More RV Repairs And Moving To Canyon Lake Texas

While in El Paso, TX our washer's drain hose got clogged, so I took the drain plug out and fished out a penny, some hair, and a small toy.  After running it again it still gave us an error that it could not drain.  I thought something was lodged in the hose so took a coat hanger and tried to fish it out.  Lesson learned, do not try to fish anything out of the drain hose with a coat hanger.

The damage done by a coat hanger while trying to fish out a clog in the hose.

The job of pulling out the dryer to pull out the washer is just that, a job.  It is so tight that really a professional needs to do it, but I went a head and did it myself.

The dryer pulled out so I can work on the washer.

For two or three weeks we lived with the dryer in the middle of the bedroom, which was very tight.  The only saving grace was that Misty could use it to wrap Christmas presents on, which was better than doing it on the bed.  This also meant we had to wash our dirty clothes in the laundry mat, which added more stress to the situation.

After trying to order a hose locally, which was impossible, I then got on-line and ordered it from an on-line parts store.  Even though the web site said it was in-stock, come to find out, it was not, so I cancelled the order.  I then got onto Sears website and ordered it there with two day shipping think that they would be more reputable and better to work with.  Wrong, after ordering I get an email that it is on back order.  I email them back and ask that they refund my shipping because I was not going to get it in two days.  They did and told me that it would ship out the next week.  The next week came, but my hose did not, so I cancelled that order too.

We were getting to the point of leaving El Paso and so had to put the washer and dryer back in to move, but I did not want to do so until it was fixed, since it is such a job.  So I decided to just patch the hose with a plastic union and some clamps.

First I cut the hose through where the hole was.

Cut hose with PVC union.

 Using what pretty much comes to a radiator hose repair kit, I bought a 1 1/2 inch piece of PVC union pipe and two clamps.

Second half of hose with clamps attached.

 I made sure there was still plenty of slack in the hose so it could still move freely while the washer is draining.

The fixed hose, which is as good as new.

 After the repair I replaced the hose on the washer and ran a rinse cycle to make sure it did not leak.  So far it is doing fine after ten or fifteen loads of laundry.

The fixed drain hose back on the washer.

Needless to say, when removing the dryer, I let it slip and drop, hitting the washer selection knob and breaking it off.  I also punched a hole into our ceiling liner while trying to force the dryer back on top of the washer.  Luckily it is barley noticeable and since it is in a low wear area, will not increase in size.

After the New Year we made our way to New Braunsfels, TX and found a nice place to say in the Joint Base San Antonio Canyon Lake Recreational Park.  The price to rent a lot for 30 days is the lowest we have ever paid anywhere, which was nice.

To rent a spot here you have to be either Active Duty, National Guard, Reservist, Retired, 100% DAV, or DoD.  Also you can only rent for 30 days at a time during the months of Nov-Feb and must leave for 2 days after staying 30 days and then you can return for another 30 days.

During our trip from El Paso, TX to here we traveled on I10, which had some snow the day before and really high winds.  I would say while on our 570 mile trek we saw at least 10 or 12 wrecks with half of them being tractor trailers.  I would have taken some pictures, but did not want to become one of them.

Also either due to the high winds blowing gravel up on the road or the TX Department of Highways using gravel to treat the slippery roads, we obtained 2 chips on our Nissan van's windshield along with a good 8 inch crack and a chip on the RV's windshield.  Luckily we have windshield insurance on the RV since that is going to be an expensive replacement.  I think I will try to get the chips patched first before having the windshield replaced.

It was a beautiful drive down I10 which we did straight through.  The Moon was hanging low in the sky and felt like it was watching over us as we trucked down the road.

Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and shiny Moon, won't you please shine down on me.

The Moon at the Waxing gibbous phase at 98% visible.  The next night would have been a full moon.

Since we drove straight through, we decided to stay in a Wal-Mart parking lot the following morning for a few hours of shut-eye.  Shortly after parking and shutting down the RV our low battery alarm went off due to the batteries being dead.  Since it was 34 degrees Fahrenheit out, I had to start our generator so that our propane heaters would run.  I asked the Wal-Mart store manager if it was OK and he said to do whatever I had to do to keep the family warm.

