Saturday at the Ranch

    Both of us conducted tours at the LBJ Ranch yesterday.  The mornings are usually quiet and yesterday was no exception.  In fact, the first tour was not until 11:45.
    Then came the afternoon.  Busy, Busy,  Lots of visitors plus two tour buses with about 40 in each.  Everyone was really busy all afternoon.  R and I conducted the tour for one of the large groups, tag-teaming at different locations and another ranger stayed in the President's office to explain it's function.  It all worked out well and was good practice for the months of March and April.  With the blooms of the wildflowers and spring break, this place is flooded with visitors.  It should be fun!

Today

Today my odometer turned over a number in the second column.  I am instantly pushed, dragged, shoved, forced into another age bracket.  When you are a child and even when you are a legal adult, you never think about what it is going to be like when you get ol..... ( it's hard to say).  Actually I don't feel any different from yesterday.  And life is pretty darn good right now so "Bring it on."

A Walk with a Friend

Thursday 1/28/16

    Bright and sunny.  Below freezing last night, but a warming trend is coming.  67 today, 80 by Saturday.  Yippee.
    The morning news today had a story about the happenings at Malheur.  I am more than ready for that situation to be done.  The arrest result was unfortunate, but not surprising.  Those militia members that remain at the refuge headquarters should pick up their marbles and go home.  They should never have been allowed to be there is the first place.
    Today I am TW2.  That means I am responsible for opening and closing the school house, birthplace, bathroom.  Also there are two flags that are raised and lowered each day.  It was my first time so another volunteer went with me to answer any questions I had.  I had questions so the company was appreciated.  I am still learning.

Tuesday

   Yesterday it was 70 and sunny.  Sat out in the sun and enjoy the weather.  Today, cloudy cold and windy, 47.  The wind went right through you.  We traveled into Fredricksburg to shop and explore.  First, haircuts for us both.  Then shopping at a few stores.  There are many to choose from.  Many antique stores.  There seem to be a better selection of items in Texas than in Oregon. lots of cool stuff.  If we had an empty trailer.................
   Lunch time found us in our first barbecue restaurant.  I had the special which was bbq turkey.  R had a brisket sandwich.  Yumm on both.  When you order meat at a place like this, you get your meat and the sides you ordered.  Then you can eat the meat with knife and fork or go over to the condiments table for bread and additions if you want to make a sandwich.
    Our first barbecue foray was a good thing.

Night walk

   Every night the "boys" and I go on a walk before bed.  A chance for them to take care of "you know what" and for me to prepare for a night's sleep.  It is, of course, dark; darker when the moon is hiding or in new phase, lighter as it gets closer to full.
   Last night was full moon so it should have been bright.  However, the clouds moving rapidly from the south caused the light to vary greatly.  It was during one of the darker moments when the three of us were aware of movement nearby.  Quam's ears were perked up and he was looking intently to the south.  Hunter, too was aware that something or somethings were afoot.
   As I stared intently at the multi-gray shadows in the night, I detected darker shadows moving rapidly in the pasture about 100 ft from us.  A few shadows, then more.  Light rustling was the only sound.  Then, as those shadows crossed the paved ranch road, there was a light clicking of hooves.  As quickly as they "appeared", they were gone, moving to a place safe from night walkers.  We headed back to the trailer.

Other Cars by Hans Trippel

The 1950 Trippel SK 10

The Troll   (Do you see any resemblance to a Saab?)

Amphicar

Amphicar    There is one in LBJ's shop.  He loved to drive into the water with unsuspecting visitors and scare the ___ out of them.
  Made in Germany from 1961 thru 69. Only 3800+ made.  Designed by Hans Trippel 1908-2001.  One of many designs that were tried, but one that was actually manufactured for the public.

• 

Boyhood Home

   For the last two days we did training on working in Johnson City, which means the Visitor Center and Boyhood home.  More facts and figures to learn and remember.  More light switches to flip. More doors to open or close.  The list seems daunting when you are first "learning the ropes".   As a volunteer we are learning so many facts and figures, names and dates.   Add to that doors and light switches.
   After work we stopped at the Main Street Grill on Highway 290 in Johnson City for supper.  I ordered Honey Pecan Fried Chicken.  Yumm.  R ordered Red Snapper and Cilantro Rice.  Yumm as well.  We are trying to test out the local places so we know where to take guests when they stop by.

