Touring the Hill Country in Texas

We had such a great time on Monday.  Took a drive for about 4 hours.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery gorgeous and saw some interesting activities.  Hope you enjoy our drive through the Hill Country of Texas.

The sign on the front says "Waiting Station" -it is on the outskirts of Uvalde.

Made Ron drive around the block twice so I could get this picture...it is a May pole with different tea kettles.  Bet it looks good full of flowers.

John Nance Garner, Vice-president with President FDR.  He is buried in his home town of Uvalde.  One thing we found interesting, he died when he was 99 and his son died 11 months after him.  Garner's wife pre-deceased him by almost 25 years.

One of many beautiful homes we saw on our drive.

This one was built with different rockery.  To the right and in back there is a tree house just like it.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Uvalde.

Another view of the church.  The stained glass windows were gorgeous.

And they like their trees in Uvalde.  This one was in the middle of the road!

A close up of the tree in the road.

One of many beautiful gated entrances on our drive.

A group of buzzards/vultures.  They are huge!!!

Saw a small herd of dear in someone's yard.

Thought this was a great sign.  We decided we didn't want to go up their drive.

Another beautiful entry way.

This bull was right by the road next to this sign (a close up is below).  He stood perfectly still

One of many crosses we saw along our ride.  Many of them have bouquets of flowers placed by them.

Another gated entrance.

Don't know if you can see the horse/mule on the post. 

These mules were behind the fence of the above entrance.  They cane right up to the gate.  I thought of trying to pet one but changed my mind when I saw their teeth...big and lots of them.

Another beautiful cow.

One of the large homes behind those gated entrances.

We cracked up when we saw this sign on a back road.  We never thought of renting our pigs out...we just sold them.

A big eagle...the first one we have seen in a long time.

Look at those horns....maybe we should get a set and put them on the front of the motor home.  What do you think?

Another beautiful long horn.

A sign at the end of a private road.  We have seen many beautiful signs by gated entrances.

A garden scene by a driveway entrance...there was another one just like it on the other side of the drive way.

I thought these were bluebonnets but Ron said no, because they were purple.  Not sure what they are but I wouldn't mind having these growing in my yard ... that is if I had one.

Hope you enjoyed are drive today.

Wild Hog Festival - Sabinal, TX ~~ 3/27/2011

Isn't this guy just the cutest!!!

What a fun time we had in Sabinal, TX for the Wild Hog Festival.  Had deep fried mushrooms and a BBQ pork sandwich.  And shared sweet tea and lemonade.

The mushrooms tasted great but were pretty pricey.

Ron showing off his new hat....pretty dashing I say.

Just lovin these wild hogs.

Sat next to a family that had four members of their group participating in the Catch a Wild Hog contests. The contestants (two to a team)  have to corner, catch and put the hog into a burlap bag and then drag it across the line.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Aren't these babies cute?

And this one was our favorite!!!

All the little kids who grabbed or touched a wild baby hog.

Another view of the kids who were busy trying to catch a wild baby hog.

And this is Jacob showing off his blue ribbon!

These two boys won their division.

A mom and her son-in-law trying to get that darn hog into the burlap bag.

And this is Cassidy & Alexa...they won 2nd place in their division.

Texas ~ One Month Today!

Can't believe it was just one month ago today we pulled into the Lone Star Corral.  On one hand it seems like we just got here and on the other it feels like this has been our life for quite awhile.

We are asked often how we are doing?  We are doing great ~ other than me being sick right now.  We are really liking our jobs.  No two days are ever the same.  Yet we are pretty much getting into a routine.  Our work days usually start between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m.  I have been able to have my quiet time with the Lord.  Right now I am doing a Bible study on James with a group of women called "Good Morning Girls."  We connect via Facebook each day.  I think I am the only one without young children at home.  

By the time I am done with my quiet time, Ron is up and getting ready for work.  We then have breakfast and spend about 20 minutes on the computer checking emails, Facebook or blogs.  Then we walk to work.  It is all of 25'.  We each have things that need to be done each morning.  Ron goes and reads the water meters and drives through the park checking to make sure that things are well in the park.  I get the file drawers unlocked, get the till ready for the day, check work emails, check the calendar to see if there is something specific that needs to be done that day and open the office window.  Ready for business.   Throughout the morning I answer the phone, work on projects and visit with different residents and guests as they come into the office.

