Finally Arrived

March 30th I finally pulled into Llano, Texas. It had been pouring rain, thunder and lightning that scared both me and Byrdie and what is called locally "low water crossins'" the entire way.

It was great to see my cousin after 40-some years. He helped me get settled in the town's RV park which is beautiful. It is right on the Llano River with grassy knolls, flowers, seclusion, full hook-ups for Rvs and just $15.00 a night--all on the honor system. At first I was concerned about spending the night in a public park but it seems to work out fine here.

That first night though was a new experience for a California girl. We were under tornado watch and flash floods. I thought I was going to end up in Kansas before the night was over. I can't write too much right now. I don't have wifi in the park and after driving the 2 streets of Llano, I found some open bandwidth outside the local FM radio station. Right now I am seated on a sidewalk bench, puter on lap, Byrdie at my feet terrified by the loud traffic and barely able to see the monitor in the glare of the sun.

I did spend the day with the local Art Guild. I had to paint a flower--which was the first thing I've ever painted since the 7th grade. I am not good. All the other participants in the workshop are real artisits. Their flowers looked like real flowers--artistic flowers! Mine looked like well, like maybe 6th grade.

Later we took a tour of some spectacular Texas hill country and saw gorgeous displays of Blue Bonnets.

We even had an exciting encounter when some local yahoo with a big 'tude stopped his rusted out pick'em up truck and began berating all the motorists about trespassing on private lands. It did not seem the time to point out to him that it was a marked country road and had been the time-honored loop for years for the best Blue Bonnet viewing in Texas. Why wasn't it a good time? Because this jerk had a gun tucked into his jeans' waistband, a big rifle in his truck and a knife on his belt. He was the only bad egg I've run into so far. But oh boy!!! Did he make our car full of little ol' Texas paintin' Grandmas madder than hornets. I don't envy that guy after they finish their plan to sic the Chamber of Commerce and the local sheriff on him.

I will write later about the cow that growled at me, the local Catholic Church and their Nigerian priest and a very friendly horse. Oh yes--and the lifesize statue of a white rhino behind the gates of a ranch just outside of town. I will also update you about the local lingo I'm learnin'--such as saying "that's boy's runnin' hot" when a cop goes by fast with his sirens flashing! Ignore any typos--it's just too hard to proof read when the glare is so strong. However, if anyone knows how to adjust for brightness on a Dell laptop I'd greatly appreciated hearing how to do that.