Pat Hardie - Altered Art Studio

Adventures with artquilts, fibres, neckties and 2 very fine flatcoat retrievers - Gypsy & Reo

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Travelog - Day 28, Feb. 28

Today is dreary and we are lazy. For most of the morning I organize photos and upload everything to the blog from the last 2 days. The new laptop is almost working the way we want it. I have had to save what I need from the old laptop to the flash card (camera) and then copy to the new. So far I have managed to export our address book, but not our bookmarks. Too bad, so sad.
Our first visit today is to the Wortman pottery, slightly east and south of Lafayette - www.wortmanpottery.com have been in business since 1977. We enjoy chatting and I spend a bit of money.
We pass this cemetery on our way to St. Martinville. As you can see it is very new, most dates no earlier than the 1990's. It's a reminder that because the water table is so close to the surface (read elevation close to sea level), no one can be buried underground; thus the use of crypts.


This very old oak tree is advertised as the most photographed tree in the world. There is a legend that young couples used to meet here. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1847 poem "Evangeline" speaks to this

This is the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic site where Al & I are admitted free of charge due to our advanced age



The tree to the left is over 300 years old.




These are cypress trees with Spanish moss hanging from their leafless branches. Gathering moss was quite an industry back in the 19th C and was used with clay & horse's hair to create very thick brick for building materials. Unfortunately I neglected to take a picture of the historic residence owned by the Duclozel family until ownership was transferred to the State.
Tomorrow we plan on visiting New Iberia and Avery Island to see how Tobasco sauce is made and perhaps see the many flocks of snowy egrets. This means we return to roughly the same area as today, south and east of Lafayette.

Travelog - Day 27, Feb.27


We’re on our way to Lafayette, Louisiana. As we meander out to #288 I finally get to see the red ant hills that Kathy had noticed yesterday when she drove me home. They resemble mini pyramids in the middle of the pasture. Apparently the cows know enough to stay away from them as they inflict a very painful bite. My brother-in-law found that out at his RV campsite while he was waxing his trailer.

And speaking of wildlife, yesterday Al saw a small snake about 12” long, black with red & yellow bands – a coral snake as he later learned and extremely poisonous. The dogs apparently didn’t even notice.

We are exit #288 just when the commuter traffic comes to a halt. Contrary to MS S&T, we pick up the Beltway (whata name, eh?), a toll road named after Sam Houston. Two toll booths ($3.50 each) later and a very tall bridge comes into view. The Buffalo Bayou joins another body of water which eventually ends in Galveston Bay and the Gulf. This is quite the harbour for the petroleum industry as evidenced by tankers, white storage tanks, and smoke stacks belching out white clouds of ... At the end of the bridge, yet another toll booth, $4.50 this time. I now understand the concept of 4 axles; it means maximum charge in toll fees.

A few more kilometers and we turn east onto Interstate 10 for the next 370 km. A police car is up ahead with all its flashers blinking. Al moves over to the middle lane along with everyone else before we pass him, now stopped on the shoulder having flagged down a vehicle. I understand that Texas law requires you to move out of the righthand lane in these circumstances.

A section of I-10 is under construction, narrowing down to two lanes with the usual concrete barriers on both sides. With the truck traffic constantly passing us, Al is quite focused in maintaining our equidistance from the the trucks and the concrete. The next section has construction down what was once a grassed boulevard. It is now filled with concrete to the top of the portable concrete barriers. We’re back to three lanes on our side with two-lane side roads on both sides. I figure there must be loads of employment opportunities in the highway construction industry in Texas.

This highway is driving me nuts. Lumpity lump all the way. It has got to be the worst section of highway we have experienced so far. As we crest a bridge over the Shrine River, we enter the state of Louisiana. Our first car wreck on the side of the road, no front wheels and what is showing is very rusty. The cell phone rings – Colin is calling from Montreal, our conversation abruptly ended when we loose the signal. Finally we stop at the visitor centre to pick up some brochures: a pottery on a working rice farm which is close to our campsite (picture of an elephant soap dispenser makes me laugh)
We’ve all heard of and use Tobasco Pepper Sauce. Well apparently it’s made on Avery Island and a tour of the factory as well as jungle gardens is possible.

