WHERE WE ARE NOW

after we left fredericksburg we headed west and have been in new mexico ..we went to the guadalupe mountains and the mountain is the picture is "el captian" the hightest peak in texas...

we have also seen blue bonnets along the highway in texas...they were just beginning to bloom and in a week the hill sides ought to be in fuill bloom with them...a beautiful sight...

but right now we are in willcox, az..funny thing about here is that we put our clocks/watches ahead to daylight saving time..then this afternoon we decided to watch the 5pm news and guess what the news kep saying the 4 o'clock news..we just weren't sure as to what time we were in..so lar went to check with the campground owners..guess what arizona DOES NOT honor dahylight saving time so we went back another hour...go figure..so we aren't sure what time it really is or isn't...we will just do our own thing on what ever time we thin we are on..

lar wantd to go to the rex allen museum and when we got there we thought we would only have 10 minutes to see it so we decided not to go in...but come to find out we would have had over an hour due to the time not being on daylight saving time...oh well...

life continues to b e good...still way to much to see and do ..sure is a deverse coun try that god made for us to enjoy

BURROWING OWLS

in fort stockton, tx there really is a fort called fort stockton so of course we went...needed to see what it was all about...while we were outside the lady in shrge came outside to tell us about some burrowing owls and told us where they were burrowing..of course we had to go check them out..indeed we saw the owl some out and peek at us then she came out and flew around trying to scare us away but did we go NO....

PACIFIC WAR MUSEUM

yesterday aaron came up from san antonio to spend the day with us (those who don't know aaron he is a son from good friends back home)-we have been trtingto get together since we arrived in round rock and due to his schedule and ours we finally got together here in johnson city..

so off we went to fredericksburg and the pacific war museum--i knew it was going to be a long time at the museum but 5 hrs later we walked out...so i got a wee bit of war overload..it was interesting but after time it got to be a wee bit too much for me..especially when they were talking about islands i had never heard of..

lar had suggested that we have coffee and a treat before we start the museum and it was a good thing we did as we were in there so long..after the mnuseum we went to one of the german restaurants in the area..good food..

now on our way home aaron had suggested along with our friends mem & lar that we go to luckenbach --where willy nelson sang a song about it...it is less that a one horse town and most interesting..a place we could all go to and have a good time..it is a outside bar with people just sitting around strumming on their guitars with a group or alone..we were only there about an hr ads we had to get home and take mitch for a walk as we are sure his legs were crossed...so if any of you are in the area mark it as a place to visit..you'll have fun..

- the out houses (working bathrooms)

LBJ DAY

today was LBJ day as in the president johnson ...first we went to his boyhood home and tour where his grandparents lived and had a farm...then on to his ranch and the texas white house...

the texas white house

most interesting info we found out,,they own over 2,000 acres of land and he gave some of it to his pilots who flew him around and also some of his help tha tdid different things for him...

now you know we are in texas when you see a long horn!!!!!

we saw many wildflowers but as we have heard we have not seen the most of it..have seen a few bluebonnets along the highway but not to get out and get a picture of them yet...lots of wildflowers seeds available for planting ...we have been seeing lots and doing lots of stuff..no way woul;d we ever have thought that there was so much to see and do in the good old usa silly us..some days we have only driven 50-80 miles and stopped for a few daysas there has be en things we want to see and do ..so at the rate we are going who knows how long this trip might us

MONDAY

we left round rock this early afternoon around 1pm after matt delivered our mail from back home...our plan was NOT to drive thru austin so we went a wee bit north and we wanted to go to johnson city where there is a LBJ national

site and museum also near by there is a nimitz (national park of the pacific war) and in a town near by called fredericksburg (german flavor) which is suppose to have alot of neat stuff to see and o..so why not it is on our way to where ever we are going and right now we aren't sure of that...

on sat matt and lindsay had a b-b-q to celebrate lindsay 25 b/day..some of their friends came and it was nice meeting those who we have heard about now we can put a face to the name...matt smoked a beef brisquit and then put some speedies on the grill that he marinated in state fair sauce ==yep NYS state fair marinate...i am not sure which i liked the best the beef or chicken both were very good and tasty..sunday we went to church with them a very casual church where even the pastor wore jeans...some good music and message if we lived in the area we sure would go several times to see if it would be what we wanted in an church...it just seems to fill the bill for down here in texas...god didn't say everyone has to wear a tie and dress up and i guess that is kinda the feeling..the message was scripture based and made us all stop and think about life...

