This Makes 365

Fredericksburg, Texas

365 blog entries will have been published with this one. A year of daily entries that have usually been published every day. When a daily publishing was not available, the entries were saved up and published in a wad at the first chance. It has been a very rewarding and sometimes frustrating experience. There have been emails from folks as far north as upper Alaska and south to the tip of South America. A new major event has been the blog allowing some old friends find me to get reacquainted. Over all it has allowed me to flourish from all the new friends. Maybe the next year will even be better.

Another thank you goes out to the folks on the Escapees forum for the help they did not know they were giving me. One of my dreams if things work out is to go back into some areas without utilities like electricity and water (it is called boon docking)to try to have tooooo much fun. Comfort Castle is good for 7-8 days as is now, except for heating. As my research has progressed, it became necessary to find out about heating Comfort Castle without the use of electricity. Within that research the need for a CO detector was brought up often. When my research was well advanced, it was my conclusion that a CO detector should have been in my life for years. There are lots of things that can go wrong in a house that can poison you with CARBON MONOXIDE. My new CO detector/alarm cost less than $20 at Wal-Mart today.

The next chore ahead of me is choosing which type of LP heating that will be keeping me warm in cooler weather. Why not COLD weather? Because that is why Comfort Castle has wheels to keep me out of COLD weather. What is COLD weather? Any weather that is colder than 50 degrees F. When would cold weather get me for more than one night? When the Gulf of Mexico is stopping Comfort Castle from going farther south.

On this eve of this important election, it is finally time for my opinion. Many times in elections, my support has gone to the candidate who, in my opinion, is the lesser evil. That has been an impossible task for me this election to choose which seems to be the lesser evil. Therefore my announcement is that the folks of the USA will be the loser this Presidential election. Many around me have been upset about my opinion, but that is why all you folks did your responsible action and voted, Right????

It is a little after 7 pm as this last paragraph is being typed. A few minutes outside looking at the peaceful sky

with its new moon rising for some reason gives me hope. So everyone, no matter who is elected President, Commander-in-Chief, let us all work toward having tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Brain Dead Laundryman

Fredericksburg, Texas

A very ordinary day it has been. First stop this morning was the Post Office at 8 am. They open at 8:30 am it turned out. So thirty minutes of enjoying the pretty flowers and gentle cool breezes made the time pass well. Once inside the PO, the line was moderate and the clerks were very efficient. After getting the insurance applications into the mail, it was over to the laundry to wash clothes and visit with Patti. She always has something fun to talk about. As the clothing was being removed from the washer to go into the dryer, the realization that the towels had all been left at Comfort Castle hit me. Too late now.

By the time the laundry was put away and Comfort Castle squared away, it was lunch time. Home made chili was thawed and relished with vigor. The search about health insurance continued without any new revelations.

The searching stopped about 3 pm and it was time to practice golf to work out the frustrations. A nice walk in the park is planned for this evening. Most likely it will be dark since it is dark by 6:30 now.

Thursday OF Bob and OF Mike are supposed to come over and the three Meanderthalls will attack Enchanted Rock in the quest to trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

More Health Insurance Information

Fredericksburg, Texas

Man o Man this staying in one location is about to drive me nuttier than my head already is. It has not been a month yet, but the ITCH is severe. Rolling about every week or two seems to fit very well. Sometimes it seems the rolling is more exciting than the arriving. This time of the year one must keep in mind that the cold weather is just starting and to have patience or move farther south.

Some lessons to be learned are showing up to me as my past year has been analyzed for ways to cut expenses. The original concept was park and cloverleaf out a chosen distance to sightsee and participate in local points of interest (POI). On careful thought and exacting calculations it seems that the more frugal way is to take my home everywhere. Tioga George does essentially this by staying right where he is exploring.

Towing only costs 50% more than not towing, but going out and coming back costs 100% more. Also it has proven accurate that staying in free to cheap places and clover leafing is not always cheaper. Frequently it has been more expensive to stay in cheaper places and spend a lot more on diesel when going to a POI than staying closer. Each situation needs to be evaluated carefully. A day of clover leafing normally costs me about 100 miles which adds up to $23+. My truck cost per mile for all consumables, oil, diesel, tires is about $0.23 a mile when not towing. Nothing is ever simple is it.

Most of the afternoon was spent interviewing nonworking or self employed folks under the age of 65 about who they use for health insurance. The bad news is that of the approximate dozen interviewed, no one had health insurance due to the monthly cost. WOW. The other part of the afternoon was spent searching the internet for possible insurers. Finally Aetna was found to have a catastrophic policy that could be lived with for about $375 a month. The application took me about two hours to fill out and get ready to mail tomorrow. Who knows what will be next!!!!!

Overall it has been a very interesting and informative day, but definitely not one filled with tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Fredericksburg Fall Foliage Frolic

Fredericksburg, Texas

This morning started with a lot of banging and heavy engine noise with vehicles running back and forth outside my bedroom window. That is very unusual for this exceptionally quiet park. It seems a pile of weekenders had come in early to get busy trying to have fun. At least it was after the end of quiet time so there is no real complaint from this end. Most likely my packing the truck in an early morning bothers someone a little too. You know you are living good when someone getting ready for an adventure wakes you at 8 am.

Speaking of adventures, a nice lady who writes a great blog (http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-404650), fell and broke a foot recently. Check out her comments about exercise for older folks. While you are there look around at her site. It usually gives me a chuckle or a feel good.

Later in the morning, a glance out the kitchen window yielded a large volume of cars parked in the field behind the rv park. On investigation, it was found out that the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club is having their Fredericksburg Fall Foliage Frolic today. There is 10, 34, 44 and 54 mile routes laid out for folks to enjoy.

While taking these pictures, a careful watch was being made to see if a Surly bike was in attendance. Sadly none were found. My good eye is searching for a Surly LHT to become mine in the future. Some folks came with a lot of rolling gear, like these folks in this truck.
One thing bikers do not like is stickers in their tires. Fixing flats is a way of life with bikers unless you use airless tires like Sturdy Steed had up in Washington.
Perhaps this rider got the stickers in the short ride from the pavement to his vehicle. Those thin wall high pressure tires flat fairly easily.

For the afternoons amusement, some golf practice was done. To my surprise, the practice was very good instead of a session of frustration. If this keeps up breaking a hundred might happen. With that bit of excellent luck, maybe this was a good day of having tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Sticker Shock

Fredericksburg, Texas

Definitely not a day of too much fun. Notice came in today that the health insurance on me is going up a huge amount to almost $900 a month and that does not fit into my budget. So now the choice is between going back to work to get insurance or going without health insurance. This puts me in the same boat with a lot of folks in my age group. It is not a nice place to be. No matter what happens this has been a great year in my life. It would have been terrible to miss out on all the adventures.

