Conquering the Royal Gorge Bridge

In 1988 we took our boys on a

Colorado Rocky Mountain vacation

the Royal Gorge Bridge was one of our stops. . .

just about the time we got a third of the way out on the bridge,

a vehicle started over behind us. . .which caused the bridge to

feel like we were walking across a trampoline. . .hellooooo. . .

that was it for me. . .I headed back to solid ground,

while Dave and the boys, much braver than their Mom

headed on across. I have always regretted that decision. . .so. . .

24 years and lots of pounds later here we are. . .

I’m bound and determined to conquer my fear

and do just as this billboard says. . .Walk across this crazy hanging in the air

with no supports bridge. . .as it bounces and sways with every footstep. . .

I can do it. . .I can do it. . .I even gave myself the pep talk. . .

“Every day, hundreds of people and vehicles cross this bridge. . .

and you’ve yet to read a news report about a collapse.”

Right! . . .here we go. . .

all was going well until I discovered there is only

a fastener about every fourth plank. . .WHAT?

Are they crazy. . .every single board should be

screwed and bolted down. . .

then Dave took great delight in pointing out the cracks

that were big enough to lose a small child through. . .

with the Arkansas River roaring by a thousand feet below. . .

okay, okay. . .stop looking down. . .just keep your

head up and look forward. . .OH LORD! OH LORD!

not helping. . .good grief. . 

.

My son required proof that I actually made it. . .so I took

this pic of his Dad in the very center of the bridge. . .

seriously. . .I really took it!

and please. ..wouldn’t you love to hear the story

behind the need for this sign. . .really?

We finally made it all the way across. . .and was taking a break on one of the

restaurant patios with a great view of the bridge when I had this bright idea. . .

I told Dave. . .I’ll go back up on the bridge. . .and you take my pic. . .

THAT was going very well. . .until. . .

this stupid car came across behind me. . .too late to do anything but hold on and pray!

Dave laughing at my moment of sheer terror. . .thanks honey!

So glad to have conquered my fear. . .

will I ever walk across it again. . .NO!

Travel Days

We’ve traveled a lot of miles since we last spoke. . .

First, we stopped by Granbury TX for a wonderful weekend visit

with Dave’s Aunt Barbara and Uncle Wendell. . .

His brother Curtis and wife Brenda met us there

for a great visit, and delicious eats.

next stop. . .

Lake Texoma Thousand Trails in Gordonville TX.

This butterfly picture is the only pretty thing we have to show

from our visit there. . .way off the beaten path. . .

internet and phone service. . .nonexistent.

We had scheduled a week there, thinking it would

be right on Lake Texoma, the way the other parks are on

Lake Conroe, and Medina Lake. . .not so.

The lake was a long ways away. . .too far to walk to,

but we had a project that needed to be done, so we stuck it out,

and got some water damaged flooring repaired and replaced.

Never a good idea to go bouncing down the highway

with damaged wood in strategic places. . .

Leaving Lake Texoma, we drove 437 miles. . .

past beautiful Oklahoma farms. . .

and ranches. . .

to Dodge City Kansas. . .where we had stopped on a vacation

25 years earlier. . .aren’t those Evans boys adorable?

We didn’t even unhook the truck. . .just pulled in to

Water Sports RV Park and Campground. . .

got the electric only hooked up. . .ordered a pizza

and kicked back for the evening.

Bright and early Tuesday morning (read 9:30). . .

we rolled out of Dodge. . .City, that is. . .

past the feed lots Kansas is famous for. . .

and the beautiful Kansas prairies. . .

it’s easy to see why it’s called the breadbasket of America.  

You would drive past miles of just fields and prairies,

and then, in the distance you would see a copse of trees, 

which told you the farm and ranch buildings were coming up. 

All the buildings had windbreaks of trees 

planted on at least three sides.  

I’m sure it’s the only way to survive the winds 

that must whip across there in the winter.

In Garden City KS. . .we paid $4.15 (gulp) for diesel. . .

we had known we would find, and had prepared for

higher fuel prices. . .we just didn’t think we would

find them ‘til we got to Colorado. . .ouch already!

Speaking of which. . .we crossed the State Line

about noonish Mountain Time. . .which meant

we had gained back the hour we had lost

a couple of weeks ago to DST. . .

isn’t that great?

About an hour into Colorado. . .

we started to see the mountains to the south. . .

and about a hundred miles out of Colorado Springs. . .

we saw what we think is Pike’s Peak. . .

still covered in snow. . .and definitely under a cloud cover.

 

Although rain was promising on all sides,

it held off until we got set up in the most beautiful

RV Park we’ve ever stayed in. . .

Mountaindale RV Campground between

Canon City and Colorado Springs.

Today, we re-visited Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge

after 25 years. . .more about that later!

Until then. . .safe travels!

Off to the Texas Hill Country

Leaving Lake Conroe, we headed due west to Medina Lake

just out of San Antonio. ..which is still showing

the devastating effects of the Texas drought. . .

We took this pic exactly one year ago. ..at the beginning of April 2011

and exactly one year later, April 2012. . .

the previous pics were taken on the south end of the lake near the dam.

Six miles north, where the Thousand Trails RV Park is in Lakehills, TX

the lake bed is so dry. . .the cows are grazing on it. 

That’s the Medina River you see in the center of the pic. . .

last year,  Dave caught about a 3 lb catfish,

from the bluff where he is now standing to take this pic. . .

It’s gonna take a lot of rain north of here to fill all this back up. . .

The fabulous thing about this park is the wildlife. . .

Texas jack rabbit in motion. . .

a mama hummingbird on her nest. . .the nest was about the size of a ping pong ball. . .

this pic is taken with an 800 zoom lens. . .could never have gotten it without that lens.

the aerial acrobatics of the scissor tailed flycatchers were amazing. . .

and so was Mama flycatchers nest building abilities. . .

Both weekends that we were at San Antonio,

we attended services at Hope Center,

where Nathan Scoggins is doing an incredible job as the pastor. . .

on Easter Sunday, the artist rendered this painting

as Rev. Scoggins brought the message

“A Portrait of Love”

While we were at Lake Medina, we also managed

to get our RV washed and waxed. . .

which makes me a very happy camper!

Next we are off to visit Dave’s Aunt and Uncle in Granbury TX. . .