Giving Thanks on Our Anniversary

Thursday, 26 November 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 77F (25C) / Lo 70F (21C)

Thirty-four years.  That’s how long Mui and I have been married.  Today we took a step into year 35 — and we did so with the dawning of a beautiful day on the beach at GWRVR.

When we got married in İzmir, Turkey in 1981, 26 November happened to fall on Thanksgiving.  Every so many years, the calendar brings us back to this special holiday — perfect for giving thanks for all we have … all we are able to do … times two.

Beginning Year 35 with a beautiful sunrise.

What made today extra special was that we got to celebrate it with friends here at GWRVR.  We were asked to bring dessert to the Thanksgiving dinner our friends were hosting at their pad.  So, Mui had the idea to surprise everyone with an anniversary cake.  Laughter and camaraderie … the crowning touch on our day.

Our dessert contribution to Thanksgiving dinner — surprise!

Happy Anniversary to us … and here’s to many, many more happy returns.

We’re Baack!

Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 73F (23C) / Lo 71F (22C)

Actually, we returned from our trip to Europe on 14 November.  Hard to believe it has been nearly two weeks since we left NCL Jade in the Port of Houston following a 16-day cruise across the Big Pond.  We’ve been keeping busy with “getting settled again” chores, so perhaps the quick passage of time shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Hello Port of Houston!                                                                 

Phaeton Journeys Goes on Hiatus

Saturday, 29 August 2015
Advanced RV Resort — Houston, Texas
Temps: HI 91F (33C) / Lo 72F (22C)

It’s time for us to go gallivanting overseas again.

The big-city shopping that I mentioned as a reason why we returned to Houston early is completed.  Our bags are packed and zipped; passports tucked securely into our wallets.  The car service that will take us to the hotel for our overnight stay is booked.  One airline check-in is completed; the overseas haul will be done this evening.  And the Phaeton is all but ready to go into storage later today — Mui’s winterizing our home on wheels even as I write this quickie post to put Phaeton Journeys to rest for a while.

If you’re curious about where our overseas travels will take us this time, hop on over to Two to Travel.  I’ll probably be too busy to write much — exploring new-to-me places in Italy and elsewhere and visiting family in Turkey will keep me plenty busy.  But there will most likely be some “post”cards to keep you abreast of what we’re up to until we return to the US in mid-November.

See you when we get back!

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Back in Texas

Thursday, 27 August 2015
Advanced RV Resort — Houston, Texas
Temps: Hi 89F (32C) / Lo 78F (26C)

We’re back in Texas again … have been since we left San Patricio, New Mexico on the 10th, but not all of that time was here in Houston.  And none of it was at our home pad in Port Aransas.

We would have stayed longer at our quiet spot in San Patricio, where it was comparatively cooler, but a couple of reasons played into our decision to return to Texas where it is still broiling … although the temps have moderated a bit these past few days.  First reason: to catch up with friends; and second: to be near big city shopping before we set off on our fall trip to Europe.

Inn of the Mountain Gods … X-T10 Testing: Landscape & More

Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 93F (34C) / Lo 63F (17C)

We would have gone out yesterday to continue our sightseeing with a purpose — the purpose being to continue to test the FujiFilm X-T10 I am considering as a replacement for my DSLR kit.  But there was a more important matter that Mui wanted to resolve — resetting the TireTraker system … safety comes before fun.  Since replacing the sensor batteries, the monitor was refusing to clear alerts.  Determining that the monitor was faulty, TireTraker replaced it … to no avail.  So troubleshooting the problem with the help of a tech support agent was scheduled for yesterday.

I am happy to report the system is functional again.  While we don’t rely entirely on TireTraker for monitoring the tires, it does give us a little more peace of mind and we’re happy that it is working once again.

Postcard from Lake Mescalero.

[The postcard above and the scanned image below are the only ones in this post not taken with the X-T10.]

So we drove to the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino (Inn) today instead.  We had more blue skies today than yesterday, so the delay worked out to my advantage ;-)