SPRINGTIME & WINDY IN TEXAS

After a regroup in Lucas, I jetted back off this morning on a new adventure! Woke up to a 30mph north wind with gusts to 40, so headed south for a free push. It takes a good blow to tweak a flag like this! Just south of Waco on I35S, the road curves a little allowing that wind to hit the Starship from the side. Real hard to steer and i looked in the mirror just in time to to see the side awning coming down! Deploying canvas at 70 mph with a strong quartering wind is not highly recommended! Got real lucky, came off warp speed, shut down, and saved the whole deal. Only damage is probably the guy who was along side me at the time, I suspect he will need to clean his front seat real well.

How cool it is to see springtime in the air here! Grass is green, trees are in bloom, CJ's nieghbor was cutting his grass yesterday! Sorry that girl got in the way in the picture, was trying to show you the pretty trees! LOL. If you are in Michigan, have faith, I am going to send some of this weather your way!

A sure sign of spring is critters playing together. Spanky says Come on Down and Play!!!!~!

SWIMMING IN FEBRUARY

I just had to post a few more pictures of this great area in Austin. This is the famed Barton Springs at Zilker Park. If you look below the diving board you can see the limestone where the 68 degree spring water comes from. 26 million gallons a day, the biggest spring is near the diving board and known as Parthenia.

Zilker park is 485 acres and what a great place to be outside in a natural setting and yet downtown in a large city. Here early on a sunny Sunday morning, lots of folks are already out enjoying the day.

BARTON SPRINGS AUSTIN

The Colorado river flows through Austin and the downtown area is known as Town lake. There is a natural pool over 1000 feet long where 68 degree water flows from the earth, this area is known as Barton Springs. It is a excellent area and those who live in Austin treasure this resource. There are over 10 miles of trails near the water for walking, jogging, and biking. Swimming and canoeing are favorites things to do here. The area has a lot of interesting history and you can check that out at: http://www.texasescapes.com/SplashAcrossTexas/BartonSpringsTexas/BartonSpringsAustinTexas.htm

Everybody in Austin has a dog. Or so it seems. Hundreds of people and their dogs were out today around the water enjoying the beautiful Texas sunshine. It is hard to believe that while the Great Lakes are getting hammered with another 5-7 inches of snow on this Saturday in February , it can be so nice here. The water is very clear, the turtle above is under water, shot at full zoom off an elevated bridge. I really do like this city!

MORE AIRSTREAMS IN AUSTIN

It seemed where ever i went today, I kept running into more Airstreams, being used for all sort of purposes! What majestic shapes they have, they certainly beat the typical box construction of most of the mobile home industry. This design was to reduce drag while being towed and its aircraft like riveted construction is extremely strong.

Thats actually how you can tell a true vintage Airstream, look at the small one pictured above with all the pieces riveted together on the roof. Newer ones use a three piece roof design. Another piece of interesting Airstream trivia concerns the secret brotherhood among owners. It used to be that if you were an owner and traveling, you could call any other owner and be guaranteed a free night in their driveway. I don't know if this hospitality still exists. What a wonderful day it was in Texas, be well!!!

AIRSTREAMS IN AUSTIN

It has been a great week on the road traveling Texas two laners and visiting small towns and out of the way places. Now i am back in Austin and staying at my favorite downtown RV park, Pecan Grove. This park contains a most interesting collection of vintage airsteam trailers and i have pictured a few for your viewing pleasure! One is owned by Lance Armstrong who visits several times a year. The last photo is a newer model, personally i love the flavor of the older units. If you have interest in vintage airstreams, you can find a lot of info at http://www.vintageairstream.com/index.html

The waiting list to stay in this park full time is measured in years and many of these airsteams have called this home for a long time. This park is about the only positive thing i can think of about the economic mess this country is in. Even though there is a lot of construction going on in Texas, it was all on the books, there is no new stuff coming out of the ground. So, even though this property is so valuable, it may be left un touched for a while yet. Look at the pic of the cranes in the background, this massive project is right next door!

I will spend this weekend in Austin, and then move on. I am very sad to hear the recent news of the passing of my friend Kymberly. You certainly will be missed, may you rest in peace.

30 DAYS SMOKE FREE & AMPHI WORK

Today is my anniversery - 30 days free from nicotine! Wow - what an addiction I had (have), and so what a lot of constant attention it took me to get this far. I will be honest, my mind still at times tells me I want a cigarette. But it is slowly getting to be less often and I CAN DO THIS!

I quit cold turkey which I believe is the best way to go, if you or someone you know is ready to quit, I found some help at http://www.whyquit.com/

One thing about quitting is you have more time on your hands! Instead of taking a "break" to have a smoke, you end up with extra time to do stuff! During my critical first 30 days I focused on doing all the maintainance on my RV, Trailer, and Amphicar. There is no free lunch and all those great water trips over the last years have been taking thier toll on the mechanics of Amphi. Look at photo two and see if you can find my little helper. If not, pics 3 and 4 help with the zoom. I did not put him there, he always just finds his own cozy spot!

Well, I am glad to be a non-smoker! And with all the maintainance now about wrapped up, it will soon be time to leave my great friends here and get back on the road again!

NEW FRIENDS BARB AND LADY GODIVA

It is always great to meet new cool people (and their pets!). This is Barb Ross who is a real estate broker in Highland Village, a great lil town in North Texas. What is amazing is that Barb originally hails from Woodland lake in Brighton but has been here in Texas for 20 years. I had never met her until a friend in Michigan asked me to call her and say hi! (Thanks, John)

The barbecue joint shown is known for its famous pig cooker which was smokin pork while we were there. Note the wheels on the pig, ready to wheel up to your next home barbecue party!

Barb's dog Lady Godiva is what happens when you cross a Labrador with a standard poodle! You end up with a Labradoodle, a very smart, loyal dog that does not shed! This mixed breed is being used a lot for guide dogs, companion dogs, or a great family pet. She is a neat dog and Spanky likes her a lot!

Closing with a pic from Barb's salt water fish tank. The long legs under the rock are hooked to a serpent star with an appetite (a fish is missing). That beautiful blue fish coming through the rock is a clownfish known as a Regal Tang. This was the fish in "Meeting Nemo". Your trivia quiz question is : What was her name? Post a comment with your guess and I will know somebody is reading this. ha

NEED A DOG?, CONSIDER A WHIPPET!

This is Lilly, what a beautiful dog she is! Whippets come in a wide variety of colors and markings and I sure like the ones Lilly got! These dogs can be wonderful pets once you get past the puppy stage where they are known for destructive behavior. They are also known as the poor man's race horse and their larger cousin is the greyhound. One look at that body and you can tell she is fast, whippets can reach 35 mph.

Spanky makes instant first impressions of other dogs (and people). Some he likes, some he just puts up with, and some he does not like at all! Lilly fits in that last group and I do not know the reason. Maybe its her wild carefree attitude or maybe it had something to do with her bounding into the Starship as if she owned it. I don't know but i will bet they will never be best friends!

Whippets are sighthounds-they specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, and overpowering it with speed. They have keen vision, a flexible back and long legs, and a deep chest to support a large heart. Spanky has none of that, but resembles a sighthound in his high prey (squirrells & cats) drive where he will suddenly chase a moving object or small animal forgetting all training.

If you want to try a whippet as a pet, expect to pay $500 to $1,000. Whippets are very playful and excel in racing, obedience, and tracking.