Excited Sheep

Fredericksburg, Texas
Once again TheOFM has been honored to have some of his writing used and credited by a national writer in her work. Please visit her site and enjoy her literary talents.
http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/archives/sameboat465.html
Tamia also has another site at http://www.tamiasoutside.com/. It is also very worth reading for the cooking tips if nothing else.

This morning commenced action with a bicycle ride down to the bike shop. It turned out that after about five strokes on the pedals the down slope into town to the bike shop did not require any more peddling to get there. The route took me through some very peaceful neighborhoods. At one spot the sheep were very excited and actually opened their eyes, but never moved. See how excited they are.

Farther along the route was a very cute house with lots of gingerbread on it. The carport and house were decorated in the same theme. The whole yard was a garden and very pleasant to see.

Arrival at the bike shop was before they opened. Across main street, hwy 87, was a little store where a bottle of orange juice was purchased. While sitting on the picnic table under the large tree out front of the shop, the drink was enjoyed more than it seemed possible to enjoy a morning. Nice sun, gentle breeze, 65 degrees and the shade of a big tree. WOW. After a bit and right on time the owner came driving up and the tour of the store began. He is a very nice fellow and his small store has nearly as much stuff as the big ones down in Houston. Amazingly his prices were competitive to the catalog places, so purchasing items there would be economically smart.

The ride back home was just as pleasant as the ride to the bike shop, even if it was slightly up hill all the way. Some different streets were toured and enjoyed during the return trip. In general this is a very nice town to be living in.

After a few hours of golf practice to get ready for the golf game Thursday with OF Bob, it was time to rest. My neighbor John has a very type A body and is always doing something. He was mowing and trimming his “yard” to have it pretty for the weekend.

John is a very friendly fellow and fun to visit with, but he will wear you out just watching him.

Tomorrow morning is the appointment with the new doctor and then it will be time to try to have tooooo much fun TheOFM

Computers Again

Fredericksburg, Texas

YAHOOOOO both computers are up and running. The computer doctor traced the vista machine to having my security turned on when an update was attempted. The security would not allow the update to change my profile. It took him about thirty minutes to get everything back on line and running properly. That was a wonderful way to spend the morning.

My medical needs have been nonexistent for the last year, but now it seems wise to get a check on my body so nothing nasty can sneak up on me. For that reason a doctor and I will have a visit Wednesday to see what he has to say about anything on my health front. Maybe it will be another year before my body needs another checkup.

The best news of all is that an old friend, Bob, from Houston has moved out here to the Hill Country while my time in Washington was passing. Now on Thursday we will be playing golf together and visiting after nearly seven years. That is a wonderful prospect for me.

Fundamentally a lazy bum was my style today, so nothing special happened. The bicycle was unloaded from the truck, assembled and parked by Comfort Castle. Now it can be an additional way to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

One Year Since Quitting Work

Fredericksburg, Texas

It is getting to be the big time of the year for Fredericksburg. Through the end of the year are major festivities nearly every weekend. It is a good time of the year to tour the area to try to have tooooo much fun.

Currently my plans are to be mostly here for the winter times because this area is a fun area. Fall and winter is the best time of the year for central Texas. The location where Comfort Castle will be most likely be for this time period is….

This was my location last March during the big truck repair event. It will be late October before this park becomes my home since my rent here at Federicksburg RV Park runs until then. This current park is just a little too much in town for my preference.

This morning a walk was taken at LBJ Park. It is very nice to me. The spot chosen to park was near the airport fence and about mid way between “facilities”. A loop of the park is about three miles of up and down fun.

The whole place is normally very peaceful and calm like you see in this picture of the creek.

About a mile downstream was another very peaceful spot.

Right after the last picture, a fellow working on his fishing reel came into view. We visited for many minutes and discussed fishing in the area. There is even a slight chance some “fish” stories were told.

As the path chosen went on along the Nature Trail entrance finally came into view and beckoned with allure for me to take it. The trail winds along a short cliff along the creek for a good ways then cuts back into the woods.

