Davis Mountians, September 2016

We spent September 5-12 at our beloved Davis Mountains State Park. We've been visiting this park off and on for more than 30 years, and it remains one of our favorite places. So, after so many trips there, what keeps dragging us back?

Park Headquarters at the entrance.

One thing we like is that it is an escape from the heat Texas endures during summer months. During our stay, temperatures were about 10 degrees lower at the park than they were in San Angelo. In fact, in the mornings, we'd sit out drinking our coffee with light jackets on. One day, the high never rose past 70, mainly due to a rain system that slowly passed through the area.

Of all the state parks in Texas, I don't know of a single one that provides better for its guests. The park offers more programs than any other park I know of. Just go to the Events page to see what programs or other events are available at the park. We always take time to attend as many of these programs as we can, as all of them have been informative in the past. The more you know about a place, the more enjoyable it is. It's also a good way to get to know park staff and other campers.

Not all parks in Texas offer full hookups (electricity, water, and sewer), but DMSP does. In addition, it is the only park I know of that offers cable TV. Although we don't watch much television when camping, it is nice to have a news and weather source available. And for those times when the weather is bad, a little television can really help out.

Even though we've done about everything in the area there is to do, we still enjoy repeating some of these. For example, on this trip we once again drove the Davis Mountains Scenic Loop even though we drove it just a year ago. Because of Hurricane Newton moving up from Mexico, the skies were often overcast, and it was interesting to watch the clouds dance around Mount Livermore. And there are one or two places we always look forward to eating. We especially like the Drug Store in Ft. Davis, which offers some very good old fashioned burgers and some really good old fashioned soda fountain malts. The onion rings are pretty good as well. Yum!

We usually see quite a bit of wildlife while in the park; however, on this trip, we did not see as many animals. That may be a result of the good rains earlier this summer as well as increased traffic in the park. We did see a few mule deer, though. The javelina herd that has been a fixture in the campground for the past several years was noticeable by its absence on this trip, though.

And those night time stars are clearer and closer than anywhere else in Texas. There is a reason why McDonald Observatory is located just a few miles up the road.

There are lots of reasons why Donna and I continue to return to DMSP. Most of all, though, it has come to feel a bit like home to us.

Below are some pictures I took on this trip.

Building in very center of picture is the Interpretive Center, where most of the presentations are held. Our campground is just to the right.

If you look carefully, you will see Skyline Drive switchback up this mountain. Look for the diagonal lines. You get some great views of the area from atop this mountain. Our campground is at the base and to the right.

At top left, the water tower is clearly visible. But look closely at the center of the picture. Do you see the man-made structure there? This is known in the park as the "Loo with a View". The restroom was built years ago by the CCC and hugs the side of the mountain.

Donna sitting on the wall outside the "Loo with a View". Yeah, the ground does fall away, doesn't it. I was surprised she was able to pose on the wall for this picture.

Donna snapped this picture of me stop the water tower. In the background beside my right elbow is the entrance to the park off Highway 118.

The amphitheater is located behind our campground. The interpretive ranger told us during a presentation that it would soon be replaced by a newer one.

 We camped in site 27 this trip. There are 2 camping areas with full hookups. We normally choose this one, which is on a slope. The views are great, but the sewer connections are all located up hill, so to speak, and I don't care for that. Most sites are in the open, which is fine during nice weather. The other camping area has much more shade, which is great for the hottest months.

Another view of our campsite.

Below are links to entries related to the Davis Mountains from past trips:

• Davis Mountains Scenic Loop (Sept 2015)
• Images of Davis Mountains State Park (Sept 2015)
• Davis Mountains State Park (Sept 2015)
• McDonald Observatory (Aug 2011)
• Ft. Davis National History Sight (Aug 2011)
• Davis Mountains State Park (Aug 2011)
• Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens (Aug 2011)

I have a couple of related stories on our recent trip to publish over the next few days.

I Hate Change

I knew the time was coming, and I dreaded it.