The news had me down a bit, so off to visit Mac for an uplift. We had a bit over two hours of great conversation. Even if you do not care for a visit to the fort, a visit with Mac will certainly be worth your while. He always leaves me feeling excited to be alive.

The rest of the day was spent not spending money. A walk in the park and some clean up in the truck were the other big events in my life. Tomorrow starts a new month and a great opportunity to get out and have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

A Good Paddling Was Needed

Fredericksburg, Texas

A busy fun day today. This morning a visit to the Fort Scott Martin historical site to visit with OF Mac. He is acting in a local show written by some guy named W. Shakespeare. It did not take very long watching the show to see that Mac was the best actor on stage by a wide margin. We visited for a little over two hours. Where we get so much to talk about is beyond me, but every time we get together the fun goes on for hours.

Arriving home a bit late made me very hungry for lunch, but WOW was it worth the wait. Stir fry in Zesty Italian Dressing some squash, bell pepper, celery and onion for a bit. About half way through toss in a half cup of chopped grilled chicken. Add a beverage of choice like fresh coffee and kick back for a treat.

Of course a great lunch like that needs an equal supper right? How about coleslaw with Marie’s coleslaw dressing? Then add in some cold boiled shrimp and for a beverage some cold lemonade. Some days my food is so good it is sensuous.

After lunch the wind was ripping the trees apart, but the yak is tough so we went for a paddle. After unpacking the truck and getting the yak ready, it was looking a little iffy on the water.

However the wind slowed dramatically so the paddle started by heading for the shelter of the tree line by going downstream which is left from the picture above. When a lapse of wind allowed me to stop paddling for a moment, this was the view back upstream at the launch point.


It is amazing that the pictures came out as well as they did. Between a slightly rocking yak and the wind blowing us all over the place, it was expected for all the shots to be too blurry to use. Luck was with me though.

The route continued downstream toward the dam and alongside the tree line. It is a fairly nice area. There is a nice nature trail in the trees on the right.

As the dam was approached the current became a factor to with which to contend. When the yak was near a shore, the current was nil. This picture was taken just as the current became a factor in the yak handling. It was not really dangerous but you did have to pay attention to maintain your chosen route.
From the dam area the route started upstream through a shallow slough filled with turtles. This picture is of one of them swimming under water. It is in the bottom right. They were not particularly scared, but cautious. One large one even came over like it was going to try to climb into the yak. It was gently pushed away with the paddle.
The route went past the launch point and on upstream with the wind. Here is a view along some reeds. The golf course is on the left.


A few hundred yard farther on is where this picture of Comfort Castle was taken. It is the little trailer to the left.
The wind had come back with a vengeance so handling the yak prevented any more pictures until the turnaround point. There is a large rock cliff we passed that will have to wait for another day to get its picture in the blog.

The turnaround point is the low water crossing/dam that provides access to the golf course. Getting to close to the dam would not be the best thing to do because of the many jumbled rocks just under the water. It is not really a deadly area, but you could knock some serious hide off your body if you turned over in there. This picture was from a proper distance back and out of any danger.

Now the long paddle against the wind back to the launch point. More than once thought was given to paddling to the bank and pulling the boat out of the creek. Then a comfortable hike back to the launch point to get the truck would have been easy. However, it did not happen. The creek curves just enough that by hugging the leeward bank, the wind was somewhat abated.

Except, of course, when the route had to cross the creek to the opposite bank as the wind shifted or the creek curved. To my astonishment, entering and exiting the yak was done without getting my feet wet or dirty.
What an awesome day to try to have tooooo much fun! TheOFM.

LMSP Part Two

Fredericksburg, Texas


Today has been a fix up day at the trailer. The new LP detector was installed and tested. It works properly. A close examination of the old one showed absolutely no damage or anything obviously wrong. It resides in the trash can outside now.


Unpacking the pack from yesterdays hike led to some surprises. It seems that the supplies for the LMSP hike were placed on top of the remains from the last Enchanted Rock hike, so there were a few pounds extra that helped strengthen my legs. Now the pack is totally unpacked so the next hike will require packing from scratch. There is not a chance of getting repacked for the next hike without forgetting something. The fun never ends.


Both of the electric heaters were stripped down and thoroughly cleaned. The bearings were lubricated with the proper lubricant for their type of bearing. Fan blades were cleaned, grilles washed clean and the whole thing assembled and tested. Now Comfort Castle is ready for cold weather. The electric heaters are quiet enough that they do not wake me like the central furnace does when it runs at night. Aside from that at this campground electric is included in the price.


And now back to the halfway point in the LMSP hike of OF Bob and TheOFM. We made it up the staircase and rested for a couple of minutes, then started the trek across the mesa. At several spots at the edge of the mesa is a rock edge to view the valley below. You can actually sit on the edge, dangle your feet over the edge and have a nice snack or lunch. Here is OF Bob taking in the view from the top of the surrounding area and the valley way below us. That white stripe just in front of OF Bob is the very steep ball bearing path you take to get down the cliff.

At another prime viewpoint this picture was taken of the color and the ponds below the cliffs. The trail to get down is very steep and covered with loose rock nearly as bad as ball bearings. With my bad left knee it took me a long time to make it down all the slippery stuff. Thank heavens for my sturdy hiking stick. Without it my pants would likely have worn out the backside.
Once down to the valley the walking was a lot easier, but still at least a mile back to the truck. As we hiked along below the cliffs, this cloud set was noticed. It is a new style of cloud to me, but was very interesting to see.

Finally after the loooooong walk back to the truck, it was lunch time. We claimed a table in the shade of some trees and to my surprise, we had no insects bothering us. That was the best sandwiches ever made in my life. The hike had taken us four hours. OF Bob came up with a great description for us. Since we meander so well, we must be MEANDERTHALLS.

On the way back to OF Bob’s home we stopped at another OF from our past. OF Mike has been an avid reader of OFM Adventures for some time. We had not seen each other since April of 2002 when my Washington employment started. He was looking very well and we had a wonderful visit. With a little luck the three of us, The Meanderthalls, will be going to Enchanted Rock in a couple of weeks. This is OF Mike with tree limb growing through his head.

OF Mike is really a neat fellow with a little bit of a Jeremiah Johnson thrown it for good measure. It will be a really special time to get to visit with him for more than a few minutes.

It is very late as this is typed, so tomorrow may start a little later than today in my effort to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

LMSP Part One

Fredericksburg, Texas

Yesterday wore me out totally. Thank you Mr. Shadow for covering for me last night. Seemed like the fun would never stop and that was great. Old Friend Bob is a wonderful fellow. When the truck rolled into his place, he was eager to get going, but we needed to check on a neighbor who had not gone to work that morning. We walked over to the neighbor’s home to check if any help was needed. The neighbor was just a bit under the weather and getting along fine, so we had a nice walk through the trees back to his truck. It is wonderful to have folks who will notice and check on your well being.

