Fizzzz.

So much to do, and so little time to do them.

We returned yesterday evening from the reunion at Lake Brownwood.

It was a pretty good three days. For myself, it always seems like I cover a few bases pretty well, but I fall far from visiting with everyone, other than a quick greeting.

Actually, Memama's children and their children and their children's children probably number enough that we are considering another get together. Possibly coming down a couple of days early or staying a couple of days late. Of course a totally separate weekend is a possibility as well.

Lots of babies. Three since last year, three more on the way that we know of. Thankfully, we have only lost one family member since last year.

So the number moves up. We had Suzie and Nikki from Albuquerque. Lee and his family from Houston. Ron and Linda from Corpus. These would probably be the travelers with the greatest number of miles to get to and return from the reunion.

Of course there are a great number who live within a two hour drive of Lake Brownwood.

For the first time in several years, I didn't get in the water. Fact is, I didn't even get in a boat this year.

One thing we were all in agreement on, it was HOT. After arriving Friday afternoon about three, our travel trailer air conditioning fought to catch up with the heat. Finally, about sundown, it did. We froze during the night and luckily stayed comfortable through the heat of the day for the remainder of the weekend.

The location of the reunion was under new ownership this year. I am betting it will see new ownership before next year. A family bought it. The Dad spends most of his time away drilling oil and gas wells, while the mother works part time in Brownwood. Their three boys are supposed to be running it, but seem to like to open the office and store late, and close it early. Make no mistake, they are nice enough. I just think they have been entrusted with a lot of responsibility. I watched as the brothers "monitored" each other.

Apparently they had one brother who stayed "on site" to close and open at the posted hours. Didn't happen. Another brother who apparently stayed in town arrived to open the store and then went next door, banging on the door for what seemed like forever before rousing the sleeping brother.

The facilities are in need of repair. The are buildings are forty-three or four years old in our best estimate, as we began congregating there when it was almost new. They really need to strip it all out and re-do cabinets and bathrooms.

If I were them, or if I won lotto, I might consider razing the entire structure and rebuilding in a different configuration that would allow for linking several units, possibly multi-level, to accommodate families and groups that might number as high as twenty. You could lock off doors to customize the size needed.

When we went to Cozumel, we had a multi-level unit that slept ten. When we went to South Padre, we had a multi level unit that slept twelve. Both of these were before pulling out couches.

I realize this small lodge we use is booked to capacity from April through September. There are only Twelve units. I think an increase in available units would only mean increased rentals.

One thing I would love to see is the removal of all the travel trailers that set up all summer long down there. I would estimate there are forty travel trailers in a circular pattern who set up in April and will remain there until September. They pay for a monthly rental space and are required have their own meter. Use to be one of the big attractions to this facility was the limited number of people on site.

In addition to this, there are several pull through trailer hookups, a quarter mile from the water.

O.K., call me spoiled or set in my way. I prefer small and personable.

I was the last one of the family to pay out. We had gone over to Robbie's and Jesse's lake place for lunch and homemade ice cream, so we left the little hound girls in the comfort of the travel trailer. When I had hooked the travel trailer up, I went in to pay and the Mother of the family that owns the facility was at the register. We visited briefly and she told me they only had a problem with the way one unit was left. When they told me the unit number, I narrowed down the family member who might have been staying in it to two.

I plan on talking to Memama later today to see how we might need to deal with this.

Krl and I visited on the way to home and we were very pleased with the little boys weekend. There were a few fits and tantrums, but over all they were well behaved. Rian stayed busy taking groups out on his boat, and late Saturday received a special request from Robbie to go for a ride in "old Red".

"Old Red" was Robbie's and Jesse's boat until two or three years ago when Uncle Jesse sold it to Rian. While mechanically it was fresh and sound, it needed some aesthetic work. It hadn't been out of the garage for a number of years at Rob's and Jess's lake place until Rian bought it. It is somewhat dated in appearance, but i guarantee you can have just as much fun with it as a newer much more expensive model.

Before Rian left the dock with Aunt Robbie, Scottye arrived and Rian invited him to take a ride down memory lane with them. The cruised across the lake, traveling up in the cove where their original lake place had been. Robbie share some memories of the old lake place and the red boat during their cruise. She said use to be late in the evenings she and Jesse often came out and took a cruise around the lake.

Over all, it was a good weekend, although I need today to rest up.

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for the safe travel. Thank YOU for family, and for our much larger family. Bless be the tie that binds.