And then it is lunch time.  We close the office window from Noon to 2:00 p.m.  We take lunch from Noon to 1:00 p.m.  Sometimes we make a run to the post office or the bank at lunch.  After lunch we head back to work.  Me in the office and Ron around the property.  Some of the projects Ron has worked on is organizing the different sheds, cleaning out the Manager's shed so we could put our stuff in it.  He has done some plumbing, mowed lawns, and checked for a water leak.  Ron says working here at the park is like working at our own place ~ making sure that everything is in working order, doing yard work, making sure the tools, lawnmowers, and the tractor are in working order.  He is definitely enjoying himself.  Yesterday he was mowing lawns and one of the gals came in and I mentioned I had been trying to reach Ron on the radio.  Judy said he was out mowing the lawn and had the biggest smile on his face.  Yes, I would say he is enjoying his work.

My time in the office in the afternoon is more of the same from in the morning.  Yesterday one of my projects was to organize some of the files.  I ran out of hanging file folders so that project is on hold till Tuesday once my order from Office Depot comes in.  I am enjoying my work in the office and figuring out where things are and where they go.

When we first started here at Lone Star Corral we decided we wanted Sunday & Monday as our days off.  But we are finding out that a lot things happen on Saturday's in the neighboring communities and not so much on Sunday's so beginning April 9th & 10th we will be taking Saturday & Sunday's off. 

We continue to look for a church to attend while here.  We know we will find right where the Lord want's us.  And that it will take time...patience, something I am not very good at. We are making friends here and that is good.  We were invited to play Mexican train last night but I was not feeling very well.  I was thinking it was allergies but now believe I just have a bad cold.  I am coughing, wheezing and just feel plain crummy.  So today we are laying low.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for me.  Guess that's all for now.

Our First Three Weeks at Lone Star Corral in PICTURES

Thought some of you would like to see some of the things we have seen since our arrival here in D'Hanis, Texas.  For ease in showing you the pictures I have put them into collages.  Let me know what you think of collages vs individual pictures.

 

Let's begin with this one.

1.  Ron busy at work in the office.

2.  The view from our home here at Lone Star Corral.

3.  We have never seen a pickle packaged like this - tasted great!!

4. & 5. Are of a little town we came across on our way home from San Antonio last week.  The "clubhouse" is a little brick building.  We can say we have never seen quite a clubhouse like this.

 

And this is D'Hanis State Bank.  The bank building was built in 1906 and became the bank in 1925 and has been in this spot since.  Inside there is a deer hanging on the wall.  The vault that is still used today is the same vault that was built in 1925 just with some added security measures.  The tellers actually sit behind the barred window openings.  Ron told me not to take any pictures because people get quirky when people "case" the joint.  So I asked and the tellers said go ahead, everyone new does. 

Opening an account at this bank was quite interesting.  Everything is done by paper, no, nope, no computers.  The bank closes at 4:30 p.m. so that one of the tellers can take the days transactions to Hondo (7 miles away) so that everything can be inputted into the computer system.  When I asked for some temporary checks I was handed 5 green checks that look like play checks.  I used them to pay some bills ~ sure hope they go through.

One evening we had blogging friends Don & Pidge join us in D'Hanis at Bill & Rosa's Cafe.  We were all amazed at the size of the soda pop's that arrived.  No refills needed here.

The inside of Bill & Rosa's Cafe.  On Saturday and Sunday they have different musicians come in to play & sing.  It is quite the fun place to go and spend time eating & visiting.

After working all week we joined Jerry & Jane in Dunlay, TX for a fish dinner.  Ron had catfish (that I snuck a few bites of) with fries and Texas green  beans.  He said they were pretty tasty.  I had cod & prawns with a baked potato and a green salad.  We arrived at Dunlay Market & Seafood Restaurant about 6:00 p.m. and left just before the restaurant closed at 10:00 p.m.  We laughed so hard at time I had tears running down my cheeks.  We look forward to getting together with Jerry & Jane as well as many other residents at Lone Star Corral.

We are enjoying our jobs here in D'Hanis and are getting into a schedule of sorts.  Each week I set our alarm for 15 minutes earlier than the week before.  We are wanting to get up at 6:00 a.m. so that I have time for my devotions & time with the Lord as well as get an half hour walk in before getting ready to go to work.  This week the alarm will be set for 6:15 a.m.  One more week and we will be getting back to our walking schedule.