My faithful computer of many years had been showing signs of old age. It was becoming cantankerous and fussy, and I knew it was just a matter of time before I would have to put the old boy out to pasture.

Well, that time came last week.

I do hate change, and I hated the idea of getting a new computer and getting it set up. It takes so much time to get a new computer personalized the way you want. Fortunately, I perform a backup of my data files every night, so moving files to a new computer is probably the easiest thing for me. But getting your programs installed, settings personalized, and just learning the ins and outs of a new OS is not something I enjoy doing.

For the past few years, I've been running Vista, so I knew I had a big adjustment ahead of me. My new computer runs Windows 10, and it is vastly different from Vista. And to be honest, I don't know that there is any improvement. There probably are many advantages behind the scenes. Security is probably enhanced, and some things are probably more seamless. But after only a week, I'm struggling. For example, on my previous computers, when you turned the Num Lock key on once, it stayed on until you turned it off. Not so with my new computer. Every time it restarted I had to turn Num Lock back on. Yes, that isn't really a big issue, but when you use the keypad and you log into your computer using an alphanumeric password, it can become a bit troublesome. So, after some research, I found a registry edit that fixed this little issue.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

But I'm plugging along, researching Windows 10 and trying to learn how to use this new OS. And I decided that since I was upgrading my computer, I would also update some of my programs. I've been using Office 2007 for years, so I figured for security reasons it was time to upgrade that software suite as well. I'm testing the new package now on a 30 day trial, and I'll probably purchase at the end of this period, but I may only purchase a one-year license. I intend to look at some free programs during the upcoming year, such as Apache Open Office, to see if they offer the features and security I want.

Probably one of my biggest complaints is that you don't just buy a computer and OS anymore. Computers today come packaged with all types of software, most you probably don't want or ever use. They just consume space on your hard drive and pop up occasionally with some aggravating little advertising message. Personally, I'd prefer a clean computer with only the OS installed. But then, I suppose I'm an old fossil. We're moving in the direction of everything being run from and stored on "the cloud", and our young folks can pick up a new computer and be running it efficiently almost immediately. I still work from the old basis -- I want things on my computer.

I suppose it won't be much longer before someone puts me out to pasture.

The Living Is Easy

It's been almost 2 months since we moved into our new home at Rio Concho West (RCW), and we are really enjoying ourselves. We do love our house. The floor plan suits us. In the last week or so, we've enjoyed some good rain, and a side benefit of the rain has been cooler temperatures. We've been able to spend a lot of time on our back patio, and we really enjoy our time there. Donna and I agree that moving to RCW is one of the best things we have ever done.

We've been here just under 2 months, but already we've been visited by our daughter and her destruction crew twice. The first time, only our daughter and her 3 boys came. The second time, our son-in-law also came, as the family stopped in for 2 nights on their way to a family vacation in San Antonio. And this past weekend, my brother and his wife spent a couple of nights with us. So, we've been fairly busy entertaining.

We've also been trying to get into the rhythm of living in our community. Quite a lot goes on out here, and we've been trying to immerse ourselves gradually. In the past couple of weeks or so, for example, we've had the chance to do numerous things. The conductor of the San Angelo Symphony spent an hour at our Oak Tree Club recently detailing the upcoming season, including the guest artists who will be performing. He finished his presentation by playing a variety of tunes on the piano. It was a very pleasant way to spend an hour one morning.

Last Thursday night, we attended our monthly dinner, which had a luau theme. Each month, the community sponsors a dinner, normally with entertainment of some sort. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet people. We've attended two of these dinners so far, and each time we sit at a table for six with different folks. We're gradually getting to know our neighbors.

Earlier today, our entertainment director loaded a crew of us on one of our buses and took us to an eatery downtown that recently opened, the Twisted Root. This is a small chain with most locations in Texas. Donna and I enjoyed the food, but the place is a bit loud for me. We enjoyed the bus ride there and back. It's fun riding the bus with neighbors and new friends. These folks like to have a good time.

Next week, we have an afternoon watermelon feast at the Oak Tree Club, and Donna and I will certainly be there for that. There's nothing like a good melon on a hot summer day.

