Sunday, July 27
We were up and around fairly early (considering the tiring couple of days we had on Friday and Saturday)…had plenty of time to take care of the morning mail and e-news and to get ourselves ready to go to church.
Our first stop was at Mother’s house to get a load of wash started. We ran into T.J. and Mother there as they were preparing to visit at a small Southern Baptist church just down the street from T.J.’s house. We said our good morning’s and goodbyes, started a load of laundry, and then took off for Quitman and the Rim Rock Cowboy Church, where we sat with Ladd, Angela, and Madeline and enjoyed another fine service. Angela invited us to stay for the monthly potluck lunch, but we declined this time so we could get back to Mother’s house to start another load of clothes.
We stopped first at Sonic for some popcorn chicken and tater tots, munching them as we drove from Quitman to Mineola. We assumed that Mother and T.J. were going out to lunch right after their service, so we were surprised to find Mother back at the house and dressed for her afternoon relaxation. We gave her the remainder of our lunch, got a load of laundry going in the dryer, and started another in the washer before leaving to get back to Big V and our afternoon naps.
Later in the afternoon I went back over to the house to check on the laundry and visit Mother for a bit before going over to T.J.’s house for a short visit. The rest of the afternoon consisted of a trip to Wal-Mart for a few necessities, another short trip to Mother’s with Barbara, and a long, quiet evening at home in Big V. That is, until we got ready to go to bed and heard the ice maker making funny noises…it was telling us that it was defrosting time, so we emptied the freezer contents into an insulated bag and spent an hour or so watching ice melt…boy, are we big on excitement or what!?
Monday, July 28
It was another relatively slow day with a bunch of running around…if that makes any sense.
While I was getting ready to start my day, Barbara went over to Mother’s house to get a load of laundry out of the dryer and put a set of sheets in. When she came back, I left to go get Mother to take her downtown to take care of some business. When we were through, I took her over to T.J.’s, since Mother said she’d take us all out to lunch at Dairy Queen. I was supposed to take Mother and T.J. was going to pick Barbara up, but since we finished our running around early, I said I’d go back to get Barbara and we’d meet them at DQ.
After a leisurely lunch, Barbara and I drove to Tyler, stopping along the way to find out where we could find someone to work on the motorcycle (we found a great shop, except that they don’t do electrical work…all other cycle shops are closed on Mondays, so we learned nothing). We did find a large shopping mall in Tyler…useful information for later, and a Barnes and Noble bookstore where we bought a couple of books and a new appointment calendar.
On the way back we stopped at a large RV dealership near Lindale and drooled over a new 39-foot diesel rig before we bought the newest issue of Trailer Life and another book that serves as a great guide for traveling the interstate highway system. Steve Whitfield, one of the art teachers at LHS, gave us a copy of “The Next Exit” as a retirement gift, and it has been invaluable on our travels.
We gassed up the Vibe and grabbed a couple of Sonic drinks at Lindale and then returned to Mineola, stopping at Mother’s house to let her know that we were back in town and were heading back to Big V for the day.
Back in place, we worked at the computers, read, Barbara took a short nap, and then we fixed supper while we planned our travel route and lodging options for the trip to Virginia in September and October.
Tuesday, July 29
Happy Birthday to Warren Yehl in San Antonio!!!
Wow…this week is almost like a real vacation – one in which there are no responsibilities, nothing to do, and nowhere to go.
We lazed around this morning until I made up my mind to ride the cycle down to Lindale to have it inspected. We were hoping that the shop there could also take care of the electrical problem were having (the battery won’t charge), but it is a relatively new shop and they haven’t invested in electrical testing equipment yet.
After putting the cycle back in the garage at Mother’s house, I came back to Big V, where Barbara had prepared our lunch. We ate, read, and napped the afternoon away.
Around 5:00 I went back to Mother’s house to check on her and the puppies and to do the backyard “poop patrol.” It was much easier in Artesia when Ernie or I could just shovel stuff over the fence into the vacant lot across the alley. Here, over the fence is a neighbor’s yard, so that’s no longer an option.
I made a quick trip to T.J.’s house to check in with her and return some old family photos that I had copied, and then it was back to Big V where we just whiled away the evening…no excitement, and we’re happy of it.
We did decide to go outside for a bit to lag some washers. Barbara showed great improvement in form and tossing, winning one out of three very close games. I told her that if she kept playing like that, we’d have to take away the handicap and have her toss from behind the board like I do.
