Lost Texan Adventures-Day 4

Day 4-Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Mansfield, MO and Table Rock Lake, MO

I woke up so excited this morning. The kind of excited like anticipating opening presents from Santa on Christmas morning. We were heading out on a very special pilgrimage to Mansfield, Missouri to tour the homestead of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rocky Ridge Farm. This visit was the whole inspiration for the direction that we planned our camping trip. 
I love American History and any literature about pioneer life. I have read and re-read every book in the Little House on The Prairie Collection, and seen every episode of the TV series several times, and yes, I am the proud owner of the DVD collection. So when I realized that Mansfield was a mere 81 miles from Branson, I was beyond thrilled. 
In 1894, Laura & Almanzo Wilder built a quaint little farmhouse on 185 acres in the rolling hills of the Ozarks. This homestead is where they lived for more than 60 years. After her death in 1957 the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places and now has a museum, gift shop, etc. Well, let's just say the three boys did not have the same unbridled enthusiasm for this field trip as me. And I have to say, they were VERY patient and kind, sitting outside on a park bench, just waiting and waiting while I was inside looking at each and every artifact and reading every caption. I mean, I could hardly contain my excitement when I laid eyes on Pa Ingalls' fiddle, actual clothing that Laura wore, patchwork quilts sewn by her, china, letters written, original manuscripts from her books, her spectacles, and the most exciting of all, you got to tour their farmhouse. It was all so terribly exciting that I could easily stayed there all day, the boys could have taken off in the truck, and I would have never noticed. Did I mention that the boys were bored to tears during this excursion?  Yes, lets just say that Mason was not a happy camper at this point and there was lots of eye rolling, whining, and tears involved. But they ALL knew how much I was looking forward to this field trip and there would have been HELL to pay for anyone who stood in my way of enjoying each and every precious  moment at Rocky Ridge Farm. Finally Michael had to drag me out of the gift shop, but not before I purchased "The Little House Cookbook" and "The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook" and some toy guns and candy for the boys for being so patient and having to endure an afternoon of boredom. 

So there you have it. 

Everything you ever wanted to know (or didn't want to know-ha!) about our excursion to Rocky Ridge Farm. 

But wait: our day wasn't over yet. We hurried back to our campsite to quickly change into swimsuits, grabbed an ice chest and some towels and headed on over to the marina, where we rented a boat and headed out into the afternoon sun on the beautiful green waters of Table Rock Lake.  

The water was cool and refreshing and crystal clear. We had so much fun cruising around the lake, then stopping for a swim  here and there, and tubing. Not that "we" went tubing. I was the only brave soul to go out and get beat up bouncing around on an inner tube while Michael flung me around the lake, going what felt like 50mph, although he swears he was only going 20mph. Jostled and jolted and sore I was and there was definitely some Advil involved.
At the end of the day, we discovered a little cove to hang out in and swim. At dusk we headed back to drop of the boat, made a fire back at camp, cooked up some bacon Cheeseburgers and Jalapeño Ranch style beans. And then we all realized that we were worn out from our busy day. So by 9:30pm we all fell into bed exhausted and slept for 9 straight hours…bliss.

A great ending to a perfect day.

