New Year's Eve

Just a little recap of the past few days.  Our weather has definitely changed for the worse.  The warm sunny days have given way to cold cloudy ones with low temps in the 30's and highs in the 40's - 50's.  Last Saturday morning we went to the RV park breakfast and then pretty much hung out around the house as strong winds ruled the day.  That evening John came down with a stomach bug, so Sunday was another lay around day.

Monday morning John was feeling better, so off he went to wood carvers while I took care of some laundry.  Following lunch we decided to make a quick run to Del Rio for a few groceries.  Tuesday the winds finally died down, but the cold temps remained.  The ladies skipped golf, but John, Paul, Gene, and John B. managed to get in a round.  That evening was potluck and cards--I won one of two games at my table.  

Wednesday the weather was much improved, but still on the chilly side.  John played with the men's group in the morning and then talked me into playing with Paul and him in the afternoon.  It turned out to be a pretty nice afternoon with some sunshine peaking through the clouds which helped to warm it up. 

This morning John went to town to pick up the mail and run a few errands.  I got started taking down and packing away the inside Christmas decorations.  Since the forecast is for rain the next couple of days, we decided to play a short round of golf this afternoon.  This evening we met up with Chuck, Lois, Gene, and Jeanne for dinner in town and then went to Chuck's where we spent New Year's Eve playing games and eating plenty of snacks.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Merry Day After Christmas

John and I had a very enjoyable Christmas Day.  We slept in a little longer, ate a leisurely breakfast, and talked to family via Skype.  Around 12:30 p.m. we headed over to the RV park for Christmas dinner.  Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal of turkey, ham, and just about anything else you could think of to eat.  Following the meal, we had a crazy gift exchange that brought about many laughs.

 This morning we went over to the RV park for the Saturday morning pancake breakfast and then took a short walk around the golf course.  In afternoon John played in the end of the month scramble and his team took second place.  I just vegged out today, but did manage to get some bread baked.  

Our weather has been just about perfect since we came to Texas, but the forecast is calling for quite a change.  Tomorrow the highs will be 30 degrees colder than today with very strong winds.  Lower temps are in the forecast for the next week.  Winter has come to Fort Clark Springs.

Christmas Eve Partying

Today was pretty low-key for us.  We played a round of golf this morning and John spent some time this afternoon polishing the golf cart.  I kept busy making a dessert to take to tomorrow's Christmas dinner at the RV park.

Tonight John and Theresa B. hosted a Christmas Eve party for approximately 30 folks.  We all met up at 6 p.m. in the RV park dining area.  The tables were set with white tablecloths, flowers, and other Christmas decorations and colored lights were strung around the room--everything looked rather elegant.  After everyone was seated, John told us everything looked too fancy to remove all the decorations along with our plates and tablecloths.  It was then that dinner was served.  Spaghetti was strung out the length of the table and covered with sauce.  You then took your utensils and dragged your meal in front of yourself and dug in.  It was quite an experience eating right off the table, but everyone enjoyed the meal and a lot of laughs.  Following the easy cleanup, we played a game and then exchanged white elephant gifts.  It was quite a Christmas Eve party.  

 

Holiday Activities Keeping Us Busy

Monday was a busy day, especially for John.  After our morning walk and breakfast, he headed over to the RV park kitchen for wood carvers.  Only three carvers showed up since some had out of town guests and others had conflicting schedules.  As soon as John returned home we ate a quick lunch and went back to the RV park for Washers.  Once again the numbers were down, but we did manage to get in three games.  John was a big winner this time around.  Now it was rush back home, grab the golf cart, and head off for the Monday afternoon scramble.  While John was off golfing, I relaxed with my latest novel.

