OUR LAST DAY IN FULTON
The morning started with my last aerobics class. I have left copies of the exercise program in the Club House so everyone can carry on without me. When I got back to the trailer we had breakfast and then I cleaned out the fridge and freezer as it was due for a good scrubbing. I did some laundry and then had my shower so we could head to Aransas Pass to do some banking, put fuel in the truck and pick up some last minutes items from the grocery store and the Alby's Seafood Store.
When we returned I finished the laundry and starting putting away all those things that get left out on a daily basis but can't be left out for traveling. the last job was to rearrange the furnature so the slides can go in tomorrow morning.
We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Chili's and then came back to the trailer to rest up for the trip tomorrow morning.
UNLOAD AND RELOAD
So it's time to leave Fulton .......we have been in the same place for 2 1/2 months......this means major reorganization! When we arrived here from the Valley we were having a bit of a problem with the trailer wagging so we decided to redistribute the load a little better. This required removing everything from the outside storage compartments and the truck storage boxes and move heavier things from the back of the trailer to the front and also changing some things between the truck to the trailer. When we had everything laying on the grass it didn't look like we would ever get everything back in, but we did and yes everything fit just fine. The test will be Saturday when we get on the road to see if we solved the problem or not.
After we were done our work we decided to have one last feed of Oysters at Off the Hook. They were delicious as always. A bit of TV and then time for bed.
THE JOY OF SHARING
Well Colin started out with this cold thing and he just felt it was necessary to share with me. I woke up feeling like the inside of my head was three sizes larger than the outside. Breathing through my nose was just not an option.......aerobics?? .....forget it.
I spent the day doing very little and taking a nap in the afternoon.
Dinner was dry toast and two boiled eggs. Doesn't that sound yummy!
Bed came early and hopefully tomorrow will be better!
BIG FISHERMAN LUNCH
I didn't get very much sleep last night but all things considered I didn't feel too bad this morning. We had made plans yesterday to go to the Big Fisherman Restaurant for Lunch with Suzanne and Armin. On Tuesdays they have a lunch special which is Soup, Chicken fried steak or Deep fried chicken gizzards, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw and a bun for $1.75 and to go with that $1.00 margaritas. You don't want to go every week but you just have to go once a year .....it's a tradition of Winter Texans. We got there at 11:15 and were fortunate enough to be in line inside but before we were sitting down the line was all the way down the sidewalk outside and wrapped around two sides of the building. It is very popular.
The only other thing I managed to get done today was clean out the storage area under the bed and put all my sewing stuff away in preparation for traveling down to the valley.
This afternoon did require a nap though and I think it will be just soup for dinner.
QUIET SUNDAY
Colin was still feeling nasty today so we passed on going to the Mimosa Brunch at the Club House. We had a quiet morning just playing around on the computer and then I decided to head to Wal-Mart to exchange some wool I had purchased for a Crochet project. Since I don't crochet well from a pattern, Pam in the park is helping me get started.
I spent the afternoon working on my project and it went quite easily. I also got a call from my brother Ries. We had a got chat and promised to get together when we get back in the Spring.
I also started to wipe down all the wood in the trailer with liquid gold, it does a very good job.
We had steaks for dinner and they were very good . As I was sitting eating I came to the conclusion that I was starting to feel horrible. Colin has shared his cold with me.......Gee thanks!
After dinner, I called my other brother Dick and we also had a good talk. We watched a movie after that and then I went to bed hoping I will feel better tomorrow.
FRIDAY STUFF
So of course this morning was aerobics and with that out of the way.....time to do some other stuff. I find the days here go very fast.....it went from 10:00AM to 3:30PM within what seemed like 1/2 an hour. Honest!
Since I have a niece, nephew and a friend expecting babies, I went to Wal-Mart to buy some wool to make some baby blankets. Pam, a lady in the park is into crocheting so she is helping me get started. This will give me something to do while watching TV.
The best part of the whole day was getting all my bank statements done......Yeah!!!
I should be good to sleep tonight as I laid off the caffeine, by noon. This should be better than last night.
MIXED UP DAY!
My new Bedspread....It is like a silk material and quilted all over.
This morning started fairly normal.....walk the dogs go through my emails......and then things deteriorated. Colin wanted to install something on my computer and I got antsy waiting for him so I told him I was going to Wal-Mart to get milk, paper towel and this bedspread I had seen in Aransas Pass the day before. I was hoping that they would have the same ones on sale here. At this point he decided he wanted to come along. I drove as he is coming down with a cold. I got out at Wal-Mart and he carried on to HEB, the grocery store.
