Outrunning the Rain & Cold - Nice try!

Like the title says, leaving the rain & cold behind was the plan. But every time I opened the door of the truck, Oscar would stick his head out to check the weather and look up at me saying "Not yet , Pete, keep driving." He finally reminded me that "We are in charge of our attitude, no matter what the circumstances are!" (What a sage little puppy he can be . . .) So we got down to relaxin' and havin' fun . . .

Here's one of our stops - Poche's Fish-N-Camp, Breaux Bridge, La. Close enough to the highway to be convenient, yet far enough away to leave any trace of road noise behind, it's a quiet, family oriented destination with 50 acres of stocked fish ponds. You can practically fish out the back window of the RV if you're so inclined. Kids were outside with their parents day & night competing with the seagulls for some tasty morsels. In this picture of the Wonder Egg, you can see the quick flash of a hungry seagull on the prowl just above the truck. I believe we'll be back here again with grandkids. :)
Having a new kayak, we're on the lookout for great places for a bit of river relaxing. We found just the spot for when the weather warms up a bit. Adventures Unlimited
Located on Coldwater Creek, north of Milton, FL. Adventures Unlimited offers various water excursions for the canoe or kayak. You can enjoy anything from a 2 hour to a 3 day excursion meandering down remote rivers, peering into crystal clear waters or stopping at a pristine sandy beach for a picnic. Nice, real nice.
Here's Oscar's method of staying out of the puddles while I set up camp. HA!

At the very southern tip of the Florida panhandle, you find St George Island State Park where you can go camping, fishing, kayaking, birding, shelling, or just to enjoy the beach. The park has something for everyone. We thought we'd set anchor here for a little while, meeting some old friends and making new ones.

Sand dunes and pine trees . . . the Wonder Egg was right at home with it's pink flamingo dancing in the breeze.

Oscar has new best friends, part of the Schroeder family from Georgia. Paul is a Professor of Geology at University of Georgia. He travels worldwide with groups of students conducting research . . . sweeeeet! The kids are outgoing musicians, here are Hillary (floutist) and Dusty (french horn). We had a good time around their campfire.

Let the Wandering Begin!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are past, kids & grandkids are well, the weather is turning colder, so we're off on another adventure, seeking warmer weather and some warm spring fed rivers in Florida to go kayaking with our new Hobie Mirage Drive Sport! Woohoooo!!!!

Actually, I'll be kayaking and Oscar will be hanging out elsewhere since, as he says, he "doesn't DO water." (wimp)

We escaped shortly after sunrise, just as the rain and sleet started, getting out before the San Antonio drivers started playing bumper-cars as they usually do if it's not dry conditions on the road (aauugghh).

Itinerary is flexible . . . have a New Year's Day Florida-beach-hippie-wedding to attend at St George Island State Park (everyone attending must wear tie-dye). After that, perhaps a caravan of Eggs to Tampa . . . after that . . . ????????

Merry Christmas!

Pete & I wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas,

OSCAR

2009 Matagorda Madness

To all our dear friends gathering at the Matagorda Madness rally, Oscar and I are sad to say we will not be able to join you this year. Oscar has a nasty bronchial infection which we are battling with antibiotics, etc and we are laying low for a little while. We hope to see many of you at the upcoming Hill Country Hillapalooza.

We hope you have a great rally and many wonderful bonfires on the beach!

Lost Maples - Colors

Well . . . another tough week in the life of Oscar the Smiley Dog . . . such perfect weather and so many beautiful Texas State Parks to visit . . . I told Oscar he had to narrow it down to one and he selected Lost Maples State Natural Area so he could see the fall colors in the trees (his favorite thing!)

After selecting a nice spot, Oscar allowed me to set up the trailer and here's a photo he took when all was in place.
During the next morning's walk, Oscar was enthralled with the classic Airstream Safari parked across the meadow

The morning continued with a little kicked back coffee and reading a good book, "Three Cups of Tea," by Greg Mortenson.

After a bit of readin' & relaxin' we took off to hike and see the fall colors . . . here's a sampling.







That evening, by the campfire, we talked about the nice display of colors and began planning our next trip.