then after church basket ball was on the schedule..some of you know that cornell was playing wisconsin and our plan was to watch the game as lar and tom had a bet on it (5 lbs to the winner wisconsin cheese or new york cheese)..so we grab some lunch and sit down to watch the game...NO can you believe donw here they only wanted to show games where a texas team was playing or a neighboring state...can you believe that so we did NOT get to watch the game only saw the score was time to time...YES WE KNOW CORNELL WON!!!!.... so instead of watching basketball one of the sports station had the cornell girls hockey game and they were playing for the championship so we watch that instesad and that game went into 3 overtimes and was won on the final few seconds of the 3 overtime...and cornell did not win...they have nothing to be ashamed of they played a great game...

so it has been a sports filled weekend and upstate NY teams go on in the NCAA's b/ball round...so hopefully wehre we will be next we can see cornell play...so

GO CORNELL

BATS

we went to the habitat site yesterfay and we were given some odd jobs to do..some that had been forgotten ...at this habitat site it appears that they have lots of local volunteers that come on their assigned days...they build lots of houses up to 27 a year and there are also some churchs/groups that do a house by themselves so the house they do is the one they are assigned to..so it appears that they don't really need drop-ins like us..so early next week we are heading west ..so we won't be staying the full 2 weeks here..

now last night we went to the bridge here in round rock to see the bats...in austin and round rock there are bridges where they seem to spend there nights at..so after a trip to sams's club we went to the bridge just in time...we parked a looked into the skies the bats we beginning to go find their nightly meal and there were millions of them and i mean millions they just kept coming and coming and coming for at least a half hour...what a site it was something if any of you are in ausitn/round rock area it is a must to see...but it only happens in the spring..one of the highlights of the trip so far.....

I GOOFED

i guess the flowers in one f the picture i posted a few days ago and called lillies of the valley aren't that at all but snow drops silly me...oh well i just don't know my flowers...

today is a day off and so matt took a half a day and lar is helping him but in a roof fan to help pull the HOT air out of their house..in the summer it gets quite hot here and they are hoping that it helps cool the house even with the A/C...

right now we aren't sure if we will stay another week as there really isn't much work at the habitat site for us to do...we will go tomorrow and get a feel for exactly what there is to do..the commute in isn't a piece of cake let me tell you...interstate 35 that goes in to austin in the ts....very busy highway which we just aren't used too...still need to go find us a amy's for some good ice cream but haven't had time for that yet...hopefully this weekend...way to much to do and not enough tie to do it all...

AUSTIN,TX

wwe are ow in austin,tx and will be here a few days visiting mat and lindsay.. it has been an uneventful adventure so far but as you know with us it is always subject to change..ahhaha...

today we went to the habitat site where we thought we might be working got there early 7:45 and waited till 9am to make a call only to find out that they are now working in south austin so away we went to the job site arrived in time for coffee break around 10am....we ere given a few jobsto do but nothing we couldn't handle a we bit of painting and putting up a shower curtain rod...lunch time and back to painting got the job done and we left around 2:30 ...the traffic in and around austin is something to behold...very busy and we aren't sure where everyone is going to or from..the highway soming and going was very busy and the traffic got backed up..ugh we just aren't used to that kinda of traffic again ugh...habitat only works 3 days a week wed-fri-sat we will onky work 2 days and leave the weekend free to do things with matt and lindsay...

ROUND ROCK, TX

we are now in round rock ,tx outside austin and are in the process of contacting the habitat office to check if they ned us...wwe spent yresterday with lindsey and matt and tonight we are goingto go see blind side for only .50c there's a movie theatre that has cheap prices so why not...

now don't be surprised if there isn't mucj on the blog as we have to come to the office in order to get any wi-fi and it just might not be handy...

one thing we were told by matt and lindsey is we have to go ut for ice cream and amy's also a friend back home barb.w. also told me it is a must do thing so it is on our schedule one of these days...also to go to an ikea store which is just around the corner from whre we are...rain in forecast for this afternoon...

lots going on here in austin carnival-rodeo-film fest-music fest-b-b-q's-so who knows how much time we might have to work ...

