New Braunfels TX for Thanksgiving

November 20 -  December 1, 2016
River Ranch RV Park, New Braunfels TX

Well we left Mufreesboro AR just in time before it got cold and headed down to New Braunfels TX for the Thanksgiving holiday.  It's a nice little park and we were right on the river, however we were under 2 roads so it was noisy!  Eventually we got used to it.

While we were there, we visited Landa Park on the Comal River.  The air was crisp and it had the clearest water I'd ever seen!

Peggy, Patricia and I visited Gruene TX - what a lovely town!  They boast the oldest dance hall in Texas and The Gristmill Restaurant sits high above the Guadalupe River.  

Went to Naegelin's Bakery - mmmm!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends then headed down to Hummingbird Cove near Rio Hondo and Harlingen TX.  We've been wintering at various RV parks in the Rio Grande Valley where the winter is mild (and the livin' is easy).

See you there!

She Touched My Heart

Occasionally I will veer off the path and post something totally unrelated.  I remembered this post from 2007 on LiveJournal (which I don't use anymore).  I post it because I don't want to forget how grateful I am to be living this life.  She would be 81 now if still living and I still think about Olive occasionally to remind myself to be grateful for everything I have.

September 29th, 2007

She touched my heart

12:53 am

I do home visits for my job a few times a year, and last week I spent 3 days in the Catskills. Everyone has an interesting story, but some of them are just unforgettable.

One of my clients lives so far out in the country, I couldn't see her house from the road. I had to park on the road and literally climb down to her house deep in the woods.

She is 71 years old.
She has no running water. She goes down to the creek for water and buys water for drinking and cooking.
Most of her electric outlets don't work, so she just doesn't use them.
She heats with a wood stove and in the winter the temperature never goes above 55. She scavenges wood all winter and closes off the upstairs. The state only pays for some of her wood.
There's a tree on her property about to fall on her house and no one wants to do anything about it. She can't afford to have it cut down.
Her house is damp and full of mold and she has to clean it constantly.
Her son & daughter live out west.
Wild animals come up to her house, so she can't let her cats out, ever.
Her stove is broken, so she uses a hotplate.
The door to her fridge fell off one night, but she put it back on.
She needs to go up on her roof to fix it, but she has enough sense not to do it herself.
She has no phone, not even a cell.
Her mailbox is at the top of the hill on the road.

You think she has it bad?

She doesn't. She won't hear of moving. She said when she leaves, it will be in a black bag. As hard as living is for her, she loves her home because growing up, she never had any roots and moved 15 times before she was 8 (depression years). She helped build this house with her ex-husband, has built a greenhouse herself on the side of the house and has a gorgeous collection of green growing things. She has a patio full of pots and flowers everywhere. She has 3 feral cats who love her. She has more energy than I do. She's not afraid (well, a little because of the tree that might fall on her house).

I want to adopt her.

It's also amazing that she survives on about $700/mo. I really wish I could contact a local church or agency to go out and help fix up the place for her. I felt like hugging her when I left. I'll be checking on her remotely, though. Someday when I retire, I want to live in the woods like her, but on level ground with a 4WD with a plow.

I also visited a house with 10 people, various friends and relatives, dad in jail, and about to foreclose on their home. She'll be ok though, I'm pretty sure.

I see a lot, and as bad as I think my situation is, I always feel grateful. It kind of puts things in perspective for me.

Her name is Olive, how cool is that? She's as feisty and cranky as anything, yet had a great sense of humor and smile. I want to buy her an LifeAlert. I'm frightened that something will happen and no one will know. Off-duty, I'd love to visit her again.

I've been doing this for almost 30 years mostly in an office, and the home visits for the past 3 years, which have been the most fulfilling years of my career. I often see people taking advantage of the system, but I understand they're doing whatever they need to do to survive. I see a lot of disabled people trying to make a go of it and some who don't.

And here is this 71 YO lady who should be enjoying her retirement years, living hand to mouth and loving her life! Who needs a million bucks!

