Saguaro SKP Coop in Benson, AZ

We drove from Las Cruces, NM, to Benson, AZ, today, returning to the Escapees park we stayed in last year. This time we were lucky enough to rent a leaseholder's lot for 2 nights, so we had a paved patio and picnic table and a larger site than last year. We walked around enjoying the view of the mountains rising across the valley from the park, which is situated on a hillside.

Everyone was quite friendly. One of our neighbors named Sandy stopped when I was walking Sweetie to ask what kind of dog she was. It turned out that Sandy and her husband also had a (probable) dachshund-beagle mix rescue dog. Theirs is named Mandy, and is only eight years old--bright eyed, energetic, and with a shiny coat, darker in color than Sweetie's, but with a very similar face and temperament.

We took advantage of the library to borrow a couple of DVDs and some books. One of the DVDs was Letters from Iwo Jima, a haunting telling of the story of the battle for Iwo Jima from the experience of ordinary Japanese soldiers. Unfortunately the DVD was defective, so it froze and pixilated at several points, but nothing could prevent the film from being extremely moving.

The night sky here is dark and lovely with stars, with the clarity of the desert air.

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Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin!

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, an event which is being celebrated in various ways all over the world. In Las Cruces the Black Box Theater presented a play called "Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin!" It was a light-hearted, irreverent look at the implications of the theory of evolution and a celebration of life in all its diversity and beauty. Bob Divin, who wrote the play and music and starred as "the not-so-reverend Bob" is quite clever and entertaining. We enjoyed the play and the birthday cake and champagne in the lobby afterward.

We did our laundry in the park laundromat in the morning. For lunch we had chicken soup, and for supper chicken tenders in peri peri sauce, baked potato, green beans, salad, and pumpkin custard.
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Another Long Day

We left Balmorhea State Park at 8:25 a.m., a record early start for us. The fuel tank was very low, because our fuel efficiency had dropped under 9 mpg driving into the strong head winds yesterday. We did manage to find some diesel before we had to resort to calling our emergency road service, fortunately. During the drive we listened to another one of our set of Prairie Home Companion cd's.

As we drove, the terrain shifted from the Edwards Plateau (largely flat with scant desert vegetation) and actual mountains and ridges came into view. The weather was much more pleasant than yesterday, and the Las Cruces RV park we're staying at is also quite pleasant for an urban park. We arrived at 2 p.m., but the trip was 5 1/2 hours (we crossed into Mountain Time).

Tomorrow we'll do our laundry and some research on solar systems before attending the theater in the evening. For lunch we had tuna salad sandwiches, baked Doritos, and apple slices. For supper we had leftover curried chicken casserole, brown bread, salad, and stovetop cookies.
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Balmorhea State Park

A long travel day turned into a really harrowing experience when we found ourselves in the middle of a severe dust storm. When we arrived at this little state park it seemed like a haven from the worst of the storm. We stayed here last year--it was the first Texas state park we stayed at--so we knew we'd find an easy pull-through site with a covered picnic table. Since it was cold and windy, we didn't spend much time outside, but I looked at the multitude of stars when I took Sweetie for a walk.

We stayed hooked up so we could pull out early in the morning. We called Sandy Riverfront RV Park outside of Portland, OR, where we plan to spend a month mid-May to mid-June. It turns out that if you stay a month at an RV park there, landlord-tenant law comes into play, so we'll both have to have credit and criminal background checks ($30 each).

For supper we had the yellow squash and black bean stew I made last night along with some of Carol's recipe quick brown bread, some salad, and some stovetop candies.
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Geocaching

South Llano River State Park has three geocaches. We were only able to locate two, because one is in an area that is currently closed to protect wild turkey roosts. After lunch we got the bikes down and set off to find the other two.  One was at an overlook point, and the road up was posted "no bicycles" so we had to walk up. Good exercise, and a nice vista. 

The cache was in an ammo box hidden under a plant.

The other was relatively easy to find in the walk-in camping area. It was a small coffee can covered by camouflage tape--well concealed. We haven't done any geocaching in some time, and found that our earlier account had been purged, so we started a new one (nleemarks).

Earlier we spent some time at a bird blind where we saw a number of sparrows, cardinals, a pair of wild turkeys, and some reddish birds we think were house finches.

