Happy New Year!

We celebrated New Year's Eve with our square dance friends at Bob and Pat's house. The gang got together for a 7:00 p.m. potluck and stayed to cheer in the New Year 2012 at midnight. Hardy and Judy, Jan and Steve and their daughter Cheryl, John and Sandy, Jean, and Ken and I rounded out the dozen at the party.

This is the second time we've seen Bob and Pat's house. They had it built several years ago and customized it to provide plenty of space inside for Bob's computer desk area and Pat's sewing, plus a workshop for Bob. It has an open plan that makes it really great for socializing.

Bob, John, Cheryl, Jean, and Steve around the snack table.

After dinner, several of us went out to walk around the neighborhood and get some exercise and fresh air. It was still 70 degrees and very pleasant. When we got back to the house, Bob had started a movie, A Dog Named Christmas, which he had recorded from the Hallmark channel. It was the kind of touching story that goes well with the holidays, but reminded me a lot of Lassie.

Lee, Pat, Jan, Sandy, and Judy socializing around the kitchen island.

Bob, Steve, and Hardy in the living room.

Lovely ladies!

Then most of the group played a rummy type card game called 3000. It had some unusual features; for example, the first card was dealt face up and determined the number of cards to be dealt for each person's hand (if a 9 was turned up, you got 9 cards, and so on). Also, the dealer's first card was wild for that hand. Only groups of three or more were allowed (no runs). It's a fast paced game, usually ending on the second or third round--and even on the first! Hardy says it's a card game for people who don't play cards.

At midnight we toasted the New Year with Asti or sparkling pink moscato or cranberry juice and wished each other a happy 2012--and then went back to playing the card game.

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Biking Bentsen Palm

The weather was so balmy that we decided to bike the state park instead of taking our usual walk this morning. We were mainly out for exercise, but we did stop to check out a few birds.

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Door Lock

We talked with Mark this morning about our crochety door lock. He said that the best thing was to buy a new one and that it would be very easy to install. While we were checking that out, we noticed that the little frosted plastic shield over the light by the door was broken too and the bulb burned out. So we headed to Goodings RV.

They had everything we needed. While we were there, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out the used RVs they had for sale. A salesman told us that they had more used units on the lot than ever before. We looked over a couple of Titaniums, an older Excel, a Kountry Star, and a Cameo. They all had good features, but we ended up appreciating how nice our Excel is. We also saw other units in extremely poor condition. It's hard to believe that some of them will ever find a new home.

Mark was right--it was easy to remove the old lock and install the new one. The new light cover slipped right on, and the light worked once we replaced the bulb. We congratulated ourselves on a job well done. Then tonight when we were leaving for the dance, Ken got in the truck and said, "The locks won't lock." Darn! We went on to the dance and looked the situation over when we got home. It turned out that the shiny new chrome strike plate had the opening too high, so the bolt wasn't able to operate. We dug the old strike plate out of the trash and reinstalled it. Now everything is copacetic.

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Venture Is Clean!

This morning it was sunny and mild--and dry--so we decided to walk along the levee and back along Old Military Highway. We often see birds or Border Patrol Agents, but today all we saw were mosquitos.

We walked by the mailboxes, but I had lost track of the key, so we continued on our way. We passed a rig being cleaned by Nick's RV Wash. We've been meaning to call and schedule a wash and wax. We stopped to talk with Nick, and he agreed to come over after lunch to do Venture.

Meanwhile, I decided that I needed to clean the rubber roof under the solar panels, which involves removing the brackets along one side and replacing them with our tilt bars. This is to lift the panels up off the roof so the area underneath can be cleaned. This is not something that Nick's crew does, and I wanted to do it before they arrived, so they would clean off any residual crud from the roof.

It's high up on that roof!

Ken moved everything out of the way, including the Qube, stacking it all away from the area that would get wet. While we were at it, we cleaned the awning too. Oh, but first we had to trim the tree limb hanging down over the patio.... The good news is that Venture looks clean and shiny now.

For our afternoon walk, we headed over to Retama Village again. As we walked in, we saw another New Horizons that had evidently arrived pretty recently, since the guy seemed to be working on the connections. We introduced ourselves, and soon Stuart and Lynn were happily showing us around their new Majestic (picked up in September). They have two rescued greyhounds, Robby and Abbey,who greeted us very enthusiastically.

The rig has many familiar features, but their customizations are evident too. They have the fourth slide (vanity slide in the bedroom), which provides room for two extra large dog beds at the foot of the bed. They got carpet in the living area because it works better than the hickory flooring for the dogs. Lynn wanted three extra pantry sliding shelves in addition to the standard four, so she has seven--but some of them are packed in pretty tightly. We asked about the standard TV antenna. The ceilings are so high we thought a crank would be difficult to reach. Stuart showed us where the controls for antenna rotation are located in the "communications center" above the coat closet. We learn something new with every Majestic we see, and each owner has shared valuable ideas with us. New Horizons owners are a friendly group!

We went to Darryl's dance tonight. Jan and Steve were still out, recovering from their dashing trip home. Kit and Mary showed up. More and more people will be arriving in the Valley. We started with 15 couples again, but during the first tip, another couple came in to make up the fourth square.

This evening when we got home from the dance with a load of groceries, it was late and dark, and the door lock stuck again. We were beginning to think we'd have to call a locksmith to get in, but with some silicone spray and Ken's efforts, the door finally came open. Yay! Tomorrow we'll definitely be motivated to take the lock apart and see what's going on.

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Ken Gets Examined

Poor guy! No food or drink after midnight, and a 10:00 a.m. appointment for an exam of his upper GI tract down to the duodenum: "esophagogastroduodenoscopy" is the $20 word the doc used. The verdict? It looks like his acid reflux is well controlled by his medication and there are no serious issues. However, as a precaution the doctor did take some biopsies at the lower end to check for H. pylori, the bacteria that can cause ulcers. He has to go back in two weeks to discuss the results of the biopsies.

It was noon when Ken was released after recovery from sedation. His first priority was getting something to eat, so he had some fruit and a granola bar on the way home for lunch.

This afternoon, the sun was shining and it was warm, so we finally got to walk outdoors. We headed over to Retama Village to check out the third New Horizons Majestic parked there. The owners, Jim and Niroo, were glad to show us their rig and answer questions about the Ford 550 they're using to tow it. They have a 37' model, so we were glad to have a chance to see a shorter Majestic. All the ones we've seen before have been 42' and up.

Jim and Niroo gave us some good tips on what to consider and what they have changed or hope to change in the year and a half they've owned the rig. We definitely got a better idea of what we might want. Now it's just a matter of continuing to do our research. We also have an appointment to talk to Phil (owner of New Horizons) and his wife Karen when they bring this year's show model to Retama in a few weeks.
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Sunshine!

