2022 is almost completely behind us now. Here is an abbreviated recap of our year.
January was uneventful – nothing to report. February is Sue’s birth month. We took her out to dinner to Bosano Italian Restaurant (“we” was Larry, along with Nestor & Ellen Cromwell, friends from nearby Elgin, and Mel & Andrea Bray, friends & neighbors who moved here last year from Ukiah, California).
March saw us on a short trip to Sweetwater, Texas, for the Annual Rattlesnake Roundup. It was very cold, so the snakes were moving slower, and there were not too many (only a few hundred). Larry picked up a snakeskin hat band (with the rattle intact). Larry received information from his doctor that he suffers from Type 2 Diabetes. It is controlled and he is working on keeping his weight and blood pressure down. He also followed up with testing to rule out pancreatic cancer (his father and aunt died from pancreatic cancer). Sue built some raised beds for a vegetable garden, and then Larry finished the rainwater catchment system to supply water.
In April we added to our home with the installation of a workshop. 12’X24′, built off site, trucked here, and set in place with a ‘mule’ and blocks. Larry added electricity, and is working on installing a second door, insulation, and air conditioning.
Our annual extended travel started in May with a trip to Ohio. Larry attended the annual HamVention in the Dayton area, the worlds oldest armature radio convention. Also on our bucket list was the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. We stopped there on our way home after spending a few days with Sue’s Uncle Clint and Aunt Dianna.
On our way home in June we stopped in Dallas, Texas, and traded our travel trailer in on a new one: a 2022 Forest River RPod RP201. This model is marketed for boondocking travelers. It comes with solar, inverter, outdoor griddle, 12V TV, and a lot of other high tech stuff. June saw us both come down with COVID.
July saw us trying to escape the South Texas heat; travelling to Arizona, where we visited with Sue’s twin aunts and their husbands in Show Low. The weather there was great, but down in Phoenix on our way home the temps were in the teens – one-hundred-and-teens! So we travelled on to Oklahoma and spent about 12 days camping before we finally headed south for the final leg on this journey.
August (and July) was over-heated in South Texas: 53 consecutive days with no rain (this is a drought in Texas) and over 100 degrees. Our lawn died (water use restrictions), vegetable died, cattle ranchers were selling beef on the hoof as fast as they could before they starved or died of heat. We finally got some relief with 3″ of rain in 2 days; but, the creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes are still low.
September cooled down, so we worked on customizing the new travel trailer. Larry installed a 30 amp electric management system (EMS) to protect the 110 volt circuits. Then he added cabling for cable TV, satellite TV, cell signal booster, Wi-Fi repeater, and a 20 amp circuit dedicated to the air conditioner. Then he replaced the bathroom faucet with one that is long enough that you can get your hands wet, and the kitchen faucet with one that has a retracting hose. Sue added storage systems and organized the storage and other interior items. Our friends, Robin and Jan Murphy from Folsom, California spent a few days with us looking over the area and homes available for when they can escape from California. And also in September, Sue joined a local Bunco group (the dice game, not the crime) that meets and plays once-a-month.
Our last trips of the year were all in October: First a short trip to South Padre Island with our friends, Nestor & Ellen. In addition to a day at the beach on the gulf coast, we enjoyed a dinner cruise on the inland side of the island, and a day trip to the Space X Star Base in Boca Chica, Texas. Next we spent a long weekend at Lake Somerville State Park, fishing, walking and just relaxing. We took a day trip to Washington on the Brazos, where the Texas Declaration of Independence and the Republic of Texas Constitution were both drafted and signed in 1836. Texas was fighting for independence from Mexico, and was successful. It wasn’t until 1845, nine years later, that it became a state in the United States of America. Our third, and last, trip of the year was to Dallas, Texas, and the Texas State Fair. We spent two days enjoying the animal, agriculture, and craft exhibits, along with indulging ourselves in ‘fair food’ (Sue had both a turkey leg and funnel cake, Larry stuck with corn dogs and frozen lemonade). This trip conclude with breakfast with our son, John, catching up on his life and work at Peterbilt.
November brought more rain and cooler evenings. We took advantage of the cooler weather and fired up our new wood stove, a red Vermont Castings Intrepid. There is nothing like the warmth of a fire in a wood stove. Sue had another foot surgery (her 8th), this time to remove a plate and screws from her left foot, big toe. Thanksgiving this year was a small affair, just Sue, me, and Jim Sheffield, a friend from the Bastrop County Amateur Radio Club.
December saw us finalizing our annual letter, inserting it into Christmas cards and mailing them. We hosted a 2nd annual Christmas cheer get-together at our home for our close friends and neighbors. John is moving to a new apartment, we will be helping his move this month. Then he will come to our home for Christmas Dinner.
We will ‘see’ you all next year!
Larry & Sue's Texas Adventures 