Sunday blog update

There goes another week!  Time flies! 

I still have more on Texas to talk about :)

One of my favourite things about visiting San Antonio was going to the Alamo. 

What a great place to see.  The thought of all of those famous names standing, and falling, right there where we were, all those years ago, was pretty awesome. 

Two of the most recognised names of course;

David "Davy" Crockett (i'm going to have that song in my head for the rest of the night now...king of the wild frontieeeeeer...) was one of the most famous figures of his day. Born in Tennessee in 1786, Crockett had many adventures in his youth as a frontiersman and military scout. In the 1820s, he entered Tennessee politics and eventually served two terms in Congress. His reputation as a sharpshooter, hunter, and storyteller grew with his success, and many fanciful accounts of his life were published, both by Crockett and by those seeking to capitalize on his fame.

By 1835, Crockett had become disillusioned with politics and set off to explore Texas, departing Tennessee with the famous quote: "You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas." Crockett fell in love with Texas and joined the volunteers in the fight for Texas independence. He died at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

James "Jim" Bowie, a 19th-century American pioneer and soldier, played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution, culminating in his death at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of him as a fighter and frontiersman, both real and fictitious, have made him a legendary figure in Texas history and a folk hero of American culture.

Born in Kentucky, Bowie spent most of his life in Louisiana, where he was raised and later worked as a land speculator. His rise to fame began in 1827 on reports of the Sandbar Fight. What began as a duel between two other men deteriorated into a melee in which Bowie, having been shot and stabbed, killed the sheriff of Rapides Parish with a large knife. This, and other stories of Bowie's prowess with the knife, led to the widespread popularity of the Bowie knife.

Bowie's reputation was cemented by his role in the Texas Revolution. After moving to Texas in 1830, Bowie became a Mexican citizen and married the daughter of the vice governor of the province.  In January 1836, he arrived at the Alamo, where he commanded the volunteer forces until an illness left him bedridden. Bowie died with the other Alamo defenders on March 6.

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We weren’t allowed to take photos inside unfortunately.  It's also a big no no to touch the walls!

This is a photo I found on the internet to show what the inside looks like.




I like this following website which shows how the Alamo has changed over the years.

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A L A M O  I M A G E S
CHANGING VIEWS OF THE MISSION SAN ANTONIO DE VALERO

http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/alamo_images/images.html

I have introduced Russ in a previous blog along with Betsy, one of my nurses.  Betsy bought him his Gators outfit. 

Here he is again at the Alamo;
Can you find him?






While we were walking around outside the Alamo looking at the sights, a lady commented on my “New Zealand” tee-shirt.  I said “I’d recognise that OZ accent anywhere”!  Turns out she was from Hamilton! *palm smacks forehead*!  She was with her family, and had driven from the West Coast and was heading to Florida, having a driving holiday.  So I had a yarn to her for a while.  I wonder how many other Kiwis I pass without knowing it. 

On the way back to the hotel after our Alamo visit, I fell off Road Runner!  What an idiot!  I was going up a gutter, it had rained a LOT the night before and there was a big puddle that I ended up in.  Fortunately I was with some people who picked me up off the ground; thanks Theresa, Tim and Brad!  There was no way I could have gotten out from underneath the scooter by myself.  I'll have to get a helmet if I keep that sort of thing up! 

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Meep Meep!!

And talking about rain in Texas, I have never in my life heard thunder like they have there.  When they say everything is bigger in Texas, it is certainly true of a thunder storm!  It rumbled and cracked like there was no tomorrow!

Thinking about tomorrow, I have my 6th infusion.  I have noticed that my pain is lessening a lot and I even managed to roll over in bed one morning without having to pull myself up with my blankets or sit up to turn over.  This may sound like nothing to a “normal” person, but to me it is a LOT!  It’s only happened once, and it’s early days, but it’s an improvement!

Until next time, hope you all have a great week :)