March came in like a lion, sort of.  We had more rain and dreary weather.  On Saturday we got up and spent the day just doing what we wanted.  Dick worked on his computer and Millie got out the sewing machine and worked on the vest for Sewing Guild.  It was such a nice day, just doing what we wanted. 

            Sharon called Kevin on Monday and she will take Millie’s job.  Millie and Kevin were both relieved that a new person won’t have to be trained for the position.

            On Tuesday we went to the CPA’s to sign our tax form and pick up our copy. That is one more thing out of the way.  When we got home we went down to the laundry room and got the laundry done.  We met a couple there that is also going to go fulltime in the fall.  They have just recently sold their home and had picked up a new Kountry Aire motorhome on the Friday before.  We had an enjoyable time talking to them and before we knew it the laundry was done. 

            Wednesday was another night out for Millie.  Mark Spain who does the freight arrangements for the Atlanta warehouse came to visit the Houston office.  Mark treated Millie, Kevin and Joan to a great dinner at “The Aquarium”, a new restaurant in downtown Houston.  It was a great evening with wonderful food. We have been doing business with Mark for a number of years, but it was the first time to meet him in person for Millie and Joan.  It is always nice when you can put a face to the voice on the other end of the line.

            Thursday we came home from work, changed clothes and headed to the Reliant Stadium for the Rodeo.  It was Extreme Bull Riding night.  We saw 30 riders compete for a chance to go on for another ride and win $25000.00 After the competition, the concert began.  The entertainer was Clay Walker.  We have seen Clay every time he has played the rodeo and we enjoy him.  He gave a great show as always. 

            Friday the sun came out in the afternoon and it warmed up.  Millie went home and sat outside while she waited for Dick.  We went to dinner at Red Lobster, then home for a quiet evening.

            Saturday was warm and somewhat overcast, but after all the rain, it was a welcome relief.  Dick had made arrangements for David Kendrick to come by and demonstrate the MotoSat system for satellite Internet. His system is mounted to a Dodge Durango, with his computer equipment, etc. in the back.  David had a small group of guys watching over his shoulder by the time he was finished.  He took a look at our unit, but decided he needed to talk to the Travel Supreme factory to see what is under the roof and if there will be a problem installing one.  After David left we headed out to Rosenberg to watch Chad’s baseball team, the Katy Tigers, play in a tournament.  It was a nice afternoon for watching the game.  The game ended with a tie score, as they were playing a timed game. We then went to eat and headed home for a quiet evening.

            Sunday was a beautiful sunny day.  We got dressed and read the paper.  Millie fixed pancakes.  Dick decided to wash the truck, and Millie sat outside and worked on her cross-stitch while Dick washed and waxed the truck.  After dinner we watched TV and Millie stitched some more.  Millie also talked to Phyllis.  Dick and Phyllis are planning to be here St. Patrick’s Day for a quick visit before heading to Alabama to see their grandkids.

            Monday was sunny and warm again.  After work we went to eat, the headed to the grocery store.  We got the groceries put away, then worked on getting some new pictures on the web page.  If you haven’t seen them, check out the Photo Gallery for some pictures of Millie’s needlework and our Christmas decorations from this past December.

            Tuesday we again attended the rodeo.  It was a full rodeo and Brooks and Dunn were the entertainment. 

            Saturday we headed to the Reliant Park complex to attend the Mule and Donkey Show.  A number of years ago we discovered that they have some really fun events in this section of the Livestock Show.  Our favorites are the Coon Mule Jumping and the Mule Pulls.  It is amazing to see how much the pulls have expanded since the first ones we attended. The pulls are always a fun, noisy event.  This year it took around 5 hours for all the pulls.  They have 4 classes and a lot of teams were in each class, except for the Jumbo’s, which only had a few teams.  The Jumbo’s were really large; they must have been bread with draft horses.

            If you have never seen Coon Mule Jumping, it is so interesting to see.  The mules were divided into 2 groups, depending on shoulder height.  A bar is set up for jumping, just like horses use, except for the big difference.  Mule jumps are not done from a running start.  A box is outlined (10’ square for the smaller ones and 12’ for the taller ones) and the mule can only use the room inside the box.  Each mule is given 2 attempts to jump the bar.  If he steps even one of his feet outside the box, it is counted as an attempt.  The handler holds a rope attached to the mules halter and urges the mule over the bar.  It is nearly a flat-footed jump!  After each pass of all the mules in the group, the bar is raised 2” and everyone jumps again.  This continues until no one can clear the bar.  This year the smallest mules cleared about 48” and the taller ones about 54”.  One year we watched a mule actually clear 62”!  Oh, and by the way, all this is done with a saddle on their back!!  This competition comes from when they used mules for Coon hunting and when they came to a fence, the rider would dismount, and urge the mule over the fence, then mount back up and follow the dogs tracking the Coon. 

            Sunday we again attended the rodeo.  This was the finals, which we always enjoy.  The top 12 from each category compete in a final go round.  The winner of each event receives a check, belt buckle and saddle.  The competitor who won the most money over all, during the course of the entire rodeo run, is also given an extra $25, 000.  The entertainment was Alabama.  They are on their final year of touring and we really enjoy their music.

            Monday was St. Patrick’s Day and Dick and Phyllis arrived in Sugar Land to spend the night.  After Dick and I got off work we headed down to pick them up and we all went to The Black Eyed Pea for dinner.  We visited over dinner and desert, and then went back to their Allegro Bus to visit for a while.  They are heading back to Alabama for Dr. appts, etc and to spend some time visiting family.  It will be summer before we see each other again, meeting somewhere in Alaska.

            On Thursday we had a weather front blow thru that brought on a spell of Millie’s annual spring allergies.  We were hoping she had escaped this year, as this is later than her usual spell.  Friday thru Monday we just hung around the house and relaxed as Millie was not up to going out and wanted to stay inside with the air conditioning.  We did rearrange the cabinet under the kitchen sink.  It seems like every time we do this we come up with more room.

            The next week was pretty normal, Millie had a dental appt for her 6 months cleaning.  We did laundry and grocery shopping.

            The following week was uneventful.  Laundry and household chores.  It looks like we may have another water leak, Dick will take the RV to PPL next week and have it checked out. 

            Saturday we attended a Nikon school of Digital Photography.  It was a good presentation and we gleaned a lot of good information.  The worst thing was sitting on those uncomfortable hotel chairs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM!  Afterwards we stopped to eat dinner, then home for a quiet evening.

            Sunday after church, Millie picked up Ann and they drove to Brenham in search of Bluebonnets.  If you don’t know, a bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas.  They bloom here in the spring and are a type of Lupine.  They really make a spectacular display when they bloom.  Some pastures look like they have been covered in blue paint.  They were a little early for peak blooms, but did see some patches.  They also stopped in Brenham and browsed a few antique shops and had some BlueBell ice cream.  Brenham is famous for being the home of BlueBell, an ice cream beyond comparison. 

            Dick was across town doing some computer work for a friend.  We met back at the RV park and the three of us went to dinner at the Olive Garden and then drove Ann home.

            Monday was month-end for Mille at work.  It is hard to believe she will only be doing one more.  The past few months have flown by, we are now down to 30 Days until retirement. 

            We have purchased a copy of the Mile Post and Rving Alaska by Land and Sea and Millie is busy reading and putting together our itinerary for our adventure.  We will soon be on our way!