October 1-14, 2024: Our Fall Trip to Ecuador
	August 4, 2024: Fred's 70th Birthday Party
	Return to the Index for 2024

As has been the case for quite some years now, Prudence and Nancy have invited Fred and I to come down to San Antonio for the occasion of the birthdays of their two husbands, Ron and Karl, which occur only days apart. And has been the case for quite some years now, we have been happy to drive down for the celebration.

Karl Gleim and Ron Ruckman

On this trip, Ron's birthday dinner was at a steakhouse that he favors, while Karl chose an Italian restaurant near to where he and Nancy live. We have all been to both of these restaurants before, and it was at the first of them, the steakhouse, that I took what I will call the Official 2024 Ruckman-Gleim Birthday Portrait shown at left. I thought I would take advantage of the very distinguished look of the two birthday gentlemen while it was available.

Both birthday dinners were very enjoyable, which was not the least surprising since I cannot recall a meal that we have had with our good friends in San Antonio which hasn't been very enjoyable over all these many years that we have been visiting them. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that they, and the friends they tend to surround themselves with, are simply enjoyable people, and so no matter what we are doing with them- whether it be having a meal, going for a drive, attending a function, visiting a museum, walking the dog, or just hanging out at home or at the gallery- the chances are overwhelming that the time we spend with them will be just that: enjoyable.

We spent three days with our friends in San Antonio, and aside from the two birthday dinner events, we occupied that time in the same way you would if you would if you were visiting family; that is to say, not doing much in particular. Prudence's kitchen is still undergoing a complete renovation, and is about three months into what is expected to be at least a six- or seven-month project, so there isn't a lot to see just yet. Things have been very inconvenient for her and Ron without a kitchen, but they've been making do.

One of the activities that occupies at least Prudence and me when we are in San Antonio is busying ourselves at the gallery, either working on the website or just hanging out. We don't usually take many pictures there, having been there so often, but on this trip, we did take a couple.

One, at the near right, was taken during a visit by one of Prudence's artists when she happened to bring her own dog, a very well-behaved German Shepherd. Jax was not at the gallery yet; Ron usually brings him over in the afternoon.

At the far right is an artwork by one of Prudence's newer artists- Debbie Carroll- entitled A Casual Arrangement. This work caught Fred's eye, being, he thought, evocative of Van Gogh, and he purchased it while we were there. It is a 12 x 12 work, acrylic on panel.

We spent a relaxing few days down in San Antonio, and headed home on Monday, September 9th. Passing north through Austin, Fred got a couple of pictures of the rapidly-changing skyline:

Sadly, for the third time, a trip to San Antonio was marred by an automobile incident. First, about eight years ago, Fred's Elantra GT was severely damaged when a hit-and-run driver ran into it when it was parked on Breeden Street beside Ron and Prudence's house. A second mishap occurred about three years ago when Ron inadvertently backed into my own Elantra when it was parked right behind the house, in an area where a car is not normally parked. He was extremely nice about it, and it got quickly repaired up in Dallas. This time, the incident occurred on the drive back, and at least did not invove damage to the car itself.

As I was driving my Elantra up I-35 just about 15 miles south of downtown Dallas, a pickup truck in front of me kicked up a sizeable rock, and it slammed into the lower-left corner of my windshield. It was so large that it almost came through the windshield, but as you can see in the picture below, left, did a great deal of damage. By the time I'd gotten back to the house, a crack had run almost entirely across the windshield, as you can see in the picture below, right.

Shortly after the incident, while I was still driving, I called my insurance company and my dealer. By the time I got back to the house I had an appointment for the very next day to have the windshield replaced, so the whole thing was a memory by Tuesday afternoon.

This relatively small incident certainly did not mar yet another very good visit with our friends in San Antonio.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	October 1-14, 2024: Our Fall Trip to Ecuador
	August 4, 2024: Fred's 70th Birthday Party
	Return to the Index for 2024