I found my bedspread and it was only $35.00 at this Wal-Mart instead of $45.00 at the other store. I have been wanting to buy new pillows and they were on sale too for $9.00 instead of $13.00 . They are Spa pillows and are covered in this lovely microfiber velour. Very Nice! I also found a great pair of grey dress slacks for $3.00....such a deal. Definitely a good shopping day!
Colin did well too, he always gets these deals at HEB. They usually have a weekly meal deal where you buy the most expensive item at regular price, which in this case was a 5 lb. Lasagna. Then he got all this other stuff free including Ice cream, a ready made salad, cheese bread and nestles quick chocolate milk mix. It worked out that the Lasagna ended up costing a little over $3.00. It will make four meals so all in all a pretty good deal.
This was all fun but by the time we got home I still had not done any accounting for the day, however I did manage to get 2 more statements done and now I only have 1 left to do......Yeah!
After dinner we watched a good movie, American Gangster. It has Denzel Washington playing the bad guy......that was different! It was based on a true story. A definite good watch.
Sleep was elusive, as I had a cup of tea with caffeine at about 4:30......Big Mistake!
SLOW FOR SOME........BETTER FOR OTHERS
It's hard to get any sleep when Daddy is cleaning up!
I know that cable is in here some place?????
It started out today kind of cool outside but got better as the day went on. The sun never did make it out though. After walking the dogs I got right into my accounting work and was done just before noon. (for the day that is.) I made a grocery list and headed out to Wal-Mart to take the truck in for an oil change. This gave me an hour to root around in Wal-Mart....and of course I found some good deals! When I had exhausted all possibilities in the store I headed to the checkout and then to the service department to pay for the truck. It was all done so I headed home and decided to give the old girl a wash before I pulled into the park. (very handy as the carwash is right across the road from the park. When I finished there I went home and brought in my groceries and headed back outside to wipe the truck down.
Having completed those jobs I felt worthy of lunch.....egg salad on a whole wheat bun.....very good. Topped off with an apple for dessert I was revitalized enough to take on yet one more bank statement. When that was done Colin and I took the dogs for a walk to the lighthouse and back. I don't know how she does it but Mexi manages to require a mini bath by the time she gets back.......Paws, bum and face! I did some ironing and put dinner in the oven.
For Colin the day was a little slower.......he did sort out some stuff with the insurance company regarding our accident in the fall, and he did make a lovely job of an email and went for a walk. When he got home he did manage to mark another job off his to do list but as you can see with Colin it always gets alot worse before it gets better! We did manage to find the floor again and the girls and me reclaimed the couch.....so all was not lost.
Dinner was stuffed Pablano Peppers in tomato sauce.
Some TV and then time again for bed. ....ZZZZZzzzzz
PRODUCTIVE MONDAY
It was cool when I got up. I Got dressed and took the dogs out for their walk and then headed to the Club House for aerobics. When I got back we had breakfast and then I did some cleaning...... vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor....threw in some laundry and then I sat down to do my accounting. I am very impressed how fast it's going. I'm already into July! When I was finished my statement for the day I had a shower and got changed. Colin wanted to check Camper Clinic for some part he needed so I decided to tag along. They didn't have the part we were looking for so we headed over to the lumber yard across the road. We did manage to get a key cut for our trailer as we have no spare at the moment. I also picked up some cleaning stuff that I was not able to find anywhere else.
On the way home we stopped at the grocery store for some beer and tomatoes. When we got back Ron and Pat had the oysters ready to go. I had started a layered dip for nacho chips but needed the tomatoes to finish it. Everyone liked it because there was none left!
We were not sure if the oysters were a go today because Ron's little dog, Clyde had a seizure this morning and everyone was very worried about him as he is 16 years old. They brought him back from the vet and he was almost back to his normal self again. We were all happy to hear he was going to be okay.
We also celebrated Dorrace's birthday today. We had all been sitting outside but everything ended early because it was getting quite chilly to sit out.
Some Blogging, some TV and then Good Night!
CANCELLED OYSTERS
Today we were suppose to get together at Ron's for fresh Oysters. At the last minute they canceled because there were tornado warnings and some serious clouds moving in. The winds did pick up for a while but we only got rain.
I spent most of the day doing accounting......yea I am on a roll! and after that was done I washed the dogs.
We had a very late pizza dinner and ended up staying over at Susanne and Armin's till about 11:00.
By then I was ready to hit the bed.
AN ODDS AND ENDS DAY
The day started with walking the dogs ........well at least going out the door.....then finding this huge dog lurking on the patio, he was determined to hang around. Finally Ron came over and yelled at him and he left. Mexi went the whole way round the park with her tail down and sniffing madly.
