Winter Vacation

Annie & Bill and Jim & I disappeared for about 10 days for a loop around Texas,

hitting some of the spots we've always meant to visit.

The trip started on an ominous note with a boo-boo on our NEW RV

caused by a hot dog driver skidding around corners at a gas station.

Ask Jim about it. I'm sure he'll want to tell you.

How he got Bill to do all the dirty work is a mystery.

Well, Jim did hold the umbrella, which became our theme for the next week or so.Our first stop was Fredericksburg, that quaint German town full of charm and wineries.

It rained.

It drizzled...But we struggled on..We even found Luckenbach. No mean feat!

Our next stop was Big Bend National Park-Gorgeous place!Full of fascinating rock formations...
Surprising colors....
Commerce on the trail. Since 9/11 the river crossing in this area has been closed, cutting off the tourist trinket sales from the sleepy little town across the Rio Grande. That doesn't stop them, though. They paddle across in a leaky canoe to replenish the stock of walking sticks and wire scorpions.
Here the restockers are waiting out Ranger Cindy who made them a little nervous. No problem. They just paddled across the water and waited on the other side until she left.

What's wrong with the above picture?

Oh, so many things.

College students are in the hot springs, clothed, while the nudists are bundled up and shivering.
It was cold, I tell ya!

But the weather did break long enough to get a good moon shot!We frolicked in the snow...

Went on long hikes through beautiful scenery....Visited a ghost town where the most interesting thing was the cemetery.Even Missy had a great time. We kept her safe from coyotes and javelinas.Yep...had a great time!We finished up at Davis Mountain State Park and visited the McDonald Observatory.

Very impressive!