Kerrville Schreiner Park
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I couldn't do Thursday night, because
we thought N2S would be at the Battle of the Bands. The NISD schools
take turns going every other year. Something happened, and Marshall
did not get to go. I stayed with my original plans anyway, and then
waited in agony for the days to pass by.
Finally today arrived. Unfortunately, I
forgot to turn my alarm off and ended up getting wakened at 5:30 in
the morning. I went downstairs and let the dogs out before I was
actually awake enough to realize it wasn't a work day! I crawled back
in bed and slept until about nine. Then I got up and headed
downstairs to make some breakfast. I was anxious to try a recipe for
no carb breakfast lasagna. It was really good. While I ate, I got
hooked into watching part of a movie called Joe Black or something
like that. I had never watched it because I thought it was about a
giant gorilla or something. I guess I got it confused with something
else. This was interesting, but I had to get going, so I shut it off.
After a few minutes, I was ready to go.
I had packed everything the night before but the refrigerated foods.
I said my goodbyes, loaded the truck, and headed over to get some
ice. I ran into the liquor store, also. I like to sip an adult
beverage in the evenings. It has to be hard liqour, because I am back
on the no carbs thing. I bought a bottle of Jim Beam, because I felt
like I was in a bit of a Scotch and Irish Whiskey rut. (When I got to
the park, I realized I still had half a bottle of Scotch, so Jim will
have to wait until next time! I don't have room for two bottles.)
I headed on to Packrats and hitched up
with no problems. It was overcast, so the rear camera took me right
there. All I had to do then was pump a little air into the tires to
top them off. Then off I went. As always, I drove slow and steady.
The traffic getting out of town was pretty heavy, and the road was
slick from the drizzle that was going on. Once I was past Boerne, the
traffic was fine.
I turned off I10 at Comfort and took 27
the rest of the way. I was sad to see that the little winery that I
like in Comfort seemed to be gone. Maybe they just moved. I sent Jack
a text to ask what he knows. Anyway, after about 16 miles, I turned
off on to the road that goes back to Bandera and drove about half a
mile to the park headquarters. There are two sides to the park. I am
staying on the side across the highway, but had to go to the
riverside part to check in. The workers there were very nice. The
only thing that doesn't seem “state parkish” is that they don't
have ranger uniforms on.
My site is really nice. It is a pull
through with a huge field out the front door. I got settled in really
quick. This was a full set up, including sewer and water. I wanted to
de-winterize during this trip and finally get to use the bathroom
without hiking to the bathhouse in the wee hours of the night.
Believe me, it does make for a much nicer experience when you have
your own bathroom!
I decided to hit the trails. I was a
little put off by the signs they have that mention all the deadly
animals such as mountain lions and then tell you not to hike alone.
Then I decided that, if God wanted to take me, that was good a way as
any. I didn't see much wild life at all. Only a few deer. That hike
was just over 5 miles. At the beginning, there was a tiny barely
noticeable bit of drizzle. If I hadn't been wearing glasses, I would
probably not have noticed. The air was a little humid because of it,
but there was a lovely cool breeze. (Can guys say lovely?) Yes, it
was a lovely cool breeze. I did sweat a little, but not enough to be
bothersome.
The trails were really nice. The best
part is that I didn't see or hear another human being the entire
time. I could see bike tracks and some footprints, but they must have
gone earlier in the day. It was just me and God hiking in his
backyard. I loved it, even though by the end of it, my right foot was
feeling it pretty bad. It will stiffen up tonight and be sore
tomorrow until I walk it out. Too bad! Timmy Duncan has the same
problem- plantar fasciitis, and he doesn't let it stop him.
Back at the Colby T., I took a little
rest to cool down for awhile. Then, I started getting dinner ready.
I was having pork steaks cooked in my new pressure cooker that was
bought specifically for the Colby T. It's smaller than the one at
home and bright red. I love it! I got busy browning the steaks one at
a time. Then I smelled something funky. Stupid me had not seen that
nasty little butcher's kotex pad they sit the meat on to soak up the
excess fluids. I had to turn off the heat, put the steaks aside, and
scrub the plastic off of the bottom of the cooker! Nothing got on the
steak, and, since it is a non-stick cooker, it wasn't too terrible.
Dang!