Texans seem to be good at building bird blinds.

It rained last night, and some of the windows were dirty, so we started out to clean them. One thing led to another and we ended up wiping down the truck and the rig.

We played our Clans game that had been so rudely interrupted last night when I spilled my drink all over it. Ken won. That's what I get for knocking over my drink--I was whipping his butt last night....

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Travel Day

We got up early to hit the road, since we had a fairly long travel day, but we ended up spending time talking with some of our fellow campers. One couple of Escapees were interested in looking at Venture. We got quite a few compliments from several people on our rig while we were in San Antonio.

When we arrived at South Llano River State Park, south of Junction, we decided to spend a couple of days here. It's quiet, peaceful, and attractive, with bird-watching opportunities and hiking trails. We camped in site 33, with a great view of the wildlife. We saw deer and armadillo, and of course lots of birds. Not every site here is long enough for our rig, but the very helpful ranger offered us use of a handicapped site if we needed it's extra length.

For supper we had curried chicken broccoli rice casserole.
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Burgers and Banana's

We picked up Jeff at Lackland and after a brief foray into the BX went to Chris Madrid's for burgers. We got there after one, but the crowds from the rodeo made for a line snaking through the restaurant. The burgers are famous in the San Antonio area, and they were unusually good. Then we went on the Banana's Billiards and let Jeff beat us at 9 ball.



Jeff and Ken found the beer to be as good as the burgers.















Ken and Jeff played some more chess. For supper I made pork chops, sweet potatoes, green beans, peppers with pineapple, and cranberry sauce.
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A Night in Harlem

Our first evening in San Antonio found us at one of Lee's alma maters, University of the Incarnate Word. It's Black History Month, and the Black Student Association hosted an experience of the Harlem Renaissance, including soul food (fried catfish, greens, yams, and mac n cheese, with tabasco on the side). A presentation on the poetry, dance, and music of the Harlem Renaissance was set in the historical context of Reconstruction and Jim Crow. The event description on the web said: "Experience the Harlem Renaissance, the era of pivotal economic, social, intellectual and political progression of the Negro in America. Dinner will be catered by Mr. and Mrs. G’s Home Cooking and is free of charge."

We are definitely no longer in the paradise we'd grown accustomed to over the last three months. Mission Trails is an urban park, just off the interstate, with no aesthetic redeeming features.

We talked with Jeff and invited him over for dinner, chess with his dad, and a movie tomorrow night.
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Super Bowl, Super Party

Hardy and Judy hosted a great Super Bowl party this evening. The game was engaging and the food was delicious--all made even better by sharing it with friends. In addition to Hardy and Judy and us, Bob and Pat, C. B. and Nancy, John and Sandy, and G. W. and David were there. David had the winning square, which means that he and G. W. will host the party next year. G. W. says that David makes a wicked lasagna, so we are all looking forward to Super Bowl XLIV. It's a good thing Ken and I didn't win--it would be tough to fit 12 in Venture to watch the game.

For breakfast we had grapefruit, sweet potato cubes, veggie frittata, and toasted English muffins. For the party we took a veggie tray and some pumpkin spice cookies. The party menu included ham sandwiches, Calico beans, potato salad, and an assortment of pudding and Cool Whip pies.
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SPI Kite Fest 2009

We finally made it to South Padre Island (SPI), where we went to a kite fest and ate at Dirty Al's, both experiences not to be missed. Gary and Mary Ann had been at last year's kite fest and told us what a wonderful event it was. The air overhead held some unusual kites. One was a soccer umpire, complete with soccer ball. Another was a ring designed so that it turns in the wind.

The highlight of the day was a series of teams flying kites in coordinated maneuvers. We were reminded of military precision jet fighter teams--the Navy's Blue Angels or the Air Force Thunderbirds. A friend said it seemed like the kites were alive.

Afterwards we went to Dirty Al's, a local seafood joint that specializes in fried shrimp. No reservations and a long wait, but the shrimp were indeed something special. It was the first time we've eaten at a bar-restaurant-bait shop.

We timed our return to Mission to coincide with the annual Citrus Fiesta parade, like no other parade we've ever attended. Most of the entries were lighted--including the swarms of motorcycle cops with their red, white, and blue flashing lights.

