Wild Hog Festival

 
 We had a unique Texas experience today at the Wild Hog Festival in the small town of Sabinal Texas. The highlight of the festival is the "Wild Hog Catching Contest". The first entrants were the tiny tots five years old or younger. All the kids came into the circular fenced pen, and the baby hogs were released. There were plenty of adult helpers on hand. Each child had to catch a pig. Several of the very small kids were a bit hesitant (I would be too!), so the adults helped each one if necessary. Every child got a ribbon and a photo. The next round of contestants were older kids up to the age of 13. They got larger baby hogs and each got ribbons. The rules changed starting with the teens; they worked in pairs as partners and it became a timed event. They got 90 seconds to not only catch the hog, but also to stuff it in a gunny sack and drag it over a line. Of course the hogs got larger also! There were several women teams entered, and most got their hog. The adult teams had pretty large hogs,up to 85 pounds, and they did not want to be caught. These are not the domestic pigs we usually see -- they are ugly critters. One hog actually escaped the pen by leaping over the side - that led to some real excitement until one cowboy finally caught it.

Texas has more wild feral hogs than any other state, and Sabinal is the self proclaimed "Wild Boar Capitol". The wild hog is also called the "poor man's grizzly bear", and is hunted recreationally. The usual size is 125 to 200 lbs but some get larger. The feral hogs are real pests to farmers and ranchers -- they can do severe crop damage and spread disease. These wild boars are one of the smartest, tenacious and most aggressive animals (and ugliest?). They are the result of domestic pigs crossing with imported Russian Boars.

The festival had many different kinds of food -- german, mexican, barbeque and of course the funnel cakes. Four of us shared a delicious funnel cake. There were rides for the kids, and lots of craft booths. We saw a terrific group of cloggers dance. The event is a major fund raiser for the local Lions Club charities. Great small town fun!

Quote of the day: "I once had a rose named after me, and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy Easter

 We had a very nice Easter dinner here at the Lone Star Corral co-op. The committee did an outstanding job. The tables had white tablecloths with pastel colored runners, and decorations of stuffed bunnies and jelly beans. Appetizers were on the tables -- relish trays and deviled eggs. The menu was wonderful: cashew broccoli salad, copper coin salad (carrots), ham, au gratin potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, fruit salad, and bread pudding. YUM. All this for $6 per person. All the dinners at LSC are fund raisers, so it will be interesting to see if the committee was able to make a profit. Of course, wise shopping and free labor help! Approximately 80 people attended the dinner; some folks have left already to start their traveling season.
We had lots of camaraderie and friendship, and plenty of helping hands in the kitchen to help with clean up.

Cactus Blooms

 
 This beautiful blooming cactus is on a lot here at Lone Star Corral. The cactus is almost three feet tall. I took the side photo because I thought the thick stalks on the blossoms were very interesting. Someone told us the blooms last only one day. You can see the buds where more blooms will appear. This reminds me to appreciate the small beauties of everyday life.

Quote for the day: "He who knows he has enough is rich." Lao Tzu

More photos of new rig

 
 
 
 Here are a few more photos of our new rig. From the outside it looks similar to the old one. We have quite a bit of storage in the "basement" compartments, accessible from the outside. The next photo shows the hall to the bedroom. The door on the left is the pantry, the door to the right leads to the bathroom. We have a queen size bed, and two dressers in the bedroom. There is a large full length closet, and a small coat closet. We have a cabinet that is plumbed and wired to hold a small combo washer/dryer, but we decided to use that area for storage instead. We are usually at campgrounds that have laundry facilities. The last photo is a view from the kitchen - Piper is on the sofa.

New 5th wheel

 
 
 
 We have a new 5th wheel trailer. This one is a Hitchhiker by Nu Wa. We had done a lot of research, and found the model we wanted at a dealer in Katy TX (near Houston). It is a 2007 that had not sold, so the dealer was a little more motivated to sell, but it was still like pulling teeth. We ended up with a fair deal, and our first new rig. "Homer II" is 34.5 ft long and has three slides. The photos show our two recliners, the computer desk and entertainment center, the kitchen, and dining area. The table has a "hidden leaf" that can enlarge the table.

We are getting settled in our new home on wheels. The kitchen has nice large drawers that pull all the way out. We have plenty of storage, but had to organize it a bit differently. The dogs are happy with their new home; they get the sofa.

OUR BODY:The Universe Within exhibit

 
 
  Several of us from Lone Star Corral went to San Antonio to the Witte Museum to see the exhibit of OUR BODY: THE UNIVERSE WITHIN. I had heard about this exhibit and was eager to see it. We had group tickets so didn't have to wait in the long line to get in. Due to the popularity of the exhibit, they only let in a certain number of people every hour.
This was an amazing exhibit -- there were dozens of actual human bodies, organs and muscles exposed. I know this exhibit is controversial in some circles, and some folks didn't want to go, feeling that it would be "gory". I found it to have a very educational feel, not gory at all. It was quite fascinating to me. I was disappointed that absolutely no photos were allowed. The museum said it was for copyright reasons, but I suspect it was also political. Since there were security guards watching, I did not try for photos; instead I have taken photos of the brochure we got at the museum.

The bodies were not enclosed - we could view them up close but no touching. In addition to the dozen whole bodies (minus skin), there were approximately 75 body part displays. Organs were visible in detail, giving us a unique opportunity to explore the human body. I have studied anatomy in detail in school but this was truly awe inspiring. Some of the organs were duplicated in healthy and diseased versions. I hope seeing those lungs made an impression on smokers! One of the full size body specimens consisted of nothing but the circulatory system, color coded. There were so many incredibly detailed exhibits that I cannot begin to describe them all.

One part of the exhibit was of fetuses in stages of development. I found it quite miraculous to see the tiny bodies. This part of the exhibit was sectioned off, giving people a choice of viewing it or not.

The bodies were "plasticized" -- treated by a patented polymer impregnation that replaces bodily fluids with polymers that prevent decomposition. This process maintains the integrity of organs, vessels and muscles, providing a spectacular illustrative study of the body, and a perspective formerly reserved for medical professionals.

I have heard several stories about the origination of the bodies. They were clearly oriental. The official story says "The bodies were donated by Asians who wanted to make a contribution to science."

In addition to the specimens, the exhibit also had sections on the history, art and science of anatomy. Several drawings (copies) by Leonardo da Vinci were shown.

This exhibit does bring forth strong emotions in a lot of people. For me, it was a sense of wonder and appreciation of how our bodies are made and how they function.

Camp Verde photos

 
 
 
  I don't know why the photos of Camp Verde and the Hill Country won't show, but I am re-posting them. The top two are of Camp Verde, one of Hill Country scenery, and the OST cafe in Bandera.

Great Camel Experiment - Camp Verde

 
 
 
  We took our friend Lewis to Kerrville TX for an eye Dr appointment. Kerrville is northwest of San Antonio, in the Texas Hill Country, my favorite part of Texas. On the way back, we stopped to see Camp Verde, site of the U.S. War Dept Camel Experiment 0f 1857-1869. These days, Camp Verde is a nice little general store and post office.
In the 1800's it was an Army Post. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis was dealing with the aftermath of the expense of the 1848 Mexican Cessation. Davis along with many others, accepted the prevalent Great American Desert thesis which held that much of the western U.S. was virtually inhabitable. Davis urged Congress to appropriate money to test the value and efficiency of camels in the southwest as a partial solution to pressing needs of transportation. $30,000 was appropriated. In 1856, 33 camels arrived at Indianola TX from North Africa along with three Arabs and two Turks. The camels were finally located at Camp Verde where several successful experiments were made to test the camel's utility in pursuit of Indians and transportation of burdens. The camels carried as much as 300 pounds, traveled miles without water and ate almost any kind of plant. A second group of 41 camels arrived at Camp Verde in 1857. During the Civil War, 80 camels and two Egyptian drivers passed into Confederate hands. Eventually some of the camels were turned loose and soon were widely scattered. Some were used to pack cotton bales to Brownsville. In 1866 the federal government sold camels at auction.
The failure of the camel in the U.S. was not due to its capability -- every test showed it to be a superior transport animal. It was instead the nature of the beasts which led to their demise. They smelled horrible, frightened horses and were detested by handlers accustomed to the more docile mules.
The camels were misunderstood and frequently mistreated. Rumor has it that camels caused cattle stampedes and were often shot by ranchers. There was a rumored camel sighting in the Arizona desert in 1975.

On the way back to Hondo, we stopped for lunch in Bandera, "Cowboy Capitol of Texas". We ate at the O.S.T. (old Spanish trail) cafe. You can see some of the decor - very western with saddles for barstools. Good food and interesting ambiance.