Day 20 - Texas

Day 20

November 3

Port Aransas

Dearest Miss Smith,

I am sitting on a bench here at the beach. The sun is starting to go down and soon it will be dark. Today has been quite charming and relaxing.

I believe I mentioned in yesterday’s letter that we were going to drive here last night. We did and we all got to bed early. And by early I refer to the last single digit o’clock in the evening. After such a good night’s sleep, we were all up early. Amy and I, along with the dogs, escorted the boys to the docks. There was a friend of Amy’s family who knew someone who was willing to take the boys deep sea fishing.

They both had stars in their eyes when they got on board. Amy and I had no desire to accompany them. Our tastes for the day lay elsewhere.

We were both a little weary with the fast pace of the last few days. Therefore, we strolled leisurely back to the RV where we cleaned it. It was in desperate need of sweeping. Boys do track in such a lot of dirt. But they have been wonderful.

Once the cleaning was done (it really didn’t take long since it is so small), we prepared to wander around. I first put on my favorite hat, my string of pearls and my small glasses, but Amy suggested that my hat might blow off or get dirty if we went to the beach. So, after looking at my many hats for several minutes we decided that my blues hat would do. Then, taking the dogs (Yes, we did have them on leashes, Miss Smith; after all, this is a town.), we set off.

Casually we strolled along the streets, pausing here and there to browse through a shop or two, enjoyed a relaxing lunch at an outdoor cafe and eventually ended up at the beach. Oh, the delights of watching the waves rolling up onto the golden beaches, viewing the vast, endless gulf which mingles its waters with ocean stretching off and away beyond our sight, listening to the cries of the birds and the joyful barks of Timber and Penelope as they raced each other across the wonderful grains of sand. Ah, I simply sat down on a log in the sunshine and rested. After a while, Amy returned from rambling about here and there, with her hat full of trinkets. She had gathered sea shells, smooth rocks, a feather, and I don’t recall what else. The dogs came back and Penelope lay down on my feet and went to sleep.

At last we snapped the leashes back on the dogs and headed off towards town. We wondered if the boys had caught anything. By the time we returned to the docks, the boy’s boat was just coming in.

Miss Smith, you should have seen the fish they caught! And you should have listened to them tell about their day. Why is it that fishermen always tell about “the big one that got away”? Whatever the reason, Joseph and Levi were no exception to that malady and the tales of the “big fish” that they “almost caught” caused much merriment among us. Maybe Levi will tell you about them when he returns. You’ll have to invite him over so you can see his collection of photos anyway.

There is a restaurant in town that will cook any fish you catch and serve them to you for supper if you wish. That is exactly what we all wished. The meal was delightful. The fish, cooked to perfection and seasoned just exactly to our tastes, were delectable.

Now we are enjoying some fun in the evening. We will be driving part of the way later, but the boys needed to run off some excess energy before being confined to the RV for an hour or so before bed. They are having races with the dogs. They have also played hide-’n-seek with them. Timber found them every time no matter where they went. Amy says she and her brothers used to play it with him back home.

Now I must end and gather my traveling companions together once more. We “have miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

Good night,

~ Priscilla

Day 19 - Texas

Day 19

Nov. 2

Corpus Christi

My Dear Miss Smith,

We have just returned from our adventure on the USS Lexington. Astounding! I could have spent several days there, and there is no doubt that both Joseph and Levi would have loved to stay as well.

USS Lexington

No one except myself seemed too interested in the USS Lexington until they caught a glimpse of it out in the bay. Miss Smith, it fairly took my breath away. Having run the dogs earlier and left them in the RV, we headed to the aircraft carrier. We had to wait a few minutes as we were early.

As we walked up the gangplank, all I heard were gasps of amazement. Did you know, Miss Smith that this carrier is as tall as a nineteen story building? And did you know that you can have three games of football all playing simultaneously on the flight deck? Of course if you were to lose the football over the side of the ship . . . The first place we went to was the hanger deck where we picked up our card and decided which tour we would take first. The tours are all self guided and the four of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We got to see everything from the flight deck with several fighter planes on it, to the “island” where the captain fought the battles, to the hangers where the planes were serviced. We got to see the quarters where the crew slept, And Miss Smith, we discovered that if we got a group of at least fifteen people together, we could spend the night aboard Lexington and sleep in those berths! We saw the ship’s hospital, the dental room, barber shop, galley, guns, everything!

