I Broke Up With Daisy & A Clue To Our Next Destination

Well, my romance with Daisy is over. She is leaving today, but that is not why we broke up. We were out last night and she was just too pushy. She tried to climb on my back!  What is up with that?  I didn't like that.  Scout was scared of her.  She kept walking underneath Scout.  I think my next girlfriend will be another greyhound. I need to stick with my own kind.

It rain until about noon yesterday. Depending on who you listen to, we had about 9 -10" of rain in the past two days.  We are having more rain today.  The lakes all flooded in our park. There are some ducklings that lived in the large lake that is in the other part of the park.  They are now living in our lake.  We think they when their lake overflowed, they just swam down to our lake.   They are the Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. Two interesting things about these ducks: 1) They actually perch in trees.  We saw several one day in a tree, but we didn't have our camera with us.  2) It appears that more than just the parents protect the ducklings.  Yesterday, all the adult ducks gathered around the ducklings when we approached them.  We have been trying to get pictures of them for a few weeks, but can't get close to them.

The is how the ducklings made it to our lake. Their lake overflowed.

The ducklings are in the middle. We think there are 12-14 of them.

Several adults are gathered around the ducklings

Everyone is trying to get to higher ground.

This is the front lake.  The sign is a few feet from the water, normally.

More views from the front lake.

I have noticed that my name is popular.

My name is a on a trailer here.

I have a pizza place named after me.

The pizza inside the box.  It was the first pizza we have had since we left Missouri.  It was okay.

Last night our Emeals meal was Swedish Meatballs, Garlic Bread and Steamed Broccoli.  It was good according to Mama.  We didn't get a single taste of it.

Swedish Meatballs and Noodles

Scout chilling during the rain yesterday.

Are you ready for your first clue as to where we are going AFTER Washington DC? It may be a little vague, but we will see.  Our next destination will be reached the same day that we leave DC. It is about a 7 hour drive, but will take us probably 9 hours due to stops.   

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Single Again

Please Turn Off The Rain

We have been having rain since last Friday or Saturday.  It has been nice. However, the rain started around 3 a.m. and it has not stopped except long enough for us to get in two short walks.  The rain has been very hard. The local stations are having continuous weather coverage which we have not seen even in bad storms. They said we were getting 4"an hour for a while.  The front lake here is out of its' banks and the lake by us is full. It has always been quite low. The ducks are swimming in the field.  Mama keeps checking the gully behind us to make sure we are okay.  It is fine, so far.  We just need this rain stop because Mama is getting nervous.  Heck, if Mama has to move the RV due to flooding, we will be nervous.  LOL  I am sure if the worst happens, Fred, the park manager will help us.

Exciting news!   It sounds like we are headed to Washington DC for a week and then on to our next destination after that.  We have a verbal commitment for the next destination and hope to have it in writing today.  It will probably only be for a month this time. It's a place that the folks have never been before. 

Dad made the reservations for the campground near Washington DC.  It sounds really nice. It is the Cherry Hill Park. They have buses that stop right at the campground to take people to the city or to the Metro System.  The campground has a cafe, theater, nature trail, pools and many other things.  Mama is very excited.  The folks visited DC in the 90's and loved it.  They will be able to see the sights on Monday, Thursday afternoon and Friday.  Dad has meetings on Tuesday - Thursday afternoon.  Mama said she might take a tour or something while he is gone or we may just explore the park.  They took the night tour of  DC when they were there before and really liked it.  We had hoped to stay in DC for a month or two, but so far, that is not where we are staying.  It is very expensive!  The campground charges $900 a month, plus electric.  That is out of our budget, but if we end up there sometime, we will just have to deal with it. DC has so many things to see and do and most of them are free.  Mama says it is a fun city to explore.

Mama ordered a new battery for her Dell laptop this morning.  She has needed a new one for a very long time. It should be here well before we leave on the 27th.  We will be able to update the blog while we travel with a new battery, hopefully.

Now that we know we are really leaving on the 27th, we are busy making plans for our last two weeks here. This weekend, Dad wants to wax the RV and the folks are supposed to meet up with some relatives that Dad hasn't seen in like 25 years.  Next weekend, there is a big dog show here that Mama would like to attend. It is the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows.  They have a ton of vendors and Mama would like to do some shopping.   Mama said she needs to double check with Dad though because at one time, he wanted to visit Moody Gardens which is near Galveston. 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Hopes The Rain Stops Soon

Yep, Our Wheels Will Be Rolling Again Soon

In my post earlier today, I mentioned there are rumors that we will be leaving Houston soon.  If you read Mama's blog, she mentioned Daddy going to Washington DC. She did not spill the beans about our next destination.  Daddy is going to Washington DC for a conference, but we do know if we are going for sure. It depends on where our next destination ends up being.  We do not want to be doubling back in the RV.   Daddy's last work day here is July 27th, so we could be leaving that afternoon and begin making our way to Washington DC. However it is possible that he will fly there and then pick us up when he gets back and take us to our new destination. We do not know our next destination yet.

