Cross's Chronicles

International Kite Festival

2012-02-05T08:51:00.000-06:00

The weather was calling for a cold front which would come through the RGV sometime during the afternoon on Saturday, but that didn't stop the 10 of us from traveling to South Padre Island. Saturday was the International Kite Festival being held on the beach on the inland water way of the island by the B&S Kite Shop. This was the 12 annual festival and they did not disappoint us since there were beautiful and hugh kites flying in the wind that was blowing ahead of coming cold front. Below are pictures of some of the kites.

Here are our friends who went with us.

Along with us there were thousands of people enjoying the beautiful day as well a lot more than last year.

I also met a good friend, John Howser, at the kite festival who had, just the day before arrived in the RGV for a couple of weeks. John and his 1st Lady came down to enjoy everything that goes on in the RGV by all the Winter Texans. They didn't come down last year and wasn't coming for the 3 months normally enjoyed by all of us Winter Texans but a short trip this year. The reason Cindy & I are here in the Valley is because of all the stories John has written on his blog about the wonderful warm RGV since 2005 when they began coming down. The first year they came down for just a couple of months then they traveled to Arizona for one month just to check things out, then they decided the RGV would be their winter home for the next few years. John & I agreed we would get together sometime next week to go out and eat at one of the many places he had described with scrupulous detail.

After leaving the festival the 10 of us went to Pelican Station again for a late lunch. Some ate burgers and other fish dishes, but for me it's the wonderful Shrimp Platter with fries and a side of Cole Slaw. Cindy had a Chicken Po Boy sandwich that she described as Chicken Tenders slapped between two pieces of bun. She wasn't impressed to say the least.

While we traveled back on the expressway it was like the sky opened up and dumped a ton of water which lasted for several miles. We did safely arrived at the RV.

Life is great

Wow... busy few weeks

2012-01-24T09:10:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have been a whirl wind of activity. Having two couples from back home in the same park has created a seasonal job for Cindy and I as tour guides. Keep in mind most of the places we visited were somewhere to eat, since that's pretty much what we do here and why I can't seem to lose weight. The tour started by taking Don & Mary to South Padre Island who wanted to see a RV park on the island to check it out and maybe stay there next season. After leaving the park comments were made that made me think they didn't like the place so scratch that one off the list. I told Don the salt air from the Gulf would just cover the camper and truck and could cause it to rust.

Don and Mary Furrer

On the beach at South Padre Island

A few days later the six of us from our park traveled to Brownsville to visit more of our friends, Jim and Linda Pike, from back home. After visiting for a while we headed for a late lunch at Pelican Station. Pelican Station is owned by the same person who owns Dirty Al's on South Padre Island that has wonderful big shrimp which most of us ate. The burgers eaten by those who don't like shrimp were big and we were told was really good.

Pelicans Station - Port Isabel, Texas

Don and Mary Furrer, Jim and Linda Pike

Tom and Marie Salsbury and Cindy

Cindy and I duh..

Tom and Marie Salsbury

After our lunch we went across the causeway over to the island and we went to the Sea Turtle Rescue facility. They have a bunch of little turtles and other turtles that are injured and being nursed back to health so they can be released back into the Gulf.

This guy was playing around by squirting water out his nose when he came up for air.

Another day we decided to go to the Don Wes Flea Market, but before we went we wanted to stop and eat lunch, a favorite of mine is Gonzales Burgers. These burgers are huge and have about a pound of burger and an over abundance of either fries or onion rings these should be shared. The burger costs $5.95 and the fries $3.50 and drinks $1.00 so for about $10.00 you both of us can eat lunch. Below is a picture I took with my camera phone. Click on the picture and it will show you the larger version.

About a week ago we made our trip to Mexico to buy Creme of Tequila and some medicine which is very cheap. Cindy and Mary loved to shop in the two bigger stores instead of the street vendors. Don & Marie bought a Turtle figurine to put in their landscape at home. The six of us also ate lunch at the Red Snapper Restaurant on the outdoor balcony so we could watch the activity on the street while we waited for our food to be delivered.

The picture below is looking down the street of Progreso.

There are a ton of Dentists & Pharmacies in town.

Holy cow all this makes me tired just writing about what we have been doing. We also have participated in some of the activities in the park like playing Mexican Train every Wednesday evening, Tom & I went on with the Bike club on Monday what they call biking for Breakfast. Then Sunday of this last week we watch a couple of comedians Bernie and Red who came to our park to put on their show. This couple travels from park to park putting on their act and the cost to us was only $6.00 per person which is really cheap entertainment.

Weather when we arrived started out being a little cool and we had to run the furnace at night but the days got warm. The last couple of week the temps during the night have been in the 60's and days in the 80's, but this year it's really been more humid than last year.

That's it for now, I will try to keep up with our activities.

Life is great..

Happy New Year !!

2012-01-01T20:43:00.003-06:00

We've been in the RGV a little over a week and I have been busy doing a lot of work. Monday Cindy called Bill to set up the day he would come to our place to help with the belly pans and Wednesday was it. So thanks for the help of Tom, & Bill we were able to get the new underbelly pans put in place and I am sure it will not fall again. We put three times the amount of screws used by the factory. Also the insulation we put was R13 and I think the old insulation was R7.5 so that should keep us a little warmer. After all this was done Tom, Marie, Cindy & I decided to go to the DonWes Flea Market to look around and to get a name sign made for Tom & Marie and their dogs Jake & Molly. It turned out really good.

Later in the day we went with Tom & Marie to play Mexican Train. This is a fun game and it takes about 2 hours to complete all 12 games, I am assuming you know how to play since it would take some time to explain the process.

Thursday I helped Tom put the new decals on the front of his Montana 5th wheel. Since Tom & Marie has been here Tom was busy pulling the old decals off since they had faded and started peeling off themselves. He then use paint thinner to clean all the adhesive from the old decals then washed the front to accept the new ones. When we were finished I decided it was time to wash our camper and truck to get all the road grime from our trip down in the rain. What a job... This took the rest of the day to get this done.

Friday Don & Mary Furrer, our neighbor from home, arrived at the park. They called us when they were about 10 miles away from the park and we told them we would meet them at the park gate. It took them about 30 minutes to drive that short distance, once they arrived we directed them to their site and helped them get set up and working. I also helped Don get setup on the parks WIFI and helped with getting the TV setup for Mary, she is a big College football fan and she want to find ESPN on the cable system in the park.

Once they were all setup we went out for dinner and decided on Pizza, but the Pizza Hut close to us was so busy it was going to take 20 minutes to get a table and then 35 minutes to get a pizza. I said there is a MacAlister's Deli in McAllen so we went there and had a sandwich and a side dish. It was really pretty good for a quick late dinner.

Saturday the Mexican Train group held a New Years eve potluck beginning at 6:00pm and will last until all 12 games were completed which means we were back to the RV around 9:30pm. We decided to go to this instead of attending the Dance & dinner in the activity center but the food out until 12:30am I can't eat that late and it was going to cost $15.00 per person to attend. On our walk back to the RV we could hear a BIG party being held at a place just a few blocks from our park, the music was so loud we could hear the DJ but couldn't understand him, they were speaking spanish. Then at midnight, OMG, the fireworks began it woke me up and lasted quite a while, couldn't see the clock so does that tell you where we were at midnight(trying to sleep).

Today (Sunday) all six of us, Tom, Marie, Don, Mary, Cindy & Me went to Denny's for breakfast and while we were eating decided to go to the movie and see the Lady with the Dragon Tattoo. This was a weird movie and hard to follow, I did understand it was a murder mystery. Both Mary & Marie had read the book and they said the movie followed the book really close. I would give this 3 boxes of popcorn out of a 5 box scale. The rest of the evening was spent walking the dog, fixing and eating dinner then walking the dinner again and watching TV.

I want to hope you all a very Happy New Year from Cindy & I.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T10:16:00.000-06:00

We made it to the RGV but not after some crazy stuff happening. We left KC on Monday traveling south on I-35 by the time we reached Emporia it began to rain lightly. After about 20 miles the sky opened up with rain, which had it been colder would be FEET of snow. When we stop for fuel in Purcell Oklahoma a gentleman at the pump next to me asked if I knew I had some damage to the camper. Needless to say I was not aware and when he showed me what he was talking about I saw the belly pans under the camper laying on the ground being drug along the highway. We has stopped a couple hours earlier for lunch and had not seen any of this damage so we had to assume what had happen was all the water coming from the road and the side wind had caused the screws holding these pans up had broken through. After me crawling under the camper in the water and unscrewing the remaining screws and putting the parts in the back of the truck and inside the camper we were on our way.

The rain followed us all the way to Waco Texas which was our over night stop. We arrived very late at the RV park about 10:00 pm. We witnessed several cars hydroplaning who were driving faster than they should in the rain and I felt at time the truck drifting around like our of control so I drover much slower than normal and this cause us getting to the park later than we should have.

Tuesday morning we were on our way after a quick breakfast at McDonald's around 7:30am. The rest of the trip was uneventful but the sun was shining which allowed us to travel a normal speed of 60-65mph. We arrived at our park around 4:30 and we checked in and backed into our site by 5:30. We were greeted by Tom & Marie Salsbury, our good friends who we talked into coming down to the park and it was great seeing a familiar faces.

The park looks a little different since all the fruit trees had been trimmed over the summer and because of the draught this year not much fruit to be had. That's OK since we can get some at the DonWes Flea Market. The weather all this week had been wet and very cool, it has rained everyday but one. We haven't been in shorts yet so we are waiting for the warm to come back and after looking at the forecast next week by Wednesday it will be 80, we are so looking forward to all the warmer temps.

Today we will cook a brisket and share it with Tom & Marie for our Christmas Dinner. Marie can't have Gluten in her diet so even though the park is having a dinner she doesn't know if there will be something she shouldn't eat we decided to have our own dinner. We are planning to eat around 4:30 and we will enjoy the company.

Cindy & I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas today.

Turkey is in the oven

2011-11-24T10:01:00.000-06:00

Cindy & I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends.