I went to aerobics and when I got back the dog was there again....this time Ron sprayed him with a hose. I'll have to keep my eyes open for him!
Colin went over and helped our friend Cy, put up his Wi-Fi antenna. While he was doing that I did some cleaning and laundry and got ready to start my accounting. ....."Ya I know I should have gotten started sooner.
We had a seafood boil for dinner and then watched a movie. I have a load of dog toys in the dryer so when they are done I think its time to hit the hay.
A NEW RED VALENTINES DAY TRUCK
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED......
This morning started with aerobics and that went well.....from there it went down hill. after I got back it was time to start some laundry and fix a shirt for one of the ladies in the park. After I showered and got dressed I took one of my new sewing projects to the club house to cut it out. By the time I got back I had a headache coming on. I had some lunch tidied up the trailer and laid down to see if I could get ride of it.
By about 3:30 I was starting to feel a little better so I got up and took Splash for a walk while Colin took Mexi down to the lighthouse. We decided to have a salad at home and then went out for pizza.
Overall I got alot of little things done today even though I didn't feel that great.
We have a movie to watch tonight and then bedtime.....It's nice and cool out so I should sleep well.
A LITTLE SUN...A LITTLE RAIN....A LITTLE FUN....A LITTLE WORK
So this morning when I got up it was sunny and warm. I took the dogs for a walk, visited at a few trailers on the way around and ended up back at the trailer to start some work. I had to make a quick trip out to Wal-Mart to get some office supplies .....wow it suddenly got cold.....and then it rained. Back at the trailer I got back into my accounting.
Colin has been doing a lot of computer searching with regards to the new truck and in the afternoon he built me a little shelf for the bathroom. Now I don't have to put the water pik and the toothbrushes on the edge of the sink. That's two things off of his to-do list!
In the afternoon I got out my sewing machine, hemmed a pair of pants for someone and then did some sewing for myself. I still have a few projects left to work on so some more days of fun.
TRUCK SHOPPING!
So today Colin decided that he was going to drive to Port Lavaca and check out new trucks. We went armed with a Internet printout showing exactly the features we wanted on the truck we would like to buy. .......Well it was like the guy couldn't hear us and was trying to sell us everything but what we actually wanted. We kept telling him we didn't need financing and he was determined to tell us all the details about financing. I finally got fed up and headed out to the truck to leave Colin to work it out. Needless to say we did not buy a truck at Port Lavaca Dodge. To be fair this was our first stop at an actual dealership.
We did however have a nice late lunch out, catfish, salad and fries, then did a little shopping and headed back home.
My girlfriend from Fergus called and we had a good old "Gas Bag" Session. We caught up on all each others news and after almost an hour finally said good-bye. We have been friends for 28 years so it takes us a while when we call each other.
I also dyed my hair tonight, a little darker than I normally do it but I like it.......we'll see what the general consensus is tomorrow morning when I walk the dogs around the park.
SUNDAY, SUNSHINE.......AND SOME WORK
Sunday morning started out sunny, warm and bright. I stopped by to see Gaynor as she had a pair of slacks she wanted shortened. Then I went back to the trailer and started to organized all my 2007 receipts in preparation for my accounting. I still have my charge receipts to do but my bank statement stuff is ready to go.
Colin finished putting the step inside back together after putting the central vac in there and I put the cupboard door back on. Thaqt is that job all done!
I had a little visit with Susanne and Armin and then went back to the trailer to tidy up some of the last paperwork stuff.
We had left overs for dinner and then some TV..........last of all a shower and beddy -bye!
SOME CLEANING AND ORGANIZING
Once a month some of the men in the park put on breakfast for everyone in the park. Biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage and pancakes, coffee and orange juice for $3.00. The guys do a very good job and they even serve the coffee. I'm not crazy about getting up early to get there in time but it's worth it for the delicious breakfast.
When I got back Colin was up and we sat and did some stuff on our computers.
I went outside and vacuumed and cleaned the carpet in the storage area so it had time to dry before dark. While I had the carpet cleaner out I also did Colin's chair.....it came out great! Colin finished with a few little bits and pieces in the storage area and then we were ready to put all the stuff back in. We sorted through, threw some stuff out and got everything back in all neat and tidy. Yes I am happy! Dinner was really late but we got alot done today.