I didn’t think the highway could get any worse, but it has. Road crews are laying asphalt on an additional 4 lanes. Giant steamshovels move dirt. Thank goodness! A section has been repaired. I rejoice too soon. 140 km to the campsite.

Massive petrochemical factory on the left, riverboat casinos to the right and we begin a long, slow climb up a bridge over Lake Charles that doesn’t have an arch, but a very sharp point at which the roadway levels off for a brief moment before descending. The driver is not happy saying “I’m not enjoying this”. We’re back on level ground where the road is even worse – a big thump at the each join in the concrete. The sensation is close to driving our 16’ alminum boat at top speed over the waves.

You may wonder how I can type in these circumstances. With my wrists jambed into the keyboard typing one or two words then pressing the ESC key to get the cursor back. I hate to think of what is going on in the trailer. Surprisingly all this action doesn’t appear to bother the dogs – thank goodness.

Finally some respite as the road has been resurfaced. I declare that I will never drive this highway again. The alternative is not so good - #14 to the south would probably double the mileage, but then I wouldn’t come close to up-chucking. Thinking this I remember I used to have to travel in the front passenger seat of my parents’ car, otherwise I got car sick. My mother used to be so annoyed when she had to sit in the back and she hated that. Even today when I have both parents in my car, my mother insists on sitting in the front because “that’s where I belong” she declares.

We’ve just sighted our first rice field or should I say rice paddy. After sighting many of these, we turn north and arrive at the Bayou RV campground. A large, brick private residence is right in front of me, a tall tree with Spanish moss gracing its driveway entrance. The awning will have to come out as there is no shade for the campsites. A large grassy area follows the road. The grounds are nicely grassed with tall leafless trees, pampas grass clumps, palms and other bushes. Looks very nice and inviting.

We set up camp. My rejoicing at our improved skill in doing so is short-lived. Let’s see, in no particular order. Before leaving our previous campsite I had dumped the dishpan of soapy water in the toilet. Of course I neglect to ‘flush’ it. After all those miles of bumpy roads, the toilet has sloshed quite a lot of water about & inevitably onto the bathroom floor. The Gods are with me on this occassion as for some reason I have left a hand towel on the floor near the toilet which soaks up the overflow. But hey! listen up you trailer users. I have just invented a new way to clean the very awkward underside of the toilet seat with all this jostling. Perhaps I can patent this method, sort of like the bubble whatever that cleans the shower.

What is next? Oh yes, in disconnecting the trailer, I spot where Al has not fasetened the clip on one end of stabilizer tension bar properly – clip missed the important hole. NO big deal as it turns out. I then disable the stabilizer bar without removing its clip which bends appropriately and is now unuseable! Add that to the list of replacements. Are you trailer folks totally bent over with laughter? OK I can handle it, but I don’t want to hear about it! Next year we will be SO much better. Then I think, we will eventually be in the same campground as my brother-in-law. Our ‘repairs’ will surely provide sufficient diversion for these fellows, meaning Jacky & I can go shopping or whatever. Sounds good to me.

Lest I forget, I need to mention one other occurrence. I decide the dogs need a walk before dinner. So off we go, me being very clever in putting Gypsy on a longer lead. After taking a big leap, I am left with a burn – ouch! I add the soft lead to the handle and off we go. Leila is attached to a shorter lead and gives me no problem as I let her loose. She heads for the ‘lake’ (read small marshy pond). I’m lucky that she responds to my ‘no’ and returns immediately. However she disappears into a tall tall pampas grass clump. When we get back to the trailer, guess what she has on her collar and neck. Well, I now appreciate the exta shower capability on the outside of the trailer. The ground is now sodden with water, but Leila has had a shampoo around her neckline. And all is forgiven. Well her collar is still soaking in the sink.

“Tis time to retire in preparation for another adventure tomorrow.

Travelog - Day 26, Feb. 26

This morning is spent trying to get the new laptop operational and editing yesterday’s pictures. Too time-consuming for words, but if I don’t do this as a regular daily chore, I make a right hash of trying to remember.

I’m off to have lunch with Kathy, my tie collector friend, in Houston. Al will drop me off at her house and do his own thing while Kathy chauffeurs me around.

