Biking

It was chilly when we got up this morning, so we worked around the house for a while before biking over to the state park. We renewed our membership for another year. We saw some folks we recognized, including a New Horizons owner, Rebecca, and Steve, who had stopped to help her with a minor repair. They had gotten separated from the biking group from Nature's. We saw one flicker at a feeder along with lots of red winged blackbirds and the usual chachalacas.

Back home, we put the bike rack and bikes on the truck to take them over to GGG, along with our folding chairs and solar lights. We fumbled a bit with the hitch sleeve and locking pin. It's been three months since we dealt with that stuff, plenty of time for the details to become fuzzy. When we got to GGG, we used our very own gate key for the first time. We tried some different approaches to parking the truck in the front of the drive. We'll try again once we've moved the Majestic onto the lot.

We looked around our new property more closely and found lots of minor repairs needed and even more cleaning. Fortunately we have some time to get that stuff done, since we're not actually moving into the Texas room. It will be waiting for us. We also discovered that the sofa is a La-Z-Boy sleeper and in very good condition. It will need an air mattress or topper to make it more comfortable.

We talked with our friendly neighbors, Chuck and Carol, who have a six-month old puppy. Our neighbor across the street was passing on a golf cart. She introduced herself as "Crazy Willie." We had heard that she is a widow, and she stays at GGG year round.

We put our bikes in the shed and locked the padlock before we realized that the key Twyla gave us for the lock doesn't fit. Tomorrow we'll see if she can find another candidate.

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New Owners

Today was another hectic day dedicated to the purchase of our new homestead. It was a whirlwind of activity starting with a trip to the insurance agency to sign up for property insurance. Then we went to Ray and Twyla's house, and they drove us to Edinburg to transfer the title. We stopped at an IBC bank where a nice lady notarized Ray's signature for free.

Then we went to the Hidalgo County Courthouse and checked for liens on the property before recording the deed. The process was surprisingly quick and smooth. It was more trouble using the restrooms in the courthouse. To get to them you have to pass through security screening. Ken had to check his Swiss army knife.

Then Ray and Twyla suggested that we stop somewhere for lunch and then go on to Agua Special Utility District to transfer the water to our name. Meanwhile I called Reliant Energy and signed up for electric service. We had lunch at Subway. We're very glad that we had some experienced folks to guide us around Agua S.U.D. Back at GGG we stopped in the office to pick up our gate key.

A couple of coyotes ran across the road in front of us as we were setting out for Joe's dance tonight. It was just before twilight. We've been surprised to see and hear so many near BPV.
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Bike Ride

The highlight of our day today was repairing Ken's flat tire and going for a bike ride in the park. We tried to renew our membership, which expires day after tomorrow, but we were told that the system would not allow renewals before the expiration date. We came upon a coyote in the middle of the road. That reminded us of Joshua Tree, where the coyotes are quite bold. This one ran into the brush after watching us bike toward it. We've seen more coyotes around our neighborhood this year, and heard plenty yipping and howling nearby.

We went over to Green Gate Grove (GGG) to meet Oscar, the pest control guy who was doing our termite inspection. He called to reschedule after noon. Meanwhile we went over the deed with Ray. We found a couple of typos, and he asked us to include a disclaimer of warranty as to the condition of the property. I copied wording from the deed of their newly purchased house and inserted it in our warranty deed form. We got some information about utilities, which we'll have to have transferred to our name. We also stopped at the office and talked with the lady there about our purchase plans. We'll need to go back with a copy of our deed to get a gate key and order name tags, etc.

Oscar and a helper did the inspection. He declared the place termite free but made a couple of recommendations for avoiding problems in the future. He pointed out some evidence of water seepage on the shed roof and suggested trimming the tree that is overhanging the shed and stripping the fruit. Fruit allowed to stay on the tree or fall to the ground attracts pests, he said.