Barbara: After the last month of staying busy every second, I find nothing wrong in having a really, really boring journal entry week! Jim thought maybe I could jazz this up some, but who cares if I cleaned the pantry and cabinets today? I think this isn’t the way he meant for me to make it more exciting; so I’ll work harder at making this interesting by giving you the hush-hush info he didn’t mention about these last 3 days…
First, just for kicks, we bought 5 TX lottery tickets and each one of them was a winner…total winnings: $1,000,000.
Then, with all this extra cash floating around, we flew to Paris, but kept it a secret since we didn’t want anyone to be jealous of our new lifestyle.
Once home, we bought that 39’ Winnebago we saw in Tyler for a song…I sang and they just said, “Here, take it!” This time we didn’t want Big V to be jealous so we have it stored in a secret location.
Okay, that’s the real scoop from around here…believe it, if you want!
Jim: See what happens when a person has too much time on her hands!
Wednesday, July 30
It was another slow morning around here. Actually, we both woke up at 5:00 a.m., but after walking from the back to the front of Big V, I decided it was just too early to think about thinking, so I went back to the back and fell asleep again…finally got up and started the day at 8:00.
We took our time moving around…checked email and made a kind of a list of things that needed to be done today.
Barbara: Jim just glosses over the fact that we went to the post office; but…it’s the most exciting part of the day! Let me explain.
As we got to the stop sign to get on highway 80, Jim starts hunting around in the car for something. When I ask what he’s looking for, I find that he has no idea where the key to the mailbox is. Finally, we give up and I say I’ll use mine that’s on my key ring…wouldn’t you think he could do the same with his???? Well, he doesn’t…it’s just a single key.
We get to the post office; I get out and go in to check the mail. It takes a moment for it to register with me that the mailbox with a key sticking out of it, is 841…our box! Yes, folks, I found that missing mail key for Jim! I have had a great time rubbing it in, too! Of course, I’ve done my share of goofy things, too; so I guess that means we’re a great pair of forgetters!
Jim: Shortly after 10:00 we went to the post office to check on the mail and then over to Mother’s house. Barbara was slated to go with her, T.J., and a couple of T.J.’s friends for a “ladies’ day out” luncheon. I’ll let Barbara write about that.
When they had left, I watered the plants and flowers in front of Mother’s house, went to the State Farm agent to see about getting our coverage moved down here, and then went back to Big V for lunch and to begin writing all the checks to pay for our health insurance coverage through the school district in Liberal.
Barbara: What do you want to hear about 5 women chatting over a leisurely lunch? Nothing, right? Okay, suffice it to say that we had a great time!
Jim: Barbara called a little after 1:00 to tell me they were headed back to Mother’s house, so I went over and picked her up and we returned to Big V where she took a nap and I did some work at the computer.
Later, we got a call from a repair shop a few miles south of Tyler, letting us know we could bring the cycle in to have it checked out. David told me it might take a couple of weeks, but that is the norm anywhere, so we decided to go ahead and get it down there.
So, I gassed up the cycle and, with Barbara following along in the Vibe, we rode about 40 miles in the 102 degree afternoon heat…not too bad on the cycle as long as I kept moving, but very oppressive when I had to stop for stop signs or red lights. (Barbara: I was nice and cool in the Vibe! That’s safer for our marital bliss!)
Finally, we got the cycle into the shop, visited with David for a few minutes (he’s quite a talker…now I think I know why it takes two weeks to get vehicles out of the shop; especially if he spends as much time talking to other customers as he did with us).
The trip back to Mineola was uneventful. We stopped at the RV place to pick up a microwave pressure cooker that Barbara saw the other day and then made another stop at Sonic for a cold, refreshing drink to tide us over until we got home.
Back in Mineola we checked on Mother, went to the pharmacy to drop off a prescription for her, and then went to T.J.’s to pick up an old television set she wanted us to set out with Mother’s trash for tomorrow morning.
Back at Mother’s house, we found that Ernie and Billee had just returned from their trip to Harrison, Arkansas, so we visited a bit before hopping back in the Vibe and returning to Big V for a quiet and uneventful evening.
Thursday, August 31
Another early day…we didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. We both woke up at 5:00 a.m. and after a cursory reading of email and playing a couple of games of Free Cell, we turned our attention to getting Big V cleaned up in anticipation of our next adventure.
With cleaning rags and cleanser, we tackled every room in the place (granted, all the rooms are small, but they still have lots of nooks and crannies), and by 8:30 we had the place sparkling and smelling fresh.
While I took the Vibe down to the Chevrolet place for annual inspection, Barbara started baking several batches of cookies to add to Big V’s homey aroma.
