Blogging's like exercising...

Once you get out of your rhythm, it's really, really hard to get back to it.  Everything changes.  I can't figure out these new changes to Blogger.com.  Frustrating!  And I have SO much to catch up on!  SIX months worth!  Guess I'll just poke away at it and hope to catch up soon.

OMG, so much has happened in the last six months.  We haven't been idle!  Pretty stationary, for us, but not idle.  We've always said Prescott is one of the best places anywhere to spend a summer and still the best place we've ever found to LIVE.  So it's been a very busy, fun summer "stuck" in Prescott.

Gregg on Willow Lake dam.  I am the shadow...

Hiking on the new Constellation Trails in Granite Dells (4 miles from our house)

Willow Dells Slick Rock trails - 3 miles from home.

Back home in the Southwest

My sister Betty from Deming, NM who had CLL leukemia for the past 6 years broke her leg in March and was hospitalized for surgery.  She and we all knew that hospitalization is very dangerous for an immune-impaired patient like Betty.  She worked hard at preparing herself spiritually for the inevitable and talked with all her siblings on the phone on April 14 for goodbyes after we learned that she would not accept further treatment for some infections that she had contracted.  Her Advanced Health Care Directives worked like a charm for her, no challenges from the Dr and hospital (reminder, we should all have those in place at all times if we believe our choices should be made when we are in sound mind and body).  After 2 more days in the hospital she was moved to her home with Hospice care and a 24/7 friend/caregiver and was able to peacefully rest another 7 days, then let go with her 2 kitties by her side.  She lived a total of 9 days without food or water, with only ice chips, and we understand she lived comfortably those days, at peace with herself and her decisions.  She told me she felt called by her Lord.  We family picture her joining our parents and our brother Bob.
All of us in our family have a lot to attend to in Deming to carry out her last wishes for her and are spending time there, crossing paths with each other and preparing for a memorial service Sat. April 30.  She had many wishes for her property identified for us which is very helpful as we carefully distribute such treasures as the beautiful quilts she made in her lifetime.  She was quite the artist.

Gregg, my daughter Sarah and I were in Deming last weekend and will return there again next weekend.  In the in-between, we are back in AZ.  My children here are needing my help and attention with some things so we are currently located in Tempe (thanks, Lori and Odel for the introduction to Apache Palms RV Park!).  I am executor of my sister's estate in Deming so our location in AZ for now gets me closer to my duties there.  Looks like I have my hands full for a while here in the SW.  Gregg has family events to attend to in NE and IA in May and July so will likely relocate there in the RV and I may end up back in Prescott for the spring/summer.  But that too may be written in sand.  We're just taking one day at a time for now.

It just keeps getting better...

Beautiful 3.5 hour, 6 mile canoe trip on the lovely Navasota River yesterday. We are staying at Fort Parker State Park, have a nice site right on a lake.  Lots of hiking trails here and plenty of wildflowers too after a rain 2 days ago.  Jasmine are also blooming so the air on the trails is full of its perfume.  I am loving this! 

A couple of days ago we were in Georgetown, TX just north of Austin.  Poked around the courthouse plaza area that reminded us much of Prescott.  We are on a quest - is there a town somewhere we would enjoy as much as Prescott?  the answer is still "NO" but Georgetown is nice.

 We especially enjoyed beers on the sidewalk in the shade and breeze in front of this bar on the square.

More TX Hill Country

Wonder what we do, day after day, in this Texas Hill country? There are so many cute little towns to explore.

Here's a look at the Bluebonnet Festival in Burnet...pronounce that BUR net. Click the Play button.

Personalize a picture slideshow

Smilebox slideshow" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d6a4d354f5441314d6a513d0d0a.jpg" width=386 height=303> This lasted 3 days and included a car show, an air show and concert after concert on stage on the courthouse square. The parade was long and included a lawnchair drill team as well as the toilet plunger drill team. Was fun!

We've been staying in TX State Parks - very nice and a bargain with the $60 Annual Pass that has already saved us over $60.

This is Blanco (pronounced "BLANK o") State Park with it's unique swimming hole and falls on the Blanco River. The tiny town has a beautiful old courthouse and a Live Oak tree more than 500 years old.

Then, Pedernales Falls State Park campground that sits WAY above the Pedernales River because its floods are so high. Look at that tree trunk stuck way up high in the tree by the river...

Pronounce this one "PER den al is" like LBJ would have done. Lyndon Johnson's ranch and home town of Johnson City are straight west of here along the Pedernales River.

Wildflowers have been hard to find so I have contented myself with a few close ups and playing with Photoshop.

Luckenbach, Texas

On the way to Luckenbach, we stopped at Wildseed Farms. It's been so dry here we've not found wildflowers like we'd hoped. So this nursery seemed like our best hope. Hah! Not even here are they blooming well...

Just one carefully planted and cared for garden in front of the nursery.

But Luckenbach did not disappoint us. What a fun place. Reminds us of the AZ Desert Bar near Parker and Greasewood Flats - but WAY better. Really not a town, but a bar, general store, dance hall, music stages, lots of beer.

Got me a new hat there...actually a hat BRIM, minus the top. So it acts like a visor. Has a great hat band made of Shiner Bock beer caps...

Cute car in the parking lot - note the license plate: RVTOAD.

I saw a sign there - RV overnight parking $15. We'll have to do that some day.

Texas Hill Country

Oh, we love this TX Hill Country!

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We travel 1,000 miles + to find BBQ meat this good - look at it!

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Junction, TX was recommended to us and we found tiny Junction has TWO BBQ places. So we did what seemed the best way to choose the best of the two...ask the locals. Gregg's poll of 3 interviewees all said Lum's so there we were, scarfing down the 3 meat plate (brisket, ribs and sausage) - all fantastic. We still smelled the smoked meat when we went to bed last night. And I love any place where I go get my own bottle of Shiner Bock (that's Texan for "beer") in the refrigerated case.

To top off a great stop in Junction, we stayed at their FREE city park with several pull thru RV sites overlooking the South Llano River and the town dam and waterfall.

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The night before we spent at old favorite Balmorhea State Park. Picnic ramadas are old CCC structures. Picturesque neighbor in their unique camper...

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Gregg got in a snorkel swim in the beautiful artesian pool - always 72-76 degree water.

On our way!

Finally, we are in Texas, headed for our destination into the Hill Country for dates with the wildflowers.

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We left Deming, New Mexico yesterday afternoon. Had stopped to visit my sister Betty rehab-ing a broken leg in the hospital/nursing home. She's got a lot of work cut out for her to get herself back up and mobile since she starts with compromised leg strength and immune system, complications of her leukemia. We wish her well!

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Got to see my kids a last time for the next many moons. Here's Andy with my Grand Dog Tritium. Forgot to get a picture with Sarah - darn!

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Had our last week at our favorite McDowell Mountain Park...gorgeous sunrise one morning. . .

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Had a wonderful long weekend with our Arizona RVing crowd at McDowell, organized by Judy and Tom Dugan this year and lots of fun as usual. 6 mile hike. Gregg cooking pork roasts.

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Bob tending the campfires. Careful, Bob!

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Tonight we are at another favorite - Balmorhea State Park. Pretty little campground with CCC-built ramadas covering picnic tables at most sites and an artesian water swimming pool. Gregg took a nice swim with snorkel this afternoon in the ever-72 to 76 degree water here.

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Heading out tomorrow with a destination of tiny Junction, TX as we learned there is good BBQ and free city park camping there - right up our alley.