Grand Island, NE

From Indian Cave, we traveled through Lincoln to Grand Island, where we stayed in George H. Clayton, Hall County Park. Grand Island, a community of about 50,000, gets its name from the French "La Grande Ile," meaning the large or grand island in the Platte River which was formed when a narrow channel branched off the Platte approximately 28 miles upstream from the present city and which returns to the main river about 12 miles downstream. The Long and Fremont expeditions in the 1800s noted that Grand Island ranged from 40 to 70 miles in length and 1.5 to 3 miles wide.

The park is an excellent facility, with tall shade trees like this one, hiking/biking and nature trails, playgrounds and group facilities. Our only complaint is that, like most other State or County parks in this area, there is power but no water at individual camp sites. There are, however, plenty of wild turkeys, bunnies and squirrels, which keep the dogs entertained. The grounds are also well-maintained, with seasonal plantings everywhere.

We were also surprised to find an abundance of toads and frogs in the park. If you're out after dark, you have to be careful not to step on one. Since amphibians in Texas are on the decline, we were pleased to find so many of them, like this healthy youngster.

We have also been treated to cicada concerts throughout our stay. These amazing insects live the first seven years of their lives underground, then emerge to sing, breed and lay eggs before ending their life cycle in the form shown here.

Another highlight of our trip to Grand Island was a tour of the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. In addition to several new buildings housing various exhibits, there are over sixty 100-year-old restored buildings (most from the immediate area), many furnished with period furnishings, set on the 200-acre campus. The lovely Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church was one of our favorites, as was this restored barn.
　

On to Nebraska

We left Rock Creek COE Park on Wednesday after a visit to Johnsonville Park, just up the road, where the dogs enjoyed a good run and John and I worked out a few kinks. (It was interesting that the Corps of Engineers and/or Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department cut and baled grass in the park areas not covered by timber.)

From what we can tell so far, Nebraska parks, whether State or County, are well worth a visit. Because of low temperatures in the winter (we assume) water is not available at individual camp sites as it is farther south. However, there are central locations where we can fill our fresh water tank.

Our first stop was Indian Cave State Park in the far southeastern corner of the state, near Shubert. Covering more than 3300 acres, the park's eastern boundary lies alongside the Missouri River on rugged, hilly, heavily-timbered land. This photo of the Missouri was taken from a bluff overlooking the site where, in 1804, the Louis and Clark Expedition weathered a violent thunderstorm. Accounts said they were able to save their boats only when members of the crew jumped overboard and physically held them off the rocks until the storm passed.

The Indian Cave SP includes the reconstructed mid-19th Century settlement of St. Deroin, the first townsite in Nemah County, NE. The town's history is interesting. In 1830, 125,000 acres were set aside in the Treaty of Prairie du Chien for the homeless offspring left by traders and trappers who married Indian women. Joseph Deroin, the son of a French man and an Otoe woman, moved onto the tract, and in 1853 laid out the village that bears his name. (Speculation is that the "Saint" was attached to the town's name after it was founded, probably to attract more settlers.) Joseph Deroin was described as an "overbearing and tyrannical" man, who unfortunately met a violent and untimely end in an altercation with another settler. St. Deroin before the turn of the century was a thriving settlement of some 300 people. However, it was doomed by an outbreak of cholera and the shifting channel of the Missouri River. By 1920 the town was virtually abandoned. Some of the restored buildings from the original settlement are shown here.

Indian Cave SP could use some maintenance on its roads, but nonetheless it is beautiful. The sites are shaded by large trees, well-maintained, and are mowed on a regular basis. The park has 134 RV sites, but when we were there, there were only about 6 RVs in the entire park. As you can see, we had an entire section all to ourselves. Park personnel said that September and October are very busy, so we're glad we visited before the crowds came.

A pleasant three hours later, we were in Nebraska. This part of the world revolves around Agriculture.....with a capital A. Corn is King. They raise huge quantities of not only No. 2 Yellow Corn (brought to our attention by The Omnivore's Dilemma), but also popcorn and sweet corn. Beans are Queen. Many are soybeans, with dark green, glossy leaves, but Nebraska is also known for the quantity of great northern beans and pinto beans it raises. Wherever you look, as in this photo, you see acres and acres of one or both.

Rock Creek Park

Well, Rock Creek Park turned out to be so special that we've spent an entire week here. Mornings can look like this, with John and me drinking coffee and watching the sunrise while the Bagley Pack wait impatiently for breakfast.

On Friday night we experienced a real Kansas thunderstorm, shown here rolling in just at sunset. Thank goodness winds here at the park weren't as strong as they were a few miles away. We heard reports of wind speeds up to 90 mph, but fortunately all we had here were showers and this remarkable lightening show!