MUSEUM "OUT"

first off we started the day by going out to breakfast a nice treat and good breakfast...then we decided to go to sam houston grave ...and then walked around the cementry most interesting and we had a map of who was buried where and a wee little bit of a bio of each one...after which

we went to the texas prison museum...now here in huntsville it almost appears that there is a prison for every mile a person drives...but anyway there is a museum here..a movie first on how the texas prison try to help the prisoners with trades --there is even a prison that has horses and i mean lost of them for the prisoner to work with and learn about horses..at one time here in huntsville they even held a prison rodeo and was very popular with people from all over texas to come and watch...even a picture of an electric chair last used in the early 80's...not sure how many prison here in huntsville but several of them...even a story about bonnie and clyde

then on to a veterns museum where we had our own private guide and he told us plenty of stories about he museum and of people with there pictures hanging on the wall..(lar would have liked him to leave so he could read more about stuff) but if the happened we would still be ther pass midnight...after we got thru there we both said NO more museums for today..so

tomorrow we may do a waking tour of hutsville and another museum only wish i could remember about everything we have seen and read about...

THURS AFTERNOON

as i stated before we have arrived here in huntsvills and were going to go visit a prison museum but decided that layte afternoon was not the time to do so ans it would probally close before larry got thru reading all he wanted so instead we just checked out the area...found the visitors center and the lady was most helpful as to what we should see and places we ought to go...a short hike to a HUGE statue of sam houstan who was famous in the war of independence

between mexico and texas...also the almao but he wasn't there at the time of the fight...

and as you can see there are lillies of the valley blooming along with other flowers not sure if we will see the famous texan blue bonnet all a bloom sure hope so...

these highways in huntsville sure are crazy..at one minute you think oh my they are going in the wrong direction towards us so we turn but if we kept in the direction we were going it was ok...highways that go this way then that around and then who knows..

we found out at the visitors that next sweek is SPRING break for the whole state of texas and their schools both public and colleges...so who knows what we might encounter...she said to stay away from san antonio and i guess we will...also 6 flags not a problem for us ahhaha (it is an amusement park for those who don't know)

so our sdventure continues...

MARCH 11

where has the time gone...beats me most days we aren't even sure what day of the week it is...first the pictures the houses areof the lowq rent district in lake chalres, la ahhaah...and the other is of a log cabin we saw in livingston, tx...

arrived in huntsvills, tx before noon today..as it was only an hr and half from where we were..now it is time to go visit a prison and a vetern museum here...we decided to stay here for 3 days before mocing on the austin/round rock...need some more R&R...

TEXAS

we are now in texas and left lousiana in a rain storm almost as bad as last spring leaving washington, d.c..traffic very heacy and we didn't want to go near houston so we headed north--which now finds us in livingsonton, texas the home of escapees (a n rv club we beloing to)...not much to do here but relax..lots of activities going on in the park but we are out and about..found alibrary to do some wi-fi as the parks charges for it...

lar is in HOG heaven with the country western music and i just listen to it..some not bad but then the newer stuff i con live without..this morning we listened to a oldies station which was much better and i even knew sime songs..lar thouht he and mitch were in the barn back home...

sun is finally out today..wish i put on some shorter pants..we will be here for a couople of days before moving on not sure where we will head to from here ..but down the road.....

ADVENTURE

yesterday we decided to betourists so off we went to a local museum we were the only ones there but it had some interesting history in it..even a 375 year live oak tree outside of course...what a wonderful tree for kids to climb and play in..

then off to a mardi gras museum..all we saw was some of the outfits they were in the parade as it wasn't all opened ..so we just looked at them and said on my glad we didn't have to buy them and then werar them.....

there is a local sausage called boudin (boo-dan) made with different kinds of meat and seafood and of course rice and spices..we had a pamphlet with lots of boudin info in it and some of the places to go sample it..so we picked one and off we went ..the GPS said it was only a couple of miles where we were so that is the one we went too..in we walk a small deli and we thought we might buy a sandwich OH NO ..you just buy it ..so the next thing we know we are in the back of the deli where they make it and the one we thought was the owner got us a piece of mild and hot..now for the rest of the story everyone had a small paper bag and in it was a can of beer so of course we also had to do this...not sure why it had to be in a paper bag but that is the way they were drinking it so we just did the same...we learnt all about making the sausage got a tour of the smoker-kitchen and by the time we left they were like are next best buddies...what wonderful people in the cajan part of lousiana...so friendly and helpful..we will return to this part again...it has a big star on the map of places to return too....so as you can see the adventure goes on and on and we are enjoying it....even found out i have relatives here in lake charles...may lookthem up if i can find a phone book....

