Notes from the road

Brownsville to Amarillo

We decided we were done sheltering in place, and left Brownsville this past Sunday.  Our plan was to drive about seven hours to Kerrville, Texas.  Kerrville is about 25 miles SW of Fredericksburg, for those of you in the know, and about 33 miles SW of Luckenback, Texas, where you may or may not find Waylon, Willie, and The Boys.

The land around Kerrville, central Texas hill country, is absolutely jaw-dropping.  The temperatures, perfect.  As we rounded the last stretch of highway into Kerrville, we saw a river off to our right with people on rafts and innertubes.  We decided that after we parked the trailer and got our boondock camp set up in the local Walmart parking lot, we'd come back for a closer look.

Allow me to digress a moment (and I apologize for not having a visual).  On the drive to Kerrville we passed through the town of Pleasanton.  There on the main road through the

 town was a drive-thru margarita bar.  I kid you not.  Just like any other drive-thru -- place your order, pick up at the window, and drive off with your mixed drink.  Down the road we passed another drive-thru bar, The Shot Glass.  The town's name, Pleasanton, becomes obvious.

We arrived at the Walmart parking lot, found a spot to park next to another camper, and set up camp.  To set up boondock camping really just entails leveling the trailer and hooking up the generator.  While consort took care of these chores, I googled "dog park near me."  The puppies are always up for a run after a long day in the truck.

We left the AC running in the trailer to cool the place off, then headed off for the dog park.

A piece of advice from me to you:  Always let the dogs run at the park before you want them to walk nicely in public -- especially if they've been cooped up in a truck for seven hours.

The dog park in Kerrville was nice.  They had some large flat boulders for dogs to climb on.  There were dog forts and other interesting things to arouse the playful nature of dogs.  There was water.  There were human benches in the shade.

As luck would have it, the dog park is right next door to the Guadalupe River where we had seen people floating.  After a long play session at the

park, we leashed the dogs up and headed for the river.  

These pictures to the left are a few views of the river.  It runs right through the middle of Kerrville.  One section of the river was very shallow; another abutted a dam and was pretty deep.

As we approached a cemented bank area of the river, I could tell Bella was itching to explore and  probably go for a swim.  I had her on a retractable leash as the two of us walked to the edge of the riverbank.  The next thing I know, Bella jumped into the river.

Sidenote.  I am never concerned with my dogs jumping in open water for two reasons.  They are always on a retractable leash, at a minimum; also, they are good swimmers.  We had a pool at our stationary house, and the dogs have been through swimming lessons.

So there's Bella, in the river.  I don't think she anticipated the river being so deep; she was not able to touch the bottom.  She went under, bobbed back to the top, then shook the water from her eyes and ears while starting to paddle.  She looked at me with just such an expression -- Don't worry about me, I meant to do that.  Excuse me now, I must go swim.  And with that, she started paddling for the opposing shore. I let her

swim out about 20 feet from the shoreline before reeling her back in.                                                                                                                                In the meantime, Annie decided she, also, needed to go for a swim.  The problem is, Annie doesn't really like to swim; she likes to lay down in the cool shallow water.  Annie also jumped into the river, realized she couldn't lay on the bottom, and immediately wanted out.  Swimming is definitely too much effort for her.                                                                                                                                                                                              We left Kerrville after spending only one night.  It was a pretty little town and worth revisiting.                                                                                                                                                                  We drove from Kerrville to Amarillo and are currently parked at Big Texan RV Ranch.  Earlier this week, we made a daytrip to Colorado to meet up with some friends we met months ago.  The drive to Colorado was a bit long, but worth every minute.  We saw snow-capped mountains, enjoyed the cooler temps, and thoroughly enjoyed catching up with old friends.

On the drive from Kerrville to Amarillo, we stopped in Sweetwater, Texas, to have some lunch and walk the dogs.  I found a city park where we would have plenty of room to park the trailer, picnic tables where we could eat our lunch in the shade, and lots of room for the dogs to run.

We parked the trailer, leashed up the dogs and headed out for a walk around the perimeter of the park.  About a third of the way around, D.O.G. sat down and refused to go any further.  He does this sometimes when he gets a burr stuck in his paw pad.  We all stopped so I could remove what bothered him.