We also have reservations for an upcoming play at our local Angelo Civic Theater. The play, Into the Woods, is based on the James Lapine book and has music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim. It should be good. RCW does take a bus to the theater, but Donna and I decided to go on a different night, so we'll be going by ourselves to this event.

Personally, I've undertaken a reading project. I am working my way through the Hercule Poirot books (Agatha Christie) in a chronological order based upon when they occurred, not when they were written. Donna and I have watched the Masterpiece series over the years (on Netflix) starring David Suchet and absolutely loved it. I have read several of the novels over the years, but now I want to read them in order and study the character development of not only Poirot, but also other major characters, such as Captain Hastings. It should be fun.

And we are planning trips in our travel trailer. We have now made reservations for 2 upcoming trips, starting in September. Up to now, we've declined to travel because we've enjoyed being in our new home and also because it has simply been too hot. But cooler weather is approaching, and we are getting our travel plans in order. So keep reading to see where we go.

Life is good at RCW.

I've Not Been Posting

For those who follow the blog, it's obvious that I'm not posting very much. Quite frankly, Donna and I have not been doing very much. We're just trying to settle in to a routine in our new home and become fully settled. Nothing much exciting about that, so nothing much to report.

We've bought season tickets to our local community theater, Angelo Civic Theater. We'll attend 6 performances this year, and we'll see some pretty interesting plays. You can click here to see what shows are appearing this season. I'm most excited about watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe in October. I did my thesis on Edward Albee, so I have a natural interest in this play. Albee's female characters are extremely interesting and fully developed.

We're also simply settling into our community, and with each passing day, we enjoy Rio Concho West (RCW) more. I wish we had moved here years ago. We attended an orientation meeting a couple of weeks ago and came away even more excited. What I like best about the place is how peaceful and calm it is. Each time we return from shopping around town, we marvel at the island of serenity that is Rio Concho West. Outside the property, traffic is a bit hectic and fast, but once you enter our property, the speed limit drops to 20 and all is calm. There is only one way in and out of RCW, so there is no through traffic at all. That is great.

I've read a great deal about people hiking the long trails of the United States (see "The Big 3 Hiking Trails of the Continental U.S.A." in June 2013). Many people who do long hikes over several weeks or months make the same observation. They spend so much time out on the trails that when they return to "civilization" they experience a type of culture shock, especially as regards traffic. After spend long periods seeing very few people, no buildings other than shelters or small country stores or farms, and virtually no traffic, they become accustomed to a slower pace of life. For them, traffic moves along at just a few miles per hour, somewhere between 3 and 5 mph for most hikers. Upon entering a town, they are shocked by traffic moving at speeds of 30 mph or greater.

We can sort of relate now that we live at RCW. We spend most of our time in our little community, where people exercise daily by walking the streets. Posted speed limits are 20 mph for the entire property, and there is often more foot traffic than auto traffic. And for traveling within the community, many folks rely on golf carts or bicycles. So when we leave RCW, we experience just a little shock. It takes a few minutes for me to adjust to a faster rate of travel and a greater volume of traffic. It's always nice to pull back in to RCW from our little excursions out. We can slow down again and move at a more comfortable pace.

We do have some trips planned, but not until the fall. Right now, we are simply waiting out the heat of the summer and trying to get settled.

Staying Healthy . . . I Hope

During our recent 6 month tour in our trailer, I got a bit lazy. Although I tried to walk as much as possible, there were many places we stayed where there simply wasn't a good or safe place to walk. We also ate out much more than we normally do. As a result, I put on a few pounds.

As I've aged, I've learned that good health really boils down to two things: diet and exercise. I've also learned that both must be done regularly.

Now that we are settled, I've gotten back into a solid exercise routine. Three days each week -- usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday -- I walk. Our new neighborhood is ideal for walking. We live in a secluded community with only one way in or out. Once in the community, we have several streets, and if you take what I call the perimeter loop, you have a 1.5 mile loop. Right now, I'm walking 3 loops for a total of 4.5 miles on my walking days. I average about 17 minutes per mile, which is roughly 3.5 miles per hour.

