fish caught today, literally on my last cast, before calling it a day.  Now we begin the packing up of the coach and getting ready to head North in two days.  This was my last day to fish Falcon Lake until we return next fall.  (The good lord willing and the creek don't rise, we will return).

      Teri and I headed to a cove on the Mexican side of the lake that we have fished before and for my last day, the fish did not disappoint.  We fished a little over 5 hours and boated 43 nice bass.  We didn't have any monsters, but we did have 3 that went 6 lbs each.  We usually don't photograph anything under 8 lbs but since the one above was my last cast I just had to have a picture to remember it by.

     I could write a book about how fantastic this winter in Texas has been.  The fishing for me has been the highlight, and of course for Kathleen the highlight has been her book and becoming a published writer.

     Not having a big high powered Ranger Bass Boat anymore has not really been a negative situation for me as I have fished with four different guys who do have nice boats.  Jerry from Dubuque Iowa, Joe from Urbana Illinois, Larry from Kansas, and of course my primary partner and new friend Teri Reynolds from Urbana Illinois.  When one of the above didn't ask me to go I would go out in my little Sea Eagle pontoon bass boat and have a blast.

     My challenge for this winter was to get a personal best double digit fish.  I had a couple slightly over 9 lbs that I actually caught off my own little boat early in the winter stay here but getting the double digit didn't occur until a few days ago when I finally landed one that tipped the scales at 10.1 lbs.  Pictured below.

      We leave with heavy hearts as we have made so many wonderful friends but we are anxious to see family and look forward to getting the wheels rolling on the 'Tininthewind'.  Next stop will be Wisconsin/Iowa for the month of April and then in early May we will head for our summer stay with the boys and their families in Washington State.

     Have I told you yet how much we love our retirement and the life style we have chosen.  We will continue to be thankful for every future day that we are blessed to have and will be just as excited about what is around the next corner as we are for what we did today.

Posted by George at 06:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

              March 2nd 2012 Teri (pictured by his boat) and I departed the boat landing here on Falcon Lake, Zapata Texas at 6:30 a.m. The morning already was calling for only shirt sleeves as the temp was near 70 and expected to get in to the 90's. The big 'Merc' roared to life and we were up on plane headed North up the Lake to a small arm/cove and creek channel on the Mexican side.  At 6:40 we had reached our destination and we came down off pad to begin fishing a rocky shore line with a few flooded bushes thrown in for good measure.

     We slowly fished along this shore and by 10:00 we had boated 40 quality Bass. We continued just working along this shore line and when we reached 55 Bass boated we decided that when we hit 60 we would quit.   At 1:00 we were back at the landing and loading the boat.  Sixty Bass Boated, many 6's, 5's, & 4's.  We estimate that approx. ten more jumped after being hooked, tail walked across the water and came off before being boated, and probably 10 more that came off without us getting to see them.  Thats 80 quality Bass in a relatively short period of time.

     It may be a long time before we break that total.  But, then again----maybe not.  We will probably go give it a try tomorrow.

P.S.  I am still working on boating that DD (double digit).  You will be the first to know when it happens.

Posted by George at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     It is cool (43) this morning and raining.  The one shown is 7 lbs 10 oz and was one of many caught yesterday.  We have been having some cool wet weather lately but the fish have continued to be active.  The females are full of eggs and have been or will spawn very soon.  Days like this with the cool and rain are good for regrouping and working on tackle, rods, and reels to get ready for the next trip out.  Looking ahead at the weather we are to be back in the 80's in a few days.

     This area of Texas has been having an extreme drought so any rain is welcome.  The desert cactus are about to bloom and this rainy period happens just in time to support that event.

     The Falcon Lake Resort here in Zapata is a commune of those who like to fish.  The boats range from fancy bass boats to aluminum walleye boats, flat bottoms with small engines, and then of course mine---a two seat inflatable pontoon with only a trolling motor.  There are approximately 300 sites here in the Resort.  The sites vary from just a grass pull through site with enough room for the RV and a place to park the car and boat, to a more permanent structure such as a 5th wheel next to a cement patio, or even a mobile home either single or double wide.  The winter residents come from all corners of the country but for sure there are more Minnesotans than anyone else.  I suspect that the bass fishing is the biggest draw but there are those who fish exclusively for catfish or crappie, both of which are abundant.  One fellow from Iowa, one street over, has his smoker going full of catfish almost every day.  People walk or ride bikes for exercise throughout the park and clusters of folks visiting or exchanging fishing stories can be seen everywhere.  Most people seem to know me, I suspect because of my unique boat, and will always stop to talk if I am outside working around the 'tininthewind'.

      We have approximately six weeks left here and look forward to every day. 

Posted by George at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Our stay here at Fun-n-Sun RV park in San Benito will come to an end one week from tomorrow.  We will be heading back to Zapata, Texas and the lake for fishing.  It has been a very pleasant stay here in the lower Rio Grand Valley as we have been able to leave the windows open and just let the nice breeze blow through the 'tininthewind'.  Zapata is located in a more desert sand type of landscape and the blowing sand and dust will force us to run the A/C and keep the windows closed.  The lot we have with the view and the fishing are huge draws but the blowing dust really sucks. 

     This has been our third winter here at Fun-n-Sun and we will leave behind many friends that we have become acquainted with.  As long as we don't commit to anything too permanent in Zapata I guess we can always work in a stay in this area during coming winter seasons.

     My fishing buddy, Teri and his wife Corinne have alerted us that a water front site has just come available and we may well end up passing on the one we have now and seeing if we can swing a deal to acquire that one.  The couple who has it for sale has a 5th wheel on it and wants to include that in the sale.  That is something that we would not be interested in.

     Our nomadic life style has grown on us and neither of us are sure we are ready to settle for just one place to return to year after year even if the fishing is the best to be found.  We have many RV friends who have secured semi-permanent lots to return to each year but then say that they envy us being able to go where we please on a moments notice.

     I think the best thing for us is to wait till the kids are threatening to take the keys away before we put down too permanent of roots.

Posted by George at 05:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 Happy New Year   

      It is that time of year that I like to reflect on the wonderful life style that Kathleen and I have.  The beautiful places we have been and those that are yet to come.  We are truly thankful that we are able to do what we do, as we explore this beautiful USA.  I further am grateful to live in an age when the technologies available to us can challenge the mind and encourage us to do things we never dreamed possible.  The following is a slide show with sound that I experimented with the other day.  I thought I would share.  If the sound is too much for ya, you can always mute it.  Ha.

                                                                     Click Here

Posted by George at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     The photographers showed up right on time.  The publishers of the book wanted photographs of the Authors showing them at work at their computers or typewriters to use as the promotion of the book continues over the next couple of months.  Maybe I should back up a little and give some background explanation!

     Kathleen belongs to a writers group here in San Benito.  Over the course of last year they put together an anthology of stories that they have written.  The publisher has selected 78 stories and poems from 20 some writers into a book that will be titled "Tuesdays Pieces".  Kathleen's contributions to the book include 3 stories and 2 poems.

     Here is just one of the professional reviewers comments on the book:

"The authors have given me gifts that are priceless by asking me to review their book.
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> They swept me to places Ive never been and left me with a yearning to go there.
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> Through their stories and expertise in writing, I felt all kinds of emotion: joy, sadness, happiness, excitement, love, romance, as well as pleasurable childhood memories filled with adventure, kindness, family unity, work, and an appreciation for that which money can't buy: faith in a Higher Being and love of family and friends.
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> Above all, the authors have inspired me to write about my wonderful family including my extended family and the many wonderful people that have come into my life throughout the years.
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> As I write this I can hardly wait to get a cup of hot chocolate, curl up in my favorite chair with SugarPlum(our cat) on my lap and once again enjoy my journey thru so many places and feel the experiences all over again!!"

Posted by George at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We pulled out of Zapata, TX. and headed for San Benito, TX in the lower Valley.  This will be the third winter we have spent time at the Fun-n-Sun RV Resort.  It was difficult to leave Zapata and for me the fishing on Falcon Lake.  I spent my last day out on the lake with my new Bass Buddy, Teri Reynolds, and what a day it was.  We boated 26 Bass in half a day of fishing and they were all quality fish.  Following are just a couple of the pictures we took.

     We are already enjoying out familiarity with the San Benito area, and of course the Resort.  The pool and hot tub are second to none and we have always enjoyed spending time there.  The traffic is a little heavy at times but knowing how to get around now makes getting from here to there easy.  The restaurant choices here verses Zapata are huge.

     We will be here through the holidays but plan to return to Zapata and more fishing Feb. 1st.

     Kathleen is busy with her writers group already and I have been busy trying to polish and clean the 'tininthewind'.  The dust in the Zapata area from the constant wind and sandy nature of the landscape are one of the only negative features surrounding the Falcon Lake.  Fortunately the fishing far exceeds the negativity.    

Posted by George at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     I have met a bass fishing buddy here in Zapata and we have been out in his sleek Gambler rig several times now.  Teri Reynolds and his wife Corinne hail from Southern Illinois around the Urbana area.  Terry and I bounced around the same Bass Fishing circuits in our prime days but I don't think our paths ever crossed in a tournament.  We have had fun discussing and reliving those days by telling each other story's as we are fishing.  Teri is highly talented with pitching and flipping a jig and that is how we have been catching most of our fish.  My elbows and "tennis elbow" have taken a toll on me so I am taking a few days off from fishing, although I must admit I went crappie fishing this morning and came in with 18 beauties.

     Teri took the above picture of me and a nice 6 lb fish.  It is nice to finally have someone capable of taking a picture and sharing his boat as my fishing alone in my little boat meant no pictures.  I hope in future trips out on the lake with Teri that I can get some video of his rig and some pictures of him fighting a fish or two. 

Posted by George at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Where did October go?  We have been busy, busy.  We spent a very hot month of October at Four Seasons Resort here in Zapata and because we like the area so much and the fishing is fantastic we probably came down a little too early, as it was extremely hot.  In the 90's every day and the nights did not cool down much.  I caught a lot of nice fish but my biggest so far is still 9.1 lbs.

     It is now Nov. 3rd and we have moved to Lake Front Lodge Resort just a couple miles from Four Seasons Resort and an explanation is in order.  As mentioned above we like the area very much and have been looking around for something a little more permanent.  One of Katleen's requirements was to have a water view and be as close as possible to the water.  We lucked on to a site that had just become available do to the previous lease holder having health issues and not being able to return.  The site is now ours on a permanent basis.  We can do what we want with the lot as far as improvements go or structure but for now we like our life style with the Motor Home and will leave putting a park model or something like that for a future date.  We may do a storage shed and expand the cement patio next season but for now we like it just as it is.  Our neighbors, both sides and behind are very pleasant so that is a plus.  I am just minutes from launching my boat as the Resort has multiple boat landings.

     We will be leaving here and going down to the Valley (San Benito, TX) for Dec. and January but will return to our site here in Zapata for Feb. and March before returning to Wisconsin/Iowa and family visits.  Kathleen and her Writers group have some functions taking place in Dec. and January and she wants to be part of the celebrations.  I am sure she will be writing and explaining more about that as it occurs.  I am all for taking a couple months off from the fishing as my elbows are taking a beating from all the casting and hook setting.  Not that I am complaining, mind you!

     Following are some pictures and some links that are worth looking at to give you a sense of why we like it here so much.

Remember you can place your cursor on picture for a caption.

