October 31, 2010. San Antonio, Texas. Hallowe'en

There is excitement in the air. Suzanne is sweeping the front stoop because neighbors and friends are coming over for Halloween dinner, served out front. David will turn on the smoke maker promptly at five and we will be ready for the festivities. The twins are swimming, prior to putting on their costumes, David has gone to pick up the barbecue sandwiches. Soon after eating and drinking and sitting around out front, the kids along with Suzanne and me and the other Mothers will go out to trick and treat, while the fathers stay to hand out candy, and drink wine.

It is an exciting night, second to only Christmas in the annual calender. My job is the help set up the tables and chairs up front, but Suzanne with her efficiency has everything ready, so I begged off swimming while I write my wee web blog. The water is chilly.

The volleyball court is complete and is a big hit. It will serve them well. David has been trying to entice Suzanne to play a game, three on three volleyball. David never played volleyball at school at any level, so he claims the twins and he are in need of some skill training, but he is a tad competitive, so I suspect he will improve. It will be fun watching the progress.

Backyard Court

October 30, 2010. San Antonio, Tx. Action.

Never a dull moment, here in Texas, in the home of David and Suzanne. At seven-thirty this morning, David was at the store, renting an auger so he could dig the posts for the Volleyball court. He was half finished at ten, when Sarah and her friend had to leave for their volleyball game. I went with David as I had not seen Sarah's team play this year. This weekend is Volleyball tournament time, single elimination, so when you win, you play the next game, if you loose, you go home. Sarah's team won on Thursday so they play the next round today. Sarah's team played at eleven. They lost, barely, but they lost, so now she is finished.

Meanwhile, Suzanne took Ken along with Allison and Samantha to see Abigail's game at noon, fortunately at the same venue as the twins soccer game at one. Abigail had stayed overnight with Hanna, who acts as the team manager, so Abigail met Suzanne at the game. Now we must juggle. I watch the first of Abigail's game, then go to see Allison and Samantha on the soccer field, while David does the same, only in reverse. Suzanne is keeping the official book at the volleyball tournament so she is stuck in the gym, but she must be home, ready to be picked up at 2:30.

Abigail's team was top seed, so the first round was a bye for them, which I thought right off was trouble, as they had no time to get loose and confident. They too lost and immediately headed to the restaurant to celebrate their season. Meanwhile, the twins lost their game, then had a second game twenty minutes later, which they also lost. Everybody lost but everyone seems just fine

Suzanne and Sarah were invited to attend the Texas game in Austin, about an hour and a half hour drive away, so they had to be home by two-thirty to drive with a friend of Sarah's and her Mother. They are playing Baylor so we have a divided family, some cheering for Texas and some for Baylor.

Immediately upon our arrival home from the twins game, David got to work on the Volleyball court. He rented the auger for the day, so wanted to take it back before six. So here we are. I am in the house awaiting Abigail's arrival home, David, Samantha and Allison and Ken are finishing up the court, then will return the auger, while Suzanne and Sarah are off ready to cheer for the Texas football team.

Soon we will watch the game on TV and relax!! There is never a dull moment here at home in Texas.

Back to Texas, Cotton King of N America

October 28, 2010. Canyon Lake, Tx. Spin off.

Willa Cather has been a favorite author of mine, but I have not read her for many years. One of the benefits of our drive north on #281 was we drove through Red Cloud, Nebraska, her home town and the setting for many of her novels and stories. Now I am up to my eyeballs in a biography of her, written by James Woodress, and I am enjoying it thoroughly. The creative process is a bit of a mystery to me as my creative gene is non existent, but I love to see it in action. I am loving this book and the life of Willa Cather.

The purpose for our trip was merely the drive on # 281, but along the way, much benefit accrued to me, which I call the spin off. Every trip has them, things that are seen and experienced in addition to the main purpose for the vacation. Your life in enhanced, because of the initial decision even though you had not dreamt about these things before. I always feel sorry for people who only go to places they have been to before and travel to the same places time after time, never exploring the new.

And here is another spin off. Ken and I spent so much time in the car that we talked and planned for the next ten years. Now we have people to see and places to go and we even know how we are getting to get there, all due to two weeks in the car.

Of course, we visited with Keith and Wilma, Ken's brother which is always fun. They are opposite from us in every sense and I am sure we drive them crazy, but we always have a good time together. Without #281 we would never have seen them this year so this is another spin off from the trip.

I am accused of being an impossible Pollyanna and I am, but when it comes to a vacation, the side benefits are almost equal to the main event!!

October 27, 2010. Canyon Lake, Tx. Home Again.

