Goose Island State Park

Drove to Goose Island State Park this morning. Driving in here is like coming home. What a warm familiar spot. You can choose between bayside and oak forest sites. The birding is better in the oak forest. More bushes and trees as cover for little forest birds. They even have a feeding station set up there where you can go sit and watch the birds come in to the food and water. We chose bayside. Can't get enough of the open water. Logged in for five nights. We'll occupy ourselves with bay views and shorebirds.

The boat covers are off again. We put the boat covers on, the wind blows them off. We put them back on. It rains. They keep the rain out. The rain stops, we have to drive the car and stop it fast to dump the cockpit lakes onto the windshield. The wind blows again. The covers blow off. If it ever blows and rains at the same time we're screwed.

My separated shoulder is healing nicely with the enforced racquetball layoff. We didn't even pack the racquetball gear so we wouldn't be tempted to find some place to play while we're out. The Orthopedist said after two weeks of rest, no reinjury, it would be okay. I have rested and iced it to death. It still catches and crunches, but that's just normal. I'm ready to resume racquetball when we return. I still can't sleep on my right side, though. I wonder if that means anything.

We started making this trip to Texas years ago with the pop-up VW camper. We've upgraded vehicles since then with the 20 foot Eldorado, the 27 foot Jamboree, the 35 foot Bounder, and now the 40 foot Bounder. Each upgrade has not changed the character of the trip. They have only made the trip more comfortable each time. Finally, though, this last move to the heavier motorhome changed one thing. For the first time, we didn't take the house out to park right on the sand for a few days. We talked a lot about it. We could have taken it out. It just never felt quite right to subject it to that. So, finally, a change in motorhomes has made a change in out trip. It's okay. A good trade.

We've had so many conversations about the perfect motorhome for brother David. A go-anywhere, do-anything RV. We finally found it out on the beach yesterday. It has everything.

Today was a day for travel, setup, and errands. A very leisurely pace. A forty mile day. Tomorrow we may do the unthinkable and set the alarm. If we can drag ourselves out of bed at seven am, we can take a bird walk with a trained professional. If we are going to see birds here we haven't seen before, that will be our best chance. He says he can spot seaside sparrows and sedge wrens. I'd like to see that!