Paid under $2.20/gal for Diesel and gasoline is $1.80 with a little shopping Yahoo!

When in Rome, so to speak!  I have to say that I have never been interested in even the idea of spa days but Hot Springs is known for its Bath Houses so how could I not give it a try.  Buckstaff Bathhouse first opened its doors in 1912.  Today, under the watchful eye of the National Park Service, they offer what they bill as the traditional experience of that time period.  I have no idea how closely it resembles a modern spa day but I enjoyed the experience.

First a hot mineral spring tub soak in a giant cast iron tub including a fresh cup of 143F water to sip…after it cooled a tad of course.  Mattie kicked on the whirlpool jet pump and let me soak.  Ahh.  Next (my favorite), hot packs.  Columns of steam rose from towels wet with mineral spring water.  My skin tingled when she first applied them but as the heat soaked into my back, shoulders and legs I felt like I was just melting.  The heat was balanced by the cool air I breathed in across an icy cold towel wrapped around my face and head.  Thumbs down for the steam cabinet, it was just icky and uncomfortable.  I really had my doubts about it but my time in the odd sitz bath tub of just tolerably hot water spoke to my arthritic hips.  Not bad.  They had toned down the needle shower to more of a cascade so it was a bit anticlimactic but a welcome cool down after all this heat.   It was a strong “B” as new experiences go.  I’d probably try it again sometime.

I can’t really understand the concept of a couple’s spa day though.  This was an all about ME experience.  Having to be social would distract from collapsing into just feeling. Just me I suppose?

Kent gave the Bath House a try too…separately of course as they did back in the day.  He rated it a not so rousing “OK”.  Based on his account of the experience I’d say his attendant was probably not as smooth at it as mine.  They make or break the experience.

Try water sampling from the various springs as you wander Bath House Row.  It’s interesting to try to discern differences in taste and feel based in the varying chemistries.  Oddly, some don’t really feel wet…weird.

The entrance into J&J RV in Hot Springs had me thinking, ho hum, another jammed in gravel lot.  Not so.  This is a long narrow oasis trapped between a creek and wooded hill.  There is frog pond and a wonderful variety of grasses and flowering plants and trees.  Fun pieces of “art”, like a concrete armadillo and a giant barbed wire magnolia blossom dot the grounds.  The owner putters continuously tending this and that.  He was wonderfully helpful identifying things to do and even places to eat.  I’d recommend it and would likely stay again if we wander this way.

It was breezy when we headed across the lake and the wind strengthened all morning.  The fishing wasn’t all that great so as the chop turned to whitecaps we decided we better head back to camp. It was a pretty wild ride as slamming into waves felt a lot like hitting brick walls and spray washed over both of us.  We were glad to be in our trusty v-hull rather than one of the shallow bass boats.

Safely ashore, just in time.  Thunder, lightening and a wall of rain moved across the lake as we watched out of the window.  Perfect timing.

We have red worms and night crawlers so we are out early to see what we can catch.  The count, a handful of pan fish, one bass and a couple catfish.  It was an ok morning for fishing.  Critter watching made it even better.  There are scissor tail flycatchers, red headed woodpeckers, a pair bald eagles, night heron, king birds and lots of mocking birds (they are building nests all around camp).  I caught a glimpse of a huge snake sliding off a floating log…don’t know what kind it was but glad it chose to head the other way.

Gray skies opened up to a downpour that approached like a solid wall across the lake.  Big drops created mini fountains as they hit the lake surface.  We waited it out under an umbrella.  Beautiful!

First, some outboard motor repairs

The outboard has been spilling gas when it is tipped up so Kent replaced the gaskets on the carburetors.  I will leave the details for his first hand account.  All I will say is that our first evening at Rayburn Lake was filled with a fair amount of mumbling, some unanticipated banging and the smell of outboard oil; but mission accomplished, a test run confirmed no more gas leak.  One more repair, the coolant water pump/gear.  It was a lot more difficult than it looked in the youtube video.

I am sure the time in the trailer last summer in Phoenix, while we were in Alaska, aggravated the situation.  The carburetor has been a nagging problem for several years.  I found the bowl gasket on the lower carb installed incorrectly.  The initial problem started in Michigan with an authorized dealer repair.  It is really difficult to install and requires an installation by feel with a check using a mirror.  It was kinked the last time it was installed.

The water pump is one of those things that just keeps getting worse over time. Apparently 21 years is beyond the expected service life.  Two years ago it was weak  pumping at an idle. After the “Arizona bake” it was inadequate at a fast idle and even at medium running speed.  When removed, the elastomeric pump paddles were no longer flexible.  Other than the effort required to push the impeller into the housing without a vise, it should have been an easy repair.  Except you must simultaneously reassemble lower unit onto the driveshaft, water pump tube, gear shifting mechanism and the bolts holding the lower unit to the engine.  It took a couple of tries to get it together then some time to reassemble the corroded trim tab/anode removed to get at one of the assembly bolts.

It feels great to be on the move.  We packed it all up and pulled out of Rosenberg at 10 this morning.  The sky is grey and the air thick with moisture but we encounter only a few quick showers as Kent artfully works the rig through Houston all-the-time traffic.  First stop? Sea Rim State Park.  We need to check out how things have gone since we volunteered here late 2013.

It is quiet here.  Just two other sites are occupied.    A strong breeze off the Gulf moderates the 80 something sticky air, keeps the mosquitoes at bay, and whips the crashing waves a chocolate brown.  First we stroll the beach; lovely.  Then check out another favorite spot, the Gambusia (it’s the real name for the mosquito fish) walkway.  It is a boardwalk through a freshwater marsh and today the tri-color herons are really making a showing.  They are in beautiful plumage and showing off everywhere.  A 7ft gator guards one section of the walk.  Cool looking birds, nighthawks, make appearances among the rocks along the marsh and in the campground.