     Here are some Links that you may find interesting.

Web-site of a guide I know here on the Lake:  http://falconlakeguide.com/blog/ 

Web-site of Local Tackle shop and their fishing reports:  http://www.tackleandrods.com/lake/flash.htm 

Short Video of biggest fish I caught yesterday:  http://youtu.be/Ef_gdSS34YU

Little longer Video taken around our pad in Zapata, TX:  http://youtu.be/OVNEzfgsVIg

     It is difficult to take a photo of the fish I catch when I am alone on my boat but I have mounted a movie camera on a "lazy susan" and hope to get some pictures of fish during the fight and netting.  The one little video you saw above is my first try at giving you a look at the fish.  This fish hit so close to the boat I had no chance to turn the camera on but hopefully my video taking skills will improve.

Posted by George at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Yesterday I showed you my little boat, the "ss tininthewind" loaded on the loaner trailer and told you of my plans to trailer to the bridge and fish some crappie.  The plan of course was to take a breather from bass fishing.  The crappie cooperated and I came home with a nice mess----all about 1.75lbs each.  Kathleen layed out the fillets for supper and declared that one crappie each (two fillets) would about do it.

     While crappie fishing using my ultra light spinning rod with 6 lb line I hooked a good fish.  Thinking it was probably a carp I played it out, netted him and weighed him------it was a 8.1 lb bass.  There was a couple fishing near by and they got a kick out of seeing me boat that bad boy.  The mouth was so huge I could have stuck both my fists in it

     Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be stiff----30mph.  I will stay off the main lake but fishing for crappie under the bridge is somewhat sheltered.  Guess where I will be?

Posted by George at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     I have been Bass Fishing almost everyday since we arrived here in Zapata and the fishing has been unbelievable.  I still have not caught the DD (double digit) that I am looking for as a personal best but I sure have caught a bunch of big bass by anybodies standards.  9.1 is still holding as my personal best.  I have caught a bunch of 14, 15, 16 inchers which make some real nice fillets and we have enjoyed many a meal of fish to date.

     I have been keeping my boat in the water and just fishing the bay and a couple of main lake points just outside the bay but my travels are limited to just my trolling motor.  When the indicator says I only have 50 percent of a charge left in the battery I turn and fish my way back to "home".

     A friend that I made here in Zapata last year when we first visited here has loaned me his golf cart trailer and as you will see in the following pictures my boat fits nicely.  The lights are working and I am anxious to go explore other coves and corners of this lake-----on the American side of course.

     There is a bridge that crosses one of the fingers of water just as you enter Zapata from the South and my friend Dale took me crappie fishing there last year.  The crappie are huge (2 lbs each are common).  The boat is loaded on the trailer and tomorrow morning the "ss tininthewind" and I will go see if we can catch some of those big crappie. 

     It will be good to fish with lighter tackle for the crappie as my arms and upper body muscles are sore from all the bass fishing I have been doing------It is a "good" sore though and I promise you I am not complaining.

Posted by George at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We are on site at Shady Haven RV Resort, in Zapata Texas.  My how things change in one year.  We arrived to find the Lake 20 feet lower than last year.  This Texas drought is having a profound effect on reservoir levels throughout the State.  The picture above is me standing down near the (sitting on dry land) boat docks locking back up toward the top of the boat ramp and just left of center in the picture you can see the nose of the "Tininthewind" sticking out from site 128.  Last year I had my little blow up boat parked in the water just in front of the "Tininthewind".

     We knew when we left the old home area of Wisconsin/Iowa that we would be heading in to some hot dry weather but "hot" is an understatement.  It has been in the high 90's since our arrival with somewhat high humidity.  We did arrive in a thunderstorm with heavy rain so setting up while getting a warm water shower was quite interesting.

     I didn't quite have everything arranged with out site and coach but priorities are priorities and I just had to get my "Sea Eagle Foldcat Boat" inflated and on the water.  Within the first day of fishing and in fact still in site of the dock I caught the nice 7.2 lb bass you see in the following picture.  This is a new personal best for me as far as size goes and I expect to break that mark easily in the coming days.

     With the Lake 20' low the landscape sure looks different and I will post a group of pictures here to give you some perspective of what it looks like.  At the end of the docks there is about one slip still in the water (1 foot deep) and my little boat is able to handle that.  You will note I am the only one there as everyone else is having to trailer their boats.  I am not sure what I will do should the water drop even further as I do not have the ability to trailer my little rig.  Time will tell.

      If anyone has more rain than they need please send it this way.

Posted by George at 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We have had a beautiful summer with our Washington Brosius Families and Friends this Summer in Washington.  Our two month Volunteer Hosting of Anderson State Park was OK but we were bummed by not having decent cell phone coverage or internet access.  I suppose it was good for us not to be on the computer much but it meant not being able to keep up with our blog and we know one or two of you missed not hearing from us on a regular basis. 

     We have ended our stay out in the North West with a great Labor Day Week-end of camping, surrounded with all the fun that goes with a nice long get together.  We all enjoyed the evening chats around the fire as the weather was made to order.

     We will be leaving in the morning with the "Tininthewind" pointed East and even though we do not prefer traveling the interstate system, we will, in the interest of taking the shortest route and in saving on the fuel budget.

     We are looking forward to seeing friends and family back in the Wisconsin/Iowa area and spending a few weeks before heading to our Winter digs in Texas.

Posted by George at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Wow-- it seems like we have not made an entry in a long time and it has been awhile.  We have missed not being able to update our blog on a regular basis but we are and have been Volunteer Hosting at Andersen State Park just outside Port Hadlock/Port Townsend Washington and our internet speed has been terrible.  We have been barely able to get e-mail and even our phone service has been questionable with many dropped calls.  Last year when we were here we had very good internet and phone service.  Go figure.  Someone sure changed something at the local Verizon tower and we have been bummed about it.  Starting August 30th we will once again be where we will have good service and we will get back to posting our blog on a more regular basis.  I do want to post one picture before I sign off.

     Our two grandkids, Mason and Maddie have been with us most of July and will join us in a few weeks to finish out August.  They have been a delight to have around and sure have made the time pass quickly.

Posted by George at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Looking at the map I see there is a "mountain loop road" that starts about 8 miles from the camp ground and makes a loop through what looks to be some pretty rouged mountains and eventually comes out again near the RV Park.  Figuring the best I can it looks like it will be roughly 100 miles from start to finish.  Looks like the road is paved all the way around with a few small mountain towns thrown in so we can maybe find a stop for lunch.  Sun is supposed to be shining today so lets load the jeep and head out.  Three cameras, several Hershey bars, pop, water, banana, and a couple apples and we're off.  Estimate is at an average of 40 mph, stopping for pictures, and lunch we should be back in about 4 to 5 hours.

     The trip did not start out well as we missed a couple turns early on and had to back track several times.  Once we got further along there were no turns to screw up on and all we had to do was follow the road we were on.  In other words the Loop de Loop. 

     The map showed a lot of National Forrest Camp Grounds along our way and upon reaching the first one along a river we decided to drive in to it and check it out, plus nature was callin'.  We were stopped just short of the privy by some forest tree trimmers and their chain saws as they were felling tree's and told us the park was closed.  They paused long enough for Kathleen to use the privy and I had a chance to ask them some questions.  I wanted to know if they knew anything about the route we planned to continue on and they commented we had come about as far as we could go as just up ahead the pass was still closed from snow and there would be a gate across the road.  If we intended to ever come back there was a visitor center just up the road a bit and if they were open we should stop and get a better map.  The road was paved at this point but they indicated that very shortly it was going to turn to gravel/dirt and would stay that way for better than half way around the loop.  Dang, we were so looking forward to this drive.

     The visitor center was open and a very pleasant gal informed us that the gate had been opened, the forest service had plowed about a quarter mile of heavy snow just over the pass and the route was declared safe to travel as of yesterday.  She commented that even the locals didn't know it yet and seemed quite pleased that she could be the bearer of such good news.

     As noted above with the first picture of the flower, at the lower elevations with the snow having just melted a few flowers, proud of their ability to survive, are poking their heads from the ground.

     The higher we climbed the less flowers we saw but the cascading water flows coming down the sides of the mountains became ever more present.  The river we were following was running quite full.

     We were soon to leave the paved road and continue on with most of the road becoming one lane with pull offs should you meet someone (we never did).

     The drive was awesome.  The fact that we were making the trip and in approximately 50 miles of narrow gravel/dirt road we saw only one other vehicle and he probably was a forest service person, made for a fun day.  That four to five hour drive turned out to be more like seven.  One hundred miles, seven hours------not bad.

     We never did see the sun and it felt like we were in a rain forest most of the time but it also didn't rain.

     A great way to spend the day.  The week-end is coming and we will reserve that for family time, but next week if we can find another adventure we will go for it.

Posted by George at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     This evening we drove in to town (Sultan, WA), to mail a few items and to have a pizza at one of the local parlors there.  Just before reaching Sultan one goes over a bridge that crosses the Skykomish River and as you can see above the Sun was shining on the snow cap in the area of Stevens Pass.  It was a beautiful day with the temps in the low 70's and no rain. 

     It really doesn't matter if you turn left or right going out of the RV park the drive and scenery is always spectacular.  

Posted by George at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     In 2008 Kathleen and I did one of those fun things that we do from time to time.  We look at the map, try to find a road that looks like it would make a fun drive, and then we just take off to see where it will go.  If it seems to dead end on the map and has a unique feature (like a lake), at the end of the road, even better.  Such was our 28 mile ride from the Thousand Trails RV Park in Washington.  At the end of this little blog I will repost a link to the pictures and our blog of 2008, but for now lets talk about our return trip to Spada Lake a couple days ago.

     Back in 2008 when we reached Spada Lake we were surprised to see the lake nearly empty with stumps showing everywhere (as you will see if you check out the link), but the drive to the lake and the area itself was very pretty.  (The lake had been drawn down to repair the dam.)

     Now here we are in 2011, with an opportunity to again make the drive to Spada Lake to hopefully see what the lake might look like when full.  There has been a tremendous amount of snow in this part of the Cascades over the winter and we knew that the lake would be near the snow line but figured with the jeep we could make it.

     Staying near us here in the RV Park are CoCo and Bob Giacolino also full-time RV'ers and close friends.  We asked them to join us on the trip and away we went.  Now, 28 miles is not a long ways but when it is virtually a steady climb up in to the mountains from the altitude we are camped at it makes for a fun and strikingly beautiful drive.  We followed the Olney River at times, crossing several bridges and witnessed numerous water falls as the melting snow above us flowed toward the lake.  Stopping for pictures was the plan and we did plenty of that.

     The following is a little slide show I have put together as all the pictures tell the story and I hated to tease you with only a few.  Click on the link and enjoy.

                                            Slide Show 2011

     I hope you have returned to the blog and will take a look at what Spada Lake looked like when just Kathleen and I visited it in 2008.  Click on the following link to check it out.  To get the pictures from 2008 you may have to click another link found there.

                                           Blog and Pictures 2008

     We had a great trip with CoCo and Bob.  On our return to the RV Park Kathleen and I were treated to a fabulous dinner at their motor home. 

Posted by George at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Above is a picture of our site at the Thousand Trails Monroe, Washington which is outside the big city of Seattle but tucked against the western slope of the Cascade Mountains.  We have been in this area a couple of weeks now and for the most part we have had a lot of rain which has kept us pretty much cooped up.