Forget about the feet, all four legs were solidly covered with cockaburs from the knees down!  A quick check of Bella and Annie confirmed that they, too, were covered with the burrs.

We got the dogs out into the street, then walked them to

some covered bleachers so consort and I could begin to pick out burrs.  Half an hour later, neither he nor I had finished pulling all the burrs from two of the 12 covered legs.  I don't know who first suggested it was time to cut the fur off, but the suggestion was carried by majority vote.  Off with their fur!

After their makeshift grooming session, none of the dogs looked very good.  They had very skinny legs with hardly any fur from the knees down.  The rest of their bodies were overgrown with cords, thick fur, and the puppy dog version of the Coronavirus 15.

Consort and I had been debating giving all three dogs really short summer cuts.  Had, in fact, been debating cutting the cords off the Pulik.  Maintaining the Pulik in the trailer, not to mention the Westiepoo, is not an easy task.  Both of D.O.G.'s parents have had their cords clipped and are much happier without.

Yesterday was the first sheering of the dogs.  I would say first annual, but the jury is still out on that one.  It's going to take some time to get used to their new looks.  Annie looks the most normal.  I cut her cords down so that they're only about two inches long.  I really clipped a lot from her face and neck.  She's the top picture.

Bella got a basic haircut, though much shorter than usual.  I really trimmed her leg fur to hopefully deter the amount of burrs collected.

D.O.G., sadly, looks the worst.  I have cut off all his cords except for the top of his head and along the ridge of his spine.  Basically, he got a Mohawk.  I've got the long cords along his spine pulled back in a ponytail like you would see on a guy that has dreads, but I'm not sure he can pull off this look.  Oh well.  As my sister used to say, It's just hair; it will grow back.  For the time being, he's much happier and cooler -- even though he does look like a dork.

We leave here tomorrow and head back to Broken Arrow.  There were appointments we could do nowhere else.  Called the Performing Arts Center on Main Street, downtown Broken Arrow, and got permission to boondock in their parking lot.  Looking forward to it.  It's one of the areas the dogs and I used to frequent on our walks.

We have now driven three days, a total of 21 hours, and we're still in Texas.  If all goes according to plans tomorrow, we'll finally leave the state of Texas only to find ourselves in Oklahoma.  

Conversation in the truck

Me:  Do you think it's possible we've somehow entered the Twilight Zone and, no matter how many days pass or how far we drive, we cannot get out of Texas or Oklahoma?

Consort:  Are you just now realizing that?  I've known it for months.

This small historical cemetery was in the parking lot of the Walmart store where we boon-docked last night.  You just never know...

*It was 60 this morning, that’s 15 degrees cooler than yesterday*

On the stereo:  Supermassive Black Hole, Muse

On the road again

Today is a travel day.  I'll catch up again when we land.  In the meantime, here are a few (quite a few) of my favorite quotes.  Entertain yourselves.

Nobody looks back on life and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep.

Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever. ~Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

When in danger and in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. ~Jim Anderson, Father Knows Best

Who were you before the world told you who you were?

Two roads diverged in the middle of my life.  I heard a man say I took the road less traveled by.  And that's made the difference, every night and every day. ~Larry Norman (with apologies to Robert Frost)

The soul is healed by being with children. ~Fyodor Dostoevsky

I'm looking at the laughter lines on my face and wondering what the hell was that funny?

After you've done all you can, just stand.

Shut up and deal with it or move on. ~Greg Andres

Blah, blah, blah. ~Austin Andres

I reject politically oriented thinking as essentially a hopeless waste of intellectual effort.

You don't want me.  I'm full of scotch, bitterness, and impure thoughts.

She is delightfully chaotic; a beautiful mess.  Loving her is a splendid adventure. ~Steve Maraboli

No need to hurry.  No need to sparkle.  No need to be anybody but oneself. ~Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you. ~Rashi

Sweetheart, you're a star.  Never apologize for burning too bright. ~Rupi Kaur

Secondhand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. ~Virginia Woolf

The past is not what happened, it's what you remember happened.  What was, was, and what happened, happened. ~Edwin Honig

To look life in the face, always, to look life in the face, and to know it for what it is...at last, to love it for what it is, and then to put it away. ~Virginia Woolf

It's really colorful in here; I invite you in. ~Marty Stuart

Nothing is louder than overthinking after midnight. ~Rupi Kaur

People who are very happy do not stay long anywhere.  They spread themselves thin and leave a piece of themselves in each one of us.

