On the Open Road!

We are in Mathis, Texas staying at Lake Corpus Christi State Park. This is one of our favorite State Parks and we are looking forward to a week of nice weather and relaxing state park camping

This past week, we have been busy with final preparations for our trip through the Midwest for the next six months. No bird pictures or Nature Center critters. Instead, I will share a few odds and ends about our time in Brownsville and our week of preparations. I will also give you a preview of where we plan to go in the next few months.

Odds and Ends

More than anything else, I suspect we will remember the rare birds we have seen and photographed. Here is the list of lifers from Marlene’s list: Fan-tailed Warbler, Tropical Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, Hooded warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Red-crowned Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, White-tipped Dove, Mourning Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Hooded Oriole, Altamira-Audubon Hybrid Oriole. These were all new to us, but the Fan-tailed Warbler and Tropical Parula are residents of Mexico and Central America and are rarely seen in the  US. We did not see any other reported rare birds. Short of getting up before sunrise and driving an hour, we gave it our best shot. This is what birding is about, fun. It has been an excellent season for birding in the Valley. I am filled with delight and have no regrets!

 

We added a propane Fire Pit to our inventory. The drought severely limited our ability to enjoy a campfire this past year. The cold weather required that we add a portable propane tank for heat, allowing us to purchase and use a fire pit. We enjoy a campfire in the evening when the weather permits. The fire pit will make this much easier in the future.

 

We have been pleasantly surprised at how quiet it has been on the border with Mexico. I have long suspected that the constant headlines about the crime and danger along the border were more hype for political gain than reality. The people of the Valley live as much as they always have, as people with two cultures who have been getting along for centuries. Most of the trouble has come from the people far north of the border who have found that lying about the violence was in their best interest. Once you look past the politician's lies, you discover a vibrant, multicultural community that offers the visitor a warm and generous welcome. Life is good along the Rio Bravo!

 

One pleasant discovery was a Winter Texan's coffee roasting business in Brownsville. His brand is called Donkey’s Butt Coffee. I have enjoyed his medium roast of Mexican and Central American beans called Happy Burro. If you want to check it out, visit his web page at https://donkeysbuttcoffee.com/.

 

The drought conditions in the last year limited how much I could use our smoker. But, in Brownsville, I have enjoyed grilling ribs and chicken and steaks and pork loins on my pellet smoker. I hope the weather will be kinder to us in 2024 as I have gotten used to freshly smoked BBQ.

 

We wander, in part, to see family and friends that we would not otherwise get to visit. On the way, we visited a niece in Kingsville, and while in the Valley, we saw a former co-worker at Hospice Compassus and a friend I had not seen since my High School days. I hope we will see even more old friends as we travel in the next 6 months.

 

We also said “Goodbye!” to a piece of camping equipment we have had for 7 years. The Purple Academy shelter served us well by offering shade and protection from the rain over our picnic table. Looking back through the blog, you will see it tied to the table. But 7 years of winds and rain had taken their toll, and we had to let it go. In its place, we now have a screen that attaches to Koko's Awning, which offers shade and shelter. This makes a fine companion for the fire pit and should help us enjoy the fabulous sunsets on the road.

 

I have really enjoyed the seafood and Mexican food we found here in Brownsville. It has been especially memorable at the Mom-and-Pop places where we have enjoyed their comidas especiales. However, the item that will remain with me the longest is Cucumber Lemonade. This was originally an East Indian drink that has gained a following throughout Mexico and Central and South America. We have enjoyed it so much that we have bought some lemons and cucumber, and as soon as we find some Tajin Clasico, we will try our hand at making our own. Thanks, Brownsville. You have expanded our pallets in a wonderfully refreshing way!

 

One final food I enjoyed while in Brownsville was the fresh pink grapefruit. I have always enjoyed Ruby Red Grapefruit from the Valley. I peel and enjoy them like an orange. Unfortunately, I must limit my intake due to the medications I take. But I will miss the sweet, juicy grapefruit we found at roadside stands and the HEB.

