We left Shreveport dodging rain drops around 10a on Sunday with a short trip in mind.
About 45 minutes closer to New Caney, TX, I was feeling so good I wanted to go further. Made a couple of phone calls, drove straight through Houston and ended up in Rockport, TX for the night.
Next morning, we ran over to Aransas Pass to check on the buggy. It was fine!
It was a heartbreaking drive to and from. Thought I was ready to see the destruction of Hurricane Harvey, but once you see it in living color, it's so different.
We had seen videos that people had posted on YouTube, but to smell it, touch it, see it live....it was just different.
I don't want to dwell on it, but it will keep coming up. It's been two months since the Hurricane came ashore here in the Coastal Bend. Every day is another benchmark for someone, somewhere on their timeline to recovery. It's heartbreaking.
Later Monday morning, we gathered up our things and headed on the Ferry to Port A.
Sloopy and Tangy out each window. Can you tell the difference?
Got parked in the site at Pioneer RV Resort and began the process of making it our home till the Spring.
We went cruising just as Hurricane Harvey was making landfall in Texas right at our winter home. It was a real roller coaster, and quite honestly, dampened a bit of our enthusiasm and focus on our cruise.
Finished today readjusting our plans for going back to Texas. Going to push things back about 3 weeks, take a slightly adjusted route (skipping Paducah, KY and Santa Claus, IN) and rolling down to Nashville. After Nashville, we'll head over to West Memphis and resume our original route.
We'll leave now October 10th from Timber Ridge and hopefully arrive at Pioneer RV Park on October 23rd if they can accommodate us. If not, we'll find someplace west of Corpus that can until we can get back to Port A.
So we'll be here a little longer. Have a few more fires. Get the heaters out. Enjoy Buckeye Football and pumpkin & Oktoberfest beers. Life is still good.
Like most of us who full time RV, we meet friends along the way and really enjoy each other's company. Thanks to Facebook, email and the like, we're now able to keep in touch even though we haven't actually "seen" each other in awhile. Such is the case with Jim and Susan Lovay. Married for 43 years, they're who Connie and I want to be when we grow up. 😉 Like Jimmy says, they're "growing older but not up."
We met at Pioneer RV Resort in Port Aransas, TX very haphazardly. I noticed a Sparty "S" on the back of his jeep while walking our girls one day, mentioned something about their big game happening that day, and struck up a conversation about our Big Ten roots. Turns out he's not a Spartan fan, he's an alumni. Like I've told many people who call me an Ohio State "fan", there's a big difference.
Anyhoo, it just turned out to be one of the greatest wins in MSU history as Sparty picked up a mishandled punt and took it to the house for a game winning score. I'm a Buckeye alum, but I'll root for anyone playing U of M. Watched the video again. Sean McDonough's call and the look on that Wolverine fan's face are both priceless.
Truth be told, I watched the whole game, gave up on Sparty, came back out and couldn't figure out why they were showing MSU players in the end zone celebrating. I look down at Lovay's (they watch games outside like us), and they're all up celebrating. A friendship was born.
It was a magical season for MSU as they beat OSU on the last play of the season (one of Jim's happier moments as we watched it together at Sting-Ray's) before getting flogged by Alabama in the playoffs.
They were like us, arrived at Pioneer for October, got November free then went to their winter destination (South Padre KOA). We saw each other again the following April on their way back to the UP in Michigan, and that was the last time we saw them. Until two days ago.
We were fortunate that the spot right across the road was available.
Jim and Susan would love to full time, but they're trying to sell their house in Manistique, MI which hasn't happened yet. We hope someone steps up and buys it from them. Here's the link, contact their realtor soon! They were gracious enough to include us in their summer plans as they celebrated Canada Day, went to Niagara Falls, then looped around to our park.
The girls just love Susan. We tried (and failed miserably) to bring their new puppy Lacey, into the fence, but that went awful.
The weather kind of cooperated for the couple of days they were here. Was muggier than hell, but the rain stayed away enough for us to enjoy ourselves, especially at our favorite watering hole along the Vermilion River, Quaker Steak & Lube.
After coffee in the morning (Sloopy did what Sloopy does to Susan), we mapped out our day.
We went into Cleveland where we first went to First Energy Stadium home of the Browns, and where are daughter works. She was nice enough to show us around. Forgot to take pictures. My bad. Then, we went off the East Flats. Only disappointing thing of the visit was the Rooftop Bar at Margaritaville Cleveland was closed because "it could rain".
We moved down the river to Coastal Taco and enjoyed some appetizers, cold beverages and the view of the river which Jim reminded us maybe a dozen times that had once caught on fire. Again, couldn't sit outside, but we were in the first level under cover.