There was a Class C RV parked a couple rows over from us that left shortly after I started the generator, which was around 3:00 AM.  I hope we did not upset them running it, but we had no choice.  Our generator really is not that loud anyway.  There were actually 6 other RVs in the lot and most of them had their bedroom slides out too, which was nice because we like to put ours out so as to give everyone more room to sleep.

I guess I need to perform maintenance on the house batteries more often so that they do not go dry and die on me.  I'm going to try and fill them back up with distilled water and equalize them to see if they still have any type of life, but I am afraid I'm going to have to buy six new ones, which is not cheap.  I'm also going to buy a watering system for them so that it is easier for me to top them off every month so the fluid levels stays current.

One of my six house batteries in the RV.

The average cost of replacement batteries is over $100.00 and that's me doing the work myself.  If I can not get the old ones to come back to life, then I guess I will be adding this to the expense list for RV living.  It is my fault by the way, so another lesson learned, perform monthly maintenance on your batteries or you will be buying new ones much sooner than needed.

Now that we are settled for a while on Canyon Lake, I'm going to rest some and worry about fixing the batteries in a couple weeks.  The park is really nice with a full concrete pad for the RV to sit on, which is always nicer than gravel or dirt.

There is also wildlife everywhere with the most abundant being deer, rabbits, and foxes.  Some of the deer are so used to people they come right up to you.  Below are some deer that welcomed us when we first parked the RV.

Deer coming up to the RV to check us out.

The doe in the below picture is so used to people she will come up to sniff your hands to see if you have any food.  One day while eating an orange she came up and bit my thumb thinking it was an orange section.  It did not break the skin, but hurt a lot.  It was also hard to get my thumb back because she did not want to let go of it.  I guess there was orange juice on it and she was determined to eat it.

One of the bravest does that will come up and sniff your hand.

 Usually there are a bunch of deer that pass right behind or next to the RV, but on this evening this lone buck was sneaking by.  I never could get a good count of his points, but he was at least an eight point, if not bigger.  Needless to say, he has a magnificent rack.

A very nice buck!

On 15 Jan 2015 Avery turned six years old which was celebrated in the usual manner by buying him a birthday cake and presents.  Do not pay any attention to the left side of the cake where it is messed up.  While in transit from the store the Ninja Turtles ornament slid over to the edge of the cake and messed up the icing.  It still tasted good though.

Avery and Mom on his 6th birthday.

Avery's slightly mangled 6th birthday cake.

Lately, just like most of America, it has been crappy weather for the past week with the sun barley showing itself at all.  Also the temperatures have been in the 40's mostly during the day with it getting even colder at night.  But today it was in the 60's with plenty of sunshine, so like most, we had to get out and do some sight seeing.

One place we ate while in New Braunsfels, Texas was Di's Homemade Pizza, which is some of the best pizza we have eaten.  Sirianni's Cafe in Davis, WV is still our favorite pizza in the entire world, but Di's pizza is a very close second and satisfies our pizza craving, something the big pizza chains cannot do. 

The owner Dianne, was very nice and we ended up talking to her for quite a while.  She gave us all the good places to eat in the area to include the places to avoid, which we very much appreciated.  If you are ever in New Braunsfels, Texas you have to stop by her pizza shop for some of the best pizza you will ever have.

One such place to go see, according to Dianne, was the town of Gruene, Texas, pronounced green, which was settled by German farmers in the mid 1840s.  It has a rich history and is just nice to walk through.

The biggest landmark of Gruene Texas, its water tower.

While there we ate at the Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar which was a real treat.  The food was great with me getting the Baby Back Ribs and Misty getting the Fire Seared Chicken.  The Gruene beans were also some of the best we have had in a long time.  It is also easy to find since it sits right under the water tower.

Some of the best Baby Back Rib I have ever eaten.  It was very close to the ribs at Brother BBQ in Kentucky.

Free range organic chicken is used for the Fire Grilled Chicken.

Stuffed to the gills with Baby Back Ribs.

The restaurant is in the old cotton gin building and is full of character.  If you watch the video on the About page off of the Gruene, Texas link, it shows some of the building when it was purchased, which looked pretty rough.  They have really done a good job of converting it into a restaurant.

One of the many mantels over one of the many fire places.

Another mantle over another fireplace.

Some of the truss work in the building.

One of the many brick walls in the structure.

Another brick wall which adds character to the restaurant.

Some of the outside eating areas overlooking the Guadalupe River.

