New Grandparents

By Keith (fnally)

Nikolas and Gelene

We remember that Bob and Gelene Rockport 35 RV Park while it was still a wee bit cool up in Iowa. But they left for a good reason: their son was expecting their first grandchild shortly!

They made it home in time and here's the proof: photos of the Logsdon grandparents and little Nikolas!

Nikolas and Grandpa Bob

Spoil him rotten, if you wish! That's permissible with grandkids, as long as you enjoy them and love 'em!

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A Geography Lesson

By Keith

This has nothing to do with Rockport 35 RV Park. But it does have something to do with all of us because everything in the world affects us, one way or the other.

The link below will take you to a page with a map of the Middle East. But the countries have no names on them! 

It's up to you to drag one of the names from the list below the map and place it in the proper place.

I found it quite interesting and educational, not to mention challenging!

This would be a good one to drag your kids or grandkids into! Do it together!

Here's the link:

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.html

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1 Comment:

Hi Keith,

Now that was a challenge.  Thanks for the test.  Geography and history were never my strong points.  We're in Kentucky tonight with WiFi. Even though we left Rockport last Wednesday, we have not been in a hurry to get back to Michigan. Spent the last three days in Alabama visiting Rick's daughter and family. We had thunder storms every night and now it's raining here.  Tomorrow we are stopping in Findlay, Ohio to visit Rick's nephew and family and then on to home.  Missing our Rockport friends and hoping everyone is well. Take care and have a wonderful summer. 

Dianne and Rick

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Minnesotans Welcomed Home By Piles Of Snow

By Keith

Here's Julee's version of arriving home:

"Greetings from the very cold wintry north!

Thankfully, we had an uneventful good trip home. Really good travel conditions.

We hit St.Paul about 4:30 PM Saturday [yesterday]. The temp had really started going down as we headed into St.Joseph, MO on Friday. Well it was 35 degrees, sunny, lite traffic. As we headed north out of St.Paul towards our home.......good grief!  deep snow everywhere......huge drifts. Our yard.....snow up over our shrubs in the front, about up to the bottom of our windows. We just were in shock!  Obviously, we left TX way too early! It truly did not look any different then it did when we left in Jan.

Tom had a tricky job getting the rig backed into our driveway [our road is only 33 ft. wide with woods right to the edge and lots of deep snow]. We made it. On the news they just said that this cold weather will slow down the snow/ice pack melt and therefore be a plus in the whole flood situation here in the north. See...there you go, there is always something good to come  out of everything if we look for it! 

Take care, thanks for you prayers, good wishes, etc. we appreciate it much.

love from Julee and Tom"

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We're Home In Iowa

By Keith

Pat and I arrived at our home in Cedar Rapids mid-day yesterday, one week after we left Rockport 35 RV Park.

We went from Rockport to the Escapees Lone Star Corral park near Hondo. We visited Bandera, visited friends in San Antonio, and met a couple at that park who helped me with a problem we had with the NuWa Owners website.

Tuesday morning we left and headed "straight home" as Pat was eager to get back to our "new" home. We'd only lived in it since August so it is still "new" to us. In fact, we couldn't remember where the light switches to control specific lights were! But we'll figure it out soon.

I have some great pictures of "Grandma Gelene" and "Grandpa Bob" to post when I get caught up a bit. But things are going well: the trailer was emptied and parked in its storage lot yesterday, most of the mail has been gone through, and Pat is doing a mountain of laundry. Sound familiar?

All in all, we had a good winter. The three downers were my trips to the ER, Pat's shingles, and the hail storm. We did less traveling about the area than usual while there, for some reason. The weather was probably the best or second best in the six years we've been there.

The best, of course, was the people! We really, really, appreciate the fine folks who consider Rockport 35 RV Park their winter home! And this year we met many newcomers whom we hope we'll see again next year.