On the way to Lost Maples State Park, there were several spots OF Bob had fly fished in the past. We paused to enjoy one of the streams while he told me stories of fish caught and not caught. It is a beautiful stream as were many others we crossed that day.

Another stop was at an old friends home, but he was not there. We promised to be back after our hike. Now it was LMSP for another adventure. We checked in at the ranger station, picked up a map of the trails and headed for the trail head. After a careful assembly of our gear and us, it was off to tackle the trail. It is actually not a hard trail, but it has a lot of loose ankle twisters the whole way. That makes for difficult walking.

When the conditions are correct the canyons explode in color. Our trip is about two weeks early, so the colors were scattered. Here is some of the trees showing color right now.

This was OF Bob’s first time to hike the east trail so he was enjoying the canyon. We came to a bright Maple and Bob was captured for eternity admiring the scenery.

We enjoyed short visits with several folks on the trail. The studies OF Bob is doing for his Texas Master Naturalist certification came in handy for helping folks identify things along the trail. After a bit more hiking, an impressive cliff came into view. Another hiker used my camera to take this picture of the Dynamic Duo at the base of the cliff.
On the opposite side of the trail from the cliff was the path of the creek headed toward a hillside with some nice color on it. After walking downstream a short ways, this was the scene captured.

At another spot along the canyon trail was this sort of grotto with a bench nearby to allow you to rest in a very peaceful oasis. The ferns were very pretty and some were very delicate appearing.

Shortly after the grotto, the trail climbs out of the canyon to the mesa on top. In the years past there were “steps” hacked into the rocks to help you get to the top. In the years of my Washington time, some virtual stairs have been constructed of the natural rocks. It is a lot easier to climb the several hundred feet to the top now. The elevation on top is about 2200 feet, but the climb usually requires at least two rest stops since it is sooooo steep. My breathing was so heavy that holding a camera steady for a picture was not possible.

About here you are at the halfway point of the trail. It has already been a full fun day and a lot more remains to be told of our attempt to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Worn Out

Fredericksburg, Texas

This is TheOFM's shadow writing to let you know that he is soooo pooped from all the fun hiking, visiting and taking pictures that he is headed for the shower and bed immediately. He told me to tell you that he will definitely write a blog entry tomorrow morning when he can keep his eyes open. You know how it is with those OLD folks and how easy having tooooo much fun wears them out. Mr. Shadow.

Inks Lake

Fredericksburg, Texas

The Highland Lakes of central Texas are a beautiful string of lakes on the Colorado River. Depending on who you talk with, they are irrigation lakes or flood control lakes. No matter why, they are some of the prettiest most heavily used lakes in the South. One of them is named Inks Lake and on that lake is a state park with the funny name of Inks Lake State Park. Where ever did they come up with that unique name??

A tour of the state park reveals a somewhat crowded but extensive camping area. The boat ramp and store area do not have any extra space either. However on most weekends this park is packed shoulder to shoulder. During the week it is very nice. My plan is to do a little truck/tent camping here with the yak and fishing equipment. It should be a nice change of pace. Since it had been MANY years since my last visit, my visit was to determine if it was still an OK place during the week. It is. The park is very worn.

There is over seven miles of designated hiking trails inside the park and lots of pretty clear water. The roads wind all over the hills inside the park and will be nice for a bike ride during the cooler part of the day. In a few weeks it will also be cool enough for nice sleeping in a tent.
As you approach the park from the north there is a viewpoint looking over part of the lake. In this picture the state park camping area is on the left of the lake.

Wandering around in the park gave me a chance to take some pictures from right at waters edge. There are lots of coves and inlets. The entire lake smells like it is good fishing. In fact on my last trip here years ago, a large quantity of white bass were caught from the western fishing pier after dark. The lights on the pier were on and this fish catcher man was able to sit in a lawn chair and catch fish until he got tired of it.
This picture above is looking from the pier back to a cove behind some of the campsites.

This picture above and the one below were taken from spots right at the waters edge in various parts of the park. It certainly makes me want to get out there in the yak and tour the lake.


Taking pictures required s good bit of hiking and rock hopping. The views were wonderful every where you looked.

When the trip back happens, it well could be overwhelming trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

An Old Red Car

Fredericksburg, Texas
The hitch itch was getting fairly severe. The truck was chomping at the keys. The only solution was a trip to somewhere. The day had started out very overcast, but by eleven am it was breaking up. Head north OFM. Head north.

North on highway 16 is a pleasant town named Llano. And in that town is a beautiful lake and park. Around the town are historic old buildings. The drive north was very pleasant as the truck rolled over the hills and valleys. Traffic was light and the scenery was delightful. Autumn is starting to show in the colors of the leaves. It will be about two weeks more before the leaves will be at their best. This area is still in a drought situation so the color may be a little diminished this year.

Several folks were out for a ride on this day with the blue skies. One couple apparently had been out to one of the car rallies and were on their way home. This car had an MG emblem on the front and a car buff will be able to identify it for us. The air temperature when this picture was taken was about 73 degrees.

The park was nicely restful as my lunch was eaten in the shade. Along the bank two fellows were trying their luck at catching the fish visible in the river. The fish were winning, but the fellows were having a wonderful time anyway.

This looks like a great place for my yak. Too bad it was asleep under Comfort Castle instead of with me. There were several places that were accessible for launching the yak into the river. The dam creates the lake that is the water supply for the town of Llano. No motors allowed in this drinking water.

The water is very clear and clean appearing. The deepest part of the rock visible in the next picture is about ten feet down according to the local fellow that was fishing. The river is over twenty feet deep in the river bed area.

After a little more looking around it was time to head back home. In my notebook are notations about things to examine carefully on the next trip. A large old building with bars on the window and a Texas Historical Marker was being used as a Haunted House for the Halloween celebrations in town. Most likely in Llano tonight will be a night of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Making Holes In The Sky

Fredericksburg, Texas

This town is something else, still. An additional event today is a old airplane fly in. After my new lpg detector was gotten from the RV dealer, nothing much else happened today. There was a little bike riding and a little walking but no real excitement.

The airplanes over at the airport were pretty active today. A lot of rich folks fly in from Houston, San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth and many other places for the events here in town. Here are a couple of the visitor planes.




The old airplanes were lined up on the airport concrete, but they are a bit too far away for my camera to pull them in well. My background is not in airplanes so you will have to identify them. Here is a low wing war plane and a biplane. The biplane was apparently taking folks up for rides today.

The biplane made one take off at the right time for me to get two pictures of it in action. Notice the folks in the plane cockpits.

The pilot may have been playing, because right after the wheels came off the ground the plane wiggled back an forth like something was wrong. He did it every time he had a passenger. It was amazing how slowly the biplane flew.