Now we are truly back where we started, safe and sound at the lake. We left the far north just in time. Yesterday a major storm hit the middle of the continent, with high winds and much snow. All the highways in Manitoba are still closed, including the trans Canada Highway, along with all the roads in North and South Dakota. And the temperature is below freezing. Once again, we got lucky.

Never a dull moment at the home of David and Suzanne and the four girls. Honey from David's bee hives were harvested on Saturday, making 42 jars of delicious honey. Fifteen months ago David started keeping bees in four hives at the bottom of his garden. He ordered the equipment for harvesting, invited friends and their children over for the afternoon and had a wonderful time, each leaving with a jar of honey. Now David and Suzanne are ready for hostess gifts at Christmas, all from those clever bees.

In the back of their yard is now a beach volleyball court. The sand is in place now and David will install the posts and net this weekend. Both Sarah and Abigail play volleyball for their school teams and as Allison and Samantha are also tall they will probably play volleyball too. David decided they needed a court in the back yard. They will have fun with the court and is a great idea but I must say, it would never have crossed my mind. Moose, their new puppy loves the sand. He stretches out on the cool sand right under feet of the girls. It's quite a sight.

The Other Manitoba

Manitoba and South

October 26, 2010. Harper, Texas. The Trip.

This trip has been a splendid experience. The sights and sounds were well worth the effort. The images will stay in our minds for the rest of our lives. We are encouraged to plan further driving trips.

In many spots on the trip we would see large domes, the color of sand but often with different colors intertwined in these large piles looking like sand castles. We thought at first it was corn but we could not imagine why corn was being stored out of doors. Finally we stopped to see these castles up close. It turned out to be seeds. An article in a Kansas paper gave us the answer. The harvest came on quickly this year and the storage bins are all full, so they are merely pouring the grains from the trucks up the conveyor belt and then pouring it into a pile, thus looking like a sand castle. Interesting.

Our planning was a success. We eat breakfast at the hotel, complementary with the price, then we snack during the day, stopping only for gas and a change a driver every two hours. It is a small thing, but for the first time we used a small trash container that I borrowed from the lake house, rather than a plastic bag. The maps were accurate and the AAA books and GPS gave us enough information to find accommodation. Best of all, the car worked well the whole way. Our car is a 2003 Ford Escape with a lot of miles, so we wondered if it would perform well. We are pleased.

Tomorrow we drive the final lap, back to the Lake to organize our clothes for the Christmas season, which we will spend with David and Suzanne in San Antonio. Never a dull moment...I hope.

October 25, 2010. Double D Ranch, Texas. The Gray Jay.

He came to visit us every day on our deck in The Riding Mountain National Park. He was beautiful, rather like a chickadee on steroids with a bit of blue and gray added for color. I was forced to consult our Sibley bird book which we fortunately had carried with us. Keith and Wilma could not recognize the bird either. But I found it. A Taiga Gray Jay nicknamed a camp robber.

I was trying to entice the magpie onto our deck so Ken could take a picture. It also is a beautiful and colorful bird, also a bit cheeky. To attract the bird, I broke up bread and put it on the ledge of the deck. While we watched for the next thirty minutes, three different birds came to partake of our bread; a blue jay, a magpie and the gray jay. The first day it took thirty minutes before the birds visited us, and after that first time, the visits came immediately, almost as if they were watching for us. I would break up the bread, walk inside and close the door and turn around to see a bird.

Wilma was breaking up the bread the first day and the gray jay swooped down and stole it from her hand, just like that. I kept the bread pieces large, hoping they would be forced to stay and peck at the big chunks, but no such luck. Those three birds were big enough to carry off the whole chunk. Every morning and evening I put out the bread and every time these three birds came to entertain us and feed themselves. They never failed us. Ken never did get a picture of any of the birds. That Taiga Gray Jay was the prettiest bird I have seen for a long time. I wonder if they migrate?

October 24, 2010. Abilene, Tx. Almost There.

We could have made it tonight, but we were weary, so we decided to stay in Abilene tonight, eat a good dinner, then arrive at the ranch tomorrow morning. Now we have done it all, including a swim and a hot tub. The car made a funny sound tonight on the way home from dinner so I feel sure we are fortunate to be at the end of our trip.

Ken admitted tonight that the trip was a lot more interesting than he had thought it would be. In fact I had to talk him into taking the trip, but this south to north journey had a lot of variety. When you drive across the prairies east to west, it seems to take forever just getting across the flat land but our trip was not that way. Many hills and valleys along with the hugh acres of fields meant for a different look every mile.

