June 26: Why Isn't It Moving?

Today's post is dedicated to my granddaughter, Aria because I think she would have loved today and she would probably ask the same questions that Jean-Luc can't say aloud. Those two are connected.

"Continue to be inquisitive throughout your whole life; never stop chasing butterflies, never stop looking up at the stars, and most of all never stop dancing with fairies." Laurie Dieppa

Today I made a major wrong turn. You know me - always looking for a Starbucks. Well I turned into a parking lot, which just so happened to be the smallest parking lot on Earth. There was a Starbucks sitting in the middle of this miniature parking lot. I had no place to go - pulling a camper and all. Medium story short. I got stuck and a nice old man (probably my age) came out of Starbucks and said, "Man, I saw you pull in and I said, I think that lady is going to need my help." He was right. He directed me on which way to turn my wheels to go backwards out of the tiny parking lot. It basically cured me of my Starbucks obsession. Other than that, today was a really good day. We set off earlier than usual. The boys were ready to go at 6:30. We went all through the Hill Country on our way to Waco. So many wineries - who knew? I really expected to see more oil drills, more beef cattle and more corn, but not in the Hills I guess. We did pass an exotic animal farm. We saw a herd of the happiest gazelles you'll ever see...no one chasing them down, no eating and sleeping with one eye open. These gazelles found heaven in the Texas Hill Country. There were also tigers, ostriches, a giraffe. You could see them from the road. Super cool and unexpected.

So, I had to have instant cold coffee this morning and so I am writing this at 11:45 pm. I should be very tired, but here I am wide awake, while the boys snore. Anyway, we arrived in Waco about noonish. Our one and only stop here was to Chip and Joanna Gaines Silo District. It was much smaller than I anticipated. There was a two hour wait to get into the bakery. I skipped that. The dogs behaved themselves very well. No barking. Good on leash walking behavior. I bought popcorn, which was made on this incredibly large, open griddle. So many different kinds, even cinnamon toast flavored. Also bought a special bottled water with "The Silos" label on it. It was kind of windy, so I struggled to take a selfie there. One nice lady saw me and offered to take our picture. So we got a pretty good shot. The dogs really enjoyed the walk around the city. Waco is a weird mixture of boarded up buildings and boarded up businesses, but also new and extremely trendy boutique businesses, as well as condos for sale in the downtown area. Also saw the Dr. Pepper Museum there. We left Waco and headed to Fort Worth and the Stockyards. So much history there, and sooo many bars. We walked every street that was paved with bricks. So many cowboy hats and cowboy boots. So many ladies in short shorts and sundresses with cowboy boots. Cute. We missed the cattle drive and didn't stay for the rodeo, but we got a good taste of the Stockyards. I had a beer and the boys had ice water while we people watched- it was hot and humid. We took a ride on a horse and carriage. Our driver, Amy gave us the history of the Stockyards and explained that she has her degree in equine science. She has enough experience now that she thinks she may be able to get a job at Disneyland. She spends a lot of time away from her kids with the job at the Stockyards because she has to provide for them, since her husband died three years ago. Her mother stays with them when she is working. All over the country people doing what they have to to make a living for themselves and their families.

The funniest part about today was that Jean-Luc did not bark at one long horn steer, not a horse, not a goat, no living animal (except another dog), but he would lose his sh*t every time there was a statue of a cow, horse, steer, etc. It's like he was freaked out that these animals could stay so still, especially the ones that were painted to look real. The other day he had it out with a picture of a golden retriever on the side of one of those rent-a-campers. Goofy dog. As we're walking everyone always asks what breed he is, but they never ask about Bobby, so I tell them anyway because I don't want him to feel left out. - Goofy Dog Mom. Made it to Canton KOA. The nicest site I've been to yet. The first time neighbors asked about me and introduced themselves. Guess where Debbie and Mark are from...Riverside, California! Yep, the first people to reach out to me are from back home. Funny how life works.