Tags: elderly, poverty, strength

• Current Location: New York NY
• Current Music: Brian Crain
• Current Mood:  melancholy

Murfreesboro AR and Crater of Diamonds

October 22 - November 21, 2016
Murfreesboro RV Park, Murfreesboro AR

Onward in our travels! We landed next at Murfreesboro RV Park which is less than a mile from the Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas. 




Al and Alberta were most welcoming and taught us the rudimentary skills of diamond-hunting. 

They lent us tools including sifters, vials, buckets, and shovels. 

This is what we might find:

The gemstones rise to the surface after a rain or after the fields are plowed.  However, they never tell you when they're going to plow so there's that degree of suspense! 

It's hard, hot work, so be sure and wear comfortable clothes and prepare to get dirty.  In addition to your tools, you should also bring a hat, a stool or something to sit on, sunscreen (even on a cloudy day), lots of water, sturdy shoes and rubber gloves for washing. Lots of folks bring a wagon to carry everything - smart!

You are allowed to bring 5 gallons of washed gravel from the park. There are 2 washing stations where you can sift and wash out the dirt.  I mean, the stones are heavy enough, so don't add additional weight by hauling out dirt!

A hard day's work!

A couple of days, Patricia and Peggy with husbands Steve and Jeff, brought their rigs and stayed at the State Park at the Crater of Diamonds.  We had a cookout and I think we all had a great time! 

While we were in Arkansas, we drove around a lot to see the area.  Although I didn't take pictures of all the places we visited, here are a few.

Hawkins General Store - they have everything, even a small bake shop and restaurant!

 

Fire Truck Memorial

Lake Greeson

The dam below and view from above

Next stop:  New Braunfels TX

BYE!

Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

During our stay at Grand Gulf Military Park in Port Gibson MS (October 12-22, 2016), we took a trip to Vicksburg National Military Park. What an educational and inspiring park!  

One of the more somber highlights was the National Cemetery, 116 acres holding the remains of 17,000 Civil War Union soldiers, more than any other National Cemetery.  

The soldiers were buried close to where they died so when this cemetery was established in 1866, the remains were exhumed and reinterred.   However, since record-keeping was haphazard, many soldiers' names were lost. About 75% are unknown.  

   

Another highlight of our tour was the restoration of the USS Cairo, an ironclad gunboat that sank when it hit a mine.  

It was found, raised and restored over more than 20 years.  It was finally transported to Vicksburg where it was placed on a concrete foundation across from the cemetery. It went on display in 1977. 

As you can see, I'm fascinated with the angles and mechanisms of this boat.  

 

What a great area - hopefully we'll be back. 

But in the meantime, we're off to Murfreesboro AR and Crater of Diamonds State Park!

Our Stay at Grand Gulf Military Park, Port Gibson MS

October 12-22, 2016.  Grand Gulf Military Park, 
Port Gibson MS

Travel to Grand Gulf was mostly uneventful, but there were a few high points.  

A cotton field - my first!  

First we had to find the park which was at the end of a 7 mile road, not well-marked I might add.  I was a bit nervous as we navigated the narrow road in our motorhome and fearful that we would probably fall into a ditch.

We didn't, and finally arrived at this beautiful and scenic park.
  

As we drove down the road, vines were taking over the landscape. They were eating up trees, homes and buses. 

We had to see the Mississippi River right across the road from the park. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the pole showing the high-water mark from prior floods.  However this river is mighty indeed! 

As a result of the floods, many local residents elevate their homes.  

We toured the military park taking in the sights of which there are many!  A small museum is housed in the office and surrounding grounds.  

We saw these hearses and then the cemetery at the top of the hill.

I wonder what the story is behind this stone.

We took a ride into the town of Port Gibson MS and this abandoned factory and theatre caught my attention.

This abandoned theatre, a relic from times past. 

Next time, Vicksburg National Military Park

See you soon!