Visiting South Carolina...

We made a visit to South Carolina to see Morgan Ali and kids. It was a good to see them and we got in a variety of activities. First there was the driving route there using our hybrid Toyoda which eats up the highway miles compared to the plodding camper tow we have been used to on many trips, there was a couple of different routes used so max sightseeing, we fished, we hiked, we grilled and ate home cooking, we watch the kid's soccer practice and sampled local restaurants.  

The grandkids are getting so big and so responsible. Nobody fell in the lake making this photo, not even Pop-Pop. 

This is an old CCC bridge built of local materials. Paris Mountain State Park is part of the Appalachian deciduous rain forest.

Me and Morgan fished Lake Hartwell which is just minutes from their house. I caught two very good sized Kentucky spotted bass and Morgan lost a couple that shook off at the boat so I count this as an almost fish dinner.  

Always a good feeling to fish with your son (or daughters) and score on an unfamiliar lake. 

One thing I see watching kids spots is that most of the time they are figuring out what to do. Sometimes watching pro sports I see guys doing the same thing. One of my specialties I have come to realize is taking a photo then cropping it up to make kid sports action look fierce. 

It was a very smooth trip and with gas prices slightly over $4 in some places along the way I was proud to be driving a Hybrid and hitting 47.9 miles per gallon. I think in the past I have achieved 51mpg but maybe I drove faster or need sparkplugs or something but the 31.2 gallon of gas used for 1831.3 miles to cross half the country and back is maybe just a little more than what the truck pulling camper uses for a beach trip. 

Traveling is great. 

  

 

Beach Fun and a Glamorous Camping Spot...

We are back home, at least for now after about 1700 miles and 10 out of the last 11 nights in the camper. This leg of the trip was down to Surfside Beach, Tx. which is one of our favorite places and also the location of a family beach house reunion for my son in law Tim's people, many from out of state and who we had met before at other family events. Their rental was just a short walk down the beach and they made us welcome at their communal meals. 

Instead of roughing it as we usually do on the free county beach with our solar power beefed up by generator use we sprung for the prime camp spot at The Breeze RV Park. We camped here about two years ago when we were still in the RPod Camper and many improvements have been made since then. In addition to the full hook up RV sites there are hotel rooms and I think some beach house property available to stay, beach buggy and jet ski rentals, a bar with kitchen and free continental breakfast, fire rigs, volley ball, cornhole, chair and umbrella set up, and a very attentive staff present to make sure things are going how you like it.    

We rented a beach buggy and the initial one they gave us, which was electric, slowed to an intermittent crawl way down the beach when I was giving Tim's family a tour. It gave his relatives a Texas tale to tell about the big hairy guy who stranded them but the Breeze staff saved the day replacing that cart with a brand new gas powered rig. 

I can tell I'm getting somewhere in life because I have grandkids to drive me around. Remember kids, first one to back the boat or the camper in the garages at home gets $100 prize but then they have to do it all the time after that. 

I did manage to catch a dinner of whiting that I turned into fish tacos. There is no size limit or restriction on Gulf whiting and they are a delicious eating panfish. I caught these on the first day while the water was still a bit green before the west wind turned it sandy brown and slowing the fishing. They were schooling right in the first gut close to the shore and I used a light rod with a tiny hook tipped with a pinch of shrimp. 

Generally there has been good beachfront fishing this summer and I am sorry to miss it but the lack of rain has made the sand loose with some of the beach entrances becoming a bit treacherous. I'm too old to be getting stuck and digging out, especially with a camper. 

There might be an October trip in the works but we will see. 

 

   

 

A Quick Travel Blog and Then Off Again...

We have been traveling and I am writing a quick blog to answer all your questions like where did you go and who is that woman in the closed beach area and so on. 

We have traveled to Kentucky for my cousin Carolyn and husband Doug's 65 wedding anniversary. It was a great party with great testimonies from their kids (cousins I'd never met) to their love, good food, music and fun. 

Along the way we camped in addition to our stay in Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. The total trip was a little over 1500 miles.  

All the parks we stayed were familiar places to us being we camped there before and in Kentucky at Lake Malone State Park we always see sister Margret and Kevin at their lake house which is right across from the state park swimming area. You can see the house and dock in the trees behind Cathy. I guess since we area back in Texas maybe Kentucky laws concerning the use of closed swimming areas no longer apply. 

We are not home long and depart for the beach shortly where the swimming areas are always open. 

This is a month for travel because with Mary off from work with the baby we have have some free time. More blogs soon. 

Fun With Music...

 Of course a grandkid is always up for honking on something around here but musical endeavors have been very fulfilling of late. 

There's been a new season of civic band rehearsals begin and in addition to the big time Temple Theater concert on Nov. 19 we have a small ensemble concert for various sub groups scheduled on Oct 29th in Hudgins Hall. Our polka band The Lufkin Brass will ride again with 2 or three numbers on that program. I am squeezing in extra rehearsals with the college band this week also just because it's fun. 

This past weekend I played a few jazzy numbers, folk songs and old spirituals at a birthday party Dr. Guessipina Bonner. Dr. Bonner is a member of our church, helps with SVDP, has a hand in preserving local history, is on the city council and is just generally a local good person of note. I was proud to play and the plate of oxtail, fried catfish, greens, field peas and cornbread I was paid with was on point. The event was catered by Bigg Boyzz  and I suggest you check out the spice line he sells. 

Finally one of the most rewarding musical adventures has been playing with the St. Patrick's Bilingual Children's Choir. We came into this job when one of the group leaders, Hugo who I worked with at the old papermill began cancer treatments that has limited his teaching of music to these kids which he was doing a very great job of. The other leader Maria was in one of our choirs when she was a teen so you can see while it may seem like we are doing something new this is just a continuation of long productive relationships in our community. 

The kids are playing guitars, percussion and flute so well under Hugo's coaching that all Cathy and I have to do is give some tips on things they need to know about presentation, basically getting stopped and started in an orderly fashion with a tune, setting up of music stands and music to be ready and just an occasional "thousand picks and patch cables" thing you have to know that no one tells you. 

I do have some good video from a rehearsal this past weekend we set to Hugo during his treatment stay in Houston but I'll get parental permission before posting. Here's an audio recording at this link to get the idea. 

Speaking of the parents of these kids they are a great group. They get the kids to rehearsal, help with set up and music distribution and do what they call "raising them right." This past weekend as always the group sings the old 14th century prayer, Anima Christi after Communion and we just used one 9 year old playing acoustic guitar for accompanist. I looked out and saw his mom crying because it was so pretty and because he played so well. I told her later my mom cried a lot when I played but it was because it was either tuba or what she called "honky tonkin'" songs.     

So say what you will. My brother says I will never get a job again after posting this and I say "good!" and this digeridoo rain drone is bringing a tropical depression ashore somewhere south of here. 

 

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