Brothers Fight For Peace

The Baigrie Brothers fought it out again in this year's annual Peace On Earth Risk Tournament. While Andy waged a fierce battle, ultimately it was Dale who conquered all, once again becoming "Master Of The Universe." Conspicuously absent from this year's Thanksgiving Risk Tournament, Dale ardently vowed to topple Don Glass, the previous "Master Of The Universe."

Although playing a masterful game, Don was conquered midway in the December twenty-sixth conflict. Rather than focusing on the teachings of Sun Tzu, he uncharacteristically launched several risky campaigns, losing many armies to an inferior force. Perhaps he was distracted by the thought of attending the evening's Red Wings hockey game.

Also competing this year were JB Spring, a sorry loser, and Amanda G. who played a strong, thoughtful game. Amanda's tactics showed her potential with the possibility of becoming a future "Master," to be feared by all.

Portions Of Hiking Trails are Steep and Rugged

Portions of hiking trails are steep and rugged, I read on the map. I was at Lost Maples State Natural Area in the Texas hill country. There were about three hours of sunlight left, plenty of time to hike the five-mile trail. The East Trail is a loop which follows the Sabinal River for most of the way with the exception of a small section of ridge walking with plenty of scenic overlooks. Scenic overlooks...how nice, I thought.

I laced up my boots, took a swig of water and started down the riverside trail. Several young children and their parents were playing in the shallow pools of water. A gentle breeze trickled through the maple trees. The rugged limestone cliffs along the river glowed with the golden afternoon light. I munched on an apple as I walked. What a great trail. What a great life!

After a bit, the trail began to cross back and forth across the river. The water was low so most of the time I could walk across the exposed riverbed, stepping over what little water there was. Soon, thought, I noticed the cliffs were getting closer, the water deeper and the ridge behind me was growing higher. The next river crossings all involved hopping from large limestone blocks or boulders to cross the water. That was fun, I thought.

Then...the trail turned away from the river and headed up. Up the ridge, on a deceptively gentle appearing set of limestone stairs. The stairs soon turned into a mad scramble up an incredibly steep trail over boulders, loose rocks, overhanging ledges and a lot of other scary places I thought would make fine resting spots for rattlesnakes.

Halfway up this mess, a group of haggard looking hikers, in their twenties, passed me on their way down. No one spoke, I didn't have the breath to spare and they were concentrating on not breaking their limbs. We exchanged grim glances. An exceedingly happy yellow lab bounded down the trail after them.

Finally, I reached the top of the ridge. Sinking down on a narrow wooden bench, I looked out over what I assumed must be the scenic overlook. Across the river was a tall, green ridge, the twin of the tall, green ridge I was sitting upon. I had a sneaking suspicion the view was less of a scenic overlook and more of a recovery station for exhausted hikers.

The next part of the trail was a nice flat trail along the top of the ridge. Nice and flat and covered with fist-sized rocks. What was it with this trail? It was like some kind of torture planned by maniacal Boy Scouts.

Finally, I reached the end of the torturous ridge trail, just in time to remember the axiom, What goes up, must come down. In front of me was the mirror image of the trail I had just climbed up. This time, however, I was going in the ankle-breaking direction. Halfway down I met a young couple climbing up. I managed a , "How are you?" The woman stopped, caught her breath and said, "I'm an idiot. We're sleeping on top of the ridge tonight. This is the second time we've climbed this trail today. I can't believe he talked me into this." She shook her head, took a deep breath and without another word, continued climbing.

By the time I reached the bottom of the ridge it was getting dark. The final leg of the trail was lovely and gentle, along the river again. The eyes of night animals followed me as I walked down along the trail. As I entered the campground, the full moon rose above the ridge and I saw the reflection on Van, my trusty Sportsmobile patiently waiting for me. What a great life!

Mission San Jose

While I was in San Antonio I had the chance to explore many of the town's treasures, including the King William Historic District, the McNay art museum and the River walk. I lived in San Antonio for several years, in the 1980's, so often on these visits I felt like I was seeing old friends again. I also had the pleasure of discovering a new treasure which I'd missed in earlier years.

By happy chance, during the RVing Women's Conference, Van and I stayed at a great RV park not too far from downtown San Antonio. To my surprise, just across the road was the Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo. How I had missed it in previous years I have no idea.

Mission San Jose, known as the "Queen of the Missions," is a real treasure. While new to me, the mission was established in 1720, the main church building being built in 1768. The mission is just one of a string of five missions which stretch like a jeweled necklace across the greater San Antonio area. You've probably heard of the most northern mission; originally called the Mission San Antonio de Valero, you know it as The Alamo.

My mission, San Jose, was a refreshing oasis in the midst of the city. Its green lawns, tall trees, cool stone buildings, and shady arbors provided a welcome relief on a hot, humid Texas afternoon.

Check out www.nps.gov/saan for more information.

Sun Tzu And The Art Of Risk?

Like Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese general, Don Glass is a master of the art of war, or at least the art of Risk. Don is the winner of the 2009 Wander Woman Annual Thanksgiving Risk Tournament! With his encyclopedic knowledge of the wisdom of Sun Tzu and his masterful control of the board, Don quickly dispatched all other contenders to become a serial winner and current holder of the title... "Master Of The Universe."

Conspicuously absent this year were the infamous Baigrie Brothers. Insider sources say they may have been intimidated at the thought of facing Master Don again. We hope they will bring their skills and courage to the 2009 Wander Woman Annual Peace On Earth Risk Tournament this December.