There was one other small airplane taxiing around for a few minutes. It was painted like an old army plane. It never flew and actually went back to a hanger while other activity was going on.

A change in plans has put me going to the live play tonight in about an hour. So with the need to get busy getting cleaned up to go, tonight’s blog is short. Everyone go out and try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

What Is Going On?????

Fredericksburg, Texas

This town is something else. Three tourist events going on this weekend and the town is less than ten thousand in population. One is a big gun and knife show at the fairgrounds. From the looks of the lines of exhibitors it will be enormous.

The second is a classic car show at the convention center. There has been piles of old classic cars rolling into town. Many are being driven in their bright shiny glory by their owners. Others are being brought in on trailers. One tow seen on highway 16 was a medium duty truck towing a trailer with five nice older cars on it. For old car buffs this town will be ecstasy for the next two days.

The third thing is not known, because there were no signs telling what is going on at the market plaza. However a large crew was getting it ready for some extravaganza. The identity will likely be available tomorrow.

And last but far from least the live theater company here in town is putting on a play by
Shakespeare. My old buddy Mac is acting in it. Sunday is the performance planned for my attendance. Mac requested that no tomatoes or cabbage be thrown at him. My response is with the stock market collapse, those vegetables are for me to eat.

The silly allergies still have me a bit wiggly on my feet so no biking or golf was attempted. Tonight’s walk gave me the feeling that my allergies are on the wane. If that proves to be correct, tomorrow ought to be a wild one of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

The Red Eye Special

Fredericksburg, Texas
We got all the travelers out the gate and on the road by ten am this morning. My truck was working up a heck of a froth on the front bumper wanting to go along. Comfort Castle just sat there pouting. Our time will come again. Hitch itch must be brought about by diesel, propane and blood since we all three have the itch.

Other than the goodbyes, nothing in the way of an adventure even tried to happen today. It was another not feeling well day, but at least there are clues today. Itchy red rimmed eyes and a mild headache all day usually means allergy. The strong front that blew in yesterday must have brought some undesirable gifts for me. Most likely tomorrow will be a lot better. Tonight is supposed to be bitter cold and clear---37 degrees OUCH. The heaters will be working tonight.

Late morning was visit Mac at Fort Martin Scott. We solved a lot of worldly troubles very easily. Of course there has to be opposing opinions to keep the friendly discussions lively. Eventually there were visitors to interrupt the conversations. A goodbye was said and off to the grocery store on the way home.

After lunch a nap was desperately needed. Three hours later my eyes blinked open with the sun coming in the window right terrorizing my face. My blood had been replaced with cold molasses. Man this allergy stuff is rough.

To get myself going, a little golf pitch and putt practice was tried. What a dismal event!!! But at least there was blood back in the veins and even flowing slightly.

Now there is chicken cooking to be put away in individual meal quantities in the freezer. After supper it will be an unusual event in this home called TV time with some freshly popped popcorn and rootbeer. It is not the proper time for vigorous physical activity. Look out for some adventure tomorrow while trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Big Race Day

Fredericksburg, Texas

It was race day in the park. The last two days there have been folks preparing the park for the high school cross country foot race. All day there has been trucks and atv equipment running all over putting out red cones or hanging flagging. The ground has the limed stripe of the course running all around it.

Earlier today on the way back from the golf course, this was the scene greeting you as you crossed the low water bridge.


My guess is it was the start line. A walk along the limed stripe yesterday proved that this would be a fair test for cross country runners. That route would likely give me a heart attack if running it were attempted. The girls race ran first while the light was better. This is part of the girls pack making the loop near the baseball diamonds.
The boys race was run in fairly dim light so the picture is less crisp. This is on the section a little after the start line but before the loop around the baseball diamonds.
The race path came right behind my trailer. These kids were tired by the time they made it to Comfort Castle. As this point one of the coaches was heard to say that it is only a half mile to the finish line. This is the lead girls pack.

It was too dim to get a shot of the boys as they passed behind the trailer. However a great shot of the Comfort Castle spectators was achieved. Left to right is Lloyd, Daryl then most important is Mary.
We had a long joyful time visiting and watching the races. All three are leaving the park tomorrow for other locations in search of having tooooo much fun. TheOFM

A Bad Body Day

Fredericksburg, Texas

The bad news is that Lloyd of www.wandrin.us fame had to put up with an ailing old fat man during our adventures today. It is certain that my body not feeling well got in the way of Lloyd’s trying to have tooooo much fun. He was very nice and pleasant about it. Thank you Lloyd.

One of the early things we did this morning is go out and hunt for a cinnamon roll. Here is the hunter on the stalk.

We were successful in finding cinnamon rolls, but you will need to check Lloyd’s blog to see if it was any good. Lloyd is the head cinnamon expert of the world.

We also went out to Wildseed to visit and check out what is new there. There were several new things for yard decorations. One decoration especially for my DIL is the frog statues. Here is a bunch of little froggies all sitting in place as if waiting for the teacher to start class.

Over in the patio decorations were several new figures for you amazement. This ant statue and several others could make great conversation pieces for your porch or gazebo.


On a fence was a vine with beautiful flowers. They would make a good screen from a near by walk or street and be very nice to view also.


By now it was getting to be time for lunch, so back into town we went. We walked a lot of blocks in the town looking for a place to eat. We found that most of the restaurants were closed on Tuesdays. The place we ate at finally, after much trudging around the town, was named Winklers (maybe). My chicken salad was very good and only slightly too expensive. After lunch we stopped at the Thrift Shop in hopes of finding some good bargains, but alas we walked out empty handed.

By now I was worn and we headed home. Lloyd let me out at my home. Rest and ibuprofen was next on my need list. By the time happy hour came around at five, my body was doing relatively well. We were joined by my new neighbors Daryl and Mary from Mesa, Arizona.

Lloyd, Daryl, Mary and I had some great conversations on many things. It turns out Lloyd, Daryl and Mary had lived some of their lives in areas near each other. Lots of fun stories and tales were related. With the help of all these nice folks, it turns out that it was a good day for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Finally A Visit With Lloyd

Fredericksburg, Texas

Chores are a necessary part of life darn it. Several chores were completed this morning.
A new LP detector ordered to replace the malfunctioning one.
The LP lines were all soap bubble tested to make certain no leakage was happening from all the rough roads of the past year.
The empty LP tank was refilled. Now Comfort Castle will be ready for another year of fantastic cooking.
Most of Comfort Castle was dusted and then all of it was vacuumed.
Now it is again time to play.

Lloyd of Wandrin.us rolled into the campground this afternoon. We spent a good bit of time visiting, then later in the evening we went to a nice Mexican restaurant near the Wal-Mart. Lloyd told me the food fit his taste in food well. That is a good thing.