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Welcome Baby Logsdon

by Dianne









Just a little update to let everyone know that Bob and Gelene became new grandparents on Friday March 18 to Nikolas Brian who weighed in at 6 pounds, 13.5 ounces, and is 20 inches long. Congratulations Grandpa and Grandma Logsdon.

And just in from Bob --- Yes, Born 3/18/11 at 6.23PM 6lbs 13.5oz 20in long. Nikolaus Brian, he's just great, Gelene & I are on 7th heaven right now.

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Just Because I Left Town---

is no reason to quit checking the blog!

By Keith

We left the park Thursday and headed for the Escapees park in Hondo. Don provided directions for a route to Hondo which completely avoided San Antonio traffic. Thanks, Don!

We're planning to leave here either Monday or Tuesday and go straight home, probably via I-35.

We were in Bandera today, but didn't see Marcus. We saw plenty of motorcycles, though!

Comment!

One comment:

Hi Keith and Pat
I check it every day just in case there is something you'll want to share on your trip home.  It was good to hear from you. Sounds like all is well.  Travel safely ~ Dianne

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

By Keith

The progressive group at Rockport 35 RV Park celebrated this holiday of the Irish a bit early, possibly so they could celebrate again on the 17th!

Chief Cook Tony, Allison, Sophia, and other helpers served up a great meal of corned beef and cabbage. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. Then they sat around and visited with their friends and neighbors; no one was in a hurry to leave, it seemed.

That is one measure of a successful party!

Enjoy the slideshow below. This one has no captions or audio.

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Behind the Scenes

by Dianne

One of the activities, if you can call it that,which park residents look forward to during their winter stay here at the 35 RV Park, is the special monthly dinners. Whether it's Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's or Hawaiian Luau,it's a safe bet to say that everyone has a great time. These special nights are made possible through the efforts of many volunteers who help with the planning, food prep, decorating, and clean up.

The following is just an example of what went on behind the scenes of the Hawaiian Luau to orchestrate this seemingly effortless gathering.

Look What I Caught!

by Dianne

Not another fishing story? Well, sort of. My fishing husband always gives me a quick call to let me know that he is safely out of, or off, the water when he is done fishing for the day. Now there are some park neighbors who think that phone call is really a signal to have a cup of coffee ready for him when he gets back. OK, so there is hot coffee ready when he returns, but I do appreciate him letting me know he is safely back on land.

Anyway, for those of you who my not have heard this story --one day when he called to let me know he was safe, he told me that he was bringing home a big red - a keeper. A big red is a Red Drum fish; there are also Black Drum. I was quite excited, not ever seeing a real Red Drum. At least that is what I had pictured in my mind when he said a "big red."

This is what he found washed up on shore, full of muck and water and apparently abandoned, so he brought it home. It is big and it is red, but it is not a fish. He did, however, decided to keep it.





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Road Trip

by Dianne



Just recently a group of ladies left the park for an excursion to the hill country for a little wine tasting. They boarded the RV coach at 7 am and were off for whatever the day would bring. The designated driver made sure there was plenty of snacks and beverages to stave off hunger until they reached their destination -- Johnson City, where they enjoyed a delicious, leisurely lunch at the Silver Spur Cafe.



Their next stop was the Texas Hills Vineyard. They were given a brief tour followed by a sampling of five different wines. Yes, they did try all five, and yes, they did purchase a favorite or two.







Upon leaving Johnson City, the group wasn't ready to head back to Rockport just yet. Since they were so close to Fredericksburg (which just happens to have wineries), they decided to stop and visit one. Deciding on which wines you want to sample can be a challenge with so many choices -- reds, whites, dry, sweet, fruity, and so on, but the ladies managed the task. Five more samples and a few more purchases before they were homeward bound.




The 12-hour round trip took a little longer than planned. The GPS miscalculated a "relocating" command and lead them to a wrong turn. However, they didn't mind. They trusted their driver, and besides, they were having a great time with their buddies, talking about everything from A to Z. They even played a few rounds of their favorite Mahjong game while watching a movie (multi-tasking). They had a wonderful day and a return trip was put on the "to do list" for next year.