As I write we have the turkey in the oven and all the kids and my mother are due over shortly. Our meal will be served around 1:30pm. After everyone is full of Turkey and Dressing we will have the grandkids overnight so the Mom's & Dad's can go to the early Black Friday sales that begin around 10:00pm for Walmart and Midnight for most other stores. I think they are infringing on this wonderful holiday, but will that stop them form opening earlier earlier, no I don't think so.

Again we hope you are with your family where ever you are and enjoying this wonderful holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Back home and being busy

2011-04-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

We left Texas earlier than we planned because it was starting to get really hot and humid. We left on 3/24 and traveled to I35 RV Park just outside of Waco. We were up and out of there by 8:00am on Friday 3/25 and arrived home by 5:00pm. This part of the trip took longer because I followed the GPS which wanted to take us through Dallas and since we've never been through Dallas we thought what the heck. Well needless to say what a major mistake. The traffic was horrible and I had playing in my head something a friend told me about Dallas is be careful or you will end up in Dallas Fort Worth Airport if you make the wrong turn. When I saw the sign that was pointing to DFW (Dallas/Forth Worth Airport) I went the opposite direction and that is where we went wrong. The GPS is screaming RECALCULATING and our only out was to follow highway 75 out of Dallas and all the way home. The reason being if I would've taken the other turn I would be on I-35 E and then all the way home through Oklahoma City. Highway 75 went all the way through Oklahoma into Kansas around Coffeville, Kansas then we picked up 169 which then took us home but not after many many slow downs in small towns and two lane roads traveling behind trucks and no place to pass with a our trailer following behind us.

We got home safely and we parked the trailer in front of the house and unloaded 3 months of crap that we took and didn't use or we purchased while we were in Texas. After unloading we couldn't take the trailer to the storage place since I gave it up when we left and our lease on another spot doesn't start until 4/1 we had no place to take the trailer, which is ok with me since we are to travel to St. Louis for a Wedding of a friends son and we would spend the weekend at a KOA there.

Well guess what happen on Saturday after we returned..... YEP it SNOWED and got really cold. Wouldn't you know it; is't 90 degrees in Mission where we came from and it's 32 here at home. Gee's what were we thinking. Cindy said Get over it we made the decision to come home and to keep from running up the electric bill by running both air conditioners to keep cool.

Since we have been home here is a run down of what's been going on.
We decided to not to take the camper to St. Louis after all since it would be cold and rainy that weekend so we contacted our storage place to see if we could get our lease started sooner. We found out our old spot was still available so we took the trailer down and parked it then signed a new lease effective 3/28, needless to say we had to pay a few dollars for the days of the end of the month.

Friday 3/31 we went to St. Louis and stayed in the Pear Tree Inn for our friends sons wedding on Saturday. Jim & Linda came down on Saturday and stayed in the same place we did. The wedding was on Saturday night and was really good ceremony The wedding was held at Third Degree Glass Factory. Mark (the groom) teaches glass blowing here and since the factory even hosts weddings it was perfect place. After the wedding ceremony everyone went into the gallery for drinks and was able to view some of the glass works and glass pieces that are for sale while the caterers converted the area for a sit down dinner and dancing. We had a good time it was an awesome evening.

I think I posted about this a friend, Jack, had passed away in Florida over the winter. His wife, Vivian, and her kids decided to hold a small memorial in Florida for his friends there then to have him Cremated and sent back to Kansas City so another memorial could be held for his friends at home. Vivian wanted this memorial to be held after everyone got home from their winter travels. This memorial was held on April 4th. When Vivian and her kids came back from Florida they didn't bring the camper back with them, so her Bother in Law (Bill) and I left on Wednesday 4/6 and traveled back to Florida to pick up the camper and bring it home so Vivian could get it cleaned up to sell. Bill & I got back home after a very long drive on Sunday 4/9.

The last couple of weeks Cindy and I have been working around the yard cleaning out flower beds, digging up dead plants and replanting new ones then putting mulch down. This was only done in the front yard so the back yard still has to be done. Cindy received an early birthday present she really wanted to have a water fountain in the front yard so I sprung to buy one she had found.

Today since it isn't going to rain I believe Bill and I will go over to Vivian's house to wash the outside of her camper and to clean all the bugs from the front so she can get it up to sell. She has spent the last couple of weeks just getting all the stuff out from the front, basement and inside the camper that her and Jack had stored in these places. It's cool this morning but the forecast is to be close to 60 this afternoon so I would like to get it done and off my plate.

Sorry it took so long for me to update my blog since we left our winter home in Texas. We did put a deposit down to go to the same resort next winter so we will see if we go back for a 3rd year...

Life is Good.. So is retirement...

Day 66 - 72 Oops catch up.

2011-03-14T08:23:00.001-06:00

Monday - Sunday:

Sorry I haven't kept up with my posting. Not much going on here the weather has just been beautiful low in the 50's and highs in the mid 80's.

There are so many people who are heading back north this last week the activities are really slowing down. It was announced during the Wednesday park meeting the last entertainer would be later that night and the last dance of the season would be held on Friday. Also the last craft show will be on Saturday.

We did attend the last entertainer Wednesday who was Joyce Lee she was a Ventriloquist. She was ok nothing to write home about.

Thursday we went to Camping World to pick up some rubber roof cleaner and a scrubbing brush. Neighbors have been cleaning their RV roofs and they have been so dirty and know ours would be a mess as well. When I claimed up on the roof it was just covered with all sorts of dust and dirt. As I scrubbed the roof the Cindy told me it was black water was coming off the roof. When I was finished the roof was looking great it was white again, but now the sides of the RV was dirty and streaked with the crap come off the roof. Cindy and I took some water and rags and wiped down the entire camper then Cindy cleaned all the windows. It's looking good again.

We didn't go to the last dance since it was going to be a Swing Dance we hardly dance at a regular dance.

Friday night we went out to dinner with Harold and Jean to Logans Roadhouse. We've never been there and it was really good. Cindy had a Filet and I had grilled tilapia. After dinner we went back and we were invited over to Harold & Jeans to play Rummikub. We played until 10:30 when we headed back to our RV and then headed to bed.

We have friends who will be arriving on Monday, they are coming from Phoenix and want to look around at the RGV to find a park for next year. Needless to say Cindy want to do some straightening up and wanted to get the laundry done so we didn't have to face that on Monday. She also wants to clean and vacuum then give the dog a bath before they show up. Gee's what is it about when company is coming women think they need to have things just in tip top shape. What about any other time?

Saturday I wanted to go find a couple pair of Columbia shorts so Cindy thought Kohls would have just what I wanted. Well Nope no Columbia. So we head to the Academy store, local sports store. I did find just what I was looking for. Then we headed to Hobby Lobby don't know why other than Cindy wanted to see if there was something she doesn't need. I am not sure what exactly she bought. After Hobby Lobby we went to Harbor Freight for me to look around. I picked up a new tool box, some hex wrenches and a new tape measure for the camper. The tool box I carry now is broke and too small for what tools I am carrying in the camper.

After all of our running around I grilled a steak for me and a Chicken breast for Cindy. She didn't want steak again since she had one last night. Then we just chilled the rest of the evening.

Sunday we did our laundry and when that was done and put away we went to the grocery store to stock up for our friends arrival since we will be fixing them dinner Monday night. Then for dinner I made a taco salad which we haven't had since we've been here. I think it was the Mexican dinner we had been looking for right in our own RV.

The rest of the evening was just sitting out side then TV the rest of the evening.

Life is Good.. !!

Day 60 - 65 Can't believe it's been 60 days.

2011-03-06T22:00:00.002-06:00

I can't believe we have been here for 2 months already with only 3 weeks left before we start heading home.

The weather here this week has really been fantastic lows in the 60's and the highs in the 80's. A couple of days there was a little wind but not bad. The forecast will be more of the same. We did have a rain storm pass through on Saturday morning with some High winds but within in about an hour it was gone and the sun came out nice and bright.

We haven't been doing anything really exciting this week just hanging out visiting with some of our neighbors and on Friday we were saying farewell to our next door neighbor as they head for home in Colorado.

Wednesday I went to the Hanger, where the tennis & Pickle-ball court is located, for the first lesson to learn how to play this game for the older generation. This is their words not mine.. This game is played on a smaller court than tennis, it's called ping pong on steroids. I was there for about 2 1/2 hours getting all the tips I could while we played a few games with the instructors. I quickly found out I am not as young as I thought. My knees and shoulders were sore after playing. When I got back to the RV I just sat outside to try to get cooled off I had sweat just streaming from my forehead and my shirt I could've rung water out. Cindy thought I was nuts, which I am ...

On Friday I went back to the hanger to play PickleBall for 3 hours and god I am really sore now. My knees are really stiff as if I had run a marathon and my shoulders are sore as well, I need more ADVIL. What the hell was I thinking. The game is really fun to play but I think I need to slowly work into playing so much.

Later in the evening on Friday there was a dance at the rec hall with Paul and The Cruisers playing, who have played here 3 times since we have been here. We went to the dance with our neighbors Harold and Jean and we really did have fun and a few drinks to make dancing not so intimating. We had lot of fun.

Sunday:

Slow start to today. Watched Sunday Morning program then ate some breakfast and sipped my coffee. I flipped the tv over to Directv after Sunday Morning and watched a couple HGTV landscaping and Mike Holmes program, It's amazing what Holmes on Holmes finds with houses that inspectors miss or just overlook. It's a shame to stick the home owner with tons of money.

Libby was really dirty from all the dust around here so it was time for a bath, she didn't like it much but she really does look and smell a much better. She really is a great natured dog and never meets a stranger and after her bath it's like she knows she looks good and just prances around. After Libby's bath Cindy wanted to wash all of Libby's bedding so she doesn't pick up the dog smell and dirt that's in her bed and pillow she lays on in the living room.

After the laundry was done we went to Wal-Mart to pick a few needed things, some of which will be for our dinner tonight. Cindy fixed us Fried Chicken, Mash Potatoes & Gravy & green beans for dinner. We haven't had that big of meal for quite sometime, it sure was delicious and we both needed to be rolled away from the table.

