UNDER THE BIG OAKS TREES WHERE THE ACORNS FALL & SPENDING THREE WEEKS AT THE LAKE TEXOMA THOUSAND TRAILS IN GORDONVILLE, TEXAS (WOOD TREE STUMP CARVINGS; CATFISH LOUIE'S; LUIGI'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT; RIDE TO BEACH; PELICAN'S LANDING; HAPPY HALLOWEEN; BINGO WINNER; PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - TRUMP'S OVERWHELMING WIN; & SUPER MOON) -Sunday, October 27 - Saturday, November 16, 2024

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Today we left the Terra Star RV Park in Checotah, Okalahoma around 8:30 a.m. and headed to Lake Texoma Thousand Trails in Gordonville, Texas 156 miles away.

We drove by Lake Eufaula on our way to Texas (see above and below).

At 11:30 a.m. we have just now crossed the Texas border. We're finally back in Texas -- after being away almost 20 months on our journeys. 

It is now 11:45 a.m. and we have arrive at the Lake Texoma Thousand Trails Campground in Gordonville, Texas that we are staying at for the next 3 weeks.

After checking in at the lodge, we picked out our spot among the mature oak trees in this shady RV campground in Texas with convenient access to the nearby Lake Texoma.

Shown abov is only the first of several stump carvings of animals around the campground that I will find on my bike rides.

We got set up on site #C73 which was under the big oak trees and we were often bombarded by acorns as they fell.

After we were all set up, we drove into Gainesville, Texas to eat some catfish at Catfish Louie's. This has always been one of our favorite catfish buffets. It was delicious. And for dessert they have a wonderful vanilla ice cream made with Mexican vanilla -- simply a delight for the tongue!!!

We arrived at Catfish Louie's around 2:30 p.m. Their wonderful buffet has many salads, mashed potatoes, fried okra, fried catfish, chicken tenders, bbq meats including lots of different sausage, pizza, fish tacos, beans, mac n' cheese, beef stew, soups, and lots more.

For dessert in addition to several types of cookies, they have peach, apple, cherry and black berry cobblers (shown above) and homemade vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Shown below is cherry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.

Monday, October 28, 2024

Oh what a beautiful morning! I went for a 4.2 mile bike ride around the campground (see below).

Along my bike ride, I made it a scavenger hunt and did my best to find the wood carving creations -- and I found some neat ones. And a few spooky ones too! (See below.)

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Today, since our friends Marvin and Jane Whitlock were driving through the area on their way south to the valley to McAllen, Texas, we decided to met up with them for dinner at Luigi's Italian Restaurant in Gainesville, Texas. 

It sure was great to catch up with them! (See Jane and Marvin Whitlock below.)

Luigi's is a casual, family-run restaurant with Old World ambiance -- that plates classic Italian-American fare.

Marvin and I had the fettucini alfredo with chicken, while Jane had lasagna, and Mel had the pasta sampler that included manicotti, lasagna and cheese ravoli. Yummy!

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Life's a Beach! And at least it's beautiful when you can come upon a peaceful beach and have it all to yourself. 

I went for a 5.67 mile bike ride this morning at the campground and found the lovely beach at Texoma Lake (see below). Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th-largest US Army Corps of Engineers' lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Grayson County, Texas, about 726 miles upstream from the mouth of the river. It is located at the confluence of the Red and Washita Rivers. The project was completed in 1944. The damsite is about 5 miles northwest of Denison, Texas, and 15 miles southwest of Durant, Oklahoma. 

And I also found another wood carving in a stump, this time it was a bear (see below).

Since our water had been out today at the campground for several hours, tonight around 5:30 p.m. we decided to go to Pelican's Landing at the Cedar Mills Marina, which was only a few miles from our campground in Gordonville, Texas.

Cedar Mills Marina was really beautiful (see pictures above and below).

It was "Catfish Wednesday" at Pelican's Landing -- meaning the catfish basket had French fries, and two hush puppies and about 4 fried fillets of catfish. And if you wanted more catfish, all you had to do is ask as you could have all you could eat. Mel and I both decided this is what we wanted. The all-you-could-eat catfish for $13.99  was very good! 

Since Grayson County, Texas is a dry county -- Mel had to join their Country Club so he could buy beer at the restaurant. It was somewhat of a bargain as he got each beer for $2.50 and the membership is good for a year. However, he had to pay $5 for the membership. 

Shown above is Mel with our waitress presenting him with his $5 Country Club membership at Pelican's Landing. Mel raises his ice-cold mug of Shiner beer below.

We had a great evening with delicious catfish in an awesome atmosphere. The boats in the marina by moonlight in the lighted pier were very lovely too.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Happy Halloween everyone! As many of you know, we live full-time in our RV. So today on my walk I spotted the sign, "This is how we roll," which truly sums up our lifestyle perfectly. 

And because this is how I roll, on my walk today I came upon some nifty, and not too scary Halloween decorations to share with y'all! 

Here's hoping you all have a spooktacular Halloween day! Boo!

Saturday,  November 2, 2024

This afternoon Mel and I went to play bingo at the Texoma Thousand Trails. We each got to play 4 cards and as we were lucky to win several rounds, we walked away with some playing cards and 9V batteries. Yeah! 

Shown above is the two ladies from Thousand Trails setting up for bingo.

Shown above, Jean from Thousand Trails spins the bingo number balls to get ready for the start of bingo. While shown below is the loot we won during bingo.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

It had been raining most of the day, so I decided to bake something. I just made some super easy peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie bars. I can't wait until they are cool enough to try.

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Today is the Presidential Election day. We had already mailed in our absentee ballots to South Dakota several weeks ago so we were anxiously awaiting the results.

The Republican Party's ticket—Donald J. Trump, who was the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and J.D. Vance, the junior U.S. senator from Ohio—defeated the Democratic Party's ticket—Kamala Harris, the incumbent U.S. vice president, and Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota.

Trump and Vance are scheduled to be inaugurated as the 47th president and the 50th vice president on January 20, 2025, after their formal election by the Electoral College.

The incumbent president, Joe Biden of the Democratic Party, initially ran for re-election as the party's presumptive nominee, facing little opposition; however, what was broadly considered a poor debate performance in June 2024 intensified concerns about his age and health, and led to calls within his party for him to leave the race.

After initially declining to do so, Biden withdrew on July 21, becoming the first eligible incumbent president to withdraw since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Biden endorsed Harris, who was voted the party's nominee by the delegates on August 5, 2024. Harris selected Walz as her running mate.

Trump, who had mysteriously lost in 2020 to Biden, chose to run for re-election again. He was nominated during the 2024 Republican National Convention along with his running mate, Vance, after winning the Republican primaries. 

Shown above is President Donald J. Trump and below is Vice President J.D. Vance.

According to polls, the most important issues for voters during this election were the economy, healthcare, democracy, foreign policy (notably U.S. support for Israel and for Ukraine), immigration, abortion, and climate change. However, polled voters consistently cited the economy as being the single most important issue in the election.

Trump achieved a decisive victory in the electoral college, sweeping every swing state in addition to holding on to all of the states that he won in 2020. Trump flipped six states that had voted Democratic in 2020: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Trump won the national popular vote, making him the first Republican to do so since George W. Bush in 2004. He significantly improved his vote share among almost all demographics nationwide, particularly among Hispanic voters, in a working class coalition described as the most racially diverse for a Republican presidential candidate in decades. 

Having previously won in 2016, Trump became the second president elected to a non-consecutive second term, 132 years after Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison in 1892; this was also the first election since 1892 in which the incumbent White House party was defeated in three consecutive elections. Trump, aged 78, is also the oldest person ever to be elected U.S. President; Vance, aged 40, is the first Millennial to be elected Vice President.

Kamala Harris (shown above) won 226 electoral college votes, the worst performance for a Democratic presidential ticket since that of Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Today, it was a beautiful sunny morning ☀️ and the American people have truly been blessed! Donald J. Trump has won the election. I can't wait to see all the good things to come.

I continued to work on the PO-KE-NO supplies, and got all the individual boxes finished up today (see above and below).

Friday, November 8, 2024

Today I finished making the PO-KE-NO box to hold the playing cards and just a few more things to finish up and we will be ready to play the game (see below).

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Today, I finally have finished all components for the PO-KE-NO game. Now we are all set to play with our friends, Karen and Brian Burk when we get to their ranch soon.

Monday, November 11, 2024

I spent today working on putting the jute handles on the smashed cans I am making for the 2025 BFNA Reunion.

I got all I have painted and decoupaged finished.

Friday, November 15, 2024

There was a beautiful "Super Moon" tonight, but my phone just doesn't do it justice! 

Why is this November full moon called the "Beaver Moon?" November's full moon is called the "Beaver Moon," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The name was chosen because this is the time of year when beavers start sheltering in their lodges after having prepared food stores for the winter.

The "Super Moon," also known as the "Beaver Moon" is the name given to the full moon in November by Native American tribes and American colonists because it's the time of year when beavers start to gather food and prepare their lodges for winter. Fur trappers would also hunt beavers for their pelts during this time. The "Beaver Moon" is also known as the "Frost Moon" and the "Freezing River Moon." In Native traditions, beavers represented teamwork, strategy, and urgency, as they are unstoppable when working together. 

Tomorrow on Saturday, we will head to Rosebud, Texas to stay with our friends Brian and Karen Burk on the BK Burk Little Pond Ranch.

Good night "Super Moon!" May you continue to glow all night long.

Shirley & Mel