Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 75 degrees, clear skies
We woke to clear blue skies this morning, which was quite a difference from yesterday morning. I like this kind of weather, and it energizes me. When I finished my morning walk, we talked about what we would do to take advantage of the beautiful day. Carolyn suggested we repair a day/night shade that had been causing us some problems.
"Uhhh", I said, "I don't know If I want to get into that, Dear".
Needless to say, the repair became the priority for the day. We didn't have the material to do the repair, so that meant a drive to San Marcos to the Hobby Lobby. We looked high and low for the string we needed, with little success. Finally, I asked a clerk where to look. He said if they had any, it would be in one of three places. The last place we looked had what we were looking for, so we bought enough for several shade repairs. Nothing like looking ahead.
On the way home, we stopped at HEB and picked up a few groceries. By the time we were back to the RV, it was time for a little meditation. Then, on to the great day/night shade repair.
Several days ago, I had contacted the shade manufacturer about directions on how to repair them, and directions were sent via e-mail. The directions looked fairly easy to follow, so how hard could this be? Famous last words.
I removed the valance over the shade, then the shade itself. Following the directions, we discovered we didn't have all the parts needed for the repair. I jumped in the truck and drove to an Ace Hardware about 10 miles away. No luck there. Then on down to the local NAPA store, looking for some crimps to hold the string in place at the top of the shade. The NAPA store had something that would work, so I bought the amount needed.
Back at the RV, we measured out two pieces of string about five feet longer than the directions said we needed. Remember the old adage measure twice, cut once? Well, it worked, and we had the two pieces of string needed. Then we used the crimps I had to go buy to connect the string to a spring at the top of the shade. Worked perfectly. Then the directions really came in handy, as we had to run the string through the shade. We used a big needle to run everything through the holes. Without the directions, we would not have known to cross the string at a certain point.
Holding the shade together so it would not unfold, we reinstalled the shade over the window. It took two of us to hold the shade and install it to keep it from unfolding. Once the top was installed, we had to set the tension of the strings, and then tie them off at the bottom. We think the biggest problem with these shades is that the RV factory sets the tension too high when installing the shades, resulting in breaking the strings. The manufacturer said to set the tension just high enough to hold the shade in place.
At this time, the shade seems to be working well, and is easier to raise and lower than the others in the RV. We've decided to adjust the tension on the others to lessen the chance that they will break.
Was this a frustrating job at times? Yes, it was. We couldn't have done the repair without the directions, but we had to figure out some of the steps ourselves. Do we want to do it again? NO! But, the odds are that we will have to eventually. The consolation is that we know how to do this repair now, and any future ones will be faster and easier.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Savannah, Georgia: Most Mannerly City
Not all who wander are lost.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 60 degrees, high 70 degrees, cloudy and fog until mid-afternoon, then clear skies
The weather was so yucky this morning and up until about 1500 that we decided to stay at home today. This kind of weather is not conducive to good sightseeing, and it's almost a waste of time to take any pictures. We discussed when we'll leave here, and where we'll go. After looking at the map and reviewing what is around several towns, we decided we would move to Kerrville on Sunday.
Why Kerrville? Well, we've not been there, it's still in the hill country, it's a fairly small town (~20,000 people), the kind of shopping we like is available (WalMart Mall, HEB, Chili's, etc.), and there seems to be a lot to see and do there and in the general area. Actually, those reasons are more than we need to go somewhere, but they are all good ones.
This is our site in Potter's Creek COE Park on Canyon Lake. This picture was taken late this afternoon just after I finished cleaning up the RV. When we moved here from Taylor last week, we drove through some light rain on I-35 that made the RV and truck filthy.
Potter's Creek is a nice park, and we have enjoyed our time here. The biggest negative is that we have to drive so far to get to shopping if we need anything. I'm talking at least 30 miles. However, the positives about the park outweigh the negatives.
When we were at Guadalupe River State Park yesterday, we saw some of the smallest pecans we have ever seen. I wonder how many of these pecans it would take to make a pie, and how long it would take to shell them? I don't know if the squirrels would bother with something this small. I have a nut picker upper (is that a real name for a tool?) that would allow these little guys to fall out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Akron, Ohio: Lil’ A-Town
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 60 degrees, high 70 degrees, cloudy and fog until mid-afternoon, then clear skies
The weather was so yucky this morning and up until about 1500 that we decided to stay at home today. This kind of weather is not conducive to good sightseeing, and it's almost a waste of time to take any pictures. We discussed when we'll leave here, and where we'll go. After looking at the map and reviewing what is around several towns, we decided we would move to Kerrville on Sunday.