As usual, lots of politicians participated, but the Rio Grande Valley mayors included several from south of the border. Lots of military imagery was featured, and the vehicles in the parade included a tank and a half-track. The crowd stood to salute every time a color guard passed, and that meant a lot of jumping up and down. Even some of the RV communities had entries, with kings and queens waving to the crowds. No candy was thrown, probably just as well in the semi-dark.

For breakfast we had goldenrod toast with sausage and grapefruit (thanks still to Hardy and Judy's backyard tree).
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Overcast

We did not see the sun once today--that hasn't happened much since we've been here: we're spoiled. We picked up our forwarded mail, and it's easy to tell that it's tax season. It was all tax forms. Even the State of California tracked us down.

This afternoon we went to Jerry Story's dance, but Ken brought a book and his camera. Lee danced with Ida and Kristy Story.

Breakfast was grapefruit, banana bread, and cereal. Lunch was leftover chicken broccoli rice casserole. For dinner we had pork in tomatillo sauce over rice and chile relleno casserole made with poblano and anaheim chiles. Both were definitely spicy, and Lee regretted not wearing plastic gloves to work with the peppers, which burned her fingers.
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Laundry

Not much happening today. We did the laundry--even people living in paradise need clean clothes 8-) Originally the weather forecast looked like it was going to be cold and rainy all day, but it turned out to be mild and sunny. We wanted to go for a bike ride, but Ken's bike is at the shop waiting for a new light to arrive from the manufacturer.

We had oatmeal, oranges, and banana bread for breakfast. For lunch we had whole wheat flour tortillas with refried beans and cheese, topped with shredded romaine and chopped tomatoes. For supper we had dilled carrot bisque, Spicy and Sweet Chicken and Tofu Saute over brown rice, and mixed veggies.
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Saltel Shakers

This morning we were back to square dancing after a week off to rest Ken's back. The caller, Joe Saltel, apologized that his printer wasn't working, so we were not dancing to computer cards--meaning we weren't assigned squares, but instead had a chance to dance with all our friends. This was especially nice since we have only a week more to dance with all the great folks we've met in the Valley this winter.

After the dance we took Ken's bike back to the bike shop for the third time to try to get the headlight fixed. It hasn't worked right since shortly after Ken got the bike, and we're hoping that this time Electra might agree to replace it, but we're not holding our breath.

This afternoon, with Mary Ann's reminder, I finally made it to the produce sale at the clubhouse. It happens every Tuesday, but this is the first time I've actually taken advantage of the opportunity to buy beautiful produce at very reasonable prices. Giant oranges were four for $1, and red and orange peppers two for $1.

For breakfast we had grapefruit, bacon, and sweet potatoe pancakes with apple/cranberry sauce. For lunch we had an eclectic selection of leftovers: stuffing, sweet potatoes, penne pasta, bean salad, bananas. For supper, chicken soup made from the beer can chicken with additional chicken breast bits, cornbread with honey, and salad.
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Another Windy Day

We had planned to go for a bike ride today, but the wind gusted and blew, and we decided to stay snug in the rig instead. Flags around the campground looked like they were trying to shake off their moorings and fly away.



For breakfast we had apple bread pudding. Lunch was leftover penne pasta casserole, and supper was chicken, stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes, and of course salad. For dessert we had the rest of the pineapple cake.
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Ropa Usada

We finally made it to a "ropa usada" store today. Several friends had told us this was an experience not to be missed. "Ropa usada" is Spanish for "used clothing," but the ropa usada stores are something unique. Bales of clothing are spread in heaps in a warehouse and sold by the pound. Customers climb and burrow through the mountains of clothing and other fabric items. We went with Gary and Mary Ann to the Tres Dimensiones Ropa Usada, but it is only one of many in the Valley. All the leftover used clothing in the country must find its way here.

Lee and Mary Ann each found a few treasures amid the trash.

Then we drove down to the Dodge Arena, where Gary and Mary Ann bought tickets for a Monster Truck Show performance tomorrow. We could hear the roar of the engines inside the arena from where we stood at the box office.

We decided to go to the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum. The Pumphouse once was the irrigation source that turned the valley into productive agricultural land, but it was shut down in 1983 and now is a museum and the grounds are a World Birding Center location. Unfortunately the museum is closed on Saturdays, but we walked around the grounds.

