     With cabin fever and itchy feet getting the best of us we took off to do something we always enjoy.  We simply jump in the car with no real destination in mind but rather just pick a direction, and then drive till we decide we are good and lost.  Once we decide we probably should return to the 'tininthewind' we ask 'Charlotte' (our GPS) to guide us to home.  We hope at this time that we have made so many turns that 'she' (Charlotte) will take us home using different roads. 

     The scenery one is privileged to behold sometimes takes your breath away and today was no exception.  When we can we try to stop and take a photo.  Sometimes we simply have to shoot through the windshield and sometimes traffic is such that we can't get a photo----but, oh well, it is for sure etched in our memory.

     Below is just a sample of todays outing.  Place your cursor over the photo for a description.

     Washington is referred to as the "Emerald Green State" and if you can put up with all the rain you will be rewarded eventually with the most beautiful scenery imaginable.  This is truly a gorgeous part of our country-----"you just have to wait for it to quit raining to see it".

Posted by George at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We arrived at Leavenworth Washington Thousand Trails RV Park deep in the woods of the Cascade Mountains on Wednesday May 4th and with much anticipation awaited the week-end (Mothers Day) and the arrival of Both our Washington Brosius Families.

     Bill, Heidi, Mason and Maddie have a new camping trailer and arrived Friday evening to camp in a nice site right across from us.  Scott, Angela, Zak, and Ellie arrived early Saturday morning and we all went in to Leavenworth for breakfast.

     The moms wanted to do a little shopping in Leavenworth.  Scott and Bill were off to the Safe Way store to get some last minute supplies, so Grandpa and the four kids took off for the RV park and some fun.

     It is so good to back in close proximity to our Boys and their families and I don't need to go in to detail about our camping week-end.  I think the pictures will speak for themselves.  Place your pointer over a picture for a description.

Posted by George at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Of all our travels our all time favorite RV stop is Sunshine Acres.  This is a beautiful plot of land owned by my Brother-in Law Jim and his wife Alyce between Waukon, IA and Decorah, IA.  As you will see from the following pictures the view is spectacular with the fields of corn (now picked), and farms off in the distance.

     We have almost everything we could want here.  50 amp elect. hook up a few feet from the tininthewind.  We do have to go in to town (6 mi.) to dump our tanks but doing that is not much of a hastle at all.  We do have water hook up so that is good too.

     It is the hugs, endless conversations, reminiscing, drives through the country side, and quiet times that make us long for our stops here each spring and fall.  It is a short drive from here to visit my mom in an assisted living center.  Kathleen has many relatives in the area including an aunt (Goldie), who will be 101 in a few months.

     The grass is turning green, spring is showing signs of appearing (It was 80 degree's today), farmers are working their fields getting ready to plant, and the Mississippi River is on the rise.

     While we are here Jim and Alyce's three Sons, our nephews, will stop in with their wives and little ones.  There will be more hugs, stories to catch up on, rides around the yard on the scooter for the little ones who can, and new babies to get to know.  Life is good.

Posted by George at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We still have a few more days of our stay here in Zapata, Texas at the Four Seasons RV Park and it will be sad to see our short stay coming to an end.  This has been an incredible stop in our wandering RV life style.  I have mentioned the fishing which is and has been spectacular and hopefully in the next couple of days I get a chance to set the hook on a few more nice Bass, Crappie, or Catfish.

     What I haven't had a chance to mention is the friendliness of the people we have met and the help we have had with a few minor problems we encountered.  Our first friends made was our immediate neighbors, Jerry and Carole who have already left to return to their home in North Texas.  Coming over next to introduce themselves were Jim and Nancy from behind us.  To the left side of us was an elderly gentlemen named Bob who came out as I was backing in and expressed much gratitude that I would be supplying much needed shade for his patio.  He was only here for a couple days and has since left.  Just beyond Bob is a delightful young retired couple traveling almost full-time in a pick-up camper type unit who are here to fish.  We compare notes every day about the fishing and the technique for catching them.  They are fun to visit with.  Jerry, before he left told a friend of his, Dale, that if he was going out fishing alone he could ask me to go with, as I would be good company.  Guess what----minutes later I was gathering my gear as Dale came by to ask me if I would like to join him.  I did, and we had a great day on the water fishing for Crappie.  Kathleen and I have since had a chance to get to know Dale better and his charming wife Lynn as well.  We are joining them for breakfast in the morning and then Dale and I will be going out fishing----this time I think for Bass.  Oh, and did I mention that Dale has one of the nicest Bass Boats on the Lake with a 200 HP motor.  Dale and his wife have been coming here for several years and have a permanent mobile home site for their 6 month stay before returning to their home in Colorado.  Dale has already offered me the use of his golf cart trailer so I can haul my little boat to different parts of this lake when we return for our stay next winter.  I will for sure take him up on that.

     Yesterday on return from fishing in my little boat for some reason one of the aluminum brackets that hold my trolling motor mount in place broke.  Without this repaired I would be done with the fishing.  I set out this morning to find someone who could weld/repair aluminum and even though this town is about 4,000 in size, I had a devil of a time.  On one of my final stops at what appeared to be a back yard mechanics little shop I met Trejo, a retired mechanic who fixes things in his back yard for friends.  He assured me that the last two people in town who could weld and repair aluminum had died, however, he and his wife were going shopping in Laredo (50 miles to the North) and he knew of a fellow there who could repair it.  He offered to take it with, get it fixed and call me on his return.  He did just that, and I am now back in business.  Cost $10.00.  In the course of our conversation he asked about my boat and expressed concern that I would venture out in such a small craft and before I departed he was offering me the use of his boat any time I wanted it.  I thanked him and said next winter when I come back here I would take him up on that but only if he would go fishing with me.  That brought a huge smile to a deeply tanned face and a few Spanish words I did not understand.  His firm handshake said, 'we are friends for whatever is left of our lives'.  Several other couples have stopped by to welcome us as they are out and about on their evening walks. Jim and Barb who have a permanent winter site some blocks away stopped by and brought me a sample of the baits he has been using to catch huge crappie.  We have an invite to stop up and visit them if time permits before we leave. I wish I could remember all the names of others but will just look forward to getting to know them better next winter.

     Our stay here so far has been incredible and I see no reason for that to change in the few days we have left.  Much to soon we will be heading North, but the minute we are rolling in that direction we will have a lot to look forward to. 

     Gosh, this retired lifestyle of ours is fantastic!

P.S.  put your cursor over the pictures to read the caption.

Posted by George at 07:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We pulled out of Fun-n-Sun at San Benito Texas on March 1st and headed 90 some miles NW along the Rio Grand River to Zapata Texas to try some fishing for a week or two on Falcon Lake.  Yes---that Falcon Lake--- where the guy from Colorado was shot and killed on the Mexican side of the Lake while he and his wife were on jet skis some months ago.

     I do not have any intention of going over to the Mexican side of the lake even though most of the big time Bass Tournament Fishermen have once again started fishing the Mexican side.  My little boat powered by only a trolling motor would never make it, unless the wind blows so strong that it blows me in that direction

     I have been researching the fishing reports from this lake for some time now and with us being so close I could not resist giving it a try.  The reports are unbelievable with it taking somewhere from 45 to 50 lbs (five fish limit) to win a tournament on this lake.  It has been a well kept secret how good this lake is for Bass Fishing but word is starting to get out and a drive through town shows many Bass Boats parked here and there.

     Now those of you who know me, know that my Tournament Days and Prime for fishing Bass are well behind me.  I like to say----I had my day, but no matter the age factor, or physical condition, I still have the desire.  I now carry in the 'basement' of the motor home a Sea eagle Fold cat Two Seat Pontoon boat powered by a 55 thrust trolling motor.  I can't go far and its size and stability place some limitations on what I can and can not do, but I have to tell you.  It has made for a lot of fun.

     Pictured below are a few pictures of me and my little boat.  The first picture Kathleen took through the windows of our Motor Home as I launched off the bank in the cove near where we are parked at the Four Seasons RV Park in Zapata, Texas.

     I fished for about 4 hours my first day here and the following are some pictures of my the catch I kept.  There is one a little over 5 lbs, two around 4 lbs, and two around 3 lbs.  Yes, I kept these for a few meals.  I did catch a few others but released them as the daily limit is 5, and must be 15" or over.  Mine were well over 15".

     My second day out I fished a point where I had caught a couple of nice fish the first day out.  I boated 20 plus fish off this point in a little over 5 hours.  Most were 3 to 5 lbs.  Yes, I also lost some and of course the big ones get away.  I had a blast.  My problem, it is difficult to take pictures of the fish when I am alone on my boat.  I tried hanging them but my boat is just small enough that as I move around on it, stability becomes an issue and I really don't want to go for a swim.  Also the true size of these fish are hard to capture but I am working on it.

     The quality and quantity of the fish that one can catch with little effort here on Falcon Lake is unreal.  While I did keep the initial 5 that I caught on the first day I have been releases all that I have caught since.  While cleaning those 5 fish I had a chance to talk to a couple of guys cleaning approximately 42 lbs of Crappies----all in the 2 lb range.  Hard for me to give up Bass fishing to catch crappie but with fish like that I may have to give it a try.

     We will be returning to Falcon Lake next winter, "The good Lord willing and the creek don't rise."  I feel like I have died and gone to heaven!  If Saint Peter will let me near a computer in the coming days I will post more results and pictures.

Posted by George at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kathleen here,

Each week our Writers' Group picks out of a hat a subject for the week. This particular subject was: "Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars." The following is what I wrote. This was an observation of my grandnephew Jake and grandniece Jaylin, as they played together.

Posted by riverjones at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by riverjones at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by riverjones at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Kathleen has been participating in her writers group and other activities here at Fun-n-Sun RV park, our home for the Winter.  You have read some of her stories and hopefully will be reading more of her work in the future.

     I too, have been enjoying our stay here as this RV park has a wood working shop second to none.  There is every conceivable tool, saw, sander, drill press, lath, etc. etc.  More importantly my fellow wood shop companions are retired wood workers with talent and expertise that they are more than willing to share----just ask!  I have had a couple of projects that I have now completed and will share through pictures what they were.

     As some of you may remember from past postings I have an interest in working with "Diamond Willow" and have been making quite a few walking sticks.  Some of them I have even carved "Wood Spirits" on the shaft.  Some of the pieces of Diamond Willow do not lend themselves to making very good walking sticks as they may be too large in diameter or have an ugly bend or angle where they should be straight, etc.  If cut correctly some of those pieces do make nice "lamp shafts".

     In the following pictures you will see the very first lamp I made and now have completed.  I have several more in the works and will be enjoying the rest of winter here working on them.

     In addition to the above project I wanted to do something with the TV situation in our bed room.  Above the washer dryer was one of those 200 lb huge TV's that take up a ton of space and space in our "Tininthewind RV" is at a premium.  That old TV occupied a huge area, residing on a lazy Susan type stand that pulled out of its cubby hole and then swiveled slightly so as to be visible from one lying in bed.

     I knew If I could remove all that bulk and simply mount a new "modern" slimline LCD TV on a "pocket door" overhead channel I could gain a heck of a lot of space for a new cupboard.