Why Kerrville? Well, we've not been there, it's still in the hill country, it's a fairly small town (~20,000 people), the kind of shopping we like is available (WalMart Mall, HEB, Chili's, etc.), and there seems to be a lot to see and do there and in the general area. Actually, those reasons are more than we need to go somewhere, but they are all good ones.
This is our site in Potter's Creek COE Park on Canyon Lake. This picture was taken late this afternoon just after I finished cleaning up the RV. When we moved here from Taylor last week, we drove through some light rain on I-35 that made the RV and truck filthy.Potter's Creek is a nice park, and we have enjoyed our time here. The biggest negative is that we have to drive so far to get to shopping if we need anything. I'm talking at least 30 miles. However, the positives about the park outweigh the negatives.
When we were at Guadalupe River State Park yesterday, we saw some of the smallest pecans we have ever seen. I wonder how many of these pecans it would take to make a pie, and how long it would take to shell them? I don't know if the squirrels would bother with something this small. I have a nut picker upper (is that a real name for a tool?) that would allow these little guys to fall out.More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Akron, Ohio: Lil’ A-Town
Not all who wander are lost.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Boerne, Texas
Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 70 degrees, fog and clouds until about 1100 hours, then partly cloudy skies
We woke to heavy fog again this morning, so held off on doing anything away from the RV until some of the fog was gone. When we left, we decided to check out the Boerne area. Usually, when we go a drive, we try to take a route that allows us to take a circle so we can see new country each way. This time was no exception, as we took FM 306 to US 281, and then turned off on to another road that I can't recall the number of at this time. Imagine our surprise to find a creek named after us! Note the flood gauge behind the sign. When there are flash floods in this part of the country, those gauges are not to be ignored.
Here's the Kendall County courthouse, located in Boerne.
At Kendalia, which was basically a wide spot in the road, we turned onto a road leading to Bergheim, which is German for mountain home. The next road we turned on to was Texas 46 (I remembered!), which led us into Boerne. We didn't know what to expect when we were going to Boerne, but had thought the town would be like Fredericksburg. Well, in the sense that both towns have a flavor that attracts tourists, they are somewhat alike. My impression of Boerne, however, is that this town is not as dependent on tourism as Fredericksburg is. Boerne seems to have a more diverse economy, which may be helped by the fact that it is not far from San Antonio and I-10 runs on the outskirts of town.
Eventually, we headed back toward the RV, but stopped at Guadalupe River State Park, since it was on the way back. Note the color of the water, which is probably due to the minerals in the area. The state park was not busy today, but we could see that it would be very busy in the summer.
Our entire route was over what we would consider typical hill country terrain - rolling hills covered with oaks, mesquite, and juniper. We can see why it has become so popular and why so many people are moving here.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Boerne, Texas: A Texas Hill Country Original Since 1849
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 70 degrees, fog and clouds until about 1100 hours, then partly cloudy skies
We woke to heavy fog again this morning, so held off on doing anything away from the RV until some of the fog was gone. When we left, we decided to check out the Boerne area. Usually, when we go a drive, we try to take a route that allows us to take a circle so we can see new country each way. This time was no exception, as we took FM 306 to US 281, and then turned off on to another road that I can't recall the number of at this time. Imagine our surprise to find a creek named after us! Note the flood gauge behind the sign. When there are flash floods in this part of the country, those gauges are not to be ignored. 
Here's the Kendall County courthouse, located in Boerne.At Kendalia, which was basically a wide spot in the road, we turned onto a road leading to Bergheim, which is German for mountain home. The next road we turned on to was Texas 46 (I remembered!), which led us into Boerne. We didn't know what to expect when we were going to Boerne, but had thought the town would be like Fredericksburg. Well, in the sense that both towns have a flavor that attracts tourists, they are somewhat alike. My impression of Boerne, however, is that this town is not as dependent on tourism as Fredericksburg is. Boerne seems to have a more diverse economy, which may be helped by the fact that it is not far from San Antonio and I-10 runs on the outskirts of town.
