Snow today in Victoria

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Girls Gone Wild in Cozumel

My daughter, Lanell and I left early Sunday morning to catch our flight to Cozumel for a "Girl's Trip". We checked into our room at Casa Del Mar, made a stop at the Mega Store for snacks and went into town for dinner at Casa Dennis, they have GREAT mango margaritas. The locals had gathered in the square for Sunday evening Salsa dancing and we enjoyed watching.
The next morning we joined Cristina with Dive with Crisitna at the Caleta marina and boarded her boat the "Nena". Lanell decided to snorkel with Tony the deck hand while I made my two dives. The first dive of the day was my 100th, and we celebrated on the boat afterward. We captured a juvenile lionfish on the second dive of the day. Back at the hotel we got in the pool and enjoyed a drink before supper.

Dinner that night was at Especias, the food was great with hugs and kisses from all our old friends. The next day Lanell decided to do a Scuba Resort Course...to see how she liked diving. Luis, Cristina's husband was her teacher for the course. She took a brief class on the way out and geared up for a shallow dive. She did good and made a second dive later in the day.

We had two great dives, visibility was outstanding and the current wasn't to strong. That night we decided to try a new restaurant, Kinta.........the food was amazing and the garden setting was beautiful.
We had a Cream of Black Bean Soup that was to die for. We walked around the square, shopped, and took a taxi back to the hotel. Our last day of diving we arose to cloudy skies, had breakfast and took a taxi to the marina to meet our dive boat. The water was calm as we set out to dive Palancar Bricks, but we did see some dark clouds over towards Cancun. Lanell was diving again with Luis plus a father and his young son. We followed Cristina swimming thru many openings and coming out on the wall at about 80 feet. I noticed how dark it seemed and as we got shallower I could see the wave action above.

Cristina wrote on her slate that a bad storm had hit, the surface looked like a washing machine. Wind gust were reported at 30 mph with 6 to 8 foot seas during the storm. We stayed down as long as possible hoping the storm would pass, but finally surfaced to find the storm howling. I got on the boat only to find that Luis and his group weren't on yet....that was scary!!! We finally picked them up and headed back to the marina. It was a long, rough, ride.....many on the boat got seasick. Finally we pulled into the marina......boy were we glad to step foot on dry land.
Back at the hotel all the divers sat around
telling their "Storm Stories".


We got up Thanksgiving morning, had a late breakfast, took a taxi to the airport and
caught our flight to Houston. We had a great trip, Lanell got a taste of diving, we
survived a terrible storm, captured another lionfish, and I completed my
100th dive.

Lunch Bunch

Drove over to El Campo this morning for the monthly "Lunch Bunch" at the Firehouse Bar and Grill.

"Lunch Bunch" is a monthly get together with Dale's classmates from the 1961 graduating class of El Campo High School. We had missed the last several meetings, so it was good to see everyone again.

We all ordered lunch and spent time catching up, laughing, and having a great time.

A Wild Weekend

Friday started off with a guided fishing trip in Rockport on an air boat, my first air boat ride. We left the dock in a fog and headed out across the bay.
Fishing was slow, because the tide was high, the Reds were scattered. We ran all over the place, catching a Red or two. We saw 3 whopping cranes, a fat coyote and lots of birds. We caught our limit and headed back to the dock at Goose Island State Park. It was a great trip and lots of fun!!!

Saturday morning we took off to visit Jean and Jim in Marble Falls at their new place in an air park. We made it as far as Gonzales before we landed because of ground fog. We took off again after spending almost an hour on the ground and landed at their place just before lunch. We grabbed some lunch and went to a Car Show in Marble Falls......looking at bunch of cars, street rods, etc.







We had planned to depart Sunday after lunch, but low ceilings and thunderstorms canceled our plans and we spent another night with Jim and Jean. Finally about 2 pm on Monday the skies cleared enough to head back home, so we said goodbye and lifted off headed South.
We landed safe and sound, put the plane up and got home before 5 pm. A long, long weekend!

