Morning light...

I like the morning light, the changing hues.  Another warm start to the morning, around 80º and 78% (no exaggeration this time) humidity.  With the sun not quite up to the horizon, it is pleasant out.  A good time for a walk.

Quiet; not much moving around this morning.

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The first Monday that we've been home, and I think we all know what that means: yeah, the Gravy Train omelette at Pier 19.  ;-)  Driving across the causeway...

Just before the parking lot for Pier 19 is a boat ramp - the tides are high right now...

No, those are not floating docks.

You know the dining experience will be good when they have a sign like this at the entrance...

Breakfast was good, along with the water views.  From there, it was off to our storage unit to take care of the last of the "put away" things for the coach...

We pulled it out and ran some fuel with Sta-bil into the engine and generator.  While Joan cleaned inside, I drained the water heater.  The coach is ready for some rest.

Onto some grocery shopping at the Harlingen HEB (quite a bit bigger and more variety than our local store), and then heading for home.

When we opened the door to go in, Rufus trotted out.  I have no fear that he will try to run off.  However, he did not have his harness or leash on, so I stayed outside with him while he rubbed his face in the grass.  It has been almost a week since he has been outside (other than on our deck), so he needed some "grass chewing time"...

He is a happy boy now.

The Exorcist...

Maybe more like "Rosemary's Baby".

I had a hankerin' for something chicken-fried.  That's "Texas talk," and they know how to make chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken around here.

We generally avoid going out to eat on weekends, this being a resort area and all.  But, since we have returned home, the crowds have been very light.  It's typical for this time of the year and one of the things we like about it.

Joan suggested we go to Blackbeard's on the island for lunch.  We waited until after 2:00 to head that way to let the lunch crowd thin out.  The plan worked and we got seated and waited on right away.  Joan ordered chicken fried steak, I went for the chicken fried chicken.  And, a chicken fried Diet Coke.

The food was good, the conversation pleasant.  When we were close to being done eating, a family with a couple small kids got seated around the corner from us.  One of the kids was an infant... and apparently not happy about the fact that he or she was not able to eat anything chicken fried.  It started out with a "light" cry.  That moved onto to a continuing series of grunts; kinda made me chuckle.  The grunts turned into a long, low growl.  And soon became a scene from The Exorcist: I couldn't see them directly, but I am pretty sure I could see the shadow of their table levitating.  And that screechy noise when the baby's head rotated 360º.  The baby couldn't talk, but I think I heard the eerie sound of "Your Mother eats kitty litter."  (That's the Saturday Night Live version rather than the Exorcist version of what your Mother does with goat genitals.)  Knowing we were going to be able to go soon, I had to chuckle at the noises coming out of that kid.

The noises stopped when we stood up to leave.  Again, I can't say for certain, but I think I understood a demonic voice say, "My work here is done."

;-)

Tag and BBQ...

We took the scoots out for some local riding, a lunch stop for some truly fine south Texas BBQ, and snagging the current scooter tag.

Before heading out, Rufus was letting me know it was time for his lunch...

The boy is a lot of things... subtle isn't one of 'em.

Riding around town, Joan got some good stop and go riding with her new scoot.  We stopped for lunch at Porky's BBQ.  Brisket to your preference: dry or moist.  Yeah, make mine moist.  You know how you can tell the BBQ is great?  While we were eating, a guy in a Domino's Pizza polo shirt picked up 3 BBQ meals to go.  ;-)

Then, across the causeway and onto SPI to get the current scooter tag: your scooter at a brewery...

We rode around the island a bit - pretty busy, thanks to Sandcastle Days this weekend.  Heading for home, the bridge was out as we came back to our island...

A short wait, but it is another hot day here in the Tropical Tip: 91º as we came across our bridge.  We stopped at the Welcome Center to get a new entrance transducer for Joan's bike - it opens the gate for owners at the guard shack.

Back home, we took a few minutes to install the Grip Puppies for Joan's handlebar grips (gives a bigger and plusher diameter for the grips) and some new heavier handlebar weights that I bought for my Vespa.

Should be a better ride for both of us next time we take the scoots out... and hopefully some cooler weather for the next ride.

Predictions...

No, I am not going into the fortune-telling biz.  Getting ready to go for a walk this morning, I heard the rumble of thunder... yeah, maybe I'll wait for just a bit before going out.  The hourly forecast was for a 40% chance of rain between 8 and 9 am, then clear after that.  The rain came down off and on for over 3 hours.

When it did seem that the rain had passed, I went out for my walk.  Only 81º... yay!  And a million percent humidity... boo!  No rain gutters/sewers on our island, so the water runs to the low spots...