Lost Texan Adventures-Day 3

Day 3 - June 18th, 2013 - Table Rock State Park, Branson, MO

We woke up to a nice sunny cool summer morning, and then headed out to nearby Big Cedar Lodge for breakfast…er, I mean lunch. Why the late start? Well let me explain. The boys all tumbled into bed around 10 or 11pm. Then I  decided that some peace and quiet to post my journal entry while watching the fire and sipping on some wine was just what the doctor ordered. I am by nature a night owl and I love the quiet solitude after everyone else in the house had gone to sleep. The problem is, I gotta have 7 or 8 hours of shut eye, and when you stay up until 12 or 1 am and then your youngest son wakes up with the roosters, that creates a serious sleep deficit over time. Not a good thing. So last night I decided at 1 am that it would be a good thing to take a Benadryl to ensure a deep restful slumber. Well. That would have been a FINE idea if I had the luxury of slumbering in a comatose state for 12-15 hours. That stuff knocks me out! And then suddenly our camper was alive and bustling with morning activity by 8am. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It was all I could do to stumble out of bed, get dressed and try to function coherently. I spent the better part of the day in a zombie-like state. Even my double shot Cappuccino didn't help much. Then we set out for Big Cedar Lodge, which was a short 3 mile jaunt from our campsite. Oh my, if you are an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys rustic logic cabins set on a serene Table Rock Lake setting, then this place is a little slice of heaven. Absolutely beautiful, with rustic wood log cabins nestled in a heavily wooded hillside, while kayakers and canoers glide quietly by on the pristine Table Rock Lake. Wow, if there was a 'natural Xanax' this is it.You cant help but feel the stress drain away from you as you gaze blissfully upon the beautiful Ozark Mountain/ Lake scenery. 

So relaxing... 

Until tomorrow…

The Happy Campers

Lost Texan Adventures-Day 2

Day 2 - Monday, June 17, 2013

Rain, rain and more rain. 

Soggy, soggy, soggy. 

And muddy. 

Yep, that pretty much sums up our brief stay at Crater of Diamonds State Park. 

Let me back up a minute and start at the beginning. So there we were in deep slumber after a long travel day when suddenly at 3:00am I was awakened to the sound of Velcro ripping apart….WTH??? I sit bolt upright in bed and look over at William. In his sleep, he had rolled over to the edge of the bunk end, which is a basically a canvas wall "secured" by strips of Velcro. In my haste to get the camper popped up in the rain, I may or may not have adequately attached the Velcro together-oops! So there is poor William hanging by his torso with half the canvas gaping open and his legs hanging out! Yikes! So Michael grabs him safely away from the edge of the bunk end while I make sure that the Velcro is firmly attached on the outside. William was sleeping so hard that  he never even woke up during the ordeal! Geez, all I wanted was one night of peaceful slumber after all the stress of going and blowing over the last few weeks. I guess that's what naps are for. Then Michael decides at day break that it is time to get up and make as much noise as humanly possible...really?? I grudgingly got up and dressed, encouraged by the thought of a steaming cup of coffee, or two or three. A little while later, the boys were up and dressed and it was time to hit the mines in search of diamonds, quartz, agate, amethyst or any other precious gems. We check in at the visitor center and get our supplies and head out to a vast rocky field where all manner of folks are bent over the earth intently digging for buried treasure and such. 

We haven't trudged out more than 15 yards when our feet sink in the sludge-ick! That there is Mason's shoe which was barely recovered before it got suctioned down under the muck!

At least the boys and I had on tennis shoes-Michael not so much. 

For him the experience was kind of like going duck hunting in the muck, but wearing flip flops instead of waders! Nice. So we forage out into this ancient volcanic crater a hundred yards or so to seek our fame and fortune in search of geological riches. 

Just then I happen to glance up at the sky and I did not like what I saw-dark gray storm clouds. And then the low rumble of thunder in the distance. 

Uh oh. 

At that point, I was ready to bail on the hunt for diamonds in search of dry shelter because I knew what was coming up fast. Yes indeed, another gully washer. But unlike the night before when the heavens unleashed and we were in the comfort of our camper, now we were a hundred yards out in the middle of a muddy abyss. 

So we were stuck. 

We quickly headed over where you rinse your unearthed treasure (I believe the technical term is 'sluicing') under a covered pavilion and waited the worst of the storm out.

Finally it tapered off to a 'moderate drizzle' and we made a mad dash outta there-back to camp to pop down and hit the road for our next destination. Oh the rain. It just would not stop. Popping down and packing up in the rain...ahh...good times. Thank goodness for heavy duty drum liners. In case you didn't know, they make excellent ponchos in inclement weather and can protect all the stuff in the back of your truck from getting soaked....genius! 

So when we left our pockets may not have been full of diamonds, but we left with great memories of our geological adventure in the rain and we can now check "digging for diamonds" off our bucket list-lol!

Until tomorrow...