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In Memory of Karen

By Keith

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County Parks

By Keith

I could use your help!

I have a website called countyparks.us. Its objective is to make it easy for a camper or RVer to find a county park at which to camp. (In general, that's tough to do.)

This site shows county parks, and a few city parks, on a map. This makes it easy to find them! And even easy to "explore" them a bit, as you can go to the satellite view and learn a lot about the park or area.

But there's one problem: I only have 65 parks on the map at the moment. If you're aware of a county park which has RV camping, I'd appreciate you telling me about it so I can research it and add it. You probably know of one or more near your home; here's a chance to get them added to this map.

And if you want to try a county park, look at the map! There just might be one there which fits your needs!

Here's an article I wrote a few years ago regarding county parks: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Best-Kept-Secret-in-Camping---RVing!&id=600770

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Exceedinly Rare Event Documented!

By Keith

Terry Relaxing!

It's all in being at the right place at the right time! That's the key to getting all the exciting news here at Rockport 35 RV Park.

Yesterday was my lucky day. I caught an event which most readers have probably never seen before: Terry sitting down and appearing to be resting and relaxing!


Terry is the "Energizer Bunny" of the park; always busy. And usually busy doing something which will benefit one or more residents.

Here's but a partial list of his activities:

• Serves as chief cook, bottle washer, and supplies shopper for our great Saturday morning breakfasts
• Washes rigs for residents
• Makes the tea and coffee for our Friendship Dinners
• Helps Joe with his awning work
• Provides a beautiful flower garden for us all to enjoy
• Memorizes and recites poems for our encouragement, contemplation, and enjoyment here at the park and elsewhere
• Delivers the morning newspaper to the door of subscribers
• Numerous other activities 

As busy as he is, Terry always has time to stop for a friendly and brief chat. He's a great asset to the Park and is a big reason why newcomers soon learn that the people here are very friendly.

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The Marvelous Willys Jeep

By Keith

When I post YouTube or other videos here, it is usually because they are something I enjoyed or found particularly interesting AND feel that at least a few of the readers of this blog will also find them enjoyable or interesting.

This one might have a small audience of those who appreciate it but it is a good history lesson of what American industry could do 65 years ago. And it shows something I didn't know: the great design of the Willys Jeep! In this case, it certainly proves that simple is better!

I'm sure this was designed with the involvement of the government in some way. But it must have been minimal, as the product turned out great! Can you imagine what the result of more-or-less similar requirements would be today?

Actually, I think it's called a Humvee. But I bet 8 or 9 guys can't do with a Humvee what these guys do with a Jeep!

Readers with an interest in things mechanical, especially, should spend a few minutes and watch this.

Any readers have any stories which attest to the great design of the Willys Jeep?

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Prince William and Kate Flip Pancakes

By Keith

Who would have guessed that the royal family would pick up on our activity and flip pancakes!

According to ABC News this morning, Will and Kate traveled to Northern Ireland and flipped pancakes yesterday or today. Rather than focus on their flipping style, the newscasters chose to concentrate on the style of Kate's trench coat.

I'll interpret that as meaning that, after seeing the style and finesse exhibited by the Rockport 35 RV Park flippers, they simply could not compete so deflected the issue by focusing on—well, a trench coat!

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Terry Performs on the Big Stage---

---at Martha Luigi Auditorium. And he did a great job!

Yesterday was the fourth annual "Rockport-Fulton's Got Talent" show, benefitting the Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans organization. Auditions were held, which resulted in nineteen different performances at the two-hour show on Sunday.

Only two were presented by Winter Texans. In addition to Terry, a lady from Omaha sang "Blue Bayou" and sang it well!

Terry chose to recite the poem "Invisible Ink," which most of us have heard here at Rockport 35 RV Park. My assessment: this recitation was the best I have heard! Terry attributes that to "the big crowd bringing out the best in a performer." But one should not discount the long and hard work which Terry put into the poem.