More dining over looking the Guadalupe River.

Tia enjoying the view of the river.

The courtyard at The Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar.

Another dining room in the restaurant.  Just love the pot belly stove.

The main entrance into the restaurant.

Another picture of the main entrance to the restaurant.

The walkway to the restaurant from the street.

Gruene is also filled with all types of stores selling all types of products such as the Tipsy Gypsy, the Fickle Pickles, and the Gruene Coffee Haus.  The lady working in the Tipsy Gypsy was very friendly and accommodating, but we did not get a good feeling from the gentleman running the Fickle Pickles.  As we walked into the store he quickly jumped on us about keeping an eye on the kids so that they did not tip over the free pickle display on the counter.

I realize that when we do enter a building, sometime it seems you are being swarmed by kids, but please observe us prior to barking out commands to make sure our kids behave, because they do behave and know not to touch anything without asking.  He did not seem to be kid friendly.  You might say he was a little fickle.

The Tipsy Gypsy and Fickle Pickles stores.

Since the Tipsy Gypsy had everything marked 50% off, Misty decided to let the kids pick out some new headgear to ward off the cold.

The kids showing off their new headgear.

We also drank some of the best Cinnamon Dolce Lattes that we have ever had from the Gruene Coffee Haus.  They were way better than what you get from Starbucks.  The young lady who made them for us wanted to make sure they were just right.  You could tell she really took pride in her coffee making skills.

Gruene Coffee Haus.

Also while in Gruene we notice a shop that had some of the biggest wind chimes we have ever seen.  The picture does not do them justice.  I would estimate that some of the chimes were six feet tall if not taller.  They made the most wonderful sounds too while the wind was blowing.

Some of the largest wind chimes we have ever seen.

Another eating establish you have to visit when in New Braunsfels, Texas is the Buttermilk Cafe.   If you like comfort food then you will love the Buttermilk Cafe.  The staff is so friendly and really care that you are there.  

While we were walking through the town of Gruene today, R.C., who is the husband of Carol, the chef and owner of the cafe, shouted hi to us while driving by.  It just makes you feel like you belong and are welcomed when people go out of their way to say hello.

So that is what's been going on with us, up until now.  We did plenty more on this day, but I will stop here since this one is getting long and you are probably getting really tired of reading.

If you like our blog please follow us.  You can also become our friends on Facebook or in Rvillage.  You can also leave us comments to let us know what you think of our travels.

Also if you are interested in Young Living Essential Oils, please click on the link to sign up under Misty.  God has blessed us in may way with Young Living Essential Oils being one of them.  If you would have any questions Misty would be more than happy to answer them.  You can private message her on Facebook or just send her an email.

So God Bless you all and may He keep you safe in all that you do.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, & Kids...

Hueco Tanks State Park

While in El Paso, Texas staying at the Ft Bliss RV Park, I was approached by an individual who wanted to know if I wanted my RV washed and waxed.  I was going to say no, because I figured it would be more than I wanted to pay, but the price was quite reasonable with a 50% discount being offered to active duty and retired military.

The gentleman, we soon came to know as Adrian, came by and started to wash and wax the RV, which was long overdue!  We were also blessed with meeting his son, Julian and Julian's girlfriend Pita along with Pita's brother, Stevan.  

Adrian's business is called Sun Ray and if you are interested in a really good wash and wax for your RV call him at 915-703-8712.  He charges a very reasonable price, does an excellent job, and also washes your tow vehicle which is included in the price.

Sun-Ray Logo.

The day he came to wash the RV, Misty was really feeling down in the dumps and disconnected.  For some reason she felt an urgency to come out of the RV, even though she had not gotten ready for the day (which is very odd for her), and started to talk to Adrian, who we found out is also a minister, and after a quick prayer, Misty was feeling much better.  I did not know of her prayer the night before where she asked God not to leave her and to continue instructing her to do His work so did not know why she seemed so relieved and joyful over this meeting until after Adrian prayed and had left.  She then told me of her prayer and that she knows God sent him to comfort her and to assure her that he will always be with us.  He gave her the urgency to go outside even though she looked a mess (her words) because he was sending her reassurance through Adrian!  That caused her to reflect on all the times that God consistently sends us help, comfort & reassurance after asking as long as we are on the path of fulfilling His will.  It has only been times when we are seeking our own desires that He has remained silent.  During those times, we have turned away from Him instead of Him leaving us.  God is great in the way He guides us, when we just listen or follow.