Eventually, we headed back toward the RV, but stopped at Guadalupe River State Park, since it was on the way back. Note the color of the water, which is probably due to the minerals in the area. The state park was not busy today, but we could see that it would be very busy in the summer. Our entire route was over what we would consider typical hill country terrain - rolling hills covered with oaks, mesquite, and juniper. We can see why it has become so popular and why so many people are moving here.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Boerne, Texas: A Texas Hill Country Original Since 1849
Not all who wander are lost.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Leaking Toilet Bowl Seal
Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 70 degrees, fog until noon, then partly cloudy skies
Here's an example of the type of buck that we see here in the park. Look at that rack!
The day started with fog that was so thick that we decided to wait awhile before going anywhere. Eventually, it cleared enough that we went to the laundry in Startzville to wash our clothes. That little chore went well, so when we got home, I used our blue boy waste water transporter to empty our gray water tanks. Another job that went well, so then I decided to tackle a problem (again) that has been bugging us for about two weeks. The toilet bowl wouldn't hold water like it should. The seal was leaking, but several attempts at cleaning it did not make a difference. Last week, we took the toilet apart and cleaned the seal thoroughly (using rubber gloves!). Still no luck on stopping the leak. This afternoon, I took everything apart again, and examined the seal closer than I had before. I found two areas on the seal that were curling, which were apparently causing the leak.
I called the Camping World store in New Braunfels and told them what I was looking for. The store didn't have the part number we needed, but the salesman called Dometic to find out if there was another seal that would work. There was another seal that would work, and the store had one in stock. We drove to the store about 30 miles away and picked up the part. Carolyn did a walk through of the store to see if there was anything she wanted. Then back on the road to home, where I installed the new seal. At this time about five hours later, the repair seems to be working. Is success in my grasp? Oh, by the way, Camping World gave us great service. How many stores would have gone to the trouble they did? This type of service used to be the norm, but when I encounter it now, I'm surprised.
Just another day in the life of RVers.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Florence, South Carolina: A City of Character
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 70 degrees, fog until noon, then partly cloudy skies
Here's an example of the type of buck that we see here in the park. Look at that rack!The day started with fog that was so thick that we decided to wait awhile before going anywhere. Eventually, it cleared enough that we went to the laundry in Startzville to wash our clothes. That little chore went well, so when we got home, I used our blue boy waste water transporter to empty our gray water tanks. Another job that went well, so then I decided to tackle a problem (again) that has been bugging us for about two weeks. The toilet bowl wouldn't hold water like it should. The seal was leaking, but several attempts at cleaning it did not make a difference. Last week, we took the toilet apart and cleaned the seal thoroughly (using rubber gloves!). Still no luck on stopping the leak. This afternoon, I took everything apart again, and examined the seal closer than I had before. I found two areas on the seal that were curling, which were apparently causing the leak.
I called the Camping World store in New Braunfels and told them what I was looking for. The store didn't have the part number we needed, but the salesman called Dometic to find out if there was another seal that would work. There was another seal that would work, and the store had one in stock. We drove to the store about 30 miles away and picked up the part. Carolyn did a walk through of the store to see if there was anything she wanted. Then back on the road to home, where I installed the new seal. At this time about five hours later, the repair seems to be working. Is success in my grasp? Oh, by the way, Camping World gave us great service. How many stores would have gone to the trouble they did? This type of service used to be the norm, but when I encounter it now, I'm surprised.
Just another day in the life of RVers.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Florence, South Carolina: A City of Character
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Wimberley, Texas
Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 38 degrees, high 63 degrees, partly to mostly cloudy skies
Here's a picture of part of the Devil's Backbone, which we drove over yesterday. Beautiful views up there.
We took it easy this morning, and after a lunch of leftover pizza, decided to take a drive to Wimberley. Since we hadn't been there before, the GPS unit was powered up to show us the route. Three options were offered on which route to take, and we chose the shortest one. Well, now. That was a mistake. We went down one lane roads barely wide enough for the truck, across running creeks (in the water), up and down, and then, it happened. We were stopped by a gate with a sign saying the road was closed because of high water from the recent rains. This was on the one lane portion of the road, so we backed up and turned around, retracing our steps back to a main road.
On the way back to the main road, we stopped to take a picture of this waterfall. I have a feeling that the water doesn't flow most of the year. Still, it was a nice picture to take, and if we hadn't followed the GPS directions, we would have never seen it. Score one for the GPS.
I need to come up with a name for the GPS unit - wait a minute, it's coming to me. How's Ms. Garmin? That would fit the lady's voice that is so insistent that we follow her directions.