Not much going on today. We went back to look at Jack and Danielle's Majestic and spent two hours asking Jack questions and checking things out. Then we ate lunch and got ready for Darryl's afternoon C-1 workshop. We had four squares--plus three couples out. That's always a bad situation, and it seems to be happening pretty regularly, darn it.

When we got home, the sun was still shining and the temp had made it up to 60, so we walked outside. We saw lots of other walkers and bicyclists and folks sitting out on their patios and visiting. Sunshine brings people out and definitely improves my mood.
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Merry Christmas!

We joined friends and neighbors at the Bentsen Palm Village clubhouse for Christmas dinner today. The park provided turkey and gravy. Four couples signed up for each table to provide side dishes and dessert. I made a layered pea salad that was a hit. Warren and Denise brought two butternut squash dishes, one plain and the other a casserole with sourdough bread and cheese. Joe and Nancy brought mashed potatoes and dressing. Elinor and ? brought desserts. He is originally from England and she from New Zealand, and the desserts they brought were unusual: Christmas pudding and two triffles (one banana and the other strawberry). Everything was delicious!

The workcampers set up, cleaned up, and cooked and served the turkey and gravy. Ken snapped this poto of some of the group.

This evening we joined Hardy and Judy at Cinemark Movies 6 for Dolphin Tale, a sentimental story with cute kids and an injured soldier. It's redeemed by the fact that it's based on a true story. The dolphin star, Winter, plays herself. It's a good family story, and lots of families were in the theater.
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Happy Birthday, Chris!

Today is Chris's 46th birthday, and a reminder for me of a wonderful event on Christmas Eve 1965. Best Christmas present I ever received. I talked with him this afternoon. He was having a quiet day: breakfast with Shawn and Annie and then game playing with Annie. One advantage of having a Christmas Eve birthday is that you almost never have to work on your birthday.

We had a quiet day here too: laundry, walking on the treadmills in the exercise room, doing some last minute shopping. We bought the ingredients for the pea salad we are bringing to the dinner tomorrow at the park. Being out shopping on Christmas Eve reminded me of the many times I found myself in crowded stores and traffic, looking for last minute Christmas gifts when the kids were small.

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Another Quiet Day

It was overcast and chilly again today. We went out only twice, to go to the exercise room and walk on the treadmills. So far we've been lucky and both of them have been available. This afternoon, someone was on one of the treadmills, and I got ready to use an exercise bike instead (not my preferred exercise), but she was just finishing, so onto the treadmill I went. I guess we're like little hamsters, running in our wheels, except that we also get to watch CNN!

We've been doing some trip planning for next summer. We have a lot on our list, but we're still tentative (plans written in Jello). We're definitely going to the National Square Dance Convention in Spokane, WA, in June, where we're hoping to meet up with some of our friends from Southern California. We're booked for an Alaska cruise in July, with Chris and Annie. We'll be visiting Jeff and Tiffinie in Las Vegas and Rebecca and Cathy in Apple Valley, CA.

Beyond that, we're hoping to visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We went to the north rim with our friends, Dennis and Cheryl, in 2009. And maybe we'll make it to an Escapade finally, in Sedalia, MO, in September. If it works out, we'll be going to Junction City, KS, to order a new fifth wheel from New Horizons in April, with a plan to pick it up later in the summer.

Lots of planning to do, and lots of fun to look forward to, seeing friends and loved ones and seeing more of this magnificent country.
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New Horizons Majestics

Today was a beautiful sunny day, and we finally made it over to Retama Village to check out the New Horizons Majestics there. First we stopped and introduced ourselves to Gail Quinn, who graciously let us tour his and Bonnie's lovely 45' Majestic. He pointed out all the special touches and alterations they had designed.

He also told us that Jack and Danielle were in the park and leaving soon, so we walked over and got the grand tour of their 42' Majestic by the official New Horizons ambassadors. Of course both rigs are beautiful, luxurious homes. We are excited by the prospect of ordering one for ourselves, so now we are committed to spending some quality time deciding what features we want to include--there are always trade-offs.

This afternoon Ken had an appointment with Dr. Alhalal, a gastroenterologist recommended by our friends, Steve and Jan. Now Ken is scheduled for an endoscopy next Tuesday. That's the only way to get a clear view of the situation and evaluate his GERD problems.

Tonight we danced to Darryl, with only three squares on the floor. Lots of folks must be traveling or otherwise busy with the holidays. Today is Decca's birthday, and she baked cookies and served spiced cider in honor of the occasion. She says she really enjoys baking.
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Mammogram

Today I went to the Women's Imaging Center in McAllen for my routine annual mammogram. I always hope it's just a routine, since I've had biopsies and extra views several times. Like all women, I have some concerns about the possibility of breast cancer. In the last year, two of my friends have been diagnosed and treated.

We didn't have much time after that appointment to eat and get ready for Joe Saltel's dance tonight. We had done most of the prep work for dinner, so it was pretty quick. We had Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette, a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I modify a bit to make it lower fat. We really enjoy it.
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Home Again

Ed got up early this morning to drive me to DFW for my 8:45 a.m. flight to McAllen. I had a chance to get hugs and kisses from Cate and Sam and Jesse and say goodbye to Julie before we left for the airport. We got to Terminal C around 7:10 a.m., earlier than I expected. Getting through security was pretty quick--including another full body scan.

As usual, I had plenty of time to sit around the airport, vigilantly guarding my carryons (if a stranger asks you to transport something, don't do it!) and being sure to keep my liquids in under 3 oz. containers in a single quart size plastic bag.

[photos later]

Anyhow, the flight took off pretty much on time, and everyone had plenty of room to spread out. Only 10 or 20% of the seats were filled. Ken suggests that more people are leaving the Valley for the holidays than are coming to the Valley to celebrate.

I had a great visit, but it's nice to be home. It would be nicer if I weren't sick, darn it! I'm definitely coming down with something (sore throat, congestion, general sick feeling). Somehow every time I visit the grandkids, I manage to pick something up.
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Patched Up

This morning I rode with Julie when she dropped off Sam at school, and then she took me to Grapevine for my 9:30 dentist appointment. She actually got me there a bit early (thanks, Julie!). Dr. Colangelo found no problems with the tooth or the crown that had fallen off, so he cemented it back on good as new.

Kelley and Terri picked me up from the dentist and we headed for the nearby Grapevine Mills Outlet Mall, so that Kelley could pick up some clothes appropriate for her new station in life. She found some nice athletic wear at Nike, including a green and white jacket. Of course everything looked cute on her. After shopping several other stores, we hit the food court for lunch.