BRISKET AND DESSERT DISASTER
Our neighbor Ron, was going to make a huge brisket. Having said that I would bring a dessert I headed to Wal-Mart to see what I could find. Colin had suggested a 6 lb. Blackberry Cobbler. It sounded good and was quite reasonable so the purchase was made. The instructions said that it would take 90 minutes to cook. I figured if I put it in the oven at 4:30.....we were going to eat at 5:30 .....another 30 minutes to eat and that would add up to 90 minutes......right? I'm not sure what happened but I think that the clock I used to put the cobbler in the oven was wrong and therefore when everyone was finished eating dinner the cobbler was still about 25 minutes away from being done. Thank goodness that there were others who also brought dessert or we would have had none.
So much for all that good planning!
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
We started out with aerobic, then a shower, dress and then I had a really nice lunch with Dorrace. She took me out for making her top for her. We went to Chili's and had a really good lunch!
When we got back I clipped and bathed Splash while Colin worked on the wiring for the generator and the central Vac. We never got it all done so we will finish it tomorrow.
Time to have a quiet dinner, watch some TV and then hit the hay.
SHOPPING IN CORPUS
Beautiful, sunny warm day! After breakfast and walking the dogs we headed out for a day of shopping in Corpus Christi. By the time we got there it was noon so our first stop was lunch at Souper Salad. We had coupons for there so it was a cheap lunch and quite good.
Next stop was Joannes Fabrics, where I found some good deals and got some really nice fabric......but I can't tell you cause it's a surprise.
Next we stopped for a coffee and then on to the Thrift store and Fallas Paradas, again I got a few more good deals.
Our last stop was Sam's Club for a few bulk items and then homeward bound to let the dogs out. We were going to stop for Pizza but decided to have Wings and Salad at the trailer.
All in all a pretty good day!
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY
Okay.....so anyone who knows me, knows I am not a football fan but I had to put my five dollars into the pool.
They had chili dogs and snacks at the clubhouse but I didn't feel like going over so I waited a while and then went over to collect my money........ya......I didn't win the first one, but I told them that I was going to be home all night and they could just come over. You guessed it......I won exactly $0.00. Oh well the anticipation was fun.
A BUSY MONDAY
The morning started out with aerobics......worked up a good sweat! Then it was rush back to the trailer, have a quick shower, get dressed, dry the hair throw on some makeup and dash out the door to catch my ride to Black Beard's Restaurant for the monthly Ladies lunch.
There were 17 of us altogether and we arrived in 3 cars. The ordering went smoothly, everyone got their drinks .......and then everything fell apart! Just about everyone got their food, but the first people there were the last to be served......that is except me! I didn't get anything! The last 3 people all ordered a sirloin sandwich on a French Roll, the two other ladies got theirs and couldn't eat them because they were so tough! They sent theirs back but I still had not got mine.....I was worried. Mine finally came with fries instead of salad but by this time I just wanted to eat. The other two ladies had reordered burgers and they finally did come too.....but by this time the rest of the ladies were paying and getting ready to leave. Just a bit of a disaster! When the last of us finally went to pay they told us all our meals were on the house. At least they acknowledged that there had been a problem. I will go back.
When I got back I decided to clip the dogs. I got Mexi done but by the time I was done washing her it was too late to start with Splash so we will leave her for another day.
Some dinner, TV and a shower then hit the hay!
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY
Okay.....so anyone who knows me, knows I am not a football fan but I had to put my five dollars into the pool. Five squares for Five dollars. I couldn't bring myself to watch the game but I did show up for some chili and hot dogs.
Well, long story short I lost on all five squares ........someone has to loose.
Other than all that it was a pretty quiet day.
BON VOYAGE DINNER WITH SOFT SHELL CRABS
Cy with his special cruise cutlery and drinking device.
Soft Shell Crabs ready for dinner.
Had a good sleep after the day at the King Ranch. Today was a Bon Voyage party for Cy and Audrey who are leaving on a 1 week cruise from Galveston Texas at 7:00 AM on Sunday morning. Dorrace was making deep fried Soft Shell Crabs and Shrimp. In June there is a very short period that they harvest Blue Crabs right after they shed their hard shell. The result is a crab that can be eaten with the shell on as it is very soft. She cleaned all the insides out and then breaded them lightly.....I didn't think I would like them but they were actually quite good. The Shrimp as always were awesome. I'm afraid Dorrace has set the standard for Shrimp cooked any way as we are always comparing others to hers.
I had written a poem for Cy and Audrey along with some silly gifts to wish them well on their trip. I made personalized soothers that could be dipped into their drinks to cut down their consumption of Alcohol and Colin helped me make two sets of cutlery to be used to eat cruise meals. The forks had 2 of tines removed, the knife was dulled and the spoons had the centres cut out. I made a cloth wrap for them that holds cutlery and a napkin. Everyone had a good laugh!