Lost Texan Adventures-Day 1

Day 1-Sunday, June 16, 2013

After a tearful goodbye with family, we hit the road at 11am. I promptly informed Michael that before embarking on our road trip, I needed to find both a mailbox to mail an envelope and a Starbucks for a much needed Venti Latte to be in a good place to begin the road trip. Michael just wanted to hit the road and put some miles behind us, so he took it upon himself to make an executive decision that the aforementioned pit stop would be just another delay and wasn't really necessary. 

Boy. Was. He. Wrong. Yeah, I pretty much had an all out nuclear meltdown/spell. 

Being a smart man, he knew to pick his battles, and with his lips pursed into a tight thin line, we detoured back for an attitude adjustment for me in the form of a mailbox and a large steaming cup of caffeine. Hey, we all have to make concessions in life and the little inconvenience of an extra stop is the least Michael can endure when you consider that I am traversing on a cross country move with my family, foraging for food and shelter along the way, much like a modern day Laura Ingalls Wilder-haha! 

Once on the road, I drove the first shift up through East Texas and we decided to break for an early dinner around 5pm in Jefferson, TX, a cute little town that is known as the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Texas, and is adorned with many quaint little shops and restaurants. We found a cute little bistro and enjoyed dinner and live music on the patio.

Then it was time to head on up into Arkansas and set up camp at Crater of Diamonds State Park, dodging some wicked lightening storms along the way. 

And of course according to the Murphy's Law of Camping, as soon as we pull into our camp site, it starts raining. We are all snug and dry in the camper now, and as I type this, it is absolutely pouring outside. I don't think a downpour will be very conducive to a successful diamond hunt in the mines tomorrow, but we will see..

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow!

XOXO,

The Lost Texans💎

One Year Later

Oh My Goodness. It has been over a month since my last post. The summer is flying by and we have been so busy. So much to blog about, just no time to sit down and upload the 500 or so make that 626 pictures off my camera and take the time to write about it. So I will catch y'all up on our summer adventures thus far-it'll just be in reverse order. However, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to recognize today for what it is. One year ago today, on June 22, 2013, we arrived from our week long move/road trip across the good 'ol USA and first set foot on West Virginia soil.  We were curious and intrigued by the heavily forested green rolling hills of the Mountain State and we set out to do some exploring and haven't stopped since.

And? Our first year was exactly what you might imagine it to be for a bunch of lifelong Texans transplanted in a brand new state. There were lots of adventures, seeing new things, getting acquainted with a new city, meeting new people. Most of it was good… But I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that some days were hard: the realization that we are SO far from Texas and friends and family. The family and friends that have been there for years that you share good times and bad times and life milestones with. Some days we most of us were homesick, mopey and sad. And those days sucked. You look out across the rolling hills and mountains and realize that Texas is a long way from here and you can't just hop in a car and drive home and be there in a couple of hours.

As the months have rolled by, we have met many nice folks, and over time, have built a rapport and befriended many people in our new community. It doesn't happen over night, but as you become immersed in your new community, you somehow find your niche, and new friendships are made. So while we will always miss our family and friends back home in Texas and treasure our time together when we travel back to visit, we also appreciate the opportunity and blessing of creating new friendships in this chapter in our lives.

A year ago I started documenting our adventures when we moved across the country. I sent out mass emails to friends and family as a way to stay connected with everyone and share our stories. Only recently have I taken it to the next step and created an official blog, so our first stories and experiences are not archived in the blog yet. So, in recognition of our first anniversary here in WV, each day this week, I will upload my stories and photos from last year's move up and share it with you.

Stay tuned for entertaining tales and Lost Texan adventures!

Everybody Needs A Little Chili In Their Life

Well. We have some BIG news. We have a new fur baby in the house. 

Meet Chili!

She is a sweet 9 week old Golden Retriever. She became the newest addition to our family last week. We brought her home last Wednesday, and she was so bewildered…who are these people? Where am I? Where is my Mama and my 12 brothers and sisters? She was very quiet and subdued the first day, getting used to her new surroundings. She explored the house, sniffing here and there, checking stuff out. Then Lola slowly emerged from underneath the couch. Uh oh. Lola is not declawed. Add a playful puppy to the mix who wants to randomly pounce on you and play and well….things might not end well for Chili if Lola decides to put her in her place-lol. It hasn't happened yet, but I know it's coming-haha. So Lola and Chili sniff noses and slowly circle each other, each of them wondering who this new "thing" is in the house.