By the time we were ready to leave, it was raining, so Kelley made a run for the car, and Terri shared my umbrella. We didn't get too wet--it actually rained much harder later on. They dropped me off at Ed and Julie's and stayed to visit for just a few minutes. Terri gave Julie and Cate and me some cute T--shirt necklaces she had made. I hugged her goodbye--this might be the last time I see her before they go to Singapore next June. I'll see Kelley when we come through the Dallas area in April.

This evening Sam had a play date with his friend Brandon, so he went there for supper and a movie. Ed and Cate and I played Ingenious and Rummikub. When Sam came home he joined us for a quick game of Farkel. Jesse played his "games" at the table with us, mostly quietly and without disturbing our games. He's quite intent about what he's doing and knows how to roll the dice.

Then it was bedtime for the kids. I got to read books with them since it's my last night here. I read one of the Grimm fairy tales in the book we got Cate for Christmas. Sam decided that he would "read" the story of two pages of his Dora the Explorer giant coloring book. He was very dramatic about it. You can tell he's watched the TV show many times.

The family has adopted the Elf on the Shelf tradition. Their elf, named Scout, hides creatively and has to be found every morning. Sam has a larger elf he has named Scout Sam Shaffer and Cate has an even larger one she calls Mrs. Scout.

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More Partying

Ed and Julie hosted a family get together/Christmas party today. It was an occasion for sharing lots of love and fun and games--and of course, lots of food. Ed found a neat recipe for turkey breast coated with mayonnaise. We will add to the testimony of lots of other cooks that this method results in moist, delicious turkey, without any need for basting.

Everyone contributed special dishes to the menu. John and Nancy brought a spiral sliced ham. Nancy made a veggie casserole using a recipe from "The" cookbook (a Shaffer family tradition). The special ingredient was a crunchy topping of crushed Cheez-Its.Terri baked an apple and a pumpkin pie (my favorite). Emily made a chocolate cake with a layer of cream cheese and coconut inside. Julie made a special roasted red pepper and garbanzo bean dip for veggies. I made pecan streusel topped sweet potato casserole. Everything was very yummy.

[photos later]

Today was also Terri and Blake's eighteenth anniversary, another cause for celebration. A spontaneous chorus of "Happy Anniversary" broke out. We had a discussion of the cradle robbing tradition in the family, since Terri is over four years older than Blake.. Ed is the champion in that field, being nearly ten years older than Julie.

Visiting, watching the football game on TV, playing games, taking photos, watching old WNBA ads on You Tube, and just in general having lots of fun made this a great day. We had so much dessert that Ed invited the neighbors across the street to come in a take some plates home, so the joy overflowed.

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Go, Mean Green!

This morning Julie and I and the kids went to their local credit union to open a special kids' savings account for Sam as a fifth birthday present to him. Cate already has her own savings account. Sam got his own account card and a green piggy bank, too. He's very proud of his new account.

Today was a red letter day (or maybe a green letter day) for our family. My oldest granddaughter, Kelley, graduated from the University of North Texas (colors green and white). She got her degree magna cum laude in kinesiology from the College of Education. She was cheered on by her family and friends, who are all very proud of her.

[photos later]

The graduation was held in the Coliseum and followed the usual script, with the presentation of the colors, the playing of Pomp and Circumstance while the faculty and graduates marched in, welcoming remarks by the president, and the conferring of degrees. What caught me a little by surprise was that there was no commencement speaker.

This was one of several commencement ceremonies held for the fall semester, with business and education students being called by name one by one as they proceeded across the stage, received their diplomas (or rather, diploma covers) and were congratulated by the appropriate dignitaries.

In other words, it was a bit boring, except for the moments when we spotted Kelley in her seat and when she was on the stage. This was especially true for her younger cousins, Cate and Sam. We're hoping that attending this academic function will incline them towards pursuing studies of their own, in due time.

Kelley plans to substitute teach for a couple of nearby school districts in the spring and then get a full-time job for the fall. Meanwhile, she and her friend Mason are excited about the Caribbean cruise that is Blake and Terri's graduation gift.

We went to Blake's mother's house (Nana Jan) for the graduation party in the evening. Kelley's Aunt Fran and Uncle John drove up from Lufkin for the party. Blake's sisters, Pam and Heather, Heather's son Nicky, and Heather's mother-in-law, Peggy, and her husband Bill and her sister Belle were there too. Pam's son Morgan and his wife Sarah joined the party. Much of the time was spent in looking at old photos (on the computer, of course) and reminiscing about family memories.

The highlight of the day was the opportunity to toast Kelley with champagne or sparkling grape juice, but most of all with lots of love. When Kelley and Mason left the party, they were on their way to "par-tay" for one last time with college friends in Denton.

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Winter

The high here today was in the 50s, but it certainly felt rather chilly when we went for our walk this morning. Julie was wearing her hooded jacket and some neat convertible glove-mittens. I wore my sweater with my denim shirt and then my lightweight hooded jacket on top, with a scarf around my neck. Altogether that layering kept me warm enough to enjoy our walk.

Julie pushed Jesse in the jogging stroller and held onto Charlie's leash, and I held on to Bijoux's leash. We walked about three miles, mainly along the walking biking trail through the neighborhood greenbelt. It makes for an enjoyable walk.

The other thing we did today was plan and shop for the party Sunday. Several people are coming and bringing things. We bought some bone-in half turkey breasts at Sprouts along with some fruits and veggies and ingredients for sweet potato casserole. I made the casseroles and put them in the fridge in the garage, with the streusel and pecan toppings in separate containers, with a plan to put them together and bake them on Sunday.

We played The Kids of Carcassonne again this evening. Sam was the biggest loser, so he got to lead the parade (definitely a good consolation prize!). Ed didn't play because he was making the blonde brickle brownies--except that some of them are actually peppermint rather than brickle.
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Flying

This morning was a jumble of doing the laundry and packing for my trip to Dallas for Kelley's graduation. Oh, and calling Mark, our mobile RV repairman, to check out yet another leak! This one also showed up at a location where we had a leak repaired a couple of years ago. Mark climbed up on the roof and found the little rubber boot that seals the TV antenna wire inlet loose.

Of course while he was up there he found another place or two that needed sealing. Plus he suggested that it was probably a good idea to pull the air conditioner and check underneath to see if it might have cut through the rubber roof at its contact points. He didn't want to do that on a day when it was threatening to rain, so he'll come back another day to do that. Our mantra is "If it's not one thing, it's another!"

Ken drove me to the McAllen Miller International Airport for my 3:55 p.m. flight. We left around 2:15 p.m., knowing that would get me to the airport in plenty of time (actually early). It turned out to be even earlier than we expected. It's been raining in Dallas, disrupting lots of flights, so the plane we were flying out on was quite late in arriving, pushing my departure time to closer to 4:30 p.m. It's always fun to wait around in airports.

