Our First Week as Winter Texans

 I wrote this at the end of the first week of December and forgot to post it so here it is a bit late.  I’ve included some pics of the Wilderness Oaks RV Park where we are staying from their website so you can see how nice the place is.  We have been here a week now and had several days of clouds and rain with a few sunny days interspersed.  Hoping to see more sun in the coming days and very happy that we are here and not having to deal with the freezing temps and winter weather up north. 

On Tuesday we had a glorious sunny, warm day so we took the opportunity to check out the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.  It’s about a half hour drive and well worth the trip.  We used this trip to get oriented to the refuge for future visits.  While there we did see alligators and I must say it was a bit unnerving.  Having only seen alligators in captivity, it gave me pause to know that while out on a trail we could encounter them, but it hasn’t put me off on return visits.  They also have several types of snakes with three of the species being venomous.  There is a great display in the visitor center on each of the types of snakes and where they could be found.  This is probably not a place to take our girls for trail walks.  Between the alligators and the venomous snakes they could encounter, their safety is more important.  The refuge has an auto tour that is about 20 miles long which we will want to drive but what I really want to see are the whooping cranes that winter there.  Our next visit will include our good camera and telephoto lens as well as binoculars.  There are some nice observation towers to view from.

We have had to deal with the problem of our barking dogs when we are away from the RV.  After returning from the refuge I visited with a neighbor and found out that April apparently barked much of the time we were gone.  They girls are not used to all the people, traffic and dogs that come by our place and have found them to be a smorgasbord of things to bark at.  When we left, we would seclude them to the back of the RV with a doggie gate where they couldn’t see out the windows and turn on the TV but apparently, that didn’t keep them from hearing things and barking.  We tested putting them in dog crates on top of the bed, turning on the TV and the AC fan and shutting the door.  I drove the Jeep out to run errands but John remained behind in a chair outside and silent so the girls wouldn’t hear his voice and it seemed we were successful.  They didn’t make a peep.  We hope that method continues to work. 

The arctic blast that has blown over the country also hit us and we have had temps down to 40, rain and high winds but nothing like our friends and family are dealing with.  This is only supposed to last until this weekend here.  I used the time during the nasty weather to bake cookies and made some oatmeal raisin, shortbread and chocolate brownie cookies and all turned out very well. John says the brownie cookie is the best cookie he has ever eaten.

Last night was the weekly friendship dinner in the park.  I had to chuckle.  It was to start at 5:30 pm so we arrived about 5:25 and the place was full, all were seated and it seemed they were getting ready to start.  Hmmm – did I get the wrong time?  Nope – apparently, these retirees like to arrive early to visit, get a seat and above all get the dessert they want!  What a hoot.  The tables were set up in a U shape and everybody put the dish they brought on the table in front of where they sat.  Then, after having prayer, everybody stands up and walks around the tables filling their plates.  There was no lack of conversation with the people around you but as soon as they finished eating they all packed up their stuff and headed home.  The lifestyle is a bit different from what we are used to but we’ll get the hang of it.  We’ve been encouraged to come for the various games – Texas Holdum, Pass the Trash, Bingo and so on.  There is also a small movie theater in town that John tried out.  He said it is old but clean and we only pay $5.  On Tuesday nights, if you bring your own container, you can get free popcorn so you know that several folks head that way on Tuesday nights! 

I hope everybody is staying warm and looking forward to the holidays.