This country is definitely not crowded. And the center of the country is definitely not dying. The population may be smaller than fifty years ago but the farms and ranches are productive and thriving with large machines everywhere. The fields we have seen are impressive. In northern Texas we began to see fields of cotton, then many many large fields of cotton.

Soon we will see our small ranch and our few heads of cattle. But I was pleased to see the extent of the production going on in north America. It is an impressive scene, all along the highways and I feel fortunate to have seen it.

October 23, 2010. Garden City, Kansas. Sand Hill Cranes.

Two years ago we saw the sand hill cranes arrive in Texas, ready to spend their winter in the valley. It was a magnificent scene, seeing many hundreds of these hugh birds feeding on the fields. Yesterday we saw the birds eating on a field in Nebraska, getting ready to continue their flight. It was another great sight.

Highway 83 is a pretty drive with many curves and hills. Today we drove through the Sand Hills in Nebraska which are lovely. The only vehicles we see are the farm machines and the trucks carrying cattle. We have never seen such large cattle trucks and on this trip we must have seen five hundred. The other sight was the food lots. Hundreds and hundreds of cattle are kept in the enclosures fattening them up for sale. We first spotted them around Amarillo last year, and now we have seen them again in southern Nebraska and Kansas. It is quite a sight to see all that cattle in one small place.

We are driving south, parallel to 281, but further west by about seventy five miles. Not so far in miles, but a big difference in topography. We are still driving through the bread basket of the country, but with quite a different look. It was a lovely drive today, again a long day, leaving at 7:30 and stopping at Garden City at 4:30. A good day's work.

October 22, 2010. Fort Pierre, S.D. #83.

Highway 83 is another interesting road. It has the same number in Canada as it is in the US, and it goes almost all the way into Mexico. On the way home to Texas we will be driving highway 83 all the way. Leaving the resort this morning we drove Hgh. 10 to the border, then straight south on #3. finally picking up 83 which we have been on all day. Most of the time today we drove alone with no cars either ahead or behind. We thought #281 was remote but on this road you go through no towns at all. Today we put in a full day, starting at nine and ending at five. Soon Pizza will arrive to our room. We can't face getting into the car again tonight.

We must be careful of our timing because this area, Pierre, has been the only place with hotels since we left. This highway 83 is lovely, with Hugh fields and rolling hills, but there are no people living along the way. Amazing. Pierre is the capitol of South Dakota and is beautifully situated on the Missouri River. Unfortunately we will not take the time to peruse the beauty, because we are like horses, heading home to the stable. For some reason that I don't understand they pronounce this place Peer. Ridiculous.

October 21, 2010. Elkhorn Resort, Man. Massage.

Wilma had never had a massage, not ever in her whole life. Today I introduced her to the wonderful world of the Spa. The Solstice Spa here at the resort is well known in Manitoba, in fact I was told it is the best Spa in Manitoba. The first day we were here and walking around the resort we visited the spa and immediately booked us a massage, at least Wilma and I booked a massage. Ken and Keith declined even though it was my gift to them all, for their birthdays of past years. It must be busy at the spa, because today was the first time we could get a booking. It worked out well because tomorrow Ken and I will leave on our long drive south to Texas while Keith and Wilma will return to Brandon on Saturday. Today was a last hurrah and a relaxing indulgence for both Wilma and me.

I can not recall my first massage. Perhaps, as I was an athlete as a young adult, I received massages during the season. Or perhaps I became accustomed to a massage when I played so much tennis and the therapist was right on location. I only know that I love having a massage. Ken on the other hand must be talked into taking one. During my lifetime I have had hundreds of massages and liked every one.

Now Wilma has become a convert too. When we came back to the chalet after the massage, she told Keith she would love to receive one for her birthday. She could do worse!!

October 20, 2010. Elkhorn Resort, Manitoba, Canada.

It was a splendid day, driving on roads we had never been on before and seeing sights that were new. Keith drove the whole time. He seems to enjoy driving, at least he does it cheerfully which I appreciate. Wilma and I mapped out our route last night, being sure to make the trip a full circle with no backtracks. The ultimate destination was to visit The Narrows and get back home on new roads. The Narrows is a small body of water connecting two parts of Lake Manitoba. Keith and Wilma had not visited that area for twenty years, so they were keen to see how things had changed.

Keith and Wilma are wonderful travellers. They are willing and eager to drive down any road and walk any trail, just in the hope that something interesting would be at the end of the road. They will stop at every historical signs and for every animal even though it is a rabbit. Today we saw many deer, several bald eagles, many spruce grouse, some rabbits and lots of Canada Geese flying south.

