VACATION OOPS!

By Caroline Clemmons

We are still on an endorphin high from having author Jacquie Rogers and her husband Mark visit. Their stay was short, but we packed in a lot of chatting (and eating). Mark was here on his birthday, so we had a modest celebration. They parked their Casita trailer in front of the house. We don’t have a guest room, so they had to sleep in the Casita. We have a gazillion cats and dogs, so they probably prefer their own space. They are always a lot of fun and we enjoyed seeing them!

Casita like the Rogers have.

During their visit, we talked about some of our vacations. Hero and I have had some wonderful visits to a variety of great places. Don’t worry, I’m not going to show you all my photos. You would probably rather hear about the odd things that happen on our outings.

Hero used to travel to White Sands Missile Range to test the rockets his company builds. On several occasions, our daughters and I went with him. Keep in mind that the girls and I are “incident prone.” On one trip we went through a rose garden, where we topped to smell the roses. Then, we went to a cactus garden, and Darling Daughter #2 leaned over to smell a cactus pear. Cactus spines in her nose were not a fun experience for her!

Beware of spines!

Ever since she could hold a child’s fishing rod, Darling Daughter #1 has loved to fish. In Corpus Christi, Texas one summer, Hero took her fishing on the motel pier. He had already been real, actual fishing before the girls were awake, so this time was just for her. She was only three, but already loved fishing and had been several times. This day, she was happily fishing with her dad when a woman came up and lectured him on how selfish he was to make his child go with him so he could fish. The crabby woman went on and on about how cruel he was. Hero was brought up never to argue with someone older than him and to treat women with respect, so he tolerated the woman’s ranting. Too bad he didn’t “accidentally” push her off the pier. Splash!

One year for his birthday (which fell on Father’s Day), the girls decided they would take Hero for a canoe trip. As soon as we got to the canoe, Darling Daughter #1 fell into the water. Getting her out of the river and seated in the canoe brought a lot of water with her that collected in the bottom of the canoe. As it turned out, there were only two seats, so Hero ended up sitting in the bottom of the canoe—in the water. He is a good sport and didn’t tell the girls how uncomfortable their “treat” was. He did appreciate the thought and enjoyed spending time with them.

On a trip to California, we stopped at the Petrified Forest. Unfortunately, it was high noon and very hot. Hero took the girls on a walking trail. About halfway, Darling Daughter #2 became so over-heated she was about to pass out, so Hero had to carry her the rest of the way. That’s when we learned she gets ill if she gets too hot, and she still does.

One summer we went to the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas. The girls and I absolutely loved Bandera and the Mayan. Hero, not so much, but again he was a good sport. The Mayan staff were so nice and the facility very pleasant. Seeveral evenings they had outdoor entertainment on the patio. Part of the show was the college-age waitresses dressed as the theme for the evening. When it came to the Mexican fiesta night, they attempted the Mexican hat dance, but none of them knew the steps. Darling Daughter #2 showed them the correct way she had learned in school.

Trail Ride at the Mayan Ranch

We had decided to go to the Mayan because Darling Daughter #1 wanted a horse. We thought we would “cure” her of that idea. Yes, we were delusional. Near the end of the trail ride, several teen-age boys were cutting up and decided to race to the corral. Darling Daughter #1 couldn’t control her horse and it took off following the boys. The head wrangler raced after her, but came back alone. He said he was going to rescue her, but she was having so much fun she didn’t want to be rescued. As you can guess, the trip only increased her desire for a horse. She was in junior high when she got her first horse.

Books 1 - 3

Bandera and the area have remained a favorite part of Texas. I’ve used it in several books, including my latest sweet historical western romance series, Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides. I hope you’ll read the books. The first in the series is about rancher GENTRY AND THEMAIL ORDER BRIDE. Heidi Roth came from Bavaria to marry Gentry McRae's partner, but the partner died a few days before she arrived. The partner left Heidi to Gentry in his will. What?

Second is about the sheriff, JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Sheriff Jesse Cameron from Scotland is well liked and respected for his firm but fair policy and the  order he's brought to the county. When he orders a bride, he has no idea he's getting a beautiful pickpocket and a young boy she's rescued, or that her former boss will chase her.

Third is about Gentry’s younger brother, QUINN AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Quinn McRae is the easy going, gambling, drinking brother of Gentry McRae. His bride is a very proper Priscilla Bradford, descended from William Bradford of the Mayflower. Quinn has a terrible secret that haunts him, but he wants to be a rancher like his brothers.

 Books in the series are stand alone. All take place in or near the fictitious town of Harrigan Springs in fictitious Harrigan County, which I squeezed in between the real Bandera and Medina Counties.

The latest in the series is about a blacksmith who’s an entrepreneur, LEVI AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, and is now up for preorder for April 21 release at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZDT6Q1J. Maeve Kelly refuses to marry the man who sent for her--and that's a wise choice. Levi Iverson gets tangled in Maeve's troubles.

Stay safe and keep reading!