We have no more right to put our discordant state of mind into the lives of others and rob them of their sunshine than we have to enter their house and steal their silverware. ~Julia Seton Sears

Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar territory. ~G. Behn

If there was a little more silence, if we all kept quiet, maybe we could understand something. ~Federico Fellini

You know you're too fat when you catch the neighbor kids using your belt as a jump rope. ~Terry Dunkle

And three from my favorite bear, Winnie the Pooh:

People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.

Rivers know this:  There is no hurry.  We shall get there some day.

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient.  It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.


Shout out to L in Michigan. Picked one of your cukes last night and am enjoying it on my sandwich today. Yum!!


On the stereo: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will the Circle be Unbroken
(Okay, okay.  I'm behind the times, this came out in 1977.  It is the best collection of Bluegrass ever!)

Last post from Brownsville

These are a couple of pictures of the Resaca, near dusk, in the park where we've been living. 

We are leaving Brownsville on Sunday and heading north, then east.  It was our design to spend the summer traveling the northern half of the USA, but right now, life is still too uncertain.  Some campgrounds have opened, but many remain closed.  Some campgrounds that are open are not accepting travelers from out of state.  It has caused quite a dilemma for full-time RV'ers.

We are lucky enough to have good friends who own a campground in the Appalachian Mountains.  It is in the northeast corner of Tennessee where Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina share their borders.  Our plan is to spend a few months anchored there and explore the area.  Here in Brownsville, the temperatures are already in the 90s with 80+ percent humidity.  Our destination campground is running about 20 to 30 degrees cooler.  I have to admit, I'm looking forward to leaving the heat behind.

I've got a few pictures I haven't posted previously, and now seems like the perfect time to post them.  They are, of course, of birds.

I was sitting at the kitchen table the other day, which also serves as my desk, working in my sketchbook.  There is a large picture window right next to the table.  I was constantly distracted by the Great-tailed Grackles, also known as Mexican Blackbirds, that were fluttering in and out of my peripheral vision.  I finally put down my pencil to watch.  The birds would land on the rug outside our door, walk around a bit, and then take off.  It took me a few minutes to determine what was attracting them, but eventually it became apparent.  The birds were pulling heavy threads from the rug, presumably to line a nest.  I had noticed the rug seemed to be fraying, but passed it off to age.  Now I know it was the perseverance of these clever feathered creatures.

These are Roseate Spoonbills.  We saw a small flock of them in a costal lagoon on the way to Boca Chica Beach.  They were very bright pink in color.  I thought I was finally seeing Flamingos.  Consort stopped the truck, turned it around, then drove us back to where I spotted them so we could have a better look.

The birds are pink, but they also have quite a bit of white on them.  Their bills are round and wide and look like a flattened spoon.  They were standing in very shallow water, slowly walking forward while swinging their heads from side to side.

When I took these pictures, I walked down as close as I dared to the water's edge.  I did not want to disturb the birds causing them to take flight.  The cracked mud you see had the consistency of a sponge.  I felt as though I might break through and sink at any moment.

This is a picture from the National Audubon Society.  I wanted to post the Audubon Society's picture so you could see just how beautiful these birds are.  Breathtaking!

And this little guy, a seagull, was perched at the Port Isabel Walmart store.  Apparently, humans are not the only ones to frequent the establishment.

Happy Mother's Day!

The first time I met my mother was almost 59 years ago.  It was a very intimate setting, that first meeting.  She made me feel like I was the most important person in the world.

For a few years in elementary school, my mother was one of two leaders for my Girl Scout troop.  The weekly troop meetings were packed with crafts and activities, and always ended with the singing of Taps around the flagpole.

As much fun as the weekly meetings were, nothing compared with the campouts.  One in particular stands out in my mind.  It must have been a jamboree as lots of different troops were in attendance.

Mom, as a leader, was present for the campout and quickly became a favorite among the girls. It was easy to find mom despite the crowds of campers and leaders:  She always wore a red ball cap covered with white polka dots.  The hat promptly earned her the nickname of Polka Dot.  When the girls learned that Polka Dot was my mother, I became an instant rockstar simply by association.  Every team wanted her for a member.  No game was as satisfying without her participation.  We were all in agreement:  Polka Dot was a blast!