We put a sign on our old golf cart and stuck it out on the front lawn on Sunday.  Tuesday morning two guys showed up who were interested and by 3 p.m. the cart was sold and gone.  John and I played a round of golf in the morning and then took care of some household chores in the afternoon.  A little before 6 p.m. we drove the golf cart to the RV park where we met up with about 30 other folks for an evening golf cart ride.  Most of the carts were decorated with a little Christmas cheer.  We stopped in the picnic area by The Red Bridge for some wonderful hot soup, bread, and Christmas treats.  We sat around a blazing fire enjoying the meal, visiting, and listening to Christmas music.  A full moon made the evening even more special.  

This morning John played with the weekly men's group while I did a little laundry and more reading about Windows 10.  We've been taking Christmas cookies to the different activities and ran low, so this afternoon we quick made another batch.  

Since it was such a beautiful afternoon John and I played a round of golf and then headed into town to pick up a few grocery items and subs for supper.  This evening it was back to the RV park for Caroling around a bonfire, hot chocolate, and more Christmas treats.

Beginning Holiday Events

Friday morning we were up and out the door bright and early to head off to Del Rio for our weekly grocery buy.  Since we left the house before breakfast, our first stop was McDonald's for something to eat--it was then on to Wal Mart.  We like shopping early in the morning before the stores get busy.  Since Del Rio is a border town, it can get pretty crowed in town by the afternoon.

When we returned home and after the groceries got unloaded and put away, John headed off to the golf course where he met up with Paul E. for their first round together.  I spent my afternoon downloading Windows 10 onto my laptop.  The process took over four hours and now I have to learn how to use it.  Friday evening our church sponsored a progressive dinner.  About 25 folks attended and enjoyed a delicious meal and good fellowship.

Saturday's weather was a little on the chilly side, so after the RV breakfast, I opted out of golfing and spent the day learning more about Windows 10 and catching up on my reading.  Unit 37 hosted a Meet and Greet in the afternoon and over 70 folks showed up to enjoy hot dogs, finger foods, hot chocolate, and a bonfire.

 Today was the usual Sunday morning routine of a walk around the golf course followed by breakfast and church.  The service was very well attended today with the college kids home on break and visitors in town for the holidays.  John and John B. played a round of nine holes this afternoon and then we baked some Christmas cookies.  This evening is RV park movie night.  More special activities are on the calendar for this week. 

Routine But Busy Days

John and I have been back here in Texas for a little over a month and enjoying the beautiful fall weather--no snow or real cold temps.  Most of our Winter Texan friends have returned--Paul and Melinda E. got in yesterday.  John has been waiting for Paul to get here so they can get back out on the golf course together.  We are still waiting for the Bevins, Miners, and Knowles to return and that should take place right after Christmas. 

With all the folks returning, the fort has become a busy place.  There are more golfers out playing and all activities have resumed.  Our schedule stays pretty much the same every week, thus the "routine" in the title.  

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, our golf cart problem has been resolved.  Chuck E. had two golf carts and was only using one of them, so we purchased his white one.  It's in mint condition with headlights, turn signals, and a cover with clear windows and zippered doors so you can keep warm and dry in foul weather.  We are planning to put our old one out on the front lawn with a "For Sale" sign and hope someone will take it off our hands.  I must say, I enjoy running around in this zippy little cart.

Thursday afternoon means couples golf, so following lunch John and I headed down to the clubhouse where fellow golfers were getting registered and paired up to play.  Today we played with George and Kathy and ended up in a tie for third place.  Due to the holidays, there will be no couples' golf for the next two weeks.  That is probably a good thing since right now our golfing leaves much to be desired.

  Heading off to play the back side of the course

As the holidays approach there seems to be plenty of events to attend.  Right now we have a progressive dinner on Friday evening and a "Greet and Meet" in unit 37 on Saturday.  Several parties are on the calendar for next week.  Should be a fun time!