When dinner was ready, I got my little
table out (I don't use the dinette in Jim Configuration.) and sat
here eating the pork with a little mustard. It was cooked in Cajun
seasoning, so it didn't need much of anything else. I was going to
have some low carb tortillas with it, but by the time I remembered, I
was done. I am going to heat the other half up in the microwave for
lunch tomorrow.
I can't get any decent channels here,
so I couldn't even see the evening news. I decided to take an
after-dinner hike around the park. It ended up being a little over
two miles, but surprisingly enough, my foot didn't even bother me. I
didn't make a complete loop because a herd of deer were grazing, and
I didn't want to scare them away. Other campers were sitting at their
picnic tables enjoying watching them. That added about a half mile of
back tracking to get to the path that cuts through the field from the
bathhouse.
Back at the camper, I fixed a cup of
coffee and sat at the picnic table watching the deer and enjoying the
cool evening breeze. I rarely sit out like that by myself because I
don't like to be watched. This time it was really nice. When it
started getting dark (two cups of coffee later) I came in and started
typing this. Now, I am about to pour a glass of Scotch and wait for
the Spurs game. I don't think I can watch it on the app. I hope I get
to listen to it. I guess the NBA didn't authorize the app to show the
games. Knowing them, you probably have to pay another $39 for the
playoffs. They will never get another dime from me because every game
has always been blacked out for me except that first time when I was
able to watch two games at Guadalupe River State Park. Even the game
I wanted to watch during the Grand Canyon trip was blacked out!
Anyway, I am done for now. More later.
9:00 am, Saturday, April 27th
Well I was able to listen to the Spurs
game. They pretty much whooped the Lakers. I think the final score
had them ahead by about 31 points. I wish I could have watched it. It
did show up as an option at game time, but it was blacked out for me.
Whatever you do, don't ever pay for that unless you enjoy watching
other teams beside your own home team. I can not understand the rules
for blackouts, but so far, I have only been able to watch two Spurs
games, both of which were back in December of last year while I was
camping at Guadalupe River State Park, about 35 miles from home. I
tried again over New Year's Eve weekend while I was camping at
Palmetto State Park, about 90 miles from home, and the game was
blacked out. It is the same story in Von Ormy. On top of that, WOAI,
the radio station that broadcasts the game is also blocked over the
internet, unless you go through NBA game time. That's why I bought
my radio for the camper, but you have to be in range to hear the
station over the air. Oh well. It was every bit as exciting listening
as it would have been watching it for me. Sometimes I'm not sure I
actually watch it when I am home anyway. Thanks to the DVR, I can go
back and watch any play I miss when my mind wanders to my Kindle or
something else.
I slept really well as usual. If it
weren't for my bladder, I could have gone later later than 5:45, but
since the bathroom was only 5 feet away, I managed to get back to
sleep until a little after 7:30 am. I made some coffee, fixed some
scrambled egg-bacon-and cheese tacos, and headed out to the picnic
table for a beautiful outdoor meal.
I came back in and tidied up a bit. I
checked email and some other stuff and was in the process of getting
dressed and ready for a hike across the highway to the river side of
the park. Unfortunately, when I turned my camera on, I learned that
it had not recharged over night. So here I am stalling for time
waiting for it to get charged up. I hope it doesn't take too long.
While I was on Facebook, I saw that my
cousins, Wendy and Kenny, were headed to Florida. My Uncle Paul is in
the hospital because of his heart again. Her messages were cryptic,
but it sounds like he may be getting a pacemaker. Wen should post
something later today. Uncle Paul is Mom's sister's husband. He is a
little younger than they would be, but not much. I hope he comes
through this okay. [He got the pacemaker and is expected to be at
home by Wednesday.]
Oh, I forgot to mention that when I got
back from my long hike yesterday, I peed on a keto stick and got a
purple! I have only been getting faint hints of pink since Tuesday,
but I guess the exercise caused me to throw more ketones than usual.
Through out my entire MEDI Weightloss adventure, I only saw purple
twice! They kept telling me that I wasn't heavily into ketosis, but
my research indicated that ketosis is ketosis. You are either in it
or you're not. My pee results were most likely affected by the
fiendish amounts of water I drink.
The hike to the other riverside portion
of the park was pleasant. It isn't really all that far. They have a
nice trail that cuts through a field and gets you right to where you
need to cross the highway. Without that, you would have to go out
the vehicle exit and walk about 1,000 yards on the highway. The gates
for each side are not exactly across from each other. Anyway, I
walked all over the area and took some photos. There was a festival
setting up on the riverbank across the river. Unfortunately, they
have a band of some kind that started blaring their music at me so
loud I hurried to get back to my area. I can still hear it over
here, but it just sounds like someone's radio off in the distance. I
am sooooooo glad I am not camping on the riverside. That would be the
pits.