Eventually, we got straightened out on which direction to go to get to Wimberley, and it wasn't that hard to find. Wimberley is a small hill country town that was incorporated in 2000. It lies in the Wimberley Valley, and is surrounded by hills. The primary business appears to be tourism. The town is full of shops that cater to tourists, as well as lodging places. The Blanco River flows through the town, and is a popular tubing river in the summer. The town is quite pretty, and I have a feeling that there are so many people there in the summer and fall that it would be difficult to drive.
We had a good day. Beautiful scenery, adventure, got lost, no trains. What more could we ask for?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Wimberley, Texas: A Little Bit Of Heaven
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 38 degrees, high 63 degrees, partly to mostly cloudy skies
Here's a picture of part of the Devil's Backbone, which we drove over yesterday. Beautiful views up there.We took it easy this morning, and after a lunch of leftover pizza, decided to take a drive to Wimberley. Since we hadn't been there before, the GPS unit was powered up to show us the route. Three options were offered on which route to take, and we chose the shortest one. Well, now. That was a mistake. We went down one lane roads barely wide enough for the truck, across running creeks (in the water), up and down, and then, it happened. We were stopped by a gate with a sign saying the road was closed because of high water from the recent rains. This was on the one lane portion of the road, so we backed up and turned around, retracing our steps back to a main road.
On the way back to the main road, we stopped to take a picture of this waterfall. I have a feeling that the water doesn't flow most of the year. Still, it was a nice picture to take, and if we hadn't followed the GPS directions, we would have never seen it. Score one for the GPS. I need to come up with a name for the GPS unit - wait a minute, it's coming to me. How's Ms. Garmin? That would fit the lady's voice that is so insistent that we follow her directions.
Eventually, we got straightened out on which direction to go to get to Wimberley, and it wasn't that hard to find. Wimberley is a small hill country town that was incorporated in 2000. It lies in the Wimberley Valley, and is surrounded by hills. The primary business appears to be tourism. The town is full of shops that cater to tourists, as well as lodging places. The Blanco River flows through the town, and is a popular tubing river in the summer. The town is quite pretty, and I have a feeling that there are so many people there in the summer and fall that it would be difficult to drive. We had a good day. Beautiful scenery, adventure, got lost, no trains. What more could we ask for?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Wimberley, Texas: A Little Bit Of Heaven
Not all who wander are lost.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
San Marcos, Texas
Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 61 degrees, clearing in the morning, then cloudy late in the afternoon, windy
The rain passed through the area early this morning. About 0900 hours, the clouds went away, and it was good to see the sun. About 1000 hours, we decided to get out and about and see what was over toward San Marcos, about 25 miles east of where we are staying. We took FM 12, which wound through typical hill country terrain. A relatively short distance of the drive was on the Devil's Backbone. We had heard a lot about this area, and were surprised at how short that portion of the road is. Of course, it's probably good for Carolyn that it isn't any longer than it is, considering the problems she has with vertigo.
As in most cases, the picture doesn't do justice to what we saw.
Once we got into San Marcos, the courthouse called to me to take a picture of it. Unfortunately, I was unable to pull over and take one, so this is a picture I copied from the web. The style of architecture is considered to be Classical Revival. It was erected in 1908.
The downtown area of San Marcos is one of the most vibrant and alive ones we have seen. Many of the older towns we see have downtown areas that are dying, but not in this case. The town is the home of Texas State University, San Marcos, so that tends to bring a lot of energy to the town. Also, it doesn't hurt that I-35 runs through the east side of town.
While we were in town, we went to the WalMart Mall to pick up a few things we needed. Busy!!! Luckily, we were able to use one of the registers that took up to 20 items, and were able to get out quickly. Then we went down to Sam's Club (using the GPS unit to find it) for a few things we needed from there, including diesel.
By the time we headed home, Carolyn was starting to suffer a little from all the visual stimulation, which was affecting her vertigo. We decided to not make things worse, choosing to try to get out again tomorrow. We were starting to run down by the time we got home, so we took a little time to rest. Supper was a pizza we picked up at Sam's, and then an evening of television, blogging, and reading.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - San Marcos, Texas: Hill Country Jewel
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 61 degrees, clearing in the morning, then cloudy late in the afternoon, windy
The rain passed through the area early this morning. About 0900 hours, the clouds went away, and it was good to see the sun. About 1000 hours, we decided to get out and about and see what was over toward San Marcos, about 25 miles east of where we are staying. We took FM 12, which wound through typical hill country terrain. A relatively short distance of the drive was on the Devil's Backbone. We had heard a lot about this area, and were surprised at how short that portion of the road is. Of course, it's probably good for Carolyn that it isn't any longer than it is, considering the problems she has with vertigo.As in most cases, the picture doesn't do justice to what we saw.
