End of an Era - Or a New Cell Phone.

 So after 25+ years, I am changing cell phone providers.  I have always had AT&T and the service has always been good.  In fact, for the last dozen years or so I could see one of their towers from my house.

But around the first of the year, the signal just got bad.  Dropped calls, poor quality, dead spots particularly on the northern side of the house became the norm.  At one point I called them and they said all was well but perhaps the tower needed adjusting.  The recommendation was to use wi-fi calling.  That worked, sort of.

After no less than three dropped calls while I was sitting in one place today, I decided it was time to call.  My LG phone was having trouble anyway, and what I heard, I liked. The price was right (with direct-pay discounts) and more data to boot.  Josh, the Verizon rep, discussed the options and discussed why AT&T just doesn't cut it anymore.  It seems that of all their towers, there are only 3 towers that carry the network still in our county.  That not only explains it, but it also calls in to question what I was told on the call mid-summer.  

My first cellphone was with Cingular, which was later bought out by AT&T.  It was a bag phone that looked for all the world like I was ready to call in an airstrike - A brick of a battery, push-button dialer in the handset, and pig-tail cord connecting it all, and to top it off, a cigarette-charger plug and cord.  It worked fine except you always had to watch to make sure you were not "roaming" and that you did not go over your minutes.  Texts cost extra, but texting on that thing was next to impossible anyway.  And to add insult to injury, someone broke into my red 1992 Pontiac Grand Am during an out of town football game while it was parked beside the Band Hall.  Good luck and good riddance in hindsight, but at the time it, along with the broken glass and stolen CD player, was troubling.  

Back to now so much has changed.  We gave up our home phone years ago and the cellphone has replaced the landline in most places.  I suppose we shall see how, and if, Verizon has truly dethroned Alexander Graham Bell as king and stolen his kingdom. 

If nothing else I have heard that Verizon works better in the West, so that could work out on the next long-distance trip!

UPDATE:  The new phone is a Samsung A51.  We shall see how it measures up!

East Texas Arboretum's Fall Festival (and Birthday celebrations!)

 Sunday, October 11, 2020

We had another weekend outing to East Texas yesterday, but it was simply the busiest day out of a good weekend!

After 6 months of Covid-19 shutdowns, we have seen so many festivals canceled, and anyone that knows us knows that festivals make up a lot of Stephanie's business income;  And that hasn't happened.  For those new around here, Stephanie sells Lila Rose Hair Accessories and Color Street nail polish strips.  You can find the links to her stores HERE and HERE.

So when we heard that the East Texas Arboretum was doing a fall festival we signed up!

I was done at work around noon and set out Stephanie's birthday gifts.  Then I loaded the truck so that we could hit the road soon after she and Sadie got home from work/school.  

Friday was hot and humid since Hurricane Delta was coming ashore near Lake Charles, LA, and all of the tropical air was being pushed north and west.  I was soaked by the time the truck was finished.  Fergus enjoyed his run outside while I worked.  

The girls got home around 4:30, Stephanie opened her gifts, and we went out for supper with Michael and Valerie.  We visited, she opened more gifts, and we visited some more.  Then to bed to get some rest for a busy day!

Saturday was cool in the morning, and we were at the arboretum at 7:30 as required.  The line was long into the vendor village, so we had to wait a while to unload the truck.  We were still setting up when the festival opened at 9:00 am.  

Since we have not done this festival before we didn't know what to expect.  The crowds were good, which I predicted after so many weeks and months of shutdowns and restrictions.  Sales were pretty good!

The East Texas Arboretum is really pretty!  I did not get to tour it all, but I did find some neat little corners.  Fergus liked it too!

The festival ended at 3:00, and we were loaded and back in Athens by 4:00.  Burgers for supper, more visiting (with Kathleen this time), and another round of birthday gifts, then home by 9:00 pm.  

Today (Sunday) is more relaxing.  Church in the morning and then we unloaded the truck.  It was a good weekend!

Chandler Upper Neches Paddling Trail

 After six weeks of "normalcy" with schools back in session, etc, things still have not seemed normal.  There have been no living history events and no festivals.  It has become impossible to get RV spots in state parks, although we have managed to spend at least one weekend at Oak Park last month.

This weekend, however, was one filled with "firsts," more or less.

After time spent working around the yard and on Sadie's lamb shelter, we went to town to see a movie.  The local movie theater, Schulmann's, still has not been able to open a full run of films, so they put a large screen on the side of the building creating a "Drive-In."  

Saturday's show?  Hocus Pocus.  Even Fergus got to go!

It was a ton of fun, with various shows scheduled for weekends throughout the month.  While Hollywood is suffering through the COVID madness, it is the small theaters that I feel sorry for. At least ours seems to have a Plan B.

Today, Sunday, was a bit different too.  Sadie and Stephanie's school has a holiday, and Sadie wanted to spend some time with her grandparents.  So, we lit out for East Texas with our kayaks in tow for a little river exploring.

We dropped Sadie off and launched the kayaks at the Chandler Upper Neches Paddling Trail.  It is a headwaters of Lake Palestine.

Here is the link

The weather was perfect today.  High in the middle 70s, with an overcast sky and light wind.  It was just right.

This river is very different than the Limestone Bluffs trail.  It is marshy and labyrinthine, and the fish were active (although we didn't fish).  We paddled beyond the rail trestle and into the greater lake.  The wind picked up on open water so we did not paddle to the end at the RV park.  We had lunch on the water and returned to the ramp.  In the end, we were on the water for about 3 hours.  

I have talked about trying this water for a while, and I am glad we did.  Next time I try the Chandler Upper Neches Paddle Trail it will be with a fishing license, rod, and reel!