We made plans to go with Ray and Twyla tomorrow to get the property transferred. Meanwhile, we're waiting to hear back from the insurance company (and the Appraisal District). According to the post office, our new address will be 700 N BENTSEN PALM DR LOT 333
MISSION TX 78572-9470

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Excitement

We had a busy day today. In the morning Ken took the truck in to Spike's Ford for the second oil change for our F450. Although the truck has only 14,644 miles on it, they recommended replacing the fuel filters, so that was done also. Now the truck is ready to travel!

While Ken was out doing that, I was working on plans to buy the lot in Green Gate Grove. I found and saved a couple of Texas Warranty Deed forms. A few phone calls went to arranging for a termite inspection tomorrow morning. I spent some time on the phone with our contact at Miller RV Insurance. Unfortunately it turned out that they were not able to write a policy in Hidalgo County. I made several other phone calls, mainly being told I needed to speak to someone else and they would call back. You get the drift.

In the afternoon we went to Darryl's C-1 workshop, where we got advice from friends and encouragement. Darryl called some unusual Plenty formations, which the floor had some difficulty with. Good practice, and we had some excellent squares.

Afterward we went to meet Ray and Twyla. They showed us a copy of their deed to the lot. Ken took photos so we could copy the wording. Ray showed us some fish photos, including some great strings of halibut and salmon he caught in Alaska. He also showed us photos of his farming operation in South Dakota, where his family raises wheat and corn among other things. He runs pheasant hunts on his land too.

When we drove home it was twilight. Near Bentsen Palm Village we saw several Border patrol vehicles with flashing lights. An officer jumped out of one to apprehend a couple of suspects, and we saw other suspects being rounded up. We have seen lots of Border patrol vehicles and helicopters over the last few years, but we've never actually seen them chasing people before.

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Happy Unbirthday to Us!

Any excuse for a party at Jean's. Since the gang is together for only a few months each year, many of us have birthdays that we don't have a chance to celebrate with our friends in the Valley. Today isn't anyone's birthday, so we all had an "unbirthday" today.

David Hilse March 11
Steve Spaulding April 23
Ken Marks May 14
Bob Boyink May 19
Hugh Stewart July 2
Judy Pottinger July 24
Lee Marks September 9
Jan Spaulding September 13
Jean Ballinger September 17
Sandy Walenter October 8
John Walenter October 16
Hardy Pottinger November 14
Pat Boyink November 21
GW Harley December 7

We often go to Mexico to celebrate, so Jean suggested a Mexican theme for the food. Everyone brought something, and as usual we had way too much delicious food--so Jean's having a leftover lunch Tuesday. We brought Calabacitas (a Mexican squash casserole). There were enough charro beans to feed a small army. The menu also included taco salad, Mexican hominy, pulled pork enchiladas, chicken fajitas, a variety of great tamales, fruit custard, and of course cake--in this case, a Mexican wedding cake.

After dinner some of us went for a walk around the park to get a little exercise before eating our cake. Afterward some folks left, and the remaining diehards played a round of golf (the card game, that is). Steve was winning for most of the game, but on the last hand, Hardy overtook him.

Jean, Jan, Lee, Steve, Judy, and Hardy

We had our usual breakfast with friends at Mi Challitas this morning, and then Steve and Jan and Hardy and Judy came over to site #333 to inspect and give us some feedback. The consensus was that although there are some maintenance issues, they are relatively minor. We also determined that if the center support post for the patio cover is in the wrong place for our fifth wheel (like directly in front of our dining table window), moving the post will be easy (at least, easy for Steve).

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More Looking

After breakfast we set off again to check out possibilities at Green Gate Grove. One of the units for sale won't be available for viewing until March 1 because someone is staying there now. We made an appointment to see the other one. Site #133 is on Starling Dr., not far from the clubhouse. It has a patio awning with sunshades, tiled patio, tiled Texas room, and shed in the rear.

Because of Ray's health, owners Ray and Twyla have bought a house in Green Gate Grove on the north side site #105. Their home is a ranch in South Dakota, but they've been wintering in the Valley for several years and really like Green Gate Grove.

