We've been in Athens, TX for a few weeks now as Josh goes through training to become a certified RV technician and inspector. He is in class all day and then often studying at night. The kids and I are so proud of him and how he has applied himself to this study.
We are staying busy during the day. It has been a transition to not have Josh with us 24/7. It was particularly hard on the boys the first few days. We've fallen into a new rhythm now and we are finding our days filled with school, exploring, and friends. Then always the eager return of Daddy at the end of the day.
We are situated in the farthest back loop of the RV park and there are woods, ponds, and a dozen kids. Our three are in heaven. There are many days where the kids head out around 11am after school time and they don't come back until dinner - aside from popping in for food and hydration and the occasional need for a referee. I'm in heaven.
The weather has vacillated between hot and cold so each day is a new adventure and the kids have made it a habit to ask the highs and lows for the day before getting dressed. We experienced our first "tornado watch" and that was...fun. The kids didn't even get to enjoy the drama as we chose not to tell them. I confirmed with Josh that we had the correct insurances in place for the truck and trailer and then we packed a bug-out bag. If the siren sounded we were headed for safety and could look forward to a check if we returned to a vacant spot. No tornado materialized. But it was a good practice run.
The most fun the kids and I have had, aside from their playing hours on end outside, is going to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries located here in Athens. It is where they breed the fish used to stock lakes and ponds across Texas. There is an educational video followed by a diver feeding fish in a room size aquarium while talking about the different species, what they eat, and how they work together in a habitat. There's freshwater tanks filled with catfish, sun fish and alligator gar. Gar are normally very skittish but these have been bred in captivity and have been interacting with people through the glass long enough that they will swim up to investigate when you stop to look at them.
The best part of all though are the stocked fishing ponds and the free rods, reel, and bait that you can use. And you can even keep your catch for a small fee.
The kids each caught their first fish at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries. A man working at the rental building was patient in explaining to them how to cast their lines (and even more patient with their mama as he taught me how to get a fish free of the hook). Madelyn was the first to catch one and ended up catching four. Caden and Jack hooked one each and I even caught one. We've gone several times now and have always released what we caught. The kids and I have been researching on YouTube how to clean a freshly caught fish and also how to cook it. That has been on my bucket list for years and we are going to try it on the next reasonably sized trout we hook.
Those boys in cowboy hats are ours. We weren't in Texas two weeks before they completely assimilated. Jack even had a cowboy party to celebrate his 8th (8!?!) birthday.
I've been staying busy setting up as much of the business as I can while Josh is learning everything he needs to know in order to do the actual work. We have our LLC and bank accounts in place, purchased the domain, and (I think) finally settled on a logo. I'm working on the design aspects now but it's proven to be harder to design for myself than it is for others. I think I'm just too close to it. One thing I really enjoy about the RV community though is the generosity of its people - they willingly share their time, their knowledge, their experience, and their perspective. Several people we have met here have been invaluable sources of feedback and inspiration. You would think there would be some sense of competition but it's the opposite. Other RV Techs and Inspectors want to see another succeed as much as they want to succeed themselves. And they are willing to help each other to that end.
Ah, the people. Still my favorite.
And Teddy is still hanging in there with all of this adventuring. He is a good boy.
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