Wow it is a struggle to get a blog post done! But determination helps. First of all getting the photos uploaded is always a struggle. The fact that I use Instagram and add all sorts of things to the photos at times for the “stories” and those photos are on there when I upload, those photos make it stop and not want to finish the upload. But I’m not the type of person to just give up using Instagram b/c this software b/w my phone and laptop struggles. So I struggle with it, fight with it and finally get my way. That is how I roll. I don’t give up til it’s time. The iMac is looking real good. In the future, my photos will just already be there when I go to blog b/c it will be integrated. Yes, I could buy the full GOOGLE so much a month thing and have it all integrated via Google drive – and do it that way but I have refused to do that. I already have so much on Google through blogging as it is and pay fees for this blog to have my own domain and fees for music and audible and I’m not adding fees to keep storing my photos. Hopefully in January with Apple products integrated, it’ll be easier and already synced. Of course I won’t be taking the iMac with me when I travel, lol. I will have to use the phone. The phone worked great yesterday but takes some additional time as I have to type into the phone and I am much faster typing on the laptop. So go figure – either I’m taking the time typing or taking the time fighting to get pics uploaded – it takes a while.
So I blogged as George drove us out of Hot Springs area and toward Texarkana and Dallas. That kept me occupied at least.
The drive coming out of Hot Springs and around, I believe it was Lake Hamilton, was breathtakingly beautiful in the fog. George drove slow enough. It was the thickest fog I’ve ever seen I guess. These shots do not do it justice as the sun shone down along the fog over the lake. It was like you were on a different planet.
What the photo do not capture is the fog moving and the surrounding view continues with lake and fog on both sides and the sun doing a light dance through the fog. It was so pretty. The dogs slept and we stopped at a McDonald’s briefly for a bathroom break for all – we are not sure where we stopped, as neither of us recall exactly what town or exit. But we were back on the road and our next stop would be somewhere b/w Dallas and Fort Worth for burgers. The doggies did a great run. Roger slept back there with Maisy for much of the trip in the back and all were happy.
Roger views the road from my lapt 
Trying to get comfy. 
Leaf on my nose from sniffing things at McDonald’s 
We drove thru Dallas with a bit of congestion from a wreck. And we began to come through towns we recognized as being “closer to Katy” coming out of Fort Worth. Somewhere on the other side of Mineral Wells, and on the final stretch, something hit our car out of the blue. I’m thinking we must have ran over something that the car kicked up to the side of my car and it made a huge dent in the side of my car.
I knew something would be denting my car at some point. I’ve been trying trying to protect it from door dings and such. I never expected it to get a big ding from “who knows what” just going down the road, but the evil spirits just couldn’t contain themselves I guess. At least with this big of a ding, it’ll get fixed. I told George I was NOT just going to live with this for the duration of my ownership of the car like I did with the front end of the RAV 4 the day the tire exploded in front of me and hit my front bumper. NO this will be fixed. That’s too big of a dent. I don’t do dents. lol
We had a warm welcome at Katy and Cody’s.
Guest bedroom 
Scorpion Shoes, lol 
Guest Room decor 
Snacks 
Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly 
Salmon and Salami 
Celebratory Champagne 
Isn’t this cute?
We swapped our gifts to each other – I brought a few things for Katy and George brought Cody a few things (liquor). Katy and Cody had a few things for us. She bought us all aprons to wear on Thanksgiving day and had house shoes for our stay.
We had our little happy hour with snacks and then headed out for a sunset walk on the ranch (my idea) so we could have some photo opportunities. Then we came back and had a hot dog bar, BBQ beans, and sweet tater tots. So here are the photos I took. I love the sunsets here.
The dogs immediately got into sand burrs and Roger had to be carried. I got it off of his foot but it was tender and so George carried him.
A camper I could afford! 
“Pig Trail” 
Deer 
Taken for friend “Donna Wood”
Each one of these pictures deserves to have it’s own solo spot as a big picture, but I just don’t have the time. When I get back perhaps I will use them over the next year during blog posts on days I don’t have anything else to share and they will be like little souvenir photos dropped across the year. Be sure to go back and read the captions though if there is one.
We also played a game last night and then we all headed to bed pretty early. Slept pretty good. We are in a regular bed so it’s a tight fit. But we DO FIT. It’s like a puzzle piece, and when ANY one of us turns over or moves – we ALL do. We must look like pieces of a clock, lol.
I think today we will be going to Abilene. We are about to get our showers and have had loads of coffee. I switched to decaf and we’ve put a big dent in Katy’s k-cup stash. Note to self – buy more.
Oh we did get our Thanksgiving meal planned. I am making my cranberry (walnut, mandarin) salad, mashed taters and gravy, and fudge pie. Everyone has their dish they are making. I don’t think the ranch guys will be here this time as everyone is going home that doesn’t have a family.
So anyway, I’m going head out now and get organized and get ready for our travels. Keep us in your prayers of course as we continue to travel all around these parts each day. Leaving you with this one. I love all the photos I get to take on vacay. I think I love that as much as I love blogging and sharing them.
It makes my day when I hear from you…