This has been our third winter here at Fun-n-Sun and we will leave behind many friends that we have become acquainted with.  As long as we don't commit to anything too permanent in Zapata I guess we can always work in a stay in this area during coming winter seasons.

     My fishing buddy, Teri and his wife Corinne have alerted us that a water front site has just come available and we may well end up passing on the one we have now and seeing if we can swing a deal to acquire that one.  The couple who has it for sale has a 5th wheel on it and wants to include that in the sale.  That is something that we would not be interested in.

     Our nomadic life style has grown on us and neither of us are sure we are ready to settle for just one place to return to year after year even if the fishing is the best to be found.  We have many RV friends who have secured semi-permanent lots to return to each year but then say that they envy us being able to go where we please on a moments notice.

     I think the best thing for us is to wait till the kids are threatening to take the keys away before we put down too permanent of roots.

      It is that time of year that I like to reflect on the wonderful life style that Kathleen and I have.  The beautiful places we have been and those that are yet to come.  We are truly thankful that we are able to do what we do, as we explore this beautiful USA.  I further am grateful to live in an age when the technologies available to us can challenge the mind and encourage us to do things we never dreamed possible.  The following is a slide show with sound that I experimented with the other day.  I thought I would share.  If the sound is too much for ya, you can always mute it.  Ha.

                                                                     Click Here

     The photographers showed up right on time.  The publishers of the book wanted photographs of the Authors showing them at work at their computers or typewriters to use as the promotion of the book continues over the next couple of months.  Maybe I should back up a little and give some background explanation!

     Kathleen belongs to a writers group here in San Benito.  Over the course of last year they put together an anthology of stories that they have written.  The publisher has selected 78 stories and poems from 20 some writers into a book that will be titled "Tuesdays Pieces".  Kathleen's contributions to the book include 3 stories and 2 poems.

     Here is just one of the professional reviewers comments on the book:

"The authors have given me gifts that are priceless by asking me to review their book.
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> They swept me to places Ive never been and left me with a yearning to go there.
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> Through their stories and expertise in writing, I felt all kinds of emotion: joy, sadness, happiness, excitement, love, romance, as well as pleasurable childhood memories filled with adventure, kindness, family unity, work, and an appreciation for that which money can't buy: faith in a Higher Being and love of family and friends.
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> Above all, the authors have inspired me to write about my wonderful family including my extended family and the many wonderful people that have come into my life throughout the years.
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> As I write this I can hardly wait to get a cup of hot chocolate, curl up in my favorite chair with SugarPlum(our cat) on my lap and once again enjoy my journey thru so many places and feel the experiences all over again!!"

     We are already enjoying out familiarity with the San Benito area, and of course the Resort.  The pool and hot tub are second to none and we have always enjoyed spending time there.  The traffic is a little heavy at times but knowing how to get around now makes getting from here to there easy.  The restaurant choices here verses Zapata are huge.

     We will be here through the holidays but plan to return to Zapata and more fishing Feb. 1st.

     Kathleen is busy with her writers group already and I have been busy trying to polish and clean the 'tininthewind'.  The dust in the Zapata area from the constant wind and sandy nature of the landscape are one of the only negative features surrounding the Falcon Lake.  Fortunately the fishing far exceeds the negativity.    

     I have met a bass fishing buddy here in Zapata and we have been out in his sleek Gambler rig several times now.  Teri Reynolds and his wife Corinne hail from Southern Illinois around the Urbana area.  Terry and I bounced around the same Bass Fishing circuits in our prime days but I don't think our paths ever crossed in a tournament.  We have had fun discussing and reliving those days by telling each other story's as we are fishing.  Teri is highly talented with pitching and flipping a jig and that is how we have been catching most of our fish.  My elbows and "tennis elbow" have taken a toll on me so I am taking a few days off from fishing, although I must admit I went crappie fishing this morning and came in with 18 beauties.

     Teri took the above picture of me and a nice 6 lb fish.  It is nice to finally have someone capable of taking a picture and sharing his boat as my fishing alone in my little boat meant no pictures.  I hope in future trips out on the lake with Teri that I can get some video of his rig and some pictures of him fighting a fish or two. 

     It is now Nov. 3rd and we have moved to Lake Front Lodge Resort just a couple miles from Four Seasons Resort and an explanation is in order.  As mentioned above we like the area very much and have been looking around for something a little more permanent.  One of Katleen's requirements was to have a water view and be as close as possible to the water.  We lucked on to a site that had just become available do to the previous lease holder having health issues and not being able to return.  The site is now ours on a permanent basis.  We can do what we want with the lot as far as improvements go or structure but for now we like our life style with the Motor Home and will leave putting a park model or something like that for a future date.  We may do a storage shed and expand the cement patio next season but for now we like it just as it is.  Our neighbors, both sides and behind are very pleasant so that is a plus.  I am just minutes from launching my boat as the Resort has multiple boat landings.

     We will be leaving here and going down to the Valley (San Benito, TX) for Dec. and January but will return to our site here in Zapata for Feb. and March before returning to Wisconsin/Iowa and family visits.  Kathleen and her Writers group have some functions taking place in Dec. and January and she wants to be part of the celebrations.  I am sure she will be writing and explaining more about that as it occurs.  I am all for taking a couple months off from the fishing as my elbows are taking a beating from all the casting and hook setting.  Not that I am complaining, mind you!

     Following are some pictures and some links that are worth looking at to give you a sense of why we like it here so much.

Remember you can place your cursor on picture for a caption.

     Here are some Links that you may find interesting.

Web-site of a guide I know here on the Lake:  http://falconlakeguide.com/blog/ 

Web-site of Local Tackle shop and their fishing reports:  http://www.tackleandrods.com/lake/flash.htm 

Short Video of biggest fish I caught yesterday:  http://youtu.be/Ef_gdSS34YU

Little longer Video taken around our pad in Zapata, TX:  http://youtu.be/OVNEzfgsVIg

     It is difficult to take a photo of the fish I catch when I am alone on my boat but I have mounted a movie camera on a "lazy susan" and hope to get some pictures of fish during the fight and netting.  The one little video you saw above is my first try at giving you a look at the fish.  This fish hit so close to the boat I had no chance to turn the camera on but hopefully my video taking skills will improve.

     While crappie fishing using my ultra light spinning rod with 6 lb line I hooked a good fish.  Thinking it was probably a carp I played it out, netted him and weighed him------it was a 8.1 lb bass.  There was a couple fishing near by and they got a kick out of seeing me boat that bad boy.  The mouth was so huge I could have stuck both my fists in it

     Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be stiff----30mph.  I will stay off the main lake but fishing for crappie under the bridge is somewhat sheltered.  Guess where I will be?

     I have been keeping my boat in the water and just fishing the bay and a couple of main lake points just outside the bay but my travels are limited to just my trolling motor.  When the indicator says I only have 50 percent of a charge left in the battery I turn and fish my way back to "home".

     A friend that I made here in Zapata last year when we first visited here has loaned me his golf cart trailer and as you will see in the following pictures my boat fits nicely.  The lights are working and I am anxious to go explore other coves and corners of this lake-----on the American side of course.

     There is a bridge that crosses one of the fingers of water just as you enter Zapata from the South and my friend Dale took me crappie fishing there last year.  The crappie are huge (2 lbs each are common).  The boat is loaded on the trailer and tomorrow morning the "ss tininthewind" and I will go see if we can catch some of those big crappie. 

     It will be good to fish with lighter tackle for the crappie as my arms and upper body muscles are sore from all the bass fishing I have been doing------It is a "good" sore though and I promise you I am not complaining.

     We are on site at Shady Haven RV Resort, in Zapata Texas.  My how things change in one year.  We arrived to find the Lake 20 feet lower than last year.  This Texas drought is having a profound effect on reservoir levels throughout the State.  The picture above is me standing down near the (sitting on dry land) boat docks locking back up toward the top of the boat ramp and just left of center in the picture you can see the nose of the "Tininthewind" sticking out from site 128.  Last year I had my little blow up boat parked in the water just in front of the "Tininthewind".

     We knew when we left the old home area of Wisconsin/Iowa that we would be heading in to some hot dry weather but "hot" is an understatement.  It has been in the high 90's since our arrival with somewhat high humidity.  We did arrive in a thunderstorm with heavy rain so setting up while getting a warm water shower was quite interesting.

     I didn't quite have everything arranged with out site and coach but priorities are priorities and I just had to get my "Sea Eagle Foldcat Boat" inflated and on the water.  Within the first day of fishing and in fact still in site of the dock I caught the nice 7.2 lb bass you see in the following picture.  This is a new personal best for me as far as size goes and I expect to break that mark easily in the coming days.

     With the Lake 20' low the landscape sure looks different and I will post a group of pictures here to give you some perspective of what it looks like.  At the end of the docks there is about one slip still in the water (1 foot deep) and my little boat is able to handle that.  You will note I am the only one there as everyone else is having to trailer their boats.  I am not sure what I will do should the water drop even further as I do not have the ability to trailer my little rig.  Time will tell.

      If anyone has more rain than they need please send it this way.

Kathleen, here

This poem is dedicated to moms and dads

who lost a son or daughter on a terrible day

in our history. After seeing an interview of

a group of mothers who all lost a son that day,

I mourned with them and this poem

began to gather in my mind.

May God bless them

     We have had a beautiful summer with our Washington Brosius Families and Friends this Summer in Washington.  Our two month Volunteer Hosting of Anderson State Park was OK but we were bummed by not having decent cell phone coverage or internet access.  I suppose it was good for us not to be on the computer much but it meant not being able to keep up with our blog and we know one or two of you missed not hearing from us on a regular basis. 

     We have ended our stay out in the North West with a great Labor Day Week-end of camping, surrounded with all the fun that goes with a nice long get together.  We all enjoyed the evening chats around the fire as the weather was made to order.

     We will be leaving in the morning with the "Tininthewind" pointed East and even though we do not prefer traveling the interstate system, we will, in the interest of taking the shortest route and in saving on the fuel budget.

     We are looking forward to seeing friends and family back in the Wisconsin/Iowa area and spending a few weeks before heading to our Winter digs in Texas.

     Our two grandkids, Mason and Maddie have been with us most of July and will join us in a few weeks to finish out August.  They have been a delight to have around and sure have made the time pass quickly.

     Looking at the map I see there is a "mountain loop road" that starts about 8 miles from the camp ground and makes a loop through what looks to be some pretty rouged mountains and eventually comes out again near the RV Park.  Figuring the best I can it looks like it will be roughly 100 miles from start to finish.  Looks like the road is paved all the way around with a few small mountain towns thrown in so we can maybe find a stop for lunch.  Sun is supposed to be shining today so lets load the jeep and head out.  Three cameras, several Hershey bars, pop, water, banana, and a couple apples and we're off.  Estimate is at an average of 40 mph, stopping for pictures, and lunch we should be back in about 4 to 5 hours.

     The trip did not start out well as we missed a couple turns early on and had to back track several times.  Once we got further along there were no turns to screw up on and all we had to do was follow the road we were on.  In other words the Loop de Loop. 

     The map showed a lot of National Forrest Camp Grounds along our way and upon reaching the first one along a river we decided to drive in to it and check it out, plus nature was callin'.  We were stopped just short of the privy by some forest tree trimmers and their chain saws as they were felling tree's and told us the park was closed.  They paused long enough for Kathleen to use the privy and I had a chance to ask them some questions.  I wanted to know if they knew anything about the route we planned to continue on and they commented we had come about as far as we could go as just up ahead the pass was still closed from snow and there would be a gate across the road.  If we intended to ever come back there was a visitor center just up the road a bit and if they were open we should stop and get a better map.  The road was paved at this point but they indicated that very shortly it was going to turn to gravel/dirt and would stay that way for better than half way around the loop.  Dang, we were so looking forward to this drive.

     The visitor center was open and a very pleasant gal informed us that the gate had been opened, the forest service had plowed about a quarter mile of heavy snow just over the pass and the route was declared safe to travel as of yesterday.  She commented that even the locals didn't know it yet and seemed quite pleased that she could be the bearer of such good news.

     As noted above with the first picture of the flower, at the lower elevations with the snow having just melted a few flowers, proud of their ability to survive, are poking their heads from the ground.

     The higher we climbed the less flowers we saw but the cascading water flows coming down the sides of the mountains became ever more present.  The river we were following was running quite full.

     We were soon to leave the paved road and continue on with most of the road becoming one lane with pull offs should you meet someone (we never did).

     The drive was awesome.  The fact that we were making the trip and in approximately 50 miles of narrow gravel/dirt road we saw only one other vehicle and he probably was a forest service person, made for a fun day.  That four to five hour drive turned out to be more like seven.  One hundred miles, seven hours------not bad.

     We never did see the sun and it felt like we were in a rain forest most of the time but it also didn't rain.

     A great way to spend the day.  The week-end is coming and we will reserve that for family time, but next week if we can find another adventure we will go for it.

     This evening we drove in to town (Sultan, WA), to mail a few items and to have a pizza at one of the local parlors there.  Just before reaching Sultan one goes over a bridge that crosses the Skykomish River and as you can see above the Sun was shining on the snow cap in the area of Stevens Pass.  It was a beautiful day with the temps in the low 70's and no rain. 

     It really doesn't matter if you turn left or right going out of the RV park the drive and scenery is always spectacular.  

     In 2008 Kathleen and I did one of those fun things that we do from time to time.  We look at the map, try to find a road that looks like it would make a fun drive, and then we just take off to see where it will go.  If it seems to dead end on the map and has a unique feature (like a lake), at the end of the road, even better.  Such was our 28 mile ride from the Thousand Trails RV Park in Washington.  At the end of this little blog I will repost a link to the pictures and our blog of 2008, but for now lets talk about our return trip to Spada Lake a couple days ago.

     Back in 2008 when we reached Spada Lake we were surprised to see the lake nearly empty with stumps showing everywhere (as you will see if you check out the link), but the drive to the lake and the area itself was very pretty.  (The lake had been drawn down to repair the dam.)

     Now here we are in 2011, with an opportunity to again make the drive to Spada Lake to hopefully see what the lake might look like when full.  There has been a tremendous amount of snow in this part of the Cascades over the winter and we knew that the lake would be near the snow line but figured with the jeep we could make it.

     Staying near us here in the RV Park are CoCo and Bob Giacolino also full-time RV'ers and close friends.  We asked them to join us on the trip and away we went.  Now, 28 miles is not a long ways but when it is virtually a steady climb up in to the mountains from the altitude we are camped at it makes for a fun and strikingly beautiful drive.  We followed the Olney River at times, crossing several bridges and witnessed numerous water falls as the melting snow above us flowed toward the lake.  Stopping for pictures was the plan and we did plenty of that.

     The following is a little slide show I have put together as all the pictures tell the story and I hated to tease you with only a few.  Click on the link and enjoy.

                                            Slide Show 2011

     I hope you have returned to the blog and will take a look at what Spada Lake looked like when just Kathleen and I visited it in 2008.  Click on the following link to check it out.  To get the pictures from 2008 you may have to click another link found there.

                                           Blog and Pictures 2008

     We had a great trip with CoCo and Bob.  On our return to the RV Park Kathleen and I were treated to a fabulous dinner at their motor home.