There is a very picturesque farm near the entrance. They are getting the fields ready for planting and provided a nice view.

By the time the walk was finished, my legs were getting tired. Apparently my body needs a lot more of this gentle exercise. Hopefully this circuit will be a near daily event for me. It helps to be in a little bit better shape when you are going out to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Dead Computers

Fredericksburg, Texas

This morning started with two non working laptops. When repairs are available TheOFM will be back online.

Loud Music And Racket

Fredericksburg, Texas
RV living does have occasional bad times, but the wheels solve the problem very easily.

Where to go when my not refundable rent runs out? The first night the cattle pens and other event place two blocks away ran until very late in the night. Last night the VFW hall next door was still going full volume at midnight thirty. This morning when my eyes finally opened, the plan was to go looking for a different place to be staying.

After reviewing several places down in and around Kerrville, information was becoming clear. The public golf course there is very nice and competitively priced.

On the return trip to Federicksburg, my location during last springs truck repair was paid a visit. A very nice place and THEY HAD A CANCELLATION FOR THE WINTER MONTHS this morning. A good golf course in the park, a long walking/hiking trail in the park, a stream to yak in in the park, quiet during the night, and cheap for the rent. My spot is now reserved for until Comfort Castle leaves. Most likely Comfort Castle will sit here for the winter.

The best part is some of the best hiking, yaking, and biking in the south is all within an hour drive from here. The best saltwater fishing is about four hours south, but this area does not have to worry about HURRICANES. So the adventures do not stop but likely the fuel bill will drop a bit. The rent will drop by about half of what it had been costing me.

Now that my immediate future is resolved, my main objective can return to trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Mr. Mac At The Fort

Fredericksburg, Texas
The big spot of the day was a visit with old buddy Mac at Fort Martin Scott Historical Park. We caught up with many topics. He is going to be playing a character in a Shakespeare play starting next month. Maybe things will work out for me to see him in action.

The Rv Campground here is rather excellent in general. Today was spent in catching up on laundry, groceries and visiting with Mac. Groceries are a LOT cheaper than in New Mexico.
The entrance to the campground sets the tone for a very comfortable experience.


My site is typical of a well done commercial campground with sufficient space between trailers for a little breathing room. It still is taking some getting used to after west Texas and New Mexico where things are spread out a bit more than here.

A really nice building in the park is reserved for large group gatherings. From the front it looks very nice and if it is like the other general use buildings, the interior is also very nice.

In the back right portion of the park near the greenhouse is the Memorial Walk. At the bench end of the gardens is a stone on each side with brass tags of folks who stayed here but have gone to the campground in the sky.

In the back left corner is the water garden with a nice deck and tables. The tables even have a sunshade over them. The tumbling water is a very soothing event to enjoy.

The welcoming committee always come along to help you out and make certain you are entertained while at the water garden.

Once you are on the deck, the social committee takes over to keep you entertained with their antics. The alligator is very standoffish and does not seem to want to be bothered.

Some of the folks here have finished their RV traveling and have made the park their home. It is easy to tell which folks they are.



Well it has been an active day and my body seems to have healed well. That means tomorrow will be a great day for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

A Major Adventure On The Road

Fredericksburg, Texas

Man, towing the 65 miles to Fredericksburg took over two hours. Last nights supper attacked with a vengence on the way here and at least four (I actually lost count) sudden roadside stops were required. It is nice to be taking your bathroom with you when you are sickly. When the arrival check in and setup was finished, some nap time was taken. It is 8:30 pm and the weakness is finally starting to subside.

A walk around the park showed me that they really take care of this place. There are lots of cute things in the park that will be making it into the blog over the next few days. That is about all that the sicko could come up with for the afternoons adventure.