The rest of the evening was watching TV then about 10:00 pm we took Libby for her last walk for the day and to drop the trash at the dumpster. It was really cool on our walk it's 59 outside so we wore our jackets.

Day 57 - 59 This and that..

2011-03-01T11:09:00.002-06:00

Friday:
Not much going on we just sat under our awning along with our neighbors, Harold & Jean, just talking until we realized it was after lunch when we all getting hungry. We all piled into Harold's truck and headed to Dairy Queen to get something to eat. Cindy & I split a chicken finger basket & fries with a Mocha Moolate as a drink. Jean had a burger, fries and a mini blizzard and Harold was the only one who ate a healthy lunch of a chicken salad.

We didn't do much else the rest of the day, we did take Libby for a long walk around the park and talked to some of the others in the park on our walk.

I did bake potatoes on the grill and when they were finished I grilled a couple of steaks out for dinner.

Saturday:
When Libby and I returned from the dog walk Cindy was up and moving around. We both knew we had to get to the La Joya Fine Arts Center at 12:30 to get tickets for the performance of Palmview High School Mariachi & Folkloric performance at 2:00pm.

While we waited I went out and watered the grass and then enjoyed a cup of coffee and the cooler temps this morning since the predicted high is to be around 90.

The plan for today was to pick up our tickets then head to a Whataburger to get something to eat before the performance started. When we arrived to pickup tickets the parking lot was full and there was a line waiting to get into the auditorium and a bus from one of the parks just pulled into the parking lot. We both went to get our tickets and then decided since there was quite a crowd we would find our seats and forget about eating anything for now. We both were surprised the auditorium was quite large and was full an hour before the program begins. As others came into the auditorium the ushers were having a a hard time finding seats.

I can't say enough about the program the kids performance was fantastic and the costumes were very bright and colorful. The Mariachi group has won the Valley Mariachi first place at a local competitions. I really hate that I forgot to take my camera to the performance, but I did take a couple of pictures with my cell phone. Please excuse the quailty they aren't the best. The first picture is of the interpretation of the Spanish Conquest.

The next picture was a segment called "We Love Our Winter Texans!". The Mariachi interpreted different genre such as Classical, Jazz, Rock and country and the reason for this segment is they feel the Winter Texans are very supportive of the Mariachi & Folkloric Students.

After the performance we had a quick dinner, we were starving, at the local Whataburger then headed back to the RV and relaxed until 7:00 when we walked to the rec hall to watch the Line Dance class put on their performance of the various line dances they have practiced. If you remember I had tried to line dance and I guess I was just too late to begin the class. Their performance was really good. Maybe next year when I start line dancing.

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV.

Sunday:
The plan for today is to meet Jim & Linda at the Don Wes Flea Market around 10:00am. After several calls on the cell phone to locate each other we walked around the flea market about 2 hours. When we all agreed it was time to head to Cedars for lunch since we were getting hungry. Jim followed me back on the 83 expressway and to McAllen. As we drove by Cedars the parking lot wasn't too crowed so we quickly found a spot to parked then put our name on the waiting list and was told it would be about 10 - 15 minute wait. While we waited we sat at the bar with a drink and after about 10 minutes our little buzzer went off and then we maneuvered through the crowd that had begun to fill the lobby to find the hostess who would guide us to our table.

Both Cindy & I had an order of Chicken Alfredo that we really enjoy. Jim had the Catfish and Linda ordered a grilled chicken salad. As we ate it was getting really getting crowded and the waiters were right on top of everything that we needed trying to make sure we didn't take too much time. All of our meals were really good and Cindy was the only one that had leftovers for tomorrows lunch.

Jim & Linda followed us back to our RV and since it was really hot, about 95, we all went inside the cool so we could visit and enjoyed the Coconut Pie that we had waiting for us. We visited for a couple of hours until they decided it was time for them to head back to their RV. Thank you Jim & Linda we really enjoyed our day with you two.

We didn't do much else the rest of the evening. It did start to cool off so we sat outside until it was time for bed.

Monday:
Today is our laundry day and the we go to Mission West to have a great burger. Doesn't sound like that is all we eat? Sure seems like it to me. Anyway around 10:00 we headed to the laundromat to get started. While the washers were running we sat on bench outside and just watched everyone coming and going to their various activities.

When the laundry was finished and folded we head back to the RV to put everything in their places. Cindy had purchased a pair of sandals at Academy Sport Store and one of the straps had broken so she wanted to return or exchange them for another pair. After leaving their we needed to pick up a few things at the grocery store so we headed to the HEB.

After returning to the RV and putting away the groceries it was time to head for Mission West RV park. We were expecting a long line waiting to place their order since that is how it has been each time we eaten there. Much to our surprise the line only had about 6 couples and we really wondered why. After we placed our order and sat down to wait for our burgers we visited with a couple who are staying at this park and they told us it has been this way for the last couple of weeks. They weren't real sure why but my feeling is it was a novelty for most in RGV and now everyone has eaten here they are done. When our number was called I raised my hand and our burgers were delivered to us. While I was eating my burger the meat was a dry and the bun was a little toasted than I cared for it but I ate it anyway. Cindy didn't care much for hers either and she only ate about half. I finished mine and the fries then we headed back to our RV and we both think that is the last time for us eating there this year. Must have been a new cook or something they just weren't the same as they had been the last couple of times we had eaten there.

The rest of the evening was sitting outside enjoying the 75 degrees and cool breeze today. Then after it got dark and so cool to be uncomfortable we headed inside to watch our Monday program Castle. When Castle was over we headed for bed.

I can't believe we have been here in the RGV for 2 months and we now only have about 3 weeks until we head back north. The time really goes by fast when you are having fun...

Life is Great..!!

Day 52- 55 -- Just a recap

2011-02-25T08:52:00.003-06:00

Monday:
The morning began as usual, Libby and I went down to the dog walk and Libby did her business while I talked to the other dog owners. On my way back to the RV I spoke to a couple who was preparing to ride their bike built for two and were members of the bike club in the park. This morning they were riding in a 6 - 8 mile ride and they asked if I rode. I told them I have my bike with me here in RGV and they invited me to ride with them anyone can ride. They met every Monday & Tuesday at 8:00 by the front gate and they usually ride about 6-8 miles round trip. Their speed is around 7-8 mph since there are some members that are in their 80's so they don't go fast. I told them I couldn't today but maybe another day.

When we arrived back at the RV Cindy was moving around but not quite awake when I mentioned I spoke with some folks in the bike club and thought I wouldn't mind riding some morning with them. I also told her I would like to try and find Willies BarBQ for lunch today since this was another place on John's list of places to go.

After breakfast and coffee I went outside and watered the grass, this has become apart of the morning routine not sure why since in a couple of days I will need to mow this stuff that's growing. After a couple morning shows Cindy proceeded to get dressed when she was finished she asked for me to help make the bed and we were ready for the day.

It was around 11:30 when we left to find Willies BBQ. We re-read Johns instruction and found it is located in Alamo on Alamo R

Tuesday:
Cindy wanted to go shopping today, she wanted to look for a fruit basket to put oranges and grapefruit in so we can pick them before they go bad. The first stop was Bed Bath and Beyond, we found the basket she wanted and I found a little juicer to make a little orange juice. Once we were finished there Cindy wanted to go to Kohls to look around for a rug to put in the main bathroom at the home. She didn't find the rug but found new dishes for the camper. When we bought the camper the dealer decorates with dishes and other things to give the place a homey feel and should you buy the camper you get the dishes. Well needs less to say the ones that came with our camper she didn't like. She has been looking for news ones for quite a while but has not found any that she likes until today. She found the pattern and color so and to top it off they were on sale now we have new dishes for our RV... Yep Yee...

After getting back from running we wash the new dishes and put them in their new place. The old dishes we donated to the family the park is sponsoring.

We were sitting out under our awning enjoying the early evening when our neighbors (Harold & Jean) came home from their running and we invited them to come over and sit for a while. Earlier today we had picked up a Key Lime pie and we all had a little desert while we visited.

After they left we watched TV the rest of the evening.

Wednesday:
We ordered a sun shade at the flea market and we wanted to pick it up today. After lunch we headed to Don Wes to the Topper Shade vendor to pay the balance of what we owe then we headed back home. After the shade was installed it really does cut the amount of afternoon sun that shines down on the patio and makes it feel really cool, it's a home made little breeze way and feels very good when the wind blows through.

Tonight isa program put on by Melody Theater group who are talented members of our park and the theme of the performance was Hee Haw remake. One member of the group name is Larry Heaberlin who has sang at the Grand Ole Opry from 1965 to 1968 and has recorded 5 CD's. The skits they put on followed the old Hee Haw program and was slap stick comedy. The program was outstanding and to think there is so much talent in our park. We really did have a good time and enjoyed the performance.

When the program was over we walked back to the RV and watch TV.

Thursday:
Libby and I walked to the dog walk and visited with everyone that was there. Libby was given a treat this morning and then she started begging for more. After about 30 minutes we headed back to the RV and breakfast. Cindy and I had our breakfast then went outside to sit on the patio and enjoy the cool breeze. I decided I needed to mow the grass so I walked up to barrow a mower. It took all of about 20 minutes to get the grass mowed and to return the mower.

This afternoon got way to hot, got up to 96 degrees with 30% humidity and our refrigerator started to experiencing problems by the temperature getting up to 45 in the box. Checked the manual to see if we had something set wrong. We did rearrange things away from the fins at the top. The manual said you shouldn't block the fins since that is what does the cooling inside. To be on the safe side we went to Wal Mart purchased some ice and put things that will spoil quickly in our cooler just in case something really is wrong.

Stayed inside with the A/C most of the day except to take Libby for a walk. When I got back to the RV I was pretty hot and sweating.

I did grill some steaks on the grill for dinner but that was after the sun started to go down and had to start cooling off. After dinner we sat under the awning until American Idol came on. Then it was TV for the rest of the night.

Day 51 -- Just a laid back day

2011-02-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

I got out of bed later than normal, Libby and I were out the door at 7:45. It was windy this morning and cloudy. The forecast was for the wind to be stronger than yesterday but the clouds would disappear later in the day.