For breakfast we had baked eggs in mashed potato nests. They turned out pretty good, but messy, since the muffin tins I used were too small. For supper we had sloppy joes, tomato soup, and cole slaw, with chocolate cobbler and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Ken said that sloppy joes are his favorite comfort food.

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Breezy Sunshine

We didn't go square dancing this morning, since Ken's back is still causing him problems. He was able to schedule a visit in March with the doctor in Long Beach who did his last series of injections. We'll be in Southern California for the month of March, visiting friends and seeing doctors.

Another beautiful day lured us out to bike through the park. We saw some birds but mainly just whizzed past, since we were out for some exercise. One way around the loop we were fighting a head wind--but on the other side we zipped along with the wind at our backs.

After doing some grocery shopping, we stopped to pick up another door holder. For those who don't RV, this is a little doohicky that is supposed to hold the front door open. Unfortunately, the wind has other ideas, and the plastic arm on our door holder snapped off a few days ago.

We had beer can chicken for supper (this gave Lee an excuse to empty a can of beer), and chocolate cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum!
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Mexico Again

We went back to Mexico today--to Nuevo Progreso. This time we were with Gary and Mary Ann, our neighbors in the RV park. As before we parked on the U.S. side of the bridge and walked across.  As we headed into town we took note of the line of cars waiting to get into the U.S. We were glad we had walked in. 

We spent most of our time window shopping in the crowded shops on the street extending straight out from the bridge. Lee and Mary Ann checked on what's available for the pharmacy that other friends suggested to us. And we went back to Mariscos El Mar for a seafood lunch.  

The Mexican army has set up a special display to greet people as they walk to the bridge to enter the U.S. Mary Ann, Gary and Lee relaxed for a moment on the bridge while Ken took a few more pictures.

Mary Ann was shopping for gifts for her family and friends. She bought two cute purses and SIX LARGE bottles of vanilla. Her friends must cook a lot!

On the way home we stopped at the Don Wes Flea Market again. This time we got two fluorescent yellow shirts. They're popular here for bicyclists, since everyone can see you for miles.

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Ferry--or not

We joined our friends Bob and Pat and their friends John and Carol in a biking adventure today. We went to Los Ebanos to take the hand-drawn ferry across the Rio Grande to Mexico. Then we planned to bike to the nearby town of Diaz Ordaz for lunch. When we arrived at the ferry it turned out that the information John had been given that the ferry was operating "regularly" was a bit optimistic. No one was at the ferry, and folks at the nearby store said it hadn't been operating at all recently.


Pat, John, and Carol were the first to walk down to check out the ferry.














Lee and John noticed the fast current that might be the reason why the ferry wasn't working.










So we decided to bike around Los Ebanos a bit and then go to lunch. We visited the local cemetery, where the graves were colorfully decorated, mainly with plastic flowers. One grave had a hand-carved wooden marker showing the woman's face and giving the names of her husband and her ten children. And we stopped to see the local church.


Lee and Bob led the way into the cemetary.




Some of the monuments showed a lot of creativity.



















As we looked over the church, we were a colorful group.















Then we went to lunch at a Mexican place in Mission called Taco Ole. It's a local place, and the parking lot was full (always a good sign). We got a chance to visit a bit with John and Carol Lee, who are fellow Escapees and square dancers.

For supper we had black bean soup with rice and a sweet and sour bean salad, with more chocolate pudding dessert. Afterwards we spent some time trip planning. It's an incremental business that we do in fits and starts.
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Birds again

A beautiful sunny day, and we couldn't resist getting outdoors. We biked to the park to check out the new binoculars we bought. They are Vortex Vanquish 8x26 and cost more than we've ever spent for binoculars, but were pretty much the cheapest ones recommended for birdwatching. Midrange binoculars go for several hundred dollars; people spend thousands even.

We also took our old standard Bushnell 7x42 binos for which we probably paid $40 several years ago. The difference in clarity and brightness was immediately apparent. The birds cooperated. We saw Altamira Orioles, lots of Green Jays, some Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinals, Chacalacas, Great Kiskadees, and some small brown birds (unidentified). Besides the birds, we saw the usual assortment of javelinas.


