RV MOBILE LUBE - WHY WE LOVE 'EM

A year ago, another Escapee answered my online plea: "Can someone recommend a place in Texas where we can get our engine serviced?" We needed the standard stuff, just like you need periodically for your car: change the oil and filter and lube the chassis.

He recommended RV Mobile Lube and, after last year's experience, we did too. In fact, we were so impressed that we decided we would wait until we were back in Texas this year to have our major engine servicing done.

Today was the day, and Darlene and John arrived right on schedule at 10 am. This year, we needed more than just an oil change and lube - we needed the full service. Usually, this translates into a day at the shop (beginning at 7 am, of course) for Scoopy and an uncomfortable, long day in the Jeep for Odel, Laurie and Luna.

With RV Mobile Lube, we stay home and let them come to us. We're fully deployed, even had the washing machine going while John got to work. The convenience would be reason enough to love 'em, but the reasonable prices and their "service with a smile" attitude makes RV Mobile Lube our favorite motorhome service experience.

After his work was finished, John had two recommendations for us to avoid future problems: have the U-joints checked, and replace the serpentine belt, which is beginning to show signs of age. The total bill for the oil and filter change, fuel filter change, chassis lube, transmission servicing, hydraulic system flush and filter, coolant filter, air dryer cartridge and the expert examination and advice: $840.

While Odel hung around home to watch and learn, I visited another favorite Texas business: H-E-B. I don't remember whether I have seen H-E-B grocery stores outside of Texas, but I wish they were everywhere.

Our first experience with H-E-B was in San Antonio, Texas, several years ago. The produce department, just inside the front door, knocked me out... and then I saw the woman making fresh corn tortillas!

I could hardly tear myself away from a thorough examination of the umpteen different chilis and peppers they stocked but when I did, we found ourselves gazing at half a dozen different kinds of fresh shrimp in the refrigerated case. To our surprise, the clerk offered to season and cook our shrimp while we did our shopping. We ordered, then came back to the counter to find our freshly cooked shrimp in a plastic bag... which was placed in another plastic bag filled with ice. Yum, yum.

That was the beginning of my love affair with H-E-B, another good reason to like Texas.

BACK TO ENCHANTED ROCK, AND A TASTE OF TEXAS

After one afternoon of sunshine, the warm, humid weather has caught up with us again. Today's temperature has stayed in the 70's; humidity was 98% around 3 pm. The sky is overcast and gloomy.

Fredericksburg is on the far left edge of the ominous red blob that The Weather Channel uses to signify potentially severe weather, and the still, humid blanket of clouds lends credence to the forecast. It looks as though any real problems will miss us, but I am glad we have the blare of the NOAA weather radio to arouse us if necessary, and a sturdy limestone building nearby.


The weather can't squelch our fun, though. We picked up Jackie and Buddy (and a picnic Jackie packed for us) at their RV park around 10:30 this morning and headed off to Enchanted Rock for a hike to the top. Enchanted Rock is huge, pink granite dome, 425 feet high, covering 640 acres. It is a batholith - an underground rock formation uncovered by erosion - one of the largest in the US and downright fun to hike. My pictures from last year show a clear blue sky and bright sunshine. This year, as we finished our picnic after we descended from the top, a light rain began to fall.

We packed up the crumbs, hopped into the car and headed back to Fredericksburg, to Rustlin Rob's. Rustlin Rob's sells condiments, jams, jellies, marinades, glazes, salsas, fruit butters, pickles, chow chow, mustards... and you can sample every single one before you buy. Buddy was excited about a spicy salsa he had tasted (and purchased) on a prior visit, and wanted to restock a jalapeno mustard he enjoys.

It was a good place to spend time on a rainy afternoon, especially since our planned grilled chicken dinner had been rained out. We spoiled our appetites by tasting what seemed like EVERYTHING - but tasting everything would have been impossible, there is just too much.

Hidden way back in the store is a little room of the truely dangerous hot sauces. A sign on the tiny sampling table cautions: "These are EXTREME HOTSAUCES. Not for children. Use caution."

Buddy and Odel, being manly men, each put a dewdrop of hot sauce on a cracker and popped in in their mouths. Eyes buldging and tearing, they went in search of an antidote. Soon I saw Jackie, too, moving rapidly in search of something to cool the heat.

Rob, or an employee, told us they had sampled the least spicy of the dangerous stuff... that samples of the truely, truely hot sauces are available, but too dangerous to leave out - tasting under supervision only. These folks are NUTS!

APRIL 1, 2008: BEGINNING YEAR 6 OF FULL TIMING

Our last episode of "tornadic activity" was on April 13th, 2007, in Fredericksburg, Texas. We were camped at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, just outside of town. With our neighbors, on a warm, humid, completely calm afternoon, we watched a huge "wall" cloud blot out the blue sky as it advanced towards us. When the wind started to blow, all us campers (and of course we had Luna, in her carrier) jumped in our cars or trucks and made for the various, very solid seeming, limestone restrooms scattered throughout the park.

In the dark, we listened to our weather radios and heard that the tornados went both north and south of Fredericksburg. Just recently I heard from our friends JoAnn and Doug that they had extensive damage to their 5th wheel and truck on that same day last year, at Parkview Riverside RV Park in Concan/Rio Frio - the park we just left!

This is on my mind now because we are back at Lady Bird Johnson Park, one of our favorites (read our campground review here). We have a huge site on the edge of the little municipal airport, where we can watch small planes come and go throughout the day. Even better, our friends Jackie and Buddy Bartee, Texans we met three years ago in Salida, Colorado, are camped just a couple miles from us.

Their proximity is particularly welcome because yesterday, April 1, is our anniversary. Five years ago, April 1, 2003, we pulled Scoopy out of our driveway in West Sacramento and took off on what has now been five years of adventure. For us, it is an anniversary worth celebrating - and much more fun with friends.

The last time we went out for a meal with the Bartees was in Portland, Oregon, when we introduced them to Dim Sum. This time, we celebrated our anniversary over dinner at the Bejas Grill and Cantina in Fredericksburg - not quite as unusual a menu, but delicious food. So, happy anniversary to us... we'll keep on rollin'.