This was the third talent show we've attended here, and the most enjoyable. There was a variety of acts, including young piano students which we enjoyed. The Steel Drum Band from RFHS was an interesting addition to the list of acts!

Next year, bring your harmonica, accordion, or trumpet and try out! You, too, could make the big stage!

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Fish Tales

by Dianne

There are a few fishermen in this park. Some of them keep their catches, some catch and release, some do a little of each, but all of them love the sport of fishing. If you’ve ever been up to the club house early in the morning and listen to the fish stories at the “liars table”, you might begin to wonder if they really do catch as many and as big as they brag about. Let’s see……

Cliff goes out just about every morning, except if it’s too windy. He wade fishes in a tube and doesn’t want to chance the wind blowing him to the opposite shore. He’s not sure if anyone would be willing to drive that far to pick him up. Here is a sample of one of his morning catches. They’re called speckled or sea trout and he caught his limit of 10. If you ask Cliff where his favorite fishing spot is, he’ll tell you – “out in the water.” That’s about as direct of an answer you’ll get from that long time fisherman.

Jim and Gayle also fish just about every day even if it is a little windy. They fish from a boat in the approximate vicinity as Colorado Bob, Kansas Bob, and Wyoming Bob. We have a lot of Bobs in the park and this is our way of identifying them during discussions. We also have Iowa Bob, English Bob, and Minnesota Bob. Bob the Builder lives in a different park. Anyway, back to Jim and Gayle. Recently Gayle hauled in this beauty and it’s not the first time she’s landed a whopper like this 34 inch Black Drum. Now that would be a rush, don’t ya think?



Just this week Rick brought home four speckled trout. He filleted the catch and shared them with an interested fillet apprentice/ spectator who was eagerly watching the process in the fish house. That was a win/win situation for both student and teacher since Rick’s RV freezer was low on space and the spectator's was low on fish.

The very next day Rick caught this 16 inch flounder. This little guy was a welcomed guest at our dinner table.


So, if you were wondering about those questionable fish tales, these pictures are proof that the waters around Rockport are great for our accomplished resident fishermen. And their fishing stories? You be the judge.


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Beautiful Pictures

By Keith

Here's a link to a BBC video called "Human Planet." There are some beautiful pictures in it!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=2HiUMlOz4UQ&vq=large

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Dragonflies

By Keith

This week, Pat and Janet took a class in downtown Rockport on how to make dragonflies using beads. Here are a couple which Pat made. She made one in class, and another at home so she wouldn't forget how to make them.

Beads > Work > Dragonfly!

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Pancake Race

By Keith

Here they are: pictures from last evenings Pancake Race!

But check back, there might be improvements to the presentation.

Note:
If captions do not show, click on the little icon to the right of the yellow person in the lower left corner of the movie frame.
If you click in the middle of the screen, it will take you to a Web Album. There, click on "Slide Show" in the upper left. If "Slide Show" is not visible, click on "View All" first, then "Slide Show." That will start the slide show, with relatively large pictures.

While there was a good crowd on hand, there could have been more! Next time, there will be, I'm sure.

This event proved that we don't always have to do "the same old things." It also proved that we are easily entertained. Thanks, Pam and Helen, for making it possible to enjoy this new-to-the-park event!

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Our February Luau

By Keith

Here's a slide show (movie, actually) of our recent Luau. Connie took the pictures, for which we are thankful.

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Missourians Move On

By Keith

Two of our friends and neighbors left today to head back to their home state of Missouri.

Judy and Gus

Gus and Judy, right, were our neighbors on Third Street for some years now. Recently, Gus spent some time in the ER due to pancreatitis so is eager to get back to familiar doctors. We wish him and Judy a speedy and successful recovery.

 It's not quite proper to say that Bob ("British Bob") and Donna are headed back "home" as their home is in the process of being sold. They'll be Workampers this summer, then—well, who knows! That's the way it is with fulltimers, isn't it!

We wish them a wonderful and safe adventure and hope they'll return to share the stories with us.

Bob and Donna

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