Catching Up (1)!

Fri 21 - Day 40 8 Miles on Foot
Bennett Spring State Park

Well it's been a week since our last really good hike. We decided to do the 7.7 mile Natural Tunnel Trail. The moderately strenuous rating amused us. The Crater Lake trail at Maroon Bells was also rated as moderately strenuous. That trail starts out at something over 10,000 feet and goes higher. The Tunnel trail starts out at about 300 feet and ends up at about the same elevation. There are a few steep hills between the beginning and end.
We got a workout to be sure. Sections of the trail are covered with loose rock making footing treacherous. In these sections, we moved slowly and made sure or footing was solid.
We finished the walk in just under 4 1/2 hours.
Back at the campsite, we grilled a couple of chops over the open fire after which we sat around the campfire and toasted marshmallows.
The rest of the evening was spent chilling.



Sat 22 - Day 41 Hot Air!
Ozark, Branson

Greetings Jeff, Maureen, Macy and Teagan! That's right, we're visiting family here in MO for a few days.
Our first objective was to meet the kids, but they were taking a nap. No problem, we'll get to know the family pets, two cats (Seraphina and ) and Kyle. After sizing us up, Kyle ran into the garage to get a ball. Apparently he wanted to play catch. Anna Maria obliged him by throwing the ball here, there and everywhere. They played for what seemed like 1/2 hour when Anna Marie speculated that Kyle would soon tire. Jeff and Maureen assured her that he'd continue playing even if the pads on his feet started to bleed. "He never quits," they offered. After another ten minutes, we thought it time to end the game. Maureen took the ball and hid it in the garage. After a few minutes, Kyle went to the garage and brought out another ball. He wanted to continue playing. Maureen confiscated this ball and hid it. All the while, Kyle kept an eye on Maureen to see where she was putting the ball.
By then, the kids were up and we got to talk with them as they became comfortable with their new guests, they got more chatty. We found them to be charming and delightful.
Jeff fired up the Big Green Egg and expertly BBQ'd a tri-tip. A great meal to be sure.
Following our repast, we piled into the car and headed out to Branson Creek for the evening portion of the Balloons over Branson Creek Day. As evening approached, hot air balloons were inflated. By the time it was dark, 14 gallons were ready to participate in the "fire off." the PA announcer lead the crowd in a countdown. At zero, each balloon pilot fired up and the gallons literally glowed. After another countdown, the pilot randomly fired and the balloons "flickered." What a sight! It was great a great evening.
Once home, the kids went to bed and the adults played Mexican Train.
After that, it was bedtime for everyone.



Sun 23 - Day 42 Fish Hatchery & Mini Golf
Ozark, Branson

Today, we accompanied Jeff and his family to the fish hatchery at Table Rock Lake. Tens of thousands of rainbow trout are raised for release into local waters.
Trout fishing is huge in MO., wich supports five such hatcheries throughout the state.
Amazingly, trout are not indigenous to MO waters so they must be raised and released. Fly tackle is most commonly used to catch them.
After our hatchery tour, we made our way to a mini golf facility in Branson. The kids had a great time and Jeff won a free game. Teagan, 3 years old, is very independent and wouldn't accept any help. She played all 18 holes herself!
Jeff made another sumptuous meal, pork chops, on the Big Green Egg.



Mon 24 - Day 43 Bass Pro Shop
Springfield, Ozark

We were up in time to go with Jeff and Maureen as they took Teagan to school. We left shortly after Macey's ride to school arrived.
After dropping off Teagan, we went to the Springfield Bass Pro Store. This is corporate HQ and the largest Bass Pro in the world. It is huge! We walked around looking at the displays and aquariums.
Jeff then took us on a tour of his Plasma Center. It is quite an operation. We haven't seen anything like it.



Tue 25 - Day 44 Leaving Ozark
Ozark, Wright Patman Lake

Sadly, it is time to push on and leave Ozark, MO. We had a wonderful visit with nephew Jeffrey, Maureen, and their kids, Macy and Teagan. Just getting to know the girls was a blast. We wished we could have stayed longer.