The Altamira Orioles were by far the most colorful birds we seen here.














The javelinas included a number of young ones keeping close to their mothers.












For breakfast I fixed a turkey frittata Florentine--as usual a web recipe, found by googling eggs "cottage cheese" recipe (I had some cottage cheese that needed using, and finished off the frozen spinach too), along with fried potatoes and fruit. The frittata needed more spice, so next time I make it I'll add some cayenne and top with some parmesan.

For dinner we had teriyaki tofu stir fry with fresh pineapple and sweet and sour apple cabbage slaw, with chocolate cream cheese/yogurt dessert with graham cracker crumbs and chopped pecans.
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Venture Gets the Spa Treatment

This morning Nick's RV did a bang up job of washing and waxing Venture. Two people spent more than three hours, and the result was dazzling.

We went to the Margarita Hour with Gary and Mary Ann. We took a bowl of M & M's--one of the easiest contributions we've made. We had to sit outside, because the clubhouse was crowded, and we ended up going back to the Ericksons' trailer to chat and eat delicious pineapple.

We did our laundry while the rig was being cleaned, so now we feel spiffy!
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A Day of Movement

Today began with a Joe Saltel square dance. Doris was wearing a shirt decorated with a colorful picture of a cowgirl. The cowgirl's outfit had a flashy fringe that swung back and forth whenever Doris moved. She gave us the moves in the video to demonstrate just how much they could move.









Last night the empty field next to the RV park was watered. It may have been overwatered--there's a lot of standing water there now. For some reason the water seems to have made the birds very interested in the field. Flocks of black grackles and white egrets have been swooping in to spend some time in the field.








Tomorrow morning an RV-washing service is coming by to wash our trailer. We'll get our dirty clothes ready to go to the laundry before the washing service arrives. Then we'll do the laundry while they wash trailer
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Bike Ride and Weenie Roast

The blue sky and sunshine lured lots of bicyclists out today. Some cyclists from Michigan staying at Bentsen Grove stopped by on their way through the park to chat. Our friends Bob and Pat stopped by. Third time's a charm: they've been to this park twice before looking for us. We're glad they finally found us. They looked sharp in their matching new blue helmets.

We joined Gary and Mary Ann and Jim and Rita for a ride through the state park. Jim and Rita have been camped in our old spot (#515) but they will go back to Houston tomorrow. We saw lots of birds, but not the rare Blue Bunting that had been spotted the last couple of days at the Kiskadee blind. In addition to Chachalakas, Green Jays, Kiskadees, Cardinals, Golden Fronted Woodpecker, doves, and lots of water birds, I saw a Red-Winged Blackbird.

When we got back from the bike ride, Mary Ann suggested that we have a weenie roast, which we've been trying to have for a month. I made a quickie three-bean salad, and we brought baked Doritos, Rita made a cucumber and onion salad and brought pineapple, and Mary Ann supplied the weenies, buns and flour tortillas to wrap weenies. Afterwards some of us roasted marshmallows and made s'mores.

When we got home Ken turned on the TV and happened on the movie October Sky, the story of Homer Hickam and the other Rocket Boys of Coalwood, West Virginia. We both read the book a couple of months ago.

This morning I went to the exercise class for an hour. We skipped the Jerry Story dance so that Ken's back could rest another day.
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Movie Night

This afternoon we went for a short bike ride and looked at two Tanglewood open houses. Both were attractive, but way too large and "showy" for us. It seems that many builders build to sell, not to make livable homes.

Tonight we watched Iris--a movie about Iris Murdock, novelist and philosopher, who descends into Alzheimer's. The central focus of the movie is her relationship with her faithful husband John Bagley (on whose books the movie is based). The younger Iris is played by Kate Winslett, the older by Judi Dench. It's very sad and touching, making especially clear the implacable deterioration of a fine creative mind.

Breakfast was oranges, sweet potato hash, herbed cream cheese omelets, and toast with jam. For lunch we had leftover creole jambalaya and stir fry, plus banana and pineapple. I cooked a pound of dried black beans and used some in summer squash and black bean stew for supper with cole slaw. We had apple and sweet potato crisp with ice cream for dessert. Ken admitted to having been skeptical but enjoying it.