We decided to have a late lunch at one of our favorite places to eat, the Flat Iron Cafe. It did not disappoint.
Jim and Susan went old school and had a Stroh's.
They left this morning (after we had coffee together and Lacey explored the neighboring field). Connie and I wish them safe travels, a buyer for their house, and that we see each other again soon.
It's been a while since our last post. We have been busy enjoying my vacation from treatments.
As noted in our previous blog, we had a great time making our way to Texas. It took us 7 weeks to get here!
Time to get back on the treatments. The diagnostic scans were done in early November. For the most part, they show that most areas are stable. There are a few new areas in the lungs and minor progession. However, the doctor feels they are not very concerning.
So, with that news, we are going to continue on the hormone pill that we started back in August and combine it with Herceptin infusion. This is a drug that I had received previously and tolerated it with minimal side effects.
Going to get this started tomorrow. Treatments will be every 3 weeks.
Hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a good time and good food here at the park. Met some really nice folks!
Had a couple of days of cooler weather. It inspired us to get out the Christmas decorations. We will be moving to our normal winter spot in Rockport on the 20th.
As the warmup continues, we finally had to go see the beach, yesterday. We've got three winter spots, and no surprise that two of them are by the beach. We love Tucson, but both of us miss the water. The beauty of the desert, the climate, definitely make up for what we lose in beach, though.
Of the two beaches we visit during the winters, Port Aransas, TX (Port A) and New Smyrna Beach, FL (NSB) has some plusses.
Both NSB and Port A allow us to drive and park on the beach. The sand at NSB is beautiful and better than Port A, which usually has quite a bit of seaweed and a lot of Jellyfish. Advantage NSB.
Getting to each has some neat perks. NSB, you get to drive through old NSB and two choices over the causeway. Port A has the ferry. Advantage, Port A.
Port A, allows us to bring the girls on a leash. A huge plus.
New Smyrna Beach has a bar (Toni & Joe's) we love overlooking the beach, but Port A allows us to bring coolers to the beach. Again, advantage Port A.
Starting to get into our winter groove here at Sea Breeze RV Park.
The sunsets here are the best (with Tucson a very close second).
Drove over to Aransas Pass Lowe's to get some "stuff" for a more permanent set up. We like putting concrete blocks under our rear stabilizers. Our sewage set up here is very close to being straight level, if not a quarter bubble up hill which isn't good. Last year, we ran a 2x12, this year we went a little different and ran a piece of plastic gutter which is seeming to work.
Tuesday was a part work, part rest day.
Wednesday, we met with some other Heartland Owners over at Moby Dick's in Port Aransas. Really neatly themed restaurant that had some good lunch specials. The group we met with were very good company. They do this often, so we'll look forward to seeing them again.
Also on Wednesday, was our first run at "Card Bingo" in the park. Each table of four kicks in $5pp, and deals out all the cards in a deck. A "caller" draws cards and each of the four at a table places the card called into a pile. Once you have one card, you call out "One Card". Once you have no cards, you yell "Bingo" and get all or split the pot with whomever else has Bingo'd. Total of ten hands with the 1 - 4 and the 6 - 9 pots the same, while the 5th hand is larger and the 10th hand is the largest. Fun game. Bob won one hand and Connie split the 5th hand.
Not much planned for the weekend. Christmas shopping (via Amazon.com) is all done and shipped. Park hosts a Christmas Eve party and a Christmas Day Carry in that should be fun. (Unless the world ends on Friday, then we won't be posting any more!)
While Bob had a great time playing golf in Corpus Christi at the Oso Municipal Golf Course with Fred Porter on Sunday, his friend from Plano (Fred O) and another resident at the Gulf Waters RV Resort, Connie spent the day shopping with Fred's wife Vickie, and Fred O's girlfriend in Port Aransas, TX.
After coming home to Portland, we had the wild hair to take 'the girls' back out to Port A and visit longer into the night (till around 11p!) Great times with good friends.
Monday, back to the grind, a little bit of a overcast day thinking of spitting rain.
Finally! We made it to Port Aransas Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. We drove to the ferry (free, can't believe it!) and quickly were taken across to this great little beach town.
We went to I.B. Magee Park, which allows leashed dogs on the beach and you can drive on the sand. (Very cool, but we got stuck in New Smyrna Beach on the sand, so we're hesitant.)
It was Carmen's first trip to the beach and she was curious, but frightened, of the surf as the video below will show. Walked for a good half hour from the inlet to the fishing pier and back. Had to be careful of Jelly Fish occasionally, but a great walk.
Next morning, we ran over to Aransas Pass to check on the buggy. It was fine!
