Sista's Tour de Vino

Packed and on my way to Fredericksburg to meet gal pal, Pam for a Sista's Tour de Vino weekend. We had booked a B&B, Brigid's Cottage, a small home in town with a patio and hot tub in the back. First stop was a yummy lunch at the Peach Tree Tea Room, then we checked in and unpacked, did some shopping on Main Street before dinner. We had made reservations at the Cotton Gin Cabernet Grill, and the food was excellent. We dropped in at the Crossroads Saloon and Steakhouse to catch some music and watch the Texas Rangers playoff game, before heading back to our cottage and the hot tub.

Saturday morning, we enjoyed an early morning walk around Fredericksburg, and a yummy breakfast at the Rather Sweet Bakery.....everything was soooo good!!! Walked back to our B&B and prepared for our wine tour. We made stops at Perdenales Cellar, Woodrose Winery, Becker Vineyards, Torre de Pietra, and Grape Creek Vineyards......our favorite being the Woodrose Winery. They were so warm and welcoming, served samplers of different wines with a plate of cheese and crackers, and also gave us a little education in "Wines and Wine Making". After the last vineyard it was time to head to Alamo Springs Cafe, a really neat place out in the middle of nowhere. We sat outside on the porch and enjoyed some great hamburgers with a good cold beer. They had a really good band playing and we stayed a while to listen to the music, also to watch the bats take flight out of a local cave. The warm water of the hot tub sure did feel good after our hectic day on the Wine Tour.
Sunday morning, we were up and out walking, admiring the old homes and beautiful architecture. Breakfast was at another bakery that was packed, the food was good!
We headed back to our place, packed up, enjoyed a little more time on the front porch swing before heading out....Pam back to Fort Worth and me back to Victoria.
The Sista's Tour de Vino was a success!!!

Kayak Class 101

Today, Dale and I took a basic kayak course from Coastal Bend Kayaking in Aransas Pass, Texas. We met our guide and teacher, Hector and headed down to the water to unload. Hector briefed us on all the safety issues and equipment needed to kayak safely. He put his kayak in and demonstrated the proper strokes to use to maneuver the kayak.

Finally we were off, paddling quietly through the cuts in the grass and mangroves. Our guide pointed out the local birds and creatures as we glided along.
He had us practice our strokes and gave us pointers. Since we had brought our fishing gear, we decided to try some saltwater fishing in a kayak. We worked some cuts and shorelines....and also did some drift fishing. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining with a gentle breeze blowing in from the Gulf. We didn't catch any fish.......but we did have a great day out on the water!!

Two New Knees and Minus One Gallbladder

After having two total knee replacements, Dale suffered a painful gallbladder attack resulting in the removal of his gallbladder on October 6 in Houston. We jokingly referred to this surgery as the "Drive Thru" operation......in and out. Hopefully this is our last surgical procedure of the year and he will be as good as new very soon.

Happy Birthday...My Hero!

Celebrating Dale's birthday today was kinda difficult since he is still recovering from total knee replacement. I fixed him some of his favorites for lunch and for dessert.....a homemade dewberry pie. Later in the afternoon we drove out to the airport to check on the plane and to just get out of the house. As we left the hangar I drove over to the Public Gardens on the pretense of taking pictures. We walked around looking at the plants and ponds when I surprised him with his special gift. I had ordered a brick paver with his name and military service to be placed in the Military Honor Garden. He was so surprised to see his name among the other servicemen....a great way to honor his service to our country during the Vietnam War.

My Bionic Man

On August 10.. Dale underwent his second total knee replacement at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston. Things ran about the same as the last surgery, except for a few new glitches to make it interesting. He was released from the hospital on Friday and we went home for him to recover and start rehab in Victoria.
This time we were better prepared and knew what to expect....so things went smoother. He started rehab at Warm Springs and his "Physical Terrorist" has been working him hard three days a week.
Things are progressing well and hopefully my "Bionic Man" will be going full speed soon!

Floating the Guadalupe

Karen and I drove up to the New Braunfels area for a float trip on the Guadalupe River, a welcome relief from an extremely hot South Texas Day. After renting tubes, they drove us up river and dropped us off for our float. The river was COLD when we first got in, but soon felt great, a welcome relief from the sun.

The water was crystal clear and the current was slow, but we had all day. The first rapids really cooled us off, as we splashed our way down river. Taking a break we enjoyed a cold drink and snacks on the river bank. We finished our float and decided we would drive over to Gruene for a late lunch at Mozie's enjoying a couple of frozen margaritas. We made a few stops to shop in some of the stores before heading home.

A great day, with a great friend!

Back to the Brac with Lady GoDivers

After flying into Grand Cayman and staying overnight, I was off to Cayman Brac and my first dive trip with the Lady GoDivers. It was great to be going "Back to the Brac" and seeing how it was rebuilt after hurricane Paloma nearly destroyed it in 2008. Patty, my roommate greeted me at the Brac Beach Resort, after unpacking, and grabbing lunch we waited for the others to arrive. Bonnie and Beth showed up later in the afternoon, with Mary, Lil, and Janice arriving late at night. Our 6 days of diving began the next morning with the valet pickup of our dive gear. We were assigned to the boat Little Sister, with our group the boat had about 20 divers onboard. We began each morning with a hearty breakfast, before heading down to catch the boat for our morning 2 tank dives. Arriving back at the resort about Noon we rinsed off before a tasty lunch and some down time to relax and float around the pool. The final dive of the day was in the afternoon with plenty of time to enjoy before dinner at night. Patty had booked 3 boat dives a day, 3 meals a day and 3 drinks a day package....which left time for much else, except sleep.


The weather was great the whole week, with a few thunderstorms during the night. The water was warm and the visibility was pretty good....making for some good diving. Unfortunately we saw many lionfish on our dives....in fact the last dive of the trip I spotted a group of 3 hanging out.....beautiful, but deadly to the reef ecosystem. The dive on the wreck of the Tibbett's was great and Patty even had me swim into a small opening for a photo.

Omar our waiter and bartender took very good care of us...fixing us his special "Mudslide" and one night making me his deadly "Bob Marley" which he set on fire before drinking. The food at the Brac was awesome, service was top notch, and the rooms were great. Several of us enjoyed a spa treatment......what a way to get spoiled! When not diving we enjoyed bicycling, kayaking, and stargazing at night......plus I began each morning with my cup of coffee and a walk on the beach. Another highlight was the morning I had coffee with Mr. Tibbetts the owner of the resort, quite a character. I even survived the initiation ceremony and became an official card carrying member of the Lady GoDivers.

Patty surprised us with gifts most nights and I brought fake tattoos for the group, lots of silly fun! We had a great time, lots of laughs, and made some new friends. The final day we left as we arrived at different times, I was the last to leave the island. It was a long day of travel and arrived home just before midnight to see my husband, whom I missed very much while I was away.