Main Street Grill is a Good Thing.  The outside court will be fabulous when the weather warms up.

Leave the "G"

Coming into Texas you need to prepare.

     Prepare of the size of Texas. Texas is big!  I-10 is 833 miles across.  Folks that live in Houston or Austin or Dallas figure that their first day of driving will not get them out of the state.

     Coming to Texas for the first time, prepare for a topography that is unexpected.  It is not all flat.  Lots of ups and downs.

     Live oak trees.  They are beautiful.

    Learn a new language.  When you enter Texas, remember to leave your "Gs" at the border.  Durin" the time here you can go shoppin', and hikin', maybe, fishin' and huntin'.   If you are here long enough you might be fixin' to do even more.

   Don't worry, you can pick up your "G" on your way out of state.

North by NW

Drove up north today on some county roads and ended up on Texas 16 northbound.  More hills and valleys, more curves and dips.  We ended up in Llano, a little ranching town on the Llano River.  Explored the historic downtown,  Visited a couple of antique shops.  Had lunch in a storefront cafe on Main Street.  Llano is about 15 miles from Enchanted Rock Natural area which we plan to visit at a future time when we take a picnic lunch and hiking boots with us.  The rock is an outcropping of granite that covers about a hundred square miles of that part of Texas.  I saw an advertisement for a well driller.

 

 "$ 12.50 / ft  Granite.
If dry, the second hole is free."

 A well could get expensive.




The county courthouse is classic.

Vroom

Luci received this 65 Corvette as a present on her 18th birthday.  Not a bad present, I think.  It is on loan from her but she does not want to spend the money to get it serviced and operational .  

Plumbing

I hate plumbing.  It always leaks.  No plumbing is done in a comfortable position.  (usually under something).  Although, after having had to call a plumber to repair a leak outside the house this fall, they are paid very well !
    Getting back to yesterday, the shower has been dripping, during usage.  Finally the hose connection split so a replacement was purchased at Sutherlands, a local home improvement store.  When I tightened the fittings, I over tightened the plastic of the valve area split so when you showered, it .........(that's right, it leaked! )
    Yesterday morning, I disassembled the unit and headed for town with everything in a plastic bag. Sutherlands did not have it.  They have faucets and handles, etc, but not plumbing stuff.  "Try a plumbing supply store" was my advice.  Following directions, I found the store.  " Oh this is for an RV.  We don't have anything for a RV.  You will have to go to a RV store."  So it was off to Kerrville.  After a pleasant 25 miles south on Hwy 16, we arrived in Kerrville, crossed under I-10 an found a RV dealer after a couple of miles.  Not only did they have the part, but we had the choice of white or "chrome".   Kerrville RV a nice store with friendly people.
    Then it was time to find a grocery store before heading home.  The found the Texas based
"H E B" store and filled several of our shopping bags with a week's supplies. HEB and a Walmart are, far as I can tell, Fredricksburg's grocery choices.  We prefer to avoid "Wallie World" when there is a local alternative available.  Oh, by the way, reassembled the shower unit last night.  I let it sit overnight to check for leaks and attached it this morning.  My wife is happy to have the mess gone.

   

Sunday Morning Jan 17, 2016

Cool morning, almost cold.  Out outside thermometer said 28.  The boys didn't seem to mind as much  as I did when we went for our morning jaunt.  Somewhere in the trees of our woods right here an owl was asking his questions.  We did not have any answers for him.  The warmth of the sun helped us feel better about being out and about.  I am appreciating the earlier sunrises.  If we could get a little warmer temps that would be even better.
   Scraped the windshield before we could drive the mile and a half to the ranch.  The deer were everywhere.  Last night we met some fellow volunteers at a joint 25 miles out in the boondocks.  Alamo Springs has one of the best burgers in Texas.  They are awesome.  Well worth almost getting lost to get there.  The burgers are not a secret because the place was busy.  Next time we may go on a weekday.  But we will definitely go again.  It is a place to take visiting friends.  Next time I will take a photo of the burger before we consume it.  I thought of the photo too late.