We hop into Kathy’s brand new FJ Cruiser. I am given a quick drive through a section of Sugar Land with its new shops, all very carefully planned. It is quite lovely and upscale, but almost unbearably hot area in the summer. I take a picture of city hall with its front courtyard. From there we proceed to The Galeria, a shopping district which we only sample. Kathy takes a picture of me at the entrance to Neiman Marcus or is it Marcus Neiman? You can tell where I don’t shop. We sample perfume from a lovely teardrop shaped bottle. In Tiffany’s Kathy asks about a pocket watch – only $4,000 for 18ct gold; the sterling silver one was sold. In Lalique Crystal , Kathy asks about a cigarette lighter in glass which she received as a wedding present years ago. We are appropriately impressed with today’s price.

My search for a pair of lime green crocs is proving more difficult than anticipated. When I finally see a pair in the right size & colour, I don’t buy them. We leave the salesclerk literally scratching her head when I try to explain that somehow it doesn’t make sense to come all the way to Houston and buy a Canadian branded pair, Holes or Hole-in-One or.. At one more store I finally settle on a pair of bright turquoise crocs.

Back in the car we head for the area where the wealthy live, River Oaks. Wrought iron fencing, some with gates, elaborate hedging, pink saucer magnolias in bloom, some houses barely visible in the distance, nannies out with children, a maid in uniform, pool maintenance crews, gardeners, bronze statuary, Spanish moss hanging from trees ... Lot sizes are very generous allowing multi-wing houses to be set back from the road and well apart from their neighbours. I’ll mention two houses specifically: one with a completely glass door allowing a view straight through the entrance hall to the beautifully landscaped courtyard in the rear. I’m not sure how to describe the architecture of this second one and unfortunately I did not get a picture. However, you might imagine a two-storied castle in large, pale sand-coloured stone, carved ones define the top layer which covers an unseen roof, 3-wings that I could see undoubtedly close to 20,000 sq ft. Finally we do a U-turn in front of the country club, the entrance of which is at the end of a 4-lane treed boulevard. A uniformed man complete with cap ensures only members & invited guests pass through the gateway.

As we have other plans for lunch we move on to Chipotle. I choose a burrito which is ‘built’ to order. The gal behind the counter has to trash her first effort at my request by assuming that I want both rice and beans. I congratulate myself on curtailing the carbs (no rice) only to be outfoxed by the enormous ladle of chicken she lays down onto a monstrous tortilla. Green tomato salsa or red or corn. Ièm told the corn has cilantro, so of course I chose that. Then of course one has to have guacamole… The final result is the size of … well imagine 6 short weiners standing together on end and wrapped in tinfoil! The 'cilantro' turns out to be parlsey – poo!

Our discussion at lunch leads to the decision of visiting not one of Houston's marvellous sights, but to a re-cycle store where clothing is 50% off. Sale does not include menès ties, so no Houston tie for me. However, Kathy finds a resin daschund dog with a clock making his tale wag which will become part of a mosiac some day, perhaps without the clock.

We're back in the Cruiser cruising another section of Houston when Kathy exclaims that she had no intention of showing me 'shotgun' houses in this rather seedy neighbourhood. I'm surprised to see uninhabited, derelict houses leaning dangerously with great gaps in the walls & roofs. We’re on the lookout for a Salvation Army store which we eventually find. Stores of this type close at 3:00pm and it's now well past that.

As we head home I’m treated to a sighting of the downtown skyline, the Astrodome & stadium from the top of a loop-d-loop elevated highway.

Only the dogs greet us back at the trailer. Al returns shortly with new laptop in hand & a scowl on his face. I leave the rest to your imagination.


































































Monday, February 26, 2007

Travelog - Day 25, Feb. 25

We’re lazing around a bit this morning. Al has gone to use the office computer to locate the nearest computer stores whose fliers are in the thickest newspaper I’ve ever seen. Probably thicker than a week’s worth of The Ottawa Citizen. Once again giving new meaning to the word, large, in Texas.

This park has a very nice dirt roadway around the pond so off I go with the dogs. In an expanse of unoccupied field I let Leila loose for a romp which is better described as a gallop and did she go. She’s so much more obedient than Gypsy in returning to me when I call – well almost. As soon as she caught sight of the water, down the embankment and in she went. Then of course, didn’t she have to catch the scent of a very large fish and do what all dogs do. She rolled in it. Fortunately the fish remains are well dried out, so no harm/smell was done.