When I return to the RV I made some coffee then sat and watched my program "Sunday Morning". After the program was over I fixed Cindy and I some frozen waffles for breakfast.

We cleaned up the inside of the Rv then Cindy dusted and I vacuumed. Cindy pulled the sheets off the bed and wanted to wash them along with some other things.

After doing laundry we came back and made the bed then fixed a sandwich for lunch. I put the awning out and staked it down and we sat out side for most of the afternoon enjoying the warm weather.

Around 6:30 Cindy fixed pork chops, sweet potato and green beans for dinner. All we did is eat and sat on our duff all day.

The rest of the evening we watched TV.

Life is good.

Day 50 -- Monster Burgers

2011-02-20T13:08:00.000-06:00

Libby and I took our walk this morning and the wind was still blowing and was cloudy this morning. By afternoon the clouds burned off and the temp was in the upper 80's. The weatherman said with the wind it is bring in some humidity which I could tell this morning was getting up there, but the wind helps it to be comfortable.

When I got back from our walk I mentioned to Cindy I would like to go to Gonzale's Burgers for lunch. This was another place our friend John Howser recommended that we go to since it is a Winter Texan hot spot for lunch.

After a Muffin for me and cereal for Cindy we did our morning routines to get ready. When we left the main road to the park was blocked by movers bringing in a new double wide mobile home for our neighbor. I don't know if I mentioned it but the neighbors across the street have decided to live in the RGV year round and have sold their park model and have purchased a double wide which is taking up three lots in the park on 4th street. We sat in the truck and watch the driver maneuvered this moster half of the house down the very narrow streets. I actually believe this event was like the Super bowl because I actually think the entire park came out to watch this going on.

Gonzale's is located in the town of Donna off Expressway 83 on Main street then south to the Silver street then turned left and it's located about 5 blocks east. There are no signs and it appears to be a house with very large windows around the front and picnic tables in front. When we walked up to the front the tables outside were filled and all the tables inside were also filled. The smell of burgers cooking filled the air and you knew they had to be good.

We were told ahead of time we would only need to order one burger and one order of onion rings and that is the order we placed. The story of this place is they grind their own hamburger and when they open at 10:00 they close the doors when they run out of meat. While we waited we sat down at a table inside and struck up a conversation with some folks from another RV park, Leisure World, the same place some of our friends are staying. The conversation made the time fly by and after after about 45 minutes our number was called to pick up our order. The burgers were a monster and the order of rings was like a double order anywhere else. I forgot my camera or I would have taken a picture of our order, we know we will be taking our neighbors and friends to this place.

When we rolled our now filled bodies back to the truck we headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a few needed items then we headed back to the RV. When it was time for dinner neither Cindy or I were that hungry so we just snacked.

Tonight there is an entertainer called Wade Benson Landry who is billed as Swingin Cajun Style. He performs in Branson Missouri at the God & Country Theater from April - December then they travel to Florida, Texas and Arizona to perform at various RV parks. Along with Wade was his wife Teresa Bowe Landry who was his back up singer and she also sang several songs by herself. They were really a good performers and we enjoyed ourself.

We walked back to the RV after the performance and watched TV.

Life is great...

Day 48 & 49 -- RGV Windy.

2011-02-20T11:34:00.001-06:00

Thursday:
While Libby and I were at the dog walk I talked to Sharon Kennedy, Sharon and her husband Richard took us to Mexico a few weeks ago. While we were talking I had mentioned we were not able to find a good Mexican restaurant. She told me on Friday they would be going to one they found in Mission and wondered if we would be interested in joining them and I agreed. When I got back to the RV Cindy was up and I told her Sharon invited us to dinner Friday night to go to the Mexican Restaurant they found and really liked.

After I ate breakfast I went out and watered the grass seed and it appears it is coming up pretty good. It's still a little spotty but it should fill in, I hope.

I went in and did my morning routine of getting dressed and when I was finished it was Cindy's turn.

Cindy has been after me to put something on the awning to keep it from blowing off the camper in the wind so she could have some shade in the afternoon. So it's off to camping world to see what they have to offer and to check about the light bulb that burnt out. They have something that would work for the awning but they wanted $24.00 for a couple of ground steaks and tie downs. I told Cindy I could go to Home Depot and get the same thing much cheaper. Cindy had checked on the light bulb but they have a bulb with the same number but it's not the same bulb. The guy behind the service desk told Cindy he could order one for $2.29 and $12.00 shipping, $14.00 for a light bulb who the hell are they kidding. We will continue to look around for that.

We headed for Home Depot and I found the tie downs I wanted and were only $3.50 each, now for the steaks. The steaks they had were to be used to tie a dog out on and really didn't those and thought I could get those at Wal Mart... So long story short we went to Wal-mart only to find they didn't have any steaks so back to Home Depot to buy the ones they had. Gees....

I put the awning out and screwed the steaks in the ground, tied the tie downs on the awning and voila Cindy has shade on a very windy day. The wind gusts were very strong and the awning never moved so I was pleased about that.

For dinner we ate left overs from our pot roast and the rest of the evening we didn't do much other sit outside under our awning enjoying the weather. Before we headed for bed just for a piece of mind I did put the awning back up.

Friday:
Libby and I were up and out by 7:15 and headed to the dog walk. I must have been too early since there wasn't anyone there this morning. When we returned to the RV I checked the schedule of the park and there was a class for Beginning Line Dancing at 10:00 am. I ate a muffin for breakfast and did my morning routine of getting ready. In the mean time I watered the grass seed and put the awning out with the tie downs purchased on Thursday since it's windy day.

I then headed over to the west side of the park to the Class. I was a little late and they had already began doing some routines as I stood there and watched. It looks pretty complicated what they were doing but I was will to give it a try. When they finished the instructor told me I needed to sign in the first time I came to class then announced even though they are the beginner class they will be putting on a performance in front of the entire park on February 26th. Sheer panic struck and I just shook my head indicating it wouldn't include me since this was my first day. I did stay for the session and I was on the back line and with a little assistant from the lady next to me I literally stumbled through the routines. The instructor ask the lady help me not to slow the class down since they are practicing for the performance, so basically she wanted me on my own.... That didn't stop this wonderful lady from helping along with others.

After the 2 hour class was over I was exhausted and sweating profusely and I headed back to the RV. I told Cindy about the performance coming up and I told her they will put this on without me. I did tell Cindy I think I will forgo this until after the performance and even maybe until next season so I could at least start at the start not in the middle of the season.

The rest of the day was just relaxing and taking Libby for her afternoon walk and just taking it easy. About 4:30 Richard & Sharon came over and picked us up to go to the Mexican Restaurant. The name of the place was Casa Del Taco and is located in Mission, actually it is really close to us. This place was really pretty nice inside and out and has a fountain in the center of the lobby. When we were seated they had an entertainer who was going around to the tables asking if we wanted to pay him for a little serenade, we declined. The waitress brought us chips and two types of salsa one with peppers and other without. I tried both and nether was hot so that was a plus. Cindy ordered the 3 crispy ground beef taco plate with beans and rice and I ordered the Mexican Plate which had 2 cheese enchilada, 1 beef taco with beans and rice. The food was really good and the service was fantastic, we will be coming back. The price for our dinners and drinks was $24.40 which was pretty good. Thank you Sharon & Richard for taking us along with you.

Once we were back at the RV we just kicked back sitting outside until the wind starting to get cool then we went in and watched a movie we bought.

Life is Great..

Day 46 - 47 Enjoying the weather

2011-02-17T22:32:00.001-06:00

Tuesday:
The weather this morning was very warm, in the 60's at 7:30, and a little windy not bad forecast high is to be in the 80's. Libby and I took our normal trip to the dog walk and I visited with other dog owners.

Today was one of those days we just enjoyed the warm weather by sitting outside under our awning. I watered the seed I planted the other day and I am hoping something starts coming up.

Our back door neighbor has moved a Mobile home onto his lot and for the last couple weeks he has been adding a Texas porch on the front. Since their lot is a double lot today they started building what appears to be a garage for their Motor home. They did have the motor home parked on the second lot and yesterday the motor home was moved to a vacant lot across the street. I guess I have to question why... The lots are not for sale but only for lease with a yearly fees. They must be preparing to live here year around.. Just seems a lot of money being spent to benefit the owner of the park. Don't think that would be for me.

Sorry for the editorial...

Since Cindy didn't want to do laundry on Valentines day she said we need to get the laundry done today. After about an hour and half we had it finished and had all the clothes put away.

About a week ago we had received an invitation to our street block party. We were asked to bring a dish to pass and our drinks. The party started at 3:30 and the first hour would be happy hour then we would eat after. Before we began to eat the hosts wanted everyone to stand up and introduce themselves and tell a little something about ourselves. That was really nice I just wish I could remember everyones name. I know their face but when it comes to names I can't remember anything. There was so much food on the tables if you went away hungry it was your on fault. After we finished eating, the lady a couple of lots up the street who is a French Canadian, pulled out a hand made accordion type instrument, there is another name for this instrument just don't know the name. She played several numbers from her country like lullabies and polka type music. We were told since this instrument was hand made she had ordered it a year ago and she has only been playing for a few months. Sorry John, I don't know my instruments or music... I am sure you would've enjoyed this instrument and the music.

After the party broke up we headed for the RV and just enjoyed the rest of the evening sitting outside. When it started to get dark we went inside and watched TV.

Wednesday:
Another gorgeous day is on store for us today. It was a little cloudy this morning but the weather man said they would burn off by late morning.

When Libby and I returned to the RV this morning I fixed myself a bagel for breakfast while Cindy had cereal. Cindy watched a couple of her morning programs on TV then she asked me to get the vacuum out so we could clean the camper. We couldn't believe how much dust was over all the furniture. I then ran the vacuum and hopefully sucked all the dust from the carpet.

After cleaning Cindy started the pot roast in the crock pot. She added the potatoes and carrots we bought at the Don Wes Flea Market. This will be really good when it's finished cooking...

I was really surprised Cindy wanted to do any of this since she caught the cold I had and today she started running a fever. I gave her some Tylenol to break her fever. After cleaning and putting on the pot roast she didn't want to do anything today but just rest.

