A DESERT OVERLOOK.

Jim drove us to a canyon overlook with miles and miles of desert at a place he holds dear. He spent time here with the WINS, a singles group that would gather the wagons, so to speak, and light a huge bonfire and enjoy the beautiful skies, the peace the quiet and serenity that you find in special places.


He and others from the group would 4-wheel among the hillocks on the shallow canyon floor and to me it is just a desecration of nature. I don't appreciate the tracks or dust of such a sport, so while he looked fondly, I walked the canyon rim looking for pretty rocks and taking pictures.


What is nice about places like this, right off the California highway S 22, is there are multiple spots anyone can pull over to enjoy the views. Each canyon will be different. The Salton Sea is visible in the background, but barely since it was slightly hazy on this day.


The light doesn't do its magic as the sun moves across the crags and fissures as it does in the Grand Canyon, but these small, canyons have an appeal of their own. It surprised me that we didn't see a lizard, a bird or anything alive. I'm sure they exist, but not to any excess.


Had we had time, I think hiking the canyons would be interesting. The pictures are better in a full screen slide-show. I took 39 of them, if you'd like to see them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/201424TheOverlook


I like that our lifestyle allows us to seek out places like this and enjoy  dinner with a view. As night clamped down, the haze prevented any stars from showing. I got up twice during the night to see if it cleared, but only a sliver of a moon peeked through a gray haze.


Before light the next morning, some bright stars were out along with a heavy wind. I set my camera for night scene, but it just isn't good enough to capture a star.

FREEPORT, TEXAS

Yesterday, when I got up, the moon was shining through  a bank of clouds. The mist off the river gave the park lighting a misty yellow glow.


The whole campgrounds looked surreal and beautiful.


Then, the sun struggled  through the mist in pink and purple hues.


The WINs were already finished with their hugs and mugs gathering  by the time I was finished with my therapy exercises I do each morning.


Paul, Garth and the two Pats decided to visit Bay City.


Arlene handed out some persimmons she found. They are very small and of an oriental type I’d never seen before. Pat, on the left,  will be parting from the group after Mardi Gras New Orleans, but will rejoin them again before they head west. We all hugged goodbye and bid them a fond farewell.


We arrived in Freeport and  got permission to stay for a night at the VFW. I liked Harvey’s hat and took a picture. This is a very active club and we learned that clubs that only serve beer are open to the public. If they serve booze, they are considered private. That is a Texas State rule.This club has computer gambling, as well, and is very active.


Freeport is a very industrial city and doesn’t have much to see, but we always head for the local museum. The city was organized around its sulfur deposits by Dow Chemical. Dow bought acreage and sold housing lots cheap and got a workforce. It grew from there.

A maritime  industry developed.


And, from museum to museum, it is a given that you will see hurricane damage and a town rebuilding. Freeport also straddles the Brazos river and has weathered floods over the years.


As usual, I find something interesting I’d not heard  before. An all woman Supreme Court?


If you travel with kids, this is a great museum for kids. Fun and educational.


It has a mini planetarium and we enjoyed it just as much as any kid. You lie back on bean bags and the sky story is narrated above you. (There wasn’t a kid, or another person in the museum.)


The museum had a huge room devoted to U.S. Presidents and elections. A replica of the oval office,  a table sized map of the United States explaining how the electoral college works.


Pictures of presidents and their most famous quotes while their most famous speeches are broadcast on a video. 

I had never heard this one from Nixon. I guess this wasn’t his most famous quote. I’m not sure how the quotes were picked. But, they do tell a story of the times.


We still deal with our liberties today. Have we learned anything from the past?


The museum was a bit short on artifacts, but I loved this gorgeous old organ. What beauty and craftsmanship to admire.

And, as a curiosity, this is the hand washing station in the men’s room. I guess you could call it a big sink. Today, we move to Galveston Island.

MEET ANDGREET WITH WINS.

From Palacios, Texas, we drove north toward Wadsworth where a bunch of WINs were camping on the Colorado River for a few days to go kayaking. WINs  stands for Wandering Individuals Network, a singles group Jim  belonged to for ten years.

When we arrived, the WINs were out, but Jim recognized their rigs.


We wandered down by the fishing docks and watched people fish. This woman said she was fishing for catfish.


Her husband hoped to catch a bass. He got one earlier but had to throw it back because it was too small.

On the next dock, this group said they were hoping to catch trout.