Today we go to Galveston, via apparently several stores advertising ‘sales’ on laptops. OK I’ll cut to the chase and admit we now own a new HP something-or-other laptop. Still in the box until we get back to the trailer where it must undergo 10 hours of charging before unplugging again.

Galveston. What can I say? Well first I didn’t realize that it is an island. Due to the low elevation (and not just here either), houses have no basements and in Bayou Vista are on what I call stilts with the garage being the main floor and the living areas starting on the first floor.

Our first stop is Moody Gardens, home of the rainforest and aquarium which are housed in pyramids, built to withstand hurricane forces. As first shift I get to see the rainforest ($7.95). Al then visits the aquarium at twice the price while I dogsit in the car. No pictures of the penguins unfortunately as the glass is too smudged. Never mind, the National Geographic web site probably has better pics.

The Seawalk Blvd. is a ‘must’ to drive and stop to check out the beach and water which I judge to be colder than around Padre Island. All sorts of surfers dressed in full wetsuits try to catch a wave, a good place to learn as the waves are somewhat gentle. Children are building sand castles, dogs chasing frisbees, and more than one family is fully immersed in the water. Wish it were me, I think. We pass by the Strand with its ironworks Victorian architecture from the 19th century, then catch a glimpse of the Elissa, a 19th century, 150’ tall ship which may be the only fully operational vessel of its type in the world. Tourism & conventions are Galviston’s second most important industry after shipping and agriculture and this is abundantly obvious with the magnificent hotels along the seafront. Before leaving the area we cross a bridge to Pelican Island to see Seawolf Park which offers an excellent view of the harbour entrance. Unfortunately it costs $5 each + another $5 for parking, so we do a U-turn. I wonder why this island is not more populated.

Back on #45 I notice Oasis RV campground which sits right next to Bayou Vista. Must check it out as I would definitely like to return to this area. That would be after camping out on the beach on Padre Island of course.













































Travelog - Day 24, Feb.24


We’re off this morning at 7:19am, headed to Sugar Land, just south of Houston. Al says that our RV campsite was not so bad, after the first day of course. The staff have been very friendly and were concerned that we were happy with our new ‘premium’ site. The showers were roomy, but always wet with dirt/mud on the floor. Last night when we went to pick up the laundry (still wet after one cycle in the dryer??), folks were ‘smokin’ n’ jokin’ as Al would say, playing cards – poker, bridge, and having a good time. The Austin RV park still ‘wins’ hands down. If we come this way again next year, I want to camp on the beach for a few days. Al is agreeable to the idea.

Yesterday just before dinner, Al went for a car wash. He was gone forever or so it seemed. The car looked no different when he returned. Seems the car wash broke down with some poor woman driving a convertible caught in the suds cycle. I have visions of giant bubbles sitting on her canvas roof. And yes, he got his money back.

No fog or even a hint of mist today. We’re driving under very clear skies, so it will be warm. The Interstate Grain Terminal stands out on the horizon along with the smoke stacks of the Dupont factory. One thing Al has noticed about Corpus Christi: it has the least traffic. Austin is the worst so far.

Radio flash – some state is going to prohibit the display of plastic body parts dangling from car/truck bumpers, particularly those that distinguish the difference between males and females and “I’m not talking about the television” says the radio host. Now doesn’t that knowledge just make your day?!!

Now an important news flash for our Canadian readers. Our first train and it has a CN locomotive in front, followed by roughly 30 empty cars (some of them CP) used to transport cars. I sort of understand the presence of Canadian cars, but wonder why the engine is so far from home.

Back to the road. We are now heading NE on #77 which basically runs a distance from, but is parallel to the Gulf. Just short of Victoria, we change to #59 for the rest of the journey, until just south of Houston we connect with #6.

The big highway is rather boring so I’ve gone back to securing the embroidery on a dress I bought in Mexico. None of the ends are tied off, with half showing on the front. My first chore was to pull them to the back, tie them off if I can, and then to tighten up the tension of the rather long embroidery stitches. Tedious to say the least. I shall have to handwash this as I’m convinced that it will shrink otherwise. Should the yellow-green dye run the rayon embroidery thread will not be affected. In fact I was thinking to re-dye or discharge dye the cotton when I get home.

As today is Saturday, we’re again listening to Car Talk on public radio. Advice given to a woman whose mother’s mechanic told her that she should always buy the same brand gasoline. “Bogus” is the response since her ‘club’ buys from a variety of sources. In fact drivers of even ‘premium’ gas cars should buy ‘regular’.