As I was coming up from the river level
on some stone stairs, I did something to my groin. It hurt to walk
for about 100 paces and then it seemed fine. Then all the way back to
the Colby T, it seemed to stab at me about every 500 steps and last
for about 10 steps.
While I was over there, I noticed that
only one cabin was in use. All of the cabins seem really nice. They
have two sets of bunk-beds and a large table and chairs in them.
Plus, they are air conditioned! The only thing they don't have is a
bathroom, but the bathhouse is only a few yards away. None of the
cabins on my side of the park are in use. I did see several more tent
campers when I walked last evening. There is one couple across the
field from me with a tent in the back of their pickup.
When I got back from that little hike,
I decided to run into town for some stuff that I needed. I only got
to use deodorant on one armpit this morning for one thing. I also
wanted a few other odds and ends like a spatula for my cooking. I
drove over to Wal-Mart, about five miles away. Just as I was about to
turn in, two deer came out of nowhere. One of them got hit and sort
of landed on its back, rolled, stood back up, and charged across the
busy street to a parking lot on the other side. The other one went
back to the side they started on and stood by a tree. Scary and
unexpected. I just drove on amazed and a little stunned. I was glad
that the guy who hit the deer didn't swerve into me. When I got out
of the truck, my groin pull or whatever it was was making walking
hard. I almost got in the truck and came back to the camper. After
about 5 minutes it just stopped. I hope that is done for the day!
I have to talk about Wal-Mart. There is
something freaky about going to a Wal-Mart in a different town. I
just don't know what it is. The people just seem “different”. I
don't mean in a bad way. And, don't get me wrong, I am not referring
to anything racial. They just seem “different”. I noticed it for
the first time when we went to a Wal-Mart in Colorado Springs on our
Mt. Rushmore trip. I noticed it in Greenville, South Carolina when I
visited my mother in law. I noticed it in Virginia Beach when I went
for my nephew's funeral. I didn't really expect to notice it an hour
away from San Antonio.
On the way back, I saw two things of
interest. One is the The Museum of Western Art, which I am going to
go to in just a minute. It is about a mile from here. I would walk,
but I don't want to be hot and sweaty in the museum. The other is a
movie theater- The Rio 10. I am considering watching a movie, but
none of them look good to me but 42, which I think Rachel wants to go
see with me since her Uncle Harold is a character in the story. I
don't know though. It depends on what goes on with the groin. If I am
up to it, I would much rather take a long late afternoon hike on the
trails.
Lunch today was leftover pork steaks. I
sat outside and ate on the picnic table. The weather was just so
beautiful here today. Later in the afternoon, it got a little thunder
cloudy, but nothing really ever came in but a few huge drops now and
then.
Well, the museum was very nice. They
had the main gallery filled with local art because they were having a
private silent auction to raise funds tonight. I guess I have to come
back sometime to see their actual collection. Still, everything was
nice to look at. The docent told me the entire history of the museum
and finally set me free to explore. There were about four paintings
that I would love to own. Sadly, I wasn't allowed to photograph them.
I did get some shots of some of the permanent collection in the
vestibule. If you are ever in the area, you should stop in.
When I got back from that, I decided to
go for another hike. The groin thing seems to have gone as quickly as
it came. I should also mention that neither of my feet have hurt at
all today. I never know what to expect. Anyway, I hiked a little over
three miles. It was a lot warmer today, but it was still fun. Don't
forget that I take long hikes in the summer when the temperatures are
in the high nineties. It's all about hydration.
Back at the Colby T, I stripped down
and took a washrag bath. The water from the house was hot from lying
in the sun, so I had plenty of hot “bath water” without having to
heat coffee water. Then I decided to lay down for a little rest until
it was time to get started on cooking dinner. Tonight I had fajitas
in honor of Fiesta and because WalMart had a package of them for
$3.24 when I went to buy supplies Thursday night. I did them in the
multi-cooker. I would never serve them to company or anything, but I
liked them well enough.
After dinner, I washed all the dishes.
