Trying to Wrap It Up!

17 Mar-7 Apr 2010--Hi everyone! We are all through working selling our sunglasses and have sold off the ones we had left to a friend of ours, so we are at least temporarily out of the sunglass business. We have had all of our medical appointments except one on this coming Monday for Cathy (hopefully that will be the end of it), and are hoping to hit the road again next week sometime.

We can't make any definate plans until after Cathy's appointment, but if we get to go we plan on heading out to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico...not necessarily in that order. If we do hit all those states we figure it will take us all the way into next winter, so we are hoping to try to plan something out over the next few days just in case we get to leave next week. I'll keep you posted.

OK..so what have we been up to? Not a whole lot, but I did want to show you the bruise I had on my hip from when I bit it on the escalator...just in case you thought I was kidding when I said I went down hard!



After doing all the RV repairs and selling the sunglasses, the last thing we had to do to get ready to leave was re-pack the cargo hold underneath our RV. Cathy got in there amongst the golf clubs, luggage, grill, etc., and straightened everything out in no time at all. Again, I was the assistant!

We went to one of the Basic Training graduation parades to see if anything had changed in the 10 years we have been retired...no! It is still very moving, with all the patriotic music, and all the TIs and Airmen marching around. I loved it then and I still do!

These are the Air Force emblem and the parade grounds.

This is a picture of the airmen in the band. They are all trainees, but they have musical backgrounds and volunteer to play for parade.

This shows 3 MTIs followed by some airmen "passing in review", saluting the reviewing officer who in this case is a General. The picture after that is the State Flags Mass...very colorful.

This is the MTI Monument, the only monument to enlisted folks in the Air Force.

The weather lately has been beautiful...mostly between 80 and 85 degrees for the past week and a half. This past Saturday we went out to Hallie's and Donna's house to go out on the river in their boat. Cathy and I used to have a boat just like this one...we miss it.

Here is Hallie driving the boat, a very happy boater. That is Cathy and Donna in the back of the boat, while I am in front taking the pictures.

Hallie was the 1st in the water...actually the 1st of only 2...Donna got in for a second later, while Cathy and I preferred to stay on the boat.

Sunday was another beautiful day, so we went golfing. Hallie and Donna are trying to be friendly here, before we all step up to the tee.

Hallie went 1st. She sets up well, but that follow-thru is something for You-tube!

Cathy tries to show Hallie how to do it right, so off to the side Hallie is studying her form.

Donna actually took golf lessons, so she went next in the hopes that Hallie could get the hang of it.

And finally, being about her age, I tried to show Hallie how we should do it. I had a better picture, but I deleted it when I was trying to download it, so just pretend this is a really good one (haha).

Hallie tried one more time, but it looks like she needs a lot more practice...away from the camera! Look at that form!

OK, now for being serious....Hallie may look like she needs to work on her form, and I love to get her goat, but she beat all of us...she beat me by over 20 strokes!!!

Today, Wednesday, Cathy and I left San Antonio for a few days, headed for Corpus Christi, which is about 150 miles south of San Antonio. We are staying at the Navy base's RV Park, called Shields Park. Over on Mustang Island, about 30 minutes from here, they are holding the annual "Sand Fest", where people compete building those elaborate sand castles, etc. that you see pictures of in your e-mails. It is being held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the winner goes on to international competition. I will take pictures...hope it is good.

As you would expect, the base is right on the ocean, so it is a great place to stay. After we set up we took a quick bike ride down by the water to just take a look around. That bird on top of the sign is called is Smiling Seagull.

There are a couple Texas Jackrabbits right outside our RV, and of course a Pelican out on the pier.

And just so you know how your tax dollars are being spent, here is a picture of the Rear Admiral's house...it looks directly out on the ocean. A little like the White House?