After high school, I was overflowing with plans and dreams.  Some plans had merit, but many were the ridiculous blather of an overblown and inexperienced teenager.  I remember my mother listening with unwavering patience, and without judgment, as I wandered aimlessly through extravagant thoughts and ideas.  She was a steady anchor available to me as I set sail in unknown waters.

In all of the years from then till now, my mother has been a constant in my life.  She has provided a road map to navigate the difficult terrain of life, of motherhood, by her every word and action.

She's the first person with whom I want to share good news or a funny story.  She offers comfort when the world has me out of sorts.  She never dwells on my many and varied faults.  She celebrates, wholeheartedly, my every victory as if it were her own, which I suppose in many ways, it is.  If I have achieved my goal of being a good mother to my own two children, it is only because of the success of the woman who walked the path before me.

Please accept my deepest thanks, Mom.  I appreciate your guidance, help, and unyielding love throughout my years.  Thank you for always being willing to go to the ends of the earth for me.  You have my highest regard.  I wish you long days and pleasant nights.  I salute you with my heart.


If you live to be a hundred, I hope I live to be a hundred minus one day, so that I never have to live a day without you. ~Winnie the Pooh

Friday’s outing

Have you ever heard of the Freshman 15?  The term "Freshman 15" is an expression commonly used in the United States that refers to an amount (arbitrarily set at 15) of weight gained during a student's first year at college.  Consort and I are suffering from the Coronavirus 15.  We've spent entirely too much time sitting around reading books and snacking.  Because these are such trying times, our evening meals consist mainly of home-cooked, southern-style, comfort foods.  To keep the blues at bay, I endeavor to make desserts at least a couple of times a week.  All of this adds up to the Coronavirus 15.  (And let's just leave it there, shall we?  I don't own scales and refuse to believe it could be any more than that.)

Today we drove to McAllen, Texas, about an hour north of Brownsville to check out the city and do a little shopping.  Okay, okay.  The honest hard truth is that we went to buy new pants.  If you could see me right now, you'd know I was hanging my head dejectedly in shame.

We knew it was going to be a pretty hot day today, and there was shopping that had to be done, but we decided to take the wee mangy mongrels with us.  There is nothing Annie likes better than to go for a long truck ride; it's conducive to her napping.  We reached our destination in McAllen and found a shady spot to park.  We opened the windows and sunroof to keep the heat at bay and the dogs as cool as possible.

Let the shopping begin!

In the time it took me to scope out the Ladies Apparel section, and just as I was getting ready to dive in, consort appeared.  He said he was finished shopping and had made his selections.  I smiled, then suggested he might want to try on his choices.  He grinned back at me and said that he already had.  Are you kidding me?  I promise you, not more than ten minutes had passed!  We agreed I would continue to shop while he paid for his items, then he would head back to the truck and walk the dogs.

I'm really not a marathon shopper, unless daughter happens to be with me, and today I zipped through the store making all of my selections in record time.  I don't believe I was in the store longer than 45 minutes from start to finish.

Before we left this morning for McAllen, I verified there was a city dog park.  The dogs were happy to learn that there was.  The park was close to where we shopped and easy to find.  It was quite large and very pretty.  We were pleased to find it had lots of shade trees.  The only thing missing in the park was a source of water for the dogs.  But no need for concern; we always pack plenty of water for all dogs and humans on board.   

I don't believe I've ever posted any pictures of the dog park near Brownsville, mostly because there's nothing to take a picture of -- well, except the adjacent scary dog pound.  There are no trees, no shaded benches for humans; and at this time of the year, there is very little grass.  It does, however have water fountains for the dogs.  I guess everything in life is a trade-off, isn't it?

After all of this, and because we have bigger pants, we stopped at Delia's Tamales for lunch.  Without question, these were the best, and most unusual, tamales we've ever had.  We may have to make the trip to McAllen one more time just for the tamales, and possibly more pants.  

What we found at the beach today

Open beaches. Beachgoers swimming and parasailing, fishing and building sand castles.

Sailing ships.

Man'o'War jellyfishes brought in with the tide.  There were dozens and they were exquisite!

Apparently I have a knack for finding live critters on the beach.
Do you remember Barnacle Boy?