I used the rest of the black beans to make soup for later.
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All Valley RV Show

We went with the Ericksons to the annual All Valley RV Show put on by the Texas RV Association in the nearby town of Mercedes. Peterson Industries had three of its new Excel RVs on display. One was a 28' model in the company's RT line, which is designed for camping off the beaten path. The 28' length didn't provide enough space for all the amenities we like, but the floorplan was very interesting--remarkably spacious, considering. After looking at several fifth-wheel and motorhome models we agreed that the 33' to 35' models have some interesting features that aren't found in shorter floor plans, but that we still prefer the 30' length that we're living in.

Here are Lee and Gary enjoying a break from RV-touring.















On the way home we stopped at a farmers market in Donna. Lee found several items she wanted, including some delicious pineapple.
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Mexico

This morning we danced to Daryll Lipscomb--along with 107 other couples. The hall was full, but we're told that he often has 30+ squares.













Then we went with friends to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, for margaritas and lunch. Driving to the bridge into Mexico, and walking across the bridge, we got good views of the obnoxious wall that the U.S. has built along the border. It's hardly a sign of goodwill towards our neighbors, and it will have a negative impact on wildlife in the area as well as being an eyesore.














The six of us who rode to the bridge together stopped for pictures when we got across into Mexico.

Us with Pat & Bob Boyink, Judy & Hardy Pottinger.

We got the margaritas at a bar our friends visit regularly. The drinks are $3.50, but you get two when you order one. For two margaritas each and lunch we paid $18.00--including tips. We picked up a generic Z-Pack (antibiotics) for $5.95. Then Lee had a pedicure for $10 and a haircut for $5, with a neck massage thrown in gratis. Lee felt pampered--and tired.



















Tomorrow we're going to the RV show at the livestock show grounds in Mercedes. We're not actually in the market for an RV, but we love to look.

Tonight we had some leftover jambalaya and mixed veggies--didn't need much, but it hit the spot.
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Bike Cover

We ordered a 10 x 12 UV resistant tarp online to use for a bike cover. It was too big, but we figured we could modify it. Today we worked on doing that, which took us quite a while, but we think we have a workable solution. We'll have to practice putting it on and securing it with the ropes we are using to cinch it up around the bikes. It sure would be easier if one of the commercial bike covers were big enough for two Electras.

We didn't go square dancing because Ken's back is continuing to bother him. We may need to try to get some epidural injections done again, perhaps while we're in Southern California.

Tonight we played Rummikub and Play Nine with Gary and Mary Ann--great fun and fellowship. They continue to educate us on the niceties of small town agricultural life. The ladies of Oberlin were unhappy because the only place in town to buy clothing was Walmart, so they set up a cooperative dress shop.

For lunch we had leftover salmon casserole and broccoli soup. For supper we had ham and Southwest stuffing with mixed veggies and salad with lemon vinaigrette.
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TIVO

We did our laundry this morning, and also visited fellow Excel owners Kenny and Janice from Dodge City. Their Excel is also nominally 30 ft., but a much different floor plan from ours, and Janice has done a lot to personalize the decor. After lunch we visited with Gary and Mary Ann. They are having their rig washed and waxed today by Nick's RV Wash. We've been talking about it, and we decided to go ahead and schedule having ours done next week. It will be good to have the whole rig done, including the parts we can't reach.

We are back in business with our beloved TIVO. When we got our replacement DirecTV receiver last month, the IR controller that we had been using for the TIVO to control channel changing would not work. We tried every code we could find or think of to no avail. We couldn't use the serial controller because the DirecTV receiver does not have a serial port--it has a USB port. The solution was to order a USB TV Translator from Paterson Technology. It came today and works like a charm! Now when TIVO needs to change the channel to record a program, it will actually be able to do so.



While we were at it we switched to using an S-video cable to connect the TIVO to the TV. That left the coax available for the connection from the video distribution box, so now we can watch the park's cable channels or the DVD player without having to swap cables--yay!
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Friends

Today I (Lee) have had a chance to reflect on the goodness of friends. Mary Ann bought a humongous cauliflower from the produce guy and sent some home with me. I found a recipe for roasted cauliflower with lemon, garlic, and parmesan that Ken actually pronounced edible--even tasty!