Pumpkins and Pilots

Lifted off this morning headed to the Elm Creek Halloween Fly-In near New Braunfels. It was a clear, crisp, calm morning....and flying was great. We landed shortly after our friends, Jim and Jean from Marble Falls. The guys went off to check out planes, while Jean and I sat and talked, enjoying a beautiful Fall morning.

We had a great Bar B Q lunch with lots of yummy desserts to pick from. Since it was Halloween, Dale decided to go in costume........a pilot of course. Funny thing, a lot of the guys came as pilots. A few others dared to dress in costume and I did see a Witch or two among the crowd.

We sat around visiting, talking airplanes and watching the planes take-off and land on the grass strip in the air park. After a great visit it was time to head back to Victoria and put Miss Ice Tea Too in the hangar.

Limited Out!!!!!

Up early this morning, we packed our lunch and headed out to Port O'Connor for some fishing. The wind was already blowing as we prepared to put the boat in the water at Charlie's. With the tides running high, and the wind howling we decided not to cross the bay, Dale thought we should try fishing in the Lagoon.
A good choice! Before our picnic lunch we had four Reds in the ice chest, needing only two more to reach our legal limit. We caught lots of "Rat Reds" and a couple small trout as we drifted. Finally we got another legal Red and now we only needed one.
We went back to some spots we had fished earlier in the day hoping to catch that final Red. Dale had one on his line, I just knew it was a keeper,
but it only measured 19 inches. Dale put him
back in the water to grow bigger. Finally Dale
hooked a fish and this one was a keeper. Yahoo!
By 2 pm we were headed back to the
docks.....We limited out on Reds today!!!!

Clear Blue Skies

With clear blue skies in the forecast we decided to fly to Port Aransas for lunch and some beach time. Taking off from Victoria, we could immediately see the bay on this cool, clear October morning. We flew the beach all the way down and landed before lunch.
After a short trolley ride we had a tasty lunch of fried shrimp at Beach & Station Street Grill, finishing just in time to catch the trolley to the beach for a quarter....a real bargain. Dale found a table and I set off down the beach to explore and take pictures. Lots of very interesting things along the beach, including a starfish that had just washed ashore. I have never seen a starfish on a Texas beach.....a first! Walking along the jetties I watched people fishing, but didn't really see anybody catching much. Soon it was time to hop back on the trolley for a ride back to the airport and our flight home.

"Hogar Dulce Hogar" in Huatlco, MX

We just returned from a wonderful week in Huatulco, Mexico at Villa Pacifico with our friends, Tim and Pam from Fort Worth, Texas. Carlos was at the airport to pick us up and take us quickly to the Villa, our friends Rebecca and Hugo were waiting to greet us and make us feel at home. Quickly we changed into our swimsuits, jumped in the pool and enjoyed a Margarita. The next day we grabbed a taxi to spend the day at the beach called La Entrega. Snorkeling along the rocks we took Pam into the "Cave" and to a small secluded beach, while Tim played his guitar on the beach and enjoyed a cold cervasa.
Monday morning we met our fishing charter boat (panga) at Santa Cruz Marina and left the harbor at sunrise for a day of deep sea fishing. We caught two Mahi Mahi and two big Sailfish, had a great day even if the panga was a bit small and had no bathroom. A real Mexican adventure..... fishing with Jesus on the White Shark!!! Rebecca grilled the Mahi Mahi that night for supper. Tuesday we relaxed at the Villa....lounging by the pool, reading in the hammock under the palapa, listening to Tim play, and swimming at the beach below the Villa. Wednesday Carlos picked us up for a tour of an old coffee plantation and a wonderful waterfall up in the Sierra Madre mountains. The waterfall was breathtaking and even if the water was a bit chilly, alright it was cold, but we had a ball! Swinging on ropes, jumping off the rocks and even climbing behind the falls. A Oaxacan lunch was served in the old plantation dining room and we toured the old coffee plantation. It was a full day, but we enjoyed every minute. Thursday we rented the car from the Villa, went into La Crucecita for some shopping at the Mercado, and a light lunch at Pollo Imperial. Driving down the coast we stopped and enjoyed a cold beer at Barra de la Cruz and La Bocana, both surfing beaches. That evening we had dinner at our friend, Juan's restaurant the Kristal Rose in La Crucecita......we left stuffed. Friday morning Carlos picked us up for a trip to a secluded beach, San Augustin....it was a long, long, long, bumpy ride. We had the whole beach to ourselves most of the day. A few rain showers from hurricane Rick kept us under the big palapa part of the day at La Casa del Abuelo, where we had a wonderful lunch. Tim entertained us with his guitar while Dale laid claim to a hammock. Pam and I enjoyed playing in the waves with two young Mexican girls.....trying to ride the waves like kids. Saturday arrived to soon and it was time to pack after breakfast. Rebecca sent us to the airport after a "light" lunch , our final meal at the Villa. Carlos picked us up, we said our goodbyes and soon we were on our Continental flight to Houston.
We had a great week in Huatulco at Villa Pacifico. Seeing all our old friends, enjoying lots of laughs, seeing new beautiful sights, wonderful meals and making lots of great memories.

Raindrops Falling on my Head!!!

We had a wet, wet weekend at the Warrenton/Round Top Antique Fair, rain started Saturday morning growing heavier as the day went on. Friday, Karen and I enjoyed lunch in La Grange at Bistro 108, yummy!! We drove directly to Round Top for the Arts and Craft Fair around the square...shopping the rest of the afternoon. Ingelside Bed and Breakfast was our hang out for the weekend in Brenham, all twelve of us. We enjoyed wine and cheese every afternoon swinging and talking on the front porch, especially Karen who can swing at break neck speed!! Saturday we woke to light drizzle, had breakfast and headed to Warrenton. Shop, shop, shop! The rain really began to come down as we headed back to the B&B. Sunday everything was soaked and muddy, most of the vendors were packing up...we made a few stops and headed home.

$100 Brenham Burger

Flying again today....after fueling the plane, we departed for Brenham and the Southern Flyer Diner for lunch. We had clear skies, a good tail wind, and a smooth flight landing just before lunch. I grabbed a table on the patio so we could enjoy the great weather and watch the planes in the pattern while we ate our burgers and fries. We sat out on the front porch after lunch and chatted with pilots out of Pearland before taking off for home. The flight was pretty smooth, we landed, and put the plane up......................another good day of flying!!!

Under the Wire Fly-In 2009

Up early this morning, but the weather kept us grounded....fog and a low ceiling. We finally touched down shortly after 11am and the planes began pouring in......guess everybody got held up with the weather.






Dale parked the plane and we unpacked our stuff....chairs, coolers, and picnic lunch. It was great eating our picnic lunch under the shade of a large oak tree near the runway. Dale made the rounds talking to the other pilots while I grabbed my camera to take pictures.
We saw lots of old friends we hadn't seen in a long time and enjoyed catching up. Lots of folks stopped by to admire the plane, ask questions and take a look inside the cockpit. We flew home, put the plane in the hangar and went into town for Mexican food. A good day, punching holes in the sky!!!!

Colorado Vacation

Our trip to Colorado has come to an end, and we made it safely home after almost 3,000 miles on the road. We had a great trip, saw some beautiful country, enjoyed the cool, crisp weather, made some new friends and had a wonderful stay at Country Sunshine Bed and Breakfast. This was Dale's first stay at a B & B, and it will be hard to top the hospitality of Walter and Jodi, Walter's culinary skills and the natural beauty of Colorado. The train ride from Durango to Silverton was breathtaking.......even if Dale did almost freeze. The aspens were just beginning to change colors from green to yellow to orange.
We had a great time and hope to return soon.

Land of Enchantment

Up this morning to a light rain, cool weather and cloudy skies, grabbed breakfast at Denny's before heading out. Sure missing Walter this morning!!!














We drove miles and miles across New Mexico.....seeing cactus, rocks, scrub brush and lots of open prairie. At Valley of Fires we stopped to check out a huge lava flow that happened millions of years ago, quite an impressive site to see.

Driving into the mountains toward Cloudcroft we saw snow on the shoulder of the road and snow plows parked along side the road.....weird!!! Lunch was in Artesia where we enjoyed a big steak and huge salad bar.....left stuffed! As the skies cleared and the temperature rose we saw huge green fields of alfalfa being irrigated and big pecan orchards lined the road on both sides.

We crossed the state line and decided Fort Stockton would be our stop for the night.
Tomorrow we return home after a week on the road and a great trip to Colorado!

Rocky Mountain High

After another delicious breakfast....banana nut pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit with yogurt and granola, juice and coffee.....we bid farewell to Walter and Jodi at Country Sunshine B & B and all our little furry friends.

Dale wanted to visit a huge Kubota dealership just outside Durango......a guy thing, so off we went.

Then we made a stop at Animas Air Park, to check out the planes, runway, and visit with some airplane guys. The last stop in Durango was down at the Animas River to watch some fly fishermen trying to catch rainbow trout.

Finally it was time to leave Durango and head to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Shortly after crossing into New Mexico we saw a fruit stand and decided to get some Colorado peaches and apples for the road, they are sooooo good! The landscape changed dramatically as we drove South into New Mexico.

Lunch stop was in Bloomfield, NM where we had a delicious enchilada plate for only $4.99......what a bargain and it even came with a wonderful sopapilla and clover honey. Back on the road we decided to stop in Socorra, NM for the night, but arrived at 6 pm and found most all the hotels were full. Finally Dale found a Days Inn and we got a room for the night. Another day on the road comes to an end!!!

San Juan Circle

It was time for breakfast again, and Walter served sweet potato waffles with toasted pecans, sausage, fresh fruit, juice and coffee to start our morning. The San Juan Circle was on our agenda today...Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Tellruide, Dolores, then back to Durango and the Country Sunshine B & B.

We stopped and managed to get some photos of the train as it made its daily trip to Silverton.

After a cup of hot coffee in Silverton we explored the old cemetery, checked out an abandoned mine, took photos of the train coming into town and got a bowl of soup for lunch at the Handlebar Restaurant.

The road to Ouray was full of switchbacks, but with jaw dropping views and vistas. Our stop at Box Canyon Falls was great and we checked out main street in Ouray before leaving.

On our way to Ridgway we saw beautiful pastures and ranches, with lots of horses. In the higher elevations the Aspen were starting to change colors and I'm sure in a week or so will be at their peak. They seem to turn from green, to golden yellow to a bright orange. We made it back to Durango before dark, grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the B & B..... completing 230 miles, reaching 10,900 feet elevation....the San Juan Circle a great trip. The weather was great today, cool but not cold with just a few rain drops.

Tomorrow we start home, hoping to pack up Walter and bring him home......a really great host and chef.

Soaking Away the Day at Pagosa Springs

After a great nights sleep, we rose to a beautiful crisp morning in Durango. Walter served us a wonderful breakfast on the back porch under the warm morning sun. Today we had a compote of fresh fruit with mango and blackberries, green chili cheese breakfast casserole with fresh salsa, Southern cornbread with lemon honey butter, bacon, juice and coffee. It was sooooooo good! We sat around with the other guest talking about everyone's plans for the day.
We decided to drive over to Pagosa Springs and visit the Spa/Springs to soak away the day. After changing we decided to start in the coolest pool and work our way up to the warmer ones. The water was great, not much of a sulfur smell, and sure did relax all our aches and pains.

We moved around from pool to pool.....89 degrees up to 104 degrees. We avoided the "Lobster Pot" at 114 degrees. The Spa is set on the banks of the San Juan river and the scenery is beautiful. The last pool we tried had a waterfall that provided the best water massage with a great view of the river.








We headed back to Durango, grabbed supper at the Red Snapper, and made our way back to our B & B.
Tomorrow we are doing the San Juan Circle.....Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Dolores, Mancos, etc.......making a circle back to Durango. It is suppose to be a very scenic drive, hoping to get some great photos.
Walter's Creme Brulee ended a wonderful day in Durango.......Life is good!