One of my favorite things was the flight simulator. It was as though you were actually in a plane and flying it during “Desert Storm”! I wasn’t so good the first time I tried it. I crashed the plane. But, I did it again and managed to destroy one tank before I crashed again. I think I will stick with driving an RV for now. Amy didn’t do as badly as I did when she flew the plane, but Levi was the best. And did he love it!

Popular Virtual Battle Stations

The other favorite among us was the virtual battle stations. There you had a screen that looked like the cockpit of your plane and you had the controls. There were enemy planes and friendly planes flying by and you had to shoot down the enemy planes or get shot down yourself. Then you had to land your plane on the flight deck. Poor Amy got shot down five times. After that she gave up. I shot down everything I could. I didn’t pay much attention to friend or foe. And, when I tried to land, well, I didn’t do so well for I overshot the plane, knocked six guys into the water and crashed my plane. Levi did fairly well, but Joseph, well, he was an ace.

We finally all got hungry and went to the Mess Deck Cafe for lunch. While we were eating I mentioned that if we were going to visit the Texas Museum, we would have to leave as soon as we finished eating.

There was a long pause and then Joseph remarked that he’d rather just remain on the ship. Levi agreed with him and much to my surprise, Amy did too. She remarked, “We haven’t gotten to watch the films in the Joe Jessel theater yet.”

That was true. The theater is an impressive three stories high! Since it wasn’t time for the films to start, Joseph and Levi headed back to the simulators and virtual battle stations while Amy and I wandered around a little more.

Meeting at the doors of the theater, we found seats and the show began. Miss Smith, you know people have often wished they were a fly on the wall, well, if you really wish to experience that feeling, visit the Joe Jessel Theater on board the USS Lexington. With the screen so large, you feel as though you are no larger than a fly and may be squashed at any minute. We watched Legends of Flight and Fighter Pilot. Both were very interesting.

There was an exhibit commemorating Pearl Harbor which I found to be very sobering. There is a chapel in the ship which we visited along with many other places.

I learned some interesting facts about Lexington. She has traveled more miles and served longer than any other aircraft carrier in the world. She has more telephones than a city of 5,000. And she carries enough gasoline to drive your car around the world 132 times! Tokyo Rose dubbed her “The Blue Ghost” during World War Two because the Japanese never could sink her. Her crew took the slogan “Tarawa to Tokyo” because the first battle she was in was Tarawa and her last battle was the Battle of Tokyo.

From having been at the Pacific War Museum, I have learned that President George H. W. Bush was shot down in the Pacific. What I didn’t know until I came here was that he crashed a second time. This time it was because of engine trouble and he was picked up by the USS Lexington where he remained for a few days until he could be transferred to his “home ship.”

All too soon five o’clock came and we had to leave since it was closing time. We all walked slowly back to the RV, talking about all that we had seen. It certainly is amazing, Miss Smith, that four people can see the very same displays but all notice and remember different things. Well, it certainly was an educational experience for us all and if we were not on a schedule, we would most likely be going back tomorrow. Levi wants to practice his flying and Joseph would like to shoot down more planes.

And now, Amy and the boys are back from the grocery store. They walked there to replenish our stock of food, and they took the dogs with them. Penelope and Timber have been wonderful dogs to take along. The boys have had a great time with them, though I have noticed that they no longer sleep with them.

I forgot to mention that I purchased a pin for my fifty-state-hat at the Alamo. It is a “Texas Ranger” pin. Very appropriate we thought.

You have heard from Grace and Mikayla, haven’t you? It is only two more days until we meet them at the airport in Houston. I’m sure further adventures lie before us in the state of Louisiana. But, we still have two more days left in Texas. After we eat, we will drive to Port Aransas. That is where we plan to be tomorrow.

Now, I smell the macaroni and cheese and Amy says it is nearly ready, so I had best put my writing things away and drain the noodles. Then I will set the table and call the boys and dogs in from outside.

With love,

~ Priscilla

Day 18 - Texas

Day 18

Nov. 1

Corpus Christie, Texas

My Dear Miss Smith,

   I’m hoping my writing is legible enough for you to make it out. I’ve gotten so tired of not being able to write that I’ve decided to try writing with my right hand. My wrist is getting better but it will probably be several days before I can use it again. So this letter, I’m afraid, may not be very long as I don’t have a lot of time before bed and I am very slow with my right hand.

