On The Road Again
Wasn’t that a Willie Nelson hit? My favorite line is "Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. We’re the best of friends and insisting that the world keep turnin’ our way - and our way.......is on the road again." I think that’s us. We’re beginning to feel like gypsies - just moving from place to place. But I’ve always thought of gypsies as happy people, so I guess it’s an o.k. thing to be.
We left the cabin on the North Shore on Thursday the 2nd of August. We’d considered leaving Wednesday, since Dawn and Carly and her Girl Scout troop were arriving Thursday evening, but we were in no hurry to leave this beautiful spot. Well, it was a good thing because Wednesday afternoon a Minneapolis bridge on I-35 that crosses the Mississippi River suddenly collapsed! It was loaded with cars and many went into the river below killing and injuring several people. Three family members called us Wednesday night to tell us of the disaster and to give us alternate routes back to Bloomington. The accident is still being investigated to determine the cause of the bridge just breaking apart.
Back at Scott’s house, we were happy to see Scott, Raelene, Taylor and Zach who continue to enjoy the various sporting events in which they’re involved. On Friday, Taylor and Zach invited us to go to Camp Snoopy, an amusement park within the Mall of America. We rode as many rides as we could and all had a good time. (See photos) Saturday afternoon Craig, Leslie and Kristina came over to say goodbye and later Doug and Scott cooked us a nice dinner for our last evening together. Raelene left early Sunday morning for a business trip to San Francisco and shortly after we loaded our car and headed south. Since our freighter trip was pushed out a week, we decided to spend that time visiting friends in San Antonio and San Diego and to spend time with Julie and Doug in Phoenix.
The two-day drive to San Antonio, with an overnight stop in Wichita, Kansas, was uneventful and we arrived at Carmen & David’s Monday evening, the 6th of August. What a nice neighborhood and home they’ve made in their new townhouse in downtown San Antonio. We enjoyed the nearby River Walk area and tried several nearby restaurants, plus a fun evening at the local German Club where we met many of their friends.
Wednesday morning we caught a flight to Phoenix and spent three fun days with Julie and Doug. We had been hearing the continuing saga of their patio cat, Christi Brinkley, who they adopted several months ago. After rescuing her from near starvation, they were happy to see her gaining weight until they learned she was pregnant. Well, one day she disappeared and came back two days later skinny (well, she is a model). But they didn’t know where she had the kittens and they feared they didn’t survive. Well, the day we arrived, she showed up with a little black bundle of fur. He/she is soooo adorable! The next day she appeared with the black one plus a cute little tabby. Day three she arrived with the black, the tabby and surprise, surprise, two more tabbies. So, in addition to Maui and Sachi (their two indoor Siamese cats) they now have seven cats and are scratching their heads and saying: How did this happen? That’s a lot of kitties to take care of and and big concern was the heat on the patio - with temperatures over 100 degrees. So, after we left for San Diego, they bought a playpen and put Christi and the kittens in the guest room and seriously started looking for some adoptive families.
It was great to be back in San Diego where it was warm but not nearly as hot as San Antonio and Phoenix. We spent the first night with Wally & Nancy who had also invited China & Cliff for dinner. It was just like old times. After breakfast at their club, we drove downtown in time for services at First Lutheran Church. It was so nice to see our friends there - especially Joe & Beth Slevcove with their new baby, Allena, who was born just three weeks ago. Sunday evening we got together with Carol & Colin Gardyne at Connie Leigh’s condo. After a fun evening of food & wine, we all walked to the newly opened Gelato shop in Little Italy for dessert. We stayed in our old neighborhood at the Little Italy Inn and felt right at home. Monday night, China & Cliff had us over for dinner and also included Wally & Nancy and we continued the party from Saturday night. We checked out some condo prices and availability in our continuing search for our next home. Tuesday morning we flew back to Phoenix and had two more nights with Julie & Doug and the menagerie of cats. It was sad to leave knowing that we wouldn’t have a chance to see each other for four months.
Returning to San Antonio was a real challenge, with a delayed flight, missed connection, renting a car and driving for four hours in the rain, etc. but I won’t bore my readers with the details. Enough to say that instead of arriving in San Antonio at 2:00 PM, we arrived about 10:15, very tired and disappointed we didn’t get to take Carmen & David to dinner at a favorite restaurant but instead had a very marginal meal at a roadside country kitchen. The joys of travel.
The weekend at Lake LBJ, visiting Ted & Marietta Johns, was great. Carmen & David drove their car and we drove ours since the Johns’ very generously offered to have us leave it at their house while we’re off sailing around the world. They moved here to this beautiful spot about two years ago and it’s an amazing place - four bedrooms in the main house and a bunkhouse that sleeps eight (for when the grandchildren come). We had lots of fun catching up on everyone’s lives and travels and enjoyed lots of good food and wine. We swam in the pool and went down the slide into the lake, and Captain Ted gave us a tour of Lake LBJ by boat. We visited Johnson City, the home of former President Lyndon Johnson and the LBJ National Historical Park on the Pedernales River. Lyndon and Lady Bird, who passed away earlier this year, loved this land and are buried here. I can see why the Johnsons, and now Ted & Marietta, love the Hill Country of Texas which is between the eastern softer more humid area and the western high plains, plateaus, and desert areas of Texas. There are beautiful stone houses made from the local limestone, cattle farms, fields and fields of wildflowers in season, and deer that wander freely everywhere.
After a wonderful breakfast and more great conversation, we left this beautiful setting and rode back to San Antonio with Carmen & David. We transferred our luggage to our rental car and headed for Houston and our next adventure.
