With the forecast and uncertainty regarding the weather back home, we were in no hurry to leave the RGV Saturday morning.  After awaking early, we were “locked and loaded”, but delayed leaving to have coffee with our neighbors at the Activities Center.  And then, all at once, we said goodbyes again (it gets harder every time), wiped the tears, and pulled out at 8:30 AM.  We know we’ve left the Valley when we pass through the US Customs and Border Patrol station about an hour north.  We passed Paul, Lorna, Jim, and Regie who had stopped at the Falfuria Rest Area, and had great driving until mid-afternoon.  And then, drizzling rain began and increased to steady showers for the remainder of the day.  We had planned to stop and spend the night at Shady Pines RV Campground in Jacksonville, Texas, to meet up with an old RVing friend, but the campground was the pits, muddy, un-level, soft ground, unpaved and unkept, and $38 per night.  With a drizzle still falling and mired in red clay mud, we said a quick hello and goodbye, and pulled out—we’ll get to visit next week.  We drove to the nearest Walmart—Henderson, Texas—and spent the night with wind, rain, and thunderstorms. 

The forecast for Little Rock was for high winds, and rain turning into snow, so we left Walmart shortly after 5 AM Sunday morning heading north, driving the rest of the way to Maumelle Park on the Arkansas River at Little Rock.  We arrived about 10 AM, set up the RV, and then, as if by magic, 50 mph winds and rain struck, and the temperature began dropping.  Despite the bad experience at the Shady Pines RV Campground, we had maybe the best motorhome trips to or from the Valley in the 5 winters we’ve spent there.  Kay’s son, Ron, stopped by mid-afternoon, and we had a great visit, catching up on his too busy life.  About 4 PM, we all left to visit Ridge and his parents.  Ridge is, of course, our younger grandson, and at 2-1/2, a real treat to be around.  We enjoyed a brief visit, had salad and pizza, and returned to the motorhome for much needed sleep, as we both fell asleep watching television.