Once we got into San Marcos, the courthouse called to me to take a picture of it. Unfortunately, I was unable to pull over and take one, so this is a picture I copied from the web. The style of architecture is considered to be Classical Revival. It was erected in 1908.The downtown area of San Marcos is one of the most vibrant and alive ones we have seen. Many of the older towns we see have downtown areas that are dying, but not in this case. The town is the home of Texas State University, San Marcos, so that tends to bring a lot of energy to the town. Also, it doesn't hurt that I-35 runs through the east side of town.
While we were in town, we went to the WalMart Mall to pick up a few things we needed. Busy!!! Luckily, we were able to use one of the registers that took up to 20 items, and were able to get out quickly. Then we went down to Sam's Club (using the GPS unit to find it) for a few things we needed from there, including diesel.
By the time we headed home, Carolyn was starting to suffer a little from all the visual stimulation, which was affecting her vertigo. We decided to not make things worse, choosing to try to get out again tomorrow. We were starting to run down by the time we got home, so we took a little time to rest. Supper was a pizza we picked up at Sam's, and then an evening of television, blogging, and reading.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - San Marcos, Texas: Hill Country Jewel
Not all who wander are lost.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Rain And Wind
Canyon Lake, Texas
Weather: low 47 degrees, high 51 degrees, rain, windy
The rain started falling about 2300 hours last night, and hasn't stopped yet. If anything, it's raining harder now than it was last night. The area is under a flash flood watch, but we should start seeing an improvement later in the night, and most of the wet weather should be cleared out by noon tomorrow.
In last night's post, I attached a picture of some geese that we couldn't identify. Reader and friend Jerry identified them for us as Egyptian geese. Thanks, Jerry.
Most of you who know Carolyn know that when the weather is like it was today, she likes to burrow in at home and not stir outside. That's what we did today, except when I had to go to the post office to mail a letter. There was little traffic on the road, and I can't say I blame people for staying in. This was weather that was not fit for man or beast. The deer stayed away, probably sheltering in the trees.
When I'm forced to stay inside like today, I tend to get cabin fever. As small as our home is, that's not good. Knowing that I needed to try to stay occupied with something, I scanned our bank records and some other stuff so we could get rid of all the paper. When that was finished, I did a little reading, watched a little television (bad stuff), surfed the web.... Of course, Carolyn was right there helping, and tonight, she prepared a nice meal for us that seemed to push the bad weather away.
Both of us want to get out tomorrow when the weather's better. One of the first things on our list is to drive the Devil's Backbone, the crest of a ridge in the hill country. If the sun's shining, maybe we'll have some pictures to share.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Iowa Colony, Texas: Where We Make It Happen
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 47 degrees, high 51 degrees, rain, windy
The rain started falling about 2300 hours last night, and hasn't stopped yet. If anything, it's raining harder now than it was last night. The area is under a flash flood watch, but we should start seeing an improvement later in the night, and most of the wet weather should be cleared out by noon tomorrow.
In last night's post, I attached a picture of some geese that we couldn't identify. Reader and friend Jerry identified them for us as Egyptian geese. Thanks, Jerry.Most of you who know Carolyn know that when the weather is like it was today, she likes to burrow in at home and not stir outside. That's what we did today, except when I had to go to the post office to mail a letter. There was little traffic on the road, and I can't say I blame people for staying in. This was weather that was not fit for man or beast. The deer stayed away, probably sheltering in the trees.
When I'm forced to stay inside like today, I tend to get cabin fever. As small as our home is, that's not good. Knowing that I needed to try to stay occupied with something, I scanned our bank records and some other stuff so we could get rid of all the paper. When that was finished, I did a little reading, watched a little television (bad stuff), surfed the web.... Of course, Carolyn was right there helping, and tonight, she prepared a nice meal for us that seemed to push the bad weather away.
Both of us want to get out tomorrow when the weather's better. One of the first things on our list is to drive the Devil's Backbone, the crest of a ridge in the hill country. If the sun's shining, maybe we'll have some pictures to share.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Iowa Colony, Texas: Where We Make It Happen
Not all who wander are lost.
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