CAMERA ON THE BLINK…CAMERA WORKING AGAIN

Saturday, June 18 –  Paul and Kelly arrived safely in Canton, Ohio on Thursday. All is well. They moved all her belongings into a storage area in the Aurora area. She doesn't move into her townhouse until July 8 and will be staying with my dad until then. They took a ride over to see the townhouse. Paul said it is very nice. No more details…he is a man…doesn't look at things the same way a woman does.

Last weekend, we spent a ton of time with the girls, but my camera wasn't working correctly. Every time I slide the lid down to take a picture, it started shaking like crazy. Every picture was blurred and dark. I was so upset. I wanted some picture from the Wild West Dance Hall. Well, yesterday I opened it up and you guessed…it works like new. No shaking, beautiful pictures. I have no idea what the heck is going on. I previewed the pictures I took at Wild West, and they weren't dark but some a bit blurred. This I cannot figure out! I am thrilled that it is working so nicely, but a bit nervous about taking it on one of our sightseeing sprees and it not work again. Paul visited a camera shop in Canton, and the salesman told him it would cost about $200 just to look at it. He said you can buy one cheaper than getting it repaired. He also said, with the number of pictures we are taking versus a "normal" person, (What, I am not normal? The man never met me. Any way I digress…) the camera may wear out quicker. So,  we have a big decision to make when Paul gets back. I LOVE this camera and may just take my chances. Maybe it was just too hot out for it? Is that possible?

Here are a few pictures from that night.

Us at a Pub in Houston.

Kelly and Carrie

Us 2-steppin'

Most places have a crystal ball above the dance floor. This is what he had. Gotta love Texas!

Carrie and Kelly out front on a line-dance number. 

FLASHBACK – We have blogged about the sheep in San Angelo and the rabbits in Odessa…but what about the painted horses in Amarillo?  In an effort to enhance Amarillo, AQHA and Center City, began a project to sell 50 horses to local businesses, which would then be painted by local artists. More than 100 of the statues have been placed in the Amarillo and Canyon area since 2002. The project is called, "Hoof Prints of the American Quarter Horse - America's Horse." To find out more about this project, click HERE.

Here are only a few…Paul wouldn't drive all over Amarillo for me. How inconsiderate is that?

                               Our favorite…Freedom

Essential Strength	Horse Feathers
Old Blue	Diamonds Are Marelyn's Best
The Great American Quarter	Patriot Pony
Stagecoach	Nay Boring Vistas

             Our vote for UGLIEST…YUCK!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

ANOTHER GREAT FAMILY GET TOGETHER

Saturday, June 11 – We had a very enjoyable day with our daughters. It started with a family photo session in the Park. This is a gift from the girls for our 29^th anniversary. We met the photographer in the Houston Memorial Park and spent a little over an hour having numerous pictures taken at different areas. We are anxious to see the final product!

After pictures, we decided on lunch at one of the famous Houston hamburger joints. Houston has numerous restaurants famous for their outstanding food. We stopped at Lankford Grocery and Market. Their Mission Statement says it all…We have nothing small, nothing healthy, and nothing fast.  We never give you a check, but that does not mean its free.  You pay at the register as you leave.  If you do not have 30 minutes to spend, you should try us another day.  We have great food, but its not fast food.  Everything is made to order just like you like it!

Situated in a neighborhood in Mid-Town Houston, the packed house indicated a good place to sample Houston's best hamburgers. They were featured Diners, Drive-ins and Dives : Guy Fieri : Food Network

One would think that after such a delicious and big lunch, a jog in the park would be next on our list. Not so my friends.....how about a nap at our daughter's apartment. We have a little recovering to do. We actually started our “Last Houston Weekend” with our daughter's last night at the Wild West Dance Hall, and it was kind of a late night! So be each grabbed a comfortable spot in the livingroom, turned on the NCAA Men's Track Championships and enjoyed an hour's reprieve from the busy day.

After our little “snooze”, we headed back downtown to the First Annual Houston Beer Fest. An afternoon of sampling over 150 beers from around the country. This is the first year for this event, and unfortunately, they have a lot to learn. After being confused about which entrance line to stand in, waiting over 30 minutes and barely moving 20 feet, we discussed our alternative plans. We chose “Plan B”. Sold our tickets and our place in line and drove over to a local pub that sells numerous locally brewed beers. Soon, many of the friends Carrie expected to meet at the Beer Fest met up here to enjoy the afternoon playing games, watching NCAA boy's baseball games on the many TV's, and discussing daily events. What a group of really nice young people.

This Pub had tons of FREE games. We tried our hand at the bowling.

We think Paul must have taken this one after a few drinks. OR Carrie was really moving fast.

As the afternoon wound down, it was time to say “so long” and return to our MH for the evening. We had a wonderful day with our family and will miss them as we spread out across the country. Carrie will be here in Houston; Kelly is moving to Ohio, and we'll be......... Guess you'll have to stop back and see where we are headed!

Sunday, June 12 – Well, we didn't get too far. We are back in Livingston, TX. We were able to get our favorite spot. The one we stayed in last year for three months when Paul had his back surgery. It has a huge area for Bella to roam around.

Since we are moving Kelly out of her apartment tomorrow, we decided this would be a great place to park the truck for the night. Also, Paul wouldn't have to drive through Houston during rush hour.

Monday, June 13 – What should have only taken about two to two and a half hours to do, took FOUR hours. Kelly had just about everything packed.

BUT OH MY…such a time the men had getting Kelly's sofa out the door. When the men delivered it, she said they had to try a few ways to get it in but finally had success. Well, Paul and Steve are not professional movers and had their hands full with the sofa. It took them close to two hours just attempting to get it down the stairs and out the door, which was not a straight shot. The sofa had to go around a sharp corner at the bottom of the stair. YES, there was some damage to the sofa not to mention what the wall now looks like. She got a 16' truck and a trailer so she wouldn't have to drive her car back to Ohio.

Tuesday, June 14  - Paul and Kelly left this morning at about 6:00 a.m. Their goal was Memphis, TN. I am writing this at about 5:00 p.m. I receive a text saying they are going to make Nashville. I hope they aren't driving like wild people!

They sent me a picture of their favorite drink while on the road.

Wednesday, June 15 – They are crazy! They arrived in Canton, OH about 4:00 EST. Received a quick call that all was great. They are at my dad's house. Thanks to all who offered prayers for safe travel. It paid off yet again.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

COOL CATS

Tuesday, June 7 - Our replacement air conditioner is in at PPL of Houston. We had a 8:30 am appointment to have it installed. We arrived by 8:15, but of course, they didn't start the repairs until 10:15. Once started the replacement was completed within an hour. The most difficult part of this job would be placing the heavy unit on the roof of the MH and removing the old unit. They made an easy job of that by using a forklift truck.

Out with the old.

In with the new.

The installation was completed in no time, and we headed back to the Elks campground. Unbelievable......NO CHARGE!!! Not even a diagnostic fee or labor fee. Paul's shocked. We'll wait and see if we get a bill in the mail. The AC is running great, and we are finally comfortable in the MH. It will get a good test because it's been over 100 degrees the last several days in Houston.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!