The Girls were excited when we found a very nice dog park in nearby Topeka. The "Bark Park" is located adjacent to the Topeka Zoo, and has everything a dog could want. There are separate areas for big and small dogs, plenty of grass, shade, and tables & chairs for dog-watchers. Here Nickie participates in a three-dog sniff-a-thon while John and Feathers enjoy the shade.

While we travel, family members are never far from our thoughts.  This trip, though, our grandson is on our minds more often than usual. 

The Bark Park is in Gage Park, which is just off Gage Boulevard.  We don't know who this Gage person is or was, but he was obviously important! 

We also saw the Gage Carousel in the Park, with its lovely, restored horses, camel, pigs and other creatures. The carousel was built in 1908, and has been restored three times. It is unique because it features hand-carved wooden figures in several carousel "styles," which are described on the poster below, and an example of one of the horses that was waiting for a young rider.

Retreat from the Heat!

We're finally on the road again, and not a minute too soon! Texas has been simmering (or maybe baking) for a couple of weeks, and we can't wait to find someplace cooler.

We spent a couple of nights last week at Boone RV Park in Lampasas getting new tires put on the Royals and doing some business for my mother in Hamilton. Then, last Saturday, August 7, we hooked up Tracker (our "toad") for the first time and headed north.

That was exciting, and a little scary, because we've never "double-towed" before. With all three vehicles connected, we're pushing 80 feet in length, and have 16 tires on the ground. My job is to monitor the Pressure Pro system that keeps track of the pressure in all the tires, and to make sure that the monitor for the parking brake system in the Tracker doesn't come on unexpectedly. John's is to drive, of course, and to keep track of the various systems in the Volvo. He also keeps an eye on the Tracker and vehicles behind us with the rear-view camera.

Saturday night found us at Ray Roberts Lake State Park. (You may remember that we spent some time there last fall, and it's one of our favorite parks.) However, with the temperatures well over 100 degrees and the lake the temperature of a warm bath, this time we didn't tarry!

We spent the next two nights at another of our favorite parks, Coon Creek Cove Corps of Engineers Park (try saying that several times in rapid succession!) on Kaw Lake in Northern Oklahoma. We had the place almost to ourselves this trip, and the dogs enjoyed some off-leash time. Here's a picture of the little slough where we camped last year. Unfortunately the lake is lower this year, and there were fewer birds near the shore, and no catfish jug-liners.

Tuesday we traveled diagonally across Kansas on their beautiful turnpike. It was a great trip, and it should have been; the toll for our 7 combined axles was $48!

Much of our trip was through the rolling grasslands of the Kansas Flint Hills, and we were surprised that much of the time all we saw was grass. However, from time to time we did see some of that famous Kansas beef on the hoof!

 

 

 

 

 

We've spent the last two nights in a lovely park, Rock Creek Corps of Engineers Park on Perry Lake a few miles northeast of Topeka. Campsites are spacious, and there's plenty of grassy areas for dogs to enjoy, along with a rocky shoreline and cool water! We plan to pull out tomorrow or the next day for Nebraska.

 

Eat Dessert First

"Life is uncertain; eat dessert first." All of us have heard that statement, but it doesn't really have meaning until something happens to emphasize just how uncertain life can be. We began to understand several weeks ago, and it's very sobering.

In late May, we noticed that Feathers, our Australian Shepherd, Guardian of Hearth and Home, and always before in charge of Security, was visibly squinting. Her beautiful golden eyes, so evident in a photo taken earlier this year, were no longer visible. The pupils of her eyes had dilated so much that no iris color showed...just deep black pools, and the pupils did not respond to light. Although light-sensitive, she was fortunately still able to see.

We took her to our regular vet, who could find no reason for the problem and referred her to a veterinary opthalmologist. He said her eyes were fine, and suspected that she might have been exposed to a plant or chemical that caused the pupils to be non-responsive. He suggested that we wait a week or so to see if they returned to normal. They did not and we went back to our regular vet for more tests.

At about the same time, Feathers began to be unsteady on her feet, and her regular gait changed, causing her to stumble frequently. Talking to the vets and doing research on-line made us realize just how many conditions, diseases, and circumstances might cause or contribute to her symptoms. Among them were Myesthenia Gravis, Meningitis, brain tumor, various parasites, and several others, all of them serious, but fortunately treatable in some cases. When our regular vet wasn't able to pinpoint the cause, we were referred to Dr. Locke at Central Texas Veterinary Specialty Hospital.

Dr. Locke ordered more tests, including a spinal tap, which pointed to Meningitis as the culprit. Feathers is now undergoing treatment, and we hope that she will be able to recover at least partially. So far, her pupils are still dilated, and she suffers from some loss of mobility. She still wants to go on walks with us, though; we just have to make them short. She wears her sunglasses, and, if we're walking on pavement she wears her trendy boots to protect her toes when she stumbles.