When they bought lot #333, it had only a shed and RV pad. As you can see, they've made substantial improvements. They moved the shed to the rear of the property and built a spacious Texas room. They also tiled the patio area and installed a large patio awning with sunshades for the southern side.

The Texas room has a main living area with mini-kitchen; the utility area and bath include a washer and dryer and large stall shower. After we toured it we called Jan and Steve to see if they could come look at it, but Steve was out fishing. We agreed to come back around 5 p.m. when Steve returned.

That plan has been postponed until tomorrow after breakfast. Steve called Jan and reported that the boat had stayed out late because the fish weren't biting well, so he didn't expect to get home until around 8:00 p.m. We are definitely interesting, pending Steve and Jan's inspection.

We did stop by the place to take measurements to verify that our fifth wheel will fit in the space where the motorhome now sits. We've decided that it will fit if we put our wheels a foot more toward the edge of the driveway to allow room for our living room slide to miss one of the awning supports. We were walking around the park for exercise and to check out other possibilities when we stopped in to see Jan briefly. We interrupted her dinner, but she munched while we talked. She showed us her new oven, a Sharper Image tabletop. It cooks without added fat and doesn't heat up the house like a regular oven.

As we were walking later, we ran into Judy, who invited us back to the house for a margarita and chat. They walked over to #333 with us. It's behind their lot and about four lots further north. Judy especially liked the fruit trees. Of course the Texas room was locked, and it was dark, so they couldn't really see much. We're looking forward to having them and Spauldings look it over tomorrow after breakfast.

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Out Looking

After breakfast today we decided to continue our hunt for alternative places to stay next season. We are torn, because we really like Bentsen Palm Village for its proximity to the state park, but we are concerned that the 600 circle lots are highly desirable, and the ones like ours on the east side especially so, since our doorways face north, which means we don't have the afternoon and evening sun on our patio and main large windows.

We looked at RV Park Reviews and made a list of some local parks to check out. We started at Oleander Acres. The online reviews looked good. We were shocked at the small sites and by how dusty and run down and generally junky many of the units were.

Next we drove to Canyon Lake RV Resort. This park appealed to us because it is built around a small lake. There's a hiking/biking trail around the lake. We found a couple of sites we liked, but the best was already rented for next season. Besides, the park is pretty far out in the country.

Lovely site. Too bad it's rented for next season.

Next we went to Sleepy Valley, which is right on the frontage road to Expressway 83 and surrounded by run-down mobile home parks. Not our favorite.

We decided to check out Americana again. The roads are extremely narrow, with tight turns and trees making them difficult to negotiate even in our truck by itself. We'd never get our Majestic in here.

We went back over to Green Gate Grove and soon found a very nice place for sale. It has a newer, very well built Texas room. It's on a corner lot and has an orange tree. It's right across from the clubhouse, which the current resident finds a plus but which is a minus for us. We did get pretty enthusiastic about it and called Steve and Jan to ask if they would come look it over with us. They were out, but when they returned, we got together and told them the story of our park "meeting" yesterday. Steve is a handyman/builder, and both of them were in the real estate business, so we really trust their expertise. Bottom line: the Texas room is well constructed but not well laid out. We would probably have difficulty getting the Majestic parked because of the placement of the utilities. Besides, it's overpriced compared to other offerings in the park.

We had some other possibilities, which Steve and Jan drove around with us to check out. We have a couple to call on tomorrow. Meanwhile we went back to their place and enjoyed their company in their lovely Texas room, along with some refreshing beer and snacks.

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They Said What???

All the residents of Bentsen Palm Village RV Park were summoned to a meeting this afternoon. We were told we must attend to find out about the "new reservation process" and, by the way, they're taking some sites out of the rental pool and we need to attend the meeting to find out which sites will be available. All current residents of the park were invited, plus anyone else who has ever been here or expressed an interest in renting here. Much speculation swirled around the park.

The meeting was held at Meadow Creek Golf Clubhouse. It's nearby, and the meeting room is actually large enough to hold quite a crowd (BPV's clubhouse is way too small to hold everyone). We were promised door prizes and refreshments--and a grand prize of an iPad Mini. We arrived early to get a good seat. When the meeting began, Mike Rhodes himself opened by talking about his vision for Bentsen Palm Development. We've heard it all before. But then the tone began to change, and he introduced someone new, Richard Parker. No, not the tiger in the Life of Pi--but a tiger of sorts anyway.

It soon became clear that the purpose of the meeting was actually to try to sell us a lot at Bentsen Palm! That's right, the RV resort is undergoing a condo conversion. The process will take a while, and meantime people can still rent, but purchasers obviously have priority. We are not at all pleased. This is our second year on site #608, and we had hoped to be here every year for at least the next several years. Now we have a lot of uncertainty, and the resort has announced plans to raise the rent by 10% every year for the next five years at least.

So when we returned from the meeting (where we did not win the iPad Mini, by the way), we decided to go look around Green Gate Grove again. The problem is first, that the list of rentals is way out of date, and second, that we would still have uncertainty about being able to return to the same site year after year. Now we have to decide what to do.

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A Walk in the Country

Well, we started off this morning on what was to be a ten mile bike ride. When we started out, Ken realized that his bike has a flat rear tire. Darn, we must have really annoyed the bike tube gods. Ken's tires are Kevlar, and for three years he had no flats. In fact, we told our friends that we'd never had a flat on our new bikes. Wrong! Since then, we've had nothing but flats!

We decided to walk instead. We've been intrigued by the unpaved section of Military Highway west of Bentsen Palm Drive, so that's the way we walked. We had only an hour, so we didn't get very far. The next time our bikes are fit, we'll bike that way and see what we can find. Today we saw very few vehicles. One Border Patrol SUV slowed to a stop just ahead of us. We thought he might want to talk to us, but it seemed that he just wanted to check the ditch by the roadside, presumably in case someone might be hiding there.

We danced to Jerry this afternoon. We didn't get to dance with Hardy and Judy, but we did get to hug them and ask about their adventures. Jim and Jane had lots of photos of their Mardi Gras celebration, and Judy gave out beads. They had lots of fun. They rented a house. The group included Hardy and Judy, Jim and Jane, and some of Jane's kids and spouses. Jane enjoyed riding in a float in one parade and throwing out beads, but she really likes dressing up and cheering the parade on while being inundated with beads.

Jerry was calling some difficult stuff, especially a tandem phantom chain reaction. I still haven't really been able to visualize the flow of that one. After the dance, Judy gave us a large bag of grapefruit off their tree. The fruit are small this year, but sweet and flavorful. The drought affects the trees.

Tonight we all went to Joe's dance. We had seven squares and one woman. At Jerry's today we had eight squares, and many of the same dancers go to both.

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Windy Day

We're lucky our new rig is more stable than our old one. We figure the Bigfoot leveling system provides a more secure base than the combination of front jacks and rear stabilizers. We notice this particularly when it is really windy, as it is today. We can hear the wind buffeting the trailer, but we don't feel so much like we're under a personal attack, because our home doesn't shake so much.

The highlight of our day today was Ken's annual doctor visit. We arrived at 2:45 p.m. for his 3:00 p.m. appointment. So far, so good.  The office now has a "take a number" system, similar to ones we've seen at supermarket delis. It wasn't too long before his number was called and he filled out the required forms. After another wait, he was called to the back for a check of his vital signs. The nurse indicated that the doctor had one more patient to see before Ken, and she sent us to wait in the separate rear waiting area.

An hour later, still no progress. It was 4:45 p.m. when he was taken to an examining room and the doctor arrived. After the appointment, we barely made it to Bell's Farm to Market before they closed at 5:30 p.m.

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Sunny Day

I'm happy to report that I'm feeling better today, although not 100%. We did our full hour of walking, but at 3.0 miles an hour, it was more like strolling. We skipped Darryl's dance this afternoon, figuring it would be better for me to rest up a bit.

Ken went over to Steve and Jan's to get some fresh picked oranges from their tree. Thanks, friends! They're about to juice the remainder. The tree has already begun to blossom, so next year's fruit is on the way.

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Sick Day

Not much to report today, since I wasn't feeling well. We stayed home, and I rested and took my medicine.

Ken talked with Jeff. He's in Vegas and has seen several doctors, but his main focus right now is having fun with his friends.

Tonight we watched the 2-hour final episode of Season #3 of Downton Abbey. [spoiler alert!]Many of the plot lines have been resolved. It was a bit of a shock to find that the actor playing Matthew has decided not to renew his contract, so curtains for Matthew. This episode played Christmas day in Britain, where many viewers complained that it had spoiled their holiday. I think I know how they felt, especially given the graphic accident scene.

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The Life of Pi

We biked around the state park again today. After our ride, Ken stayed in the park with camera and tripod while I headed home and worked on some chores.

Mockingbird in one of the bushes on our site

Heron fishing at the resaca

Red winged blackbird--one of thousands

Green jay on feeder

Goldfinch

Tonight we went with some friends to see The Life of Pi in 3D at the Cinemark Hollywood on Nolana. We haven't been to that theater before. The movie was quite an experience, the first 3D movie we've seen since Avatar. To me, the story seemed a bit uneven, with the central section, Pi's time on the lifeboat with Richard Parker, the tiger, is the best. It certainly has the most stunning cinematography.

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Mambonifico!

We've been noticing a new seafood restaurant on Expressway 83. The parking lot seems to be full every time we pass. So when John and Sandy suggested that we give it a try, we said we were looking forward to it.

Mambo Seafood turns out to be a chain that started in the Hispanic areas of Houston and has since spread to Dallas and now to Mission.  We found the food pretty good but the service and noise level not so much to our liking. One thing we really enjoyed was the special Mambo shrimp rice, similar to Asian fried rice, but with a Mexican twist.

After dinner we got our introduction to a card game called Sevens from Hell. It's a cousin of Canasta and Hand and Foot, with some special rules to make it wickedly more difficult. In particular, a natural set of seven sevens is required to go out (in addition to other required sets).  We had a challenging game, which ended with the guys ahead, so Sandy and I will have to request a rematch.

Sandy had a special dessert in honor of Valentine's Day yesterday. She found some lovely large strawberries with stems, perfect for dipping in chocolate. It was a sweet ending to an enjoyable day.

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Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day today I wore my red sparkly ball cap to the dance tonight. It was quite a hit. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

We started out on a bike ride this morning--only to find out that Ken's bike now has a flat on the front tire. We're thinking it's probably from some of the same thorns that got my tire; his just took longer to go down. We've picked up some new tubes, and we'll try again tomorrow to get back on the bikes. So we walked again today. We walked along the levee and saw an unusual water bird perched on a branch by the canal. We saw some fish jumping too, and of course we saw the Border Patrol. It's pretty much impossible to walk or bike anywhere around here without encountering Border Patrol agents, since we're so close to the Rio Grande.

Speaking of bikes, our friends Bob and Pat were out biking on the Mission Hike and Bike Trail. They stopped by to visit, and this time we were feeling much better than on their last visit. We gave them the nickle tour and then chatted for a while. They told us the story of their purchase of a cottage on a lake in Michigan.

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New Tube

We danced twice today, as usual on Wednesdays. All the callers here provide candy, usually mints and mixed hard candy and little Tootsie Rolls. In honor of Valentine's Day, Jerry had chocolate! He put out several kinds of Hershey's Kisses (do you remember when they were all just the silver ones?). And then the piece de resistance: Dove chocolate hearts. Yum!

We watched part of a Nova program we had recorded tonight. We didn't realize it was a two-hour program, and we had to give up and go to bed after an hour and a half. It was just fascinating.

"Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. Produced in extensive consultation with NASA scientists, NOVA takes data from earth-observing satellites and transforms it into dazzling visual sequences, each one exposing the intricate and surprising web of forces that sustains life on earth. Viewers witness how dust blown from the Sahara fertilizes the Amazon; how a vast submarine "waterfall" off Antarctica helps drive ocean currents around the world; and how the Sun's heating up of the southern Atlantic gives birth to a colossally powerful hurricane. From the microscopic world of water molecules vaporizing over the ocean to the magnetic field that is bigger than Earth itself, the show reveals the astonishing beauty and complexity of our dynamic planet.

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Mardi Gras

Today was Mardi Gras--and our usual laundry day. We didn't collect any shiny beads or ride on fancy floats, as some of our friends did. We're glad to know that Jim and Janey and Hardy and Judy were off having a grand old time in Gulfport.

We collected our laundry, but found it was laundry day for lots of other folks too. So we got in line. We didn't have anything else on the schedule, except for lazing around by the pool. It was a hot sunny day, so we stayed in the shade and watched the pool volleyball players.

The Wii bowlers were especially enthusiastic this afternoon. They had a tournament, and the cheering rivaled the noise at a college football game. We're glad we weren't' trying to take a nap!

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Walking

We woke up to surprising news: Pope Benedict XVI had announced his resignation. Resignation? I grew up Catholic and don't recall ever hearing of a pope resigning (although now we're reading that there have been a very few such resignations in the church's 2000 year history).

We walked again today, morning and evening, because we haven't repaired my bike tire yet. It was one hot day, that's for sure. We're beginning to see more butterflies. I think they like the warmer weather, plus more flowers are out.

This afternoon we had eleven squares at Darryl's, plus three out couples. Darryl had a lot of trouble getting the computer list of couples to match up with the couples actually on the floor, so the dance was delayed. The whole floor was having difficulty with "make magic" and "magic transfer." So of course we did them again and again....

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Side Street Strutters

We had tickets tonight to the Community Concert performance by the Side Street Strutters Jazz Band. Hardy and Judy are out of town and were kind enough to pass their tickets on to us. Steve and Jan picked us up at 7:00 p.m., and we were in plenty of time for the 7:30 p.m. show, even though Steve had to park far from the entrance. The parking lot was way more crowded than we've ever seen it before.

Our seats were next to John and Sandy; Steve and Jan were in the center section one row back.

No photos were allowed, so this is a stock photo of the group. Not all of the guys were performing tonight, but the vocalist, Meloney Collins, was definitely there. The music and vocals were excellent and very entertaining. There's just something about live music, especially when the musicians demonstrate the energy and creativity of this group.

We started the day with breakfast at Mi Challitas. Afterward Jean joined us for a hike in the park. Since the weather was quite warm, we made it a short hike, walking only the Resaca Vieja Trail.

I talked with Carol today--always nice to catch up with her busy life. I called Aunt Iris and was surprised to find that Kathy and Peggy were there and that Ed and family had come down to Jacksonville to visit too. We're looking forward to a visit to both Cumming and Jacksonville later this summer.

We got out on the bikes this afternoon. We spotted some unusual birds, and I made the mistake of riding my bike across a rough area, so no surprise that I now have a flat tire, darn it! I did enjoy seeing the colorful birds, which we later identified as Crested Caracaras, also known as Mexican Eagles. They're actually related to falcons. We didn't have the camera, so here again is a stock photo.

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Mexico and Don Wes All in One Day

We picked up Steve and Jan this morning for a trip to Progreso. First we got a peek at the finished Texas room. What a remarkable transformation. It now has an accent wall, shortened curtains, and lots of other new features. We wouldn't recognize it as the same place we stayed last year while our Excel was being repaired.

We ran into Bob and Pat at the parking lot and walked across the International Bridge with them. When we got to Jessica's Center/Santoni's, Jean had just arrived before us. A bit later Bill and Mildred arrived, making our group nine, which is a good number. We could all see and talk with each other. After drinks at Santoni's, we walked over to the Red Snapper for lunch. On the way back to the truck we stopped at a leather goods store. I looked at fanny packs but didn't care for any they had.

Lee, Bill, Mildred, Jean, Steve, Jan, Pat, and Bob (Ken behind the camera)

Lovebirds!

Next we drove to the Don Wes flea market, where we parked right next to Jean. It was difficult to keep a group together, since everyone had something different in mind. We were hoping to find a battery operated refrigerator fan, but Steve and Jan and another couple got the last two in stock. We did find some replacement light bulbs we were looking for. Steve and Jan got a nice new patio mat. Their last one didn't survive a summer in the rocky area where they were guarding an oilfield gate in south Texas.

I did find a nice ripstop fanny pack with lots of good pockets for $4. It was just what I've been looking for. Then we headed over to the produce market across the street and picked up some nice fruits and veggies, including a watermelon and a head of red cabbage. both of which we split with Jan and Steve.

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Refrigerator Woes

From our breakfast table, Ken can see some distant palm trees where he has spotted woodpeckers at work, drilling into the trunks. Today he pulled out his new camera for some zoom shots. The bird is just barely visible with the naked eye.

We finally decided to call someone to look at our wonderful Dometic RV1350, which has been behaving erratically recently. The tech checked everything and said there were no defective parts. He "reset" the circuit board by turning off the fridge and removing the 12v connections for a while and said to monitor it. So far, no joy.

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Success

We biked around the state park loop four times this morning, for a total of just over ten miles at 10.5 mph. That's definitely the best we've done, so guess our legs are getting in better shape.

The top success for today was calling the IRS to check on the status of our most recent fax to them. (We've been involved in an ongoing audit of our claim to a solar credit in 2009.) Finally today we found out that our case was closed on February 4 and that all of the credit we claimed is being allowed. Yay! We knew our credit was legitimate, but we still faced an uphill battle convincing the IRS. Glad that's over with.

This evening we danced at Darryl's with ten squares and two out couples. Darryl played around with some interesting triangle calls. We danced with some couples we hadn't seen before. One couple flew in from Mesa for the week to check out the square dancing in the RGV.
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Sprinkles

We got up this morning planning to bike through the park. Our plans were changed when it sprinkled briefly a couple of times and we saw a forecast of possible thunderstorms. Guess we are wimps, but we decided to stick near home, so we walked around BPV and Retama.

We had eight squares at Jerry's dance this afternoon, but only six at Joe's tonight. The dropoff was expected because many dancers were attending a showing of Cirque du Soleil's Quidam at the State Farm Arena in McAllen. We missed some of our friends we expected to see at Joe's. The dancing was good, as usual. Joe played around with some Tally Ho from unusual positions and some block calls.

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Dance

We don't square dance on Tuesdays, but tonight we did some non-square dancing to Jackson Haney. He's a singer and guitarist, plus for his show he uses what seems to be karaoke accompaniment. His forte is the music of the 50's and 60's. He played with the original Comets.

Haney is the guy on the left end.


Tonight he performed a few slow numbers, which we are brave enough to get on the floor for (especially if there are lots of other dancers). Lots of the numbers were rock and roll or two-step. We enjoyed watching other dancers dancing these. Some of our friends are really accomplished dancers.

The weather was perfect for hitting the hot tub, so that's what we did. Then we lounged by the pool reading. Tough life!

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Twelve Squares

There were twelve squares dancing at TVA for Darryl's C-1 workshop. That's the most dancers we've had in that hall, and some of the tables were pushed against the wall to make more room.

This morning we walked into the state park. At the tram stop, three Border Patrol agents on bicycles asked if we'd mind posing with them. We might end up being famous. I think the point may have been to show the agents in friendly interchange with bird watchers and other park goers.

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Super Sunday

Today is that great annual celebration of friendship, food and drink, side bets, and oh, yes, Superbowl XLVII. We started the day with breakfast with friends at Nelda's. There were only seven of us (Bob and Pat, Steve and Jan, Jean, and Ken and I). Hardy and Judy are out of town, and George hasn't joined us for the last two weeks.

Afterward, we walked with Jean in the state park. We did the complete loop, plus the Rio Grande River Trail. For most of the time we had some cloud cover, so the weather was quite nice for hiking.

Rio Grande with a view of Mexico on the opposite shore

Later we joined our group of friends at G.W. and David's house. Everyone brought food to share, so we had plenty of snacks. The guys had a nice sliced beef brisket and two huge fruit pies. TVs in the living room and rear sun porch showed the game. Some of us watched only part time, distracted by the opportunity to chat, or knit, or play card games, or get just one more thing to eat or drink.

Bev Kramer, Hal and Dot, Bob, Steve, and John waiting for the big show to start.

Some played Five Crowns during the blackout. I won! (Lee, Jean, Jan, and Terry)

Our wonderful hosts, this year and next, David and G.W.

We had a great time. G.W. and David have a perfect house for entertaining, so it's lucky that G.W. won the pool, which means they'll be hosting the party again next year.
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A Funny Thing Happened

We attended the Nikki Rowe Choir 2013 high school musical tonight with friends. We hitched a ride with Steve and Jan, so we got to experience their new truck (love that new truck smell--and it's very comfortable). We arrived at the school around 6:20 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show. Quite a few people were there before us in line, but fortunately the line forms in the cafeteria, seated along the tables, so you're inside and not required to stand. We walked in with John and Sandy, and right in front of us in the line were Bob and Pat. A bit later Hal and Dorothy and Jim and Joanne arrived. They weren't seated with us, but we saved them seats in the auditorium.

The play was "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and it was a real hoot. The kids are talented, dedicated, and uninhibited in giving their all for the performance. We laughed our way through the 2 1/2 hour show and hardly noticed the time. To get tickets for the show, you have to show up at O dark thirty on the day they go on sale. Steve and Jan did the honors this year and last. Thanks, friends! Ken took some photos of the group waiting in the cafeteria with his new camera, but evidently the SD card is faulty, so no photos for the blog. Of course no photos were allowed during the performance.

When we got back to Green Gate Grove, we got a peek at the Texas room, which now has new paint, including a sharp accent wall in chocolate to enliven the pale yellow walls. Today Steve installed the new crown molding. They'll wait until next year to replace the carpet with new wood flooring--and then Steve says the room will be done. It has been transformed from its lowly origins when they bought the place, that's for sure!

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Quinta Mazatlan and the McAllen Public Library

This morning we went to Quinta Mazatlan for the first time--and it won't be the last. We took the weekly house tour and learned a lot about the history of this historical adobe mansion, which is also one of the sites for the World Birding Center. It's a Mansion With a Mission:

Quinta Mazatlan is now an urban sanctuary working to enrich people's lives by sharing knowledge about birds, plants and environmental stewardship in South Texas.

This sign looks like a bit of humor, but our guide indicated that a similar sign was used in the mansion's early days to discourage thieves and such, since the home was outside the city and quite isolated.

The tour took us outdoors too, to explore some of the 20-acre Tamaulipan Thornforest property.

Ceiling beams are reputed to be from the cedars of Lebanon.

After our visit, we went to the Remington Restaurant in the Embassy Suites Hotel  to enjoy the seafood buffet. The food was very rich and delicious--good for an occasional treat, but not a steady diet. We had Christmas dinner here with friends a couple of years ago. On that occasion, Santa came around and offered to pose with guests sitting on his lap. Jean took him up on that for one of our more memorable photos.

Our next stop was the McAllen Public Library. It's in an old Walmart building, but completely remodeled and landscaped. We signed up for library cards, which are free and available to anyone (you needn't be a resident of McAllen). Now we can check out eBooks from the comfort of our home, but of course we didn't leave the library empty handed. I checked out a book and a DVD movie, and Ken bought a couple of books from the Friends bookstore.

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