We Survived!!!!

Along the Medina River on an afternoon walk.

As many of you know, we head south for a couple months to retreat from the cold grips of the north.  This year was no different, just a lot of last minute planning as no decision was reached easily about going, let alone where to go.  

Once the decision was finally made, then finding a park to stay in became a challenge.  As you know, I'm always up for a challenge and mission accomplished!  Bandera, Texas bound...with a couple of weather hic-cups along the way, we arrived ready to enjoy the south's warm sun, warm temps, evenings on the porch, and all that Bandera has to offer.  

And then it happened......  forecasted unprecedented weather.  Not only did the forecast happen, but we woke to freezing rain on Saturday that continued through Sunday, Valentine's Day, that later turned to the white stuff in the evening.  Monday morning we woke to 4" of the white stuff and a crippled township.  

The sun rises over the river. 
Our first daylight view of the storm from our rig.

Being from cold country, Bill and I are well versed in how to prepare for all of this and did just that.  We loaded the holding tanks on Friday and disconnected the water hose.  A trip to town and propane was topped off, full and ready to go.  Several trips to Tractor Supply on Saturday and we had my motorcycle plugged in, drains drained and heat tape wrapped around them, anti-freeze poured into the drains...we were ready for whatever Mother Nature decided to throw at us.  (Except bringing the generator inside.  We forgot to do that, but it did get brought in Monday morning!)  Neighbors around us...not so much.  

The birds enjoy a free meal
from the neighbors feeder.

No electricity (no worries, we have a percolator for coffee!) Monday morning and 4" of the white stuff.  Not exactly my idea of a warm, sun-filled Texas February.  Our rolling black outs lasted for about 36 hours and as it turned out, we never needed the generator after all.  6* isn't all that cold, relatively speaking, however, in this 100% humidity on the "river", 6* is more like -10* at home.  We lived through Pinedale, WY winters....we got this!

During daylight hours, we plugged the rig into the truck and ran it to keep batteries charge.  Homemade potato soup and biscuits hit the spot on a cold evening.  We had plenty of propane, but checked on it anyway, just because.  No propane deliveries.  Texas DOT won't allow hazardous material to run on "these roads".  A drive down to the depot, just for something to do and to get out of the rig, found an attempt at plowing snow; a line at the depot that required the sheriff to worn of backed-up traffic on the roadway.  

Tuesday, still having black-outs and really, really bored, the kids and I went to make a snow man.  A pathetic little snowman.  But none-the-

Under the watchful eye of a cardinal, a
sparrow comes in hoping to get his breakfast.

less, a snowman that Casey was really helpful digging at.  And the best snowman this park has probably ever seen!  Of course Ida insisted on a game of fetch and so it was.  An afternoon playing in the snow, just as if we were home, looking for ways to entertain the children.

An unprecedented Valentine's Day blizzard in the Texas Hill Country.  We survived!!  An experience these folks will be talking about for years to come.  Just another adventure in the life and times of Bill and Connie and the Mobile Snow Chateau.

The Medina babbles along its way with snow covered banks, iced over rocks, and cold it hasn't known in years.