Hunting Car

One of the cars in LBJ 's collection is his hunting car.  It is a unique vehicle that was made to allow same hunting fun without too much walking.  There is a wet bar and gun rack in the back.  ( a good combination), a steel late under neath, and traction tires on the back for those muddy places.
   I wonder how much hunting was done from this vehicle.  I have seen a photo of LBJ driving this car so I will share it when I find it again.

We are doing tours.

Today we gave our first tours at the ranch.  We each gave three.  It went well.  There is so much to talk about and so little time (25 - 30 minutes) so your main concern is keeping it moving.  Every guide tells a different story and truthfully, my story is not ever the same.  It varies with the group's questions, comments and what I find interesting at the time.  I have certain points that I want to convey and the rest is off the top of my head.  Fun !

Views of West Texas

The Roadrunner that watches over Las Cruces.

Views out the windows along I-10 heading east.  Not flat land as I expected.

Good Morning

   It is 7:30.  The sun is the red object peeking through the trees.  He has arrived to tell me that he is here to warm up it up and get things going.  My outside thermometer showed 34 as I got up.  Better than yesterday's 28.
     I took the Boys out to take care of their needs.  They have been fed and are napping; Quam next to me in the chair and Hunter up in the bedroom in front of the furnace vent by the bed.  All is well.
   Water is heating on the stove.  Russian Tea or Hot Chocolate.  We're not coffee or tea drinkers.  Never acquired a taste for either.  Not sure what is the plan for today.  I'm sure R wants to study up on the info needed to conduct tours.  I'm thinking that these are our days off. As of now, our days off will be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  These are days to explore the area, try restaurants, shop the stores, drive the roads.  We have training days ahead to use for....training.  
   Yesterday we drove the 14 miles into Johnson City.  That is where the park headquarters is located.  We looked for LBJ material in the HQ library and checked out several.  We also had burritos at El Charro and got some groceries at the local market, Lowes which is also an Ace hardware store.  I need to go back to check out the regional items for sale there.
   Before we headed back to the ranch, we toured LBJ's boyhood home which is adjacent to the HQ.  LBJ lived in this house from age 5 -15 (1913 - 1923) when he graduated from high school and left for California.
    It is a "Dog Trot" house.  Two living areas with open area or "dog trot" between; all under one roof.  It is a style that was quite common in this area.  Because rooms were added on several times there aren't any halls.  You walked through one room to get to another,  Lots of doors.  No running water, no electricity ( it did not come to the area until after LBJ went to Congress and was influential

in getting hydroelectric dams erected on the Colorado River.  (The Texas Colorado River).

The house has four porches.  The parlor is the room that sticks out.  The Dog Trot is to the left of the parlor.  It has been closed in but has a door on each end.  As I said before, lots of doors.

Surprises about Texas

My only exposure to Texas has been work related trips to Houston many years ago, so our trip east on I-10 has been eye-opening.
     I expected the land to be flat.  It was not. There were mountains in the west and hilly area the rest of the way.
    I expected all desert.  It was not.  The western area was arid but as we traveled east the greenery increased, the mountains become hills.  The hills become more populated with trees,
    I expected cows.  What we have seen the most of?  Goats!  Yes, goats.  Who would have thought?
    I expected exotic animals.  We have seen a couple.  We saw a armadillo.  Of course it was lying dead alongside the road.  On my walk with Hunter this morning, I spied a large bird with white on it's rump and on it's head.  A Caracara.  It looks like a hawk and acts like a vulture.  It has the tools of a hawk and an appetite for carrion  It was pretty neat.