Tomorrow will be some running around with Lloyd into Fredericksburg and then out to see what else is good for an adventure. It looks like there will be some serious help for me in trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Planning And The Wind

Fredericksburg, Texas
As a lot of effort was spent on “planning” for 2009 travels, it became painfully obvious that my life will not last long enough to get to do more than a small percentage of the things on my list. Ratzzzzzzz Most of the big things to see have been accomplished and now the detail things are ready for my attack.

One set of heroes for me is a group of folks in wheel chairs in 1982 who made it up the trail to Guadalupe Peak. That trail took me over ten hours. Here is the picture taken from the TOP OF TEXAS by ME. That is the blue day pack that is still in use in the picture.
The wheel chair folks are my heroes. If they would do it was not the question. How will we do it was the question. What is your Question??? That climb took me three tries to make it. It is on my agenda for next year again, ten years after the first time. How will I do it??? Very carefully. Get out of your chair and chose a challenge to better yourself.

There was an email about using a travel trailer instead another type of RV. In my life has been ownership and use of tents, in truck bed tents, popup trailers, travel trailers and a 34 foot motor home. In addition there have been a few occasions that towing fifth wheels for friends has been part of my life. Why a travel trailer for me??? A motor home never got comfortable to me driving it in tight quarters. The self induced tension was too much. Trailers and TheOFM are natural partners for some unknown reason, but it is accepted and enjoyed. A travel trailer is my choice at this time because of all the toys carried in the truck. My forty plus years trailering has shown to me that a PROPERLY set up trailer, whether fiver or TT, will handle without any bother. Both behave very well. A bad set up for either will be very bad. Consider that the trailer normally out weighs the tow vehicle noticeably, so which is in charge when things go wrong. My choice is TT for allowing the carrying of my toys in the truck. My choice is trailer, either fiver or TT, because of the comfort for my mind. As far as I am concerned after forty plus years of trailering, neither MH, TT or Fiver is better. Chose the style that you are most comfortable with, set it up CORRECTLY and ENJOY it as you USE it.

On a short road trip today a very nice replica of an old house was found. This is obviously a modern technique structure built to simulate and old structure. It was well done and nice to see in person. In my other trips to LBJ State Park, this structure was not noticed. That was a shame and shows that paying attention to every thing is important.

Something new to me was the gate latch. In all the old building that have had visitations from me none had used this style of latch. It worked very well and positively.


For the city slickers in the crowd, this is how a gate closer looked in the old days. They worked very well and needed very little maintenance. It was not new to me like the latch was. Any type of junk heavy object was used as power for the closer in my history.

A great happening today was a student of mine on yaking getting his graduation decree. Bob A. from South Carolina has graduated from the “OFM classes in Yaking with Honors”. It really makes me glad to have someone learn a fun thing to do SAFELY. He started a few months ago from nowhere and now is qualified to get others started SAFELY into yaking. His accomplishments have made me very proud of him. He is also an important man in other fields. See his important site at http://www.japanconsidered.com/. He is very modest about his many accomplishments.

That about finishes a day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Dreams

Fredericksburg, Texas
What a nice day to be outside! There were LARGE gatherings at the pavilions here in the park. LOTS and LOTS of families and folks out enjoying food, fun and playing all over town as well as here in the park. Even the Wal-Mart lot had huge amounts of vehicles in it.

Today was bike riding day. The ride was very unplanned as to the route. First there was a loop through the park to enjoy all the parties going on. It makes me happy just to hear folks having a fun time. When the exit to the park came up, my whim took me down the shoulder of the highway toward Kerrville to start getting experience on that type of riding. It is loud and the wind buffets you a bunch as the vehicles shoot by. Now this is a wide shoulder so the traffic is 8 feet or more away. After a couple of miles down the road, Trusty Steed turned around and took me in toward town for a good way.

After turning around in a parking lot, crossing the traffic to the other side resulted in my can of HALT falling off the bike in the middle of the highway. As the traffic flashed past, the blast of air from each vehicle shoved the can closer to the edge of the road. Of course it was the opposite edge from my location. The HALT was safely retrieved and my journey continued. There is something really nice about just moseying around on a bicycle. A loop through the county fairgrounds was actually fascinating. It will need some more exploring.

On return to Comfort Castle, the computer said the total trip was only 10.1 miles. My legs were fine, but the back side was feeling almost bruised. More riding to toughen up is needed. A good bit of time the last two days is researching for a bicycle for longer rides. Trusty Steed is great for knocking around campgrounds, towns and trips under twenty miles. However there are a lot of nice rides in the areas that have been explored that are more like thirty to fifty miles in distance and a touring bike will do that much more comfortably. Of course $$$$$ have this hope on hold for now. It is still a good time to do research and dream.

Speaking of dreams, one of my dreams is to ride in Big Bend National Park from Stillwell Ranch to Study Butte and back. That should be a fantastic ride and a very good way to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Light Duty Adventure

Fredericksburg, Texas

A crisp morning to begin a wonderful and pleasant day. Easing along finally got me to the HEB to get some fruits and vegetables along with checking their prices compared to Wal-mart. Wal-mart wins again by a small margin. Since they are both the same distance away it looks as if Wal-mart will continue to be the store of choice for food.

A walk along the peace and quiet of Live Oak Creek yielded some peaceful pictures. This first one was taken while standing on the apron of the dam looking upstream. The concrete on the bottom edge of the picture is the dam itself.


Since OF Bob took me over to the Hill Country State Natural Area and looked at a bunch of different varieties of grasses, my viewing of the area has changed. In this next picture there are many varieties of grasses and flowers. How many different varieties are there??? Many in this picture alone. The flowers are pretty nice also.

Just down stream of the dam the stream splits then later comes together forming this small pleasant rapid. On the bank is a comfortable spot to lay back, relax and enjoy the natural music of the rapids. Want to guess if kicking back occupied me for any amount of time???


And if that was too rambunctious for you here is a soothing picture of the creek as it leaves the park going on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

During the day a slow easy trip through the country was taken. Everything is looking good after the rain of a day ago. Nothing special was seen, but lots of nice farms and ranches for comfortable living. Notice the fabulous tree with the two wagons and the old bell in the background. It looks like this place could be rather nice place to live.


For the evenings exercise a walk in the park down by the golf course was taken as the day cooled. Three virtually new golf balls came home in my pocket. GOD supplies me with a lot more golf balls than get lost now days.