We are ready to leave Houston. We have been here since May 12th.  It's a nice place, but we are ready to move on and explore a new city.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Ready For A New Adventure

It's Another Rainy Day In Houston

We have had a nice week of temps in the 80's and rain off and on each day. This morning, it is really raining.  We just came back from a walk and we were drenched.  However, it's a good thing we went out when we did because now it is a heavy downpour.

I didn't see my Daisy yesterday.  Well, I did see her from afar.  She was riding in her Mom's golf cart. The park manager has a golf cart and Daisy's parents just bought one. I would love to ride in one, but I would take up the whole thing. Daisy's folks have a toy hauler which is a trailer that has a place in the back for things like golf carts, ATVs, etc.

Last night, Mama fixed spaghetti, garlic bread and salad. Yes, that is what was on our Emeals menu.  The salad had strawberries, blueberries and Italian dressing. Mama liked it.

Salad with strawberries, blueberries and Italian dressing

Saturday night, we were watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and they showed two Houston restaurants.  The folks were very excited.  One restaurant was a place that they almost went to when they toured the space center, but Mama chose a different place.  She regretted not going after seeing it on TV. They debated on which one to visit on Sunday.  They chose the one that was about a half hour away.  However, when they arrived, it was closed for the day.  Mama said it was a rookie mistake. She should have checked their hours. It was pouring down rain and they had to find another place to eat.  She kept checking the GPS to see what was nearby.  Finally, they decided on a Mexican place.  It is called Los Cucos Mexican Cafe.  There is a location that is near us and they almost went there last weekend.  Mama really liked it and decided it was the best Mexican place she has visited here.  Dad said it was good, but he thinks Pappasito's Cantina is the best.  Mama said maybe they needed to go back to Pappasito's Catina and she would order something different this time.  She did really like their salsa.   Mama is loving all the salsas here. They are all different. She really likes the green chili salsas.  She never had them until we came here.  There is a grocery store that advertises their green salsa on TV and she is determined to go there before we leave and buy a jar. 

The salsa at Los Cucos - a green chili and a red salsa that is served warm. Both were really good.

Dad's dinner - fajitas with shrimp, chicken, beef and pork

El Burrito Grande - Large flour tortilla filled with tender beef  fajita, refried beans and cheese, topped with chile con carne and cheddar cheese.

Mama really liked the beef in this one.

After they ate, they went to Dad's favorite store, Camping World.

 They didn't buy anything fun, just wax for the RV.

Houston traffic on a Sunday afternoon.  Yes, this is on a Sunday.  Saturdays are really bad.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Hearing Rumors That We Are Leaving Houston Soon

I Met A Girl!

There is a dog that I have been watching since we got here.  Her name is Daisy. She is a black and white Boston Terrier. She is an older woman at the age of five. We have passed many times, but never had any contact.  Her Mom says she can be pretty rough.  She knocked over Gus, the tripod.  Yesterday, we were out walking and her Mom stopped to talk to us.  Another dog that Mama doesn't like was running loose....again and they were talking about it.  Diamond is a bulldog that has no manners. Her Mom is the laundry room offender. She paid $2,000 for Diamond. Yikes! Anyway, Daisy and I sniffed and that is all it took. I play-bowed to her.   We really wanted to play, but we were on leashes.  Daisy will be leaving soon.  They are headed to Georgia to pick pecans. I think it is a very short-term job that her Dad wants to do.  Her folks are retired.  It's sad that just when we became friends, she is leaving.

Here I am with my new toy.

 This morning, we met the lady that was bit by the dog. She warned us that there was a loose dog at the other lake. It was probably a dog that lives in the subdivision. The RV park people cut down some trees and since that time, the dogs from that subdivision have been coming into our park.  She told Mama that she was bit by a dog here.  Mama acted surprise, but the lady did not go into detail.  She thanked the lady and we walked in the opposite direction since we didn't want to encounter the loose dog.

It appears that the party house has been shutdown. We haven't heard a sound from the house in over a week. We think bringing in the band put an end to his loud music.

Stay tuned for Mama's review of a restaurant they visited.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Has A Crush On An Older Woman

After visiting the Bush Presidential Library and Museum, we headed to a restaurant that appeared on Food Network's show, Diners, Drive-In's and Dives.  The place is called Hullabaloo Diner.  The diner was originally located in Albany, New York.  In 2004, the restaurant was set to be demolished.  The American Diner Museum of Providence, Rhode Island stepped in to help save it.  In December 2005, it was moved just outside of College Station, Texas where it now sits.  It took a week for it to make it to it's new home.

This is Hullabaloo Diner. It was built in 1940.  It would be easier to see without the cover over it.

The end of the restaurant.

The counter

It was packed when we arrived at 2 in the afternoon. People were turned away.