     The following pictures should give you some idea of the space gained and what the finished project looks like.  You can see on the left the pocket that the TV slides in too for storage as we travel and how it slides out when we want to watch it.  To the right of it is now a huge cabinet/cupboard with the Oak facing and door that I made.  You may also note that I trimmed the overhead track that the TV travels on in Oak.  Amazingly the Oak stain and finish matched pretty well with the surrounding original factory Oak trim and lower lattice doors which close off the washer dryer area.

     Lets see-----other than some more lamps to finish, what other projects can I come up with?

Posted by George at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by riverjones at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by riverjones at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Fun-n-Sun Winter Texan Senior Resort or whatever you want to call it is where we will call home for the next three months.  This is a RV mini-city with approximately 1500 sites which will mostly be full some time between Christmas and New Years, but for now there are a lot of empty sites.  Our little community is gated, streets have have appropriate names such as ours, (Restful), and others like, (Quiet), etc.  All the streets are paved.  The sites are grass with cement pad, walkway and reasonable room between rigs.  There are literally hundreds of huge palm tree's waving in the breeze.

     Last year was a cool/wet winter and in spite of it we enjoyed many days at the huge outdoor pool/hot tub area.  This year the weather has been fantastic so far and the long range outlook is for a more normal Rio Grand Valley Winter and we are excited to experience it.

     There are so many things going on in this park that one has to study the Activity Book daily so as to be sure not to miss something desired.  I have signed up to use the wood-working shop this year and spent some time there today.  I have many projects in mind and hope I find time to accomplish just a few of them.  There is every tool imaginable which will make my projects very enjoyable.

     We are hearing of the snow and cold back in the old home area of the mid-west and are ever more grateful to just be where we are. 

     We will be flying to the Seattle area to spend Christmas with our Boys and Families.  We look forward to being with them but will be anxious to return to our 'Tininthewind'.

Posted by George at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Bill McNew, my fellow full-time RV traveling friend has been fishing the intra-coastal waterway here in Rockport.  Bill is one who rises early in the morning and spends many mornings fishing.  Sometimes when I get up at the crack of 9 or so I drive out to join him.  This morning, I didn't and Bill finally caught what we have been fishing for.  The fish is a 'Bull Red', about 36" and 25 lbs.

     We are planning to have Fish for dinner tonight as Margaret (Bills wife)  and Kathleen will do the honors. 

     While driving back from the cleaning station and having the fillets on ice Bill and I joked with each other-----figuring with the licenses, tackle bought, and bait for each day this one fish is probably worth about $40.00 a serving for tonight.

     It better be good.

Posted by George at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*Please keep scrolling down, as a glitch has caused large gaps between pictures. Sorry.

Posted by riverjones at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We have landed for the month of November at the Lagoons RV Resort in Rockport, Texas and are very happy with our site and what we see of the park so far.  We are about 100 yards from the indoor swimming pool and activities center.  We have met two of our closest neighbors, both of whom have been coming to this park for the last 5 years and speak highly of it.

     We have visited this coastal town approx. four times in the last two years and really like the area.  This month long stay in the RV park is to see if we would like it long term for the winter months rather than continuing on with the Rio Grand Valley and San Benito.  This area is much more laid back from a busy traffic situation and much easier to get around in.  The park lacks some of the frills that we have become accustomed too at the Fun-n-Sun Resort in San Benito, Texas so we will have to see.

     One of the big pluses to Rockport area is that the winds are generally lighter than they are in the Valley and most everyone says they put their awnings out and have no concerns.  That is something that was difficult to do in San Benito.

     Kathleen just came in from sitting outside and reading on her new Kindle.  She reports it is a little 'close'.  I take that to mean a little warm and humid as we don't have any immediate neighbors as yet.  It is currently 89 degrees and a bit humid but a big thunderstorm is rolling in for tonight and tomorrow so we will see how well our awning handles it all.  Temps for the next five days are to be in the mid 70's, more to my liking.

Posted by George at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Starting our 5th year of full-timing in our home (tininthewind), we have had many back yards.  Sometimes we head for a place based on the fact that it will be a beautiful setting and the park is part of our membership groups.  Sometimes we simply stop at a given park because we are in transit heading from point A to B.  Sometimes our back yard may simply be a spot of convenience such as a Wal-mart parking lot or perhaps a welcoming spot in a Casino parking lot.  No matter the stop (back yard), we make the best of it.

     There may be neighbors to meet and greet.  There may be a beautiful mountain in the distance to go explore.  There may simply be an interesting looking side road, so why not go see where it leads.  It also may just be a place to rest from the drive, get a good nights sleep, and then the next day, travel on.

     Neither of us can think of one instance in the past 4 years that we have felt uncomfortable or fearful and wished we hadn't stopped, and that includes our two winter travels of Mexico. 

     We do not always photograph our nightly site, and now in preparing this blog, I wish we had as it would show a better composite of this lifestyle of ours. 

     I believe having the camping memberships that we do have has allowed us to keep our nightly costs to a minimum while enjoying some of the more pristine settings as we travel.  We have Thousand Trails, Coast to Coast, Resort Park International (RPI), Passport America, Escapee's, Good Sam, and of course there is always a discount for AARP if all else fails.

     We have been deep in the forest with wildlife all around us.  We have been exposed to the blazing sun in the middle of a concrete jungle, with the generator running to keep the A/C cooling.  We have been in the middle of huge fields  with staked off roads while attending rallies with hundreds of others just like us.  We have been hunkered down because the storm approaching was a doozie. 

     There has not been one time that we have looked at each other and said, "Why are we doing this".  We would not change one minute of what has become, Our Lifestyle.

     We have truly enjoyed the journey so far and look forward to many more years of seeing what is around the next corner.

     Check out the following slide show to view some of the 'Back Yards' we have had.  I regret that we did not take a picture of every one of them.

                                                             Slide Show

Posted by George at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     It won't be long and we will have completed our commitment to Volunteer Host at Andersen Lake State Park for the month of July.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay and duties here at the Park.  In addition to Andersen Lake we have been privileged to have met all the Volunteers and Paid Staff at Fort Flagler State Park just outside of Port Townsend.  Our (boss) friend Ranger Mike Zimmerman, the Park Manager have made us feel an intricate part of the whole system.

     Every Saturday night a group called, "Friends of Fort Flagler", host a Music in the Park Venue which is a two hour show featuring various music groups, most with Folk Music/Jazz style.  We have attended them all so far and find the presentations to be outstanding.  The program is held outdoors in between underground bunkers and could probably be considered the most unique stage presentation you could find anywhere.  The acoustics are awesome.

     Tuesday evening is steak night at one of the local pubs in Port Hadlock and some of the Volunteer couples gather to socialize with each other and we have enjoyed this outing as well.  We gather at about 5:30, and at 6:00 the owner of the pub blows a bugle to indicate it is time to step outside where the grills are located to place your order for steak and the trimmings that go with.  The Fort Flagler group is known to get a bit loud but I suppose that goes with the pub atmosphere.  I'm just sayin'!

     This Thursday is a pot-luck that will be held in one of the shelters at the Fort Flagler Camp Ground.  Most of the Volunteers and Paid Staff will be attending.  Ranger Mike has indicated that he plans to put out the crab pots in the bay and will be providing as much crab as he can.  Just outside the entrance to Fort Flagler is a commercial operation offering fresh caught crab, oysters, clams, and fish so I would expect some will arrive with plenty of sea food to go with the other offerings.  Pot-lucks are always awesome and I expect this one will be no exception.

     Last week two of our fellow full-time RV friends stopped to visit us as they toured the Peninsula, Bill and Margaret Mcnew.  We have known Bill and Margaret for several years now and always enjoy each others company when our paths cross in our travels.  We introduced Bill and Margaret to Ranger Mike at Fort Flagler and long story short----they are now on site at Fort Flagler and the newest Volunteer couple under Ranger Mike's leadership.  We stopped over at the Fort yesterday and Bill was busy mowing grass, a task that he enjoys.  Margaret will be assisting in the office doing some archiving.

     Bill and I have been fishing off the Fort Flagler point as much as we can.  We haven't hooked and landed any salmon yet but we will continue to give it our best efforts.  Fishing on this point is very enjoyable as the beauty of the area is awesome.  Many cruise ships headed for the inside passage to Alaska from Seattle pass close by as we are fishing.

     In our free time, we have enjoyed touring the area and one of our recent trips, with Bill and Margaret, was to Hurricane Ridge.  We enjoyed the drive up the mountain and the scenery looking out over the Strait and the San Juan's was spectacular.

     We will be returning to the mainland of Washington and more visits with our Brosius Families before ultimately returning to the Wisconsin area for our Fall Visits, but until we do, we will continue to enjoy our time at Andersen Lake State Park and our association with all the folks at Fort Flagler.

The pictures that follow are random but pertinent to the comments above.  Place your pointer on the picture for a description and or comment.

Posted by George at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     It all starts with a phone call:  We hadn't planned on this as we sort of pre-planned our summer to center around our Sons and their families since we missed out on a lot of grandkid hugs last summer----but----when Ranger Mike called to see if we would be available to Host at Andersen Lake State Park-------------

     How Could We Refuse.

     Several years ago Kathleen and I drove in to Andersen Lake State Park and encountered yellow police tape strung across the road prohibiting vehicular entry.  The park had been closed due to a recent discovery of a toxic algae Bloom that had apparently sickened several dogs who had drunk from the lake after hiking with their masters.  All had been treated by the same Vet, and the link to the lake water was suspected.  EPA testing confirmed the high level of toxicity.

     We left the car and hiked to the Lake and discovered one of the most pristine spots we have ever visited in all our travels.  There was an unoccupied Host Site with full hook-ups and our curiosity caused us to do some research to find out who to contact and see if we could perhaps apply for the Volunteer Host Position.

     Ranger Mike Zimmerman took our call and in spite of having all the people he needed invited us to submit an application.  He stopped by the RV park we were staying in at the time to drop off the application and in so doing conducted an interview of sorts with the both of us.  That was three years ago!

     Some time around the end of April Mike sent us an e-mail wanting to know if we were available for the summer to Host at Andersen Lake.  We responded to let him know that our plans for most of the summer were committed, however, if for some reason he could use us for just one month we would consider it.  He responded and said he could use us for the month of July and would pencil us in.  We responded back and told him to put it in ink as we would be there.  I guess you can tell by the pictures above we are on site and ready to assume our Volunteer Duties.  Mike has been away on some family matters and we won't hear from him or anyone until after the holiday so in the meantime we will just enjoy the beautiful view.

Posted by George at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     There isn't a father anywhere who could be more proud than I of my Son's.  There lives are well established, there contributions to society are all positive, and they, as fathers themselves, are having great success at raising (my) four wonderful grandkids.  We were fortunate that we could all get together on this Fathers Day 2010 and enjoy each others company. 

     We were planning our little gathering to be at the Thousand Trails Thunderbird Resort in Monroe, Washington where we currently are but the weather would not cooperate so we shifted our plans and headed for Bill, Heidi, Mason and Maddies house in Renton.  That was a good call as it rained steady most of the day.

     Not every father gets a pair of underwear for Fathers Day and can laugh about it but as you will see in one of the pictures they did have a little fun with me.  The big question was---"will they fit grandpa?"

     We all had a great time and look forward to the rest of the summer and each others company.  Oh, did I mention how proud I am of my two Washinton Families.