By the time we reprovisioned at WalMart, it was 0900, a late start when you have to cover almost 400 miles. We chose to drive Scenic 7 in Arkansas. Surely all the twists and turns added an hour or more to the drive. we stopped for lunch at the Cliffside Inn and had a great view of the "Arkansas Grand Canyon." Suffice it to say that it's not so grand. Pennsylvania's is much better, and that's only a shadow of the real thing!
Our goal was to get more than half way to Houston. We camped at the Wright Patman Lake, a Corps of Engineers facility for $8.00/night with water and electric.
Wright Patman Lake is located in the beautiful piney woods of northeast Texas. The lake includes about 30,000 surface acres of water and 50,000 acres of land. Numerous recreational opportunities are available including camping, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting, and wildlife viewing including wintering bald eagles, pelicans, and various migratory ducks. Local attractions include numerous festivals. Nearby Texarkana has numerous museums and points of interest including historic buildings and memorials, but we didn't take the time to see them. We're going to play with the Texas kids this week!



Wed 26 - Day 45 On the Road Again


5 1/2 hours on the road to Houston. There are some crazy turns on Highway 59, but the road was mostly four lanes with a 70 mph speed limit.
When we arrived, the twins were there and ready to play games. That we did!
Later in the day, all the kids showed up. The noise made us feel right at home.



Thu 27 - Day 46 Atascocita Eagles Marching Band
Humble

Visiting sister, nieces and nephew continues. Ran some errands, replaced some light bulbs and repaired a striker plate for Marje.
In the evening we went to a high school football game. Our purpose was to see the band march at half time. One of the kids is in the band.
It's an award winning military marching band and they were spectacular. It rained during their performance, but that didn't seem to bother anyone.
It was a most enjoyable evening.



Fri 28 - Day 47 Playing with the Kids
Humble

Another day of playing with the kid!
Yesterday, we found a fuel leak while getting an oil change for the truck. Our mission today was to find a repair shop that could stop it, after my attempts failed.
As luck would have it, we found a great mechanic who was able to diagnose the problem and get the part delivered in about ten minutes.
The part was pricey, but the labor was very reasonable. What's best is that the service was great and the people were pleasant and very helpful. It's hard to imagine, but we had a great experience at the repair shop!
We had dinner out with most of the kids, two nieces and sister and dessert at one Renie's home. What a great time.
The guitar was delivered while we were out, so I put it through it's paces before hitting the sack.
First impressions:
Nice bottom end. I like deep, booming bass tones and this guitar seem to have them.
Decent treble as well.
The action is very good. It's easy to finger and hold, although fingering seems a bit sluggish. The good news is that there are no buzzes on any of the strings or frets.
Fit and finish are very good too. It looks like a much more expensive instrument.
Others have knocked the precision of the tuning pegs. So far, I don't see a problem. They turn smoothly and hold their position.
This guitar has also been criticized for not having precision in the fret placement. My first impression is that the harmonics are right on. The frets could be smoother or perhaps lower. I would expect them to "polish" with use.
Fingering seems sluggish. I'm not sure if it's related to the frets or the type of strings or both. Time will tell. If it doesn't start to feel faster in a few weeks, I'll change the strings.




Sat 29 - Day 48 Dinner at Jen's
Humble

Took a trip to the local music store and Guitar Center. Scoped out the least expensive diesel fuel stations for tomorrow's fill up.
Walked to Jenny's house, 2.6 miles round trip. Had a great dinner and fun with the kids (again)! Thanks, Jen!



Sun 30 - Day 49 Dinner and a Football Game
Humble

Our only two errands were to do a little provisioning for the next leg of our journey and to fill the truck with fuel. We accomplished both jobs at the local WalMart.
We had some time to play with the kids but by mid-afternoon it was time to bid farewell to both nieces and their kids. We had a wonderful visit with all of them.
We were invited to Chuck's for dinner and the Eagles football game. The dinner was spectacular and the Eagles trounced the team from Dallas. Thanks, Chuck!




Mon 31 - Day 50 Fairview Riverside State Park
Fairview Riverside State Park

Goodbye Marje! What a blast we had in Houston. Lots of fun and food. Too much food, in fact. It was hard to say goodbye, but we pulled ourselves away and headed east along I-10. We made it as far as Madisonville, LA, where we camped at Fairview Riverside State Park (water & electric for $22.00).
This is a beautiful park; well maintained, clean, large sites and on the Tchefuncte River.
We had enough time to take a walk in the park (watch for Alligators) and cook on their grill before dark. As the sun set, the mosquitoes came out in force. We walked around the campground. As long as we stayed on the blacktop, we were safe.
In the evening hours, we planned tomorrow's route and destination before hitting the sack.
NOTE: We had an accident with the trailer today. As we were pulling out of Marje's driveway, the trailer detached from the hitch and landed on the truck. It appears that there was little damage. Some of the aluminum siding got dented and gouged when it hit the trick. We'll have to look at getting it repaired sometime.