LAKE CHARLES

first i'll tell about the pictures..some of the after math of katrina along the highway down to grand isle, la--a typical cementry in la-and the one with water n it is a rice/crawfish farm..

the rice is grown in flooded fields and in the spring most of the farms also have crawfish--for some reason crawfish and rice like each other and a farmer can get 2 crops in one field...the rice is planted by airplane and the crawfish onl.y haveto be seeded once...when it gets hot the burrow down in the mud and when it starts to warm up in the spring they came alive and start growing big in the flooded fields...so it is not uncommon to be driving along the highway and see boats out in the fields harvesting the crawfish ..the prime season is about now so we have seen many boats out in fields..

we have spent a couple of night in abbeville, la and a campfround called betty's--nothing to brag about as far as the location but for the owner she is something ...we arrived about 4:15 one afternoon and was told that happy hour was at 4:30 so of course we hurried up to set up and pour a glass of wine to go to happy hour...what a hot it was...then it was discussed by several men who were also camping there asking about wood as they wanted to buy some for the hobbies...betty said she knew of a place and whoever wanted to go be ready by 10 the next morning...so of course we were ready (not many campground owners lead a field trip)...so of we went and we weren't sure where we were heading but out in the country..finally arrived and the man is a turner (one who makes bowls) had been a sugar cane farmere but retired from the to do his hobby of making bowls...he explained al aobut the cyrress wod and how he has to get it and then made a bowl in about 1/2 hr..mmost interesting...oh of course we bought some wood...then on to a rice mill and a tour --that's where we learned about the rice/crawfish fields...back to camp to a dish to pass dinner (again not many campgrounds have dish top pass by the owners)...today if we had stayed we could have gone on swamp tour but betty didn't hhve room for us for another night as our spot was being taken by someone else who had reservations...oh well it is marked in the book as someplace we would return too..

so today finds us still in lousiana at sam houston jones state park--where we plan on being for the next 3 days....sure don't want to travel too fast or far..too many things to see and do first..but in 3 days we ought to be in texas not sure where but texas..we've had sun for a couple of days but it still isn't above 60...but the grass is turning green as a matter offact we have seen some mowing their lawns..just think spring is just around the corner...

BACK

we have been to grand isle and we had to go to the office in order to get any wi-fi signal so it has been not so easy to do any blogging..but we are now at a camoground in abeville , la that seems to have good wifi..funny how much it is kiinda missed when it isn\'t available...

as you can see we've been busy with seafood...one day we caught some blue crabs--more work to eat but still it ws fun to catch them and lar got bit by one...to see it hanging from his finger was kinda funny (so i thought it wasn't my finger)...cooken them uo for dinner along with a red fish that was given to us..

then the next day we took a ride around town which took 20 minutes and bought some fresh shrimp 3.50 a pound..back to the rig to take the head off and cook them up for dinner again a nother good meal...

grand isle is most interesting it is country with out much to see or even do unless you like to fish..the big industry there is fishing or the oil/gas...every day more than a person could count helicopters are flying out to the oil rigs ..and when the sea is calm the boats are going out to fish and come back to sell there catch...there are ships that go way out and freeze the fish/shrimp they catch and that is probally what we are buying in the stores...

still lost of hurricane damage visible--houses cars/trucks in the sea--building just left and it appears that no one is coming back to them...no way for us to know if it was katrina or one of the other hurricanes..we talked to several people and are asked what brings us there and we say we are volunteering for habitat and the locals all say thank you for coming down to help...just a good feeling to still be thanked....we are getting as much and even more out of this helping out

the sun was out most of the day and it felt nice but the temps only got to be about 50..soon we wil lbe on our way to texas....

a