Fall Is Here

When we arrived here on the fort almost three weeks ago, everything was nice and green, including the trees.  Today as we were taking our morning walk we noticed that the grass on the golf course is beginning to brown and the trees are fading and losing their leaves.  It seems strange to see Christmas decorations without the snow and cold weather of the holidays in northern Minnesota.

John and I spent this holiday weekend just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather.  On Friday we played a round of golf and in the evening I went to Bingo with Lois.  Saturday was spent visiting some folks in the RV park, hanging out around the house, and putting up the outside lights.  

Today the Advent season kicked off with a special service in church.  Following a quick lunch, we played a round of golf with Linda G. and then spent the rest of the afternoon watching the Packer's game.  All in all, it was a very enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

We have been keeping busy over the last couple of days with golfing and holiday preparations.

Wednesday morning was men's golf, but the chilly weather once again kept most of the golfers home.  John found Milo was the only other guy to show up, so the two of them played a round together.  While John was golfing, I spent the morning finishing decorating the inside of the house for Christmas.  The only thing left to do now is to put up the tree.  Following lunch, we moved all the furniture and gave the floor a good mopping. It's amazing how many cobwebs and dust gathered under the furniture over the summer.

After the cleaning was done, we took a little rest and then played a quick nine holes of golf.  The afternoon was just too perfect to stay inside.  Our evening was spent making stuffing for the turkey and watching some TV.

This morning we were up early for our walk as we needed to get back in time to get the turkey in the oven. We invited Chuck and Lois for Thanksgiving dinner and they arrived right on time bringing their contributions of green beans and pecan pie.  We all enjoyed a delicious meal and then spent the afternoon playing a couple of different card games.  John and I ended the day watching some football and trying to recover from all the good food we ate today. Even though we didn't see the game, we were very happy the Eagles crushed Dallas in their home stadium.

Our beautiful turkey before it was devoured.

 

Busy Monday

The temps were on the chilly side this morning when we left the house for our walk around the golf course, but it didn't take long for the sun to warm up the day.  Bright sunny skies and nice temps are in our forecast for this week and beyond.  I guess that's why we are spending the winter here at Fort Clark.

Following breakfast, John headed off to wood carvers and I got busy working on the laundry and sorting through the Christmas decorations he brought in from the shed.  Our plan is to get the house decorated and the outside lights up this week. 

When John got home, we headed off to Del Rio to do some grocery shopping.  Since it was lunch time, our first stop was Wendy's for a bite to eat.  Then it was on to Wal Mart.  The place was like a zoo, so we were anxious to get what we needed and out as fast as possible.  We went through the Self Checkout and when John swiped his credit card, the payment was refused.  He tried the card several times, but it wouldn't work.  As soon as we returned home I called the credit card company and found that the card number was stolen and being used in Illinois to make purchases at Victoria's Secrets, Lowes, coke machines, and several other places.  They closed the account and will issue us new cards which they'll send to us here in Texas.  We have several other hoops to jump through before everything is resolved.  Hopefully it won't be to much of a hassle getting this straightened out.

Warmer Weather

Here is what has been happening here in Texas over the last several days:  Even though Wednesday morning was cold with temps in the low 30's, John, the die hard golfer, headed off to the clubhouse for men's golf.  He returned home about 15 minutes later as no one showed up.  We then spent the rest morning doing some chores around the house.  By the afternoon, the sun was shining and the temps were in the upper 60's.  Those weather conditions brought out the golfers, us included.  John and I had just returned home and were resting when Chuck and Lois stopped in and invited us out for supper.  We headed into town for a quick meal at Burger and Shake and then over to their place for an evening of cards.

Thursday was a beautiful day and perfect for couples' golf in the afternoon.  I skipped golfing on Friday, but John went out and played a round by himself.  Following supper I headed off to Bingo while John watched college football on TV.

Today we headed into town to pick up a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.  The local supermarket had a coupon for $7 off any grade A turkey--who could resist a deal like that.  After lunch we headed out to play a round of golf.  As we were signing in, a gentleman from Canada asked if he could join us as he was by himself.  We had a fun time visiting with Ken and found him to be a pretty good golfer.

Our evening was spent Skyping with the kids and catching up on what has been happening at home since we've been gone.  Early this evening we had a strong thunderstorm move through our area and in its wake was a beautiful rainbow.

Rainbow 

 

 Shorts are back!!