Posted by George at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kathleen here,

Posted by riverjones at 08:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     As Kathleen mentioned we are in NW Washington within easy driving distance of our Boys and their families.  We have been enjoying getting together with them and especially the hugs from the little ones.  We had a picnic of sorts this Memorial Week-end in between the rain drops at our Motor Coach (tininthewind), and after everyone left it is time to reflect how fortunate we are and remember for a moment those who "Gave All" and are giving their all even as we speak!

     I reminded of course of the ultimate sacrifice that so many have given, including my Dad.  They gave all and never returned.

     The above painting was of a P-38 fighter plane such as the one my dad lost his life in during WWII.  I had a painter from Ohio paint the above image and for many years I had it mounted on the side of my semi-trailer for all to ask questions about as I criss-crossed the USA.  He actually painted a mirror image so that I had one on both sides of the trailer.  I received many questions and comments as I traveled along via the CB radio.

      Lieutenant George E Brosius, 1923-1945

     My Mom and Guess Who?

     Today is a day to remember all those who are serving, have served, and especially those who
"Gave All."  I especially want to remember my Dad, Lieutenant George E Brosius, 1923-1945,
WWII, Lost somewhere in the Philipinnes, June of 1945.  We never got to know each other
accept for a few pictures, as I was only 3 mo. old when he went missing.  The following song is a
tribute to him.  I took the liberty to change a few words from the song by Billy Ray Cyrus 

     
"Some Gave All"  Click on the following link to listen to that Song!

Posted by George at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by riverjones at 06:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     After receiving a comment from at least one of my grandchildren it was enough to encourage me to add a couple more "story songs" to my attempts at internet Karaoke.  I may be running out of steam and material but at least I have had fun with this new hobbie.  Click on the link below if you are able to stand finger nails scraping on the blackboard----just kidding----enjoy!

                                                          Click Here

Posted by George at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Located way off in a residential neighborhood in Donna, Texas is an unmarked restaurants of sorts.  I put it that way because there are no visible signs that the building is a restaurant, no sign, no anything, except long lines of customers leading in to the building and lots of cars parked on the street.

     If you do a little research on what to do and see in the Rio Grand Valley for us winter Texans you will for sure locate a visit to the Gonzalez's Burgers as being one of the highlights.

     The story goes, that the Gonzalez family owns a large ranch just outside the valley.  They butcher their own beef, bring it to this out of the way place, grind the meat as it is needed, prepare it and serve it throughout the day. 

     It is a fact that they try to accommodate everyone in line but if they run out of meat they simply turn the sign to closed and those still in line will have to come back another day.  The menu is burgers of the usual style, such as cheese burger, bacon burger, etc.  It is the size and price that apparently is the draw.  I had a plain burger with, onion, pickle, mustard, catchup and the price was $3.70.  Our neighbor Carole had a Bacon Burger which included 7 slices of bacon on top of the patty you see in the above picture.  Add a family size serving of Fry's and onion rings to split between and you won't eat for the rest of the day.

     Seating is at long tables which makes for a great way to meet people and carry on a conversation while waiting for your order.

     Pictured below are our neighbors Jean-Louis and Carole Gobeil who are also full-time motor-homers but have their roots in Montreal, Canada, and also a look at the line waiting to order.

     For lack of a better word, the restaurant, is talked about constantly through the forums on the computer and the business just keeps coming six days a week, usually closing about 2:00 when they run out of meat for the day.

Posted by George at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Another day without the sun here in the RGV but the slight breeze has the palms waving.  This picture is from the front of our coach to our nearest neighbors to our North.  There is about a block equivalent empty space between us.  I am tempted to go out and fly a kite cause that is what Kathleen told me to do, but guess I would have to go buy one first.

     The weather here continues to be quite cool and a lot of drizzle from time to time.  Everyone says this is a very unusual weather even for this area so we continue to have patients.  Patients is wearing thin though and the 'tininthewind' does have wheels.

     Kathleen is off to participate in some ladies day activities and I think I will find the largest beach towel we have and head for the jacuzzi and pool. 

     Hope wherever you are, you are contending with the weather, and knowing what most of you are contending with cold, I promise to quit complaining.

Posted by George at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 First off:  Happy New Year to all our friends and family. 

     We have had a busy couple of weeks over the holidays.  I had ordered a 25" monitor for Kathleen's Desk Top Computer several months ago with plans to replace the CPU (computer itself) when a good deal came along.  About a month ago just what we were looking for popped up on:  Yugster.com .

     The new CPU is a great addition to that huge monitor.  It shipped with Microsoft Vista as the operating system but also included a free offer to ask for the Windows 7 upgrade disks.  We sent for them and I spent a couple days this past week installing Windows 7.  I am happy to report that it went fairly smooth and the system is fantastic.

     Kathleen's passion and hobby has been, since going full time four years ago, to digitize all our family photo's and all the photo's she has collected over the years of her family and mine.  She had been doing a great job and was enjoying her work but was running out of hard drive space on our older computer.  This new one has a 'Terabyte' of hard drive so I don't think she will run out of room for even more pictures.

     As if the above wasn't enough to do, we decided to upgrade our TV at the front of the 'tininthewind'.  We replaced the 27" Sony with a 42" Philips.  The new one fit like a glove where the old one resided.  It took about two days to get it in place, mounted and anchored securely in place.  I had to turn myself into a pretzel to get it accomplished and could only work a couple hours before having to give the 'ol body a rest.  Its done and we love it.

     We RV'ers being the spoiled retired lot that we are, also like to have a TV outside for watching Nascar on Sunday afternoons so I built a special shelf to store the 27" Sony in the basement and special hanging brackets for it when we desire to use it.

     With all of my projects done, at least for awhile, I think I will just kick back with a cold pop and enjoy the outside patio.  The weather here in Texas is starting to improve.  The 'snowbirds' who waited till after Christmas to leave family up North are arriving in droves.  With the weather improving and everyone feeling a bit more like being outside we may yet get a chance to meet some of the 1500 who are in this Park.

Posted by George at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We have been enjoying all the festivities here in the Fun N Sun RV Park in spite of some very windy cool weather.  We are missing all our Family and Friends, especially on this day.  We had an OK Christmas dinner with about 500 other gray haired folks but sure had memories of those fantastic Christmas Dinners past.

     We have a little special message for you all:

                                                          Movie

Posted by George at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     In the picture above the 'tininthewind' is sitting pretty just after our arrival at the "Fun N Sun Resort".  We were given the choice of six or seven sites and we chose R-169.  Our street name is 'Restful'.  Just behind us are several streets of permanent sites with different styles of park models and all attractively landscaped with fruit tree's heavily laden with ripening grapefruit and oranges, and of course many varieties of flowers or flowering bushes.

     This park offers more activities than either of us care to get involved in but from time to time it will be fun to attend some of the entertainment venues and some of the pot luck gatherings but for the most part we prefer to just relax.

     Several things do peak my interest and I plan to take advantage of them.  The first is a beautiful pool/jacuzzi area that is open 24/7.  The second is a huge exercise center that has the latest equipment and is also open 24/7.  We have been here three days and I have used the pool and jacuzzi every day.  I got acquainted with the exercise center this evening before going to the pool and I can't wait to get back there tomorrow.

     There are wood working shops, carving gatherings, indoor shuffleboard, billiards, RC-electric care race tracks used for practice and competition.  There are huge mowed fields near-by for kite flying and a measured driving range.  There are other activities and dedicated buildings for those activities but I haven't had time to check them all out.

     We have been out and about in the surrounding area and are learning our way around.  There is anything and everything one could want within just a few miles of us.

     A lady standing near her pick-up loaded with fresh fruit caught my eye this morning so I stopped.  Apparently she comes to the Resort every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.  She and her husband have their own orchards.  I bought 1 bag of Texas Select Pink Grapefruit (picked this morning). There were 16 in the bag and I paid $3.00.  I also bought a huge bag of fresh picked oranges for $3.00.  There were other produce items but since I was out for a walk I figured one bag under each arm was enough to get us started.

     Everywhere you go in the park people are friendly.  If they don't verbally great you they at least wave in passing.  I have met and had conversations with several people at the pool/jacuzzi area.  My favorite question is: "Is this your first year to this park"?  I have yet to find anyone who is a newcomer.  All have been coming multiple years.

     Kathleen and I are going to a "Welcome Newcomers" meeting tomorrow where we will be given a talk on the park and can get any questions we may have answered.  There are 1500 "Winter Texan" sites here and it is virtually a city unto itself.

     I think we are going to like it here!

Posted by George at 06:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     One week from today there will be a new hip living under the 'tininthewind' roof and we are sure it is going to like the ride. 

     We are at Goose Island and enjoying our stay.  The weather has been spectacular and even though the days pass slowly it won't be long and we will be getting ready to head south.

     The season of Fall in the Midwest is very colorful with the leaves changing colors and the temperatures are usually to my liking.  We have our fingers crossed for an extended Fall season and truly hope our time of physical therapy is successful and finished before those white flakes start falling and signaling a change of season.

Posted by George at 06:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We are now one month in to our fourth year full-time in the 'tininthewind' and excited to see what the next four years will bring.  We have had some health problems to deal with such as Kathleen's hip replacement at the moment but our little home has served us well during the recovery process and we expect this time to be no different.

     I like to reflect on the many miles that we have covered, and the multitude of new back yards we have awakened in but the most important aspect of this lifestyle to me has been the many friends we have made in our travels.  Friendships that develop in a hurry because tomorrow one or the other may be moving on.  Friendships that grow stronger through the marvels of the day such as contact through e-mail and/or skype.  There will be many more Friendships made and we look forward to that.

     We have learned to look ahead and plan accordingly.  We have also learned to keep our plans fluid just in case we want to go left instead of right.  The beauty of having wheels on our 'wheel-estate' I can't begin to describe.  We are always in awe of the opportunities we had yesterday, and wonder what they will bring tomorrow.  Most importantly with family scattered all over the place we can point the nose to the Midwest for that hug from mom (yes my mom at 87 is still doing well), or point the nose to the northwest for that grandkid fix which is so important at this stage in life. 

     I am looking out the window now at our beautiful Mississippi River flowing by like we did from our stick home of 37 years and yet my feet are feeling itchy.  We will move tomorrow a little ways up the road as we continue to await Kathleen's hip surgery day on the 25th of September.

Posted by George at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     A little to windy today for my little boat on the lake so another road trip was our choice.  We took off in a new direction to explore and on one stop back in the woods Kathleen picked wild raspberries while I picked a bunch of wild flowers to present to her.  The berries will be good with cereal in the morning and the flowers, after the kiss I got, will be fine decoration at that breakfast table.

     We stopped to photo a creek that we crossed, a road covered with water spilling over from a week of very rainy weather, an unoccupied forest observation tower and continue to marvel at the beauty of this part of Minnesota.  Enjoy the photo's.

Posted by George at 04:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     No matter where we are in this beautiful country we alway try to do a little research about the area and then take off on a road trip with the jeep.  Northern Minnesota does not lack for points of interest and when we see a beautiful picture we park the car----get out----and get the best picture we can.

     Our focus for the road trip was to visit a small rv park on the U.S. side of Crane Lake.  The park is located in a very unique spot and what interested us was it reportedly had 50amp, water and sewer hook-ups and we wanted to explore it for a possible future stop.  On our stop we got out to photo our beautiful U.S. flag and look across the water to Canada. 