Sugar Land is just what my friend, Kathy, said, a planned community. Lovely boulevards with a dense canopy of trees that will provide relief from the heat in the summer. All the houses seem so big and impressive, first because they are mostly 2-storey and second because they are predominantly brick which adds to the ‘mass’.

Our hosts, Kathy & Perry, show us what good old southern hospitality is all about. Perry’s ribs are wonderful, along with beans which I’m beginning to rather like, a fruit salad, a German noodle can’t remember the name... The desert is, of course, pecan pie. Kathy treats me to a tour of her artwork – mosiacs, quilting, her new machine & tie collection. We’re going to put out a quilt challenge using only ties.

Round about 4:00pm we leave our new friends and head for Almost Heaven RV campground.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Travelog - Day 23, Feb 23

This is the bridge into the harbour. We are parked underneath this overpass. The sound of traffic overhead as we walked to the aquarium was a little unsettling.


Here Al is entering the aquarium as he passes under a manmade waterfall.

Dusty, a river otter, not a sea otter is great fun to watch. Unfortunately he is not in good form this morning. Just like some of my students he is not focusing on the job at hand so his trainer ends the session. Sure wish I could have done that when I was teaching. "OK, students, you'll just have to go home until ..."


Perhaps Sean will remind me what kind of shark this is. His camoflage is brilliant.



Then the dolphins, quite the characters with such a broad smile. It's no wonder every one loves them. Sorry I missed one of them doing a triple flip. The heaviest one weighs just over 400 lbs so makes quite the splash.









After lunch we load the dogs into the car and head for the beach. Although there is a road indicated on the map, only a short section of the island is accessible, and only after paying $10 for entrance to the state park. It ends at the beach where you can now drive for some 50 more miles. We drive until we can see no more cars, stop and let the dogs loose. They head off with their noses to the ground. However, we have to corale them very quickly due to an approaching truck.
We are now at the beach where I spot these guys - Portugese Man-of-War, a type of stinging jelly fish, waiting for the tide to come back in (and it is). Fortunately these electric blue babies are marooned in the sand; their sting can be quite deadly I watched one raise its 'head', a dark pointy thing at the end of its bottle shape. If you look closely enough you can see its inards are black.
Other than these jelly fish and one type of long narrow clam-like shell, the beach is not nearly as interesting as South Padre which had tons of shells. And as Al says, not nearly as interesting as the one in Denmark which was also a nudist beach.



































Travelog - Day 22, Feb. 22

Corpus Christi beaches as seen from the Lexington.



Check the link to the mapquest map to see where we are. The Lexington is denoted by a red star. We are close to the #358 label and the highway to South Padre Island





When we arrived to see the ship it was too foggy to take a picture, so I refer you to this site to learn more about the ship's history.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv16-lexington/cv16-lexington.html http://www.usslexington.com/ will tell you about the tour.


Knot sampler, framed & hanging inside


Interior corridor


























Firefighter boat practicing as seen from the Lex.



I'm hoping my friend, Dawn, will be able to identify these flowers which are currently blooming in our RV park.













On our way to Mustang Island (which is no longer an island but part of Padre Island) I spotted this restaurant and had to take a picture for my son, Colin. Several pelicans were flying overhead and then I realized that a great feeding frenzy was happening. One of the cooks was feeding these fellows. You see here the two types of pelicans - white and brown. I can distinguish the male & female brown, but not so in the white.






































Finally a picture of Gypsy on the beach. In the afternoon we drove the circuit around Corpus Christi Bay (check the mapquest map), stopping at 2 beaches and then finally in Aransas Port where we bought some freshly steamed & spicy shrimp and 2 'real' crab cakes.












Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Travelog - Day 21, Feb. 21

The pool

The trunk of an Egyptian palm.




Who can identify this orange flower?




Ok the other is a cactus near the swimming pool.













Texas rose???











What can I say? It's foggy in the morning and by 11am the sun is out in a cloudless sky. I can feel the temperature rising and know I will be forced to go to the pool this afternoon. We are taking a 'day off' for which I am grateful.