The most serious aspect of the disease at this point is a condition called Megaesophagus. This is a condition where the muscles of the esophagus fail and it cannot propel food or water into the stomach. Feathers has this condition to some degree, so we're making sure she eats and drinks from an elevated bowl, and that we keep her head and chest vertical after eating. If we don't do this, she can regurgitate her food and water, and may aspirate it as well, leading to aspiration pneumonia. She seems to be having less problems with this in the last week or so, and we're hopeful the condition is improving.

So, in accordance with our "Eat Dessert First" philosophy, we're off on another adventure. We have just left Texas and are headed north to find some cooler temperatures. (Of course, the Bagley Pack members are with us, including our Feathers!) We'll keep you posted as we travel.

　

Dog Days

It's summer, and once again time for the big San Antonio dog shows. Earlier this year than last...June instead of July. That gets John's and my vote, for sure! So far we've had temperatures in the 90s, which is a lot better than the 100+ readings we had here last year. Of course, it helps that the AC in the Royals works very well. If you remember, last year the first thing John had to do was find a mechanic to fix the unit on J.R.  Fortunately, Travelers World RV Resort has lots of trees and an adjacent grassy area for walking dogs, so we're very comfortable. The dog show sponsors also run shuttles to and from the RV park to the convention center, so we can come and go without worrying about parking downtown.

We came down on Wednesday, but didn't bring the Tracker as we haven't yet installed the tow bar. The Falcon and the fifth wheel made the trip with no trouble, and we set up Nickie's crate at the San Antonio Convention Center when we arrived. After drinks and dinner with Carol Hardaway at Boudreaux's on the Riverwalk, Nickie and I had a slumber party with Carol and her Border Collie, Gabby, at the Riverwalk Marriott. John and Feathers took the dog show shuttle back to the RV, and returned on Thursday to watch our runs.

They shouldn't have hurried. Nickie and I NQd all three of our runs on Thursday. The first was a very tough series of three obstacles which Nickie had to take while I directed her from 15+ feet away. That's a "not enough practice on distance work" problem. The second was Nickie's determination to "go in whichever end of the tunnel I like, no matter what you tell me." Her problem. The third was clearly "handler error" when I took my eye off Nickie and she went behind me instead of taking the jump. Oh, well, we had fun, and enjoyed watching our friends. Nickie's pal, Gabby, took a first place in her first event, and was very proud, as was her mom. She did well on Friday, too, and is shown here with Carol displaying her two blue ribbons!

Feathers got a lot of attention, too. I don't think any dog at the show made more people smile. She is suffering from a still-undiagnosed problem which has caused both eyes to become dilated. As a result, she is very light-sensitive. We have addressed at least the discomfort part of the problem by letting her wear sunglasses. People at the dog show asked John if she was a movie star, and of course he said she was! Here Feathers shows off her "Hollywood" look.

Friday's agility trial got off to a fantastic start when Nickie got a blue ribbon and a qualifying run in her first class. It was downhill from there. She and I teamed up to make mistakes in the our next two runs, and finished the first two days 1 Q for 6 attempts. Fortunately, on Saturday we finally got our act together and she got a Double-Q. That is, she had qualifying runs in both her "Standard" and her "Jumpers with Weaves" courses. Here she is with her ribbons....two firsts and a third...and the most important thing (to Nickie and Feathers) the toys that dogs get when they take first place.

Between agility runs, we had plenty of time to visit the many vendors at the show, and to watch the conformation, rally and obedience classes. Here a couple of Salukis wait their turns in the conformation ring.

Not all the dogs in San Antonio were at the dog show, though.  While on a "potty break" across the street from the convention center, we saw this group out for a brisk stroll.  The handler's T-shirt said "I'm not a dog walker; I'm a pack leader!" 

Sunday was a "play day" for John and me. We had breakfast across the street at Taqueria Guadalajara (rated a "Best of San Antonio" by Texas Monthly). We then left the girls in their crate at the convention center and spent a couple of hours at The Institute of Texan Cultures. Built as the Texas Pavilion for the 1968 Hemisfair, it is now affiliated with the Smithsonian and remains open to showcase and celebrate Texas' diverse history and heritage. Our very knowledgeable guide, Ed Johnson (strangely enough, an archeologist from New York), shows off an old hearse which is said to be haunted.

　

We enjoyed our visit, but were ready to get back to Austin by the time Monday rolled around.  We look forward to next year's event, and hope to collect even more "Qs and Blues."

Making Tracks

Our most recent excursion, unlike the previous ones, did not involve the Millennium Falcon or the Royals. It was related, though. We left on Wednesday of last week via American Airlines bound for Lewisville, KY, to pick up our "caboose." That is, we went to acquire a 2004 four-wheel-drive Chevy Tracker, which we will tow behind our fifth wheel. If you followed our previous trips with the big truck, you know that thereare downsides to having only one vehicle to drive if it's the tractor part of a tractor-trailer! 

