The Smokies

Since my last post we have visited my sister A and R and little O. We had a wonderful time. Little O is somethng else. I finally did finish the electrical work I was doing over there. If I do say so myself I did a terrific job.

After spending some time (3 weeks)in God's Country (the homestead)I headed out to the Smokey Mountains. I stayed in the park near Gatlinburg. They say that the Smokies are the most visited National Park so I was fortunate to have gone right before the big rush. What made my trip extra nice was all the help I received from the Law Enforcement Park Rangers and that I stayed in their compound. Since I had the best guides I got to see the best parts of the park. Places that most people don't ever see in the park. I hiked a total of 20 miles way into the back country of the park in 3 days and was able to go to some other remote areas of the park by vehicle. I hiked anywhere from an elevation of 1400 ft to 3700 ft. I hardly ever saw anyone while hiking in the back country, it was just me and the wilderness.

The park was totally amazing. It is huge and most of the trails are only accessable by hiking. I took some beautiful pictures of animals, vistas, streams, cascades, and waterfalls. I also went to the highest point at 6600 ft by vehicle. There is certainly more to do at the park and I wish I could of stayed longer. But that leaves me more to look forward to on my next trip to the Smoky Mountains.

I will spend 5 days at the homestead and then head out to New Braunfels.

Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Boston & Virgina and Someday Montana!

Just spent about 2 weeks in Boston visiting O, family and the Melrose Social Group and had a wonderful time. There was a lot of snow on the ground and it snowed about 3 days while I was there. Being in the cold and snow like that makes me want to have a place in Montana. I will have to go back to look for a place in Montana one day soon. The only problem is that Continental has no direct flights to Montana, and I prefer direct flights.

After two short days in God's country Alicia and me will be flying to Virginia to visit animated little O and family.

I finished reading a book "Into the Wild" given to me by O. I really enjoyed the book even though it was a trajedy. I mainly enjoyed the part about Alaska. Almost finishing a book given to me by Alicia titled "Freakanomics", rather interesting. Actually it talks about a lot of things I knew already but it is written very well and the arthors have a very interesting view point.

Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Beautiful Vail

We ended 2008 by visiting Vail on our yearly ski trip. Vail is a big and beautiful place. Vail is located in the White River National Forest and it has amazing scenery across the back bowls, seven in all. Ofcourse the village at the base of the mountain is lovely with all the shops and restaurants. This year we stayed at the Vail Cascade, first class accomodations with ski in ski out.

Alicia is fast as lighting on the slopes so I thought it was time for me to take a ski class cause I had been getting into some bad ski habits that were slowing me down. I met a gorgeous girl named Carmen in the ski class from Cartagena, Colombia. We spent about 1 1/2 days sking together. She is 30 years old and living in New York City. Carmen was a talker and I like talkers. Carmen and I were too slow for Alicia, so Alicia left us behind and went off on her on. I think I learned just about everything about Carmen's life in those two days. She would even talk as we were sking and if anybody knows how to ski it isn't easy to talk and ski together. She was real nice.

Well Vail was wonderful but what else could it have been, it's Vail.

Take Care, Jorge

Bye to 2008

Well I have been so busy in 2008 and it went by so fast that I did not post anything.

So here is a short recap.

I took a lot of trips in 2008 so many in fact that in a 2 month span I went on 9 trips. From Texas to Boston to Florida to San Diego to Montana to Boston back to Texas. I think in total about 34 trips, including Playa del Carmen and the Caymans. I love the Caymans. A very beautiful place with extremely wonderful people. Playa Del Carmen is probably the best place to visit on the Yucatan peninsula, It is half way between Cozumel and Cancun. So you can visit all three places in one trip.

The trip I would have to say was the best one was RV trip Alicia and I took up north to the Blackhills, then further north to North Dakota over to Montana and then down to YellowStone, Grand Tetons and then back to Texas. I have always wanted to visit these States and we wanted to do the trip in an RV cause we had once taken an RV trip to Yuma, Arizona and the Grand Canyon and we loved that trip a lot.

This RV trip was through beautiful country. We went through a huge hail storm in the Pine Forest of Nebraska to see the beauty of the Blackhills rise above the flat plains of South Dakota and North Dakota. We saw the beauty of the Powder, Rosebud, and Tongue Rivers. The flat plains of Montana with buttes, the green country side west of the Powder River in Montana, the huge Carter mountain range rising above 12,000 feet, which we went up and over to the other side while being hit by a snow storm at the top of the mountain, to the beauty of YellowStone to the Grand Tetons.
We even got snowed in while in Yellowstone cause of a blizzard in July. We had to stay in a cabin for one night on the north side of Yellowstone cause the roads were blocked cause of the blizzard. Our RV park was on the north side of the lake just about the middle of the park.

I would have to say that driving the RV was fun and this type of trip sure is an experience. We were fortunate to have a luxurious 40 foot , well equipped RV. This made trip very enjoyable. I forgot to say that we also went on a 40 mile bike ride in the Blackhills up and down mountains with a change in elevation of 1400 feet that almost killed us. Alicia ate an entire large pizza on our return. We also hiked up about 2000 feet to Harveys Peak in the Blackhills.

I had read a couple of books given to me by O about the Sioux indians who's range was the area we traveled in the RV. I now know why the Sioux held the Blackhills as sacred ground. We retraced a few of the paths that the Sioux had traveled. For some reason I really have an affection for Indian things. Our RV trip was quite an adventure.

So 2008 was a wonderful year.
Take Care, Jorge

Was here and now gone to the Caymans.

I've been very busy since returning from Vegas, cathing up at the farm and business. We also went to Austin for one weekend and I made a trip up to Boston and got a lot accomplished.

People say that the farm is a lot of work, but what isn't, unless you want to be a couch potatoe. At least I enjoy doing what I do.

I've been doing my winter stuff at the farm, cutting and burning brush, building and mending fence, and planting trees. At the homestead I've been working on the house, painting inside, and I've redone the rose garden. Looks real nice now.

Well I've also done it. I've bought myself a new truck. A nice big Sequoia, what a nice truck, more buttons then I will ever know how to operate. I'm also doing my best to use up all the oil in the ground since a lot of other folks have been trying to conserve, leaves more for me to use and also maybe will prove them right, in that oil will be depleted one day.

Well we are off to the Caymans tomorrow, be back next week. Got to post Vegas pictures.
Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Off to Vegas!

Well we've been home now for about a week and we are off to Las Vegas this weekend.

I've gotten a lot done while here at the homestead. At the farm I've cut some brush, tended to the animals, and did a little hunting. There is always something to do. At the house and at the business I've been cleaning up still. I don't know if I will ever finish that task.

I just finished reading a book that O gave me titled "America Invulnerable" by James Chace and Caleb Carr. I found the book very interesting. It's about America's quest for abosulte security from 1812 to present. It seems like todays foreign policy concerning security started with President Woodrow Wilson.

Well till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Vail

We arrived in Houston from Miami at around 8 pm and we left for Vail the next day around 5 pm. Just enough time for a quik visit to the farm that morning.

Vail was beautiful as always. No serious injuries for our group. But we did see alot of other folks who were injured. We went with another 21 year old girl and two 15 year old girls, and one of thier parents. The parents could not keep up so it was me and the two 21 year olds two days and me and the two 21 year olds and the two 15 year olds the last day. The village at the base is really nice and the lanscape is something else. It snowed about 12 in each day we were there.

At the the top of the mountains the wind really blew. One time I believe the wind blew me back 3 ft while I was moving forward. Alicia was really good as always. I think she will be ready for the double black diamonds next time. We skied blue, moguls, and blacks, went off the cliffs and into the trees and I think Alicia went airborne at least twice. The back side of Vail is awesome. I think there are about 37 lifts in Vail. It really takes a long time to go from the back side to the front side. I was amazed.

Vail is truly beautiful. The last time I had visited was about 10 years ago. We want to go back cause we didn't get to ski all the runs.

Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

New Years in Miami!

Well we had a fast turnaround in Houston. We arrived from Tennessee at 9:00 pm, Went to the farm that next morning and took off to Miami that afternoon around 5 pm.

In Miami we had a reunion with O and family and her sister I and her family, and their parents and brother. We ate, went shopping, sight seeing, to the beach, and Alicia went to the zoo with CF, RAF, and T. We also had a News Eve party at O's mother's house. I bought fire works with CF and Alicia and the kids loved the long show, especially the adult kids. Besides us there were cousins of O's there. F&J and family, and H and family, a total of 24 people.

Next is Vail. Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Awaiting another New Year!

Happy New Year and well we are back from another long trip. We went to three different places; Tennessee, Florida, and Colorado. Since this trip was long I will comment on the trip over the next three days. One day for each place thus done over three days, so as not to make any blog too long.

First there was Christmas in Tennessee. It was wonderful to see the whole Tennessee clan over Christmas. Alicia and me had a really good time. We ate, went shopping, played football, hiked in a nice park, ate some more, and opened presents. The opening of presents was extremely long cause the custom here is to open one present at a time. It was a nice and different experience.

Some folks have asked me why we have given the presents that we gave. Well, my parents and us were the poorest of the family while I was growing up and I remember very well instances when my uncles, who have since died, gave us presents that to me seemed very generous. I truly remember feeling something very special by their generosity. I don't believe gifts have to be large or expensive to be good gifts. I believe the giving of a gift is what means the most, the thought is what means the most, and as I have stated before the most generous gift of all that someone can give to someone else is the gift of their time. Giving of your own time to someone else. Cause once you give someone your time you can never get it back.

And so, if one is fortunate enough to be able to give someone something that one believes would make that other person very happy, then one can make that gift. Just the giving of the gift is what is satisfying, but also if one sees that the other person really appreciated, needed, and/or was grateful for the gift, well then that is a bonus.

I truly believe that one should try to live each day as if it was their last. Thus making sure that we capitalize on every opportunity that we have to let the people close to us know that they have meant something special to our life.

Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Mourning our loss!

Near the end of my trip to Boston Alicia called with the bad news that our horse Hercules was down. He had been getting worst the last months, but I was hoping he would come around. The vet had old me that he was just old and the fact that he was missing so many teeth didn't help. I was very sad that it had finally come to this, but the saddest part for me was the agony Alicia went through. She found him like that and she had to put him down. I really felt for her. One of the saddest moments of my life. I buried him when I got back, next to our beloved dog, Cody.

My brother visited for a few days to do a little hunting. The conditions were not good so he did not kill anything

Well I'm home for almost 2 weeks and then we have a very busy travel schedule where we return home and then leave again the next day 3 times, and puts us back home the last time the second week of 2008.

Thanksgiving Feast!

First Vegas was terrific. I find the life in Vegas interesting. I saw a few people drop a considerable amount of money on the tables.

Next our time in Maryland with J,E,M,C, was really nice. AA, RB, and OB also joined us for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. M and C are a blast. We also visited a park in Virginia that was beautiful. M, C, and me did some hiking at the park in 28 deg weather. We walked about a mile out into a prairie and had lunch on some boulders and then we hiked down a mountain about two miles to see a water falls. It was cold cause of the elevation. Not only did we visit the park but we also played board games, did a puzzle, walked the dogs, and cooked and ate. I say walked the dogs, cause Alicia is into dog training. She is really good at it. I also good to do a little bit of home improvement, my favorite.

Tonight I have a flag football game to attend at 10 pm and then I fly out to Boston to visit O and family in the mid day tomorrow. Short visit, one week.

Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

The Start of Hunting Season!

This is pecan season and well the pecans are not as plentiful as last year. But I did have an extra good year for hay. I got 3 cuttings and 65 round bales this year, that's a record for me.

Also hunting season has started. Either it is getting too easy or I have just gotten better at hunting. Shot a good sized spike opening night with Alicia, and my first real 10 pointer with a heavy rack and good weight during the first week. Seen lots of other good ones also. Still hot though. It should get even better as the temperature gets colder.

Well enough, cause I'm off to Las Vegas, I get back Saturday night and then we're off to Maryland for Thanksgiving.

Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Home Again!

Got back home and lots of work ahead for me. Hunting season starts this weekend and I still have to trim some of the trails and cut some brush. I've seen lots of deer since being back. Alicia has gotten real good with her rifle. She can put a 3 inch grouping at 100 yds. She'll make a good sniper. What a difference the right tool makes. She wants a pig so we'll see what happens.

In Boston I had a wonderful time. We all attended a revolutionary war reinactment and it was terrific. I like seeing the kids all excited. I also got a lot of work done. Build a garden shed for O, organized the basement, what a job that was, put in 3 didicated quad electrical outlets, rewired two other circuits, other misc things, and visited a lot. I have come to realize that I sure do get a lot of enjoyment building things and doing electrical work.

Alicia also had a terrific time in Virginia. Boy, they both do sound the same on the phone. OB is always a blast. We've also planned our trips for the next 6 months, and yes busy schedule as always.

Till next time, You'll Take Care, Jorge

We're off Again!

I'm heading back to Boston and Alicia is going to Virginia.

Alicia got her new rifle and boy what a difference the right tool makes in performance. She was really able to handle the rifle and shoot in the center for a perfect shot. The pigs better watch out. Her new rifle is perfect for her, she was always having difficulties with the scope or the kick back in the past but now this is the one for her. I should of bought her this rifle before.

I got to plant the trails with wheat, oats, and clover, and also did a little trimming and mowing. We'll see what the coming season brings.

It's dry as a bone at the farm as we have not gotten any rain for 3 weeks +. But it's got to rain some day, hopefully soon. I thought it was dry enough to mow the back 40 but the creek was still wet cause of the earlier rains. I tried to cross at the 4 good crossings but ended up getting stuck in the creek, even though I picked the best crossing. I had to get the backhoe to pull the tractor out of the creek.
I might not get to mow behind the creek. too bad. I've got to improve the creek crossings.

Till Next Time, Take Care, Jorge

Hunting Preparations Begin.

I'm back at the homestead with plenty to do. I have to start getting the farm ready for hunting season. Trail trimming, planting of winter grasses, and get my rifle ready. Alicia will be trying out her new rifle, she wants to put pork on the table.

Back in Boston I had a terific time. I got to see one of O's cousins and his family that I had not seen in a long time. They are a wonderful family. Also got to work on a brick path in the yard, trimmed some doors, and got to do some recon on some electrical work. I had a good time.

Alicia gave me a knew book to read about the civil war written from the accounts of the people there at Gettysburg. The book is titled "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. So far the book is very interesting. The book describes the strategies involved at the batttle from both sides.

Take Care, Jorge

Back at the Homestead

Back from my trip from Memphis to Mineapolis to help my brother. Of the whole drive I would have to say that I found my drive thru Iowa very beautiful. Iowa looks just like I would picture America. Rolling hills of corn and farm houses with silos. It was a very beautiful site, I was impressed.

Back at the farm we're back to the usual plus getting ready for the hunting season.
We have definitly received a lot of rain this year so far. The most noticable difference is that the rain was constant. At the farm we usually have a very dry summer were we don't get any rain for about 8 weeks and the temperature is in the 100's and so everything dries up. This year was cooler, the 100's only lasted for about a week and the rains were constant. Must be global cooling, LTS.

I'm also getting ready for my trip to Boston to see O and the family. You'll take care, Till next time, Jorge

Work, Work, Work!

Well I've been home 2 weeks and tomorrow I'm flying to Memphis to meet my brother then we're driving to Minnesota, then I fly back from Minnesota. He wants me to help him with something.
At the farm I've been catching up on the farm duties, mowing, fixing fences, cutting brush. Had some friends over who have two girls, 7 and 15 years old. They rode the horses and I took them on a ATV ride behind the creek, on boy, and they learned to drive the tractor. They had a blast.

Till Next time, Take Care, Jorge

Costa Rica Wrap Up.

Costa Rica is like the real Disney World. Where Dreams (of adventure do) Come True. Again the people are extrememly nice, friendly, helpful, and smile at you all the time. This is true even if the encounter involves no money. They always say "Con mucho gusto", which means gladly or they were very happy to assist you. I use to say that the people from the Cayman Islands were the friendlyest people I had ever met but now I am going to have to change this to Costa Ricans.

Visiters should not exchange any money. They except Dollars as well as the Colon (their money). Both currencies are used as if they were one. There is an exchange rate. The locals it seems wake up at 5 am as the sun rises and go to sleep at 7 pm. Sun sets about 6 pm and the rains start about 4 pm. We got to see the beach where they filmed the movie Christopher Colon.

Everyone in Costa Rica has insect bite marks on their body and we both got around 10 each. Alicia got a weird one on her leg but we are watching it closely. Alicia made all the arrangements for the trip and she did an outstanding job.

Pura Vida, Till Next Time, Take Care, Jorge

We Have To Say Goodbye!

Well we have finished our time in paradise. Today we thought we would plan our day so we would not get wet, but we missed it by 10 min. and in those 10 min. we got shoaked. C´est la vie.

The closest town not counting the samll area we are in with all the resort places is aout 5 blocks by 5 blocks, and this is a big town. It is about a 15 min car or bus trip down the mountain and away from the resort area. Our resort is 535 feet above the beach on a hill and we have a beautiful view of the beach and ocean.

I found out that the yearly average rainfall here is 14 feet, that is right 14 feet. I also found out that the one lane bridges were built by the Chiquita company 100 years ago to transport the banana crop by rail. So the one lane bridges were train bridges at one time, that is why they are one lane. The banana plantations are gone cause of the banana blight of 1940 and were replaced by the African Palms for palm oil which they transport by truck.

I can see why so many Americans have come to settle here, the beauty, the adventure, the people, and the opportunities. I feal sorry for the locals cause it seems like all the property and businesses are owned by out siders. The population of the whole country is about 3.8 million (the size of Houston), about 500,000 from Nicaragua. Costa Rica is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire in land. The Land prices are way up there above what the average person can pay. You can probably buy some cheap land in the jungle though.

Costa Rica literally means "Rich Coast" and their motto is "Pura Vida" which literally means "Pure Life" but they mean "The way Life should be lived".

The Costa Ricans are wonderful, extremely nice people.
This is Pura Vida, Till next time, Take Care, Jorge

Pura Vida!

It didn't rain today but we had an earthquake. A small one (nobody knows how big it was cause they do not have TV) right as we were going to sleep that woke us up cause the room and windows were shaking. First one for both of us. I thought the wind was blowing extremely hard like a hurricane but the wind was calm as the morning day. It seemed like it lasted 5 min but it was probably 1 min.

Alicia decided to get certified in scuba diving and she did. PADI certified in scuba diving. Alicia was a bit scared at the site where we first went into the ocean cause the conditions were real bad, visibility about 1 foot and real rough waves. I would have to say that the conditions were extreme. Visibility was 2 feet and the waters were real rough at the second site we tried. Worst I have ever seen. But she did really good but the other student kept getting lost cause of the visibility. The instructor was excellent. I was also in the water plus a Dive Master and another diver. The third and fourth dives the next day were a bit better. Visibility was about 15 feet and rough waves which is poor. We got to see a lot of fish, lobsters, rays, octopus, star fish, coral, and other things.

Well we got shoaked again today cause of the rains. We always get caught in the rain. We did bring ponchos but it doesn't help.

Another day in paradise, Pura Vida, as they say here,

These are the nicest people,
Till next time, Take Care, Jorge