      As Levi said, we visited the aquarium this morning. It was a great learning experience! I’ve never been that close to sharks, stingrays, and all of the others!

      After lunch we headed to the South Texas Botanical Gardens. You know how much I love gardens and gardening so you’ve probably guessed that this is my favorite spot in Corpus Christi. 

      Fairly recently they put in a butterfly house. It’s amazing all the different kinds of butterflies there are! They were everywhere in the house! ‘Cilla was wearing her big hat with the bird on it which the butterflies seemed to delight in landing on! She decided to get a butterfly or two from the gift shop to adorn one of her hats.

      You would absolutely love the orchid greenhouse! They have about 2000 varieties there! It is amazing! I’m told it’s one of the largest orchid collections in the entire south!

      I think my favorite spot must have been the rose gardens. They have 300 rose bushes planted in 12 big raised beds. Right in the middle of them is a brick path, often called the “bridal path.” There is also a gorgeous pavilion there where people frequently have weddings. One of the favorite stories to tell about this area is that of two big javalinas walking down the bridal path (the workers are convinced that it was her idea)!

      We’d looked around in the gift shop when we first arrived but before we left we went back so Priscilla could get her butterflies. While there I found several gardening books that looked very interesting. Guess what I’ll be doing on some of the long drives now!

      Well, my hand is getting tired and ‘Cilla is ready to go to bed so I should probably join her.

~ Amy ~

Day 18 - Texas

Day 18

November 1

Corpus Christi

Dear Miss Smith,

We woke up early this morning. We were going to try and finish the Alamo puzzle we bought yesterday. We finally finished it about breakfast time. We ate, then left for the day journey. My favorite part was the Texas Aquarium. There were a lot of exhibits.

Hans

First we went to the island of steel exhibit. They had a shark named Hans. There were all kind of fish to look at.

Next we went to the flower gardens. They had a show were someone was feeding sting rays.

After that we went to the floating phantoms exhibit. There they have jelly fish!!!! It was awesome.

Then we went to the dolphin bay exhibit and we watched a dolphin show it was pretty good. We got to feed them.

After that was the amazon exhibit they had piranha’s.

We went to the Tortuga cay exhibit. They had turtles.

After that was the swamp tales. They had the coolest alligators. Wow.

Then we went to the otter creek exhibit. It was cool.

Grace- Bald Eagle

Then we went to the eagle pass. They had an eagle named Grace, like my sister at home.

Then we went to the living shores exhibit they had animals you could touch.

When we were done with that we went to the other parks. It’s been a long day. Bye.

                                                             Love,

                                                                  Levi

Day 17 - Texas - Postcard

Postcard

Day 17

   Dear Miss Smith

            It was quite a drive to the Alamo. When we got to the Alamo, we parked then got out. I was excited because I had just seen the movie the Alamo before we went on the trip and I was wanting to go to it and now my dream came true. It was exciting to go and see what it was like back then. We pretended we were soldiers in the Alamo. We got to look at all the artifacts.  It was awesome.  We had a blast!  Then we all saw the Alamo movie in Imax.  Oh! It was wonderful,  but we all wished that the Alamo had won. Texas is a cool place and I hope that someday I can go to other states too.

Need to go to bed now.

                      Love

                           Levi

Day 17 - Texas - Postcard

Postcard

Day 17

Dear Miss Smith

We went to the Alamo today. It’s chilling to think that men would actually give up their lives for freedom like the men of the Alamo did. Some of them were only in their teens. The Alamo is actually the ground of the Alamo and the Gift shop. It covers 4.2 acres and receives 2.5 million visitors a year. We went through the Shrine, Barracks Museum, and Gift Museum to see artifacts from the Texas revolution. Tomorrow we are going to Corpus Christie to sightsee for a couple days, and then our trip through Texas is almost over.

Regards,

            Joseph

Day 16 & 17 - Texas

Days 16 & 17

October 31

San Antonio, Texas

Howdy Miss Smith!

I believe that is the proper Texas greeting. You know the old saying, when in Texas speak as the Texans do, or nearly that. I am trying to follow that sage advise, but so far have not gotten much beyond the “howdy” and “yep” of it. Now Amy, Joseph and Levi on the other hand sound much like native Texans when they wish to. I imagine that no sooner will I begin to catch the drift of this lingo when off we shall be to another state with a lingo all their own. I have thought, Miss Smith, of starting yet another notebook. This one would be for language. I can speak French, German, Italian and Russian with a smattering of other languages, yet this cowboy talk is confusing. I try to speak it and end up with a French or Italian accent at which everyone laughs.