     Once we had checked out the park it was time to use the jeep for what it is made and take off on some of the Forrest roads in the area in search of the Vermillion River Falls.  We knew it would probably really be boiling the water as there had been so much rain this past week.  We also knew it would require a little hiking to view it but my partner with the sore hip was game to give it a try.  That hip hurts like "H" but Kathleen is a real trooper and saluted me by holding that walking stick high above her head.

     The beauty all along our hike was worth the pain, we both agreed.  Some of the rapids and pools between them reminded us of the many canoe and portaging trips we made when we were first married and made numerous trips to camp in this part of the country.

     The hikers!

Posted by George at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Fishing Vermillion Lake from my pee-wee sea eagle pontoon boat is a hoot.  I keep branching out and fishing different bays as I keep testing the reliability of making it back without running out of trolling motor power.  Generally it is a good idea to head out in to the wind just in case you misjudge the point to turn around and head for the battery charger and harbor, at least the wind might help while rowing.  So far I have had plenty of fishing and still plenty of power from the battery when I have returned.

     I am catching a few fish, large mouth, small mouth and a few northern pike but not the "hogs" that were mentioned to me last week.

     The weather has been all over the map.  Very hot when we first arrived in the area and now quite cool and rainy.  It is beautiful out on the lake.  The loons have not disappointed as quite often I am greeted by their call when I come around a corner and surprise them.

     Tomorrow, Friday evening, like most places in the country several suggested restaurants in the area are having "Friday night Fish specials" and we have been told of one at the "Landing" that we will be giving a try.  Most that we have been familiar with serve cod or white fish but apparently the Landing will feature "Canadian Walleye". 

     We are planning on remaining in this area until we need to return to La Crosse for Kathleen's first orthopedic appointments.

Posted by George at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Wanted to fish in the worst way today but it was a little to windy for my pee-wee boat so ended up laying low and working around the 'tininthewind'.  We did surface long enough on the end of the day to head out to about the only spot we know so far for good food, "The Landing".

     Seated next to us, the only other couple in the dining area, were Denny and Sue Vande Linde, permanent residents since retirement to the Lake Vermillion area.  They moved from the Twin Cities area after they sold their business.  Denny now keeps busy with guiding, and a pest control business.  I started a conversation between us mostly asking questions about the fishing and Denny helped me with advise even though he doesn't fish bass much, preferring musky and walleye.  Denny and Sue ended up joining us at our table and we had a most pleasant exchange covering many subjects.  We probably won't ever see them again but we are so fortunate in this life style of ours to have encounters like this with folks and it only takes moments to feel like long time friends.

     We left the restaurant and made our way to the marina to check on my boat.  It was fine.  Right were I left it, and beckoning to go fishing, but that will wait until tomorrow, weather permitting..  If not there is always another day!

Posted by George at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We settled on the new RV Park built behind the 'Timbuktu' marine and along the Forrest edge.  Wild life is abundant and we just discovered they have a pretty speedy WiFi being projected from their large building off in the distance.  Maybe Skype will work here after all.  There still is nothing for a cell phone signal on our Verizon and I must say in all our travels this is the first time we have not had use of our phones.

     My little pee-wee sea eagle pontoon is set up and in its slip at the 'Timbuktu' marina about 11 miles down the road to a beautiful secluded bay on Lake Vermillion.

     This RV Park is very remote and there seems to be plenty of wild life passing through from time to time.  This evening as I was working around outside two yearling twin bucks ambled along eating the clover that makes up most of the ground cover here.  This should be a nice two week stay.

Posted by George at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     The weather has warmed enough to prompt me to want to head a bit North and along the North Shore of Lake Superior.  I have been watching the weather there all week and it has been 8 to 10 degree's cooler there on any given day than what we have been experiencing at Goose Island.  That would be my kind of weather.  We will head in that direction Thursday.

     Once in the Lake Superior area we will explore some of the back roads west in to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to see if we can find a couple of good 'boondocking' spots for the 'tininthewind'.  We have not spent a lot of time in that area since I was in college so I suspect there have been many changes.  I don't think we will be disappointed as it is still pretty remote.  The only negative aspect to this move is that if I find a good place to fish it will mean another states fishing license.  Dang, it gets expensive to move from state to state and want to fish.  We need a national fishing license good in all states for those of us retired folk who like to fish.  Either that, or someone needs to become a martyr and just go fishing without.  Hmmm.  Problem is, I don't think I would like jails, or having my personal stuff confiscated.

     It is not likely that we will have access to the web so it may seem like we have dropped off the face of the earth but not to worry, we will surface somewhere.

Posted by George at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     The County Fair was in full swing in the Iowa County that I grew up in and being in the area it was only natural that we would pick up my mom and all head out to an afternoon at the fair.

     Looking back to when I was pre-teen the County fair was a big deal.  We saved our dimes and nickles for months just to be able to go on the rides and might even entice one of the girls to go on the tilt-a-whirl with us.  I remember the fair grounds as being huge, and the animal barns to be overwhelming. 

     Nothing has changed today, except the grounds are still the same size and the barns all where they were then, but as an adult it seems no bigger than a postage stamp.  The only thing that was high on our list of 'to do', was to make a stop at our church fair booth for some of that good old home town cooking and especially a piece of pie with ice cream.  Running in to former high school friends was a plus as we crossed paths with several.

     Oh, one thing did change.  The charge to get through the gate and enter the grounds was $10.00 each.  That really seems steep to visit a postage stamp affair.  I couldn't tell you what it cost to get in when I was young as I would always get let out on the road by my buddies and weave my way through the cornfield till I could simply enter the grounds.  No way was I parting with my dimes and nickles just to get in.

Posted by George at 03:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     The Weather has been great so we have not found the need to migrate North for cooler weather.  That is the plan if and when things get uncomfortably hot.

     We have been down to visit my mom at her senior center in Iowa a few times but the last two times we went to visit she was either busy getting her hair done or gone shopping with an elderly aunt who lives in the area.  One of these days we will learn to call and let her know we are coming.  Getting her on the phone is difficult as she is usually out playing cards with other residents of the home.  This is the same 'lady' who gave us such a hard time about moving to a senior center.  She now tells us she is very happy there.  We are happy for her!

     Tomorrow is moving day for us.  We have reached the allowable stay at this Corp of Engineers Park near Desoto, Wisconsin.  One is allowed to stay 14 days and then must be out of the park 14 days before returning for another 14 day stay.  We like this park because we can use our "America the Beautiful Senior Pass and can stay for half price.  A real savings when you are full-time.  We are not sure where we will move to tomorrow as we have several options that we like and will just make the decision as we depart this park.

     We have had an electric driver side window failure in the jeep and will be getting that fixed Friday.  Our water pump in the 'tininthewind' is also cutting in and out so I have arranged to pick up a new one Friday and will have it on hand when the old one dies completely.

     The boat is dismantled and tucked away in the basement.  Most outside chores are done for getting ready to roll tomorrow.  Kathleen is out sitting in the sun enjoying the day, and I am about to take a mid afternoon power nap.  Life doesn't get any better than that.

Posted by George at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We continue with our 'Hanging Out' here in the Mid-West as we wait for this surgery date for Kathleen's hip.  We are camping as much as we can along our beloved Mississippi River and I have my little two seat pontoon boat in the water and ready to go at a moments notice.  I have been giving the fishing a go most every day but the fish have really not cooperated.  It is the doldrums of the summer and the fish can be very lazy.

     We have quite a few weeks before Kathleen's preparatory appointments begin so we will watch the weather and if it looks like a heat wave is about to start we will head North to see if we can find the cooler weather.  The North shore of Lake Superior will be appealing if it gets hot.

     I need to find more things to occupy my time each day as I can't polish the 'tininthewind' too much more or I will break through the paint layer pretty soon.  The weather has been perfect for being outside and I tend to hang there as much as I can.

     We are aware that the Temperature in the North West has been unusually hot and if it weren't for the hip thing we would probably be as uncomfortable as all the friends and family we left there. 

Posted by George at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good News---Roll the Presses---Good News

     What a crew at the Viroqua Center for Orthopedic Surgery.  Following an early morning call by Kathleen to the center to explore if there would be any other options for her than waiting till next spring April/May timeframe to have her hip replaced she was told by ‘Connie’ that there had just been a surgery cancellation and it may be possible to allow her to fill it if all the players agreed.  Connie assured Kathleen that she would go to work on it and call her back, but cautioned her not to get her hopes up just yet.  It was becoming increasingly obvious that even with good pain control it would have been difficult for her to have made it till next spring.  Because of that we are so grateful to be able to get this replacement accomplished earlier rather than later.

     In less than an hour she called back to say all had been cleared.  Kathleen has her first appointment tomorrow morning.  She will then meet with Dr. Lawrence (the surgeon) Sept. 3^rd, then will have preparatory appointments with others through mid-September and is scheduled for hip replacement surgery September 25^th.

     With an expected normal recovery and physical therapy we can probably expect to depart from this cold part of the country well before it gets too nasty.  At this point we can not say for certain exactly what that date will be, but for most of the winter we should be able to seek the warmth of the Rio Grand Valley.

     This change complicates a few things for us and we will begin to work through the logistics of that in the coming days, but as is usually the case, it will all work out.

Posted by George at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     We are now camped near West Salem Wisconsin, close to where the La Crosse County Fair is in progress. A close family friend Jean Krause and nine other celebrity contestants will compete in a goat milking competition for a deserving Charity.  Our grandchildren Mason and Maddie visiting from Renton Washington, their great grandma Betty, their other grandparents Dewey and Mary Crocker, Kathleen and Me jointed Jeans husband Norm in a standing room only animal barn for the competition and the awarding of the coveted trophy.  The contestants including Jean are all celebrity dignitaries from the area, and include hospital administrative types, TV weather meteorologists, disc jockeys, and various business dignitaries.   The challenge was for each contestant to have 4 minutes to milk a goat and following the 4 minutes to have the quantity measured.  Mason and Maddie did not miss a thing and in addition to cheering Jean on, monitored carefully the measuring of her effort.  Go Jean!!!

     Maddie and Mason made sure the measurement was correct.  Jeans total in the measured 4 minutes was 5 cups.   The nearest celebrity competitor to Jean had 3 and 3/4 cups.  And the Winner is?  Note the trophy in her left hand.

Congratulations Jean.

Posted by George at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Grandkids, Grandpa, and fishing just seem to go hand in hand.  I was so fortunate to enjoy both of my little Brosius Families and fishing in the Cowlitz River this summer.  We didn't catch a lot on most of our outings but the snuggles and lazy leisurely days with the opportunities to bond with the young ones is priceless.

     The pictures that follow show an afternoon I got to spend with Maddie and Mason.

Posted by George at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Look closely in the distance of the above photo and you will see the 'colored stations' of the 'Croquet'  set that has been created for the Toutle River RV Resort.  There is a large open field area near the entry to the RV Resort and early on it was the inspiration of "the Charlie" (developer) to build a Croquet set and while they were at it to build one that may well be the largest set in the World.  The two Park Carpenters, Ron and Dennis created the set while Ray and a helper handled the painting.

     Since arriving here in the park last April we have seen a number of people enjoying the game.  You will see in the following pictures the mallets which in and of themselves are a work of art and very colorful.  The balls that are used are actually soccer balls.

     The large building undergoing remodeling that you see in the background of the pictures will become a very large open air pavilion for rent and use by quests and perhaps large RV Rallies that are sure to frequent this beautiful area of Washington.

     Anyone for a game of 'Croquet' ?  I will spot you two swings!