Seats became open as we ate.

 We ordered Elvis' Fries for our appetizer.  They are fries that are smothered in homemade sausage gravy and cheese.  LOL  They were good.

Elvis Fries

I ordered a cheeseburger, of course.  They had a chicken fried steak sandwich, but I thought it might be tough.

My burger and fries. I wasn't thinking when I ordered fries as my side item.

Jeff ordered the Roman Sausage sandwich.  It is made of two homemade spicy-Italian sausage links smothered in green peppers, onions and smoked provolone cheese with spaghetti sauce on the side.

Roman Sausage Sandwich

Side salad - the big surprise was that it had pepperoni slices.

Jeff really liked his meal and actually brought half of it home.  I liked my burger for the first two bites and then couldn't determine if the burger was freezer burned or if it was the seasoning. It was fine though and I would go back, if is was closer to us.  I really enjoyed being in this piece of the past.

George Bush Presidential Library and Musuem

Our temps are in the 80's.  It has been raining a little each day and the skies are overcast, but that is okay.  We are able to leave our blinds open when the sun is not shining and I can see out. Scout is even happy with the cooler temps.  She is very happy walking these days.  We are supposed to be having this type of weather all week!

Mama surprised us with a new toy.  We were surprised because we are way over our dog budget with everything I have needed lately like my boot, supplements and my vet visit.  I will have to take some photos of it later.

Stay tuned for Mama's report on what they did this weekend.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy That It is Monday And He Can Rest

We visited the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum on Saturday.  As I mentioned last week, we visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum a few years ago and really enjoyed it.   I was excited about visiting the George Bush Museum because I lived through his presidency.

I was excited during the drive because we were off the interstate. I actually saw open spaces again.  There were cows and horses.  Jeff commented that people say if you visit Houston or Dallas you are not seeing the real Texas.  I have to agree.  I could live in Texas if I was outside of Houston.  Houston is way too big for me and it is so congested.

The museum is located on the campus of Texas A&M University. 

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

We had to go through security and then we were greeted by a friendly man.  He told us that we would not actually see the library and we could not check out books.  The library is open to scholars.  We knew that from our visit to the Eisenhower Museum.  We were then told a movie was starting in five minutes and we didn't want to miss it. We hurried and bought our tickets which were just $7 a person and that was for the entire visit.

The movie was shown in a very presidential looking theatre.  I should have taken photos.  The seats were a blue velvet.  It was very pretty.  The hostess told us the Bushs' actually have an apartment across from the library and they visit often.

I am not positive, but the Bush apartment may be on the top floor of this building.  Mrs. Bush is often seen walking her dogs according to the hostess.

George and Barbara are actually going to be buried on the grounds.  Their daughter, Robin, who died when she was three, has been moved to their cemetery on the grounds. We were told we could visit her grave site, but when we arrived there was a gate saying renovations were being made and it was closed.

The bridge to the grave site.

 The movie showed the life of President Bush. It was really interesting. He spoke through much of it. He is quite funny.  I felt as though the story of George and Barbara was a love story.  I really enjoyed the movie.

After the movie, we then entered the museum.  The museum takes you through the entire life of President Bush.

Presidential Limo

The Seal

President Bush

Mrs. Bush

Various family photos

Items that belonged to Mrs. Bush's mother

Replica of Mrs. Bush's wedding gown.  Their wedding photo is in the background.

Their first car.  A gift from Mr. Bush's father.

Mrs. Bush does needlepoint.  Items she made early on in Mr. Bush's career.

Close up of the needlepoint purse.

Statue of Mr. Bush.

A display of elephants (Republican party symbol).  I had to take this photo for my Blogsville Ladies Crochet Society.

Replica of the Oval Office.  Supposedly, this is how it was decorated when Mr. Bush was in office.

Another view of the Oval Office.

Replica of the office at Camp David.

Camp David Office

Dog treats in Camp David office.  Scout would love to have this.  She could get her own treats.

Actual piece of the Berlin Wall.

Replica of the Situation Room

Kuwait Door - this was a gift from the Kuwait people.

The door is engraved with the names of all the US soldiers that died in Kuwait.

Saying goodbye to Washington.

The two Bush Presidents

Statue outside of museum.  It was inspired by the Berlin Wall coming down.  The horses symbolize the human spirit being set free.

We really enjoyed our visit here.  There was much more than I took pictures of, but this gives you a glimpse of what the museum has to offer.

There are currently 12 Presidential museums with a 13th coming next year for President George W. Bush.  We have now seen two of them and we would like to visit all of them.  Who has Presidential museums?  Hoover, Nixon, Franklin D. Roosevelet, Ford, Truman, Carter, Eisenhower, Reagan, Kennedy, Bush, Johnson and Clinton.  We should have visited Truman's when we had the chance.

After our visit to the museum, we ate at a restaurant featured on Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives.  I will write about that tomorrow.  It was different and fun!

Patty