It turned out to be an Indian circle, down a long road and along a walking path of stones, ending at a nature trail. It was remote and it all started by a small sign saying "Thunder bird Circle". It was old and it was interesting.

Next up was a sign "Marsh-4K". We took that road and found a large marsh with a mile long board walk, all through the marsh. The hike was invigorating as the wind was strong and the temperature was fifty F. The additional mile we left for another day as Ken and I were cold. Not so many ducks at the marsh but we saw many many ducks in the other lakes and ponds.

The Narrows has changed dramatically. You too can purchase a lot for your cottage. Just two hours north of Winnipeg. Beautiful spot, soon to be major league developed.

It was a splendid day. Something new every moment. Just up my alley.

Peace and Quiet

Church in Dauphin Manitoba

October 19, 2010. Elkhorn Resort, Manitoba. Towns,

Every town seems to have a specific and distinctive personality and history. On the way up on Saturday we stopped for lunch at a little town, Minnedosa, a charming town on the Little Saskatchewan River. Snyders Restaurant was busy and we discovered that they served Ukrainian food along with the usual hamburgers and sandwiches. Who knew that in the late nineteenth century these hardy souls moved to Manitoba and have thrived, or at least survived?

During lunch I overheard a conversation between two young women friends. They were discussing the weather. "Today is a beautiful day, but I wish I could go to bed tonight and wake up in June", said one young lady. Winters must be fierce in Minnedosa.

Driving north from the resort you soon meet a view that seems to go on forever. The highway down from the mountain is steep and when you get to the bottom the land is flat in all directions except behind. Wheat fields everywhere, all harvested and ready for winter. Dauphin which is pronounced the English way though it is named after a Frenchman, is the first town we visit. It has the largest population of Ukrainians in Manitoba and has retained it's distinctive charm, although we could not find their food in any restaurant. Beautiful churches, lovely railway station, neat and tidy houses and friendly people make for a pleasant town. Again, I would not like to be there in the winter. Much snow, low temperatures, high winds most of the time.

I am happy to driving south on Friday although these small communities are charming. The good residents seem to embrace the winter weather rather than merely survive. Perhaps this is why they drink so much coffee.

October 17, 2010. Elkhorn Resort, Manitoba. Bison.

At first we could spot one or two. Soon a whole herd emerged from the woods. While we watched and our eyes adjusted to the shapes, we were able to see several hundred bison, while we watched from the elevated observation platform in The Riding Mountain National Park. After we looked for thirty minutes or so, we drove right around the field, getting right up close and personal with about fifty large bison and many calves. At one point, several bison and calves raced across the grass field, running very quickly away from the two bulls tussling and pushing each other. These bison are huge and can run 32 miles an hour, so we were careful to stay in the car. They are impressive creatures. Eleanor would have loved seeing them so up close and personal.

Today we saw several beaver lodges and beaver dams. Magpies were abundant, those colorful noisy birds. We spotted and heard a falcon, but I don't know what type. But the best part was the reminder of why we love the northern lakes. This area was formed by glaciation and the bottom of the lakes are rock, mostly granite, so the water is clear. No mud or silt in the water means very clear water. You can see right to the bottom. I had forgotten what clear water looks like. Of course, as the lake we visited today, Clear Lake, is deep, the water is very cold, but it is beautiful.

Did you know that Manitoba has the largest per capita % of cottage ownership of any province in Canada? And did you know that Manitoba has 100,000. lakes? Amazing facts.

October 16, 2010. Elkhorn Resort, Manitoba, Canada.

Rolling hills and evergreen trees abound at this resort. Driving north from Brandon the land is flat, but bit by bit the hills appear, first small hills and then steep hills on the highway. It is all very sudden. Evidently, on the north side of the park the hills disappear and soon you are back to flat land. Soon we will explore the park, Riding Mountain National Park.



The Elkhorn resort is just barely in the park. It is not new but it is busy. Most cars are from Manitoba. People come to golf or hike, ride horses or relax at the Spa. Today is a perfect Fall day so many people have come for the weekend.



Wilma and I organized our food this morning and Ken and I went shopping at Sobeys in Brandon. Wilma raided her pantry and refrigerator so our little kitchen here will sustain us in fine style. The chalet we are staying in is adequate, but is short a second bathroom. The four of us will function just fine. It is bright and sunny and clean as a whistle. Taking a time share exchange is always a little dicey as you never know what you will fine. The resort calls itself a four star resort but I was told by a friend who lived in Manitoba that no such thing exists. We are here and will enjoy ourselves, especially since Wilma and I have booked a massage on Thursday!!