Today we attended First Baptist Church of Hondo again.  It was a great service.  The sermon this week was about the same thing we heard last week at Church on the Hill.  You can read our observations and reflections of our first visits to both churches here.  But boy was the sermon today different from last week.  No theatrics just basic Bible teaching that we are heirs of the Lord.  And He loves us just for us, just as we are, just as He made us.

Next week we will be attending First Christian Church of Sebinal with Mike & Norma from here at Lone Star Corral.  We look forward to checking out another congregation here in the area.

Tomorrow we are having a stay-at-home day.  We need to do some cleaning, reorganizing, and the never ending job of laundry :)  Also need to get some stuff in the mail for an upcoming birthday boy as well as make some banana bread.  Bananas don't last but about a day here in the heat...will have to figure out what other fruit to eat that will last a little longer.

Coming Out of Hiding

Sorry I have not been posting much.  Getting used to regular work hours, keeping a schedule and trying to keep organized has kept me busy and tired.

Last week I got up at 6:45 each morning to have my quiet time, eat breakfast and get ready for work.  We leave our cozy home at 7:55 each morning to walk the 20 or so steps to the office. (I promise to get pictures and to post them soon).  We get lunch from 12 to 1 or there abouts.  Yesterday it was 12:15 to 1:15 but we get an hour for lunch which is nice.  We return to the motor home and make lunch.  Some days it is a sandwich and fruit or left overs or soup - we don't go out for lunch ~~~ yeah not spending money!  Before we return to work for the afternoon we close the afternoon blinds on the passenger side of the motor home to keep the hot afternoon sun out of the motor home.  A couple of days we have turned the fan on as well to keep the air moving and somewhat cool in here.  And then we return to work till 5:00.  We have had to work over 15 minutes twice and that was to park a guest coming into the park.  Which is no big deal as we are paid for all our time we work.

Our evening usually spending about an half hour to an hour just relaxing watching the news and checking our emails ~ not really thinking of much.  Then we make dinner.  We have worked out a pretty sweet deal ~ whoever makes dinner doesn't do the dishes that evening.  Usually I am the one making dinner though Ron cooks a couple of times a week.  One of the things I am trying to do is get organized and back into planning our meals and using our crockpot more often.  A couple of times I have wished that I still had our breadmaker because fresh bread would go well with some of the things I have fixed.  Hmmm...maybe Ron will get the hint when he reads this post and we can look for a breadmaker at a thrift store when we are out exploring the area.

After dinner we have done laundry or spent time on the computers veging and watching TV and/or Skyping with family or friends.  A funny story about Skyping with Brandon and his family.  Christopher was talking to us and could see us on the computer screen.  He kept trying to hand Grandpa the microphone and couldn't figure out come Grandpa could not grab the microphone.  It was quite funny.  He kissed his fingers and put his fingers on the computer screen and we put our fingers up towards ours so we could share kisses.    We are thankful for the technology to be able to see and talk to our kids and grandkids so easily and conveniently.  If you want to Skype with us you can reach us at ali.workentin.  The best time to Skype is around 5:30 p.m. our time.  Remember we are 2 hours ahead of Pacific Time. 

We talked this weekend that we need to get out and start meeting the people in the park so we can make friends.  Don't get me wrong, we have met lots of people here but we have always been working ~ we need to do some socializing and making friends. 

We are missing the fellowshipping with our church family though we are attending and checking out churches in the area.  You can read about my blog post here on the first two churches we have attended. 

Last Monday we made a trip to San Antonio, not to do any sightseeing but to do some shopping.  First thing on our agenda was to open new bank accounts in D'Hanis so we can cash our paychecks.  Then we were off to San Antonio and H.E.B. Plus and Costco.  H.E.B. Plus is like a Super Wal-Mart with more groceries and less clothing but about the same size.  And then we went to Costco.  First up was lunch ~ we like the Polish Dogs and that is our special treat to ourselves when we go grocery shopping.  And boy did we go grocery shopping.  It was the first time in who knows how long that we were able to just buy the groceries we wanted and not worry about did we have enough money.  Thank you LORD for our new jobs and the regular paychecks we are now getting!!!!

And then we took the scenic way back to D'Hanis.  It took us about 2 1/2 hours to drive 49 miles.  We found a cool little town, Helinotes, with a couple of antique shops, a glitzy/glam shop where I found a couple of cute gifts for some of the girls in our family.  We also found some Easter gifts for those special grandchildren of ours.  We enjoy going on drives and are looking forward to some more day trips in the near future.

That catches you up to how our days go around here.  Will write again soon.