Main House

We are in San Antonio now and will be heading to the Alamo shortly, so I had best write this letter quickly.

After leaving the Pacific War Museum, we drove to the Dixie Dude Ranch, after stopping by your cousin’s friend’s house to leave the dogs, and, finding the drive shorter than we had thought, we arrived late afternoon. No pets are allowed at the ranch so it was very kind of the Kippentins to keep Timber and Penelope for us. The ranch itself is beautiful! This is a real working ranch, Miss Smith, not just one that plays cowboys. They have longhorn cows, Spanish goats and pigs.

Side Saddle - Our Cabin

We stayed in a cabin that was rustic yet oh so comfortable. The boys had one room and Amy and I shared the other. There was a pool and a hot tub, not that any of us wanted to go swimming in such cool weather. Had we the desire we could have gone fishing, tossed horseshoes and done many other activities. We could have two trail rides a day!

The meals were all home-cooked and so delicious! After eating our own cooked meals for a few days, that was pure delight. With Amy not being able to use her hand much, most of the cooking has fallen upon the boys and myself, except for that one night when Amy directed. Everyone ate in one large dining room and it felt like one large family with cowhands, the hosts and guests all around. We were able to enjoy some time outside late under the stars around the campfire singing songs.

Retiring that night to our cabin, we all went straight to bed and slept soundly. Breakfast was again served in the dining room and what a breakfast it was! Amy and I watched the boys eat and wondered where they put it all. I never have been one for large breakfasts you will remember. Amy remarked that she had always thought the breakfasts they have at her house were large. Now they appear child sized.

The morning was full. We all went for a trail ride; Amy, having been given a very gentle horse because of her wrist, was delighted to be a part of it. I wore my cowboy hat which I had purchased before we visited the ranch in Oklahoma. I am still looking for something to add to my Fifty-States hat, as Amy terms it. Levi suggested a horseshoe, but that would not fit on my hat very well, besides being slightly too heavy. I cannot describe the ride to you, Miss Smith. How does one tell about a trail ride through the seemingly vast wilderness, up hills and down in valleys, crossing small streams and spreading pastures? It would be a waste of paper to attempt it.

One of the Ranch Hands

After our return, one of the cowboys was showing how to do some tricks with a lasso and ended up giving us some lessons in rope throwing. I must admit that of us all, Joseph was the best at it. After I finally was able to get my rope to stay open when I threw it, I managed to rope Levi when I was trying to rope the fence. How they all laughed. I appear to cause much laughter though I assure you I am not doing it intentionally.

After a hearty lunch for which we were all ready (I realized then why they serve such large meals), we took another trail ride. Then we visited the goats and the cows. We had our picture taken with a longhorn cow though I’m not sure why we wanted it done.

Our Friendly Photo Cow -Yes, it's real!

Around the supper table that night we listened to tales of life on a ranch, of rodeos and narrow escapes by the cowboys. It all sounded so much like a western movie that I half expected the lights to go out and the credits to come rolling on the screen or to have someone call my name and find out it was only a western book I had been reading.

I intended to write you last night after we reached our cabin, but within five minutes of arriving, both boys were snoring; yes, Miss Smith, they both snore, and in another minute Amy was sound asleep, though thankfully not snoring, and I could scarcely keep my eyes open long enough to find my bed and turn out the light.

This morning was busy. We managed to fit in one more trail ride before we had to leave. The Conolys were such friendly folks, and I do believe we all hated to leave them. I would like to come stay sometime when I could stay three nights because then one of those nights I could spend out under the stars, having eaten supper around a campfire far from any electric lights. Ah, Miss Smith, shall we come here some time after this trip is over and enjoy a few days? Oh, but what about the dogs? Perhaps Amy could take care of them, or Bekah.

Speaking of dogs, they were so excited to see us once more when we picked them up. I thought Penelope would turn herself inside-out in her excitement. Of course Amy was thrilled to see Timber.

Well, all are at last ready to head over to the Alamo. Farewell, Miss Smith. I do hope things at home are running smoothly.