Turkeys walzing through our yard

Pretty Quiet Day

This morning the temperature was 37 degrees when we left the house for a walk on the golf course.  By the afternoon, with the help of the sun, the highs reached into the upper 50's.  Each day here is getting warmer and everyone is ready for it.

This morning John cleaned the windows and did some yard work in between visiting with folks who stopped as they were driving by.  I got started on the laundry and did some more cleaning on the inside.  This afternoon we headed down to the clubhouse for a round of golf.  There were a few more folks out on the course taking advantage of the beautiful afternoon.  More Winter Texans are arriving every day, so more of the regular activities should be starting up next month.  Right now we are enjoying the slower pace and having the golf course pretty much to ourselves.

Lunch Out and Shopping

This morning we took a short walk on the golf course and though I had to walk slower than normal, my foot seemed to handle its first extended walking fairly well.  Following breakfast, John headed over to Wallace's where he met up with several folks to do some wood carving.  While he was gone, I did a little cleaning in the house--even though it was closed up all summer, dust and dirt still gathered inside.

After John was done with carving, we headed to Del Rio with Chuck and Lois.  Our first stop was Chili's for lunch and then on to Wal Mart for more grocery shopping to pick up all the items we missed last week.

The weather was bright and sunny today with the temps a little cooler than we had on Sunday.  The nice day brought some visitors to our yard late this afternoon.

 

Visiting, Golfing, and Church

Before I start filling everyone in on what we've been doing the last few days, I want to say the weather here has been very chilly with low's near freezing at night and high's only in the upper 40's.  The skies have been overcast and everyone here is complaining about the cold weather.  At least it's better than home.  Warmer temps are suppose to be heading our way in a few days. 

Friday morning we got the remaining crates and boxes stored out in the shed and all the outdoor furniture situated on the deck and patio.  I also took some time to bake a couple of loaves of bread.  Following lunch, we headed off to do some visiting.  Our first stop was to see Becky and Wallace and then we dropped in next door to to see Betty and Harlan.  Our final visit for the afternoon was with Sam and Leta.  John spent Friday evening home watching TV while I headed off to Bingo with several of the ladies.

Saturday was a little warmer, so I decided to give golfing a try.  The doctor said I had no restrictions other than using good judgement concerning activities.  John and I played nine holes and my foot felt just fine.  I find it a little different playing in Crocs rather than golf shoes, but it's going to be a few months before I can get back into them.  After supper we headed into the Post Theater for a Variety Show showcasing some very talented fort residents.

Today was our first Sunday back at the Methodist church and since it was the third Sunday of the month, there was a delicious potluck following the service.  When visitors were being introduced this morning, we found a couple from our hometown in the congregation.  They found Fort Clark through Jim and Kathy Runger and are planning to spend the winter, so we'll have to get over to visit sometime this week.  It was was a beautiful afternoon, so we headed out for a round of golf--it was much more enjoyable today.

 

Settling In

We arrived in Del Rio around lunch time on Tuesday and decided to stop at I HOP for something to eat before driving the last 30 miles to Fort Clark.  When we reached the house we found everything in order with the electric and internet back on.  The next hour or so was spent unloading the car and getting the golf cart up and running again.  In between all this activity, we received a couple of phone calls asking if we were back and Stan Metcalf stopped in and spent some time filling us in on what has been happenng here over the summer.

Since we had no food in the house, we headed into town and stopped at a local store for a few items to hold us over until we could stock up on groceries.  Neither of us felt we could stand a trip to Del Rio after three days in the car, so we put off that big shopping trip until today.  Our next stop was Subway for a couple of subs that would do for supper and the next day's lunch.  John and I also stopped in for a quick visit with Ralph R.

Wednesday morning was spent unpacking crates and getting somewhat settled in.  It always takes a day or two to get the house organized and in order.   John and I took a break from unpacking and spent the afternoon visiting with Chuck and Lois and then the Sandwicks.  Valada's sister is here for the month from Miami, Fl. so we were able to visit with her too.  It was then a trip back into town for supper at Burger and Shake.  John also managed to get in a few holes of golf this afternoon even though it's been rather chilly here.