Golf Cart Delima Solved

We didn't take our usual walk Saturday morning and instead went to the RV park for the first breakfast of the season.  There was a good crowd considering some folks are gone for the holidays and others won't be down until after Christmas.  We spent some time visiting while eating a delicious breakfast--for $4 you got two eggs, two pancakes, two sausage, and coffee or juice.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, we are having golf cart troubles.  John is trying to decide whether to get another cart or put new batteries and tires on our old one.   We have spent the last several days looking at carts and talking to a dealer in Uvalde.  Our friend Chuck has two golf carts and said he would sell us one of his, so after breakfast we headed over to his place to see it.  We ended up bringing it home and doing some test driving.  Looks like we have a new golf cart.  Will post some photos soon.

Last night was rather stormy with rain and very strong winds.  This morning the weather began to clear, so we were able to take a walk--we saw these early risers on the 13th fairway.

  
We were scheduled to play a round of golf with Wes and Shirley C. after church, but the strong winds were still hanging around so the afternoon golfing was put on hold.  John decided to play by himself and said it was a real challenge keeping the ball in the fairways.   The rest of the day was spent watching football and a movie at the RV park.  Today was the start of another busy week.

Plenty of Golf

The weather has been just beautiful here in Texas with sunny skies and the temps in the mid to upper 70's--perfect for playing golf and that's what we have been doing over the last several days.  John played men's golf on Wednesday morning with five other guys.  John's team ended up one under par.  Thursday was couples' golf in the afternoon.  Since we won last week, we had to run it along with Jim and Gina.  We were teamed up with Pat and Bob B. and ended up with par at the end of 18 holes.  None of us had a very good day so we missed being in the top three.

With so much going on during the week, we decided to head to Del Rio bright and early this morning for some grocery shopping and for me to get a hair cut.  Our first stop was McDonald's for some breakfast and then on to the salon for a trim.  From there it was on to Wal Mart for some groceries and then a final stop at HEB to pick up some fresh fruit.  Once we were back home and everything was unloaded and put away, John and I played a round of golf.  The weather forecast is calling for much cooler temps to come in over the weekend, so we're trying to get outside and enjoy the nice weather as much as possible.  Tonight was card night with Chuck, Lois, Barb, and John.  Once again the guys were the victors.  Maybe the ladies will win next week.

Pretty Busy Week So Far

It's amazing how much warmer the sun feels down here in Texas.  The mornings are pretty chilly when we leave the house for our walk, but by the afternoon, the temps are in the upper 60's.  This week the weather forecast calls for highs in the 70's and 80's.  We'll be back in shorts again.

Monday morning was wood carving for John.  He is working on something new for him--relief carving.  He's doing an apple and as soon as he gets the project further along, I'll post a photo.  Right after lunch we headed over to the RV park for the first Washers games of the year.  I was teamed with Jim Runger and we took first place.  

John and several of the guys left right from there and headed off to the golf course to play in a scramble.  I couldn't believe it when he came home a winner once again.  

Even though our temps are warm and the calendar says Winter is fast approaching, fall seems to be just arriving here at the fort.  As we've driven around we've noticed the trees beginning to take on their fall colors.

Tuesday morning means Ladies' Golf, so Kathy, Bonnie, and I ventured out on the course for nine holes.  Bonnie used her golf cart as she has bad knees, but Kathy and I walked the nine holes.  John met up with John B. and Larry M. for 18 holes.  The morning was just about perfect for golfing. 

I was pretty tired when I returned home from golf, so I spent some time just relaxing and resting up.  This evening was the first potluck so I made a macaroni salad as my contribution to the meal.  There was a very good turn out considering many of the Winter Texans won't arrive until after the holidays.  As usual we played "31" after the meal and I was the winner of the first game at our table.  John went to the end in his first game, but didn't walk away a winner tonight.   

Busy Sunday

We started our Sunday with a walk around the golf course, breakfast and church.  Following the service, Chuck, Lois, John, and I headed to Burger & Shake for lunch.  It was such a beautiful afternoon we decided to play a round of golf rather than stay inside watching football.  This week marks the return of just about all the activities here on the fort now that many of the Winter Texans have returned.  Tonight we headed over to the RV park for the first Sunday movie night.  We have something going on just about every day in addition to playing golf.  Should be a fun winter!