Questions answered

I've had a lot of questions lately asking how to be notified of new blog postings.  Currently, consort is kind enough to announce new blogs on his Facebook page.  (I don't have a Facebook page, nor do I have any other social media, but that’s a different story for another day.)

Today I will put forth my best effort at step-by-step instructions on how to have new blogs delivered directly to your email inbox.  

 

If you're accessing this blog on any type of mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the initially loaded page.  At the bottom of the page below the "home" button, you'll see an option:  View web version.  Click on the words "view web version" and your mobile device will redirect you to the web version of this blog.










In the upper righthand corner of the web version are two options:  Follow and follow by email.  I'm not exactly sure how the "follow" button works, you're on your own there, I'm hardly capable of posting a blog.  And the way the pictures keep moving around once the blog is published continues to baffle me.

Below the "follow" button are the words "follow by email."  If you click the white email box, you'll be prompted to type in your email address.  Once you've correctly typed in your email address, click on submit.  If I've accurately written the instructions, you should now receive notification of any new blogs posted here on Permanent SAG.  If you don't receive any new blogs via email, I encourage you to continue to follow consort on Facebook.

Another question I often get is why the blog is called Permanent SAG.  The following is a previous post that will answer that question.

Why is my blog called Permanent SAG?  Although permanent sag could arguably be used to describe my physical attributes, that was not why the name was chosen.  Years ago, consort and I were avid cyclists.  In fact, we were obsessed.  There were many weeks we pedaled close to 200 miles.  We also did organized rides.  At every ride there is a SAG wagon.  S-A-G is an acronym that stands for Support and Gear (I always thought it meant Support and Guidance, but whatever).  If you need your flat tire fixed, the SAG wagon is there to lend a hand.  If you lose your way, they guide you back to the route.  If you need water or a protein bar, you can count on the SAG wagon.  This seemed a fitting title for one who now rides in the passenger's seat holding the GPS as we make our down the road.  While I don't know much about fixing flats, I do pack great snacks.

May Baskets

Do you know May Baskets?  When I was a  kid in elementary school, May Baskets were a really big thing.  They seem to be one of those quaint traditions that have faded over time.

May 1st is May Basket Day.  In my childhood, if the 1st happened to land on a school day, the last hour of our classroom time was reserved for making May Baskets.  The baskets were usually made with construction paper, although any type of paper would work.  I remember making one of my baskets with notebook paper then using crayons to color the individual lines to make it look like a rainbow.  Once you completed the basket, you filled it with flowers and a few pieces of candy.

I don't really remember where I got the candy I placed in the May Baskets.  I suppose the task of accumulating the candy began weeks ahead of the big day.  On the way home from school, I found flowers growing wild, or broke off sprigs of flowering bushes, to place in each basket.

The tradition was to approach the recipient's front door without being seen and quietly place the basket, usually hanging it on the front door knob.  Next, you knock on the door and yell out, "May Basket!" then run away as fast as you can.  I don't know about others, but I always waited behind a tree or a bush to see the look of surprise and happiness on the face of the one receiving the basket.

Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I had one of those rare moments when both my remaining brain cells came together to form a coherent thought.  How fun it would be to make a May Basket to gift my favorite person here at 4 Seasons.  (No names necessary, you know who you are.)

Unfortunately, I didn't have any construction paper, or even any notebook paper, to make a basket.  But the one thing there is plenty of here in the park is palm fronds.  Why not use those to make a basket?  I told consort of my plan and he offered to tackle the chore of finding the perfect frond.  When he returned with a good-sized leaf, I set to work weaving a basket.

I stripped the leaves from the stalk and soaked them until they were pliable.  Once they were flexible, I began to weave them into a mat.  I did not take basket-weaving in college, contrary to popular belief, so I really had no idea what I was doing.  It turned out to be a lot like a puzzle.  The most difficult part was getting the last strips tucked into the right spots to make a finished product.  I secured the loose ends with a stapler.  I will now be adding a stapler to my short list of necessary household items; you know the list, the one with duct tape and a hot glue gun.

I was pleased with the results, (pictured above) and charmed by the cheer this little basket brought the recipient.  Perhaps, from time to time, it's good to dust off old traditions and polish them up for the future.

Merry, merry month of May!

Are your May Baskets ready to be delivered?