Christmas visit with Grandchildren

We had a great time visiting with Josh, Karen, Ellie & Jason.  During the week of Christmas Jacklyn & Joe flew in to spend the holiday. It was good seeing them again - Jacklyn is doing good after finishing her chemo treatment and is looking forward to a new year of healing.  Jason is talking all the time and is a real joy.  He is very good natured and happy.  It's fun talking with him and listening to him talk.  He is also very smart for a two-year-old.  He knows his colors, shapes, and many numbers, and knows what he wants.

Christmas Eve Ellie & Jason helped Mom set out cookies and milk for Santa Claus and carrots for the reindeer.

Karen has a cute set just for this - a cup, jug and plate for the cookies.

McLarty Treasure Museum, Sebastian, Florida

When we were staying in Sebastian, Florida we stopped at the McLarty Treasure Museum, the site of the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet.  Between the 1500's to 1700's Spain dug vast amounts of silver and gold out of the mountains of Mexico and South America.  Smelted into ingots and coins, it crossed the Atlantic in wooden sailing vessels. 

American Victory Ship, Tampa, Florida

We went to tour the American Victory Ship in Tampa Harbor.  It is one of four fully operational WWII merchant ships in the country.  It was built in 1945 at the California shipyard and served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam as a cargo vessel.  It circumnavigated the globe twice.  In 1999, it was towed to Tampa and underwent a $2 million restoration to become a world-class national memorial and museum.  It's mission is to honor the dedicated men and women who provided service during times of peace and war.  

American Victory Ship

A visit from Sandhill Cranes, Ruskin, Florida

The campground we are staying at (River Oaks, which right on the Manatee River) had a surprise visit this morning by three Sandhill Cranes.  They were near the dock for a while and the local cat was completely awed by them.  It sat pretty close to them and then one of the birds started flapping its wings to chase the cat away.  Not to be deterred, as the Cranes started walking through the park, the cat followed and looked like it wanted the birds for lunch. 

Duck Commander, West Monroe, LA

You may be wondering why we stopped our westward vacation and headed east. Our daughter called us while we were at Capitan, New Mexico to inform us that she had ovarian cancer and needed us in Florida ASAP. Needless to say, we put our vacation on hold and headed to Florida to help her through chemo. 

While making our way from New Mexico to Florida at the end of July, we found ourselves in West Monroe, LA for the night.  Jim happened to mention that he thought the Duck Commander headquarters was somewhere in the area, so I looked it up and low and behold, it was right in the same city we were staying. 

Smokey the Bear, Capitan, New Mexico

The true story of Smokey the Bear took place in Capitan, New Mexico.  Smokey was a small black bear who survived a fire in the Capitan Mountains and became the world's most well-known bear.  It is the birthplace and burial site of Smokey the Bear.  Smokey's story is factual although it might appear to be fictional.  In May 1950 a fire started in the Capitan Mountains, from a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.  

Lincoln Historic Site, Lincoln, New Mexico (The Legend of Billy the Kid)

While we were staying in Capitan, New Mexico we went to the old city of Lincoln, New Mexico. Lincoln is famous because in 1880 Pat Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County and is determined to bring in the outlaw William H. Bonney, famously known as "Billy the Kid."  

Sitting Bull Falls Recreation Area, New Mexico

Our first trip in the Carlsbad area  took us to Sitting Bull Falls.  Trip took about 45 minutes, about 35 miles on winding roads through the mountains. The water comes up from a spring and runs along the mountain top, dropping at Sitting Bull Falls, to travel along the mountain until it disappears under ground. The water felt good on our feet - cool but not cold.  The dogs loved the water and would have enjoyed being let off leash to run and play, but there were too many people there today.  Talked with the camp host and another National Forest employee who, as usual, tells us about applying for the job.  The drive there took us through open range land where we had to stop to let some cowboys on horses pass as they round up the cattle. 

Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico

We arrived at Brantley Lake State Park on Saturday, July 18, and luckily found a real nice spot with a lake view.  There is no grass in the area, just lots of rocks, cactus and other dessert vegetation.  We have a small spot to sit a couple of chairs and look out over the area, and a nice pavilion with a picnic table.  There is a short trail through the hillside that takes us down to the picnic area and boat ramp.  I worry about letting the dogs loose because there are scorpions and snakes all over the place.

Sitting area

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico

On our way west we stopped in Carlsbad, New Mexico to visit Carlsbad Caverns. Here we are waiting for our tour into the caverns. It's a chilly 56 degrees in the caverns and I was glad I took my jacket.  Jim was brave and walked the whole way in just his t-shirt.

Dressed and ready to go into the Caverns

Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico

Carlsbad is situated in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Living Desert State Park has all the plants and animals that can be found in the desert.  It is the largest desert in North America.  There is a 1.3 mile trail that took us about 2 hours to walk through.  They had a lot of mammals but we could not see them as it was too hot for them to be out and I guess they were in the shade of the trees.  I asked about the birds and other animals that they had there, and was told that they were orphaned or injured and would not survive in the wild.  We talked with the Camp Host quite a while and she was very helpful telling us about the different places to visit in New Mexico.

Somervell County Museum, Glen Rose, Texas

After much contemplation, we decided to resign from Yogi Bear Jellystone because we wanted to travel and not keep working. When we left Waller, Texas we headed for Tres Rios RV Resort in Glen Rose, Texas, one of the Ocean Canyon properties we belong to.  Glen Rose is a small town with not much in it except for little shops catering to tourists.  

We stopped at the Somervell County Museum to view some of the artifacts.  They had a lot of old, old memorabilia, including some interesting fossils.  There was also the old Post Office on display (which had a geocache attached to it).

Inside the museum

Old Gas Station / Speakeasy, Glen Rose, Texas

On our way back to Glen Rose, Texas we happened along this structure and had to stop and look closer and take pictures.  

Stone Mountain House; Visit with Janice Strang

On Saturday, May 16, 2015, we drove down to our house in Stone Mountain to look at it and make sure everything was still OK with it.  Leon met us there and we all walked around the property.  Evidently the grass and bushes had grown up a lot and Leon mowed and trimmed the bushes all around the property.  One shock was that someone chopped down one of our trees in the back yard.  Leon said the leaves were still green when he was there earlier, so it had just happened within the past week.  Not happy about that, but nothing we can do about now.  We also discovered that someone broke in and stole the safe that we had concreted into the floor underneath the basement steps.

Tree chopped down

Frances Kerch - Laid to Rest

On May 12, 2015, Frances Kerch (Jim's Mom) passed away.  She appeared to be in good condition on Mother's Day.  Jack went to visit her, and she also talked with Jim, Jacklyn, and other people. On Tuesday morning she fell in the bathroom.  Jack found her there and helped her back into her chair and said he would come back later that afternoon to check on her.  The staff brought her lunch and a friend of hers stopped by during lunch only to find her in an unresponsive state.  The staff came and discovered that she had passed away. 

Washington on the Brazos Nat'l Historic Site, Washington, Texas

Located on 293 acres of lush park land, the picturesque Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site gives visitors unique insights into the lives and times of the 59 delegates who met on that very spot on March 2, 1836 to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico. From 1836 to 1846, the Republic of Texas proudly but precariously existed as a separate and unique nation. Washington on the Brazos is, indeed, “Where Texas Became Texas.”

Painting Yogi Bear & Boo Boo, Lone Star Jellystone Park

We were still working at Jellystone into 2015. During the winter the Yogi Bear and Boo Boo statutes were taken down from the pool area and brought into the Recreation Center to be painted.  I was the lucky one who got to paint them.  The statutes are pretty big and a lot of fun to paint.  Yogi Bear sits on top of the kiddie pool and Boo Boo sits at the bottom.  Boo Boo is also asleep in his flower bed.

Yogi Bear