You can see from the pictures that today was a beautiful day and tomorrow is supposed to be even better for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

End Of The Ads, Thank Goodness

Fredericksburg, Texas

A very nice pleasant day of doing the minimum to maintain my status as a lazy bum. The first email this morning was from Google Adsense telling me that someone was not clicking correctly on the ads on my blog. They would not say in what way or from where or anything else. Because of the undefined improper clicking they were closing my account. My first thought is WHO CARES if you close the account. They have not been putting any money in my pocket in a while and some of the ads they put in were not ads I would prefer anyway. So now my blog is ad free and a lot nicer to view without all the nonsense Adsense junk. It will be nice to not have to worry about why their ads are messing up two or three times a month anymore. The ads certainly have not been worth the bother. Great things come in many disguises.

Nothing special happened today. Wal-mart and the thrift store were toured for anything that Comfort Castle or I could not do without. The thrift store had some neat things for folks with stix and brix homes, but not Rvs. Every now and again a thrift store visit is interesting to do.

After piddling around the campground for a bit after lunch, my golf clubs made me go play golf errrr try to play golf. After my $2 was paid, the course was at my mercy. When the course had been rearranged to my satisfaction, the pro shop was told the good news and bad news. First the good news, there are two new bunkers on the course now. The bad news is that they are on tee boxes.

And with that good news, the blog will be published in its new uncluttered with advertisements style. The big question tonight is where will I go to try to have tooooo much fun tomorrow????TheOFM

Great Decision

Fredericksburg, Texas
The rain pitter pattering on the roof vent was music to my sore legs this morning. No hiking to be done in the rain. However about ten am it cleared up and there was no good excuse to stay away from Enchanted Rock.

The weather was sprinkling a little as the hike started and a good ways into the hike it was shortened due to very black clouds headed my way. The trail chosen is the Turkey Pass Trail because it is new to me. The trail start looked innocent enough. Just a little up and over between Enchanted Rock and Turkey Peak.

After making it up to the pass, this picture was taken looking back down the trail to the valley floor. The light fog and misty conditions prevented clear pictures.
A long the trail were many caves where the Robert Felines and coyotes live. Of course TheOFM has no fear of them because he is __________ (fill in the blank). One of the rocks on this route caught my interest. It is a common toadstool style, but is uniquely propped up by two other rocks. So it is now named Propped Rock.


Onward the quest for adventure continued. The wind was calm and the temperature warm with the high humidity and the sweat was pouring out of my svelte body. As another ridge was crossed, the trail through the location now named Trail Between. At this point you get to squeeze through or crawl through the arch made by these two rocks.


A little bit past Trail Between, the Turkey Pass Trail dead ended into a connecting trail with no name so it shall henceforth be called NoName Trail. From this vantage point to see into the valley to the west a snack was eaten while a decision of great importance was made. This will be explained later. The decision was that the weather looked ferocious enough to take the NoName Trail to the Loop Trail and head back to the truck by the short route.
The hike to the Loop Trail is actually very pretty and will have to be done again to fully enjoy it. When the Loop Trail was intersected, the trail dropped into a creek bed.
From this point all the way to the parking lot the trail meandered into and out of the creek bed. The weather had become stifling. No wind, warmer and very sticky, you might say electrical feeling. That is not a good sign in the south. Head for shelter. After stepping lively for a good while, the truck came into sight. A wonderful sight it was.

Since things weather wise were not bad yet and the stomach of my svelte body was screaming FOOD FOOD, lunch was fixed and eaten. Now this was a great meal of cinnamon swirl bagels, sweet pickles, spicy mustard and ham for a sandwich with diet soft drink for my beverage. All the while HAVING to put up with this view from inside the truck camper shell.

As the lunchroom was being put in order the light sprinkle of rain started. Things were quickly put in order and into the truck for shelter. Within the next three or four minutes the important decision made back at the early trail intersection proved to be a good decision. Several black clouds came over and dropped their load of moisture on the area with great vigor.

The drive back home was slow and careful. If the other hiking route had been chosen, the storm would have hit about the halfway point. Bad scene for certain. As it was the heavy rain stayed with me all the way home and for about two hours after arriving home.

In spite of the nasty weather, it proved to be a great day for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Fun Golf Round

Fredericksburg, Texas

Another beautiful day in the Texas Hill Country. Even having to cancel the Enchanted Rock hike because of OF Bob having a family emergency did not spoil my day. Hopefully OF Bob was able to take care of the situation without too much problem.

That event led to me doing the laundry. Doing the laundry led to me getting to visit with Patti at the laundry for a couple of hours this morning. She is always a wonderful lady to visit. She and her husband live in an RV now and are thinking that they are approaching the time when they will get to run and play like TheOFM. We discussed many facets of the nomadic life.

After lunch it was time to go play golf. The course is swapping over to the winter grasses and for a couple more weeks will be less than the best grass wise. A group of three very nice fellows, RT, Tom and Ron, and I played the front nine. My bag was a little heavy for me at the sped they moved, but great golfing times were had.

Great golf will have to wait for some other time. My birdie on the up and over the cliff par 3 surprised me severely. That is the only par 3 known to me where you have to tee off below a cliff. The cliff is only about forty feet high, but definitely right in your face.

For tonight we need some pictures so included is a few of the beautiful flowers along Live Oak Creek for your enjoyment. A friend from back in Washington sent me some pictures of the fifteen inches of snow on the ground at his sisters house in Idaho.

And here we have the standard issue Texas Hill Country sunset.

It has been a great day of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

All Day Rain

Fredericksburg, Texas

The rain hitting the skylight is what woke me this morning. It has gently rained most of the day. Even as this is being written it is raining and the sky is a beautiful blue out to the west. Tomorrow should be exciting.

Old Friend Bob and I are headed to Enchanted Rock to do some walking. He has never been there before and has no idea of the spectacular enhancement to his life that is coming. All this rain is going to green it up a good bit and make the creeks run with some vigor. Lunch is going to be at a picnic table that is under some oak trees next to one of the creeks at a small rapid. It should be wonderful. OF Bob is studying to become a Texas Master Naturalist so this outing will be very eventful for his education. He lives in Pipe Creek Texas about an hour from here.

The Dukes of Hazzard event from last night ( see last nights blog) was caused by a ditch bank in the field behind Comfort Castle. Not flipping the car was a miracle.

A special event for me happened at Walmart of all places. For about three+ years, a nice fellow and I have been exchanging emails. He is Lloyd of www.wandrin.us fame. As my groceries were being placed into the truck, a familiar looking fifth wheel was noticed. Understand Lloyd and TheOFM had never seen each other in person. The truck pulling it was right also. HMMMMMMMM Lloyd was supposed to be heading for Kerrville. And sure enough it was Lloyd. What a surprise!!!!! A friend of his, Carey I believe, was also towing his rig and parked nearby. We had a great visit in the parking lot for several minutes before they needed to get on the road. You never know where or when you will meet someone from the internet and blogging fame.