Today we were up fairly early so we could get to Del Rio before the grocery store got busy.  Our first stop was the car wash to get rid of the salt that built up on the northern icey roads.  From there we hit the grocery store and started the process of restocking the pantry.  We'll probably be making a few more trips before we have everything we will need.  Since it was noon when we checked out, we headed to Wendy's for some lunch and then hit the road back to the fort.  After getting everything unloaded and put away, we watched "The Voice" on the DVR and then John headed off to play some golf.  It's just too cold for me right now.  In another day or two we should be completely at home here once again.

It's been rifle hunting this week up in northern Minnesota and with the cold weather and rut causing the deer to be on the move, Matt's patience paid off and he shot a monster buck.  Way to go
Matt!!

2nd Day On The Road

It was another early morning for us as we were on the road a little after 6 a.m.  We had good roads and plenty of sunshine the whole way to Wichita Falls.  The temperature was in the mid 80's when we reached our hotel around 3:30 p.m.  John likes to make the second day a little shorter after a long first one.  

After checking in, we relaxed a little and then headed out to do some shopping.  I have been looking for a pair of Crocs and, finding none in the stores up north, we thought to look for a pair as we traveled south.  I hit the jackpot in a local sporting goods store and am now the proud owner of my first pair.  As my foot still has swelling these are much more comfortable than my regular shoes.

Tomorrow we make the final push to Bracketville.  We have managed to stay in front of the cold weather, but tomorrow it will be about 50 degrees cooler here than it was today.  At least there shouldn't be any snow.  

Made It To Missouri

John and I were up bright and early so we could get an early start; however, Mother Nature had other plans in mind.  We had snow overnight and it was slow going for the first hour of our journey as the roads were snow covered and icey.  The further south we went the better the conditions.

Right now we are stopped for the night in St. Joseph, MO where the temps are almost 50 degrees warmer than at home and the leaves are still on the trees and showing their fall colors.  According to the forecast for the northern plains, we got out just in time as heavy snows are on the way.  The temps are suppose to cool off here with snow flurries, so it seems we are staying just in front of the cold weather. 

We're Heading South!!

This past week has been busy.  John and Matt got the last of their jobs finished and it's a good thing they did as our weather has turned very cold.  I kept busy cleaning up around the house and packing for our trip south.  Everything hinged on what the doctor said about my foot.  I had a good report, can get rid of the boot, and we can head south tomorrow.  I still have some swelling and foot pain, but he said that is normal and will last a while.  I have no restictions but have to use good judgement concerning walking and other activities.  I will see the doctor again the end of April and sometime next summer have the screw removed from my foot.  That should be a fun experience.  

Today was spent loading up the car and gathering those last minute items.  Everything is done and we are ready to head south bright and early in the morning.  We hope to be at the fort by Tuesday afternoon.  Pray for safe travels and good weather.  Will blog again sometime after we get the computer set up.  

A Taste of Winter Weather

Our weather is definitely turning toward winter.  This time of year our temps are rather erratic--one day up near 70 degrees and then snow flurries a couple of days later.  The colder weather has finally decided to stay for good--won't see 60's again until sometime next spring.  But as we are heading south very soon, it won't make much difference to us.

Our first dusting of snow earlier this week

John and Matt got one of their big addition jobs completed on Thursday and were able to take off on Friday.  John appreciated that as he was getting a little weary of working everyday.  We took the advantage of an off day and did some shopping in Bemidji.  I see the foot doctor next Friday and, hopefully, will be released from wearing the boot.  The only problem will be what shoe can I wear.  My foot is still painful at times at the incision site and also still swells.  I contacted the doctor about that earlier in the week and was told that was quite normal this soon after surgery (it's be five weeks).  I think getting back to normal is going to be a lot longer than I first thought it would be.  I talked to a lady in the store and she told me it was six months before she could get back into her regular shoes.  What I have read on the internet supports what she told me.  John and I went on a search for some possible footwear.  We saw one pair of slip-on cloth shoes that might work, but right now I leaning toward a pair of Crocs.  Mainly, I have to wait and see what the doctor recommends and if I will have to keep my foot wrapped with the ACE bandage.  

If the doctor gives the go ahead, we are planning to head out on Sunday, November 9th, and will worry about shoes after we get to Texas or try to find something on our way south.  I have been busy getting clothes packed along with keeping up with laundry and sorting through other items to pack.

It's been bow hunting season here in Minnesota and Hanna shot her first deer with bow and arrow this week.  Both Rachel and Hanna are now done with hunting, so now it's up to the guys to get their tags filled.  Rifle season starts next Saturday morning and that usually means pretty cold weather.