October 15, 2010. Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.

No line at the border at all. Just welcome to Canada and have a great visit.. It took thirty seconds.

The Peace Gardens are impressive, but at least it would be if any flowers were in bloom. Today all the leaves are off the trees and all the ducks have headed south, but the parkland itself is lovely and well worth the visit.

In the country, the homes in Manitoba and North Dakota are always surrounded by trees, of course being used as a wind break. You can barely see the home for the trees. This is true whether the home is small or large, or big or small. And the barns are quite close to the home itself. In Newfoundland we saw the same thing. The home was built on the ocean but the home was surrounded by trees so there was no view at all. The same is true on the great plains. You can see for ever across the flat terrain but when you are inside the homes, all you can see is the trees, that are very close to the house itself. The winter storms must be severe, with strong winds and much snow. Every large field also has a long wind break of trees, separating the fields and protecting the crops. This weather must be fierce.

Tonight we will have dinner with Darwin and Wanda and their son and of course Wilma and Keith. We have not seen Darwin in seventeen years, their son, and had never met his wife Wanda and their son. It is always nice to see relatives. And tonight we have tickets to the hockey game. Great fun indeed.

We made the whole journey on Highway 281 from Texas to Manitoba. I must say, it was a lovely drive. We discovered that driving four hours a day was a breeze and a luxury. We might leave early just to ease the drive home to Texas.

October 14, 2010. Devils Lake, N.D. The Desk.

Her desk was amazing, large and cluttered, piled with folders and books and situated right in the middle of this large room. Ken and I were touring Fort Totten, a partially restored fort from the later half of the nineteenth Century. The gate was open so we went in even though we discovered it had closed for the season October 7. One good aspect of being a tourist in October is the lack of crowds. One bad aspect is the closed parks and visitor centers. It does save money!!

So Ken and I are walking around the fort all by ourselves, peering into the windows and trying to find out whether this place is being restored or demolished. One sign on the wall of one of the buildings said "Site Manager", so I looked in the window to discover a lady sitting at this enormous desk. I opened the door and said "Hello Site Manager. Are the rest rooms open?" She stood up and came over to the door and apologized for the closed rest rooms, but told me that as the buildings are not heated, they turn off all water when the Fort closes for the season. After that, she told me she is required to traipse all the way across the enclosure, a distance of several hundred yards in order to visit the toilet.

Now I am wondering what is on her desk. This place is isolated, even for North Dakota and yet her desk looks like any other very busy real estate agent's desk. I saw her house at the far corner of the Fort. It says "Site Manager's Residence" and it looks lovely, at least as much of it as I could see through the window. Until I looked into the room I could not tell the building was occupied. I wanted to go back to ask her what all the stuff was on her desk, but Ken assured me that it was none of my business, which would be true, but I could not imagine what is in all those files on this enormous desk. Perhaps the place is being restored and she is the responsible lady to handle every detail.

We took another detour, over to Devils Lake, the largest lake in North Dakota where we will stay the night. It is pretty here, sculpted by the glaciers. Tomorrow we will end the journey on 281. But we will see Wilma and Keith. And we will attend a hockey game, the same team Keith played for all those years ago. Travelling is a grand thing.

Devil's Lake ND Largest Natural Lake

Roadside Dakota

October 13, 2010. Aberdeen, N.D. Lazy Days.

First we drove through McNeal, in S.D. with shamrocks all over town. Now we are staying in Aberdeen, a town that is definitely not Irish. The waitress at lunch today could not tell us anything about the history of the name, nor was anything said at the Museum, but it is clear to me that sometime or another some Scottish people settled here and called the town Aberdeen. It is a nice town. The Museum was interesting and informative but took us only just over an hour. The downtown is being restored, which is a good thing because the town has left for the suburbs.

While walking around the downtown, we passed by three large music stores and could not imagine how they stay solvent. Then we discovered that the NSU has a large music school so these three stores serve the needs of the University and also the High Schools, because the university students all work part time at the schools. Apparently the whole music scene is impressive. Who would have thunk it?


The hotels are so much better than in the past. Lovely large rooms, everything clean and new, swimming pool and hot tub, washer and dryer available, full complementary breakfast, papers and fruit at the front desk, WiFi in the room, and all under one hundred dollars. Competition is a good thing for consumers.

Roadside Rests

Entering South Dacota

281 North

October 12, 2010. Mitchell, S.D. Observations.

