The Events of Thursday, February 17, 2011

                A bright flash interrupted my dream. Confused, I jerked up my head and then lay back down. I must have imagined it. A second later, there was another flash. I opened my eyes and turned my head in the direction of the flash. When it flashed a third time, I realized that Daddy was taking pictures of us sleeping. I groaned and went back to sleep and then … “Time to get up!” Grrrr.

                After rolling, bumping, and swaying over 30,000 miles, our RV is in need of completion of its 30,000 mile tune-up and the replacement of some parts that had shaken themselves loose. So, today, after breakfast, we headed out on quite the wild goose chase to get this done. The first place that we planned to go to, we passed before we realized it, and it was too far away to turn back. The next one we almost passed, but managed to turn around and go back. They told us that they didn’t carry the Winnebago parts we needed, but a place an hour up the road did. So, off we went. First we found the Winnebago shop and purchased a replacement ceiling vent and received directions to an auto shop that would have the transmission filter we needed. When Daddy purchased the filter, he was also given the name of a shop that could do the transmission work. Soon we found the repair shop that could replace our transmission’s filter and fluids while we explored the little Texas town of Kerrville.

                It was around lunch time and this being the classic modern western town; we set out in pursuit of a good Texan BBQ lunch. We found a place called Paw Paw’s Bar-B-Q. Its claim of fame was ‘the best BBQ in town.’ Daddy ordered a sample of their menu because of the outrageous portion sizes. So, with a huge roll of paper towels, we sat down to ribs, sausage, a BBQ pulled pork baked potato, turkey, ham, jalapeno potato salad, coleslaw, and soda. Did I mention it was a sample? Everything in Texas is HUGE! After that delicious adventure, we walked up the road to a Dairy Queen for a dessert of chocolate dipped soft serve vanilla ice cream in what Abby likes to call “the sweetest cardboard in the Wild, Wild West” for cones. Above our table where we enjoyed cool goodness on this very warm 79° day, was a giant stuffed head of a longhorn steer. You’ve got to love Texas. We picked up Harvey Aardvark and after a miniature adventure trying to get out of their parking lot, headed on our way.

                We have been driving for three hours and will be driving for another two. We are the ONLY car on this road. You can practically hear the echo of the call of the vultures feasting on the Longhorn that strayed too far into the desert. Along the road lie the skeletons of those who ran out of gas. When you are 100 miles on this road, there is another 100 miles until the nearest town and just because there’s a town, that doesn’t mean there is a gas station. We actually stopped at a town for gas and all the pumps at the gas station read ‘empty’. (Thankfully there was a Valero down the street). As we left the town after filling up our tank, we were driving down Main Street and all of a sudden, Daddy pulled over to the side of the road. We couldn’t hear any sirens, so we asked him why he had stopped. He told us to look out the window. We pulled up the blind. The little view that our window gave us was filled in with what looked like a giant block of greenish gray metal. It turned out to be a part of a battleship being moved by a very long and very wide semi trailer. But, we weren’t sure. There were people outside talking into radios directing it around the corner. So, after that excitement, we hit the road, determined to reach our destination before dark.

                About a half hour later, Abby and Caitlin were up on the top bed where the ceiling vent that needed to be replaced was rattling up and down. At this high speed of travel, the vent opens all the way and air comes swishing through the screen. Abby was playing with her bookmark and put her hand down to turn the page. She couldn’t find her bookmark and when we stopped at a stop light, the bookmark came fluttering down on her head. It turns out that when we went fast enough; the air pressure from the vent creates a suction force which causes the paper to stick to the screen. Soon we were moving again and Abby started sticking pieces of paper and articles of clothing to the screen. Soon Caitlin joined in as well. They found the pressure would hold up an empty iPod box, Hamlet Cliff’s Notes and even Abby’s bra (but of course not the one she was wearing). Caitlin and Abby entertained themselves this way for hours as we drove through the desert of Texas.

                After stopping at a Home Depot only 10 miles from the Mexican border, we drove 10 miles up and arrived at Holiday Trav-L-Park in Del Rio, Texas around 5:30pm. We got lucky spot 49 on Mirador Road right near the only bathhouse in the campground. Over a dinner of herb pie and a side of yams and leftover Mac and cheese, we talked about this amazing campground. It has a bible study, line dancing, and a social going on and that’s just tomorrow morning! After dinner, Caitlin cleaned up, Daddy swept, Mom read, Ben and Abby got ready for bed, and I blogged. Then, while Mom worked on the computer, the rest of us did math with Daddy. Once we all were ready for bed, instead of going to bed, we watched ‘Oklahoma’ and then … went to bed, with the AC blasting on High.