Crockett, Bastrop and Lexington, TX (the JUMP!)

Texas week 2 blog 1-20 thru 1-26

Well, we had a good first week (chilly though!). Mom is moved to rehab on Monday to get stronger before going home. Sunday night through Tuesday night we stayed at Ratcliff Lake, TX in the Davey Crockett National Forest. On Monday, it stopped raining, so we walked a boardwalk in the park, then the Sawmill Loop, where David had to run back to the camper for the extra truck keys because SOMEONE locked the keys in the cab :) No biggie! We had a Mexican lunch in Crockett, TX and I shopped for a few groceries at the H-E-B.

David found me a National Park Quarter for the Everglades that I needed on Sunday. Penny found on Monday... and each day. David found 11 cents at the laundromat :)

After breakfast on Tuesday, we decided to move to Lake Sommerville State Park (3 hr drive) to get closer to Lexington for Saturday's parachute jump. David called there a few days before and they said, “Come on!”...he met a ranger when we were looking at campsites on the lake who said, “the park is closed tomorrow”! They directed us to the Nails Unit, but we were stopped by a TRAIN standing still for a long time on the only road there...so, we hit our favorite butcher in Somerville that had Jalepeno and Cheese sausages last year, then we made our way to Bastrop State Park and paid for 3 nights – Tuesday through Thursday (our Texas State Park pass from last year was still good until the end of January!). We saved $10 on our second night! Bastrop had a devastating fire 4-5 years ago and for miles around, there is nothing but burned trunks of the “Lost Pines”. The park, except for where we camped, was all burned.

We drove 15 miles on the park road 1A to Buescher State Park and checked our their campsites too. David actually let me visit 2 Thrift stores in Bastrop, but I didn't buy anything (hard to believe, my friend Janette, would say!). We walked a lot with the dog too. I have a new mammal...Woodland Vole that was eating our sunflower seeds on the ground!

On Friday, we left Bastrop State Park and drove 35 miles to the Sonny's RV Park in Lexington for Friday and Saturday night, the town where Texas Skydiving is located. It is getting warmer, thank goodness! Nice and sunny day on Saturday for his jump. He took his refresher class with his friend Bob, then found out the plane had communication and mechanical problems (actually, 2 people had to jump early because FIRE was coming out of the engine)! The jump was scrapped because the mechanic wasn't available til Monday. 3^rd try was not a charm (2 times last year, he was stopped by the weather). David made Bob a porterhouse steak lunch before he headed back home to Dallas. They may try one more time on our way back from the Gulf. Both guys were disappointed.

Can't wait to post this for the first day of week 3 - David got a text Saturday night that it was the starter on the plane and if he wanted, he could jump Sunday (it was fixed and the plane was tested twice in the air!). We talked to Pastor Lee Sunday morning, but David didn't want to tell him he was jumping in an hour :). So, we went, he jumped (and glided in circles for a long time) and I posted the video to FB before we left Lexington, TX. I'm glad I could video the whole thing! We packed up what we could today for our 5-hour drive to Corpus Christi and the Padre Island National Seashore tomorrow.

Mom is getting stronger in rehab and may go home Monday. Hope so! Sally Sue is doing fine with Brenda taking care of her.

Statistics week 2: David drove 1776 miles. Camping fees: $120 (3 campgrounds). No new birds, but nice birds were Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Eurasian-collared Doves and American Pipit. First Butterfly and picture (Red Admiral) @ Sonny's RV Park!