When I looked ahead of me the road was straight. Of course it was also straight in the rear view window. And mostly the road was empty of other cars. Very few cars and trucks on the road even today which is a working day. This part of the country is sparsely populated. The farms and ranches are large so each home is a long distance from any neighbor. This is different than any place I have ever seen. Our farm and the ranch are both in rural, isolated areas, but we are not even close to the isolation we see in northern Nebraska and South Dakota. These places are a long way from neighbors or towns. We have seen hugh herds of cattle. Many hundreds out on these very large fields. It is startling to count them and realize you are looking at five hundred head of cattle, just beside another field with the same number.

Tonight we were required to stay at Mitchell, a town off 281. This was Senator McGovern's home town. The population is so sparse and the towns so far apart that we were forced to come over to Mitchell to stay the night, something we thought would be our habit. We try to stop before four every evening, to allow a walk and a swim before dinner. Every evening so far I have been able to watch both a football game and a baseball game on TV. Hog heaven for me. Tonight we will watch the baseball game and a hockey game. I love to be able to rid myself from commercials. So far I have enjoyed Highway 281. Yesterday we drove by the center of the US. Fascinating stuff, at least for me.

October 11, 2010. Grand Island, Nebraska.

We walked the main street from one end to the other, but I was sad. In all of the books and stories, the town was a vibrant and active town in all the stories. And the place was big. In truth the town is small and not very lively. Willa Cather lived for many years on a farm outside Red Cloud and I was delighted to walk on the same street that she walked. We toured the Opera House and book store and bought a couple of books, one a biography so I soon will bore everyone with facts about Willa Cather's life.

The northern part of Kansas seems to have no oil. Certainly everywhere you look on the top in the southern part you see the oil pumps working to bring the oil from down deep and the wheat and Milo and corn being harvested on the surface. Pretty efficient. The corn crop this year in Kansas will be the second highest in history.

Now we are in Nebraska where the people are very pleasant and helpful. Tomorrow we will drive into town, but not tonight. No problems with our drive so far. I have been surprised with the variety with the scenery. Lots of small hills and creeks and rivers. We have to keep our wits about us to stay on 281. The Highway is well marked but you must stay alert. But we are enjoying the drive.

Cather etc

Oklahoma Scenes 2

Oklahoma Scenes 1

October 10, 2010. Pratt, Kansas. Scenery.

Cross the Red River and the land is flat in all directions. But not for long. We drove the scenic route, on Highway 281 which turn our to be a lovely drive, through farm land and ranch lands and feed lots and oil fields, one after another. The traffic was slight so the drive was easy. Once again we stopped by four so had time to hot tub and swim here in the hotel.

Apache, Oklahoma is a very small town, but today they are celebrating. Their women's high school softball team won the state championship yesterday. Apache is a town on an Indian Reservation and the whole town looks as if it is closed or for sale. Every window in the down was decorated with spray paint congratulating the women warriors. It was fun to see. Also to imagine winning from such a small school. I saw one picture and the team looks great.

And we saw many many oil wells pumping in the old fashioned way. Whole fields as far as the eye could see are engaged in either gas or oil. And we saw hugh wind farms. Many of the fields we saw today make our farm look like postage stamps. Different places, different crops. Most small town we passed through seem to be fading away. Easy transportation has people driving to the bigger cities I bet.

I was surprised at the variety today. My image was of flat land, but that is not the case, at least not all the time. So far in Kansas the farms are huge and the land is flat. I await tomorrow.

October 9, 2010. Burkburnett, Texas. A Drive.

It is so interesting to see the topography change. Today we left the Hill Country and now we are on the plains. Everything changes bit by bit. It is exciting to watch, at least to me. Our Highway 281 is an old road, built long before the interstates, so there are many picnic areas along the road, the same ones we used to see when travelling in 1964 and 1965 and 1966. When we watch our old pictures we see them except in the pictures my hair was long and my body was skinny. Ken too. The only problem with this road is that the picnic areas have no rest rooms which is OK for Ken but not so good for me.

This is a true story. We stop at a picnic area to switch drivers and Ken finds a tree. The power of suggestion is strong so I decide to find a private spot beside a fence, hidden from the road, and I do. Except right in mid steam I look up to see that the road curves, and my backside is fully exposed to the road in the other direction. Oops. Fortunately 281 had very limited traffic so only one car drove by when I was indisposed.

We are almost out of Texas. The largest town, Wichita Falls, we drove past this afternoon, so from now on, the circles on the map will be small. The Red River we hope to walk along tomorrow. It is the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma, and thus an important river in the area. So far our little Ford Escape is running well and is comfortable. Our plan is to limit the hours in the car and take our time, if we can.

October 8, 2010. Canyon Lake, Tx. Preparations.

