Friday, June 21, 2013

RV Trip to Cute Little Bonham State Park

This past Saturday, George and I trekked on over to Bonham State Park in Bonham, Texas in the RV. We recently bought bicycles and passes for Texas State parks so we were (and are) on the lookout for parks with bike trails. Bonham State Park has 11 miles of trails and it's only 90 minutes from our house. A couple of state parks are much closer but this was a last minute trip and the closer parks were full.

According to the Texas State Parks video about Bonham State Park, it's one of the smallest parks in Texas. In fact, there are only 14 RV spots! Nevertheless, it's a comfy little place for fishing, swimming, hiking and biking. Paddle boats and canoes can be rented too.



The view to the lake from our RV.

We took a morning walk on Sunday.
George and the girls walking
down to the covered pavilion.

From the pavilion, looking 
over to part of the RV area.
We were parked next to trees on the farthest end.
You can see our front wheels just above the 
gray and yellow tent and just past the white pickup. 

From the pavilion, the left side of 
the lake and a volleyball area.
Can you see the two chairs on the point?
People are fishing in that spot.

From the pavilion, the 
right side of the lake.

As you can probably tell, the beach is 
near the pavilion too. The ducks were 
keeping it warm until swimmers arrive.

In the distance, at the far end of the 
lake is a wooden one-lane bridge.

George and the girls.

Three girls.
We really loved this quaint park!

Amidst all those trees around the lake is a road. George and I biked around it and it was fun, except for the part where we couldn't make it up a hill so we had to walk our bikes up but it didn't take long. The park is so small that the entire ride around it took less than 20 minutes. I think Geo said it was about a mile and a half--something like that.

The night before, George explored one of the trails on his bike. He said the trail was quite wooded and he cleared out every cobweb in the process! One cobweb was stretched across the bike path with a GIANT SPIDER in the middle! YIKES! He threw his arm up and kept truckin' along. That experience is the reason we decided to ride on the road. Fall would be awesome though and we will check it out then.

Sunday was Father's Day, and Josh and Sheri came out for the day.  Michael had to work so Michael, Crystal and the boys didn't make it. We chowed down and had a nice visit. Unfortunately, we forgot to get pics. 

On Monday morning, we planned to bike around the lake some more before heading home but it was pouring rain. All in all, it was a very nice spur-of-the-moment trip and we will go back.

Happy Trails and Smiles to you!     
D~~~~


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The Stowaway Snake

Ever find a snake in your car?
We did!
Not all the way inside but close enough.

After driving about 13 miles to Home Depot, George got out, looked down, and with his door still open, he told me:

“Oh my gosh! Come look at this!”
And he chuckled!

I was already out on my side and instantly had a gut feeling that it was a snake. I slowly peered through the inside of the car over to his side and I could see it all the way from there--a brownish, slimy snake! YIKES! 

I was traumatized!
He said it was a rat/bull snake which I’m told is not poisonous but it doesn’t matter.

A snake is a snake!
It was in the crease where the door opens. 

Here it is after it retreated a bit.
You might need to 
enlarge the pic to see it 
(assuming you want to see it!)

Obviously, it was out quite a bit farther since I was able to see it from the other side by looking through the inside of the car!  

Two young guys tried to help us but by the time they got a long pole, it had moved down into the trim behind the door step. A Home Depot worker also tried but to no avail. He was able to see that it had now moved up into the area above the tire but he couldn't get to it. You couldn't see it with the hood opened either. 

I vowed not to get back in the car or drive it EVER again but George and the Home Depot guy convinced me that it couldn’t get inside the car. If I could have thought of another way to get home, I’d have taken it but I couldn’t so I reluctantly got back into the car. I rode in the back seat though!  

When we got home, George still couldn’t find it so he did the only thing he knew to do, he went into the house and laid in the recliner. However, I continued to freak out!


About an hour or so later, he went back out, pulled the vehicle into the shop and removed the part above the tire. He looked in the engine, and all around underneath the vehicle but he still couldn’t find it. He said it must have gotten out.  



Guess what?  
I’m still not driving that vehicle. 
Nope!

This is the second snake we’ve seen in a few weeks and possibly the same one. Some years we don’t see any, and the years when we have seen them, it’s usually not until July or August. This was in May!  I'm thinking we’re in for a very slithery, slimy, snaky summer! 

I AM traumatized!!!

I had George switch vehicles with me because I cannot bring myself to drive that one. I don't know when I'll be ready to drive it either! I did ride in it the other day but I kept my feet up on the dashboard!

Creeped Out, Traumatized, 
and Definitely NOT Smiling,
D~~~~