Back in San Antonio

We left before we saw if they eventually succeeded and stopped on the way the San Antonio to empty the tanks at Camping World.

We had to stay out of the Thousand Trails system for a full 7 days (Their rules) so we found out the San Antonio Elks Lodge has 5 RV spots and went there. We couldn’t find anyone at the lodge but a nice guy named Mike who was staying there told us where to stop and where the power was. We figured we’d pay when the Lodge opened.

Except it never did. 

We eventually saw somebody there and they explained that the lodge only opens for the monthly lodge meeting and special events because nobody ever shows up for social gatherings! They are however putting in full hookups in the RV lot which should be completed within a couple of months.

By Wednesday we were back at Thousand Trails with full hookups and a laundry so we caught up on chores. We really need to find an RV parts place as lots of little things have been breaking lately, we would have bought them at Camping World when we were there but there was no place to park the rig.

This weekend is Halloween and the campground is geared up for it with decorations along the entrance road and the whole patio area set up for games for the kids. The weekend is going to be busy here.

As we were coming along I35 into town we saw a couple off USAF fighter jets flying in formation. When they got closer we saw they were the Thunderbirds Display Team. 

AIRSHOW!!

I’m an unrepentant airplane nut and have been since my parents took me to Liverpool’s Speke airport for an airshow in the 50’s. World War 2 aircraft are my thing. I looked up what was happening and sure enough Randolph Field was having a show this weekend.

First though we had to survive long enough to get there. We thought we’d done with rain but oh no we weren’t. Thursday and Friday were forecast for rain and thunder.

At 3.3am Friday morning our cell phones suddenly started chirping. I went to find out what was happening and there was a National Weather Service storm warning for our area. Extreme thunder activity and a TORNADO WARNING. Watches mean there is activity possible, warning mean it’s happening in your area right now!

Which poses a question. If you’re in an RV miles from anywhere and the warning tells you to seek shelter immediately in a solid structure. WHERE DO YOU GO?

At 3.30am with rain lashing down, thunder and lightning shaking the rig, clear thought is at a premium! I sat down and balanced the alternatives.

Get Barbara up, get dressed, get out to the car, hope it isn’t stuck in mud, and drive. But where to drive to? The clubhouse is locked up, and in any case it’s hardly a substantial structure. Neither are the ranger station, laundry or bathrooms.

OR stay where we are, hope we don’t get hit by the lightning or a tornado and be prepared to roll off the bed onto the floor if we hear the tornado getting close?

We chose to stay and we were lucky.

The tornado warning ended at 5 am. Joy! 

Then the phones went off again at 5.30 with a flash flood warning for our area. Sweet.

And at 4 am Saturday morning they phones went off again with another flash flood warning. This is getting old.

So Sunday we went to the airshow and it was sunny, 83 degrees. We bought folding chairs from Walmart (Our camping chairs are too big to carry far) and we sat and watched some extremely entertaining aerobatic from the current World Aerobatic Champion, several “Attacks” by the Commemorative Airforce who reenacted both Pearl Harbor and the Doolittle Raid then the Thunderbirds closed the show.

The formation of everything they fly here

This is a 350 mph jet powered TRUCK!

The Jelly Belly stunt planes lands on a moving truck.

Any airshow fans know what came next.

TRAFFIC

The huge line on the left is for the buses to the parking lot

we sat for a couple of hours and waited for the line t die down.

So we sat in our chairs and watched the traffic show for a couple of hours until it died down then walked to the car and made our way back to the rig.