Meanwhile I update the blog, Al having bought a day's wireless connection. As luck would have it Outlook Express will send emails, but not receive them. I'm tired of looking for solutions to these types of problems, so I don't. Besides it's a minor inconvenience to access the incoming on the Sympatico server. Such is life in our 'high tech world' LOL


At 12 noon I head for the local shopping centre which contains a Walmart and a HEB grocery store. At the former I manage to find one pair of shorts that fit as well as a pair of sandals. I now understand how come we saw 3 Walmarts in very close proximity 'cause this is one sad, sad store. HEB is one of the best so far. Go figure!


At 2pm I head for the pool, Al to rest his eyes in the back of the trailer. After my first dip I am quickly reminded of how chlorine sucks all moisture from your skin. I am spoiled at home at Susan & Cliff's salt water pool which is soooo nice to the skin and not 'salty' like the ocean. The water is wonderful, same temperature I think as when we put the docks in at at the cottage in the spring.

I retire to a lounge chair and start trying to secure the embroidery on a very inexpensive Mexican dress I bought. I love the embroidery, but it is a bit loose and will get pulled very easily. I have already secured the start & stop of each embroidery thread, too many too count.


Earlier today friend, Mary, caused me to learn that I can update my blog via email. This method means I can organize text & pictures together and then upload all in one go. I'll try anything once. Guess what!!!!! it doesn't work - text only it seems, same as uploading a Word file, place markers for pictures which are not displayed. Too bad!


Plan for the rest of our stay here: the Lexington, the aquarium and a drive along Padre Island. Temperatures and distance times will determine the order of events as we must always consider our loyal, 4-footed friends.

Travelog - Day 20, Feb. 20

A fairly relaxed start today – 8:13am. We pick up #83 and head for Harlingen, yet another very busy corridor with loads of construction. I’m amazed at how high they can built up the roadway using rebar netting which is then faced with concrete bricks. As we drive below, an steamroller is flattening at least a foot deep of asphalt.

Somewhere around Harlingen we pick up #77 going north. I must admit I have been less than diligent in navigating. In fact I’m doing nothing of the sort since the route is an absolute no-brainer and looking at construction is rather mind-numbing. So I’ve been cutting away the heavy duty stabilizer used in the embroidery of 2 t-shirts I bought in Mexico, hoping that I don’t manage to cut a hole as the road is a bit bumpy.

It’s nice to have the sun at our backside now, well almost, over our right shoulder. The skies are blue with light clouds breaking up the sunlight, but still Al and & I have a hard time. Both of us wear tinted glasses, but still we end up squinting, the curse of having blue eyes I guess. Al especially should wear a hat as he turns beet red, so it makes perfectly illogical sense that I am the one who has bought an inexpensive straw, velcro-strapped visor. I also succombed to a mottled, blue leather Stetson-like hat. Why blue? It’s quite simple - black would require a horse.

Highway #77 is straight & flat, a 4-lane boulevard, with a railway line on the west side. I hadn’t noticed this latter point until some rather rusty, seemingly abandoned equipment came into view. Each one the same length. Aha! A train derailment, perhaps 15 cars long.

Just outside Harlingen, the fields are mainly crops. We’re now back to cattle country. Every so many miles I see a bull all alone in his field. Doesn’t appear unhappy with his lot. This is what I call scrub country – grasses and tallish brush. Low spots are marshy, but no greenery. One has a long-legged bird – a heron perhaps. Shortly after I see two chachalacas. I didn’t mention yesterday that we saw two American pelicans at the beach. Bird count is slowly increasing.

118 km and 9:41am we encounter a border patrol check. The queue is not long; we move through quickly. ‘Cainine on duty’ a sign announces; Leila has the good sense not to bark.

181 km 11:00am Kingsville, TX, home of the King Ranch. Sign advertises just under 30,000 population. Driving into town houses are more like cottages in their construction. The downtown core is suffering with many boarded up storefronts. We park alongside a defunct collison centre, one block away from the King Ranch Saddlery. It is what I expect with a wide range of leather merchandise, but also upscale western clothing, woven rugs, dishes, … unrelated to the King Ranch. Two miles west, we stop at the Ranch visitor centre to take some pictures. A pear cactus is about to bloom outside an office and cattle are numerous in the local field.