It all began two years ago and now we are are getting ready to drive on Highway 281, all the way to the Canadian border. This morning we drove from the ranch to the lake and after a hearty lunch we are busily organizing our clothes and our car, ready to leave in the morning. From the lake to Keith and Wilma's home is about sixteen hundred miles so we expect to take our time and poke along the old highway, which is the only highway in the US to keep the same number from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. We will drive through the great plains of the country, the same place that was decimated during the depression. There are no major cities along the highway so we expect to leave to find a hotel or two but we are determined!!

While in Canada Keith and Wilma will join us at the Elkhorn Resort for a week.. We have not seen them for over two years so we hope to see their grown children too.

Now we are ready. After a good nights sleep we will hit the road, all the way on 281.

October 7, 2010. Harper, Texas. Dottie and Fred.

I had known them for thirty years, now they have retired to Austin. They owned their own company in Rockville for thirty five years and did very well. Ethel, a friend at work, used to work with them and they have stayed friends, so last year Ethel visited them for a long weekend in Austin. One thing led to another and soon Ethel told them about our Texas connections. I connected with Dottie and we made a date, for them to come out to the ranch for lunch. It is a two hour drive from their home to our ranch. Today was the day.

Ken had never met them until today. I knew them from business. When I was an agent I sold their listings and they did the same to mine, then when I became a Manager it was easy resolving difficulties because I already knew them. They were always pleasant and helpful and certainly energetic about working out the problems. Dottie especially always had a sweet manner. Then they closed their company and moved to Texas, just like that. At first they kept their home in Rockville and planned to spend six months in each place, but once they moved to Texas they sold their home immediately. No more working half the year.

Their same qualities that made for success in Montgomery County Real Estate are serving them well in Austin. They love their life and have jumped into activities . There were no unhappy incidents, no complaints, no moaning about the weather. They are enthusiastic and energetic and happy, in other words, they are loving life. It is such a pleasure to see this in action.

Top House, Mule (in red), Smoker

Ranch 10/10

Ranch Longhorns 10/10

October 6, 2010. Harper, Texas. Bode Feed Store.

The whole complex looks like it was designed in the nineteenth century, and it was. Mr. Bode was the third family member to own and run the business and unfortunately he ran it the same way as his grandfather and his father before him. The store is in Harper, our closest town. The Bode place is large, with many out buildings for storage and a huge area to bag feed, which then is sold in the store. It is a place you love for the smells and the floors and the quaint objects for sale and for the people who work there. Now the whole place is owned by another man, from Luckenbach of all places. Mr. Bode still works there.

Ken and I knew the business would never survive. When we first moved to the ranch we asked Mr. Bode to charge our credit card immediately when feed was picked up for the ranch, either by us or David or Steve, who looks after the cattle. But mostly this did not happen. Mr. Bode had a credit book that listed purchases that were not paid, and once a month he would send out a bill. The problem is that we are not at home, so the bill would go unpaid and Mr. Bode does not get the money. We took to calling monthly to clear our account and put any charges to the credit card, something that we repeatedly told him to do. So we knew he was not up with the new world.

Today we went into Harper to purchase treats for the cattle. Same workmen in the back but a new approach in the front store. "Would you like to pay cash or use a credit card?" was the first word out of her mouth. We want them to stay in business so I am pleased with the new efficiency. But we saw it coming, the demise of Bode Feed Store. But I felt sad.

October 5, 2010. Harper, Tx. Green.

Everything in Texas is green, literally. Everywhere you look you see green. The fields are green. The median strip on the highway is green. All the pastures at the ranch are green. It is a most unusual sight. Now we like Texas and we love the ranch but it takes a day or so until you begin to love brown and beige and cream, all colors you see in the grass and the stone. Not this time. The green grass is so tall you can not even see the rocks and stones. It is an astonishing sight, all because of an abundance of rain this Fall.

Today we drove to Fredericksburg on the back road, Tivydale Road to be specific. It is a lovely drive along ranches and farms and orchards. It was especially pleasant with so many very green fields along the road. Just outside of town we stopped at a vegetable stand, run by a local farmer. They grow many many different vegetables and we always stop and buy their fresh produce. In the summer their children man the stand but of course they are now in school. Today an older man was watching the place and he told us that normally the owner just leaves the vegetables out and uses the honor system. The prices are marked, you buy and leave the money. The owner was forced to stop the practice. He was losing over one hundred dollars a day in produce from the stand. This older man volunteered to watch over the place and sell the produce. I was pleased to see him but sorry too, for a few dishonest have ruined the system for many honest souls. We will enjoy their tomatoes.

