Adventure 97: Fredericksburg RV Park/Post C

The peace garden presented to Admiral Nimitz by the Japanese

Because the weatherman was right, we used the morning to hide from the blustery cloudy conditions. Even though it was above sixty, the twenty knot winds made outside less than comfortable. Instead of our usual oatmeal, we ate Huevos Rancheros at a little cafe called Mahaleys on main street. After that we spent a few hours touring the Nimitz Museum, which chronicles the Pacific campaigns during World War II. Admiral Nimitz grew up in Fredericksburg, so naturally, he is quite the hero around these parts. It seems to be deserving. Once again, we learned more about our history than we remembered learning in school, and once again, we were sobered by the experience. It seems so sad that we've learned nothing over the years. War seems as constant as breath, and it seems that every man, be he white, yellow, or otherwise, finds violence as the means of making right. One display was particularly striking. There was a replica of "Little Boy", the atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Around it in a sweep of 360 degrees were grainy gray images of the immense destruction of the Japanese city. From an American perspective, dropping the atom bomb was the only means at our disposal to end the war. A few years ago, Judy and I visited the Hiroshima museum. Of course, they have a different perspective. In their monument, displays of melted daily artifacts, unbelievable devastation, and almost visible tears dominate the space. In both cases, we left deflated by the all too real notion that man is capable of unbridled cruelty. Today was no exception. Both Judy and I wished we had chosen some other activity, not because we want to be unaware of history, but because we feel so helpless to change the human condition. To shake ourselves free of the weight, we took a drive down to Boerne, a little hill town about thirty miles away. It's vibrant, but not nearly as charming as Fredericksburg. On a teeth grinding note, we had to make a trip to WalMart (The evil empire), so Judy could replace her earring back. Thankfully, the trip was brief, and I don't feel a fever coming on yet. For the evening, we decided to get a basketball fix. The local boys team was playing its first district game. They handled their opposition easily, played a pretty good brand of ball, and it was fun seeing the local parents support their kids. Same as everywhere. The highlight of the night was another stop at Hondo's to hear Bret Graham play honky tonk. Unlike the prior nights, the place was packed, and graylings like us were cutting some pretty good rugs. I'm gonna miss this when we're back in Spokane, which is a black hole where musicians go to die. Actually, I have a feeling we're going to miss it much sooner than that. When we leave Fredericksburg, we head for West Texas, and unless the jackalopes have a swing band, our only hope is the radio. On a tournament note, the cribbage gods must have called foul on the Wiebe Jeebies the Hunny Bunny was pulling yesterday because I was hotter than a Texas summer and posted a double skunk, the first of the trip, to take a 4-1 lead in the Fredericksburg Open. Life is good, especially today.


 Fair to middling' Tex Mex rancheros.

 The entirety of this courtyard is rimmed with plaques featuring the brave servicemen who gave their lives for our country. As Franklin Roosevelt said, "Some generations are given much while other generations are asked to give much."

 Try putting this prop on your boat. It would only have to be three hundred feet long.

 We sampled the brisket plate at Cranky Frank's. The proprietor was quite cranky, but the BBQ was adequate.

 At least this trout thinks so.

 On our walk yesterday, the Hunny Bunny scooped up a bucket full of pecans that had fallen to the ground. She hammered out a few of the fresh nuts. Yes, fresh is better: sweet and creamy.

 The evil empire is everywhere. 

 The goats had no trouble whipping the boys from Navarro tonight.

 Clayton, the boy with his hand on his hips, is about 6'2" and he's a pretty sweet player. Unselfish, hardworking, and he's got a good understanding of the game.

 Bret Graham. Once again, this is just a local pub with middling' to fair pub food, but it hosts live music almost every night of the week. Fantastic! Here's a sample: Bret Graham performs Me and Bobby McGee       

The whole band with the graylings cutting the rug in front.