Much love,

~ Priscilla

1-19-12

Day 15 - Texas

Day 15

October 30

Fredricksburg, Texas

My Dear Miss Smith,

How I’m ever supposed to tell you all about the Pacific War Museum appears to be a mystery. We came here yesterday, and it was a good thing too, for even now I am sitting here in the Peace Garden, my mind full of facts and images, waiting for the boys and Amy to finish before we drive to the Dixie Ranch for the night.

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Yesterday, after stopping by Westcave for a visit, of which Levi informed me he wrote you about, we decided to head on over to Fredricksburg. The museum used to be the childhood home of Admiral Chester Nimitz. It was a hotel his mother and uncle-step-father ran after his grandfather died. I know, it is a little confusing, but Mr. Nimitz died before Chester was born and then a few years later, his mother married his father’s younger brother. And you thought your family was confusing!

I don’t know where to begin to tell you about this museum. Perhaps I should start here, in the Japanese Peace Garden. When the Japanese heard that a museum was being built to honor Admiral Nimitz in his home town, they wanted to do something too. Therefore, they sent some of their best architects and built a peace garden for the museum, both in honor and memory of the great admiral as well as a token of peace and friendship with the United States.

Plaza of Presidents

Before coming here I didn’t really know who Admiral Nimitz was, but now I feel honored to know about him. Admiral Nimitz was one of only four five-star admirals during World War II. He is also the admiral who signed the surrender document on behalf of the United States.

The museum is in the heart of downtown Fredricksburg, so seeing the ships, planes and such in the museum came as a bit of a surprise, as did all the outdoor displays, until I learned that there are six acres of campus. The entire museum complex takes up more than a city block. The hotel itself, restored to its 1890 appearance, is in the shape of a steamboat which I found to be quite interesting. It was built like that by Chester Nimitz’s grandfather.

Inside the George H. W. Bush Gallery we found a variety of artifacts, photos, and other intriguing items which tell the story of the Pacific War including Pearl Harbor, Doolittle’s Raid, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Final Victory to name but a few.

The Nimitz Education and Research Center was incredible and Bekah should come here when she gets ready to write her book on World War II. It can get overwhelming, Miss Smith, so I was thankful the tickets were good for forty-eight hours. There is still so much to see that I have added this to my “return to” page in my notebook.

We have seen everything from fighter planes to submarines, from clothes and weapons to maps and many, many other fascinating things. This museum is the largest one in the U. S. about the Pacific War. I wish you could see Levi and Joseph. They have been intrigued by everything. Levi has taken numerous pictures which you’ll have to see when he goes home. They have living history re-enactments during the year, but none were going on today much to the boys’ disappointment.

Ah, I see Amy and the boys coming, so I shall go. We must leave and head to the Dixie Dude Ranch. I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time. And have no fear, I shall do my utmost to ensure that Amy doesn’t injure her wrist again.

With love,

~ Priscilla

Day 14 - Texas - Postcard

Postcard - Day 14

Dear Miss Smith,            

We’ve had a wonderful time in Texas these past days. Today we went to Westcave. Oh, how fun it was to walk the trail when we went to the cave.  We all had a contest to see who could make the biggest echo.  Priscilla won!  I never thought she could yell that loud.  After that, we went to the falls.  It was very beautiful there.  As we started back to the car, I thought of something.  I suggested we have another contest to see who could spot the most birds.  Joseph won!  Good thing I brought my camera.  I have lots of bird pictures.  I’ll write again soon.

Love,

Levi

Day 13 - Texas - Postcard

Postcard - Day 13

Dear Miss Smith, 
    Today we went to a lot of cool places.  First we went to Fort Concho.
It was lots of fun to imagine the barracks filled with soldiers. Then we
drove to the cave.  Wow, the cave we went to was amazing.  My favorite part
of the cave was the tour Joseph and I took that required helmets with
lights.  Finally the day was up and we had to retire to bed.  Priscilla said
there are bed bugs,  hope I don't get bit. Good thing Joseph and I covered
ourselves with  bug spray after Priscilla said that.  Sleep tight.

Love,

Levi

Day 13 - Texas

Day 13

October 29

Burnet, Texas

Good Evening, Miss Smith,

What a busy day this has been. The boys and dogs were awake at six and Amy joined them shortly after. Having stayed up late writing to you last night, I wasn’t looking forward to departing from my warm bed that early; however, since neither lad seems to know how to whisper, it was impossible to return to the land of dreams. Therefore, I did the only thing left to do, I rose and prepared for the day.

