Merry Christmas

A short post to wish all my Blogging  Friends/family a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

I will attempt a year end summary post this weekend .

Also a reminder of our troops past and present:

A Merry Christmas to all our Military who are serving and to those who have served...Thank You

A Great Trip.......

I've been home nearly a week...hit the ground running getting all the pre-Christmas stuff done. Plus it seems I have all my semi-annual medical appointments right before the new year.

(c)2019HorstKelly Photographer

Got home just in time as the weather has taken a dive and arctic air with 25 mph winds can get a little hairy. I am glad I took the trip. First, I got to check out all the recent  Casita work and everything was functioning perfect. Second, I wanted to try some thing new...Instead of photography being the primary focus, I though I'd concentrate on exploring,  camp cooking and downtime, another way of saying "doing absolutely nothing"  ....It worked, I think I've come up with a new "Strategic Plan". haha.

Cooking with my Dutch Oven lid...my take on a skottle

Flat iron steak with garlic/herb butter

I also think that with needing to stay closer to the home front, I'm going to regroup and take trips that will put me no further out than a day and a half or so from home.....and I'll take a week to ten day trips once every 6 weeks or so..There are still some places I want to go to: Alabama Hills, Tetons and Bluff area...but instead of 2+ months, I will try to only be out 3 or less weeks. We'll see how that all pans out.

This year seems to have flown by and we haven't made any real progress towards a decision to finding a new location/home ....We have had a garage sale, cleaned stuff out of the attic, closets, donated stuff to various organizations, etc but that's about the extent of our effort to selling and moving...We'll see how we progress in the new year.

(c)2019HorstKelly Photographer

Hope The Blogging family is getting settled into the Christmas spirit and is coming to a close on a positive note...Take care my friends...only one more week till Christmas Eve...Horst sends

What the Doctor Ordered....The Outdoors

By Sunday evening I was packed...checked and rechecked all systems and the countdown was moving in the right direction....The weather is still cool in the morning so no walk on Monday...Did one final walk through, then I hitched up and by 0930 I was pulling out of the driveway. Destination was northeast about 3 hours away at the Yegua Creek CG..A CoE run campground . Somerville  Lake.It was a great drive, nice vistas,  no mechanical issues ...stopped a few time just 'cause and arrived about 1300 hrs....I got site 2 right on the water. I would say 60 percent of the sites are closed for the winter...the sites that are being left open are close to each other with no natural bearer for some privacy. It is a great setting. I spent the afternoon walking around the park...Appears that 2+ years ago the grounds received some major flood damage...One boat ramp still is inoperative and numerous trees are down, etc.. Lots of deer and other wild life roaming freely...makes for a terrific place for a sip of Pendleton and a chaser of solitude watching the sun set over the lake.....

Yegua Creek CG..On the Lake

Next morning got up early, went for a walk and then made some strong coffee...with a side of bacon, hash browns and eggs....took the car and went exploring a bit....wind picked up late afternoon, early evening...so non grilling or dutch oven cooking(my first attempt will have to wait). As I watched the sun set for a second evening, I decided that first light I would hitch up and travel 3 hours East and see if I can land a spot at Lake Livingston State Park....why you asked, no real reason, I've never been there and wanted to see what it was like...

Well it's large campground. Probably five rings  about 160 sites total. But the way they are laid out it seems like only your ring is the entire CG.  Got there around 1230 or so and lucked out. Since I wanted to stay through Saturday, pickens where real slim...Spot is somewhat small. Its wooded and has more privacy than Somerville...but I'm not on the water...its in the middle of a forest, which I enjoy.

Spent the afternoon going to the various areas of the campground ...just a large forest that butts up to the lake...I'm sure this weekend it will be filled to the max, but right now only about two other campers in the loop I'm in...I'm enjoying this.

Lake Livingston CG

This evening I thought I would do some dutch oven cooking...OK, attempt is a better way of putting it. I made some beef stew...meat, potatoes, onion, mushrooms, carrots and spices and such. mixed some water and a bottle of Guinness..cooked for 90+ minutes in my makeshift propane stove vs charcoal....tasted pretty good...so far I've not had to make a mad dash to the "throne" or put my head in a bucket....we'll see what tonight presents!

My outdoor kitchen

I think I'll close and see if I can upload. Using my phone as a hotspot for the laptop. Until next time, enjoy the moment...and for Jerry, I hope the back/nerve problem is getting back to normal!..Safe travels All. Horst sends

It is what it is.......Ahhhh, if you could only smell it!