We have had dinner the past two evenings in Bastrop, about 47 miles SE of Cedar Park, on the maiden voyage of our travel trailer!She's 26' from ball to bumper and totally sweet!  More suited to our lifestyle than the popup, she has every feature I was looking for and a floorplan that seems to work for us.  Dave really likes her, too, and we look forward to getting out much more frequently than with the popup; this will allow us to be more spontaneous.

It feels good to get that first real tow done and dusted; the trip home from the dealer doesn't count!    I tell ya, this baby tows like a dream.  Much more stable and steady than the popup.  I was more relaxed and it almost seemed the truck was saying, "Oh yeah, this is more like it!" 

We arrived Sunday afternoon; took about an hour to leisurely cruise down here and maybe 15-20 minutes to have camp set up, much less than with the popup.  Hey, we have even cooked dinner the last two nights!  Whoohoo!  Sweet!  Unfortunately, I have been suffering mightily with allergies for about a week ("Cedar Fever" - the cedar pollen count has been very high), so I was not up to joining Dave for a ride this morning.  I did enjoy the solitude and "down time," being a shutterbug and just chilling out.  We drove through the two state parks in the area this afternoon and then played chess after dinner this evening. 

Lights out now, Dave's in bed and I'm indulging in some music via earbuds and catching up here.  Listening to Enya..."The Memory of Trees."  Always soothing to me.

Someone very dear to me is fighting the cancer battle, the beast having appeared very suddenly in her life.  It has been one of the most difficult weeks of my life.  We talk on the phone almost every day now and even these short conversations are so precious...just to hear her voice, just to make that connection...even tho' we have been "connected" all these years.  With my history of already confronting this monster we call cancer, I figured I'd be the first to leave this earthly life.  It has been a very difficult week.

So don't let another day, hour, or moment go by without seizing the opportunity to show your love for those you hold dear.  Life is, my friends, short.

Peace be with you all...

The above was composed on 12/29/08; posted on 12/30/08.