Everyone was in such an impatient hurry to visit Fort Concho that we ended up arriving a full twenty minutes before they opened! I sent the boys and dogs out to have a run while we waited.

At last nine o’clock arrived and we were the first and only persons there. The boys voted to tour the place on our own, which we did. That fort reminded me somewhat of Fort Supply. Fort Concho was established in 1867, only two years after the Civil War ended. It had at least forty buildings and covered more than 1600 acres of land. Do you recall my mention of the famous 10th Cavalry in my letter about Fort Supply? Well, I was delighted to learn that those same Buffalo soldiers were stationed here, along with the 4th.

Barracks 6

Oh, Miss Smith, we discovered that, had we wanted to and known about it before, we could have rented and stayed in one of the Officers’ Quarters! Joseph and Levi are already trying to plan a time when they can get a bunch of boys together and stay in Barracks 6. It looks almost as though you stepped back in time with the concrete floor and low ceiling. Only there are no beds there. Levi said they could sleep on the floor. Well, if that would make them comfortable, why not?

The Fort Hospital

Many of the buildings have been restored either as museums or, like the Officers’ Quarters and Barracks 6, are available for renting. They had a gift shop which we visited, but mostly we wandered around the fort all morning. There was so much history there that had we been so inclined and had no other place to go, we could have stayed there all day. Did I mention, Miss Smith, that they have reenactments at the fort? None were going on while we were there, but it would be delightful to see some time.

At last, as everyone’s stomachs were complaining loudly that we had not fed them, we headed back to the RV, prepared sandwiches and the accessories which belong to that meal, and left San Angelo heading for Burnet.

It was a short drive today and we arrived at our destination, Longhorn Cavern State Park, early in the afternoon. The buildings were all built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s of rock and sediment which came out of the cave. The cave itself is the only limestone cave in Texas that they know of.

Main Cave Entrance

All of us were eager to start the tour of the cave and were relieved to find one just about to begin. Oh, Miss Smith, the cave was fascinating! Huge rooms, smaller walkways like halls, all carved by water, left a strange impression that perhaps you were not in a real cave after all. Only a few stalactites are to be found and after much searching our guide finally located a bat for us to see. You know, Miss Smith, that you have always wished for a place that remained the same temperature, well, if you got over your dislike of caves, you could come here because Longhorn Cavern remains at 68 degrees all year long. The tour lasted nearly an hour and a half! After coming out of the cave, the sun was so bright that it made seeing anything difficult for several minutes.

Legend has it that back in the days of the old west, when outlaws and bandits roamed the country seeking to elude the sheriff and his posse, an outlaw by the name of Sam Bass reached the Longhorn Cavern. There, somewhere in its vast depths he hid two million dollars of stolen money. Whether this story is true, no one knows, for the money has not been discovered. You can be sure Joseph and Levi were talking about finding it. They even joined a more rugged tour so that they could search farther. This tour, requiring helmets with lights, knee and elbow pads and much energy, was much too rugged for Amy with her sprained wrist. Therefore, she and I remained above ground and walked the dogs on one of the many trails.

The Queen's Watch Dog

When Joseph and Levi returned, they were grinning and declared they had discovered the treasure! Neither Amy nor I believed them.

“I’m from Missouri, the show-me state,” Amy told them. “Where’s the treasure?”

At that, Levi reached into his pocket and pulled out a dime. “The amount of money that outlaw hid just got exaggerated,” he informed us. 

Speaking of legends, there is another one which says that a young girl, kidnapped by Indians, was held in the cave until she was rescued by some Texas Rangers. That story might be true though there is no way to know for sure. It is fascinating to imagine all the things that might have happened in that cave. How many outlaws found shelter in its dark walls? Did the Indians use it for a secret meeting place? During the Civil War the Confederates used the cave to make gunpowder. Did they also hide there during the day, waiting for darkness to shelter them as they moved the precious gunpowder to where it was most needed? Ah, so many unkowns.

We are parked here at the state park for the night. All is quiet outside, but inside, ah, Miss Smith, this RV is rather small after all when you have three people trying to cook supper together and two dogs eager to clean up any crumb or drop of food that should fall. I am not cooking. Amy is doing what she can with her right hand while giving instructions to Levi and Joseph. I must say that the lads are doing remarkably well. I wonder if they have had practice at home. But, I must end this as supper will be ready in just a few minutes.

Until tomorrow, unless one of the others wants to write,

~ Priscilla