 

Thank you, Brownsville, for your memories, photos, meals, and experiences. It has been a fabulous two months.

 

Back on the Road

Our first rule of the road has always been "Safety First!" We have spent part of this week ensuring that Koko and Nakai are safe and ready for the road. An RV has been described as a cheaply built house that suffers regular earthquakes. Koko requires regular maintenance on the mechanical and living systems. Still, more than maintenance is needed to deal with wear and tear. To avoid any issues on the morning we leave, we ran through the major systems to ensure nothing happened while we were sitting still for two months. The good news is that Koko and Nakai have checked out and are ready for the road. Will there be surprises? Likely, but at least we have done what we can to minimize them.

 

Another challenge of life on the road is that we carry all our equipment. When we trade out pieces or add new items, we must find space for them in Koko or Nakai. Space is always limited, so we must get creative and make sure that we can relocate them. This year, we added a 20 lb. portable propane tank, a new footstool, and several smaller items. We made some room by trading out an old awning with a new, more compact shade. For the rest, I have arranged and re-arranged our storage several times over the last couple of months, and I have a plan that will work for now! At least we have everything packed and ready to roll.

 

I checked and re-checked our travel plans. I discovered that I had yet to enter our gas stops for the year. After adding them in, I checked and re-checked our reservations against the confirmation emails and looked at the timing for stops and drive times. We will add possible restaurants and activities for our stops in the next few months. Again, I know there will be changes, but having a baseline route makes our travel much less worrisome.

 

We were ready for the road with all of this completed. That optimism lasted until our first campsite at Lake Corpus Christi State Park in Mathis, Texas. The setup went well. We worked through our checklist until we discovered the power did not come on in Koko. After examining what little I knew about it, I called a mobile tech who checked out what he knew. After wiggling a wire at 7:30 PM, the power came on, and he agreed that he would return if we had any further problems. We did, and he did! The next morning, he found a short in the outside plug for our 30 AMP cord. He replaced the plug, and "voila," we had power. We are up and running with full power again!

 

We look forward to the week chasing Green Jays and walking the trails! Which brings me to a brief look ahead at the next two months.

 

Looking Ahead

We will enjoy some State Park camping at Lake Corpus Christi. This is one of our favorite state park campgrounds. We look forward to a lot of trails and a few South Texas birds and other critters. We also look forward to some good BBQ at Smolik's in Mathis.

 

We will return to Rockport next week to check in on some of our favorite birding spots along the Gulf Coast. It will also offer a last shot at Fresh Seafood in Port A and Rockport/Fulton. While there we will celebrate our 50^th Anniversary.

 

After Rockport, we will head to Chappell Hill in the Brenham area. After checking in on Marlene's Dad in College Station, we will visit her family cemeteries in Independence and Old Washington. I hope to see some Texas Wildflowers, though it will be early in the season. In addition, several birding loops in the area may offer some avian migrants heading north along with us.

 

Our next stop will include a short stay in Rusk to see the Dogwoods in bloom. We have spent very little time in this part of East Texas, and I look forward to exploring the area. We are still waiting to hear whether the RV Center in Pilot Point can work on our slide. If so,  we may have to cut our visit to Rusk short. This uncertainty prevented us from booking a non-refundable reservation for this year's Texas State Railroad Dogwood Trail ride.

 

If the new slide mechanism comes in, we will take Koko in and enjoy the hospitality of the Lodge at Lake Ray Roberts. Otherwise, we have a week-long site at Ray Roberts State Park, which will allow us more State Park camping.

 

We will head to Oklahoma after our time at Ray Roberts and begin our loop through the Midwest.

 

Yep, it feels like we are really heading out. As we begin, I am inspired by these words from Walt Whitman's "Song of the Open Road."

 

Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

 

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,

Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,

Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,

Strong and content, I travel the open road.

 

The earth, that is sufficient,

I do not want the constellations any nearer,

I know they are very well where they are,

I know they suffice for those who belong to them.

 

I look forward to sharing our journey with you. Thanks for riding along!

 

Travel well, my friends, wherever the open road may take you.

 

Bob