Wasn’t that a Willie Nelson hit? My favorite line is "Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. We’re the best of friends and insisting that the world keep turnin’ our way - and our way.......is on the road again." I think that’s us. We’re beginning to feel like gypsies - just moving from place to place. But I’ve always thought of gypsies as happy people, so I guess it’s an o.k. thing to be.
We left the cabin on the North Shore on Thursday the 2nd of August. We’d considered leaving Wednesday, since Dawn and Carly and her Girl Scout troop were arriving Thursday evening, but we were in no hurry to leave this beautiful spot. Well, it was a good thing because Wednesday afternoon a Minneapolis bridge on I-35 that crosses the Mississippi River suddenly collapsed! It was loaded with cars and many went into the river below killing and injuring several people. Three family members called us Wednesday night to tell us of the disaster and to give us alternate routes back to Bloomington. The accident is still being investigated to determine the cause of the bridge just breaking apart.
Back at Scott’s house, we were happy to see Scott, Raelene, Taylor and Zach who continue to enjoy the various sporting events in which they’re involved. On Friday, Taylor and Zach invited us to go to Camp Snoopy, an amusement park within the Mall of America. We rode as many rides as we could and all had a good time. (See photos) Saturday afternoon Craig, Leslie and Kristina came over to say goodbye and later Doug and Scott cooked us a nice dinner for our last evening together. Raelene left early Sunday morning for a business trip to San Francisco and shortly after we loaded our car and headed south. Since our freighter trip was pushed out a week, we decided to spend that time visiting friends in San Antonio and San Diego and to spend time with Julie and Doug in Phoenix.
The two-day drive to San Antonio, with an overnight stop in Wichita, Kansas, was uneventful and we arrived at Carmen & David’s Monday evening, the 6th of August. What a nice neighborhood and home they’ve made in their new townhouse in downtown San Antonio. We enjoyed the nearby River Walk area and tried several nearby restaurants, plus a fun evening at the local German Club where we met many of their friends.
Wednesday morning we caught a flight to Phoenix and spent three fun days with Julie and Doug. We had been hearing the continuing saga of their patio cat, Christi Brinkley, who they adopted several months ago. After rescuing her from near starvation, they were happy to see her gaining weight until they learned she was pregnant. Well, one day she disappeared and came back two days later skinny (well, she is a model). But they didn’t know where she had the kittens and they feared they didn’t survive. Well, the day we arrived, she showed up with a little black bundle of fur. He/she is soooo adorable! The next day she appeared with the black one plus a cute little tabby. Day three she arrived with the black, the tabby and surprise, surprise, two more tabbies. So, in addition to Maui and Sachi (their two indoor Siamese cats) they now have seven cats and are scratching their heads and saying: How did this happen? That’s a lot of kitties to take care of and and big concern was the heat on the patio - with temperatures over 100 degrees. So, after we left for San Diego, they bought a playpen and put Christi and the kittens in the guest room and seriously started looking for some adoptive families.
It was great to be back in San Diego where it was warm but not nearly as hot as San Antonio and Phoenix. We spent the first night with Wally & Nancy who had also invited China & Cliff for dinner. It was just like old times. After breakfast at their club, we drove downtown in time for services at First Lutheran Church. It was so nice to see our friends there - especially Joe & Beth Slevcove with their new baby, Allena, who was born just three weeks ago. Sunday evening we got together with Carol & Colin Gardyne at Connie Leigh’s condo. After a fun evening of food & wine, we all walked to the newly opened Gelato shop in Little Italy for dessert. We stayed in our old neighborhood at the Little Italy Inn and felt right at home. Monday night, China & Cliff had us over for dinner and also included Wally & Nancy and we continued the party from Saturday night. We checked out some condo prices and availability in our continuing search for our next home. Tuesday morning we flew back to Phoenix and had two more nights with Julie & Doug and the menagerie of cats. It was sad to leave knowing that we wouldn’t have a chance to see each other for four months.
Returning to San Antonio was a real challenge, with a delayed flight, missed connection, renting a car and driving for four hours in the rain, etc. but I won’t bore my readers with the details. Enough to say that instead of arriving in San Antonio at 2:00 PM, we arrived about 10:15, very tired and disappointed we didn’t get to take Carmen & David to dinner at a favorite restaurant but instead had a very marginal meal at a roadside country kitchen. The joys of travel.
The weekend at Lake LBJ, visiting Ted & Marietta Johns, was great. Carmen & David drove their car and we drove ours since the Johns’ very generously offered to have us leave it at their house while we’re off sailing around the world. They moved here to this beautiful spot about two years ago and it’s an amazing place - four bedrooms in the main house and a bunkhouse that sleeps eight (for when the grandchildren come). We had lots of fun catching up on everyone’s lives and travels and enjoyed lots of good food and wine. We swam in the pool and went down the slide into the lake, and Captain Ted gave us a tour of Lake LBJ by boat. We visited Johnson City, the home of former President Lyndon Johnson and the LBJ National Historical Park on the Pedernales River. Lyndon and Lady Bird, who passed away earlier this year, loved this land and are buried here. I can see why the Johnsons, and now Ted & Marietta, love the Hill Country of Texas which is between the eastern softer more humid area and the western high plains, plateaus, and desert areas of Texas. There are beautiful stone houses made from the local limestone, cattle farms, fields and fields of wildflowers in season, and deer that wander freely everywhere.
After a wonderful breakfast and more great conversation, we left this beautiful setting and rode back to San Antonio with Carmen & David. We transferred our luggage to our rental car and headed for Houston and our next adventure.
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