While standing there, the wind blew a plastic container with potato chips off the railing and into the water.


This young woman managed to snag it and drag it back up.


These two guys said they were hoping to catch some time away from home.


When the WINs returned from their daily excursion, we met them for cocktails at 4:00. It is a tradition to bring your drink, and snacks, and have a chat. Ellie is an old-time pal of Jim's who has been on the road for over ten years full-time. Next to her is Paul, a newbie. Originally from Michigan, then a Californian from Modesto. Just retired and is a full timer.


Pat still keeps a house in Oakdale but travels in her rig for months at a time.


The group celebrated another Pat's birthday. She is trying the lifestyle out. She is on the left. Arlene, on the right  is from West Virginia.


Garth, at the end of the table, is a retired school teacher and also new to life on the road and enjoying it.


The WINs are huggers and in the mornings they meet with MUGS and HUGS.  They start every day together and end it together before reporting to the privacy of their rigs. No one is required to take part in any planned activities. Ellie is the volunteer leader of this group traveling together as they move East. They plan their stops together and figure out where to dump and water and stay. There is something for everyone in this type of travel. I admire these women who have the guts to go it alone on the road in their respective rigs. I don't know if I could do it by myself, even with the comfort of a group.

ELKS, PIGS AND WINS.

Soggy, soggy, was our day. A bit of clearing in late afternoon sent us out to the Elks Club where a convocation of WINS was meeting. Jim left the WINS, which stands for Wandering Individuals Network, in 2007. Whenever he hears a group of WINS are meeting, he likes to reconnect with a group he really loved. There were ten rigs present at this venue, with more coming. And, likely we will run into them again as we head up the coast starting today. Margaret Murray, left, is a fellow blogger at http://www.mwmnewadventures.com/
Many women are afraid to travel alone and Margaret gives you an idea of what it is like. Check out her great blog.


I'm a new ELK member and was delighted to have a chance visit at the Harlingen Lodge. In their foyer, they have "Lucky" who collects money for Special Needs Children. In our Lodge #1587, Sonora, CA., each individual is given a purple pig to fill.


Every table in the lodge also has a red pig. Jim and I put our change in, but we saw no money in any of them. We enjoyed a couple of drinks with our friends, (you have instant hugging friends  with the WINS).


Then we headed back down 77 Sunshine Strip to pick up my bike at the bike shop. Don't you just love the name of the street?


Birds gathered to enjoy the clearing weather, or maybe they are getting ready for National Bird Day, that's today. I hope I can get a few nice bird pictures while we visit South San Padre Island.

Philosophy, psychology and new friends

Jim has a bunch of RV friends that are members of the WINs. WIN stands for Wandering Individuals Network. They share holidays, excursions, all types of gatherings. Many belong to more than one group, such as LOWs, Loners On Wheels, ESCAPEEs, self explanatory. It amazes me how many people love the RV lifestyle. Jim was featured on a television program about single RV'ers on the AARP channel last year. We decided to interview some of the unusual characters we've met in the RV world and see if they won't make a book.
Consider Randy Vining, an intelligent fellow who likes to leave as small a footprint as possible. He calls himself the stealth RVer. He lives in about 100 square feet, uses about two gallons of water for a shower, he uses only solar power, (some rigs have wind generators as well.) He made his own RV which he calls a stealth RV because you could never tell by looking at it that it is a domicile. He can park it on a city street and basically live anywhere he wants without arousing anyone's curiosity. Randy, the Stealth RV-er, is a member of WINs. He has a relationship philosophy that kind of defines people who have this wanderlust. A big part of their make up is to have a great sense of fun and humor.
Randy drew two figures, one resembles a snowman the second one resembles an upside-down snowman. The woman he desires is represented by the upside down snowman. Strong (lg. circle on top,) represents a strong parent relationship, middle circle, represents responsibility, (ie can support herself and balance a check book) small circle on the bottom, has a small sense of the child. He on the other hand has a weak (small circle on top) parent script, his center is equally responsible, can take care of himself and balance a check book, large strong circle on bottom has a large sense of the inner child. Does that make a balanced couple? Hmmmm. Jim says he never pays attention to such stuff. Hmmmmm! Randy and Jim are both fascinating characters. We've set up two interviews and have two more in mind.
Today, the day after Christmas, was another dental day. Feeling a bit bruised but my smile looks great. The French meat pie, by the way, was supreme, and, yes, I give out recipes.