During the afternoon I went into Wal-Mart to pick up a few things.....Wow! As I walked in they were just putting a huge rack of skorts and shorts for $3.00, regularly $9.00. I had bought one of this style before so I knew they were a good fit so I bought 3 skorts and 1 pair of shorts. They also had light weight jackets on for $5.00 so I got one of them too. Oh how I love a deal!
THE KING RANCH
 Beautiful sunset.
Another little alligator hanging out on the shore.
Javalinas in the foreground and white tailed deer in the background.
The ranch does alot of controlled burns and they were just finishing up with this one.
This little guy was having a sun bath on the shore of the lake. I wanted to take a scrub brush to his back......it was all dirty!

There are many of these gates all over the ranch. They are know as "Bump Gates". They were invented by Exxon (the company that has leased the mineral rights on the ranch) so trucks driving around would not have to get out to open gates. You nudge the gate with your bumper and it swings out of the way, lets one vehicle through and then closes.
One of the Sante Gertudes Cows. This is Mr. 604!
This is a ball of Antique barbed wire. This or it's modern version is no longer used on the ranch any longer as it caused too many injuries to the animals. Now they use stainless steel wire fencing with squares and crimps so animals can not hurt themselves.
This is a wagon showing the brand used on all King Ranch livestock and products. Is this a prototype?????
Now.... for those who didn't know, Ford has a Special Addition Truck, known as the King Ranch.....recognize the Brand? It has been named and designed in conjunction with the King Ranch. Any wonder all the vehicles used on the Ranch are Fords.
An interesting tree in front of the Information center.
This building was the carriage house when carriages were used. The buggies and coaches that were stored here are now displayed at the Museum in town.
The Ranch has had 3 family homes all built in roughly the same spot. The original was very small and was replaced by a larger wood structure which burned down except for the kitchen area. This photo shows that kitchen area.

In the foreground is a functioning cannon which was confiscated from the Rio Grand River during the war with Mexico. In the background is a very small portion of the 35,000 Sq. Ft. family home on the Ranch......and yes that is Thirty-Five Thousand Square Feet!! No one actually lives in the house anymore but a staff of 16 are employed to maintain the home. Members of the family still use the house for various functions.
This building is known as the Commissary, a store built by the owner of the ranch. Employees who lived and worked on the ranch could buy anything here that was not grown or available from the Ranch. It was closed in the 80's and now houses offices and the upper floors are guest rooms.
Years ago they held cattle auctions here but now this building is used as a service garage for ranch vehicles.
The ranch keeps one herd of Texas Long Horns and this guy was very good to pose for me.
This was sooo neat! That baby calf had just been born, he was still wet and very wobbly on his new legs. He was very cute! This again is a special breed of cow bred specifically for this ranch. The breed is known as Sante Gertrudis.
This pasture contained only pregnant mares waiting to foal.
These horses are a special breed of horse bred specifically for herding cattle on this ranch. One cowboy needs about 6 horses to do his job.
Some of the peddle cars on display at Harel's drug Store.
It was up at 8:00 to walk the dogs, make a thermos of coffee and then into the truck to head off to the the town of Kingsville. Today we are visiting the "King Ranch" on the Santa Gertrudis Creek. It is a 15,000 acre operating cattle ranch that runs about 47,000 head of cattle. We drove directly to the visitors center to confirm our seats on the 3 1/2 hour nature tour and to also book our historical tour of the Ranch. We were too late for the 10:00 tour so we booked into the 12:00 tour instead. This gave us time to go into town and take in the Museum. The actual exhibits in the museum were not extensive but there was a very good film about the history of the ranch.
After the museum we drove to the drugstore soda fountain for lunch. It was a neat old fashion drug store, with antique little peddle cars on display around the ceiling. the food was not anything special but the atmosphere was neat.
We got back to the visitors center in time to board the bus and do the tour. You have to take into account that all the photos were taken through the windows of the bus, thus the quality is not quite what I would like. You are not allowed to get out of the tour vehicles at anytime anywhere on the Ranch as they have a serious Rattle Snake population.
We had a bit of time to kill between tours but managed to check out the gift shop and surrounding area while we waited.
There were only 6 of us on the Nature tour in a large van. We saw an abundance of birds, ducks, alligators, deer, feral pigs, Javalinas and armadillos. Again all the pictures were taken through the windows. We finished our tour at 6:20 and started on our way home. We stopped in Corpus Christi for dinner.
When we got home the dogs were very happy to see us although we had arranged for someone to take them out during the day.
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