You Can't Get There From Here

 Day 32 -- Monday, August 30, 2021

In less than four hours Sweet Georgia Brown should be back to her home in Livingston, completing the trip to Santa Fe and the Enchanted Circle of New Mexico.  We leave Navarro Mills Lake around 10 o'clock in the morning, saying "Goodbye" to our friend at the check-in gate.

Driving on Hwy. 31 East, and guided by the GPS, we take the exit to Corsicana.  But we don't go very far before -- Oops! -- the road is closed!  There is no where to back up, no re-routing, so there is no alternative but to drive a few feet forward, then a few feet backward, repeating about six times until we get turned around and drive the wrong way on the exit ramp to return to Hwy. 31 East.  I was beginning to think, "You can't get there from here!"

Tire tracks show that we are not the first ones to be fooled by thinking this is a real exit.  

Could this have been done a different way?  I think we need to alert the Texas Department of Transportation. 

We do find our way back to Livingston.  News on TV shows some storm damage as Hurricane Ida is still battering the Gulf Coast.

I think Sweet Georgia Brown is glad to be home, but looking forward to her next trip.

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown,

   and of Walldog and Willie

   August 30, 2021

Texas Smoker

 Day 31-- Sunday, August 29, 2021

Today is our third and final day at Navarro Mills Lake, a Corps of Engineers RV Park, located between Waco and Gun Barrell City in Texas.  We are returning from an awesome vacation in New Mexico, where the highlight of the trip was a visit with friends, Cathy and Skipper.

With not much time left to explore the area, today we would like to find the boat launch for the kayaks that we see paddling in the stream bordering the park.  More fishermen arrive and relax in lawn chairs on the pier while they try their luck at hooking a fish hiding in the water below.

It is hard to see from the distance the photo was taken, but the two are sitting in red chairs.

Our map shows that it is too far to walk, so we take the Jeep, passing a pavilion set with tables and chairs for group gatherings.  I can imagine my family reunion here at this time of year when the weather is so nice and cool.   Nearby is a BBQ grill and smoker which appears to have had lots of use.  Herb could definitely prepare some delicious steaks here.  If you look carefully, you will see the main reason I took a photo from behind the smoker.  On top there is a cutout in the shape of Texas, but from this angle, it is reversed.

There is a nominal fee for staying in the campground, and a park attendant checks guests in at the gate.  He doesn't have far to walk to work, as his Fifth-wheel camper is just across the road.  He waves to us as we exit to go around to the next entrance.

Not far down the road we find what we are looking for.  At 7 o'clock in the morning, it is apparently too early for the children to be outdoors playing, so that explains the empty playground.   As we get near the boat launch, we see a duck taking its morning bath, then swimming lazily away.  This is the same body of water that we see in front of Sweet Georgia Brown's campsite.

Kayaks are beached at the launching area, again too early for recreation.

Around 10am the boat parade begins.  How wonderful that nature provides so much for us.

Oh, yes!  Nature provides rain, also!  Around 3 in the afternoon we get a hard downpour, so we spend the rest of the day inside the motorhome.  We turn on the TV and see that Louisiana is getting way more rain than we are.  Our hearts sink as the effects of Hurricane Ida (Category 4) approaching the coastline in the Gulf of Mexico are shown.  New Orleans, much of which is below sea level on dry land, gets a storm surge of 12 - 16 feet, with isolated tornados predicted.

Louisiana was hit by Hurricane Katrina (Category 5) in 2005.  There was much devastation.

It is a sad day, and when we see all the area of Louisiana that so far is affected, we know we should check on Karl and Emily, hoping they have cell service and are high and dry!

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown,

     and of Walldog and Willie

     August 29, 2021

It's All About Fishing!

Day 30 -- August 28, 2021

Our next stop on the way back to Texas is at Navarrro Mills Lake, which is northeast of Waco and southwest of Gun Barrel City.   We choose a campsite not far from the shore of the lake where we can see the fishing pier extend out over the water.  Herb (seen at the right of the center photo) takes a walk to see what he can see; then I go out only one time, because it is scary to me.

Today I take my early morning walk on the roads around the campground and notice that this area is much different from yesterday's camp at Lake Waco.  Joyce Kilmer wrote the poem, "Trees," the first stanza of which is "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree."

I agree.  

There have been pecan trees on several properties Herb and I have owned, and I can very well identify the leaves I have raked.  Here I see pecans green in the shell, and I long to come back in November to see how they have ripened.

Late in the afternoon when the temperature cools a bit, different groups of people arrive to fish.  Some set their ice chests on the ground and fish from the bank.  Another group chooses the fishing pier.   We hope they fill their ice chests.

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown   

and of Walldog and Willie

 August 28, 2021

 

Oh Deer! Oh Deer! Oh Deer, Mr. Bathhurst!

 Day 29 -- August 27, 2021

It is just beginning to be daylight at 6:47a and I can see -- guess what!  Deer!  Two of them right in front of the motorhome.

Four minutes later there are many more, and some can be seen in the far background coming up from Lake Waco.

They look so peaceful as they graze along.