11:56 back on #77. To the west we see a massive oil refinery, in front a 5th wheel trailer carrying hay bales, two wide and two deep. We hold our breath and pray that any slipage occurs after we pass him. Same size as the ones we saw fortifying sand dunes on the gulf side of South Padre Island. Distant fields & buildings are floating in a mirage. Did I mention that the road is flat, the fields are flat, everything is flat. Nothing is planted in the tilled fields.

At the village of Driscoll (pop.825) we hang a right onto FM665 toward Corpus Christi Bay. Six communication towers encircle the village of Petronila, its horizon lined with electrical lines suspended in the air by telephone poles that resemble needles & thread. Santa Maria Acres advertises one acre lots on a lone, off-shoot of 665 and in the middle of fields for as far as the eye can see. And I can ‘see’ the dust arising when these fields are really dry. I still have no idea of what is planted, but irrigation appears not obviously necessary, nor are fences.

In the outskirts of Corpus Christi (pop 250,000), we turn east. Al chooses to stick with the access road that services hoards of businesses that are sitting cheek-to-jowl alongside the road. The SW side of the highway is similarly crowded. Intersections which go under the main road are frequently 5 lanes and that’s just our one-way side.

Century Theatres advertises 16 cinemas, all housed in one building. We’ve just passed our second Walmart, this time ‘nestled’ in with other big box stores. Holy! Another, our third, Walmart next to a HEB grocery of equal size.

Right next to Good St. Peter’s which looks like a school but has no visible occupants, we turn left into Colonia del Rey RV park complete with plastic pansies planted under the “Visitors stop here” sign. Another sign gives the layout & legend: blue is regular, turquoise, preferred & red, premium daily lots. Concrete drive-thru’s are very tightly aligned. I cross my fingers.

Our first campsite (notice I say first) is the closest you can get to the exit, no fence and facing a busy, noisy, 4-lane road. A 10’ fenced dog run is just opposite in the blazing sun complete with garbage pail. Our second attempt at parking works. Seems it’s difficult for us to remember where the sewer connection is. Using all our pieces of wood we level the trailer. There is absolutely no shade and the heat from the sun is merciless Our assigned space is not as wide as our neighbours, so when you step out the door you almost step on the picnic table. Then I note that the leafless tree will not allow the awning to be deployed. Al makes a quick decision and heads off to the office to request a different site. He returns and we break camp, moving from ‘regular’ to ‘premium’ at an increase of $5 per day.

Neither of us is thinking very rationally and we forget to raise one leg jack. Bent is the word. But it’s the ‘other’ person who left a kitchen tap on and connected the water. The sink was rescued just in time. Notice I’m not identifying the culprit(s).

Site #21 is an absolute haven - a concrete drive-through pad (not required) with fully leaved trees on either side (thank goodness for the shade) and nestled in between two 40+’ buses (Monaco Signature Series), bump-out’s all round. (Mary, I had to use that term). Each has a car: one a VW bug travelling in it’s own, uncolour co-ordinated trailer (tsk! tsk! in the basic ‘white’ look), the other a station wagon.

Setting up camp goes without mishap this time although we now have to use 2 pieces of wood under the bent leg jack and it is a brute to crank up or down. Sink does not overflow, cable TV works with 72 channels!!!, dogs are very content in their X-pen and I’m relaxed under the breeze of the Fantastic fan enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the long-tailed grackles’ exhuberance.

Beware! I’m wearing Al’s shorts held together at the waist with a clip from the dogs’ X-pen, a new fashion statement for me. Tomorrow I shall get some shorts and light-weight capris. Stupid, stupid, stupid as of course I have more than enough at home! Sorry to tell you folks back home that I’ve even substituted a lightweight blanket on the bed for the down duvet. Bringing it was a great idea and the feather bed on the mattress makes a big difference to my back. Why do I have the feeling that I will have to reverse this process on the way home.

Al is off to HEB. Our supply of wine, and milk, is dangerously low. He has promised not to buy any more bananas. Last place he got suckered into buying a big bunch for $1, adding to the big bunch he had bought the day before. I love bananas with my cereal, but … The Hook’s gave us some incredibly juicy, ruby-red grapefruits from their own tree, with no pesticides, no insecticides, no nada which mean the outside skins don’t look so good, but the insides are so incredibly delicious! Better than home I think.

Final item on the agenda is what to do re: wireless service which the park offers at $3 per day, and at your campsite. Signal strength is averaging 38% so we will try it tomorrow, the 21st.