That's the problem after it has been raining cats and dogs - you have to be careful to not step in a poodle.  (kid joke)

Rufus chose to not walk with me.  That isn't unusual - Rufus doesn't go for walks with any kind of a pace or a destination.  He is more about stopping to smell the roses; or chew the grass.  He was happy to be in a comfortable place to lay in the house...

Things are quiet around here.  The summer people have gone, the winter Texans have not arrived, yet.  We decided to go to a show this afternoon; our local theater has four screens - we were the only ones in the theater at this show... like having a private screening.

Well, that hurts...

Nothing to do with the hip.

My fingertips are sore. I guess I slacked off on the guitar playing more than I thought. I set up my music room today; spent some time with all three Emeralds and got out one of the wood guitars, a Taylor 522ce 12-fret. A few minutes with this one, a few more with that one... less than an hour all total... and my fingertips feel bruised! Who knew the calluses (calli?) would go away that fast?

Back to the coach...

No, we didn't change our minds regarding moving back into the house.  We knew there would be another load to go from the motorhome to the house - we decided to get it done this morning.  I would say "before the heat of the day," but it doesn't cool off much at night here.

We picked up breakfast at Whataburger (a Texas institution) on the way to the storage unit.  With bellies fortified, we gathered and moved the last of our things that needed to come home.  Joan cleaned while I took the tow bar stuff off the Honda.  The coach is officially "put to bed" until our next outing.

Back home, and everything moved inside and put away.  I wanted to get a couple things out of the cargo trailer, so we went after that: the scoots are unstrapped and ready to be ridden, and everything in the trailer in its proper place...

All this done in less than 24 hours since we arrived back home. 

One last task (and that is on me): get my music room put back together... there are some guitars looking to get played.  ;-)

Be it ever so humble...

Heading for home.  We did our "putting away prep stuff" in the RV park before we left this morning.  The plan: stop at our storage unit (which is about 40 miles inland from the house), put some stuff in the CR-V, and take the cargo trailer with the Honda home.

Starting the drive with some Rufus lap time...

This is an easy drive today.  Not much wind to start, even though the prediction is for a headwind as we get closer to the Tropical Tip.  I-37 from south of San Antonio to just north of Corpus Christi, the on to Hwy 77 (trying to become I-69)...

 

We stopped for fuel and lunch just north of Kingsville.  Yeah, it's hot here, and I keep the rear camera on while Joan goes inside to get us a sandwich...

 

The rig while I wait for Joan to get back...

 

Rufus got his lunch, too; then spent some time on his tower (behind my seat)...

This part of Texas is low elevation and flat...

The weather prediction was for a 0% chance of precip along our route...

Yep; just enough rain to make sure we don't get home without getting grubby.  We stopped at a truck stop at the exit for the road that takes us to our storage unit - we unhooked the CR-V and cargo trailer from the coach and drove separate the 6 miles to the storage unit.  Hey, there's nothing in my rear camera...

Rufus rode with me...

"It's OK, buddy, your Momma is right behind us."

We pulled into the driveway to the storage unit, unlocked the gate, and pulled up in front of our unit with the vehicles side-by-side to make the loading process easier.  Joan swept out the area by the door of our unit...

Then, heading for home.  Rufus rides great in the motorhome, but isn't so sure of riding in the car.  He did fine, but it took some reassuring.  We pulled up to the driveway, took Rufus inside, then parked the trailer and CR-V.  Let the unloading begin!

With this load in and put away, I went to the neighbor's house to get our mail (they have been picking it up for us).  We don't get a lot of mail, but with the small bag of mail we had, most of it was for Joan.  This is a big day for one of us: she is now officially on Medicare!  There were only 3 pieces of mail for me: one each from Sweetwater, Guitar Center, and Taylor Guitars.  I guess you know where my interests (and purchases) lie.  Rufus didn't get any mail, but he did make himself at home in the bag that held our mail...

He is happy to be home.  Or maybe just happy to not go to the vet at the end of a car ride.  ;-)  He walked all around the house and settled into "his" chair.  It was originally my chair when I came home from the hospital: it is one of those that can lay flat or help raise you.  It is way more chair than I need these days (I slept in it at first).  Rufus has claimed it as his before we left to go north - he remembered how much he likes it...

It will take a while to get settled back in.  I did take a moment to look around my music room - I wondered what guitar would be the first to get played... the Emerald X10.  My fingers are a bit out of shape from lack of playing since we left Hart Ranch.  That will take a while, too.

It's good to be home.  :-)