What a week!

The Los Vientos Wind Farm seemed to go on forever.

It's Monday the 28th and we finally got to the wind farm.  We could see it from our RV park and from just about everywhere else.  Pat has been trying to find a way to actually get there and today we made it.  Los Vientos Wind Farm, by Duke Energy Renewables, is HUGE.  We've seen some pretty big wind farms but I think this is the largest. In 2013 it said it was the second largest wind farm in the U. S. and built in 5 phases. I don't know if that's true today. In 2019 they claimed to be able to power 60,000 homes. 

Our furnace quit last week.  You're in Southern Texas you say?  Well, some nights are quite chilly.  Christmas eve hit 34°.  No, not looking for pity.  Most days get pretty nice and no snow--yet. I've heard it can happen!  The furnace is under warranty.  Good news???  Well, when traveling, not always.  You have to find a good mobile tech certified in your issue or take your home in (sometimes a long ways) and begin the warranty process, which often involves more than one trip.  Short story, Pat fixed it and we have heat again.  We weren't without though, as we have a small electric heater that works fine as long as its above freezing.  Below freezing for long and we need the furnace to keep the basement and tanks warm.  

Finding doctors is always going to be challenging when you're on the go, this year Covid made it more complicated. It's not always easy to get into one.  Sunday before Christmas Pat woke up with his lip majorly swollen, tingly, and a few hives in a couple of places.  No breathing problems and with Benadryl he was better by night.    Hives continued to come and go on Mon.  Could not come up with anything that might be causing them.  By Tues. morning there were more hives and all over.  A quick trip to the ER where they gave him 5 days steroids, benadryl, and pepcid to try and knock it down.  Now we see if they stay away.

At midnight last Weds. the RV's carbon monoxide/propane sensor went off.  By the time Pat got up and got to it, it had quit.  We have 2 stand alone carbon monoxide units that were fine.  Took a while to calm Krikkit though, as she sleeps right next to it. I too couldn't go back to sleep.  Side note, why do alarms or their batteries always go bad in the middle of the night?  

At 2 a.m. on the 24th the storm hit.  Went from 70° to 47°, 30 mph winds out of the north, and some unpredicted rain.  We should have picked up the patio the night before.  It had been very windy all day and we knew big winds were coming,  but no we didn't.

Side story.  Many years ago, when we lived in Palmyra, MO, I was sent out to get tires for my car.  I came home, told Pat I found the tires, but they were on a new car.   I got the car but have not been sent out to get tires since.  Right after we bought the car we stopped just a few blocks away for lunch.  As we're eating,  looking at our new car, Quincy, IL had a terrible hail storm.  I looked at my car, then Pat, and told him to do something.  He asked "what," since there was nothing to be done, and I replied, "go lay on it!"  Priorities!

So, I'd been awake since the carbon monoxide/propane detector went off and I heard and felt the wind hit.  My first thoughts: my new bike.  I hear Pat get up and go outside.  He put my bike on the bike rack to save it--true love!  He also collapsed Krikkits buggy so it wouldn't blow away.  Pat says calling it a "stroller" is demeaning to an elderly dog!🙂

I mentioned that I brought the lighted tree decorations, made by our eldest son Josh, with us in the RV.  Below is a clip from the lighted sequence. 

The firepit felt good on the chilly nights. 

A Texas Christmas napkin