As this issue of the blog closes the excitement for tomorrow is building toward trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

The Flying Car

Fredericksburg, Texas
Oh what a pleasant day with not any big excitement. So as the blog entry is starting what to my senses should occur but a Dukes of Hazzard event right out on the main road in the park about a hundred meters from me. Some fool came up the road with his engine screaming and headed around a vehicle driving properly. Now finding out what that driver hit will have to wait until daylight tomorrow. My guess is the vehicle went at least four feet into the air. Then landed on the pavement leaving showers of sparks in the night. A loud bang of something breaking came from the car then more sparks trailing off into the night. There should be some evidence in the street for photos tomorrow.

There are some young men across the way about five hundred meters at a basketball court. The game is being played as if it mattered and lots of enthusiasm is being exhibited. They are having a great time and it is wonderful to see.

A little messing around the downtown area resulted in me finding a few new to me things at the library building. What does a tourist town do with a beautiful old pecan tree that dies in the front yard of the library?????? They make a very nice statue of it of course.

The three eagles are very nicely done and actually an impressive piece of art work.
First is the center eagle.

Next is the left eagle


Then the last is the right eagle


To me this is a wonderful use of an dead tree. Hopefully every reader is beginning to understand why this town appeals to me.

My path around town had not taken me to the front of the library before, so some nosing around was in order. One thing very attractive about the building is the balcony railing on the second story.

Here is a close-up shot of the railing. Why these types of railings interest me so much is beyond me, but nowadays it is nice to relax and enjoy it.

On the other side of the front yard of the library is a wonderful fountain with shaded benches and peaceful comfort to watch the activities across the street at the Market Plaza.

Finally my walk was continued and another surprise awaited me. Set into the corner of the library is a USGS SURVEY MARKER.

Now we all know the official elevation of the area.

My guess when my travels resumed last March was that there was little left of the town to see or do for me. Now it seems that there is more left than has been seen. That gives me the feeling that there are many more opportunities to try to have tooooo much fun in Fredericksburg. TheOFM.

The Market Plaza

Fredericksburg, Texas
Like was mentioned in a blog or two ago, Fredericksburg Texas is a tourist town that does the tourist thing right. Right on the main street in down town is a couple of city blocks set up with festival facilities to handle the crowds, good rest rooms, good electrical supply for the vendors and parking. The parking is along streets designed so that you get to walk past a bunch of shopping opportunities on the way to the plaza. These folks are good.

The plaza can be entered from any direction by way of the sidewalks. However there is a grand entrance that leads to a historic building that is the Fredericksburg symbol. Here we have the grand entrance leading from Main Street.

The historic building carries an official historic marker explaining about it for all the world to see.


As you wander the grounds, the sidewalks eventually lead you to the back side of the building and the Pioneer Memorial Walk. The flowers seem to be rotated out to have something blooming all the time.

If you look across main street from the grand entrance, there is the public library and court house and behind that is a wonderful park for sitting and watching the world go by. For several blocks in every direction around is all sorts of historical and tourist stuff to keep you coming back again and again.

The day was very easy going and this evening scene

topped off a great day to trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Mesquite Furniture Show

Fredericksburg, Texas

A show featuring mesquite wood furniture occupies the market square this weekend. Free admission attracted a large number of local folks, but late in the day the San Antonio, Dallas and Houston cars started arriving. Tomorrow will be packed. This town is mainly a tourist town and they do it right. My guess is that three out of every four weekends is an event that packs the city full of tourists with more money than they know what to do with. Todays prices were a good example.

The wood working in general was excellent or better. Obviously a lot of folks used the same generic patterns so the differences were in trim and quality of construction. The worst piece noted in my tour was really good quality of construction and finish. The horse you will see in a minute was fantastic in fit and finish.

The tour starts with some plain looking table from a few feet away, but the closer you get the better they look. In fact up close they, as is typical of all of it, were close to a work of art.


Several different folks had rocking chairs of a few different styles, but this one was my choice for the best finished one. It was not the shiniest, but has a velvet finish that was almost erotic when you sat in it. $2800.00 each.



These birds were by far the most unusual of the show. Apparently they go out and collect mesquite stumps and chunks to carve into decorations. It was very unusual and interesting to examine them up close.

Notice the bulldog in the back right of the picture above. His owner brought him through one of the tents for a walk. It was my good fortune to be at the right place at the right time to meet my first bulldog. He came walking through the crowd like a minature bulldozer. Some folks shyed away from him, but not me. When my hand got low enough, he came right on over for a good ear scratching. A wonderful pup he is. As they continued on through the crowd, others that had seen me in action, started letting him approach him. It probably took the pup twenty minutes to go the fifty feet back to his water dish. He was very popular.

Now for the fanciest woodwork of the show. At a mere $10,000 we have the hobby horse. This is the first one the fellow built and now he only builds on commission. He said he has more business than he can handle. He has several models and they range from $7500 to over $20,000.


And now we get to my favorite stall. As you are walking by this old country boy greets you and invites you to sit a spell and tell some lies. Mr. Browning of Snyder has his act honed very well. We chatted for several minutes.

His furniture is more rustic in style than the others, but not any cheaper. All this hand made one of a kind furniture is priced proudly. In the picture Mr. Browning is on the right and one of his helpers is on the left. It was a very pleasant time visiting with him and his companion.


Please note the lampshades on the lamps in the bedroom suite are made of mesquite. The lampshades and the birds were in the running for most unique of the show.

It was a fun event to experience and Kevin L. you now have some challengers in your woodworking hobby. But it is still a great way to try to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

Riding The Highway

Fredericksburg, Texas

That lazy truck of mine never even got out of where it spent the night. It just sat under the pecan tree and took it easy all day. Is this jealousy on my part???? Maybe. Of course staying up to watch a movie on TV until nearly two am did not get me out of bed early either. WOW what a lazy bum.

The good part is the walk that was taken along the creek in the park. That creek has a name. It is Live Oak Creek and it runs into the Pedernales River about a mile south of the park.

Since the weather was so beautiful again, a walk by the water was a requirement. As one of the small cliffs on the creek came into view, a section of the natural area that had not been explored came into view.

Of course a wander into the area was needed. So off into the unknown my shoes took me. It was a rather interesting area to visit. A new mystery trail showed up. NICE. Some new exploring along a trail.

Even the spider webs were gone which made my passage a lot more pleasant. The trail had a sign along it that said it had been made by students about ten years ago. The trail is well laid out and maintained. As corner was navigated a mystery set of stairs came into view. Now where does that go!!!

They led to a nook in the woods on the upper plateau that had never had my foot prints before. Another very nice surprise for me. To make it even better there was a sign board with great information on it.

One side tells of many of the animals, insects and flowers that are sighted on the trails. It even had a large collection of pictures of these items for reference.