This afternoon I rode my bike to get the mail and then I went over the Hanger, this is the area where Tennis, Pickle Ball and Ping Pong is played. I wanted to see how pickle ball was played. It's played on a court smaller than a tennis court but the net is the same. The paddle is basically shaped out of 1/2" plywood with a handle. I was told the least expensive paddles run about $15.00 where the better paddles made from composite material run about $35.00. No stores sell them here in RGV but could be ordered over the Internet. The park does have a few paddles that newbies can use and I was told the beginners class is on Wednesday afternoon at 1:00. I am very interested in learning how to play, I was told it's like ping Pong on steroids so I think I can learn how to play.

The pot roast was finished cooking around 5:00 so I help Cindy set the table and fixed our drinks. The roast is very tender and the veggies were really delicious. I was so full after eating I needed to be rolled away from the table.

The rest of the evening was spent resting and watching TV.

Day 45 -- Valentines Day

2011-02-17T08:46:00.000-06:00

Libby and I for our walk this morning and on the way in I stopped at my truck and picked up the card I bought for Cindy. So she didn't know what I was doing I signed and sealed it while I was still out doors. I set the card on the edge of the table so when she made her way down she would see the card and hopefully be surprised I even bought her one.

Needless to say when she did come down she was surprised and happy about the card. I told her I didn't buy a gift since I knew she still was hunting down some capri's, short pants that are longer than shorts that women where. Anyway I told her I would take her to pick up a couple of pair. We had decided a few days ago we wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and knew we would need to be there early. We also knew that we should do the call a head thing before we head to the restaurant.

Cindy wanted to go to the outlet mall in Mercedes to see if she could find her capris. Before we left we needed to make the bed and straight up the RV, our daily routine. It just seems like things get taken out of their storage place and ends up getting set down anywhere then just sitting around until we make an effort to put it away. Why do we do that... Anyway we were on the road for our 20 minute drive to Mercedes and the Outlet mall by about 1:00. This is a pretty nice outdoor mall with several little shops that are found in most outlet malls and Cindy loves wondering these types of shops especially Kirkland's and this mall has one.

Cindy wanted to go to Lane Bryant first to get a couple of pairs capris. While she wondered the store trying on different things I patiently waited on a seat next to the fitting room. When she found just what she wanted I was happy to pay for them then wished her a Happy Valentine Day. Think that is cheesy to let you wife pick her own gift out? Well it works for me..

The Kirkland store was next on her list and I told her I would wait outside because the smell of all the fragrances in that place drive my sinus nuts. The wind was really whipping through the walking area of this mall but with the temps in the 80's it felt pretty good. I waited for about 10 minutes when Cindy came walking out and announced she didn't find a thing she couldn't live without.

Before we left the parking lot we gave Texas Roadhouse a call and put our name on the list keep in mind this was about 3:30. The girl who answered the phone took our name and instructed us what to do when we arrive and then gave us a confirmation number. When we arrived the parking lot was packed and there was a bunch of people sitting out side and the line inside was just about as long. Now keep in mind we had planned on eating early around 4:00 to bet the crowd. I guess the crowd had the same idea and bet us to the punch. We told the hostess we had arrived and we were then told it would be about 30 minute wait. The people just arriving without calling a head were told there would be a 3 hour wait, so I guess calling a head help used.

We were seated about 20 minutes after we arrived which wasn't too bad. I just can't explain how packed this place was with people, I have heard the term sea of humanity and if it's a crowded Texas Roadhouse I guess this is it. People were coming in and some were going out, like the tides of the ocean... That works..

Cindy ordered her favorite Dallas Filet 6 oz with a salad and baked potato and I ordered my favorite 12 oz Strip Steak, salad & a loaded baked potato. Depending what part of the country it could be called a KC Strip, from where I am from, or a New York Strip the rest of the country. I think they call it New York so they can charge more for the same cut of meat. I don't know.

I also ordered some deep fried pickles as an appetizer ... Yumm.. If you never have tried them they are really good. We almost ate all of the pickles and decided if we wanted to be able to eat our meal we would stop on the appetizer. It wasn't to long after our salads when our steaks arrived. I think they were in a hurry to move folks in and out since there was a crowd still waiting to be seated. Needless to say our steaks were cooked to perfection and we enjoyed them immensely.

Cindy and I were talking while we ate and believe the old folks, us as well as many others, came to eat really early and the younger folks, the workers, came when they got off work. Humm I remember doing that a few times not too long ago matter of fact.

When we returned to the RV we waddled inside and enjoyed the rest of the evening watching TV and our program Castle..

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines day.

Day 41-44 Weather getting better.

2011-02-16T09:57:00.001-06:00

This is really a late posting so I must apologize for being so late and brief about what's going on. I have been pretty lazy about making my postings.

Thursday:

We went to the grocery to pick up some needed items. Then we headed to a place that was recommended by our friend John Howser, the Academy sporting store. This place was really big and has everything you could be looking for for any sport. I picked up a new pair of tennis shoes and Cindy bought a pair of Crock Sandals. I also bought a putter and some golf balls and figured if I could get better at putting I might try to golf again. The last time I golfed I shot a good bowling score because I spent more time on the green than I did the fairway. There is a putting green in our park so I will try it out.

We then went to a place called Quips & Quotes in Mcallen. Cindy wanted to buy a new Yankee Candle since ours is getting quite low and this store is one of very few stores that sell them. Since Valentine's day is just around the corner I made a side trip to the HallMark store part of this store to pick up a Valentine card for Cindy. While we were there I received a phone call from Joyce Whipple with news that our good friend Jack Ryburn passed away from Leukemia and heart problems. Please keep Vivian and her family in your prayers. They are planning to leave Florida on Wednesday next week to drive back home. Their trailer will be left there and the park said they would bring it home once the winter season was over. Cindy and I are very sadden by the loss of our good friend.

Cindy didn't purchase a candle because she felt they were too high in price so we left the store and headed to Cracker Barrel where she knows they sell Yankee Candles. She purchased one, Macintosh, and then we headed back to the RV.

Friday:
I did more yard work by racking leaves and then went to Walmart to buy more seed. The seed I put down last month is coming up very spotty, I figured the cold weather didn't help the new little grass. I spread the seed in the bare spots heavier than other the spots and watered it in. What's coming up looks pretty good but it just needs more.

Every Friday night a Dance is held and music is provided by various groups. Tonight it was Ralph and the Cruisers who play songs from 50 - 60's and we needed to buy our tickets in advance since you pick where in want to sit in the hall. They were really good and I finally got Cindy up to dance to a couple of slow songs. We sat with two couples who live on the other side of the park and we were invited to come over to their happy hour they hold every day. One couple was from Ohio and the other couple lives in Lee Summit Missouri which is just about 40 miles from our house so that was quite surprising.

Saturday:
Libby and I took our daily walk and when we got back Cindy was up getting dressed. The park schedule shows them serving biscuits and gravy for breakfast and then a craft show which starts at 8:30. There is no secret that was the reason Cindy was up and moving this early. We got in line for breakfast and when it was our turn to order we were told we needed to wait for the biscuits since they were not ready and needed another 5 minutes.

The weather today was beautiful so we just hung around the RV and sat outside enjoying the sunshine. While we were sitting outside our neighbor came over and asked if we would be interested in playing some Rummikub. It's a game you play like rummy but you use tiles. About 7:00 we headed over to Harold and Jean's trailer to play the game. After we talked awhile they then explained how the game is played and after a couple of games Jean had prepared some goodies.

Sunday:
Wow I need to do this on a daily basis I just can't remember what went on Sunday.
Oh I remember we went to Don Wes Flea Market to pick up some of the fresh veggies to put in to our pot roast Cindy will be fixing next week. On the way back from Don Wes we stopped at Camping World to pick up a specialized RV12 volt light bulb that we can't find anywhere else, they were sold out of this type of bulb but we were told they would have another truck coming in on Tuesday.

Day 38 - 40 Another Catch up

2011-02-10T10:37:00.000-06:00

I will attempt to catch you up on what we have done, I do know one thing it hasn't been exciting stuff...

Monday: Libby & I went for our morning walk and we visited with some folks at the dog walk. When we returned I got cleaned up ate breakfast and then around 10:15 headed to the Computer Club meeting in the West side of the park. Todays session was about the capabilities of the spreadsheet of OpenOffice, as I have mentioned, this is a free version of the same stuff Microsoft office offers. If you are interested in getting this just go to www.openoffice.org and down load the version to match the version of windows you run. The spreadsheet works just like Excel and is just as powerful in my opinion. The person giving the class said OpenOffice wrote this program to mirror Excel without infringing on copyrights, so it has most if not all of the features.

When I returned to the RV around 11:45 Cindy announce she wanted to clean the RV and then go do the laundry for the week. We had ordered replacement filters for our vacuum so before I was to do the vacuuming I wanted to change the old filter since it was getting really plugged up. Cindy cleaned the bathroom and shower while I picked up downstairs. We made our bed, I must mention we have a King bed in our RV and it takes the two of us to get it made since there is very little room on either side.

While Cindy was dusting she noticed there was a lot of dust on the dinning table, which sits in front of the winter we open when it's warm, and she couldn't believe how much was there. We just cleaned about a week ago. This place is had a ton of dust flying around, even my truck doesn't look clean anymore. Anyway while she was dusting I started vacuuming the place. When I was finished you would thought I hadn't changed the filter, it was also loaded up with dust as well.

We had decided we would go over to Mission West for another Burger, remember these are the best burgers in the valley.. we haven't been to Gonzales yet, for dinner. First we would do the laundry and by the time we were finished it was going on 5:00. They are suppose to stop serving at 5:30, but with the number of people to eat they never make that time. While we were waiting for our burgers we had struck up a conversion with the folks that we sat with and found they are all from a small town in Minnesota, can't remember the name of the town, and one of the couple was only there for another week because the lady still was working in a bank back home. Oh I am glad I am not doing that... They said the temp at home was -25...

There was also a Country Jam going on and as we waited they were getting set up. By the time our burgers arrived it was time for them to get started playing and as we ate we were able to listen to this session. Some of them were pretty good, but it's reminds me of the auditions of American Idol, you just don't know what your going to get. As long as they enjoy themselves that's all that counts.

When we returned to the RV we spent the rest of the evening watch TV and our program Castle at 9:00..

Tuesday: Libby and I were up out headed to the dog walk. On the way to the dog walk I felt like I was catching a cold since my nose was running and I started the damn cough I had when I got down here. When I returned to the RV Cindy said we needed to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things and she wanted to go to the ladies wear store to pick up another top and other things. After taking a shower and making the bed we were headed to shopping center in McAllen. I dropped Cindy off at Lane Bryant to go shopping while I waited in the truck and listen to the audiobook. The sun was shining in and the temp was pretty warm in the upper 60's but windy. As I sit there I nodded off and then suddenly Cindy open the door which woke me up and she asked if she had interrupted my nap.. Duh Yes..

There was an HEB Plus in the same shopping center and that was our next stop. This store has more than just groceries because one end of the store sells Electronics, DVD, and plants, in fact there is a nursery attached to the end of the store. After we finished picking up all that we needed Cindy said she wanted to go to another Lane Bryant store in Edinburg since the store here didn't have what she wanted. Edinburg isn't that far from where we were so off we went. I tried to find it on the GPS but no luck because this store is new and isn't loaded. The saleslady at the other store gave Cindy the directions and it was just down 83 then to 281 north to the first exit off of 281 north. Cindy found what she was looking for so now she was happy camper. Next on the list was a treat, she thought we deserved a Dairy Queen Ice Cone. I plugged that into the GPS and off we went. Instead of Cone we both got a sundae... Yum. Am I making you hungry yet?

When we got back to the RV we put all the groceries away and didn't do much the rest of the day. I did go to check for mail and then took Libby for another walk. My head was starting to pound with what I thought was a sinus headache so I took some advil and just sat to see if it would go away.

I grilled out chicken breast while Cindy fixed some Sweet Potato and veggie. TV was in for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday: I woke up this morning with my sinuses throbbing but I still needed to take Libby for a walk. When I left the RV the temp was 64 degrees and it was quite warm and felt good. When we got back to the RV Cindy told us the news forecast said the temp was going to fall off the cliff today. I couldn't believe this since it was so warm out. In about an hour the wind started blowing very hard so I looked at our temperature gauge and it had fallen to 57. The weather guy wasn't kidding. I went out and put our chairs, and table away before it was blown away and I could tell the temp was falling fast.

At 10:00 there was a park meeting I wanted to go but Cindy didn't so I went by myself. The meeting lasted about an hour so when I got back to the RV I ate the last of the Chili for lunch. My cold was getting to point where I didn't really feel like doing much, my head hurt, my nose was running and coughing so I just wanted to sit and do nothing. Do you ever have one of those days you just feel like Crap, this was my day.

By 4:00 the temp was 44 degrees... a 20 degree drop in about 5 hours. The weather man said the wind was 35 - 50 miles an hour and can believe the RV is rocking and rolling. The awnings over the slides are just whipping and popping. Most people would pull their slides in but if we did that we would have to live in bedroom since there is no room with the slides are in travel mode.

With it being cold out and not good to weather to grill something we went to Red Robin for dinner. On our way back we stopped at Wal-Mart to see if there is something I could buy to help with cold and after checking on the things I thought about all of them said if I was taking meds for high blood pressure it said check with your doctor. Needless to say I didn't buy anything but will take some of the cough medicine that we bought shortly after we arrived in the RGV.

The rest of the evening was watching TV until it was time to head to bed.

Life is Good..

Safe travels for those on the road.

Day 36 & 37 -- Busy Days

2011-02-07T10:09:00.001-06:00

Saturday we were on a mission for a couple of things. First Cindy found at which craft show the lady who makes the dolls would be located and that was the Llano Grande Resort. The other thing we needed to do was to replace our TV since it quit working, nice thing to happen.

After Libby and I got back from our walk this morning Cindy was already up getting ready to head out since the craft show opened at 8:30. I still needed to shower and eat some breakfast so I was needed be moving pretty quick this morning.

We left our park at 9:00 and it took about 30 minutes to drive to the resort. After we picked up our visitor tag at the guard shack we head to the rec hall. After finding a parking spot we walked in and Cindy was scanning the crowd for this lady and when she spotted her off she went. I went with Cindy at first and as she was browsing the dolls she asked me what do I think... I said, Don't ask me because I dont' have any thoughts at this moment. I left her while she look and decided on one of the dolls and I walked around do see what else there was for sale and then I found where they were selling coffee and donuts so guess where I ended up.

After Cindy made her purchase and she finished checking out the rest of the show we were headed out of the park. Then we were headed to a Wal-Mart to check out what TV's they have for sale. They have a 32" Viso and a Samsung but they were out of the Samsung. We decided to go to Best Buy to check prices there before we buying one. They had the Samsung we found at Wal-Mart for the same price and it was in stock so we bought one along with a wall mount. The old TV was put in our RV really cheesy and I thought I could clean this mount up a little.

We got home and after removing the TV and mount I found there really isn't a good SAFE place to mount the TV. The old set was on a platform that can be pulled out and swivel side to side. So for now we decided to use the regular base mount and when we travel we would put straps over the top and bottom of the set so it doesn't take flight while moving. If our kids read this it just seems we are always buying TV's Gees... I can't begin to tell you how many we have bought in the last few years. Anyway that is another story..

Sunday..
We both were up and out the door early since we were meeting friend, who are wintering in Brownsville, at South Padre Island and the Kite Fiesta. This was highly recommended by a good friend John Howser, thanks John this was fantastic day the temps were close to 80 and we had wonderful company. The Kite performances were amazing.

Jim, Cindy & Linda

After we left Cindy didn't want to eat at Dirty Al's, she doesn't eat fish at all, so the rest of us could have some shrimp we went to Daddy's which is owned by the owner of Dirty Al's. The shrimp wasn't a big, at least to me, were not as large as the ones at Dirty Al's but still good. Once we left we went over to Jim & Linda's park and had great conversation, coffee and Key Lime Pie. Thank you Jim & Linda you are both great hosts.

We got back home around 8:30 and in time for the last quarter of the Super Bowl... Hurray for the Packers. I was pulling for them to win...

Life is Great.. !!

Safe Travels for those on the road.

Day 35 -- Ice Storm

2011-02-04T22:10:00.002-06:00

I Libby and I were up at 7:30 and when I opened the door to go out the steps were covered in ice. I walked carefully down the steps and saw my truck covered in ice as well as all the trees. The temp this morning was 27 degrees.

On our way back from the dog walk there was a lot of activity along the street so I asked what was happening so early in the morning. One gentleman told me he had been without power since midnight and he was warming up his truck so he could turn it around to charge the batteries in his fifth-wheel. He asked if we were out of power and I told him no so it appeared only half of the park was out of power including the office.

When we got back to the RV I pulled the empty propane bottle out to have it refilled when the truck comes around. If you don't know there is a propane truck that come everyday to fill either RV bottles or the big 100 pound tanks the park models have. Pretty nice I don't have to load the bottles up in the truck and head to a the fill station. It's amazing how heavy the bottles are after being filled.

It was getting to be about 8:30 and you could see the clouds were breaking up and sunshine was coming trough the windows that was helping to warm up the inside.

Once we had our breakfast and showered Cindy watched her morning programs and decided I would walk up to the to the rec hall to see if the power had come on, yes I was getting cabin fever. As luck would have it the power was on so I went in and have a cup of coffee and watch the pool games.

When I returned to the RV it was about afternoon and I asked what Cindy wanted for lunch and she said she wanted Chili dog from what I made yesterday... Yum they were good.

I had received an email of one of our friends who is spending their winter in Brownsville asking if we had any ice and if we were surviving the cold weather. I told them we were fine and we would be going to South Padre Island either Saturday or Sunday because there is a Kite Fiesta on the beach and asked if they were interested in going to give us a call to set something up. When they called they did want to go and afterwards we would go out to eat at one of the many restaurants there is on SPI.

Cindy wanted to go out and pick something up to send to our grandkids for valentines day so the first stop was Target in Mcallen. I walked around the store while she found just the right thing to buy. After about an hour she was ready to checkout.

It was going on 4:30 and Cindy said she would like to go to dinner at Cheddars today. I told her then we really need to head on over since that place fills up fast and sure enough someone must have put out the notice we were coming. The parking lot was full, but when we put our names on the list we were told it would only be about a 15 minute wait.. Not bad.

When we were seated we placed our order, for Cindy she likes the Chicken Tenders with a Broccoli casserole and I had the baby-back ribs with a salad and Broccoli casserole.

After dinner we headed back to the RV and since it was getting cold again we just watched TV.

Life is Good..!!

Safe travels to those still on the road.

Day 34 -- Damn who open the door up north.

2011-02-03T21:37:00.000-06:00

Libby and I were up and out the door this morning about 7:30 and ran straight into 30 degree weather. It was really cold this morning and the forecast was to go up to 32 then back down to 27 tonight with Ice and possibility of snow. Hey I want a refund on my winter trip, I didn't sign up for this weather..

We did absolutely nothing all day, we just hibernated by computing and watching some movies and other programs on TV. I did make a quick run to the HEB to pick up a couple of things so I could make a big pot of Chili for dinner. While I was out it was starting to mist and it was turn into ice on my truck.

When I returned back to the RV I did some preventive things to keep us from freezing up tonight like fill the fresh water tank so I could disconnect the hose from the RV. I also drained the hose and put a bucket over the facet. If that freezes up we would not have any water at all.

I then fixed my chili and let it simmer for a while so I walked up to pick up our mail and there wasn't any so that was a waste of time, well maybe not it got me out of the RV for a while.

I need to take Libby out again before calling it a night while Cindy watches one of her programs, Private Practice..

Even though we are freezing in the tropics ... Life is great.!!

Hoping all that are on the roads are safe. Several roads around here are ice covered and closed like Expressway 83 from Weslaco to Brownsville and they have already closed schools tomorrow.

Oops Being lazy... Day 29 - 33

2011-02-02T21:43:00.001-06:00

I've had a couple readers asked if we were Ok since no posting were made the last few days actually I have been a little lazy, this post should get us caught up.

Saturday was the Citrus Fiesta celebration in downtown Mission which includes a parade, Crafts & BBQ contest. When Cindy heard Crafts she wanted to go and to check it out before the parade. The parade will include a float that was built by our park. We left around 12:30 for Mission as we drove down Conway (Main street of Mission) in some spots the sidewalks were lined with chairs and were being sold for $2.50 a seat, mostly by churches or other businesses that line the street. We found a parking place and headed to what appeared to be all the crafters and BBQ folks. As we walked around we found there aren't any crafts just the BBQ contest. Well needless to say I had one unhappy lady on my hands we checked around and no one seems to know about any crafts including a cop we asked so we had received some misinformation. We stopped at a subway for a quick lunch then we set our chairs in an open spot on the sidewalk and began the wait. The weather was cool and it was very windy. We asked when the parade would start and we were told not until 4:30pm. WHAT!!, hell it was only 1:30, well no crafts and now we have to wait 3 hours for the parade... NOT.

We have toyed with the idea of getting a Sirius radio so we decided to leave and check into what it takes to get one installed and the cost of the subscription so we headed to Best Buy. After talking to the sales person we decided to get one installed. We were told they couldn't get to our truck for a couple of hours, well crap, it was going on 3:00 by now. To make this long story short, we were going to wait for Best Buy to install the radio so Cindy went to the children store next door but didn't find anything. We went and ate an early dinner at the Red Robin behind the Best Buy store and took our time. By 5:30 they had my truck in and working on it and it seemed to take forever to get this thing installed. We didn't get home until 8:30 so that should tell you how slow they were getting it installed.

Sunday started off slow, I watched my normal program "Sunday Morning" then ate breakfast and had a couple cups of coffee. The weather was really pretty nice got up to 76 and we sat on the patio with our neighbors for almost two hours just talking. We didn't do much after our neighbors went home. We did fixed some spegetti for dinner then just chilled out the rest of the day. Seems like we are doing this a lot lately.. This is the reasons for not posting.

Monday I was up and out with Libby about 7:30, it was really nice this morning the sun was out and I talked to several folks who brought their dogs to the dog walk. While at the dog walk I saw across the street a hugh flock of Parrots flying around. When they made a turn you could see their green bodies and when they landed in the trees there was so much noise it was ridiculous. Then after a few second they all flew off at the same time and it was really pretty as they flew around in circles. After returning back to the RV I grab my laptop and headed to the computer club session. My neighbor was there before me and I sat next to him to listen to the presentation of the OpenOffice programs. This program is a free software that can replace Microsoft Office with a Word Processor, Presentation replaces Powerpoint and a spreadsheet program. There is a version for Mac so I downloaded it and it seems like a pretty good program, now I just need to use it.

Around 2:00 we went up to pick up our mail then we went in the rec hall and had some ice cream. They serve ice cream twice a day so you could really get fat if you're not careful. While we were sitting eating our treat our next door neighbor had picked up their mail and made their way in to get some ice cream as well. We sat there for almost an hour enjoying our conversation and ice cream. As we walked back to our RV's we told our neighbors we were going over to the Mission West RV Park to have one of their famous hamburgers. They advertise their burgers as the best in the valley and we also have been told they are the best so I have to find out for myself. When we walked into their grill area there was a line that would take us almost 45 minutes to get up to place our order. Cindy kept telling me she wasn't really hungry after the ice Cream and thinks all the sweet has made her stomach upset. I told her she really needs some protein to offset the sweet. We placed our order and then found a seat to wait for our burgers to be brought to us. When they arrived they reminded us of the old style burgers we had as kids. The burger had the old greasy burger from days gone by, now I have to admit they are the best in the valley.

To top this evening off when we went by the Laundromat no one was there so Cindy said since it will be getting cold tomorrow she wanted to do the laundry more fun... We had the laundry done and put away in an hour and half. The rest of the evening was spent watching TV and our program Castle..

Tuesday got off to a quick start, Cindy said we needed to go to the grocery store and she wanted to go early and to Wal-Mart instead of HEB. She also said we will grab breakfast at McDonalds in Wal-Mart, oh goodie just what I wanted... After getting everything we needed it was back to the RV to put things away then around noon we grab soup and half sandwich for lunch. I did have some bills that needed to be paid and today starts the period for getting deposits in for next winter for the spot we currently are in if we want. Cindy and I discussed our plans next winter and we will be coming back so I wrote out a check for our deposits. We took the bills to the out going mail box and our deposit to the office. We also have been told by our friends, Tom & Marie, that we should scout them out a site for next year as well. We picked up a brochure from the office and asked when would be the best time to find out what would be available next year for our friends. Mona in the office told us to come back next Tuesday since that would be the time deposits for the folks who want to come back but want to change sites. This would also be the time we would know who wouldn't be coming back and we could grab a site for our friends then. We did walk around the park and took some pictures of sites that are empty now so we could give our friends an idea of what they look like and they could give us an idea of what they are looking for. We are thinking the site next door to us will not have anyone in it next year but we won't know that for sure until next Tuesday. We decided to go out to dinner so we thought we would try Luby's, a cafeteria style place, and it was rather disappointing, so Cindy said we could scratch that place off our list.

The temp Tuesday started in the mid 60's with a gusty wind which made it feel cooler than normal. The forecast was for the temps to start falling and by the time we returned from dinner it was 56 and still windy. We watch more TV the rest of the night and when I took Libby out for the last time before bed the temps had fallen to 46 degrees so it was getting really cool. Noticed I said Cool, in comparison to what's going on back home it is still warm. Bryan called us during dinner this evening about all the snow and he told Cindy "Tell Dad he is not getting his snowblower back" which tells me he did pick my snow blower up from our house since there were getting 12 inches of snow today. At least someone can use it while we are here soaking up the warmth down in the RGV..

Today, Wednesday, Libby and I were out the door about 7:30 and OMG it was cold. I checked the temp and it was 32 degrees and the wind was really blowing hard this morning and it was out of the North.. I think Libby knew it was really cold this morning since she did her business long before we got to the dog park. After finishing we headed back to the RV to get warm. The furnace was running when I opened the door so inside was feeling pretty good. I sat down with my computer to read emails and Cindy came walking down telling me there is a craft show in another park she wanted to go to. There is a lady who makes doll babies who will be at this craft show and she wanted to go to buy one. Don't get me started, but Cindy has always wanted one.. why I don't know.. Anyway, went upstairs took a shower and changed clothes so we could go to this park, then go out for breakfast at Shoney's ... This craft show was bigger than any other park, but she found out the lady with the dolls didn't show up. Cindy was really disappointed and she talked to the activities director of this park to get the name and phone number of the lady who makes them.

We left around 10:00 and headed to Shoney's, the place was packed so we both thought it must be good.... Nope just cheap. We ate the breakfast buffet and it was ok but there eggs weren't totally done and the bacon wasn't crisp. The rest of the other things weren't that great either. So this is another place to scratch from our list..

The light over the sink area in our RV isn't very bright so we thought about buying a new light kit so we headed to Lowes. We looked at what they have but wasn't able to find anything we liked. Since Home Depot is on our way home we had to stop there as well. We did find a light kit that might work so we bought it along with a couple of things that I need to attempt to put hydraulic cylinders on my basement doors with. After getting back to the RV I started working installing the kit and found I needed to modify the base of our light so the new kit could be installed. After about an hour I was able to get the lights to work and WOW does it make a difference over the sink. We can now see what we are doing when cooking or washing dishes.

We decided we would go out to eat at Puncho's for dinner a Mexican place that was recommended by the guy at the meat market. This guy said we should order a Botana for two. I was told this is similar to the fajita we get back home. When our meal was brought to us the plate was almost overflowing with food. There was fajita meat(Beef) on top and rice, beans, green peppers and chips under the meat, enough for two but really three to four people. The meal was Ok but the taste and tenderness of the beef is not what we would get back home. The flavor was good but it's just another case of Authentic Mexican food that we aren't use to. We want our Texmex.... Would we go back? Yes to try some other things like their Tacos or enchiladas. After dinner we drove around to find the people we met at one of the events at our park. The major problem locating them was my GPS... This thing sucks down here it sends me in the wrong direction or takes me to vacant lots all the time. I really don't know what's up with this thing. We did drive by one couples house, Bob & Vicky, that we were able to find but it didn't appear they were home. Since there area is nothing but condos and there were several for sale we drove around to get an idea of what they run and if it's like our park where you own the house but not the land. We did stop by the office but no one was there to help but information about this area was out on a table. We did find several houses with for sales signs with flyers so we stopped and pick up flyers. There again we aren't sure we want to have a permeant place to go to every year.

Back at our RV I needed to dump tanks and set the camper up so it doesn't freeze tonight. It's suppose to get down to 27 and with the hose connected to the camper it may freeze more than just the hose. I have to turn on the tank heaters, undo the water supply and use water from our fresh water holding tank. I will also plug my truck in so it will start in the morning. I have now caught up with what we have been up to... TV and American idol... Not much after that is on worth watching. ..

On TV they just announced there is a Hard Freeze warning with Winter Storm Warning with the possibility of sleet or snow is in place for tonight. Schools have also been cancelled for tomorrow and there isn't one flake of snow on the ground yet. Humm..

Even though we are freezing Life is great..!!

Safe travels for those on the road..

Day 28 -- Trip to Mexico

2011-01-27T22:30:00.002-06:00

Our plan for today is to go to Mexico with our neighbors Jack & Kathy and Jack's brother and Sister-in-law Richard & Sharon. We were up early so we could leave by 8:00am hoping to beat some of the crowd if there is one. We really didn't know what to expect with this trip with all the drug cartel violence going on along the boarder.

There was some traffic on Expressway 83 so it took about 45 minutes to get to FM1015, the road that takes you to the International Bridge. When arrived at the bridge we found the parking lot paid our $2.00 and started the walk across. There is a Duty Free Shop just before you actually cross over into Mexico where can buy Perfume, Cigarettes and Liquor cheaper than you pay in the US, but you have to carry it over to Mexico and on your way back you will pay the Texas taxes. We didn't buy anything there since we really didn't want to carry on this trip.