Trip East Day 6 Ozona to LBJ

   Yipee !  We made it !  We left Ozona about 8:30.  Because we were 1/4 mile from I-10 we were on the road within minutes.  Mp 365 to mp 477, exit unto Hwy 290 east bound.  Sixty miles on 290 brought us about 14 miles east of Fredricksburg about 1:30.
    LBJ State Park and LBJ Ranch National Historic Park are side by side.  The normal entry is to go to the state park, see the movie, visit the displays and then cross the Pedernales River and onto the ranch.
    We met our NPS coordinator and he led us to our RV spot at the north end of the ranch itself.  A few hours later the rig was set up.  There were a few glitches.  I discovered as we were setting up at Ozona, that the back left stabilizing jack had been damaged.  There are black marks along the left side of the trailer which means I rubbed against something on the previous day.  I can't remember any "contact".  It still is a mystery.  The problem is not the black marks (they are removable with elbow grease).  The jack was bent.  More accurately, the bracket is bent and the attachment bolt sheared off. With help from my neighbors and a trip to the maintenance building to get another bolt, the jack was repaired and the setup completed.
   Some people say, "When you are camping, you don't have any house repairs to do."  Not an accurate statement.  The fifth wheel is our house and repairs are always going to be needed.  "Maintenance happens."

The Trip east Day 5 El Paso - Ozona

Day 5 was I-10 east.  Ozona, Tx is a small town at mp 365 so we traveled 60 miles further than the mileage of I-5 through Oregon.  The highway varied from new and smooth to "where to I drive to avoid the roughest part?"  And trucks,  and more trucks, and even more trucks.  The speed limit is 80 and I drive at 62 so everyone, except other RVs, goes whizzing by.

 My observation of west Texas.  Very few towns along I-10.  Once we got through the El Paso area I think we passed maybe 4-5 towns.   The topography was my biggest eye opener.  I expected FLAT.  Not so at all,  We saw mountains, valleys, rolling hills covered with junipers and bushes, and some flat lands with creosote and prickly pear.  I don't remember even seeing ranches out there.  I wonder what the land is used for and who owns it.  In Nevada most of the land is federal but I am not sure with Texas.
 
  Looking forward to getting to LBJ just after lunch today and parking this rig for a while.

Trip East Day 4

   Left Arizona City this morning at 8:30.  It rained off and on all night (quite unsual) so extra time was lost in wiping the slides before we pulled them back in.  Wet payment and road spray halfway to Tucson and then the weather cleared up and so did the road.  An hour east of Tucson the clouds increased and we were in fog and cloudy weather all the way to Texas.  Thousands of trucks, that many potholes, two areas of road construction,  and about 400 miles puts us just west of El Paso.  We are 477 miles from the exit to Hwy 290 and about 60 more miles to our goal.  This is a view of Las Cruces from the rest area.

    There were only three rest areas between Arizona City and El Paso and two of them were closed.  That's a long distance not to have bath rooms for travelers.  Thank you for truck stops.

 The truck was clean when we left this morning.  It is less then that right now.  Right now we are parked at a KOA that is located between Exit 0 and 1 on I -10 in Texas.  A few miles down the road is El Paso.  My wife was reluctant to stay overnight in that city.  It is interesting that rumors and feelings effect us even though we have no proof.  It is a similar situation in ORPI, and we volunteered there for 4 seasons.

Tomorrow we start our stint as "Temporary Texans"

Saturday 1/2/2016

Seems odd to type 2016.

  Back from my walk with the boys.  Quammie seems to be feeling better.  He has been listless and not eating for the last couple of days.  We think it is a reaction to the worming meds.  We were told that there are some side effects with worming medications.  Hunter does not seem affected, but Quam is.  We are going to check with the vet and see if there is another medication that she can prescribe.  She had said if we were going to Texas, we definitely needed to have the dogs protected.
   Another Arizona day is predicted with the temp getting to 70.  :)  But rain arriving next week.  Any rain here in the desert is good.
   Watched two good movies the last two nights.  "American President" 1995, Michael Douglas, Anne Benning,    "A Walk in the Woods" is a good one too.  It reminded me of trails I have been on.  Good memories.
   Today we head into Phoenix 50 miles to the northwest.  We will return to the trailer Monday afternoon.

Happy New Year

Here comes a new year.  A chance for new happenings, new adventures, new locations.  R and I are looking forward to continuing our trip eastbound.  We are enjoying the sunshine and 60 degree temps and we are comfortable in our friends driveway.  But the only reason we are staying here for this time frame is that I have an appointment with the doctor that installed my pacemaker on Monday the 4th.
   We will leave the following morning.  904 miles from Arizona City.  I figure we should arrive at LBJ on Thursday.  It's I-10 most of the way which is not the most interesting, but faster than any two lane highway.