With the car inspection and a visit to the post office out of the way, we turned our attention to the regular activities of the day – checking and answering email, reconciling bank statements, and doing the other mundane chores of daily life.
There was one bit of excitement and a new experience for us…while I was checking my mail I found a message from one of our banks informing us that our online banking was shut down pending verification of our account information. The message came complete with the bank’s official logo, but it was full of grammar and spelling errors. Suspecting that it was probably a scam of some kind, we called the bank and they verified that it was a hoax, just someone on a phishing expedition.
The rest of the day was spent visiting Mother, Ernie, and Billee, reading, playing games, and taking our obligatory afternoon nap.
Around 4:00 we went over to T.J.’s house to fire up the charcoal grill. T.J. said she furnish the meal, steaks, beans, salad, and dessert, if I would grill the steaks…sounded like a heck of a deal for me, since I like to grill, and eating someone else’s food has never posed any moral or ethical problems.
Pretty soon the house was full of family as Mother, Ernie, Billee, and Angela arrived and started visiting. While the steaks were grilling, Ernie and I teamed up against Billee and Barbara for a hot (literally and figuratively) game of washers. Much as I hate to report it, the girls won the game handily after Billee tossed the washers through the hole in the board not once, but twice! She said she hadn’t played before, but I think she was just hustling us. Oh well, I’m sure there will be a rematch in the near future.
Ladd arrived about the time the steaks were ready, so we all sat down to a great meal and a lot of family talk, covering a multitude of topics. It seems that when we get family together, one thread of conversation just naturally leads to another; and, if it doesn’t lead naturally, we someone just takes a leap to another topic and we’re off again.
After Mother, Ernie, and Billee left, Angela and Ladd invited us to ride up to Quitman with them for Gospel Sing Night at the annual Wood County Old Settlers Reunion. Since we like good gospel music, we readily agreed, and soon we were in Ladd’s pickup and heading north for yet another adventure.
We don’t know how long the Old Settlers Reunion has been going on, but Mother told Barbara that she remembers her father (Pa Faulk) taking her to it when she was a little girl. Pa was a prominent member of the Mineola community and had tickets that allowed Mother to go through the midway and ride all the rides she wanted. She said that everyone in the county would attend the event. T.J. told us that in the old, old days, my great-grandparents (Paw-Paw and Big Mama Davenport) used to hitch up their wagon and make the ten-mile ride up to Quitman to attend the Reunion.
When we got to the park and found the music pavilion, we set up our folding chairs and sat down to hear the concert. We were expecting to hear several different groups of singers performing the old gospel songs, but this was a performance by only one group. While they were pretty good (for the most part), we were familiar with only a few of the songs they sang…most were more modern songs done in gospel style…not exactly what we came for.
After a few songs, we got up and walked around the park to see what we could see. Angela and Ladd know almost everyone in Wood County, so they stopped and talked to folks while Barbara and I looked at the different booths and watched people heading into the midway area to test themselves against the various rides.
We did stop long enough for the four of us to play a couple of games of bingo (Ladd came close one time, but the rest of us were lucky to cover 2 numbers!) before returning to the pavilion for the last three songs of the gospel sing. By then, it was time to load up and return to Mineola; Ladd and Angela had jobs to go to tomorrow morning, and Barbara and I had to make the final preparations to get Big V on the road again.
Friday, August 1
It was moving day again today. After spending the entire month of July at the Mineola Civic Center, we decided we’d move 14 miles east to Lake Hawkins RV Park. We’d enjoyed driving over there to swim and liked the looks of the RV park. It also turned out that by taking advantage of the senior citizen discount, the rate was virtually the same as at the civic center.
We spent the morning doing all the last minute things that are necessary for moving Big V. Furniture has to be locked down, pictures have to be taken down (unless we’ve secured them with Velcro, and all loose items have to be stored.
We made a trip over to Mother’s house to see everyone before we left and to get a load of laundry done. By noon I was ready to pull away from the civic center. Barbara took the Vibe to Mother’s house to pick up the clothes while I drove Big V to Wal-Mart to gas up; gas was as low as we’d seen it for a long time, and we thought we’d better top off the tank before the price went up again.
After a stop at Taco Bell for lunch, we hit the road and headed for Lake Hawkins and our new lot for at least the next couple of weeks. We had been out to the RV park last week to secure a site. It wasn’t the best site, but it was the best available at the time. Barbara got to the office well before I did and found that there had been some cancellations for the weekend, so we were able to latch on to a site that was far nicer than the one we thought we were going to have. Now we have trees all around us and an unobstructed view of the lake behind us.
