Life Changes

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I moved into my rig on May 5, 2015. I had to empty a 6 x 5’ building, sell it, the contents, a deck and steps, a small refrigerator, two desks and an office chair. I kept anything to do with my sewing, computer, personal stuff and food….  That was the time to be brutal honest and ask myself “will you ever use this?”

So my life will change and so will this blog, I am on the move again as a solo. My daughter is now north of Atlanta, GA. Mom, who we moved from Higginsville, Missouri to Ft Worth in January 2014, passed away March 30th. She celebrated her 99th birthday on December 28, 2014. Consequently, I’ve lost most of my ties to the Midwest.
   
I am moving further east with the final destination somewhere in Florida for the winter. I loved the Texas Gulf Coast but I also love exploring.  I hitched the fifth wheel, yesterday, August 3rd, headed out on a new adventure. 

When I arrived at the Palms RV Park in October 2010, I had a 24’ travel trailer, a Chevy Silverado 1500 with a camper cap. The travel trailer was somewhat hard to hook up by myself. The camper cap was full of stuff. I had it for two years and traveled from the Kansas City, MO area to Sioux Falls, SD, spent the summer in Hot Springs, AR and back to KC. Then enjoyed my first southern winter at the Palms RV Park in Aransas Pass, Texas on the Gulf Coast.

The second year I spent most of the summer in Mitchell, South Dakota. On my way back to the Palms, I visited with my daughter who was in Omaha and Mom in Higginsville. My second winter was again spent at the Palms on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Between the storage in the travel trailer and the camper cap on the truck,  with also the light weight of a 24’ travel trailer, I was able to pack along a lot of “stuff”….. Since Walt and I got together in January 2013, I sold the travel trailer and bought a 31’ fifth wheel. It weighs more and of course I had to sell the camper cap. I can pull it with the Silverado but not with all the “stuff”. (It was with this truck and fifth wheel that we traveled over 16,000 miles from Aransas Pass, Texas to New Brunswick, Canada in 2013. On our way back to Texas we visited friends and family by going through New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma.

At any rate, for us to take the trip to Canada with this combo of lightweight pickup and heavier fifth wheel my “stuff” had to go somewhere. Therefore, the reason for the purchase and set up of the 6 x 5’ building. Which has now been cleared out, and the stuff has been sold, donated or thrown away. (If you'd like a laugh watch: George Carlin’s Stuff  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x_QkGPCL18 or search for: George Carlin's Stuff)

I am in Bryan, Texas today, next door to College Station. Home of theTexas A&M University, George Bush Presidential Library and several museums. The towns are known as Bryan-College Station. I get to do the tourist thing. Next week I will head to Noncontagious, Texas (the oldest town in Texas) and spend another week.  

Hopefully, life goes on and when one door closes, an better opportunity comes along.

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. ~Ivy Baker Priest

If you're being run out of town, get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade. ~Author Unknown

Gulf Coast Texas Spring Flowers 2014

There are cemeteries in Rockport and Aransas Pass, Texas that are blanketed with spring flowers. These photos were taken April 1, 2014.

Texas Bluebonnets. There are at least five
varieties of Bluebonnets, all are in Texas.

Blanketflowers, Bluebonnets and Yellow Oxeyes

Texas or Indian Paintbrush

Bluebonnets in the cemetery

Blanketflowers and Bluebonnets

Winecups, Purple Phacelia and Blue Gilia

Can’t you feel the peace and quiet?

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Crab & Shrimp, April 7, 2012

After making "real" Midwest pork tenderloin sandwiches, we froze half of a  pork tenderloin. Walt wanted to stuff that half with crabmeat and shrimp and grill it on the rotisserie. I worked on finding a recipe that fit and this is what we adapted:

Crabmeat & Shrimp StuffingYield - about 6 Cups

Ingredients

1/2 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 LARGE ONION (Chopped)
3 STALKS CELERY (Chopped)
1 TBSP FRESH GARLIC (Minced)
1/2 CUP DRY WHITE WINE
1/2 TSP WHITE PEPPER
1/2 TSP GROUND CAYENNE PEPPER
1 TSP THYME (used ground thyme)
1 TSP OREGANO LEAVES (used ground oregano)
2 TSP PENZEYS SPICES® 33RD & GALENA CHICKEN & PORK RUB
1 LB CRAB MEAT
1 LB SHRIMP, CHOPPED
2 CUPS BREAD CRUMBS
1 TBSP LEMON JUICE
2 LARGE EGGS (Beaten)
1/4 CUP FRESH PARSLEY (Chopped)

Method

In a large skillet and over medium heat, add olive oil, onions and celery; sauté until onions are clear (about 5- 7 minutes). Add garlic, wine and all of the seasonings, simmer until the sauce reduces by one third.
Remove from heat, gently fold in the crabmeat, shrimp and remaining ingredients; stuffing should be used immediately or refrigerated.

Based on a recipe from Aurora Caterings from the website: http://www.customcatering.net/Rec_Vege/stufcrab.html

Slice the pork tenderloin almost through. Stuff the pork tenderloin. Use skewers to hold the halves together, lace with heavy string (cord).

Place on the rotisserie, 20 minutes per pound and 170 degrees internal temperature.

After reaching 170 degrees internally, hold for at least 20 minutes and then slice in about 1” slices

The rest of the menu: Potatoes Au Gratin, Penne’s Baked Beans, Green Salads and Wine. Served outdoors at The Palms RV  in Aransas Pass, Texas to other Winter or Fulltime RVing Texans.

Military Pet Photos at the Aransas Pass Animal Shelter

On December 26, 2011, I traipsed along bearing camera and tripod with Santa to the Aransas Pass Animal Shelter. The mission was to photo pets for one of our military who is overseas. Santa is a fellow “Winter Texan” from The Palms RV Park in Aransas Pass, TX.

This is Tank

This is Money

The Aransas Pass Animal Shelter is boarding Tank and Money until the military member is back home.

Since Santa & I were there, these animals needed a  little Santa, too!

Kitty

Two puppies

Santa and The Babies, no I didn’t adapt one, but aren’t they cute?