Life as a full timer in Ajijic is lived at a much slower pace. Here we finally met up with friend Michelle who is giving us advice on what to expect during the non-peak season.	We joined up with friends for Cino de Mayo, enjoying a traditional Mexican meal, fine music by Sol y Luna (Sun and Moon) and watching fireworks at Roberto's restaurant.
As a part of Glorine's volunteer efforts at a local high school, we got invited to a grand event put on by the seniors at a nearby event center on the shores of Lake Chapala.	Students of the tourism program at Chapala Preparatoria organized, prepared and served a three course meal, as we were entertained by Flamingo dancers.
After three month of planning, the Career Day program that Glorine envisioned, finally occurred. She along with volunteer Adrian Smith were on hand to keep everything on track.	When we arrived at the school, we were surprised at these beautiful posters the school had made up outlining the schedule of activities with speaker names, rooms and time.
In all there were 15 local professionals and technicians who took time to share their individual journeys of how they got involved with their career, the schooling required, etc.	While most of the presenters spoke, the Emergency Medical Technicians included a demonstration of how to place an injured person on a stretcher as a part of their presentation.
Along with this fitness trainer, students learned from an auto mechanic, artist, physical therapist, yoga instructor, chef, nurse, realtor, guidance counselor, graphic designer, financial advisor, a recruiter for IBM and a motivational speaker. It turned out to be an awesome experience.	Following Career Day, we started on our road trek to Minnesota, via Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. We were delighted with the drive to Laredo and were surprised at the beauty of the mountains outside of Monterrey. It reminded us of mountains near Banff Canada.
Before Texas became part of the United States, it was a part of New Spain. Spain's colonization was done in concert with the Catholic Church which created over 30 missions like these along the banks of the San Antonio River.	These missions typically five miles apart were huge compounds with homes lining the exterior walls. This is where Indians were gathered, lived, worked and learned both the Spanish culture and where converted into Catholicism.
Over the centuries most of these missions were abandoned. Thanks to the efforts of the W.P.A., C.C.C. and the Catholic church, some of the mission have been restored and maintained by the National Park System.	The Mission San Antonio de Valero, now known as the Alamo, was built in 1718 and now operated by Texas State Historical Association. The focus of this museum is on Texas's fight for independence and its break from Spain.
The River Walk is billed as the number one tourist attraction in Texas. It consists of a five mile stretch of the San Antonio River one story below the street level with walkways on both sides lined with bars, shops and restaurants.	The River Walk has been a work in progress since 1926 when a bypass channel was dug and the river was drained and the river bend was made into a storm sewer with streets over it. It is now overseen by a Conservation Society.
Here we are relaxing in the shade of Live Oak Trees after a two mile stroll through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which she founded in 1982 just outside of Austin.	This home is a replica of the one Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was born and raised in. It is near Johnson City, Texas named after his grandfather, Samuel Johnson.
This is one of the many airplanes that frequented the LBJ Ranch while it served as the Texas White House. It was said that LBJ spent one-fourth of his presidency working here.	Johnson's legacy was Civil Rights and among the many bill he signed, the greatest was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that prohibited states from discriminating based on race.
On the lawn of his home, President Johnson conducted Cabinet meetings, war briefings, and meetings with heads of state. He was a technology buff, with access to wireless radios, which were the precursor to cell phones.	One of LBJ's hobbies was to have special guests and dignitaries sign their names in fresh concrete. These pads then became part of a large walkway from the house to the airplane.
The Johnson Family Cemetery is located within a stone's throw of his ranch and his birthplace home. He died four years after he left office.	Fredericksburg is one of several German towns that dot the landscape of the Texas Hill Country. The streets were lined with cute shops and fine German restaurants.
As we toured the Johnson Library in Austin, we were amazed to learn that LBJ signed over 200 pieces of legislation into law. Oprah Winfrey credited her early success to one of those programs--Upward Bound.	Other laws included PBS, seat belts, Medicare, Head Start, Job Corps, Community Health Centers, VISTA, the Office of Economic Opportunity, Clean Air, Water Quality and Clean Water Restoration Acts.
For all that LBJ did, he has become the "invisible president," primarily for expanding the Vietnam War. After winning the primaries in 2008, Obama recognized FDR, Truman, JFK and Clinton, but not acknowledge the president who did more in opening the doors to his own presidency.	While we were not personally affected by the rains, we did witness damage from some of the flooding in the Texas Hill Country as we hiked along the Blanco River. Over 30 people lost their lives in one of the wettest months and deadliest natural disaster in Texas history.
"Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon, Willie and the Boys." We stumbled across this town while roaming through the Texas Hill Country, where on weekends the population swells from three to hundreds of country music lovers.	In Luckenbach, we signed this "headband" for Willey Nelson, which will be used in a 4-1/2 acre portrait of him in a nearby field. The final portrait will be unveiled at the music festival in September.

May's web page includes May 1 through May 31.