Ed met me at DFW. Fortunately he knows the back way out, because otherwise we'd have been stuck in the bumper to bumper traffic leaving by the north exit. We got back to the house just a bit before Julie returned from shopping with the kids for new Christmas pajamas. Jesse ended up with Santa pj's, but Cate and Sam made other choices (Star Wars: the Clone Wars for Sam and a nightgown with ballerinas for Cate).

It was great to see Ed and Julie and the kids again. For the first time in ages, Sam's greeting wasn't "Did you bring your Wii, Grandma Lee?" Ed and I did play The Kids of Carcassonne with Cate and Sam. It's an interesting tile laying game with large sturdy tiles, perfect for younger kids.

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Oops!

Square dance callers here tend to put out a candy dish, and I'm a sucker for the little Tootsie Rolls. Well, tonight I may have had my last Tootsie Roll. I'm pretty sure that's what caused my crown to come off. Now what? A quick Google search brought up the suggestion to head for a pharmacy and get some temporary repair. Fortunately HEB had just the stuff (Dentek Temparin Max).

I'm planning to call Dr. Colangelo in the morning and try to get in to see him Friday morning. It's both good and bad timing that the crown fell out just before my trip, since Dr. Colanglo is near Ed's house (and there are no Cigna dentists in the Mission area at all).

Steve and Jan danced with us at Jerry Story's this afternoon. Tonight Steve danced with Jean which Jan was at home prepping for her procedures tomorrow (she didn't want any company for that!). We won't see them again until after Christmas. They're driving to Wisconsin for the holiday and bringing their daughter Cheryl back with them, probably around the 28th. So we wished them both a good trip (and Jan an easy procedure tomorrow). Judy is still out with a sore throat, so we didnt' see her and Hardy today. We missed them!

We walked in the state park this morning and took the Kiskadee Trail. It was dry enough to walk through. We didn't see much of anything except some chacalacas and green jays, but it was nice to be in the park. Plus there were lots of butterflies around, even though it has been windy. At least it was warm and sunny today.

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Sam is Five! and Christmas Concert

Today is Sam Shaffer's fifth birthday. He's already looking ahead and tells me that next year he'll be six and then seven and eight and nine.... They do grow up all too soon. We talked on the phone today, but I'm looking forward to seeing him Thursday and having a chance to wish him a happy birthday in person.

Tonight we attended the McAllen Town Band's Christmas concert at the Trinity Worship Center. We picked up Steve and Jan and Hardy (Judy is nursing a sore throat and decided to stay home and rest). Steve gave us great directions to find the church, which is tucked in behind a motel and next to the Exotica Club. Jan says that it's apropos that venues for sin and redemption are located so close together!

The Trinity Worship Center offers online video of its services, and it's clear that the church was designed with recording in mind: it's got great acoustics and stage lighting. The band are all volunteers, but dedicated and talented to a professional level.

The concert was very enjoyable, with the usual Christmas classics, but also some different offerings. One we especially liked was Minor Alterations (Christmas Through the Looking Glass) by David Lovrien. Here are the author's comments on the music:

The piece I wrote last year for the Dallas Wind Symphony‘s Christmas concert is selling like hotcakes for the upcoming holiday season. It is easily the #1 best-seller from the Lovebird Music catalog this year. I was informed this morning that the United States Navy Band will be performing it on Dec. 5th. Have you heard it yet? If not, have a listen.

The idea started with an arrangement of “Pat-a-pan” that I did in 2006 as a demo of the capabilities of the Garritan Personal Orchestra sample library. Pat-a-pan is such a cool minor-key tune, almost Slavic sounding, and I wanted to slip some other Christmas-themed material into it, so I decided to transpose “Up On The Housetop” to minor. It worked out great and the arrangement was completed…

Several months later, as the DWS Christmas concert approached I came back to the same idea and started to expand on it. Grace and I were driving to my daughter’s orchestra concert when idea started coming quickly and I started giggling. She wanted to know what it was all about and I hummed some “warped” variations to her. She loved the idea. The layers and the “jokes within jokes” came together very quickly; taking tunes like “Here Comes Santa Claus” and transposing them to minor… oh wait, Danny Elfman did it just like that in “Nightmare Before Christmas,” didn’t he? OK, I’ll have to do better. Let’s make it a waltz… yes, that works. In fact it sounds a little like… ooh! Let’s use the accompaniment pattern from Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2! Gosh, do you think people will get that? Hmm, better drop a couple bars of the melody on the end to make sure…

Then I had to assemble them all into a form. How about arranging them in tempo order from slow to fast, like a Jewish Hora? That way it builds energy from start to finish. Drop the waltz variations in the middle and it works great. It seems to hit the right balance between “sounds nothing like the original” and “oh, I know what tune that was.” And it’s a nice change of pace for Christmas concerts where things can get sickeningly sweet, like too much candy on Christmas morning.

Of course we had to have some of the sweet stuff too, including a sing-a-long at the end.

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Timing

Ken woke up this morning with an unusual headache and pain in his neck and shoulder. He called Dr. George's office and was told that he could come in after 11:00 a.m. as a walk-in patient. We actually got there at 10:40 a.m. and were advised that it could be an hour or two. Actually he was called quite soon.

Dr. George suggested Tylenol and heat, which is what Ken has been trying. The headache seemed to get worse for quite a while, but he's feeling a little better now.

Meanwhile, when we left the doctor's office, it was a little after 12:00, and we had a dance at 1:00 p.m. not far away. Unfortunately, I looked down and saw that my fanny pack had gotten wet from a leaking soap container and transferred black dye onto my tan pants, so we ran to Walmart to pick up some jeans and grab some yogurt and bananas for lunch. Then we hurried to the dance, only to discover that we were an hour early for the dance, which actually started at 2:00 p.m. Sigh. We did the same thing last year once. Our two other afternoon dances are 1:00 to 3:00, and we find it hard to keep track of the different time for Darryl's dance.

Meanwhile, we had made an appointment for 3:30 with Mark, our mobile RV repairman, so I had to call and change the appointment to 4:30. We got home at 4:20, just as Mark pulled up at our site. We had called him about a leak just inside the door, with water running down from the light switch covers. Mark popped the covers off, releasing more water. Then he climbed on the roof and found an area of sealant with dirt underneath, which he removed and resealed. We're hoping that the problem has been solved.

It seems that RV repair issues are never ending. We just asked Mid Valley to inspect and reseal everything. Guess they missed the spot over the door. The trim just inside the door is loose too. It should be attached with small staples, but the design requires that the staples be put in very near the edge, which is probably why they are failing. We are going to try gluing it down. The light over the dinette is disassembled. The switch we replaced two years ago broke, so we'll be shopping for a new switch tomorrow. They are hard to find. And we're concerned about problems with the door lock sticking. RV = Repair Vehicle. It's a small price to pay for the freedom of our lifestyle, though, so we try to keep a good attitude.
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More Rain

We had another rainy day today--mostly just gray and cold and drizzly--the kind of day that makes you want to cocoon. We went out to breakfast with our friends. It was really nice to have Jean join us again. She just arrived in the Valley a couple of days ago, after being treated and cured of stage 0 breast cancer. We were so glad to see her healthy! She showed off a photo of herself the last day of her radiation treatments. Just pure Jean--she was smiling and on a hike with her hiking club.

We did our walks today on the treadmills again. It's better than nothing, but I'm sure looking forward to walking outside tomorrow. We watched the Packers/Raiders game (or should I say debacle) at home and then on the TV in the exercise room. We're sure our Wisconsin friends are cheering at their overwhelming victory.
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Rainy Day!

We woke up this morning to rain--and it rained pretty much all day.The area needs the rain, but this was a bit much! We were without power for several hours, and so were parts of the entire area. Fortunately, we have our inverter, so we carried on pretty much as usual.

We put up our Christmas decorations today. They look pretty much like they did last year. The lights are cheery, and the pointsettias add some color to the room.

This evening we picked up Steve and Jan and went to Diaz Diner in Mission for dinner. The menu is quite extensive, including both Mexican staples and American items. Jan had the beef brisket special, while Steve and Ken and I stuck with the Mexican plate, a standard assortment of tacos, enchiladas, chalupa, with rice and beans, all topped with cheese. They make their own chips and salsa, too.

Afterwards we went back to the Texas room and played a card/board game called Social Security. It's evidently a variant of Pegs and Jokers. Both games are similar to Parcheesi or Sorry, but there's more strategy possible in the game play, because you have a hand of five cards an can choose which to play. We played one round with the cards exposed so Steve and Jan could teach us the game. They we played two more rounds. The guys won the first, and Jan and I won the second, but both games were very close. All in all, it was a fun evening.
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Work Day

We did our laundry this morning. The laundry room is only a few steps from our site, so we just walked over with our laundry baskets--very convenient.

On our walk this morning we noticed a fellow camper had put some Rubbermaid tubs out to sell. We bought a couple, and then of course we had to reorganize our big storage tray and the truck box to accommodate our new finds. In the process we found some things we could do without, which is always good.

Ken put out the rope lights and our two LED light pathway trees. I pulled the Christmas decorations out of the closet but we haven't put them out yet.

Tonight we spent some time doing some trip planning for next summer. Of course we didn't make much progress, so we'll go back to it tomorrow.

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We Love Our Site

We are delighted with our site! We're enjoying the large concrete pad, which allows plenty of space for us to walk to the truck without tracking through the dirt. We like the orientation, which has our door facing north. This protects us from the afternoon sun. We like the easy access to the nearby laundry room. We're near the rear entrance, so during the day (when the rear gate is open), we can come and go without driving through the whole park. And did I mention we have nice neighbors?

We took a longer walk through the state park this morning (3.4 miles in an hour). Since we were out for exercise, we didn't stop much, but we still saw plenty of birds, including a large group of kiskadees. They're fascinating to watch. We haven't seen any javelinas yet, so we're wondering if the population has just not returned after the flooding.

This evening we danced to Darryl again. He always keeps us on our toes. Tonight he worked again on some unusual J boxes and with three by one triangles and other triple tandem formations. The best part of the evening was that Steve and Jan were there. She is feeling better (though still not back to okay).
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Cable Internet Surfing

Well, today we finally got our cable modem, so we're on the Internet again. However, our supposed to be 3 MB service is limping along. We'll have to call tomorrow if it doesn't improve.

We danced twice today. In the afternoon we danced to Jerry Story for the first time this season. He workshopped Cross By calls (like Cross By Tally Ho). As always, it was fun to dance to Jerry. Surprisingly there were only three squares. We're hoping more dancers will show up as the season progresses.

Tonight we danced to Joe Saltel. Again, we had fun and our skills were challenged (sometimes past the breaking point!). We had sixteen couples, but one couple could only dance every other tip, so we had three or four squares.

It was cold again today, but at least the sun was out and the wind had died down. We're supposed to get some warmer weather coming up.
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Solstar

Well, the Solstar installer was supposed to come this morning, but he got too busy. Lupita said she'd let him know we'd be back later in the afternoon, but we never heard from him. Maybe tomorrow morning will be the charm. Meanwhile, we are using the park's open wifi.

This afternoon we went to Randy's C-1 workshop/dance. He spends the first hour workshopping and the second just calls a dance. Today we workshopped peeling and trailing from different positions. The most difficult was a tandem peel off. The C-2 dancers were way ahead of the game, since he workshopped the same thing with them this morning.

It was cold today, and windy. We did our evening "walk" on the treadmills in the exercise room. At least this year both of them are working.
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We're Back Home

We picked up Venture from Mid Valley RV this afternoon, with our whole list of repairs complete. The most significant was the replacement of the floor in the bedroom slide out. We are delighted to have our home back. Here's a photo of Phil Pray, Service Manager and wizard. He and his crew figured out some creative solutions to our repair needs and charged a very reasonable price.

We pulled into Bentsen Palm about 4:30 p.m., and it took the rest of the evening to get things unpacked and resettled. We are very happy with our new site, #608. It has a concrete pad and is long enough and wide enough that we'll be very comfortable here, plus we have very nice neighbors.
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Happy Birthday, Romaine!

Today is Ken's sister Romaine's 80th birthday. He called to wish her a happy day. Her family took her out to lunch, which she enjoyed. We last saw her when we were in Michigan in July and had a very nice visit.

We joined the gang at Angel's for breakfast for the first time this season. It's a weekly get-together of friends at a very friendly little restaurant just up the road. This morning we made eight: Hardy and Judy, Jan and Steve, Bob and Pat, and Ken and me. We had forgotten the camera, so I took a quick shot with my Droid (please excuse the fuzziness).

After breakfast we drove down to the state park to take our morning walk. Besides the exercise and fresh air, we got to see lots of colorful birds and butterflies. Birds included green jays, greater kiskadees, chacalacas, and cardinals, in addition to mockingbirds and grackles. Here are a couple of cyclists watching the birds at the resaca blind.

This cardinal is enjoying the water feature. We watched a kiskadee delicately sipping, but only after watchful waiting to insure no predators were around.

On the way out of the park, we noticed a naturalist, Javier De Leon, checking out a butterfly, a rare visitor from Mexico. It was a Beautiful Beamer, first recorded in the U.S. at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park in April, 2003. He handed me his binoculars, so I got a chance to see this unusual sight. Of course, I'm such a novice that I wouldn't have known how rare a treat I was getting if he hadn't told me. Here's a photo I found on the web.

Tonight we joined Hardy and Judy and Bob and Pat at the movies (Steve and Jan have a regular card playing date on Sunday evenings). We went to Cinemark Movies 6 to see a film called 50/50. It was authentic, honest, sometimes hilarious--the story of a young man who is told he has spinal cancer and has a 50% chance to survive. We enjoyed the movie because the lead character is so real and likable. The depiction of his overly protective mother is spot on. Some aspects of the plot are unrealistic (like his interaction with a graduate intern counselor), the depiction of his girlfriend is definitely negative, and his buddy is a bit too over the top in his language and behavior, but the movie was definitely worthwhile.

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Around GreenGate Grove

We spent our walks today looking at RV lots for sale and for rent. Along the way we saw a few park models and mobile homes too. We’re thinking about buying something, but for 2012-2013, we’ll be looking for something to rent. It seems to make sense to rent for a while before making a decision to buy in the park.

GreenGate Grove is a mixed use park, meaning that houses, mobile homes, park models, and RV spaces all have a place here. There’s a wide variety of living arrangements, from large two-lot brick homes to bare places to park, and everything in between. Steve and Jan have an RV lot with a Texas room and a shed with washer/dryer and workbench. They have a corner lot with trees, and they enjoy gardening. Long term, we think we might enjoy having something similar, though perhaps with a smaller Texas room (theirs is as big as our house).

Ken installed PdaNet 3.02 on my laptop. He has it on his too. The program allows us to share our Droid data connection by tethering the phone to the laptop. This is something that the service providers certainly oppose, but the program is supposed to mask the tethering from the company. It’s not something we’re likely to use a lot, but right now, it’s great, since we turned off our USB modem for three months in anticipation of having cable Internet at Bentsen Palm Village. That leaves us without a data connection until Venture is repaired and the cable modem is installed next Tuesday.

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Still in the Texas Room

We were hoping against hope to get Venture back today, but it was not to be. Ken talked to Phil after lunch. Among other things, Phil said that the black water dump valve we had installed in August by a mobile repair man was the wrong valve. Excel used a different type of valve in the 2006 and 2007 models. We are hoping that the repair this time will actually work. In any case, we’ll have to wait until Monday to move to Bentsen Palm Village.

So we prepared to spend the weekend here by washing a couple of loads of clothes. I went with Jan to visit the produce vendor at the clubhouse and got some good looking fruits and veggies. Ken and I culled some photos.

Jan brought over some peppermint fudge she had made from a Hungry Girl recipe for us to try out. It was delicious. The secret is using canned pumpkin instead of eggs and oil in a fudge brownie mix and then topping it with crushed candy canes and white chocolate chips. She made the fudge (which we all agreed was great but actually fudgy brownies rather than fudge) to take to the Friday night movie at the clubhouse.

The movie was Family Man with Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni. I really like Nicholas Cage, and both the leads did some excellent acting. The little girl who plays their daughter is charmingly precocious. The plot is pretty predictable—kind of a cross between It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. The story begins on Christmas Eve, and our hero is transported from his selfish, isolated rich life to a “glimpse” of what might have been, had he married his college sweetheart. It’s a feel good film with some funny and touching moments. What more can you ask for a free night at the movies—with popcorn provided by Steve?

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Faucet Problem

This morning we woke to find that our Verizon USB modem was indeed inoperable, as expected. We still have internet access with our Droids, and the park has wi-fi at the clubhouse, so we’re not entirely cut off, but we definitely miss having easy access.

We were out on our morning walk around the park when Ken’s phone rang. It was Phil from Mid Valley calling to say that they had run into a problem. It turned out that the kitchen faucet we bought from Lowe’s was missing a part (this despite the fact that we had bought a sealed package).

We immediately drove to Lowe’s on Jackson in McAllen and found a replacement faucet, which we took to Mid Valley. That problem was solved, but Phil admitted that it was beginning to look like the work would not be finished in time for us to pick it up tomorrow. If that happens, they will have to complete the work next Monday, delaying our move to Bentsen Palm by three more days. We told him that we’d really like to have the work done tomorrow, but that our priority was to have the work done right. So now we’ll wait and see.

This evening we drove to Darryl’s dance with Steve and Jan. As dance time approached, I realized that we didn’t have many dancers in the hall. We ended up with thirteen couples—three squares and an extra. Last Thursday we had quite a few more. Steve and Jan reported that some dancers were at a play at Veteran’s High School (including Hardy and Judy). Also, the Link Family are performing at Aladdin Villas, so some dancers were probably at that show.

This morning, Steve and Jan got up at 4:00 a.m. and drove to Nikki Rowe High School to stand in line to buy tickets for the annual musical. This year the show is Mame. They got 14 tickets for the afternoon senior discount performance on January 21. The students always put on a great performance. We thoroughly enjoyed last year’s musical, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

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Mexico

Today we went to Nuevo Progreso, to Jessica's Place, to celebrate G.W.'s upcoming birthday. On his actual birthday, December 7, he and David will be on their way to a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands. G.W. has never been to Hawaii, and David was there in 1969, so they'll have lots to discover. We were glad that Bob and Pat were able to join us. Pat had her chemo port removed this morning (yay!), and the process turned out to be quicker and easier than they had expected.

Pat and Bob, Steve, Lee, G.W., David, Judy, Jan, and Hardy.

Lee couldn't resist joining line dancers for Elvira

After drinks and munchies at Jessica's, we went to Old Town Restaurant for lunch. G.W. recommended the taco salad, so nearly everyone ordered that. The kitchen ran out of taco shell bowls, so some of us ended up with tostadas instead. Ken ordered chile relleno.

Lots of us went on to Ruben's for pedicures, eyebrow waxing, and hair cuts. Ken had his head shaved, finally joining Steve and Hardy and some of our other friends--as well as his son, Jeff. We all thought it looked really handsome, but it might take a while for him to adjust to his new look, and to the breeze on his head.

Pat, Jan, and Steve enjoy pedicures and foot massages.

The selection of nail colors is labeled "finger paints."

 Handsome dude!

On the way home, we stopped in Donna to visit Venture. Here's the floor of the bedroom slide that was replaced. We were happy to hear that all the repairs should be done by Friday, so we'll be able to pick it up and move in to Bentsen Palm Village only one day late.

Jeff called to let us know he got a new motorcycle. He was so excited that he wanted to make sure we checked out the photo he emailed.

Jeff's new motorcycle
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Early Check-In

We drove over to Bentsen Palm Village this afternoon to let them know we'll be arriving after December 1 and to check in ahead of time. That way when we get Venture back, we can just drive in and hook up. We also stopped at the Solstar office to arrange for cable internet to be installed next Monday. We're excited at the prospect of moving in to our new home for the season.

This afternoon we went with Steve and Jan to Randy Dougherty's C-1 workshop/dance. We enjoyed it, but we aren't planning on going regularly. Our regular schedule includes four dances a week, which is just about enough for Ken.
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Venture to Mid Valley, Ken and Lee to Spauldings

We got up early this morning so we could pack up, hitch up, and take Venture to Mid Valley RV in Donna, TX, by 9:00 a.m. There we met Phil and went over our repair list. We had emailed with Phil but hadn't met him before. He was friendly and professional, making us feel good about trusting our home to his care. He made no guarantees, but said that he expected to have the work completed by Friday.

We said goodbye to Venture and headed to Mission, to Green Gate Grove, where we will be tenants in Steve and Jan's Texas room for the duration. They are wonderful hosts and had the room all ready for us. We moved in with all our bags and boxes and pillows and stuff and made ourselves at home. Then we went for a walk to scout out the neighborhood.

Our temporary home away from home...

Christmas decor in the neighborhood

After lunch we drove to Darryl's C-1 workshop at TVA (Tropical Valley Acres). Jan and Steve were there along with lots of our other dancing friends, including some we haven't seen for many months. It was good to touch base and trade hugs with folks we've been following mainly on Facebook for the summer.

Check out Rich's tee-shirt, Star Wars fans!

When we returned, we set out to walk before supper. The neighborhood is interesting, with lots of unique landscaping and decor.

One thing that really caught our eye as we walked along was a New Horizons fifth wheel with an Escapees logo. The owners were outside and immediately invited us for the 25 cent tour. We actually got much more than 25 cents worth!  We ended up staying to talk with Madeline and Jerry for over an hour. They are gracious hosts and enthusiastic about life, with plenty to share. They lived in Europe for sixteen years before retiring, returning to the States, and moving into a New Horizons.

We were interested to find many points of commonality. They have a 30 foot rig because they also like Forest Service and similar campgrounds, where they volunteer in the summers. They have solar panels, batteries and inverter similar to ours. They are Boomers and Escapees--and much more. We are so glad we've met them.
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More Wind!

A brisk north wind blew all day, snapping the flags about and waving the treetops. When we went out to walk, we bundled up and tried to protect our eyes from the blowing dust.

Our neighbors behaved very strangely. They were evidently trying to stabilize their TV dish, which the wind was disturbing. What made it odd is that they spent several hours at it. They added tie-downs. They struggled to point the dish. And they took turns standing outside in the wind holding the dish. We have no earthly idea what was going on. People do the darnedest things, and you get to observe lots of them in campgrounds and RV parks.

Our Qube was also displaced by the wind, but we just packed it up and put it away, along with everything else we had outside. It was a real trick taking up and folding our patio rug with the wind whipping it around, but we managed. However, the next time we unfold it, we'll have a job removing all the sand burrs that had stuck to the bottom side!

Tomorrow morning we'll take Venture in for repairs, so we spent today getting prepared. We had to remove everything from the bedroom slide, which meant relocating all the "stuff" we keep in the storage area under the bed and in the nightstands and overhead cabinets. Everything had to be relocated from the cabinets under the sinks too. Plus we had to pack for something like an extended camping trip: we'll be camped out in Spauldings' Texas room for the duration.

As Ken said, it's a good thing we have a big truck!
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Go, Big Blue!

Ken watched the Michigan/Ohio State game today. The arch-rivals met at the Big House. The Wolverines won, cheered on by masses of screaming fans waving yellow pom poms (it's a "Maize out!"), breaking a seven game losing streak.

Today was a mainly pleasant day, but the dark clouds gathered and the winds whistled through the park, bringing a few spattering drops of rain. Tonight the wind is wailing and buffeting our home, but we feel cozy inside.

We went to Lowe's today to return the kitchen faucet we bought earlier (the finish was already spotted). We bought a Moen faucet that we hope will work well for us for the kitchen. For the bath, we chose an American Standard.

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Happy Thanksgiving--or Is It Merry Christmas???

This morning on our walk we brought the camera along so we could get some photos of the flocks of butterflies feeding on a spectacular Betony Mistflower plant. All the dark spots on the first photo are actually queen butterflies, and there are lots of smaller butterflies and bees too.

We have been noticing our floor registers are showing some wear. The paint is chipped, and the edges are rusting. We actually bought some spray paint for them over a year ago (we're really good at procrastination!). Today we unscrewed all of them and sanded them. We used some rust remover/inhibitor on them. But we ended up not painting them, because it was just too windy.

This evening we drove over to Bentsen Palm Village, where we'll be spending December, January, and February in site #608. We're excited to have such a nice space. The 600 circle has concrete pads. Our site will be oriented with the front door and patio facing north, which will keep the interior much more comfortable. We stopped to look at the site and met our neighbors on both sides--really friendly folks. John and Susan in site #609 are fellow Escapees and full-timers. They hit the road in October 2007, only a few months before us.

We took our evening walk in the Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park (aka World Birding Center Headquarters). We were happy to see that the entire park is open again (after the floods of summer 2010). Also, the construction of flood gates at the levee is complete, so no need to thread your way around construction equipment to get into the park.

Then we went to Retama Village for their Christmas Decor Gala/Open House. Carolers were singing, and rum punch, coffee, and a lovely and delicious variety of Christmas cookies were served. We had hoped to see some of our friends there, but evidently missed them, so after enjoying our first party of the "Christmas Season," we headed home for dinner.

Today is Ed and Julie's eleventh anniversary. Congratulations to you both! It's also my goddaughter Debbie's 34th birthday. Hard to imagine where the time has flown!
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Happy Thanksgiving!

We are so fortunate and have so much to be thankful for! Today we shared a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with good friends. We had lots of laughs and more than enough to eat, topped off by pumpkin and pecan pie. Yum!

Pat Boyink, Jan Spaulding, Judy Pottinger, and Lee Marks stand behind the spread.

Steve Spaulding, Hardy Pottinger, Bob Boyink, and Ken Marks in the living room.

We all walked over to Steve and Jan's place. We'll be staying in their Texas room next week while Venture is in the shop, and we wanted to check things out and get some ideas about what to bring with us. We are so spoiled by having our home an all our stuff with us no matter where we roam that it's hard to think about packing.

Jan showed us her baby tomatoes, which are doing quite well. They came to the Valley in October and found that the plants needed more water. The ripe tangelos and lovely roses in bloom are the fruits of their efforts.

We were disappointed this morning watching the CBS broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Most of the time was taken up by promotions of shows and celebrities. They described the balloons and some of the floats, but we didn't get to hear or see a single band. It was a bit shocking to hear the "shop, shop, shop" emphasis--especially the comment that Santa's appearance at the end of the parade is a signal that it's time to shop!

The sky was very clear and blue today. Tonight when we walked we saw Orion near the horizon in the east. We enjoy seeing the stars, and the night sky is reasonably dark here, especially at new moon.

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Dancing to Joe Saltel

We danced C-1 tonight at Texas Trails again, but this time the caller was Joe Saltel. We saw lots more of our Winter Texan friends that we haven't seen since last spring. Some of the folks haven't had a chance to dance all summer, and everyone needs a bit more practice, but we had lots of fun.

One thing we enjoy about Texas Trails is the display in the hallway of the arts and crafts produced by the residents. These folks are really talented! This week the woodcarvings are of Santas carved out of tree bark.

We stopped at the big HEB store at 10th and Trenton on the way home to pick up some last minute things for the Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow. We weren't the only ones doing some last minute grocery shopping. The parking lot was nearly full, even though it was 9:30 p.m., and the store was packed with shoppers.
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Camelot

Today is the 48th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In 1963, we were 18. For me, JFK represented hope and possibility, and his death, followed by the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., signaled the loss of innocence and optimism. The world was a much darker and more frightening place than I had recognized. Kennedy may not have been perfect, but he was a statesman and leader who could challenge Americans to be their better selves.

Today has been another hot day, so we are doing most of our walking in the evening.

Ken got the 16 GB micro SD card he had ordered from Amazon today It's lots of extra storage for his tablet computer--another new toy.

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Happy Birthday, Cathlene!

Today is Cathy's fifteenth birthday. Wow! and that means that Ken and I are about to celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary. That doesn't sound like much compared to 46 years, but to us, it will definitely seem like a cause for celebration.

This afternoon we danced at TVA--Tropical Valley Acres to Darryl Lipscomb and saw some of our Valley friends we haven't seen since last spring. It was nice to see familiar faces. Today was Pat Boyink's 70th birthday. She is looking good (has her hair back, yay!) and doing well since her treatments ended. We were happy to dance with her and Bob.

Another hot day, but lots of wind again. We did most of our walking this evening after dark, when the temp had cooled down into the 70s.

We watched a TIVO recording of a Nature episode titled "My Life as a Turkey." The title made us curious, but we were really touched by the program and by Joe Hutto, the naturalist and photographer who is the protagonist of the story (though it turns out that he is portrayed by an actor, and the footage is a "re-creation." Some of his observations were quite thought provoking. He is evidently a person with a passion for animals and a profound respect for the natural world.

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Hot, Hot, Hot!

The high on this sunny day was 92 degrees. The heat was tempered a bit by the wind. We went over to the pool, but ended up in the air conditioned clubhouse, reading in the library. It's been a quiet day. Once the sun got lower in the sky, it was still in the 80s, but at least it was livable when we went for our evening walk.

I've been playing Words With Friends with Ed and Julie and Ken. Despite some success, my win-loss record is dismal. It was a refreshing experience to play Boggle with Ken tonight. He graciously allowed me to recover some of my self respect.
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Celebration

We joined some good friends tonight at Mimi's Cafe to celebrate some special events. Steve and Jan Spaulding are celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary, and Jan wore a skirt in honor of the occasion. Hardy Pottinger's birthday was last Monday. Not that these couples need much of an excuse to go out to eat! We had a delightful time sharing stories of our summer.

While we were eating, Chris called. He and Annie and Shawn were walking on the beach on the Oregon coast, seeing the moon jellies, which reminded him of our visit to the coast in April.

From Mimi's we all drove out to Texas Trails to Darryl Lipscomb's A dance. We had three squares of dancers plus one couple. It was great to see Pat Boyink dancing--and with her own hair grown out, too. She recommended the Mission Beauty College, just west of Bryan Ave.

In honor of the celebration, Jan actually wore a skirt! Aren't they a cute couple?

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Runaround

This morning we did our laundry, walking while the clothes were in the washer and again while they were drying. This afternoon Ken had a doctor's appointment. We were running a little late, so we hurriedly packed some sandwiches and headed to Mission. When we got there, Ken found out that Dr. George was at the Edinburgh office today, so we turned around and drove north. Rosie misplaced the office, so we had to call and ask for directions (so much for GPS technology!).

Tonight we met some friends at the old McAllen Convention Center to attend the opening concert in the McAllen Community Concert series. We don't have tickets, but John and Sandy Walenter aren't in the Valley yet, so we got to use their tickets. The featured group tonight was the Water Coolers. They bill themselves as "The comedy group that sings."

They were funny, with some on-target satire about corporate life, and their singing was enjoyable. However, their performance didn't seem to fit with others in the concert series. In fact, it didn't seem to be a concert. Besides, most of the audience aren't part of the corporate world they were lampooning. Some bits hit home with the audience (air travel, dealing with computer help lines, and such).

The best part of the evening was getting hugs from our friends we haven't seen in months. It's good to be home.
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Down in the Valley

We maneuvered our way out of Tips Park this morning, trying to avoid tangling with overhead branches, and headed south on US 281. Our first stop was at the Walmart in Alice, where we switched drivers and picked up some groceries.

We stopped at a nice rest area in Brooks County for lunch. It's one we stopped at on the way north last spring and took note of--it's located in the median about nine miles south of Falfurias (the county seat), so it's accessible both northbound and southbound. Right now everything is dry as a bone, and very little is green, but it was still a welcome respite from driving.

As we drove south, we saw more and more familiar sights (mainly lots of mesquite trees!). North of Edinburgh we passed a sign proclaiming "Gateway to the Rio Grande Valley." It felt good to be back "home" for the winter. We'll be here for the next four months, having good times with friends, doing plenty of square dancing--and keeping warm!
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Berry Springs Walk and Heading South

We headed over to Berry Springs Park and Preserve again this morning, intending to check out the tenting campground and historic structures we had seen called out on the map. The park is much more extensive than the sections we've seen so far. We walked around the historic structures and saw John Berry's grave and some presumably "historic" donkeys!

We also looked around the "Improved Campground," which has tent sites with tables and fire rings, but no hookups. All of the sites are shaded by either trees or shelters over the table. The fire rings are sport signs warning that there's a burn ban in effect. In the photos you can see some of the many pecan trees.

No one is on site, but we spotted an ATV with a couple of passengers and flagged it down to ask about the mysterious animal tracks in the pavement. The folks said they knew the tracks were deliberately placed and included animals not native to this park, but they didn't really know anything more about them. They said they would turn in our suggestion that it would be good to have some signage describing the tracks.

Our trip today took us through Austin an San Antonio on I-35. South of San Antonio we picked up I-37/US 281. That route goes almost directly south from San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley, through some pretty desolate scrub plains. Our regular stopping point is a city park in Three Rivers, Tips Park. When I called a couple of days ago, the host said there were no vacancies. When I pressed her to provide us just a place to park with no hookups, she agreed that we could come on in and just park on the grass off to the west of the entrance gate. So that's where we are. It's near the highway, so a bit noisy, but fine for an overnight. There are not many options, so we're glad to have this spot.

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