Posted by George at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     There are a lot of things that could cause one to start smoking and the 'Toutle River RV Resort' is one of them. 

     Now before you think we went off the deep end.  Have a look below!

     I have blogged recently how 'Charlie' the owner/developer of the resort is cutting no corners in seeing that the guests of the Toutle River RV Resort find a first class experience when they come to stay.  The Smokehouse you see in the picture above is just another fine example. 

     Today most of us Workampers got together and each decided to contribute something to the Smokehouse experience.  I made a brine and prepared the Sturgeon Fillets that I cut in to four to five inch chunks.  An overnight soak in the brine had them ready to go when Marvin had the smoker heating up.  Marvin and Ethel did a Salmon that they purchased for a bargain at a market in Longview, WA.  Jim did oysters on the half shell.  Don did turkey breasts.  Howard and Leah did a chicken.  Linda and Ron did a batch of jerky and Dan did some Sea Bass Fillets.

     After several hours of "Smokin" the door was opened at 4:30.  Several of the hired park workers stopped to see the results as they were just getting off work.  Mouths were watering and lips were smakin as all I can tell you is everything looked delicious.  We all made a pact to try and gather at the smokehouse every Thursday and again take advantage of it being available.  The hired staff has also been invited to bring anything they would like to contribute.

     Every Monday night we workampers gather for a theme night for dinner with a dish to pass and it now looks like we may also gather Thursday evenings for the sampling of that days Smokehouse fare. 

Posted by George at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     A fun thing to do in this retired life style of ours is to get out the Gazetteer Map, in this case for the State of Washington.  Find a road and direction that looks interesting and just drive and follow any road along your way that looks even more interesting.  One can even find some neat things to photo.  Now, when doing this one can get pretty lost.  Never fear, just simply ask "Charlott" (the womans voice inside our GPS) to take us home. (Home is where the RV is Parked).

     We are only about 75 miles from the Pacific Coast here at the 'Toutle River RV Resort'.  On this particular Exploration we traveled Hi way 4 out of Longview, WA to Ilwaco, WA and then on up the Coast to Long Beach.  A lot of this area on the Coast we are familiar with as we have spent time there in both 2007 and 2008.  One can never tire of this area as it is beautiful and the entire drive is spectacular.  A great deal of the route follows the Columbia River.  Remember Lewis and Clark?  They completed their journey in this area.

     We took our time and visited everything of interest.  One does not need a 'hot toddy' before hitting the hay for the night as an Exploratory trip like this tires you out but it is worth it for sure. 

Posted by George at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     This last winter at the RV Park in Lo De Marcos our neighbors, Gille and Diane (French Canadians) introduced us to the term and fun of Mystery Tours, organized for anyone who wanted to tag along.  They would come up with a destination that usually required four wheel drive vehicles and off they would go for the day.  Some of the trips were exciting to say the least and not something you would do alone with just one vehicle.  I blogged about the ones Kathleen and I participated in.

     Not wanting to steal Gille and Diane's term I will call our state side adventures, Mystery Trips.  Last evening six of us got together and went on a trip organized by Bill and Margaret.  Marvin, Ethel, Kathleen and I piled in the van and off we went.  The vehicle is Charlie's personal transportation and will eventually be used to take campers staying at the 'Toutle River RV Resort' on organized tours. 

     The initial purpose of this trip was for Bill to show me where friends of his from the area are catching Salmon.  We followed the Cowlitz River for quite a distance pulled up at the first dam that slowed down any Salmon headed for their spawning grounds.  There were several fisherman trying their luck and we got to visit with a young handicapped fellow who was fishing from a wheel chair and had access right to the waters edge.  He had caught a couple of fish this season from this spot, but had no luck today.

     From our visit to the Cowlitz River we continued on to the town of Morton which is where Bill and Margaret lived and raised a family.  Morton is located on Hi way 12 just West of the uphill climb in to the Cascade Mountains.  We left Morton in a driving rain storm and all of us hoped that our RV Park was getting some of the moisture, (It didn't).  We stopped on the way back to see a piece of property that Bill and Margaret are developing a short distance inland from exit 59 off Interstate 5 and then returned to the exit and a mom and pop drive-in for burgers and strawberry shakes.

     It was a fun trip with new friends and we hope to plan more as time will allow.

Posted by George at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     My grandson Zak came to spend a couple days.  Zak is a "fishing nut", (wonder where he gets that)?  We loaded the Scooter, and with Zak hanging on to the tackle/bait bag off we went for the Cowlitz River.  I had been fishing the river on numerous occasions and hadn't caught a thing so I was concerned that young Zak's attention span and enthusiasm might be short lived, but I was mistaken. 

     We caught three fish on our first outing, a couple of squaw fish (a sucker type) and a nice River Sturgeon.  Not knowing what the squaw fish were had us calling them trout and to both of us that sounded pretty good.

     It became obvious that the lad was pretty well wore out from the days activities as he was willing to hit the hay a little early.  Made me happy as for sure I was exhausted.  Just before he fell asleep he asked if we could go in the morning.  I responded positively letting him know that we could if he was able to wake up early enough cause we wouldn't have much time before having to leave for a birthday party for Maddie.  I would have bet my next pay check that he would sleep late.  If I had a pay check I would have lost as at 5:30 a.m., with only one eye open, and it wanting to close, I was being shaken and it was "Grandpa Please---Pretty Please---Grandpa Wakeup---Lets go Fishing!

Posted by George at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     At 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook Mount St. Helen's, triggering a massive explosion.  The release of gases trapped inside the volcano sent 1,300 vertical feet of mountaintop rocketing upward and outward to the north.  Super-heated ash roared 60,000 feet into the cloudless blue sky.  The cataclysmic blast--- carrying winds that reached 670 miles per hour and temperatures of 800 degrees Fahrenheit flattened 230 square miles of forest.  Elk, deer and other wildlife were obliterated.  Fifty-seven People were killed including USGS scientist David Johnston, namesake of the Johnston Ridge Observatory, and pictured above.  The largest landslide in recorded history swept through the Toutle River Valley, (where we are now camped), choking pristine rivers and lakes with mud, ash and shattered timber, eradicating trout and salmon.

     After the eruption, only a moonscape remained.

     It is somewhat ironic that almost to the day, 29 years previous on May 18, 1980 that I am visiting an area and reflecting on what happened that day and yet at my young age at that time, and busy life, I hardly gave it a passing thought.  I remember its day in history of course.  News coverage tends to embed in ones mind events such as Mount St. Helen's blowing her top, but Oh, how easy it was to not give it a second thought.  That all changes for me following the visit today, and the mental picture I now have of what happened on May 18, 1980.  I can't get out of my head the image as seen above of David Johnston sitting and watching the escape of steam just before she blew, and tethered only to the outside world with a two way radio to communicate his observations to the home USGS office in Vancouver, Washington.

     The following picture is what Johnston Ridge looks like today.  Somewhere under all the re birth of current beauty lies the remains of David Johnston and his humble observatory (never found).  His last radio transmission was: "Vancouver---Vancouver, this is it!" 

     On our return back down Highway 504 from visiting the mountain and getting as close as the road would allow us, we stopped at the Eco Park Resort and not only enjoyed some good ol' ranch house cooking but had a great conversation with Mark Smith the owner/operator.

      We had the place to ourselves, save for the "cowboy" who waited on us and Mark the owner until Jim and Robin (pictured below) from Castle Rock, Washington walked in.  They seemed to know there way around from the conversation they were having with Mark and when given the chance I asked them if they were in the area when the mountain blew?  Jim began to recount the day it happened and the impact it had on his life and from time to time Robin would chime in with her recollections.  There would not have been enough time in the day to have witnessed all the stories they could have told but the few they did share will have a lasting impact with me.

     Jim told of how on the day she blew he and some of his family were to join friends already up the valley camping near the mountain.  His job of loading shipping containers on freighters in Astoria, Washington had kept him several hours longer on his shift than usual and upon arriving back in Castle Rock with his family members ready to go camping, he suggested that they should enjoy breakfast at home while he caught a couple hours of sleep and they would then depart.  The rest is history.  He was awaken by the blast.  Among the 57 lives lost that day were several of his friends.  He talked about the many trips in ensuing days to try and help locate the missing, and witnessing first hand the destruction.  Robin told of the helplessness that people felt and the sadness at seeing what once was the beauty of tree's, lakes, rivers, and animal life, vanish.  The torrents of mud, twisted trees, and huge boulders blocking river ways were more than some in the area could handle and many of there friends who survived the day ultimately could not handle the loss of beauty and reluctant to wait and see what mother nature would have in store, moved on.  Some of their friends who escaped from near the "blast zone" but were caught in the ensuing ash fallout lived only in to their 50's before loosing their life to serious lung problems. 

     What brought Jim and Robin to the mountain this day was a drive in their open air jeep to reflect on the past but more so to feast there eye's on what "mother nature" is doing to recover from the destruction.  There eyes see it perhaps a little different than we do but they too are in awe of the beauty that has returned.

     Kathleen and I find the North West of our country (Washington and Oregon) to be breathtakingly beautiful at most every turn and at the moment are completely captivated by the shear beauty of the Mount St. Helen's re-birth.  I am including a slide show of the pictures that represent what our eyes saw on this afternoon's adventure.  Click on slide show below to enjoy.  We will be returning to the mountain again and again while in the area.

                                                     Slide Show 

Posted by George at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Bill, Heidi, Mason and Maddie came to visit us for the weekend and gave a huge thumbs up to the Toutle River RV Resort and the area in general.  We had a great day cooking out and exploring the entire park.

      As an added note.  I have found a couple great places to fish and have been getting in some great outings.  No fish to report as of yet, but I continue to try.

Posted by George at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Linda (standing with the red sweater), and Don (seated with the blue jacket) held the first official workamper meeting with those of us who are already on site.  There are a few who are still to be joining us in the coming weeks.

     Linda presented us all with a very well done "Workampers Newsletter" that included a Welcoming message from "the Charlie" (owner), of the Toutle River RV Resort.  Some of us have previously met each other through our paths crossing, but there were a few new introductions to be had.  As one would expect with this large of a workamper crew there is quite a cross section of talent present.  As the summer season progresses everyone will have an opportunity to showcase those talents and without a doubt each of us will leave in the fall, better for having had the experience.

     Don described somewhat his plan for scheduling some of the workamper tasks that need to be accomplished and will try to do so with the work desires of the individual workamper taken in to consideration. 

     These scheduled gatherings for the workamper crew are planned for at least once a month.  A barbecue will generally follow the meeting as was the case today.  You can tell by this months pictures that the temperature was a bit cool, but the new found friends warmed our first gathering.

Posted by George at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     One of the workamper tasks, especially when it is raining, has been to put together picnic tables.  I put in 10 hours and change this week putting together these tables and Kathleen did two hours of watering trees for our 12 hour commitment.

     Pictured below are two of our fellow workampers, Marvin and Marlin, getting in their workamper commitments.

     The Sun is out----I think I will go Fishing!!!!!!!!

Posted by George at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Here at Toutle River RV Resort the "pooch" is special!  As I have mentioned before Charlie (the resident owner) has many unique features that he is incorporating in to the complex and from time to time I will blog about them with pictures.  Today I am featuring a deck, with a doggy shower, that is specifically reserved for the RV guests dogs.  It is here that the furry friends can mingle with others and get a shower to boot. 