Gosh!  Here comes another wave of deer.  Tons of deer.  I've never seen so many in one place.  There are all ages of animals, the darker colored one is the Daddy with his rack, and the cute little one in the foreground is Bambi.

Then about 7:15a they have eaten their fill of the grass in front of Sweet Georgia Brown, and move on to greener pastures.  

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown

   and of Walldog and Willie

   August 27, 2021

Wildlife on Lake Waco

 Day 28 -- August 26, 2021

It is our second day on Lake Waco in Spleegleville Campground, and at 7:02 when usually I would be going out for an early morning walk, what to my wondering eyes should appear?  Three deer! They come from the swampy area down by the lake on our right, up the hill in front of the motorhome peacefully grazing and working their way into the wooded area farther up the hill on our left.

I quietly photograph them and don't dare go out for fear of scaring them away.  They are so beautiful to watch.  

As they cross the road and disappear into the forest, the sun begins to rise over the trees.  What a great start to the morning.

Later in the day I do take a walk and count the many RVs that brought their boats to launch into Lake Waco.  Some can be seen at the left of the photo below.

The sweetest sight is watching the little fawn grazing along with the group.  His mother keeps looking back to make sure he keeps up.

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown

   and of Walldog and Willie

   August 26,2021

Boating on Lake Waco

Day 27 -- August 25, 2021

I notice that the moon is still high in the sky when I go out for my early morning walk.  It is already 72 degrees and the Texas summer sun will heat us up quickly.  I also see that Sweet Georgia Brown is the only motor home in the RV park; every other RV is a travel trailer or a fifth wheel pulled by a truck.  Well, it's Texas and everyone drives a truck, or should....

Wouldn't you agree, Lee Ann?

We leave at 9:15a in search of fuel and get lucky at Cal's in San Angelo.  Because of the size of the motor home and its towing a car, we can only get into large stations, like truck stops.

Resuming our trip we drive through an area of lovely rolling hills, and on a two-lane highway lined with lots of green vegetation.  

Suddenly we see ahead of us a wake of vultures feeding on 'road kill.'  When they hear us coming, they scatter but then fly back into our path greedily wanting to finish their meal.  

One does not make it out of our way in time, but slams against the windshield of the motor home.  Yikes!  We are prepared to see a crack, but apparently the bird hit against the center post, which saves us but I think he becomes 'road kill.'

No photos are taken here, because we are too busy screaming at the birds to get out of our way!!!

Yikes again!  We come upon a second wake, but have the presence of mind to blow the horn again and again to scare the vultures off the highway.

The rest of the trip is uneventful, and we pass Spirit of Texas Winery, where we had enjoyed a bit of wine and pizza on the trip going west.  It's too early in the day for it to be open, so we keep going.  I sure would enjoy a pizza about now, as it is a little past noon.

We arrive to our destination at a Corps of Engineers RV park, Spleegleville Campground on Lake Waco, and have a perfect site with trees on one side and a view of Lake Waco on the other.

Late in the evening -- there is still plenty of daylight at 7p -- we see speed boats cruising the lake.  One reminds us of the SeaDoo Speedster we had in Port Isabel, before we got our cabin cruiser, which we named Willie's Tug.

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown

   and of Walldog and Willie

   August 25, 2021

Herb's Birthday at the Cathouse Bar

 Day 26 -- August 24, 2021

Today is Herb's birthday, and my gift to him is another day at Concho Pearl RV Estates.

It becomes obvious that this RV park has quite a history and I would like to know more, as it is just a glimmer of its former self.  Some of the amenities are still available, but sadly others have gone by the wayside.

It seems that it once had a code operated automatic gate, but the track is now filled in with rocks and dirt.

Quite a few other RVs can be seen behind Sweet Georgia Brown.

Children of all ages, including grandparents, can shoot a few hoops using the basketball on the ground by the goal post.

Beyond it is a deck with colorful blue, green, orange, yellow and aqua adirondack chairs waiting for a group to gather for a meeting, Happy Hour, or just to bask in the sun.

Over to the left I see the clubhouse that is now closed, but a sign reminds guests that it will be opened for shelter in case of a storm.

I really wonder why the pool was filled in -- is there a sad story here?  Poolside chairs and chaise lounges line the walls, seeming to be very lonely. 

I return from my walk to find Herb working on his birthday, giving the motor home a bucket wash.  Texas has bugs that don't have sense enough to get out of the way of a moving vehicle!

When we checked in yesterday, Christy had told us there is lots to do in San Angelo and we should drive into town to look around, and especially to have lunch at Miss Hattie's Restaurant & Cathouse Bar and Lounge.  We are intrigued and do just that.

The menu has a section on the history of downtown, which talks about the many different denominations of churches, but that bricks and mortar are not the church -- it is the people inside who make the churches the soul of the city.

It is hard to choose from the many items on the menu, but for starters Herb gets an IPA and for me it's a peach margarita.  The decor of the restaurant takes us back in time, and I would recommend Miss Hattie's, just as Christy does.

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown

   and of Walldog and Willie

   August 24, 2021