I've been sitting here watching TMZ for a while. It is the only thing
on that I can even work up any interest in at all. A herd of deer
keeps passing slowly across the way. I am seeing them from the window
next to the TV. They are actually the better show! I'm afraid to go
outside in case it scares them away.
I decided not to go see a movie. I
don't really like going by myself, unless it is during the week in
the summer when I am the only one there. I imagine it will be pretty
crowded tonight, being that it is the only theater around. There
isn't anything I want to see anyway. It kind of goes back to the late
eighties for me. There were movies you just had to go see in the
theaters. There were movies you could wait to rent the video of.
There were others that you were willing to wait for cable. Now most
movies are wait for cable movies to me. Not only do I not fully enjoy
many of them, but I like being able to watch them in parts and not
give up a whole chunk of time. Also, if the movie sucks on cable, you
turn it off. In a theater you feel stuck because A) you paid to see
it, and B) the people you are with are never willing to leave. I seem
to sleep though a lot of movies when I go with the boys. That whole
Lord of the Rings bit bored me to tears and the helicopter filmed
action shots made me sicker than the IMAX. I can't even tell you what
those movies were about, except that a bunch of weirdos were looking
for some ring. Hated it!
Oh, Burn Notice just came on. I like
that show. I hardly ever watch it unless Rachel has it on. With my
luck, this will be one of the few I have seen. It always works out
that way. Anyway, I am going to have a quiet night in the Colby T and
go to bed early. I want to get home early enough to get a haircut, do
my grocery shopping, find some things my lawyer wants me to send him,
and then get a few of my usual weekend chores done, since I haven't
been there to do them. (I didn't do anything but wash clothes!)
6:36 pm, Sunday, April 28th
I woke up really early again today, but
decided to stay up. I ate a great breakfast, had some coffee, and
just sat outside at the picnic table listening to the birds. The
weather was really nice. I wasn't sure what to expect after last
night. At about 8:00 last night there was an incredible crash of
thunder that shook the Colby T like crazy. I went to the door and
looked out expecting to see a smoking plane in the field. There were
some clouds, but nothing to match that thunder. Then I started seeing
the lightning strikes and hearing a few more crashes of thunder.
There was a little bit of rain, but no real down pour. I looked at
the Weather Bug app and it showed thunderstorms all around me. I
expected a rough night, but it just never really happened.
I watched a few episodes of Burn
Notice. Then I decided to go ahead and stow the TV and pressure
cooker. After that, I laid in bed reading for a few minutes. I don't
know when, but I fell asleep and woke up at about 11:30. I used the
bathroom and went to sleep for real.
Breaking camp went really smoothly
today. I love having full hookups. It is just so easy to drain and
flush out the holding tanks. Sometimes when you have to use the dump
station, people are lined up behind you, and you feel rushed.
Besides, once you are dumped, you have no way of putting fresh water
back in the black tank. Yep, it is much better to have full hookups.
Luckily for me, I don't really need to dump anything, if it is just
me on a trip with no hookups. Then I just dump on arrival the next
time.
The ride back to town went smoothly. At
PackRats, a man pulled up just as I got the gate opened. He helped me
back into my spot without being asked which was nice. I really don't
need the help anymore, but it was quick and easy with him guiding.
We chatted a little. He did not know about Kerrville Schreiner. I
better stop telling people or it will get crowded.
Last night, I had put the rest of the
ice from the cooler in my freezer. I couldn't get it out when I was
ready to leave the park. By PackRats, it was melted enough for me to
get it out. I dried the fridge off really well then left the doors
open. The freezer is really pretty big for such a small fridge. It
cools down really fast, too and isn't as persnickety about being
level as people say they are.
So here I am watching the Spurs play
the Lakers. It looks like it may be a sweep, but anything can happen.
When the game is over I have to watch a few shows on the DVR. I have
a definite addiction to reality TV.
Let me just put a little more here
about the park, in case any of the forum people read this. I read
good and bad reviews about it on the Forum. My opinion is that it is
a great park. I personally would not like to stay at the river side.
It felt sort of closed in to me. The loop for RVs kind of looks like
it was an afterthought. But, the side I was on was as beautiful and
as well maintained as any other Texas state park. I can not agree
with the people who said it isn't. I looked in the bathhouses. I
walked through the tent and cabin areas. It is very clean and in
wonderful condition. The trails are very nice, even if the signs
about the mountain lions are a little scary.
Okay... I'm done until the next time.
posted by knownasjim @ 8:10 PM
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