Now for more rest to be able to attack the day tomorrow for the purpose of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

11:00 pm A friend sent me this site about a humming bird birth
http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/

American Voter Responsibility

Junction, Texas

Howard Payne has written and published an article on voter responsibility in America. It is the best written article on American political needs I have seen in a long time.

http://www.rv-dreams.typepad.com/

Today has been very laid back and lazy. Basically being alazy bum is getting to be a habit. The walk that was attempted this afternoon was aborted after about a half mile. It was too hot for comfort. My outdoor thermometer hanging in the shade showed 92. This morning it was all the way down to 70 for a low. What a change from a day ago and 2000 feet higher.

Other than a couple of wonderful visits with folks and reading Howard's literary output, it has been a day of just enjoying being alive and preparing for a day of toooo much fun tomorrow. TheOFM

Long Driving Day

South Llano River State Park
Junction, Texas

Four hundred fifty miles today. Even my truck is tired now. From north of Carlsbad, NM to five miles south of Junction, Texas is a long drive even without a trailer. However there is very good reason for this long of a day. The only thing worth stopping for between those two towns is the diesel fuel pump in Ft. Stockton.

Until you get to the last few miles near Junction, there is little to find interesting. That is the flat boring part of Texas.

The good news is one of my favorite restaurants in the world, La Familia, was open and serving wonderful tasting food at cheap prices. So there is a full bellied fool typing this blog tonight. Today was not a lot of fun but it puts me on the edge of one of the most fun sections of Texas. My choice to try to have tooooo much fun tonight was to add one of the fantastic pralines to my supper tonight for dessert. Now that does come close to having tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Trails and TRAILS

Brantley Lake State Park 9-21-08
Carlsbad, New Mexico

A nice walk started this morning well. This park has a path called Lake Loop. The starting and finishing points are in the campground. So off on the path my shoes took me. We even started at the entry location.

From that point it was at its most exciting. Mostly it is a path to do when you are tired of doing nothing. Even the side path that was walked was not of much interest.

To my surprise, the entire loop was strolled with only one jackrabbit to break the monotony.

Since were are on trails, let me digress to one from yesterday at Sitting Bull Falls.
The sign at the beginning called it the top of the falls trail. At the top it was obvious it tied in to many other trails. When the return was accomplished safely, a sign board was found that showed the myriad of trails that ran back and forth up and down the mountains.

It was a very steep trail. Much steeper than most government trails are. There was even a lot of relatively round rocks to keep you interested.

At many places in the cliff, steps had been cut into the rock face to help get you across the area. This was not a boring trail at all.


When the top was achieved, there were trails running in several directions. My superior trail finding ability was useful to hit the correct trail for this chore. However when the edge of the cliff where the falls starts came into view, it was too treacherous for a solo fat man to get close enough for a picture. A bit farther along the trail, it became apparent that to go on a hiker would need more than a half liter of water. A turnaround was done with regret because the trail looked more interesting in the distance. But sanity prevailed over machismo. Does that word ever apply to me?????

The best part of today was after the finish of the Lake Loop. Two very nice folks, Naomi and Michael, in an A-liner were getting ready to pack down and leave, but allowed me to see their camper inside and out. Later they stopped by to tour my little rig. We had a great visit. They are from Massachusetts and running around having a great time.


Custom Castle and the truck are staged to make a easy getaway tomorrow morning. Fredericksburg, Texas by Thursday is the plan. In between then and now is time to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Sitting Bull Falls

Brantley Lake State Park 9-20-08
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Early, for me, this morning the adventure to Sitting Bull Falls was kicked off. The drive is about forty miles one way from Comfort Castle. Highway 137 leads off from the campground through the very green desert area. There was some traffic but not much. Since there are a lot of gas/oil wells in the area, commercial vehicles are frequently running the highway. Additionally there are several large ranching operations in the free range areas. Free range means livestock on the road, so care must be taken about the speed you are driving.

The drive quickly turns very nice with rolling hills and gullies. At the turn off to SBF is a rest area and stopping there for a snack would give you great scenery. The road after the turn to SBF rapidly enters canyons that get increasingly interesting. It is a very good drive. Along this road was a reminder that walking has hazards in this area.