Tonight the stars in Texas are shinging bright. No moon but millions of stars, just like it says in the song. It is worth a trip to Texas just to see them.

October 4, 2010. Double D Ranch, Harper, Texas. Sarah.

She loved the whole thing. Firstly, she was by herself with her Mother and Grandmother, something that happens infrequently being one of four children. Next she was shopping for her birthday gifts, so she knew that the whole time was devoted to only her wishes. And lastly, she loved eating lunch in the restaurant in the store. The whole time was a thrill for her.

Sarah is turning thirteen on the fifteenth of this month and when I asked her about her birthday gifts she requested shoes. She said that her "Sunday shoes were too small but I have to wear them anyway, so I would love you to buy me a pair of good shoes". I agreed so we made a plan to shop together on Saturday, in between all the games. It was tricky but we managed. Ken agreed to take the twins to Abigail's game, just in case we were late. It all worked out perfectly and Sarah was pleased.

Our system is to give inexpensive Christmas gifts to our grandchildren, but to give gifts of note for their birthdays. Never toys. Last year we gave Sarah a lovely antique walnut bed side table, originally designed as a candle table which she will be able to use all her life. Also we gave her a curio cabinet, something she did not even knew she needed but now rearranges the contents every month. I said that one pair of shoes does not constitute a proper birthday present, so asked her what else she might need while we were shopping? She conceded that she only had one pair of jeans and it was too short, so we decided to shop for jeans.

Now Sarah is a very nice young girl. She is beginning to act like a teenager a bit, as she takes a long time to take a shower and she locks the door so her sisters can not come into the room when she is dressing. Many of the seventh grade girls could pass for sixteen in their looks and dress, but not our Sarah. Buying clothes are difficult because she is tall and thin, but very much thirteen. She definitely does not want to look eighteen and sexy. We were successful with our purchases. Four pair of shoes, one Sunday dress, two pair of leggings and two pair of jeans and one top. We ran out of time when we got to tops. Sarah was thrilled with the whole event, and so was I, the Grandmother. Suzanne enjoyed it too. It is always a pleasure to be with just one of your children.

Misc Young Ones - Molly and ?

San Antonio in October

October 2, 2010. San Antonio, Tx. A Fall.

I know better than walking quickly in new places but I did it anyway. We had just arrived at David and Suzanne's home on Thursday and I was organizing my belongings in the guest room when I fell. My foot caught on the handle of a tote bag. I of course was moving fast so my foot stayed behind while I was moving forward , trapping my right leg in the handle, so I fell. Fortunately I did not hit the desk or the chair or my head so it could have been worse. I was all by myself. Suzanne was on the way home and Ken was out with the dogs so it was up to me to try to find out if everything was working.

First I felt my head to be sure it was working. Next ankles, then knees, and finally bones. So far I am still sitting on the floor. Finally I got up gingerly and walked around the bed to be sure everything was working. I never did admit to anyone for a long time that I had fallen, and finally had to admit it when some one spotted me with just a bit of a limp.

My right leg is sore as are my arms but nothing else. For the first few days I took Ibuprofen regularly. I still walk slowly. Accidents happen very quickly and I know it so normally I am extra careful, until Thursday. Now I have been made humble by my stupidity.

October 1, 2010. San Antonio, Tx. Another Game.

I could tell during the warm up that Sarah's team would win. The game was an away game, at five o'clock tonight, and the girls had arranged, with their parents, to go out for dinner right after the game. So they were loose and happy and looking forward to the restaurant. They certainly showed no symptoms of being depressed from their last losing game. They played well and confidently. Sarah played both games which I suspect was one of the reasons they won. She is not the best player but she is a bit of a cheer leader, always encouraging the other girls, even when they make a mistake. The other team early in the first game started to get cross with each other, which is always deadly if you wish to win.

We dined at Mommas Restaurant, a Mexican restaurant close to the site of the game. Of course, the girls all sat together and the adults ate at another table. But the best part was the conversation. One lady, the Mother of Grace, works in the field of energy, putting together investors and producers of energy. So we talked all through dinner about renewable energy, gas, oil, nuclear, and wind. She is very familiar with the Marcella's gas fields in Pennsylvania, and also windmill generation in Texas and the Maritime provinces of Canada. We really enjoyed talking with her, and I would love to see her again. I must remember to ask Suzanne if she knows her.

Another day and another game with the girls on the team happy with both. Tomorrow I will see two games of Abigail's volleyball team, who are undefeated. Also one soccer game for Samantha and Allison. Another day, another game.