On alternate days -- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday -- I ride my bicycle. This is a bit new to me. My legs definitely are not in bicycle shape. It takes a different set of muscles to ride as opposed to walking. Although our community is on fairly level ground, we do have some high ground which creates a slow but noticeable slope when you are riding. As I go up that slope, my legs burn quite a bit. And the wind -- which really has been blowing hard lately -- makes a noticeable difference when you are biking. I've noticed that even when I'm on level ground, the wind blowing into my face slows me down considerably and makes my legs work harder. When I first started, I was only able to do a couple of miles on my bike, but now I'm up to 5 miles. Those first few attempts almost crippled me. After one of those rides, my legs were like rubber, and I really didn't even want to walk. My goal is to get my legs in good enough shape that I can bike the O. C. Fisher dam, which is a length of just over 7 miles, one way. Since I'll have to make a round-trip ride, that is a total of just over 14 miles. That's not far if you are a young bicyclist, but for an overweight old man, that is a pretty good ride. But I'll get it done.

In addition to exercising regularly, we are now eating more meals at home. We still eat out twice a week, but most of the time we stay home. We eat a salad almost daily, and we're starting to watch our calorie intake much more closely, something I stopped doing early during our trip. As a result, the pounds are starting to slide off. I gained close to 15 pounds during our trip, so I need to get that amount back off as quickly as possible. Then I need to lose a few more pounds on top of that.

A lot of people don't like routines or schedules, but they have always worked for me. I'm glad to be back on a regular exercise schedule and to be eating healthier food.

Today's bicycle day. Time to go burn my leg muscles.

Rio Concho West Independence Day Parade

We're pretty well settled in our new home, and just in time for the community July 4th parade. Now, keep in mind ours is a small community, but we have a pretty nice little parade. The procession made 2 loops through the neighborhood, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Below are some pictures from our little celebration.

The Honor Guard led off the parade, followed by local EMTs and fire department.

You can't have a patriotic parade without Boy Scouts.

I'm not sure of the significance of the stagecoach, but it was about to turn onto Stage Coach Trail.

There were several refurbished older cars.

And since we are an active retirement community, there were lots of golf carts in the parade.

Someone did a nice job fixing up this truck.

This old panel wagon was nicely restored.

Yeah, a simple parade, but one showing off the community's patriotism. I think I'm going to enjoy living here.

We Ain't Homeless No More

We closed on Monday. We moved on Tuesday. We had everything connected and working by Wednesday afternoon. And Donna and I are both exhausted.

It's great to be in our new home. Although we still have much to unpack and put in order, we are now settled and comfortable. But this move was, by far, the most difficult we've ever experienced.

The move itself went very smoothly. The closing was on time. The movers arrived exactly when they said they would, and they had us in our new home in a very short time. New items were delivered when they were scheduled. Everything went like clockwork. It was, perhaps, the best organized and most efficient move we've ever made.

But the old woman and I are not spring chickens anymore. The physical act of moving furniture and boxes really took its toll this time. It has also been quite hot here in San Angelo the past several days, and the humidity levels have been higher than normal. I find myself getting dehydrated much more quickly than I used to. In fact, even our recent 4 mile walks have been affecting both of us. We have been walking later in the morning when the heat and humidity have started rising. Now that we are settled in an area that is safe for walking, I'll start doing my walks as soon as it gets light and before the heat sets in.

It's so nice to be out of the trailer. I pulled it over to the house Tuesday afternoon to unload. Later that evening, we took it to our new covered parking area just down the street here in our new community. It will be convenient to have it stored where we live.

Now the real work begins. Time to notify all our providers -- insurance companies and so forth -- with our new address. It's not hard, especially in this age of technology, but it is tedious and takes time.

I've enjoyed traveling in our trailer. Our trip out west -- to Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico -- was fun, and we really enjoyed ourselves, but it is good to finally be home again.