RVing Women

After the rains ended I traveled to San Antonio for the RVing Women Annual Convention. RVW is a national nonprofit organization. As their vision statement says, they are "A large welcoming community of women supporting one another in the safe enjoyment of the RV lifestyle." As a first-year RVW member going to my first convention, I didn't know what to expect. What I found when I walked into my first meeting was amazing.

My mom grew up with five sisters. I remember, when I was a child, whenever they got together as a group, the room was filled with an almost overwhelming sense of warmth, fun and love. The house would fill with the sounds of their voices and laughter. The kids would hang around, soaking in the fun, while the men tended to migrate outdoors or around a sports game on tv. When I walked into my first meeting at the convention I experienced the same feeling of warmth, fun and love, as well as a shared spirit of adventure and curiosity.

I belonged with these women. I had found my tribe.

During my week at the convention I joined Solos, a group of women who travel on their own. Imagine 100 self-assured, independent, "like to do things their way" women together in one room... fascinating! Imagine them all trying to come to a consensus... mind-boggling!

During the convention I learned how to perform basic maintenance on my van, took classes in Texas Hold-em, played in a poker tournament, went to a wine and cheese tasting, and made a new friend.

Linda, also traveling solo, was parked just down the road from me. One gray afternoon we toured the King William district, one of San Antonio's historic neighborhoods. Afterwards we went out to Paloma Blanca, in Alamo Heights, for fantastic Mexican food. She also invited me over a couple of times, once to share a bottle of wine and conversation, and another time for a meal of beanie weenies and brownies in the comfort of her large class A motorhome.

I had a lot of fun at the convention and would recommend RVing Women to any woman interested in the RVing lifestyle. I'm looking forward to attending the 2010 convention in Mesa, Arizona.

What Do You Do On A Rainy Day?

After leaving Austin, I went to Sommerville State Park, about an hour away. I decided to spend a few days there catching up on my writing and housekeeping chores. I had a nice site with a view of the lake. Other than a group of cub scouts and their parents, there were very few campers. The first night I saw cranes, javelinas and deer down by the lake and around my site.

Then, the rain began.

First, the cub scouts left. A few of the die-hard families tried to stay, but by late afternoon, they packed up their soaking tents and left. Next, the young couple with the canoe left. Finally, the family reunion gave up, packed up their little kids and grandparents, and drove away. The only campers left in the park were the campground hosts and me.

If you're not a camper, you might ask, "What does one do on a rainy day"? The answer depends on three things: 1.your method of camping, 2. the people you are camping with, and 3. your personality and the personalities of your fellow campers.

If you are camping in a large trailer or motorhome you are generally in a good situation. You can play cards or board games. You can write to friends or read. You can listen to music. You can watch tv or a movie. You can try out a new recipe.

If you are tenting, your choices are limited. You can still read or write or play games as long as the light or your batteries hold out. If you had planned to cook over an open fire you're probably out of luck. The sames goes for cooking on a camp stove unless you have some kind of shelter to cook under. Chances are, if you're tenting, as long as it's raining you'll be eating snacks and sandwiches or whatever you can find in your cooler.

The people you are camping with are a huge factor, maybe even more important than your type of camping. If you are by yourself and don't mind your own company, or are with like-minded, laid back friends, you should be fine. If you're camping with tense, high energy, claustrophobic people, or with boaters or kids or long-haired dogs, you're probably in trouble. All of the above can only be entertained for so long, then they're going to want to be "out-a-here"! Long haired dogs also present the question, "How long can you stay in a confined area before the smell of wet dog drives you mad?

What did I do during the rain? I read, I wrote, I sent text messages, I listened to music, I invented a spicy southwestern pasta soup, I washed clothes, I organized drawers and cabinets, I took naps, I recorded all my expenses, I plucked my eyebrows, then, in desperation, I went outside for a long walk in the rain.

Thanks To Kate And Dale

After a week, or so, traveling around the Texas panhandle and northeast New Mexico, I drove back to Austin and Sportsmobile for a minor adjustment. A nut off of one of the roof cross-bar supports had come off allowing its bolt to slip out a bit. The bolt wouldn't allow the nut to go back on so I needed some professional help. The guys at Sportsmobile said they'd never seen that happen before. They replaced the bolt and nut, checked out the other cross-bar and for good measure, checked my tire pressure and fluid levels. I was in and out in half an hour. Thanks guys.

While I was in Austin I stopped to visit my daughter, Kate, and her husband, Dale, again. They've both been very gracious about having me pop in and out. Some of the things I've enjoyed doing while visiting them were: staying in their guest room/office, hanging out by the pool, eating out and eating in, waiting for, but not seeing the bats, walking in the neighborhood and at the nature center, getting a pedicure with Katie, hanging out on the balcony, using your strange and annoying, but useful, washer and drier, and watching the University of Michigan football game.

Thanks for your help and your company. I'm sad you don't live closer to Michigan, but, I'm glad you live in a "cool" part of the country I enjoy visiting. I love you both!

A New Adventure

It's all my parents' fault! When I was a newborn they took me on my first cross-country trip. I haven't been the same since. The only time I feel completely at home is when I'm on the road. I've spent most of my life traveling, first, by car to 49 states. (I'm still looking for the highway that will take me to Hawaii). Later, while in the Air Force, I wandered around Europe and Asia by plane and train. When I'm not traveling I'm thinking about traveling.

Recently, I've been given the opportunity to spend even more time wandering. I'd like you to join me as I explore the wonders of our world.