Lola circles around and around then nonchalantly plops down on the floor, 

conveniently just out of Chili's reach.

 (Please excuse the recycling bag and random shoe in the background-just keepin' it real) 

Chili isn't quite sure what to think about all this…

Lola gets brave and inches closer and closer...

And closer...

Awww, look at those two! 'Almost' love at first sight!

So it's been 14 years since we've had a puppy in the house. Which basically means we have forgotten how on top of things you have to be with potty training. You think you are good because you just took the puppy outside and she did her business like a good girl, and then 10 minutes later, you discover a puddle in the middle of the kitchen floor. And then there's the chewing. We made sure that our sweet 'lil puppy has an assortment of squeaky toys and chew bones to entertain her, but it's all the other "stuff" around the house that is so intriguing to a curious little fur baby. Oh yes, why just this morning she chewed up her first electrical cord. And I swear my back wasn't turned for more than half a minute! But that's all it takes. A small window of opportunity to get into all kinds of mischief!

But then you look at that face...

Look at those sweet puppy eyes...

 It's hard to stay mad at a face like that.

We love our 'lil Chili with all her mischief...

and boundless puppy energy...

Welcome to the family, Chili, we are so glad you are here!

Spring Has Sprung

I'm back. Did you miss me? Well. That Polar Vortex of a winter we had just about did me in. I do believe all my cognitive function was frozen, rendering me into a state of hibernation. I mean, unless you are a Polar Bear, one can only take so much of the cold…ice…snow…bleak...grey winter. This Texan has had enough. And then, day by passing day, there would be little hints of spring: It's not going to snow today-hooray! It didn't get into the single digits last night…yippee! Hey-- I actually left the house without needing to wear a coat…joy! You start to notice the sun setting later and later with each passing day. You recognize the cheerful chorus of birds singing from the trees above. Along with that lovely musical chorus comes the daily deposit of bird poop on your windshield…but hey, I'll gladly take that over snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Suddenly you notice lush new green grass springing up through the deadness of winter. Plants and trees are all slowly awakening to make their colorful spring debut. And I will tell you that I have never seen such a welcome sight in my life. Hallelujah!

Spring...

Has...

Sprung!!!

 Gorgeous yellow Dandelions are sprouting up everywhere. And driving around town you see the Cherry Blossoms and Plum Blossoms in all their glory--beautiful white flowers and various shades of vivid pink-gorgeous!

A colorful Forsythia bush springs to life 

Nothing says spring like lovely, fragrant Hyacinth blooms…and the Easter Bunny, of course!

Vivid bursts of spring color every where 

We've had such great weather lately with temperatures in the 60's and 70's 

and sunny clear blue skies that everyone just wants to be outside to soak it all in. 

I ventured to the Capitol recently to get some shots.

So there I am strolling along when I hear the roar of a plane flying overhead. I gaze up to the sky and lo and behold, there flies a C-130….pretty cool!

The grounds of the Capitol are budding with white, pink and purple blooms and pops of colorful flowers, but a lot of the Walnut and Beech trees are just starting to bud with new growth.

Gorgeous spring blossoms

A dramatic shot of Ol' Abe with Capitol dome in the background

I don't know the name of this one, but it's pretty

And then as I was getting ready to leave, I decided to take a few shots of the Capitol dome with my 55-300 mm lens. As you can see, it makes for an eye catching subject against the backdrop of the blue sky. This 293 foot gold dome is actually 5 feet higher than the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The entire dome is gilded in 23 1/2 karat gold leaf applied to the copper and lead roof in tiny 3 3/8 inch squares.
Beautiful detail!

So there you have it. Some cheerful "spring-y" photos to brighten your day and a few Capitol facts.

Happy Spring, Y'all!!!