     Need a doggy bed for your pooch to lay on outside your rig?  Call the office and one will cheerfully be delivered to your site.

     Charlie has two beautiful well mannered Black Labs and one of them is usually accompanying him when he rides throughout the complex in his golf cart.

Posted by George at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kathleen here

We are all settled in and beginning to enjoy the Castle Rock area and the beautiful Toutle River RV Resort. Green is the word to describe what we see when we look about. Towering green pines, thick green grass, young green saplings reaching upward to catch the rain drops. As I sit and write I am loving the sound of the rain as it hits the roof of our Tininthewind.

Our first guests at our new address were our son Scott, his wife, Angela, and Zak and Ellie, our grandchildren. They explored the whole park and gave us a thumbs up of approval. While I prepared lunch, George took them on a tour ending at the river’s edge, almost a mile south of our site. The Toutle River flows towards the Pacific Ocean via the Cowlitz River and finally the Columbia River. Fishing is fantastic. George is excited about that, as is Scott and Zak. A fun walk it is, as along the path to the river, one will find things to swing on, things to climb, and lots of things to observe.

We had a nice time with the kids and are looking forward to their return. When they left, George and I went for a drive up into the hills and through the valleys. What a spectacular drive it was. This little part of Washington State offers so much. Every road, it seems led us along either a creek, or a river. Happy cows and horses grazed in green meadows. We saw a deer nibbling twigs along a fence. Many of the trees were showing off their spring blossoms of purple, pink, and white. We were reminded of our homeland of Iowa and Wisconsin and the Mississippi River.

Today, George helped make and deliver picnic tables to the many sites in the park. I dragged a big hose behind me and watered the trees along my street. The exercise was invigorating for both of us. We will sleep good tonight.  This workamping thing is going to be OK.

Following are a few photos of yesterday.  Remember to put your cursor over a photo for a description.

Posted by riverjones at 04:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     If you have read and followed the previous blog you probably already know but I will mention some things anyway.  This deluxe RV park is 360 sites, and if seen from the air would look much like a large piece of pie.  On entry to the park one is at the wide end of the triangle and as one travels the mile long length of the park one eventually comes to the point of the triangle.  It is in this area that there is not enough room for RV sites and the owner has chosen to develop a walking trail that leads to the point where two rivers, the Toutle and the Cowlitz converge.  Strategically located along this trail are exercise stations that one could stop at and work a different muscle group at each station.  At the point of trails end there is a very large stone fire pit (stocked with firewood), sitting benches, and picnic tables. 

     The owner has not spared a nickle in developing this park.  The landscaping with rock and a large variety of young trees is impressive to say the least.  All of the grass areas between sites and throughout the park are watered from underground by a saturation method rather than a sprinkler method.  The trees will require individual watering during the non rainy summer season and supposedly that will be our job (at least for a portion of the park).

     We have met several of the workampers who are already on site and some that are not new to the park as they have also workamped here last year.  In private conversations they all have had very positive things to say about the experience and indicate that they are sure we will like it here.

     Don, one of the Co-hosts of the park came to check on us today to see if we were making out OK with getting set up on our site and ended up just sitting and visiting for a couple of hours.  He told us that when all arrived there would be about 20 people workamping in the park.  Not all are couples as we have already met some singles.  We, "workampers" are strategically being located throughout the park so as to act as ambassadors and eye's and ear's for security purposes.

     All of the roads and sites are groomed with black gravel and then compressed as with a steam roller of some type.  This being done in preparation for blacktopping which is to begin in the next couple of weeks.  Ground has been broken for the pool, spa, and park store.  Supposedly to be completed by July...

     I walked to a very large building this evening and upon entry discovered it to be a very well stocked carpentry shop with hundreds of bird houses, newly made, and stacked along one wall, picnic tables in various stages of completion, and other wood projects underway.  There were numerous golf carts, gators, quads, and pick-ups parked in this building as well.  There are other maintenance buildings on the grounds as I have seen some fancy lawn mowing equipment coming and going.  There are two strategically located laundry facilities with showers and bathrooms located in adjacent parts of the building.

     On a "walk about" this afternoon Kathleen and I explored a great deal of the park and I took a few pictures which I will include for your enjoyment.  We continue to be impressed.

     Place your cursor over the picture for a description.

Posted by George at 09:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Yes!  It's true!  We have temporarily suspended our complete retirement and life of travel and total leisure for a new adventure of "Workamping"!

     We began talking well before our last winter trip to Mexico that even though we both enjoy the life of leisure our bodies and minds could use a little more challenge and perhaps some "Workamping" might be to our liking.

     There are so many things about this full-time RV lifestyle that many around us are unaware of and the "Workamping" aspect is one of them.  Rather than go in to an explanation of what I mean click on the following link to learn a little about it:  www.workamper.com/ .

     We subscribe to the workamping web-site and throughout the past year have followed up by making application to several workamping situations that fit with our desires and desired locations both for the Summer and the coming Winter.

     Here is an explanation of what we have chosen to do for the summer of 2009.  We are going to be part of a workamping crew assisting with getting what will be, a 5 star Resort when finished and operational.  A link to the resort web-site:  www.greatrvresort.com/index.html .

     After phone contact and interviews we told Linda and Don, managing host and co-host respectively that we would accept the challenge and would arrive May 1st.  We arrived in the area a week or so early and decided to pay the resort a visit to hopefully see what we would be getting ourselves in to and quite frankly if it had not been to our liking we would have graciously declined.  On a drive through the resort we had an opportunity to visit with one of the workampers already on site and that gave a tremendous amount of insight in to what this workamping experience would most likely entail.  The workamper we talked with had been on site for a couple of weeks and liked what he was doing and the people he was responsible to.  We arrived at the resort and were greeted by both Linda and Don late yesterday afternoon.  Don drove us through the resort and gave us the choice of several sites as there plan is to locate the workampers strategically throughout the resort so as to also act as ambassadors to the paying RVers.  We have been given several days to settle in before being assigned our duties and we are anxious to find out what will be required.

     The resort as I mentioned earlier is beautifully layed out and is in various stages of being completed.  As an example the pool and spa will not be completed until some time in July.  All roads throughout the complex are completed and prepared for blacktopping which is slated to begin next week.  There are hired crews working throughout the resort still finishing sites in the back forty and planting trees. 

     What we understood from the interviews is that we will be required to workamp for 12 hours per week in exchange for our site including water, sewer, and electric.  It will be at our discretion to work beyond the 12 hours and anything over 12 hours will be payed at $8.55 per hour.  Kathleen and I have agreed that we both will try to do 6 hours per week and then decide individually if we want to earn a little extra.  To accomplish those 12 hours we have been told we can do 2 hours per day for three days each if we wish and then have 4 days to play, or add to those 2 hours each on those three days for pay and still have 4 days to play.  They seem very accommodating and we are hoping that will remain the case.  If not, we do have wheels on our "Tininthewind".

     I am cautiously sensitive to some interesting twists to this resort.  The resort is not open to the public yet, even though it was slated to open in 2006 and total completion by 2007.  I am told that the owner has "bumped heads" with the permit process and those who approve them and thus all aspects of the park have been held up.  We haven't met the owner but I am interested to do so.

     I am sure I will be writing quite often in future blogs about what we are doing and how we are coping with the new challenges but in the mean time here are a few pictures of our surroundings.  I mentioned earlier that we also have an interest in doing something similar for the coming winter of 2009/2010 and am happy to announce that we have made a commitment in the Rio Grand Valley of Texas and very shortly I will blog about those future plans.

     We like it so far!!! 

Posted by George at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

‘Thoma’ is the last name of a family that has been pillars in the community of Garnavillo, Iowa.  ‘Dairy Bar’ coupled with ‘Thoma’ is the one and only restaurant in the aforementioned community.  The community ‘Garnavillo, Iowa’ is where both Kathleen and I grew up, dated through high school, and graduated from in 1963.

     The “Thoma Dairy Bar” was the ‘hang out’, ‘meet after’, ‘burger with fries’, and ‘malt’ stop for us after (me) from Basketball practice, and (Kathleen) after Cheerleader practice and of course all the other couples that had interest in each other and of course the singles too…

     There were four booths along the south wall, and a row of about 10 stools along a low counter (the kind where you could lean forward, rest your elbows on the top, and still be hunched over) from which behind, all those malts mixed and ice cream was scooped.  There was a small kitchen that turned out all the other goodies.

     We have been gone for many years now but when we do visit Garnavillo it would not be complete if we did not stop in to “Thoma’s Dairy Bar” for at least a malt if not for some of the other goodies as well.

     Guess what?  There are very few changes to the restaurant since those early years.  There are still the same four booths along the south side.  The counter and stools have also not changed (perhaps recovered) and the kitchen appears to be the same.

     On this visit covering a few weeks Kathleen and I have frequented “Thoma’s” a little more than usual.  Hoping to see people we might have known, but if we were to admit it, just to take a little trip down memory lane.  The trip down memory lane has been a wonderful experience for us both but we also have been lucky to catch a few sitting in the booths, or leaning on the counter, who factored in to our lives at some point in the past.

     Pictured below is me talking with Paul Peltz (Hobie) who was a couple years older than I was but who was probably responsible for me still having a pretty face as it was Paul who came to my aid when some guys from a neighboring town threatened to beat the crap out of me for chasing their women (girls).  No I wasn’t dating Kathleen at the time (she was only 14).  Paul was a masculine hunk of a guy who commanded a lot of respect and after putting out the word that anyone who messed with me would have to do so through him----I was cleared to, shall we say, look over the hill.  I had to ask the waitress (Beth) on duty today if that was “Paul Peltz” sitting at the counter, reading the paper, as I have not seen Paul in many years.  It was great to be able to visit with Paul and reminisce about those fading memories.

     How can it be that so little has changed but yet so much water has flowed under the bridge?  You want a good malt, or burger and fries?  Give Thoma’s a try.

Posted by George at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by George at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     I know I haven't blogged for some time but we have been experiencing a visit from both our sons and their families here in Mexico and I just did not want to take even one minute from their visit.  To spend quality time with our grandkids and their moms and dads was our focus and from my assesment, quality time we had.  Pictured above are Bill and Heidi, Mason and Maddie.

     As I looked through our picture file from their visit I saw literally hundreds of quality pictures that will make one heck of an album but for the moment I wanted to deal more with the arrival and departure aspect of the visit because for so long we waited patiently for their arrival and all too soon it was departure time.  Four photo's jumped out at me and they are shown to start this piece and end this piece.

     There is one other photo that I think is important to include here.  In showing it I don't want to imply that my grandsons are not important to me because for sure they are.  Kathleen and I had two boys, and I knew I would not have girls until daughter-in-laws came along.  Two of those I now have and I couldn't be happier.  The two little granddaughters that you see in my lap in the following pictures----well their pretty special too.

     Bill, Heidi, Mason and Maddie stayed a week.  Scott, Angela, Ellie and Zak were here for about 3 weeks and we all had a great time.  I will be sorting through some great photo's for some time to come.  The memories from these visits will linger with all for years and years.  Having the memories does not make the parting and departure any easier though.  It is quiet and lonely around our pad here in Lo De Marcos Mexico at the moment.  Pictured below are Scott and Angela, Zak and Ellie just hours before their leaving for the states.

     We too will soon be saying good-by to Lo De Marcos, the fabulous weather, and those terific sunsets.

Posted by George at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)