Goodbye F450, Hello New CR-V

We took the final step in getting off the road: we traded in our tow vehicle for a much more convenient and fuel efficient CR-V. It actually fits in our garage.

We are glad to have traded in the F450, but also feel the finality of not having a tow vehicle. Our fifth wheel is on a lot at a resort north of here and won't be moved except in an emergency (or if we manage to sell it). That rather definitely closes the chapter on our RV adventures. I'll have to start a new blog with a different title, looking forward to lots more adventures of other sorts. Read more!

Mariachi Atzlan at UTRGV

This afternoon we attended a performance by the Mariachi Atzlan Juvenil and Ballet Folklorico at UTRGV as part of our Patron of the Arts membership. We have seen this group perform before, and they are all extremely talented. Both the musicians and the dancers put on a fabulous show. One segment was a Mayan dance.

Afterward we joined Steve and Jan, Hal and Dorothy, and Jean at Trevino's Restaurant in Edinburg. It's a Mexican restaurant with a Mayan temple decor, right in line with the earlier performance.

Jean, Jan, Steve, Hal, Dorothy, and Lee (Ken was the photographer)

Read more!

Welcoming Returning Friends

This time of year, Winter Texas are returning to the RGV to enjoy the comparatively warmer weather and spend time with friends. For us, most of those friends are fellow square dancers. Today Jean arrived from Indy. Steve grilled some "lovebirds." That's Jan's joke because the two chickens had to be very close to fit on the rotisserie. They turned out tender and juicy.

We enjoyed a good meal and a good time with friends. We played "Digital Game," which is another title for Rummikub, one of our favorite games. Jan and Steve found a set for 5-6 players on the Internet.

Jan and Steve have rearranged the Texas room, and everything seems to fit better. They also replaced the sofa with the one that came in the fifth wheel they recently bought. It's smaller so it fits better, and Jan wanted the space in the trailer for her desk. Read more!

Offbeat Opera

We had a great day with friends, starting with breakfast with the gang at the Siberian Grill. Hardy and Judy, Bob and Pat, and Steve and Jan were there. We are still missing a couple of our crew, but they will soon show up in the RGV--along with flocks of other Winter Texans.

Later Jan and Steve picked us up for a trip to UTRGV Brownsville. We stopped in Harlingen on the way to eat at Stefano's Brooklyn Pizza, a very good restaurant whose Italian offerings are not limited to pizza. Everything was delicious.

We went on to Brownsville, arriving early for our show, so we strolled around campus for a bit. We read the historical marker signs indicating that the buildings of the original Fort Brown Hospital, built in the 1840's, are still being used today.

We attended two rather unusual interpretations of classical operas, both in English. The first was Englebert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. It is reimagined as occurring during the traditional Day of the Dead festivities.

The second was Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti. It followed the original much more closely, except that Amahl is a little Hispanic shepherd boy.

Both of the performances featured excellent singers and lively actors. The students are amazingly talented, and the Performing Arts Center is a spectacular venue for a regional university. Read more!

Visit With Loretta

A highlight of any trip to Austin is visiting with my old friend Loretta. Ken drove me to the Costco parking lot today where I met with her for a leisurely stroll around Arbor Trails walking path. It's a wide, well maintained crushed gravel trail that winds around the large Arbor Trails shopping center. It has shade and scenery and even some interpretive signs showing local trees and such. Loretta and John are about to graduate as Master Naturalists, so they know a great deal about the local geology and flora and fauna, but she says they still have a lot to learn. As usual, we had an enjoyable conversation.

After our walk we headed to Kerbey Lane Cafe nearby. Ken joined us; he had been browsing the electronics department and cruising the samples at Costco.

We have eaten at the Kerbey Lane before, and it's always good. Today we had a rather long wait, even though we had called in early to get on the wait list. We enjoyed our meal and the conversation. I don't see Loretta often enough, but now that we have a guest room, we're hoping she (and maybe John) will come to the valley for a visit.

Read more!

Visit with the Allens

We are spending the night tonight in Georgetown, TX, near where Chris and Jessica Allen live in Round Rock. Jessica (nee Toups) is my goddaughter, but we haven't seen each other for nine years. A lot can happen in that time--including a new baby. Byron is nine months old. He's a cute redhead and very outgoing and charming, so of course he makes friends everywhere.

We went to the Fish City Grill in Georgetown for dinner. The food was very good, and the service was outstanding. As first timers, we received samples of all the soups they make on the premises and of their signature oyster nachos (all very good).

Byron hasn't been feeling well, but he was still eager to interact and try new foods. He especially likes vegetables.

We mentioned that we had been in the Seattle airport, and that led to a conversation about how much they love Seattle. They are really into the coffee culture and are thinking about relocating there. We had a really good visit and hope to see them again when we're passing through this area. Read more!

Halloween Preparations

It's almost Halloween, so the kids have been getting ready. An impressive jack o'lantern greets visitors on the front porch.

Scruffie watches intently as Donna wraps Jesse's leg in plastic wrap

Toby looks on too

We won't be in town to see the kids in costume, but we did see Jesse proudly trying on his very authentic looking astronaut suit. Read more!

The Bellagio

Ken and I walked to the Bellagio today. We enjoyed the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens all decked out for fall.

Wee also watched the impressive fountain show a couple of times.

Rainbows in the dancing waters

Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower recreation behind the fountains

We called a Lyft to go back to the hotel. This time I knew right where the shared ride pickup area was. Read more!