So, when we learned that the Tracker was available from a fellow Escapees RV Club member, we made arrangements to add it to our assortment of vehicles and (hopefully) make traveling with the fifth wheel less complicated. We were also excited about seeing a part of the country that neither of us has visited before, to check out things to see and do, and to locate RV parks for future use.

We arrived in Louisville and were met by the folks who were selling the Tracker. After lunch and a thorough examination of the vehicle, we decided to spend the night in Louisville and see some of the local color before undertaking the +/- 1,000-mile trip home. Luckily, we found space at the downtown Hampton Inn, just a couple of blocks from the entertainment district, shown here.

Being in the heart of Bourbon Country, we decided to sample some of the good stuff, and headed for the Maker's Mark Bourbon Bar. A couple of appetizers later, accompanied by a couple of Manhattans and a flight of Bourbons, we called it a night. We liked the Maker's, but were wowed by the Four Roses! You can see how much we liked it, and no wonder....it's 100 proof!

Thursday morning, we set off for a nice walk through the downtown area. Louisville is lovely, and probably the cleanest city we've ever visited. There wasn't a single beer can or cigarette butt to be seen. There was, however, plenty of art. The waterfront park features a magnificent sculpture of York, one of the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Sculptures of horses, however, are more numerous. Austin has its decorated guitar sculptures; Louisville has its thoroughbreds. Two examples are sculptures depicting Derby Winner Real Quiet, and 1987 contender Alysheba.

We also toured Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. We were told that last year's Derby winner Mine That Bird was in residence, as well as super filly Rachel Alexandra. We didn't see either of them, but we did watch this handsome guy getting a bath after his morning workout.

After leaving Louisville, we stopped for a tour of the Jim Beam Distillery, part of the Bourbon Trail that stretches from Louisville to Lexington and back. Unfortunately the Jim Beam facility was being renovated and actual tours were not available. We did sample a couple of their fine whiskeys, though, and will return another day to take the full tour.

Thursday night found us in Jackson, Tennessee, relaxing in another Hampton Inn. On the way out, we planned a visit to the Casey Jones Village, named in honor of the legendary railroad engineer who sacrificed himself to save his passengers. Our sightseeing Karma still wasn't working, though. The railroad museum was closed due to a power problem. We made a quick visit to the Country Store, with its supply of Elvis Presley memorabilia and old-fashioned candies, and were on our way.

Friday night we stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas. We would have visited the Clinton Museum, but John said that, since we are registered Republicans, our names were probably on the equivalent of the "No Fly" list there. We did, however, visit the Peabody Hotel, where we were just in time for a cocktail and the Parade of Ducks.   At precisely 5:00 p.m., surrounded by camera-toting fans, the ducks are escorted from the lobby fountain along their red carpet to the glass-fronted elevator, and from there to the Duck Palace on the second floor. Sometimes being a duck can be pretty nice!

Saturday morning we took a walk along the Arkansas river, and saw the famous "Little Rock" for which the city is named. It's located at the base of the pedestrian bridge over the river, and is shown in the photo below.  (And it really is a little rock.)

After our walk, we visited what is the probably the best farmer's market I have ever seen! Located along the waterfront, it features an amazing array of produce, flowers, and arts and crafts.

I could have spent the morning, but we had another 300+ miles to go. We bought a few vegetables to take home, and headed for Fort Worth.

We spent the night with Cousin Kathy Cash and her husband, Eric Vanderbeck and family dog Jack. Kathy, Eric and Jack are frequent visitors to the farm in Hamilton County, but we had not seen their Fort Worth home, nor the three chickens who always send a supply of eggs to farm weekends. Released from the "hen spa" for some foraging time in the yard, they made good use of their time to stock up on bugs, worms and whatever else chickens enjoy. Eric's special favorite is "Nekkid Neck," the Turken, sporting her (really) naked neck and small cap of black feathers.

Here chicken-sisters, the Silver Laced Wyandotte, and "palomino" Araucana entertained us with chicken conversation as they scrounged around for bugs.

On Saturday, we had breakfast with Michal's brother, Allan and wife Jefflyn Jones, Kathy and Eric, and Michal's mother, Evelyn Jones, who was there for a short visit. We also had a chance to visit Cousin Karen and the homes of Nieces Anna and Erin and their families.  We took Evelyn back to Hamilton on our way home. Only one small hitch...when we got to the farm to check things before returning to Austin, we found that Bos, our sweet and gentle Bonsmara bull, had decided to go visiting next door and had demolished about 50 feet of fence. John and I spent Sunday afternoon making repairs so we could return him to his home pasture....and hope he stays put!

The Tracker performed well on the trip home, and we look forward to hooking it up and heading out for a longer trip this fall.