After leaving the Duty Free Store and when we were half way across the Rio Grande River there was a plaque showing where the US stops and Mexico begins.

Once we were across there was a monument telling you have arrived in Nuevo Pregreso Mexico.

As we proceed down the street there was the presents of Military with 50 caliber machine guns on top of Hummers(The military version).

As we walked down the street I was talking to Sharon and she said there is a Pharmacy she always goes to called Hectors Pharmacy which is about 4 blocks into town and a one block west of the main street, this would be our first stop.

Picture of the main street. Notice all the Pharmacies and Dentist.

As we walked down the street there were a bunch of street vendors hawking what they were selling while others were shoving their product in your face trying to get you to buy. Cindy did stop and look at some of the jewelry which was mostly silver but she likes gold jewelry, naturally. Sharon had told her the problem with the silver is by the time you get it home it would be really tarnished.

As we continued down the street there were little kids coming up to us holding boxes of little candy wanting us to buy something from them. Then as we passed this one door some guy came out with a wooden eagle in a plastic bag literally shoving it into Cindy's face and he started walking down the street with her. I was in the back of her and I had to stick my arm in between Cindy and this guy and I told him she doesn't want what you have now back off.

On our way to the Pharmacy we made a wrong turn and had gone a block south further than we needed and went by a little school with kids playing out side. Their play ground was nothing but dirt and all they had to play with or on was a jump rope. Standing outside the wall of the play ground I had to assume was the teachers or Mothers of the kids making sure they were safe.

When we arrived at Hectors he hadn't opened yet, it was about 9:30 and we were told he didn't open until 10:00. The area we were in appeared to be a little mall with empty shops and a restaurant which was open. We decided to have a cup of coffee while we waited for Hectors to open. The waiter presented us with chips and salsa. The coffee and the salsa was quite good. Here are a couple of pictures of the court yard of this mall.

Once Hectors opened we all went and picked up meds that we couldn't get in the US without a prescription. Cindy checked the prices of all the ones we take and found they are more expensive than what we could get back home. The one she really wanted was Actose for Diabetes and it was $16.75 for 7 pills which she thought was really expensive we didn't buy any. We did pick up a couple of Z-Packs however and also bought 4 bottles of Vanilla for only $1.25 each. We were a little disappointed in what we found and I am not sure if we just have good insurance or they were just too high to begin with.

After leaving hectors we walked back to the main street and crossed over to the other side and walked back towards the bridge. On the way we stopped at Aartou's Restaurant for some lunch. This appears to be a pretty up scale place with waiters in coats and ties, table cloths and cloth napkins. They did give each of us a glass of water but we all were Leary to drink it with the stories to never drink the water in Mexico. I didn't think about taking a picture of the outside but here is a link to the Progreso website and to Artou's. I ordered Chulupa's and Cindy had the Quesadilla's which she didn't like,they no flavor according to her. Mine on the other hand I thought were really tasty and reminded me of a Tostata.

Here is my Chulupa's

Cindy's Quesadilla's

We also had a dessert what we called Fried Ice cream which was Ice Cream in a Cinnamon and sugar crusted cup with chocolate and carmel drizzled over the top, very good. The total bill was $22.50 which was just about the same as if we were eating at a local place.

We headed to the other side of the bridge after eating and paid our quarter to go through the turnstiles. Then boarder patrol was doing their job by checking what we were bring back into the country. After going through the boarder patrol we didn't have anything to pay taxes on so we headed back to the truck. Thank you Richard, Sharon, Jack & Kathy for being our company on our first trip to south of the boarder.

On the way back Cindy said she wanted to stop at the Flea Market in Weslaco which is something new for this area. When we arrived I told her this is like the dump we found in Branson that has vendors that sells garage sales stuff and sure enough that's what it was so we left.

We got back to the RV about 4:00pm and for dinner we just had soup and I had a grilled cheese. We watched American Idol and a couple of other programs. We went to bed early since we had an early morning wake up this morning.

Remember ... Life is Great..!!

Safe Travels for those on the road.

Day 27 --

2011-01-26T21:14:00.000-06:00

There is a park meeting every Wednesday to talk about what is coming up on for special events or the promotion for upcoming entertainment for the next week. During the meeting this morning the owner of the park talked about all the improvements he has made in the last few months to the park and how much they have cost, I think I know where this is going. He also announced he would be raising the deposit for the people who live in the park full time and for the 6 month residence deposit from $150.00 to $200.00. Then he also mentioned he would be raising the fees as well, but he didn't go into how much. When we picked up our mail there was a new fee schedule in our mail box and for the lot we are on and it went up by $45.00 or $15.00 a month. That isn't too bad.

After lunch Cindy wanted to do the laundry since we would be going to Mexico on Thursday. We loaded everything in the truck and off we went to the Laundromat. It took about an hour to get everything wash dried, folded and put away so that wasn't too bad.

Not much else was going on today and I really didn't feel like doing much just one of those days. I didn't sleep well last night for some reason so we just took a walk around the park and then just hung out the rest of the day.

However... Life is Good.. !!

Safe Travels for those on the road.

Day 26 -- Laid back day

2011-01-25T22:10:00.000-06:00

Libby and I were out walking at 7:30 this morning and I visited with the other dog owners at the dog walking area. There were a couple of dogs playing catch with their owners while we were there. After 30 minutes we were headed back.

Cindy didn't get up until 9:00 this morning so she slept in while I played on the computer. I read blogs and I played a war game I have on my laptop that I hadn't played in a while. Found out I have forgotten all the secrets to this game so I was always getting blown up.

When Cindy came down we ate our breakfast, we both had a bowl of cereal this morning, I also had a banana. Real exciting stuff right..

We really didn't have anything planned to do today, but Cindy told me she would like to take the pants she bought back because she didn't think they fit her very well. I personally thought they were fine, but you know how that goes.

Cindy grabbed the bag and we left to go back to the store where she purchased her pants. I dropped her at the door and I parked and waited in the truck listening to the audio book. About 20 minutes later Cindy came out and said she didn't exchange them after all because the sales lady convinced her they were fine so she left with what she had.

For those that are not in RGV there really isn't a normal, to me, car wash. The type you pull up hand the attendant some money you drive through an automatic car wash that has all sorts of things going back and forth with water and soap spraying all over the place. The car washes here usually are on the side of a building with a couple of guys with a bucket, hose and rags and towels. I found one of these places and I pulled in and asked how much and was told $10.00 for just the outside. I got out of the truck while Cindy sat inside since it was cool and windy. They did so much to my truck and it really looked great so I paid them $15.00 instead of the $10.00 I was told.

For dinner we ate the last of the steaks I got for Christmas from my Mom. They are Omaha Steaks and along with some little red potatoes and a veggie this was our dinner. Needless to say the steaks were so tender and wonderful flavor.

Tonight at the rec hall a group from McAllen High School did perform by playing the Steel drums. The group is called Pan O' Steel. They began their performance at 7:00 and they were really great. They played a varied of music like La Bamba, Margaritaville, Spanish Eyes, & Rock Around the Clock. These were just a few of all they played and you really could tell the kids had a lot of fun playing together.

The performance lasted about an hour and we were back at the RV by 8:10 and we flipped on the TV to watch the State of the Union Address. He made a lot of sense but there are some things that may be a fight to get to happen.

After the State of the Union we watched TV until it was time to head for bed.

Life is Good.. !!

Safe Travel for those on the road.

Day 25 -- Normal Day in Paradise

2011-01-24T22:10:00.004-06:00

Libby and I were up and out the door by 7:30 headed down to the dog park. There were quite of few folks with dogs there this morning and I had a pretty good conversation with all the owners. I let Libby off her leach, don't do that much since she tends to run off, but with all the dogs around she stayed pretty close.

When we got back to the RV Cindy was up so I fixed our breakfast of English Muffin and Banana. Then I grabbed my laptop and headed over to the computer club, not the beginners part, but the general session. Today they talked about how to work with your pictures with a program that comes with Window Vista & 7. The discussion also showed how to make a panoramic picture out of two individual pictures, which that was nice to see done. There will also be a Special Interest group meeting on how to work with your digital camera and Picasa on Saturday that I would like to attend.

By the time I returned from the club meeting it was going on noon and Cindy wanted to go grocery shopping which included a trip to Donna to Reyes Meat Market. So I fixed a sandwich before we left.

At Reyes we picked up another shoulder steak, 3 lbs of hamburger and a couple of Porter House steaks all this for $27.00. Very reasonable we thought. Then we were off to HEB for the rest of what we needed.

Before stopping at the HEB in McAllen Cindy wanted to stop at a ladies clothes store to see if they had any tops and long pants since she didn't bring that many down with us, hum wonder if that was planned that way. I waited in the truck and listen to a book from our GPS system. About 30 minutes later she came out carrying a bag and she told me she picked up a couple pair of pants and tops and she was happy, that's all that counts.

We headed to HEB and picked up everything on her list of groceries. By the time we got back and put everything away it was going on 5:00 and it just so happened they were having a Meat Loaf dinner at the Rec Hall tonight. So instead of us fix dinner we went up and had some Meat Loaf, mashed potatoes & Green Beans all for $6.50 each. Couldn't pass that up. The meal was really good. Just before we had finished our neighbors showed up and sat with us and we all had a good meal and conversation. We will be going to Mexico with them and his brother & sister-in-law, who are also in this park, on Thursday of this week.

At 7:00 we all walked back to our RV's since our Monday night programs were starting so the rest of the evening was spent watch TV.. We are kinda boring you know...

Oh!, we received a phone call from our friends who went to Phoenix this winter and they told us they will be leaving there on March 8th and will be heading our way to check out RGV for a place to stay next winter. They asked how we liked our park and if we would be coming back next year. We told them it was really pretty nice park and we would come back so we will see what they do when they get here. They do spend the holidays with family in Canton, Ohio before they go to Phoenix.

Life is Good..!!

Safe travels for those on the road.