Before we left out for this trip we were able to find a good home for some of our furniture in storage. While doing so we found a quilt still in its package. I have been complaining about our comforter for a long time. It is just to hot. I spend most of the night out from under the covers no matter how cold we try to make the RV and I was thrilled. So we took the quilt home and bagged up the other comforter and its accompanying pillows and took them back to storage. I was a happy camper that night. We can also easily access our clothes closets in storage without all those furniture items. So that way when we need our winter clothes we can access them easier. But we are heading south, so . . .
While we were in Angleton I got to spend the evening with Gena Smith Wiesnerski. Gena and I went to high school together and she even went to prom with my brother, Bryan. Her and her husband, Dan (who is a Houston Fire Fighter - Go first responders) are now living in San Leon. So we went over to their place and visited a while before heading to Gillhooley’s for dinner and drinks. Then we found out another friend, Ted Mahavier, was in town at his mom, Jean’s, place on the water. So, we headed over there for more shenanigans. They are actually a block apart. So I introduced a couple of neighbors. It was too cold to enjoy the water, but found out there is an RV slip on Jean’s property and I may hit that up some time in the future. We had an awesome time and so glad to catch up with Gena after many years.
Some time during the night the power went out a couple of times and then finally went out for good. We spent all day starting up the truck to charge the batteries so we could run the furnace. At one point we got in and used the heated seats to warm up our tushes. Then we decided to drive around the park and see what we were missing. It is an awesome place and I will come back, but maybe not in February.
We don't have many cold weather clothes. I was wearing a hoodie with my sweater over it inside the RV. So I put a roast in the oven to help warm us up. It was delicious.
Power never did come on. We went to town (Goliad) thinking we'd get more fuel and there is no power to be had anywhere in town. So, no fuel either. We went back home and hoped for power. We were disappointed.
So we sat in the dark and visited and played cards on our phones until about 9pm. Then we put on some PJs and climbed into bed and shut the door. We played Mexican Train domino's on my phone until 10 or 10:30 and called it a night. During the night we had to continuously start the truck to run the furnace. The battery just never would charge up enough to handle it. We can start the truck remotely two times before we have to go outside and use the key, so we did that for a while and Dennis got up and went out at 2:30 and again at 4:30 to hand crank it. It was 30 degrees inside and 17 outside at 4:30 when he went out. Remember, I just traded my warm comforter for this quilt. He came back inside and just stayed up because he was afraid he'd fall back asleep and leave the truck running. Remember, we did not find fuel in Goliad. We have about half a tank and for us, that is about 25 gallons, so we aren't desperate just have no idea what the future holds right now.
We get up and start thinking about going elsewhere. We called some gas stations and found most open in Victoria. So we drive the 30 miles to Victoria and even hit a Taco Bell for breakfast. Great not to have to clean up the kitchen via bottled water.
Finally found a park in Beeville that said they have power and water. So we start packing up in 28 degree weather. I have on two shirts, two hoodies and a leather jacket with two pair of gloves on and work-out pants under my jeans. It worked out. Until . . . Wait for it. . . Our number two slide out wouldn't budge. This is the slide that now holds the new electric loveseat. It is heavier than the other and I have been concerned that may present a problem in the future. Even the truck wasn't giving it enough juice. So we did everything else to break camp and then turned back to that problem. Dennis would push the gas peddle and I had the remote trying to retract the slide while pushing on it. Why does he always get the easy jobs???? It would move a bit and stop, move a bit and stop. We would give it a minute and go again - finally got it pushed all in. It was obvious that it was only the battery not having enough (or getting enough juice from the truck) to move our largest slide in. Just for your information, we have seen a guy driving down the road with a slide out. Dennis said we were not going to be that guy, we'd just stay. But we didn't have to. THANK YOU JESUS!
As we got on the road I thought about the way I had asked many of the parks I called if they had power. Many times I think I just said, ‘Do you have electricity and water?’ What if this place we are going was referring to the fact that they do have full hook-ups - when there is power? So I called Beeville RV Park back and she assured me they had both. They seem great here. We visited for some time before setting up camp. It is no frills, but they have a building with a pit beside it and tables set up so you can go and BBQ there with others. And all their bath houses are open too. They were all closed at Goliad.
Anyway, we get all set up lickity split. I head first to the shower, because I haven’t had one in what seems like for ever. So Dennis gets in and I offer the bathroom and I will do my hair later. He said no hurry. So I finished up and handed over the torch. He got in there and there was no water. So he missed his shower window. Who knows how long it will be before he gets his.
I am sure a lot of my friends are dealing with this Texas energy crisis and I pray that you all come out from this okay. I will say, I have already heard some stories from friends and this is the worst I remember since the freeze of ‘89. We had a brick and mortar back then with a fireplace. And Texas was not having the power issues it is having now. Just downed lines due to ice accumulation. What has changed since 1989? As far as the weather goes, not very much. See this article from a 1989 Waco, Tx. Meteorologist:
I think we all have our ideas about the energy problems, but we wont worry about that here. It may all come out in the aftermath and we could maybe find out what the failure really was, ya think?
Happy Trails my friends.
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