As we got to know them better, they invited us out to do some sight seeing and one of the first places they recommended was Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site here in El Paso.  So the next Sunday, after church, we packed a lunch and drove out to the park for some rock climbing.

First off, if you are going to go climbing, you need to be in shape, which I am not.  I found out the hard way that sometimes a few extra pounds, thirty in my case, will hinder you when climbing on a mountain.  You will see very well what I'm talking about here in a few.

Just so you know, the park will only let about seventy individuals into the public area of the park, where you do not need a tour guild, at any one time.  There are a lot of indigenous species of animals and plants they do not want hurt along with pictographs and petroglyphs that they do not want damaged or vandalized.  You also have to sit through a brief film on the do's and don'ts  before you can enter the park.

A view of the North Mountain from the Interpretive Center.

Looking off of the North Mountain towards the entrance of the park.

Looking northeast towards the oasis that made Hueco Tanks such an important spot.

Not sure if these are pictographs or just graffiti, but they are all over the mountain.

More drawings on the mountain.

The views are spectacular along with the climb to the top of the North Mountain.  The elevation is right around 4800 feet, so that was not too bad on the breathing.

The Spanish word hueco "whey-coes" means tanks which are found all over the  mountain.  Early settlers would come and collect rain water pooled in the natural basins or tanks so hence the name Hueco Tanks.

Some of the natural basins created in the rock of the mountain.

Another hueco in the rock.

Tia, Pita, Adrian, Chloe, and Misty starting the climb up the North Mountain.

There are also tons of nooks and crannies to craw into and explore.  I guess it would be wise to watch out for snakes while crawling around the rocks, but luckily we did not see any while we were there.

Not sure if this is a nook or crannie, but it was fun to enter.

Looks inviting, doesn't it?

Rocks on top of rocks.

Tia, Pita, Avery, and Courtney in a natural made rock shelter.

Pita, Chloe, and Tia resting out of the sun.

As mentioned before, having a few extra pounds on can be harmful while climbing through some of the cracks in the rocks at Hueco Tanks.  If you ever watched the movie 127 Hours, you will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Don coming through one of the many cracks in the rocks at Hueco Tanks.

If you want to see exactly what I'm talking about, just watch the video clip below.  Needless to say, there was a couple seconds of panic in my heart.

We climbed on up, over, and through the North Mountain until we could climb no more or to be more accurate, until it started to get dark at which time we knew we had to find our way off the mountain while we could still see.  Luckily they have a chain trail off of the east side of the North Mountain that made it easier to climb back down.

Misty squeezing between two rocks on the North Mountain.

Julian way up on top of the North Mountain.

Two thumbs up from Julian.

Stevan and Don crawling through one of the many openings in the mountain.

Ian and Avery climbing the mountain above us.

Ethan on the North Mountain.

Julian and Ian taking a break.

Avery and Ian showing off their mountain climbing muscles.

Ian showing us his fun meter reading.

Don holding up the mountain with just one had.

The rock overhangs would have made a perfect place to camp for the night.  It sort of felt like we were back in time and walking where past explorers and settlers had walked years before us.

The pictures do not do Hueco Tanks justice on its massive overhangs and rocks.  It is one of those places you have to experience in person to really get an idea of its grandeur.

Looks like a great place to spend the night.

Ian, Adrian, and Don on the south side of the North Mountain.

Another hueco or tank with water in it.

More of the mountain.

The group just before the Sun set.

Tia, Courtney, Misty, Stevan, Ian, Ethan, Pita, Chloe, Avery, Julian, and Adrian.

If you are ever in the El Paso, Texas area, you need to make the time to visit Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site.  You will not be disappointed.

A panoramic view off of the North Mountain.

Once again while traveling the world, God has put us on a path where we meet just the right people and get to witness His might by showing us His wonderful creations on this Earth.  For us, just seeing what He has made is proof that there is One greater than us.

If you like our blog, please comment about it and follow us.  If you are not friends with us on Facebook, just click on the links to the right of this page and become our friends.

We are so blessed to be able to explore this world, that God has created and that we have come to know his Son, Jesus, as our savior.

God bless you and your family and may He watch over you always.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...