Of bluebonnets, eggs, family and bull spunk......
Sorry for the delay in postings. Between rushing around, getting organized, trying to get WeeVT to sleep, and missing WiFi service - it just hasn't been happening. But here we are! Greetings from Bandera, TX - Home of one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the US, according to the China Bowl menu that I found in the laundry room of the Skyline Ranch RV Park.
To catch up on things - I made the drive from Salina, KS to McKinney, TX just fine. Passing through Oklahoma and seeing a billboard for the "World's Largest Beer Cave" made me wonder - "What's a beer cave? How big is this one? Why don't I live in one?". While fumbling through local FM radio, I came upon a lively call-in show all about Angus cattle. Did you know that you can go to a website and custom order Angus bull semen that has been DNA tested? Well I can give you the skinny if you want more info. To state the obvious - yes, a call-in show on bull semen WAS the most interesting thing on the radio in southern Oklahoma.
I caught up with Laura and Anya in McKinney and was able to spend time with my mom and siblings (and siblings in law), cousins and the rest of my family around Dallas, with a smattering of good friends to boot
Tuesday was Trailer Day. I decided to get up early and beat the Dallas rush hour traffic on my way to Rice, TX - home of the "egg hatchery". (This has no direct relation to the Angus discussion). The Casita trailer is affectionately known has the "egg" due to its rounded fiberglass construction. I arrived at the factory around 7:00am and they opened at 8:00 and the fun began.
My mom and her husband would be bringing the girls down separately later in the day. Orientation and paperwork at the hatchery took about 2 hours and I was on the road to Corsicana for a quick overnight stay at a local RV park. The trailer is great! A big step up in comfort and convenience from tents and pop-ups.
Wednesday morning we got on the road and decided to swing past Bryan, TX to visit the gravesite of my father on our way to Bandera . He is buried in a tiny church cemetery outside of Bryan and near Texas A&M college which he attended.
WIth the huge oaks overhead and the last clusters of Texas wildflowers in bloom, we tromped around the cemetery and visited with Dad. Anya enjoyed placing flowers on his marker - a sweet thing to see. (I miss you, dad). I'm sad he didn't get to meet her.
WIth the huge oaks overhead and the last clusters of Texas wildflowers in bloom, we tromped around the cemetery and visited with Dad. Anya enjoyed placing flowers on his marker - a sweet thing to see. (I miss you, dad). I'm sad he didn't get to meet her.
Heading out from Bryan towards San Antonio, Anya decided to put her heretofore unused farm animal vocalizations to good use. We began the quest for cows (again, not Angus related). "Moooooooooo!" we would hear from the back seat. Sure enough, off to one side or the other would be a herd of cattle. "More more!" she would cry. "OK Anya we'll find you some more cows". "Moooooooooooo!" the little voice would say. This went on for 4 hours and was quite amusing.
We made it to the Skyline RV Park in Bandera for the "Bluebonnet Casita and Fiberglass RV Rally" around 8:00pm. Wow! Casita overload! There are apparently close to 180 Casita trailers and a few similar brands here. Ridiculous. As we unhitched we were immediately swarmed by well-wishers checking out our gleaming new rig, man-sized Rock Tamer mudflaps, Utah license plate and cute young daughter.
After getting settled and putting Anya down for the night we sipped a few cocktails outside and got to know some of our neighbors. The next morning we went to the 7:30am coffee and sweet roll social at the activity hall here at the RV park. Anya was a hit! She charmed her way through the crowd and made new friends with every smile. Most of the owners at this rally seem to be retired couples having fun on the road.
Today was the "Egg Parade" - an opportunity to show off your trailer "mods" and see what others had done to customize their own. Weather was a bit soggy so we only saw a few rigs and discovered what it is like to be cooped up in one of these for a while. Not bad but WeeVT has gotten a little antsy in her pantsy.
One tradition that we will keep alive is the naming of our Casita. Many owners follow the egg theme ("EggScape", "Egg Motel", "USS White Pearl", etc). Some are just amusing ("In-A-Gadda-Casita"). We will go with a name that supports the spirit behind why we chose this camper.
We shall name it "Lagom".
"Lagom" is a Swedish word for which there is no direct English equivalent. It basically means "Just the right amount" and defines a particular way of enjoying life. It is not "sufficient"…it is not "adequate"….it is the proper amount of something. In the Super Size, forego nothing culture we live in it is nice to find something that has everything we need and nothing more. Of course we don't "need" a camping trailer, but we are soaking up the family time together that it affords us and at the end of the day that's what this is all about.
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