When the final twist and curve are finished, the spectacular beauty in front of you makes the trip worth while, but you ain’t seen nuttin yet.
The picnic area is set back in the trees near the canyon and has the music of small waterfalls and splashing water coming naturally from the small canyon below it. The path to SBF is wheelchair accessible all the way to a special viewing platform. Foot traffic can go past that point for even more views. The path is not very long and has some interesting spots like this one.
The falls themselves are not what one would call spectacular, but have a special uniqueness of their own. The water volume now is very low, but it was more like music today than the roar of many other falls. The first picture is what you see from the viewing deck.

The next picture is from down below and in front of the cliff. Notice how it looks like a face watching you. There are caves that you can arrange to take a tour and hear about.

This SBF area was not highly recommended to me by several folks. However it seemed to me to be a great place to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Pecos River Crossing

Brantley Lake State Park 9-19-08
Carlsbad, New Mexico
This morning was a wonderful ten mile round trip bike ride down to the Pecos River crossing. Thirteen miles of it was uphill. The road was excellent for riding and vehicle traffic was nil. Cool air was a major asset to moving this old fat body along the highway. The trusty steed got me to the crossing in fine shape.

The river is not running very fast at all. This view upstream looks like a lot of water in the river, but it is actually a bit of a pond since the road crossing acts like a dam.

As you look down stream it is apparent the flow is very small. There is another pond downstream a little ways, but it is very shallow. No fish are making waves in this pond or the previous one.
To take a look down stream, a dirt road was followed for a long ways through the brush. Some of the spots were a bit soft and loose, but Trusty Steed handled them with ease.

The park entrance sign was a very welcome sight when it came into view after the thirteen miles of uphill riding. It was still 2.5 miles to the campground, but not much of the road is uphill.

For most of my life Cottage cheese was a hated food. For some reason the fat free small curd cottage cheese tastes wonderful to me now. It is astounding how a persons “style” changes over the years.

This afternoon late, the rains started over the desert including lots of lightning. Sometimes four or five strikes would be evident at one time. In general it was spectacular. A great light show while eating my cottage cheese makes for a pleasant snack time.

Here at this campsite there are three doves that visit a couple of times a day and sit around watching all the goings on. Additionally there is a small cotton tail rabbit (named Runny Babbit) and a small jackrabbit that hop around during the day. Both are careful about the fool in the trailer, but not over afraid. Additional activity is all sorts of lizards and flying objects moving around all the time. Continuous entertainment is provided by all these critters if you sit quietly under the dining canopy.

According to the insurance agent BCBS of Texas health insurance turned me down for health insurance because my blood pressure is too high. It is taken every morning and averages at 118/75 and I do not take any medication for any medical problem. Some underwriters are real twits on a good day.

Sitting Bull Falls is on the agenda tomorrow for a place to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Brantley Park Tour

Brantley Lake State Park 9-18-08
Carlsbad, New Mexico

How fast grasshoppers fly is now known to me! Do you know how fast grasshoppers fly???? Twelve miles an hour. On my bike ride this morning there were several different types of grasshoppers that flew along with me for a ways. Each one had a speed on my speedometer of twelve miles an hour. Big ones or little ones, bright colored or plain green, they all had the same speed as they tried to race the bike.

Today is show off the park in the blog day. As you approach the entrance after a four and a half mile drive through the desert below the dam, you may begin to wonder what you have gotten yourself into. It turns out to be pretty nice.

At the entrance to the ranger station is two types of foliage in bloom. The taller sage has beautiful purple flowers. The shorter sage has pink to red blooms on it. The fragrance they put out is a great reception.

The patio at the entrance is a very inviting place to pause for a few minutes. The shade from the trees is welcome and once again there is fragrances whirling everywhere around you. This is where the old fat rider took a rest after six miles.


Adjacent to the ranger station is a very nice nature trail, with many different types of cacti and other desert shrubs. A wheel chair or crutches can make the rounds of the nature trail. It is nice.

From this patio area the campground is visible way across the desert. In this picture that is the campground in the far trees about mid picture. The drive to it from the ranger station is two miles.