Our hope was that it might be a little cooler here than in Mineola, but that didn’t happen today. For one thing, Big V doesn’t stay very cool while traveling, and by setting up camp during the heat of the day, we lost what cooling we might have had. Add in a high temperature of 102 degrees for the day, and we were struggling to get comfortable.
Because it was so hot and the place wasn’t cooling down very fast, we decided to jump into the nice air-conditioned Vibe and ride into Hawkins (only three miles) to see what there was to see. We wanted to find a wi-fi hot spot if at all possible, but in such a small community, the chances were slim. Still, I cruised slowly down the main drag while Barbara kept an eye on her laptop screen. As we approached one of the stores (Fred’s – an “upscale” dollar store), she said that she had a Linksys signal, so we pulled in to the parking lot of Fred’s and checked it out. Sure enough, we had a strong enough signal that we were able to check our mail and send out a couple of notes to let family know where we were.
We returned to the park and went for a swim…the sun was hot, but the water was cool, so we stayed in the lake for about an hour before returning to Big V for supper and a game of washers. Big V still wasn’t cooling down very much, so around dusk we returned to Fred’s to cool down in the Vibe and check our email…had some new messages, so it was a good thing we did.
Back at Big V we settled in for the night…watched TV and read until the place cooled down enough to go to bed.
Saturday, August 2
We resumed the “vacation mode” that we seemed to be in before we were interrupted to get ready for the move out to Lake Hawkins.
With absolutely no agenda or sense of hurry, we lounged around the place for a couple of hours after we finally woke up…I fixed a pot of coffee and had my first cup inside before wandering out to see what the morning looked like.The view of the lake from Big V was absolutely gorgeous; we sat in our folding chairs and watched the squirrels play tag with each other and wondered at the beauty and quiet of this place…no sirens or traffic, just campers enjoying the tranquility of nature and respecting each other’s privacy in the midst of so many campsites.
Barbara suggested an early morning round of washers, so we took our places and began our tosses. With practice, we have both improved our games, becoming much more consistent with our range, if not with the subtleties of tossing for placement. Lagging washers takes a good eye and the ability to place the washer on the board so it doesn’t bounce or skitter away, much like making a chip shot to golf green. In our case, it also helps to be very lucky, and that’s what eventually gave the game to me as I got a good bounce that managed to drop into the hole.As we were sitting around after the game, we got a call from T.J. letting us know that she and her friend, Cherry, would be stopping by Big V on their way to a visit in Big Sandy, just a few miles east of Hawkins. How about that…our first visitors in the new site!
When the visitors had left, Barbara and I sat around and read, fixed some lunch and ate it outside under our awning, and then came back inside to read and take a short nap.Around 3:00 p.m., the temperature started rising inside Big V. The morning and early afternoon were quite comfortable, but as the temperature reached the upper 0-‘s and crawled up to 102 degrees, the air conditioning just couldn’t keep up. As good as our air conditioner is, it can’t pull in 102 degrees and convert it to the 70’s, especially with the hot mid-day sun burning down on us.
We finally decided to just load the computers in the Vibe and ride into town to check email at Legal Grounds, our favorite internet café. While in Mineola, we could also pick up our snail mail at the post office, make a stop at Wal-Mart for some essentials (including a new fan for the front of Big V), and visit with Mother, Ernie, and Billee.
After gassing up the Vibe at Wal-Mart, we made a quick visit to T.J.’s house to see her for a few minutes. In addition to spending a few minutes with her, we got the added bonus of sitting down to some fresh, cold slices of cantaloupe…just the thing we needed on a hot afternoon.
We left Mineola around 6:00 and drove back to the RV park, stopping first down at the beach to swim for about thirty minutes. The beach area was crowded for the first time since we’ve been coming out here, but there was space available for us to get out and enjoy the cool water.
Back at Big V, we unloaded the car and put everything away. Then, Barbara started on our supper, using the new microwave pressure cooker to cook spaghetti. We weren’t sure how it would turn out, but it had a wonderful texture, and mixed with some leftover meat sauce we had in the freezer, made a delicious meal. And, it had the added bonus of not having to boil water for a long time, thereby heating up Big V’s interior.
The rest of the evening was spent just kicking back and relaxing, watching TV, and working at the computers, trying to get this edition of the journal ready to send out.
“You think it’s hot here?” – Church Signs
From the heart of the East Texas lake country,
Jim & Barbara