On the other side was a description of why this natural area is special. Apparently this particular area is at the junction of several micro climates. The sign breaks it all down for you so you can know what is special about what you are seeing. It is very nice to know more about the area. Click on it to read the details.
After all this excitement, a bike ride was needed to relax. So a ride on Hwy. 16 toward town was taken. The route left the campground on the shoulder of the highway and made it all the way past my doctor’s office, up the HILL and to the High School. At that point the shoulder quit and riding would have to have been done on the main traffic lanes. NOT ME. A crossing of the street and back home on the other shoulder of the highway.

The best part of this ride is the strong wind was with me going up hill and in my face going down hill back to the campground. The whole ride was only a little over eight miles and very pleasant except for the traffic noise right next to me.

As if that was not enough, this evening ended with me down by the creek viewing the ducks on the creek ducking around trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Fredericksburg, Texas
Man did the truck get a lot of driving today. Really close to twenty feet. That will save a lot on diesel fuel costs. The morning started with a serious walk to help me get ready for some hiking next week. There are some nice hills to the north side of the park. A walk up and down and along and around them was done until my legs were pretty tired. Up hill just wears me out fast. Here are a couple of pictures of them taken during this afternoons bike ride.

They are not very high but fairly steep. After a few trip all over them, your legs might notice it.
A huge effort was made in cleaning out the truck of a year of JUNK. The garbage can next to my site was nearly filled up with unused JUNK. That stuff multiplies faster than fire ants. The preparations are in hopes of some future camping trips without the trailer to some remote locations in Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains when the weather cools more. The last time that sort of camping was done was about three years ago in Glacier National Park up in Montana. Hopefully my old body will still enjoy it.

The bike ride this afternoon was a gentle event just to be out in the late evening air and relax. Nothing special happened. Even the sunset was very ordinary and not worth a picture.

Today is my DIL’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA. The birthday card from me that she received had a voice module in it that scared their pup. He kept looking for some folks making all that racket. That would have been very funny to see.
Another day in paradise trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

Fiscal Responsibility

Fredericksburg, Texas

Or how to continue to be a lazy bum deluxe without being independently wealthy. A couple of months ago Myself was talking to Me and told Me to pay attention to the USA financial mess and make some careful plans. Me paid attention and decided it was too late to move investments around. Me was not quite right but now it is for certain too late. Myself said to Me “Now what, Me”. And Me very carefully studied the checkbook and expenses and decided that the wise thing was to find somewhere really great and hunker down for a while until things sort themselves out. Now GOD takes care of Me very well. Last spring when the truck started to break down in Big Bend, Me and Myself were wondering why did we come all the way to Fredericksburg Texas for the repairs?

Now we know it was so we would know where to hunker down for a long stay and still try to have tooooo much fun. Today has been another bad day for those of us betting on the stock market with our future. The OFM is down 43%, not counting today, since he started traveling full time a year ago. On the other hand, it may be fortunate that this has happened because this fifty mile radius needs really extensive exploring and adventuring. It is also putting me in touch with two old friends from back in Houston who live in this area now. Life is great, live it NOW.

The campground here is the best valued one that Comfort Castle has located in of all the places we have been. As noted in the blog a day or so ago, almost all the fun you could want is a short walk away. And today a problem that seemed like it would take me from here, went away. YEA! So I went to the HQ office and signed up to stay until the cheap rates go up on April 1, 2009. In other words TheOFM has a wonderful six months to intensely explore and wear out this part of Texas. Of course it helps that this six months are the far and away nicest time to be in this area.

Part of this morning was getting the campsite squared away, some things put away, a couple of letters written and some emails sent to OF Bob about an adventure next Tuesday. The truck got fed some $3.92 a gallon diesel fuel this afternoon. The hand weights were even give a good workout. This evening was an excellent supper while watching a beautiful sunset. When it is all said and done this is pretty close to having tooooo much fun. TheOFM.

The Latest Home

Fredericksburg, Texas
A 5:30am jake brake got me up this morning. Comfort Castle was hitched and moved to the new location before eight am. Since this is the planned home for the rest of the year, a trip to the building supplies store got some concrete blocks to put under the stabilizing jacks. Putting blocks under the jacks allows them to be a lot more resistant to wobble. Now home is The Lady Bird Johnson Municipal RV Park.

There is a lot of noise here also. Birds chirping, insects buzzing and the wind rustling the leaves in the trees. Once in a while an airplane taking off or landing in the adjacent airport.

When the settling up the money at the previous park, one of the residents said there is nothing to do out here. My reply was there is only a three mile walking path along the creek, a nice golf course to play, the creek to paddle my yak in, access to several miles of bicycling, tennis courts to use and even some small fish in the creek to catch and release. Yep nothing to do here.

Parts of the walking path were in the blogs of last March. However there is more tonight. Two pretty nice scenes caught my eye today while walking. The first is along the part of the “lake” section right before the main dam. The yellow flowers were making themselves spectacular so you get to see the beauty.

As you get over to the nature tail portion of the walking path, the creek winds back and forth some. Then it goes along a short cliff. This picture is as the creek starts to traverse the portion right by the cliff. It shows the trail along the right side of the picture. The picture was taken from an overlook on the Nature Trail.

The owner of Fredericksburg RV Park, Jan, was very accommodating on my early move out and refunded a proper amount of my original cost. It is a nice park just too close to town for me.

My new home is five sites south of the one from last March. This will be a very good place to live while money and medical get straightened out. This is looking to the northwest from my campsite.

The view out my “office/dining table” window is very pleasant also.

A great aspect of this location is that all the activities mentioned above, except kayaking, are accessed by walking from Comfort Castle. The number one tee box is about a half mile walk away. That is just long enough to get limbered up nicely. The practice greens are mid way along that route. The bad part is that the grocery store (Wal-Mart) is about four miles away. The doctor is a twenty minute bike ride north.

If you check the map you will find that a massive amount of adventure country is within a one hours drive any way you want to go. The big shopping malls of the north San Antonio area are just under one hour away. The next few months promise a lot of trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM

A Time For Labors

Fredericksburg, Texas

After the noise keeping me awake until after 2 am this morning, sleeping until 9 am was not a surprise. Tomorrow is move to a quieter campground day. Of course a lot of the noise was due to the Octoberfest celebration in town Saturday and Today.

Grocery shopping was very successful because the store was well stocked this morning. Later a visit was paid to my new location to be for planning where to position the trailer. It is going to be a very nice place. Tonight was laundry time since most of the patrons have gone home from this area.

Great news is that my back is about 90% now. Even practicing putting and pitching did not cause any uncomfortable feelings. Maybe that is all the trouble from it for a while.

Just for the heck of it, the Texas Master Gardener program is being examined as a fun item to try. On Tuesday a trip to Kerrville and the main office may be done to obtain exact information.

We shall see. There is not a doubt in my mind that after tomorrow night my body will be doing better. A couple of nights sleep without disruptive noises should do wonders for trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM