Merry HO! HO! HO! 2013

 

We invited everyone to join us for dinner at the PumpHouse before we got together to exchange gifts.  Dinner was very good and we all enjoyed our meal together.  Then it was off to Grandma's house for the gift exchange.  Ross, Nick, and Chelsea all had asked for money....Lexi got her camouflaged bags embroidered with her initials in hot pink.  Chuck's girlfriend, Kim had to work and Chelsea had gone back to Corpus....so they were missed. Lively conversation filled the evening and we enjoyed our time together.  Another Christmas came to an end, we loaded the gifts into our cars and headed home.

Turkey Day Cruise!

We booked the Navigator of the Seas for a Thanksgiving Cruise out of Galveston, Texas.  We boarded the ship, made dinner reservations at Portifino's and Chop's, and made our way to the Windjammer for lunch.  Our cabin, #1645 was ready after lunch and we dropped off some of our bags before exploring the ship. We were excited to discover that Phil Anderson, our favorite piano player was on the ship providing entertainment. We enjoyed dinner the first night with a very interesting couple from Sydney, Australia. 
Day 1 was a sea day,  the wind made the ship rock and roll.....plus it was pretty cool outside.
Day 2 was a sea day, we managed to spend time in the Solarium and a soak in the hot tub...tonight was the first formal night!  We got in some Country and Western dancing with the Bubba's Feather band.
dDay 3 Falmouth, Jamaica was our port of call...we got off and walked around and did a trolly ride around town.  Tonight we had dinner in Portifino's.
Day 4 Georgetown, Grand Cayman was our scheduled port, but high winds made it unsafe to tender in.....so we didn't even stop!  It was Thanksgiving and we did enjoy some yummy turkey and dressing.
Day 5 we docked in Cozumel and Dale and I had booked a cooking class with Josefina in her home.  We went to a local market to purchase the ingredients we needed, then back to her home to cook.  We made 11 dishes, and of course we had to taste all 11.  The margarita was the best I have ever had.  I purchased a cookbook, so I can prepare some of the dishes when we get home.

Day 6 was another sea day and time to pack...we enjoyed some delicious steaks that night at Chop's
Back in Galveston it was time to get off the ship and head home.

We met some wonderful folks from Munich, Germany, Wilhelm and Gisella...we enjoyed sharing stories with them at the Diamond Cocktail party at night.  They even joined us for some Country and Western dancing, their first dance in 40 years!  They sure were a fun to be around!

Fabulous Fall Day!

An absolute beautiful November, Fall day out on the water at Port O'Connor........a little cool running across the bay early this morning, but soon the sun was shining and warming us up. The sky was a vibrant shade of blue with only a few puffy clouds. We could see shrimp boats pulling their nets on the horizon, while the sound of duck hunters and air-boats broke the early morning silence. We drifted across the shallow water....fishing was slow!  I caught the first nice Red, and Dale got the second nice 24 inch Red........in between we caught small Reds and a few Trout. We ended our trip by heading to Cathy's for a late seafood lunch....then it was home to wash the boat.

The Red Baron!

Clear skies, and cool temperatures made for a smooth, easy flight to Brenham for lunch.  We landed just before 11 am and waited for the Southern Flyer Diner to open.
On the way Dale took my camera and got a photo of me with my "Red Baron" scarf around my neck......heck, it keeps the drafty cool air off the back of my neck when it is cold outside.  Think it was about 53 degrees outside at 4,000 ft!  We grabbed a table and ordered.....Dale enjoyed a $100 hamburger (pilot's joke) and I had the chicken strips as we listened to some oldies on the jukebox.  We split a big yummy piece of Coconut Cream Pie for dessert!  Taking off we headed to Moulton to take a look at this year's Corn Maze.  It was beautiful as usual, the theme this year was "A Maze ing Grace"!  Dale flew the plane while I took photos at different altitudes.....trying to get a great photo!  Photos done...we headed to the hangar at VCT! 
A great day in the air!

Cayman Time With Friends!

We flew to Grand Cayman to join Dennis, Tamara, Meg, Kevin, Mike and Leslie for a week of  diving at Ocean Frontiers.  Landing, we picked up our car, before heading to the grocery, and driving out to the East End.  Dinner that night was at Eagle Ray's.  Up early the next morning to calm seas, no wind, and a beautiful day we boarded Ocean Hawk for a week of diving.  It was good to see all the staff and get the first two dives out of the way.

Later in the week the weather turned rainy, the wind blew a couple of days and it was rough, but the diving went on!  We saw turtles, sharks, lots of lobster, crabs, a couple of eels, and lots of lettuce leaf slugs.  The dive masters worked hard to dive some of the sites I needed for my Green Shorts Challenge.  By the end of the week I had added 12 dives in my logbook!

On one wall dive Mike had a up close and personal experience with three sharks at about 100 feet as we all watched....it was awesome!  I think they might have been looking for a lion fish hand-out!
Of course Chef Dennis had us over two nights for dinner, and as usual his food was wonderful.  Dennis and Tamara are the ultimate host!! We also enjoyed meeting Tamara's friend, Nancy.  We spent our afternoons hanging around the pool and hot tub together.
Dale, Tamara, Nancy, and I booked a snorkel trip and had a great afternoon with three snorkel stops.  We saw a wrecked sailboat, a big Eagle Ray, and lots of fish. On Friday we went to Starfish Beach to check out all the starfish and then to Rum Point for a swim and relaxation.
Leslie and Mike and Meg and Kevin joined us at Kurt's Corner for dinner one night and the food was very good.  I had a very spicy bite of Key Lime Pie......which proved to be very funny!  On our last night we ate together at Eagle Ray's and watched the videos the guys had taken....especially the shark video!

It was so good to share a week of diving with our friends and hope to dive with them again in the future.

Getting Our Fix!

We met at 7am and off to Port A we went....wanted to get in a full day at the beach...crazy I know!  We stopped in Rockport for a bakery treat and then it was off to Port A.  We bought fresh shrimp off the boat to take home, checked out the beach, and drove to the jetties to watch the fishermen.  Then when the shops opened we shopped...looking for end of summer sale items.  We did manage to get matching hats...looked really cute.  Our favorite restaurant was closed, so we had lunch at Castaways....enjoying some delicious kale and sausage soup before our shrimp.  It was then time to rent a beach cart for some beach time....the water was warm and the waves washed away our stress!  Karen napped and I took a long walk!!!  We cruised around one more time before stopping for a yummy gelato.  To soon we were back on the ferry line and headed back home.  Our beach addiction satisfied!!!

Sacked 'em Up!

Up at 4:15 am and at the dock at 6 am with lighting flashing across the morning sky....but as the sun began to peak above the horizon...off we went. The wind was blowing, and the air was cool. We started our drift, casting our gold spoons into the water......with the clouds and not much sun it was impossible to see any fish moving. Dale hooked the first fish of the day and it put up a good fight before being netted. It was slow going after that with only one more fish on the boat....so we moved and fished another spot. 

Well the action picked up and by 12:30 pm with a picnic lunch break we had our legal limit......6 nice reds! In addition to the 6.....we caught a boat load of 17 inch little fellows......illegal but would be finger licking good....so back in the bay to grow bigger. It was a great day! Home now and boat already cleaned up....Hooray!

Happy Birthday Karen!!!!

Dale and I were invited to celebrate my friend, Karen's 65th birthday at Greek 205 bar on Friday.  We arrived to find a lot of old friends.  It was great catching up with folks I hadn't seen in some time. Karen was her usual crazy self and was having a ball  as the center of attention.  It was great celebrating this milestone with her family and friends.
                                                      Happy Birthday Karen!

Red Fish Tailing!

The sun peaked above the horizon  as we made our way to our fishing spot...the water like glass.  Dale spotted a nice red tailing near a duck pond and poled me closer and closer, the first cast failed.....but with the second cast the red hit the gold spoon and immediately started splashing in an effort to get free.  Soon he was in the ice chest.....doesn't get any better.

Our luck was brief, as the next four fish we caught were small, so we had to release them to grow bigger.  As fishing slowed, we crossed the bay, making a stop at the Army Hole and then into the back lakes where Dale caught a nice fish.

Lunch was cold fried chicken, potato salad, fruit and ice tea on the deck of the boat.
We checked out a few other spots, but no luck!  Back home to wash the boat, clean up the gear.

Cruising on the big ship.....Oasis of the Seas!

                                     Saturday
Dale and I flew out of Austin to Fort Lauderdale on Southwest a day ahead of our cruise....all went well!  Up the next morning, we caught the hotel shuttle to the Oasis of the Seas.  Embarkation was flawless, and in no time we were on-board for lunch.  Our cabin, #14327 was ready at 1:30 and just a little later our bags arrived.  We met our awesome cabin attendant, Dean Barnes from Trinidad....what a great guy!  Although we had booked an inside cabin, we discovered a lovely, large, balcony just steps away from our door.....so immediately I claimed it!!!  Drinks and hor dourves at the Diamond Lounge were on the agenda before dinner .  We went to the ice show before turning in for the night.

 Sunday
Up early the next morning I watched the ship dock in Nassau, Bahamas from our balcony.  We had planned to stay on board and explore the ship while most were ashore. 
After breakfast we hit the gym and then had a soak in the cantilevered hot tubs. We attended the sail away party on the heli-pad as we left Nassau.  Drinks and then dinner, plus a Broadway show.....Hairspray completed the day.

Monday
Today was a sea day and we had booked the aqua show, Oasis of Dreams...Wow!  High diving into a tiny pool on a ship on the ocean.  We also enjoyed soaking in the hot tubs and some quite time on our balcony.  It was also our first formal night.....so we put on our best duds!
                                                                         Tuesday
We docked in St. Thomas on this day....caught a taxi and went to Megan's Beach for the day.  The beach is beautiful and the water is turquoise....I had rented a pool float and enjoyed just floating and relaxing in a beautiful tropical setting.  We had lunch on the beach and caught a taxi back to the ship.

Wednesday
St. Maarten was our next port and we had booked an excursion to Orient Beach....the nude beach.  We grabbed chairs next to the water and rented an umbrella for shade.  Lunch was mahi mahi and rice, with salad.  Dale read and I played in the water until it was time to return to the ship.  No much happening on the nude beach...I did check it out!  The show tonight was two comedians...they were OK! We did enjoy dinner at the Solarium Bistro....where we enjoyed a delicious bison steak.


Thursday
A sea day today...started with coffee and Mimosas on the balcony.  Breakfast then lunch....plus more time reading and relaxing.  The show tonight was called Come Fly With Me....it was not great and they did have technical problems that delayed the show.  It was also our last formal night and we joined Horace and Fran in the Main dining room.

 Friday
Up early to enjoy breakfast before Dale's birthday present.....an All Access Tour of the ship.  We started with a behind the scenes tour of the Aqua Theater, then we toured the galley, bakery, storage facilities, engine room, HR department, crew dining facilities and bars.  The laundry was really amazing.....what a job! The staff and supplies move down below on I 95....a path that runs from one end of the ship to the other.  Then we toured the Heli-Pad and our final stop was the bridge.  Dale got the chance to sit in the Captain's chair.  It was a great tour...lasting about 3 1/2 hours!  After lunch we enjoyed the hot tubs and our balcony.  That night we had dinner at Giovanni's and went to the Comedy Club......very, very funny!
Saturday
Packed and ready....we had breakfast!  Said our goodbyes to Dean, our cabin attendant.  Off the ship a little after 8 am and to the airport to catch our flight home at 11:30 am.  All went well and soon we landed in Austin with a short drive home.

The cruise was great, the ship is awesome...it is amazing that with over 6,000 guest we never felt crowded.  We met many people from all over the world...Canada, Australia, Venezuela, Columbia, and England.  We loved our little cabin and our "private" balcony!

Floating with Friends!

Karen, Virgina, Elaine, and I decided it was time for another girl float trip on the Comal.  Off we went for a day of chillaxing in the cool, clear, water of the Comal in New Braunfels, Tx.  We pulled into Texas Tubes about 10 am, filled the cute glasses with bling that Karen got us with tasty Pina Coladas that I had made, then rented our tubes.  The water felt great, the crowds were small, and a leisurely two hour float was our mission.  We stopped along the way to get our picture taken.....a great group shot.  After the first float we grabbed the shuttle back to Texas Tubes for some snacks and cold drinks under the shade of a tree along the river.
The second float we went back in the water armed with water guns.....acting crazy and having fun.  This time we did a shorter float...but still had just as much fun. A shuttle ride back to our car, a quick shower, and dry clothes were on tap before heading to Clear Springs Cafe for some world famous onion rings, fries, and burgers. It was a great day, with old friends!

Belize Aggressor with Lady Go Divers!

It was an easy flight to Belize City with Beth, Bonnie, and Amy to join the Lady Go Diver group for a week on the Belize Aggressor.  We boarded the boat at 3 pm, unpacked, and stored our dive gear away....then we had the Captain's welcome aboard party and dinner.  We left the dock for an overnight ride out to the dive sites, about 40-50 miles........a very rough ride it was as the boat rocked and rolled.  Up at 6 am, breakfast a 7 am, and the first dive was at 8 am. Most dives lasted about an hour, then a surface interval of about an hour, before we did it all over again about 10 am.  Yanis and Vanessa always had a delicious snack waiting for us between the dives.  The second dive of the day was followed by a wonderful lunch and a little down time, before the afternoon dives began about 2 pm and 4 pm.  Dinner was usually around 7 pm with a night dive option after that.  So basically it was Eat, Sleep, and Dive....then do it all over again!

We had a group of 15 women in the Lady Go Divers, and two lucky couples on board.  The highlight of the week was the Blue Hole dive...a dive to 130 ft. in a hole that was once a cave that collapsed.  The total dive lasted 27 minutes...with about 8 minutes of bottom time.  The remaining time was spent either going down or coming up with three safety stops.  It was pretty amazing to see the giant stalactites hanging down.....also we saw a couple of sharks on that dive.
I managed to get in 20 dives during the week that included one night dive and the Blue Hole.  I was kinda disappointed in the diving and felt it wasn't as good as some places that I have been....but the trip was a blast with all the gals.  Lots of laughs and catching up!  I experimented using White Balance to take photos instead of using my flash...not sure I liked it.
My roommate, Amy was lots of laughs and put up with me the whole week.  She even still thought I was "Normal" after a week together.  We turned the back dive deck into a spa deck and shaved our legs.....got lots of laughs...Captain said it was a first!  Heck the cabin shower was to small to do the job! The boat had a hot tub up on top, one day we squeezed a bunch of us into it for a soak. Several nights we stayed up late talking with Yanis and Vanessa, part of the crew.....some wild stories! Friday morning we had only two dives before heading back to Belize City and packing.  Six of us booked the cave tubing excursion...it was awesome!  A rough ride for about an hour took us to the jungle where we grabbed tubes and hiked for about 45 minutes before reaching our starting point. Our guide, Junior was great and we gave him a hard time.  The cave system was beautiful, looked like something out of a movie set.  We got back to the boat just in time for the Captain's cocktail party and dinner at a local restaurant.  8 am the next morning we off the boat and headed over to the Radisson to wait for our shuttle to the airport.  The flight home was easy and Dale picked me up at the airport.

The Deadly Duo on the Comal!

With Texas temperatures soaring  into triple digits, it was time for a float on the Comal.  Karen and I packed our stuff, and headed to New Braunfels for a float.  Arriving we applied several layers of sunscreen, rented our tubes, filled our ice chest with goodies, and jumped into the cool water of the Comal.  A lazy two hour float, with two chutes for a little excitement was the plan for the day. The spring fed river provides enough flow.....so no paddling necessary!  I was thrilled to see a

Boy Scout Troop learning to scuba dive in the river.....future divers!  We stopped later under the shade of a Cypress tree for a refreshment break and a drink.  Arriving at the take out point.....we hauled all our stuff up to the street for the shuttle bus ride back to the starting point at Texas Tubes.  Finding a shady spot we enjoyed some snacks and a drink, deciding to do the next float without the ice chest tube.  More people were on the river now, but the crowd was not rowdy....lots of families.  We decided to get out at the first take out this trip, making the float a little shorter....so we could get

back, take a shower and go to Clear Springs Cafe on the way home......those delicious onion rings were calling. 
Awesome fun...with awesome friend!!!!!

Bonaire Bound With Eels on Wheels 2013

On board the United overnight "killer" flight to Bonaire with the Eels on Wheels group....it was hard to sleep on the plane .....we landed and hit the ground running!  It was really tough, since we couldn't get in our room until about 4:30 pm.  Patsy Kott was my roommate and she arrived a day after me.  I was assigned to the " Estrogen Boat" the Alice H with Jill and the gang.  We had two guys in chairs on our boat....Joe and Don, both were lots of laughs and fun.  We did 3 dives a day, two in the morning and one in the afternoon.....after the last dive of the day we all headed to the pool for relaxation. One of the highlights of the trip for me was being able to dive the Salt Pier, a first for me.  The other highlight was finding a octopus out on the reef on a afternoon dive.  I enjoyed taking photos, and got some awesome shots of the octopus.  We ate all our meals at the resort, since it was part of our package.  We walked into town a couple of times, mainly to enjoy some delicious gelato and do some shopping.  It was great to see old friends and I had a chance to make some new ones.  The trip home began with pick up at the resort at 5:15 am, with a 7:30 am flight...it was a smooth flight and we landed before Noon.

Two at a Time!

Overcast skies and a little wind were not going to stop us from fishing....so off we went to POC in search of reds.  The guide boats were lined up as we put our boat in the water waiting for their customers.  We stopped at one of our favorite spots and soon we both had a fish on....two nice reds in the ice chest.  Another red keeper and a bunch of ones to small kept us busy.  Dale landed a small trout and then another red......we lost a trout that managed to slither away and back into the bay. We had a good day....4 nice reds and a trout to take home.  We loaded the boat and headed to Bubba's in Seadrift for lunch.

300th in Cayman

I left for Grand Cayman with my old friend, Karen for a week of diving.  Karen had never been to Grand Cayman and decided to join me.  After a smooth flight, we grabbed our bags, picked up the rent car before stopping at the grocery store....then out to the condo on the East End.  It was great to see all the folks at Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers.
I showed Karen around the place after we had unpacked and enjoyed supper.  My first dive started the next morning, Sunday and it was great to see friends, Tamara and Dennis on the dive boat. On our first dive the dive master found a large, yellow, seahorse......got some great pics.  We invited Tamara and Dennis to join us for dinner...fajitas, Spanish rice, beans, guacamole, and tortillas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
Monday lots to see under the water and I made my 300th dive on the second dive of the day.  Got a great photo with the dive masters to celebrate.  Dinner that night was with Tamara and Dennis.....always such gracious host and good cooks.  They even surprised me a cake to celebrate my 300th dive!

Two more dives on Tuesday with a seafood lunch at Kurt's Korner, then snorkeling at Rum Point.  We also made a stop at Starfish Beach where we found a few starfish near the beach.  Karen did good snorkeling and decided to book
a snorkel trip out on the boat.
Wednesday I booked the 3 tank Safari and packed a picnic lunch for a day out on the water.  We had some excitement when a fellow diver had a medical emergency on the boat and we made a quick trip to the dock.  What the crew feared was a form on the bends turned out to be some type of allergic reaction.  On the 3rd dive of the trip we encountered a group of 3 black tip reef sharks that circled us on the dive. Karen had booked a 3 stop boat snorkel trip and fell in love with snorkeling.
Thursday I had my last two dives and after Matt found a Dwarf Frogfish I was summoned to take photos underwater.  The whole boat was excited and I was glad to document his discovery with a photo.  Supposedly this creature had not ever been seen on the East End.  After lunch it was time to show Karen around Cayman....Smith's Cove, Georgetown, Seven Mile Beach, Hell, Hurley's Grocery and some shopping downtown before heading back to the condo.
Friday we were up early for our Stingray Trip, arriving at Kaibo to catch the boat at 7 am.  As soon as we anchored the rays began to arrive.  We entered the water and had a chance to feed them some squid.  I tried to get photos, but Karen was excited and not standing still.  After that we headed to a snorkel site near the reef for about an hour long snorkel....Karen loved it.  Next we stopped at Rum Point and almost had the whole place to ourselves.  We enjoyed taking photos, snorkeling, just relaxing in the shade and lunch.
Sadly our trip had come to an end...we packed and did a little shopping before heading to the airport.  The flight was easy, but traffic in Houston was a nightmare!  We pulled into my driveway a little before midnight. 
Cayman was great, the diving awesome as usual, and sharing it with a friend made it special.  I think we both went home with lots of memories to treasure.

Sand Fest!

Wednesday---Arrived in Port A, checked in and unpack at condo, Jimmy dropped off our buggy, Dinner at Beach Station Street Grill......YUMMO the crab stuffed shrimp are to die for!!!!  Weather funky!
Thursday----Up and off to Rockport to shop and get groceries at HEB.  Cloudy and cool, not a pretty day.  Lunch at a deli was soup and a sandwich.  Got some oysters fresh off the boat on Fulton Beach Road. Back to Port A, drove to beach and watched the army of people setting up the event.....tents, chairs, vendor booths, and artist trying to work on the big sand sculpture.  Dinner that night was hamburgers on the grill with a Pina Colado.

Friday-----Up, enjoyed breakfast, then off to SandFest in our buggy.  The sculpting had begun and the artist were hard at work.  We checked out the vendors....looking for something we couldn't do without.  Karen got a 10 gallon hat and I got 2 sun visors with Texas bling!  Back to the condo we had lunch and then went to meet some old high school friends.  It was good to see our classmates and we enjoyed dinner together at Cathy's house.
Saturday---We checked on the shrimp boat and found they were on their way in to the marina with their catch....so off we went to snag about 5 pounds of fresh Gulf shrimp.  After taking  care of the shrimp we went back to SandFest and enjoyed seeing the sand piles take shape.....we began to pick our favorites.  We spend some time listening to the music and more time looking at the vendors.  We also went into town to check out the local store...Karen getting a cute swimsuit and I purchased a dress.


Sunday----A storm hit during the night and it was wet and soggy at SandFest.  Some tents and vendor booths were blown down, water stood ankle deep  some places and it was a wet mess.  The artist continued to work on their masterpieces and were lucky that the rain didn't seem to do much damage.  We rode the beach, went to the jetties and cruised town before heading back to the condo for lunch.  The awards were given out about 4 pm and we were surprised with the picks.  SandFest was over for 2013!!!
Monday ---Up to check on the beach..hoping to get photos after they took down the fence......sure enough we were the first to climb up on the big sand sculpture...just like two kids!  We also found an abandoned beach tepee and took some funny photos. Fried shrimp ended the day and our seafood feast...sure were good.
Tuesday----Packed up and headed home to my honey!

Mustang Beach Fly In

Off the ground bright and early this morning headed to Port A for a fly in at Mustang Beach Airport.  Clear skies, cold temps, and no wind made for an easy, smooth flight....landing a little after 9 am. We were meeting friends we hadn't seen in a long time....that had flown down yesterday.  Lots of planes arrived and it was good to see lots of old friends.  Lunch was a spicy Cajun shrimp boil......with some darn good music. The flight home was bumpy and we had to climb to avoid the thermals....landing at VCT
about 4 pm.

Bonaire Bound!

Dale and I caught the United, red-eye to Bonaire, leaving at midnight and arriving at 5 am.....a killer of a flight!  Whisked away to our resort and given the keys to #8, our condo....we crashed!  After picking up the truck later we went to the new, very nice grocery store to shop.  It was early to bed as we had booked an all day snorkel trip on The Woodwind, bright and early the next morning down at the Divi.  It was a great day out on the water, met folks from Holland and Germany .......and enjoyed a yummy lunch.  On Monday we relaxed, swam in the pool, and enjoyed dinner on the porch while watching a brilliant sunset.  Tuesday I had a 2 tank boat dive with the boat picking me up at the dock of the resort.  With one dive master and four divers on board we headed over to Klein Bonaire to enjoy the beautiful reefs and marine life.  Dale and I enjoyed a late afternoon swim and then relaxing in loungers on the deck over the water. Wednesday I booked a 2 tank shore dive with Alejandro, my private dive master for the morning.  We loaded our gear in his truck and headed South, hoping to see the Manta Ray that had been spotted in the area.  No Manta, but two nice dives with a very nice young man.  After lunch Dale and I headed North to explore the Washington-Slagbaai National Park......a long, long 2 1/2 hour drive on a rough, bumpy road.  We saw playas, bocas, blow holes, salt ponds, and a natural spring that was disgusting!

The most interesting part of the park was an old light house on the North end of the island.  Dale and I were up early Thursday because I had a 2 tank boat dive at Buddy Dive.  Hubb, from Holland rode over with us and was my dive buddy. Dale enjoyed a buffet breakfast while I was diving. Lunch and then off to explore the South end of the island....the slave huts, the Cargill salt operation, pink flamingos and Lac Bay, where the windsurfers gather.  Thursday night we enjoyed dinner at Mi Banana, a place the locals like, the food was good.  Dessert was a scoop of Lover's Ice Cream....I had rum raisin, Dale had chocolate.  Friday we chilled out, swam in the pool and read in the shade.......later we packed for our early flight home on Saturday.  The taxi picked us up at 5:15 am for the short trip to the airport, check-in was slow, we boarded the plane and 4 hours later we landed in Houston.  This was our first trip since Dale was hurt in October of  last year......sure felt blessed to share another adventure!!!

Rain, Cold, Clouds!

Rain, clouds and cool weather in the forecast....but off Karen and I went to the Warrenton/Round Top Antique Extravaganza!  We arrived to find most of the booths still closed....but we checked out the few that were open.  Our major purchase was some delish homemade pasta from a lady from Austin!  Chilled to the bone we managed to find a cup of hot chocolate to warm us up at Rather's, but no one told us to stir!  As more booths opened we looked around, but didn't really find anything we couldn't live without.  Oh, Karen did ...but get an awesome bag ...that I plan to rent on occasion.  Time for lunch we headed to Carmine and JW's Steakhouse....hoping to get warm and find some soup.  After lunch we made a few more stops...the rains came and we called it quits! 
We had fun....but the weather was YUCK!