Quiet Friday But Busier Saturday

Low temps made for a chilly walk Friday morning but, once again, the afternoon was sunny and beautiful.  John and I decided to play golf in the morning before the course got busy.  I pared my first hole of the season--hopefully my golf game is starting to come around.  While playing couples on Thursday afternoon John noticed the golf cart was slowing down.  It's an electric cart run by five batteries which were purchased exactly five years ago.  Folks tell us that golf cart batteries usually last that long.  Now we are faced with the decision of whether to spend money on new batteries for an old cart (not cheap) or invest in a newer one.  For right now we seem to be able to play nine holes of golf with no trouble--it's when driving the whole course that the batteries run out.  John spent Friday afternoon visiting and getting some thoughts on what might be the best route to go.  Friday evening we went with Chuck and Lois to John and Barb's place to play cards.  We had never met them before and really enjoyed the evening.  

This morning was cool and overcast when we took our walk but sunshine was forecast for the afternoon with highs in the 60's.  John felt ambitious today and got the outdoor Christmas lights up.  Once that job was completed, we headed out for a round of golf.  The course was pretty empty today.  

Today was the annual Frontier Christmas in Brackettville.  The center of town was shut down and vendors set up their booths of crafts and food to sell.  This evening was the parade of lights with golf carts and pickup trucks decked out in Christmas lights.  There was a good crowd out for the parade and afterwards John and I had a fun time looking at the crafts and visiting with friends.  The Christmas season is well underway down here in Texas.

 

Another Beautiful Day

Since our return from Colorado we have slowly been getting back into our regular routine.  The temperature was in the low 40's this morning, so we bundled up for our walk around the golf course.

Following breakfast, John headed over to the driving range for about half an hour to work on his tee shot and then went into town to pick up the mail.  There were many receipts from our travels, so I spent some time this morning sorting them out and getting the finances up to date.  I also took some time to download some music to my new Ipod.  It's taking me a little time to get it figured out, but I'm slowly making progress getting it set up.  I left my IT guy (Isaiah) back in Pagosa Springs.  

This afternoon was couples' golf.  Fourteen couples showed up to play--the number was down since many folks have left to return north for the holidays.  We were teamed up with Georgia Jim and Gina.  We ended up three under par, which was a miracle considering how we all played, and thought we were out of the money.  Turns out we won and will have to run couples next week. 

John went to wood carvers this evening and while he was gone, I got some bread made and watched a few recorded TV shows.
 

Back Home Again & Keeping Busy

We left Carlsbad bright and early Tuesday morning and after encountering some heavy traffic around the gas and oil fields and a fog bank outside of Pecos, we arrived in Del Rio a little after 1 P.M.  Our first stop was Chick-fil-A for some lunch before picking up some groceries.  We had just ordered our meal and found a booth when Chuck and Lois walked in.  They just spent the morning Christmas shopping and were ready for a break.  John and I invited them to join us and we were able to catch up on what has been happening on the fort while we were away.  Following lunch, we headed to HEB for some much needed restocking of the pantry.  Once that job was done, we hit the road back to the fort.  Then began the chore of unloading the car and putting everything away.  John did manage to play a couple of holes of golf before dark.

 This morning John headed off to play golf with the men's Wednesday group.  Today eight guys showed up including several who just arrived for the winter.  John's team ended up one under par winning the round.  While he was busy with golf, I got the rest of the clothing unpacked and everything is now back in place.  I still have a mountain of laundry to do, but that can wait for another day.  The weather today was just about perfect, so we headed out to play nine holes this afternoon.  Couples' golf is tomorrow afternoon, so I needed some practice.  The winter activities are starting up again next week--Washers, potluck, and Saturday morning breakfasts to name a few.  Should be a busy time.