On Sunday, I visited Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne, TX. The ranch has been used for a number of movies and hosts other activities. On this Sunday, they hosted a live Nativity Scene, including sheep, goats, camels, etc. 
Today I toured the Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, TX. I got to watch them make and package ice cream, but the best part of the tour was the opportunity to taste the ice cream. I couldn't taste all the flavors, but I sure tried! 
Warmest regards, Gus
I am at Thousand Trails, Medina Lake, Texas, and the deer are abundant. Today I was feeding some of them just outside the motor home. At first, they were hesitant to come close to me, but the smell of food (alfalfa pellets) was just too much to withstand. 
Betty and I are waiting for the kids to come by for their treats (or tricks). It was real easy to give out the candy, since all the kids were on two flat-bed trailers and everyone was given candy in about 10 minutes. There were about 50 kids and their parents on the trailers. 
Today I had a chance to have lunch with Porcia Vaughn in Bridgeport, TX. She stopped to see me and "cousins" Pat and Jim on her way back to Dallas from a conference in Lubbock. 
Today I was in Lincoln, NE, and visted the state capitol. At the capitol I met Loretta, who provided me with lots of information about the building and the city of Lincoln. 
Here is another shot of the bison at the end of the roundup. 
Today I was able to attend the 47th Annual Bison Roundup at Custer State Park, near Rapid City, SD. The cowboys, on horses and in pickups, rounded up about 1,000 or more bison and drove them to the holding pens. Over the next few weeks, the bison herd will be thinned and some will be returned to the grazing lands of the state park. 
Warmest regards, Gus
Today I met Claire at BenDistillery in Bend, OR. Claire provided me with some great vodkas and one gin to savor. I really liked the Crater Lake Pepper Vodka, which is 80 proof and is made with five different hot peppers to provide a great flavor to use in making Bloody Marys. Check out their web site at www.bendistillery.com.
Today I visited Fort Stevens Historic Military Site near Hammond, OR. This site is at the mouth of the Columbia River. I was allowed to be an "honoray" powder monkey--one of the boys and girls aged 7-14 who assisted with the work aboard ship. Here I am with James (left) who is not old enough yet to help out! 
I am confused: the "One Way" sign says I have to go one direction and the "Tsunami Evacuation Route" sign says to go the other direction! I hope I don't have to take the tsunami route, but it is nice to know that there is a plan. I am almost a mile from the ocean, but the land is very flat between the campground and the ocean. I need to get to higher ground if there is an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean. 
This is the view I had from atop the Astoria Column when I climbed the 164 steps to the top on Sunday. The bridge beyond the town of Astoria is the Astoria-Megler bridge (over four miles long), which was built during the years 1962-1966, and is the longest continuous truss span in North America. This bridge across the Coumbia River allows easy access to Washington state. The next bridge across the Columbia is at Longview, WA. 
The Astoria Column is the final monument in a series of 12 historical markers erected in the early 1900s between St. Paul, MN, and Astoria, Oregon. 
This is a view of the Heceta Lighthouse as seen from the Sea Lions Cave just north of Florence, OR. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see that the lighthouse is shrouded in plastic. It is undergoing renovation this year and so I couldn't climb to the top. 
Recently I visited the Sea Lions Cave on the Oregon Coast near Florence. I first went into the dark cave and saw a few sea lions, but then came out to the overlook and found over 100 sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks. On the way home, I saw several whales, but they quite aways out and didn't get any pictures. 
On Friday I visited the Nevada State Museum in Carson City. One of the great exhibits was Coin Press No. 1, which was brought to Carson City from Philadelphia in 1869. The first coin was struck in 1870, a Seated Liberty Dollar, bearing the CC mintmark. The 18,000 press was moved back to Philadelphis after the Carson City mint closed in 1890. Later it was sent to the San Francisco mint and used there until 1955. It returned to Carson City in 1967. The picture shows a commemorative coin being struck, as I watched, on May 25, 2012. The press is used for this purpose on the last Friday of each month.
Yesterday, I visited the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City. The first two pictures are exterior shots of the capitol. The next two are in the Governor's office. I wanted to visit with Governor Sandoval, but he was in Las Vegas for the day. 
Warmest regards, Gus
The other day I was taken to Cheri's Ranch and Resort to have lunch. However, I was not allowed to enter, since I am not 21 years of age. Sheri's is one of a few legal brothels in Nye County, Nevada. I have been told that only three counties in Nevada have brothels. I guess I will have to go to Google to find out what happens in a brothel. 
