Cleburne State Park

Friday, 23 February 2018

Cleburne State Park

What a day.

After waiting an extra hour and a half this morning for the rain to lighten up so I could walk the dogs without drowning – it was really pouring – and fighting my way through the road construction and usual traffic Austin seems to have these days, I finally got to Momma’s house. Got the last of the stuff cleared out.

Stopped at the gas station – prices were 15¢/gallon cheaper in Beeville than at my usually inexpensive Austin station.

Stopped at the Goodwill to donate the last of the donatable items.

Stopped at the pet store to replace the collar Dexter tore up. Walked the dogs.

Went over to the title company and eventually found 2 parking places together where I could fit the RV.

Met our realtor, who bought me lunch.

Went to the title company and signed the paperwork that would irrevocably transfer that wonderful house out of our family after more than 70 years. Cried. They offered Kleenex and sympathy.

Walked the dogs again and hit the road. That was at 2:30.

I guess because it was a Friday the traffic on the northbound highway never let up. Usually it thins out after leaving the major population areas, but not today. And then there was the perpetually-under-construction area around Belton/Temple. I’m pretty sure there was construction in that area when I went to college in 1967, and I don’t think it’s ever not been under construction. Does anybody know whose brother-in-law got that eternal contract?

By the time I turned off the interstate onto a state road, fog had set in. In places, it was only about ¼ mile visibility. That slowed me right down, but I hated to hold up the traffic behind me who were probably local people who didn’t want to be slowed down, so I did the best I could. It wasn’t the road, just the fog. Which turned into low clouds with rain in them. In some places it was both.

I did learn another lesson, though, which is to keep the camera up front when I’m driving. I stopped at a traffic light in Hillsboro and got a perfect view of their lovely courthouse out my driver’s side window. I could have gotten a great picture if I’d had my camera.

I went the 30 miles or so to Cleburne and couldn’t find any of the highway signs I expected. Stopped at a gas station and the combined clientele gave me good instructions to the campground. When I asked them about how much farther, they said oh, it’s a ways. Which made me brace myself for another 30 miles or so. But from the gas station it was only 12 more miles.

The campground seems to be a really nice one, and it’s nearly empty. Of course, it’s February and it’s cold and rainy. I had my pick of all 16 of the sites in this section. When I stopped, plugged us in to the electricity and started walking the dogs, there must have been hundreds of birds singing nearby. It was a cacophony. And after about 10 minutes it turned off like a spigot. I don’t know – maybe it was bedtime.

It really is a nice campground and I’m sorry we can’t stay an extra day. But I need to present my RV at the dealer in Alvarado by as close to 9:00 as possible, so too bad, not happening.