Cougar Down for the Winter ?

The weather had definitely improved, in T-shirts and shorts for the first time in ages. Drove the RV out in search of a connection pipe for the Bar B Q but the directions we were given were not specific and we ended up in Aransas Pass. So we went into Wal-Mart for supplies and amazingly found the gas man on the way back! The next day Dave spent some time smartening up the bus, he put the wheel covers on and washed all the bugs off the front, and fitted the Bar B Q to the gas tank ready for supper. Later that evening Bob, our neighbour, knocked on the door for us to see a lighting storm. A heat storm where the lighting flashes across the sky without grounding. It was a few miles away to the north and lasted for ages just moving very slowly to the east. Tuesdays at the Big Fisherman restaurant is where all the winter Texans go for their ‘All you can eat for $1.75’ chicken gizzards, chicken livers or chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, gravy & coleslaw, and the Margaritas are $1. At the week end the Camper Clinic Dealership had an Open Week-end, all the RV’s & 5^th wheelers were open for viewing, they had free food and entertainment and free product draws. We went with Jerry & Karen our other neighbours, we didn’t manage to win anything but the food was good and the weather was even better. It was the hottest so far at 31dec. Saturday morning’s breakfast is provided in the Clubhouse, pancakes or Doritos with coffee and orange juice for $2. We are learning loads, places to go, things to see and other camp sites to try on our future travels. On Sunday we had a joint lunch with Jerry & Karen, crab cakes, Karen caught the crabs in the bay at the top of the site, salmon cooked by Dave and excellent Italian sausage bread made by Karen.

By the 18^th Nov the weather had changed and was windy enough to make us bring the slides in a couple of times, but it was only temporary and we are soon back to 26dec. Jerry & Karen went to his brothers place for Thanksgiving, but they left us the keys to his Harley Davidson so we could get out and about. Cheryl arranged the 1^st 4pm Happy Hour at the Pavilion; bring your own drinks and nibbles. It soon became a permanent fixture in our daily routine along with crafts every Monday & Friday, Cribbage on Wednesdays and Potluck Suppers. As we approached the 23^rd plans were being made for the Thanksgiving Lunch, the park owners provided the Turkeys and we all brought side dishes and puddings. There was so much food on the day that we all went back again in the evening for a second attempt to eat it all, we failed.

It turned cold again in early December but it was warm enough to queue out side Paws & Taws, the town’s community hall, for the Winter Texans Fish Fry, free food and soft drinks, served by local volunteers. The hall could hold approx 300 people & it took 3 sittings to clear the queue! Luckily we were in the first sitting, so later we went to the Pickled Pelican for a few beers. Up very early the next morning to catch the very old greyhound coach for the trip into San Antonio. First we walked around the Alamo, the infamous siege is remembered inside with exhibits and relics, and the courtyard garden is an oasis of green. We had lunch at the Mexican Market and walked the whole length of the River Walk, a man made canal that runs through the centre of San Antonio lined with bars and restaurants. Everything was decorated for Christmas and the trees that line the river are a mass of lights. Towards the end of the day little barges full of paper bags float down the river placing the bags on the sides of the walk ways. As the light fades they light the candles inside the bags and all the Christmas lights are turned on. In the words of the guide books, it turns into a winter wonderland. The coach driver wanted to leave just as the lights were turned on but we managed a quick look while the others were boarding the bus. Then he drove us to Cuervo, a little town famous for their Christmas lights, their park has a display that we drove around. The local school had a chuck wagon from which they were giving away hot chocolate which we drank standing around a huge bonfire.

That Saturday Cheryl organised a trip to the local greyhound racing track for supper. They have 7 or 8 races and a buffet supper for $9.95, the beers are only $2 and we all had a great time, even came home with some profit! Every month Cheryl also organises a special Happy Hour to celebrate any Birthdays or anniversaries in that month, December’s was a good turn out with cakes and nibbles and lots of laughter. By the 22^nd December the Christmas planning is in full swing for the evening party on 23^rd and lunch on 25^th. The park owners provided the beef and we all brought side dishes and puddings. We all ate too much and laughed even more when we played a gift exchange game, somehow we ended up with a tool box and some wire strippers; I thought one gift was supposed to be mine? Almost immediately we are planning the New Years party, music and more food! I collated a play list on the I pod & Bob provided the amplifier and speakers. The evening was brilliant, loads of food again, we danced until 1am. Can’t believe we have been here 2 months already.

Everybody has been very kind and taken us places or lent us their transport, but we have decided we need another form of transport besides the bicycles or the RV, so we looked on the internet for a motorbike. We decided against a car because of the cost involved with the towing equipment and possible loss when we have to sell it at the end of our trip. We were always going to try and find a motorcycle carrier for the back of the bus to bring back with us so we may as well get it now and have the use of it in the meantime. Made a couple of bids on EBay but most of them are miles away and it is always difficult to tell the condition from a photo. One sounded really good but we got outbid so we borrowed the Dodge and went into Corpus Christie. We looked at Yamaha’s, Suzuki’s and Honda’s but we came back to the brilliant blue Yamaha. After some hard haggling and a second trip into Corpus we finally struck a deal and bought the YZR600R. Part of the deal was a discount on accessories, so we came away with a new exhaust system, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of gloves and some panniers. Terri at My Datkota Address did a great job again and titled and registered the bike for us and sent the new number plate to us in the mail.