The paved roads loop around through the campground, a day use area and the boat ramp. There are little ups and downs to the roadway until you get to the boat ramp. It is very long and steep. The bike ride down gives you a good test of your brakes. The bike ride up gives you a good test of your heart, lungs and legs.

Back toward the dam is a low area for primitive camping. Riding my bike in that area was interesting. The low trees/shrubs prevent seeing very far in any direction. Folks are allowed to camp any place they want to set up. At a few points the “volunteer” roads meander off into the lake. There were a couple of them that looked to be good locations to launch a yak, especially a yellow yak.

The wind has kicked up to a bit of a stiff breeze so yaking may have to wait for a better day. At least today was a great day for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Dog Canyon, Gumo

Brantley Lake State Park 9-17-08
Carlsbad, New Mexico

A beautiful cool day started me out on the correct foot this morning. It was a wonderful morning to sip coffee and contemplate my day. Going to Carlsbad to see the city and purchase some groceries was first on the list.

Carlsbad is a city under reconstruction. It is a major boomtown with all the construction going on. Apartments and rv parks are booked solid until next year some time. One fellow told me that the bridges in town were going to get a makeover also. A quick drive by of the city golf course told me it was a nice course to play.

After the groceries were stowed properly and lunch was eaten, the decision was made to go to Dog Canyon in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It is sixty miles from here one way. The trip proved to be very nice with a lot of greenery from recent rains.

The first part of the road goes through a gas/oil boom area with lots of activity. The second part goes through the Lincoln National Forest with its dispersed camping areas. As the road approaches the Texas State line this view is of a valley that is pretty nice.

As you continue along the view changes a little to include the road leading to dog canyon.

When you finally get to the park, this is the ranger station. The sign says that this is over 6000 feet of elevation. My breathing agreed with that. This is higher than Sunrise Visitor Center on Mt. Rainer in Washington.

If you sit on the rocking chair on the ranger station front porch, this tremendous sight awaits your eyes.

The ranger on duty is a temporary. The normal ranger is off taking a vacation. The duty ranger was a very personable young man with a history taking place in the Idaho area. He and I talked of things fun in Idaho and Oregon that we had in common.

After a bit , his trail crew of men and women came in from working on one of the trails. They were a very interesting group to visit with. They are camped there for a month of work. The work yard has their tents scattered all over it. It would be nice to visit with all of them again.

This standard ordinary fantastic desert sunset

tells me that it was a good day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Brantley Lake State Park

Brantley Lake State Park,
Carlsbad, New Mexico

Yesterday's blog was posted about an hour ago.

WOW what a difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comfort Castle got here to Brantley Lake about one pm today. This is a very nice park. Carlsbad with good stores is about twelve miles away. The area even feels good.
The campsite is fabulous and the view wonderful. SEE

The internet is four bars of slow speed so it should be steady if a little slow. The water in the lake is very nice, but is catch and release fishing only. The yak should do well here. There are the Guadalupe mountains nearby and down the road a little way is Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Major amounts of things are available in this area for adventuring. The roads are excellent for some serious bike riding and off road is also available.

This is also on the Pecos River, but what a difference. The dam actually touches the water here. Check this dam picture.

A lot of catch-up on the inet was done this afternoon. Catching up on IKE damages and people reports took a couple of hours. Then a walk around a small smidgen of the park was taken. There are a lot of square miles of territory here to play with a person’s toys.

A beautiful sunset treated me to a nice evening. It is easy to get used to these spectacular sunsets out here in the western deserts.

On the way back from my walk, Mickey and Michael were fixing supper in the campsite next to mine. We visited for a bit while they got their food ready. They work for the New Mexico state in some capacity, and sometimes camp when they travel around the state. Very interesting and personable folks these fellows were. They are young men with families, but have to travel around the state inspecting mining operations. As they began to have their supper, this was the scene.
My old eyes need more light than those little LED lights provide.

They are much more hard core campers and backpackers than me. My foam topped mattress inside the RV fits me very well thank you.

Pacing myself will be very important, because around here are so many places to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM