We arrived in San Antonio on Thursday and found our KOA.  A GPS is a wonderful thing!  We got set up and because everything was working it was a snap.  We then went to Big Lou's for dinner.  A local place known for its Irish potatoes (potatoes, bacon, and cheese--we ate them for you, Mom) and a pint of Heineken for a dollar.  We ordered the Heineken and Angry Orchard hard cider.  We watched the Olympics and learned our women's hockey team had lost to the Canadians.  Not happy.  We ended up with cowboys buying us drinks.  We were very responsible and bolted after two rounds.

Went back, giggling, to the RV and worked on the blog.  The pictures are being the challenge when the internet is slow. The sense of smell brings back so many memories.  We miss camping and campfires. The smell of the campfires brought it all back. We miss our families. We both prefer an RV to a tent especially in the rain.

The next day we went into San Antonio and thoroughly enjoyed our brief visit.  We toured the Alamo and learned William Johnson from PA was one of the heroes of the Alamo. BJ informed us he has led many lives!  The historical society has tried hard to pay homage to all the heroes of the Alamo; the military, Texans of all races and cultures, women, and children. The brutal loss of lives in such a magnitude is hard to fathom. The use of war to settle a difference in our beliefs continues to this day. Why?

The Alamo made us want to more deeply reflect on the history of the region and try to understand.  Really understanding history means reading more than one opinion or history book.  Perhaps the draw to non-fiction that many elderly feel is to help them understand different  perspectives of events.

Alamo

We had a wonderful time on the Riverwalk.  It is beautiful, romantic, and historic.  We ate at Luciano's on the Riverwalk.  The father of our niece, Gab (wife of Brian Johnson and mother of Ava and Lucas), owns the restaurant. We were treated to the most scrumptious Italian dinner either of us had ever had.  What a delight!  Bianca and Rosa, Gab's aunt and cousin, were our gracious hosts!  We would highly recommend Luciano's for both the food and hospitality to everyone!

Riverwalk

Riverwalk

Riverwalk

Flossie, Rosa, Bianca and Cathy at Luciano

View from our table

View from Table

On the way home we met a retired couple who were also staying at the KOA.  They were in a large motor home with a truck behind it right next to us.They were returning from the fracking fields of Texas near the Mexican border.  Their quote was "Stay away from fracking!" They had been serving as the gatekeepers of an enormous oil and fracking production for six months.   We believe they said they were paid $1000 per week for 24/7 duty with all expenses paid. The dirt road that bought them off site was 7-8 miles long.  She said it took her an hour to get to any grocery store.

They left in quite a hurry.  When they took the job they knew there could be random drug and alcohol testing and firearms checks at any time.  They thought it was for the workers on the rig.  When the inspector asked to search their motor home they were quite surprised.  They told the inspector that they had a small 22 in  the home.  They had to pack up and leave immediately.  

His job on site was to man the gates.  She is an artist who makes dolls and jewelry and she used the time to replenish her stock.  We found it an exotic example of the elderly using various means to supplement their income.