Here's another story of friendship: When we got home from dancing and stopping at the grocery store earlier, I wasn't able to find my keys. I searched the truck and the house to no avail. Suddenly I realized that they were in the pocket of my jacket, and that the last time I had seen it had been on the back of a chair at Tropic Star, where we danced. I remembered that as we were preparing to leave the hall, Ken had handed me my purse and book, so I concluded that the jacket was still at the hall.

What to do? I called Tropic Star but the person who answered the phone was not very helpful. Pharr is a half hour drive for us, but I remembered that our friends, Hardy and Judy, stay in Pharr to dance C-1 in the afternoon at a park across the street from Tropic Star. I called their cell phone and left a message, and then I called the caller's cell phone and left a message. Success! Hardy called me back and said that he and Judy would stop by the hall to pick up the jacket.

But later he called to report that the jacket was nowhere to be found at the hall and that if it was in the lost and found, it could only be retrieved between 9 and 12. When I had called back to the Tropic Star office earlier, the receptionist had abruptly said that no jacket had been found and hung up on me. I began to think that I might have jumped to conclusions earlier and went to search the truck again. This time I spotted the jacket hidden under a case on the back seat floor. Now I had to call Hardy back and admit my embarrassment. He laughed, but forgave me. Now that's what I call a friend!

Along with the roasted cauliflower, we had shrimp and sausage jambalaya made with leftover rice and turkey sausage, along with our usual veggie salad. I made a lemon-garlic dressing that turned out pretty good. For lunch we had rice/chili/cheese burritos and baby carrots.
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Moving Day

We've moved! Well, not very far . . . just from #515 to #244 (actually closer than it sounds). For such a short move, it was a definite hassle, almost as much trouble as actually traveling. Gary and Mary Ann kept Sweetie at their rig while we got things set up. When I stopped by to get her, she was practically beside herself, as usual when she's gotten nervous about being left behind. She scampers around like a young dog! Here's the new campsite...










For lunch we had the creamy broccoli soup leftovers--pretty yummy with enough yogurt, and we finished off the fresh pineapple. For supper I decided to make the crab and broccoli quiche we've always liked, only there were two issues. One is that I used canned crab, which I will never do again. I've always used imitation crab meat. The other is that I don't think I've actually found the right recipe. I hate it that I lost all my recipes when I transferred files from the Vaio to my laptop. My only explanation is that it was a hectic time--we were selling everything and getting ready to fulltime. Most of the recipes I've been able to reconstruct or find on the web, but not all.
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Birdwatching with the New Scope

This morning we biked over to the park to birdwatch and check out the new birding scope.






















We spotted several of our favorite birds, including green jays, kiskadees, chacalacas, a woodpecker, and a pair of Altamira orioles at one of the first feeding areas inside the park, but the situation didn't lend itself to using the scope, so we moved on to the first resaca. There we used the scope to check out some egrets, a turtle resting on a snag, and a cormorant perched on a branch. However we did not spot the kingfisher who usually perches on a bare branch on the far shore.

We spent a lot of time at the Hawk Tower, where a variety of water birds are always sure to be on display. We saw White Ibis, American Coots, egrets, and many more. All in all the new scope was a big success.

After lunch we went to the pool and soaked some in the hot tub.
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Model Homes

Mary Ann and Gary had a recommendation to try Excalibur Sports Bar and Grill for burgers. When we arrived at lunchtime, we were the only customers, so we had a private dining room. The Excalibur burger and onion rings we split were quite good. The waitress said that the crowd picks up at 5 p.m. when the live music starts.

Afterwards we went to Sharyland Plantation to visit model homes. We saw Perry Homes and Horton Homes models, all of which were quite large. High ceilings and large entry halls appear to be popular. On the way home we drove past the construction on the new International Bridge. It seems a bit incongruous that we are building bridges on the one hand and walls on the other.....

Terri called, so I got to wish her a happy birthday in advance of her Monday birthday coming up.

For supper we had veggie chili and blue corn muffins with cole slaw again--still yummy!
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Freddie and Sheila Show

Tonight we went to the Freddie and Sheila Show at the clubhouse with Gary and Mary Ann. Freddie and Sheila Pelletier play vintage Martin guitars. This month Freddie's son Clint is playing with them also. They are all gifted guitarists and had the audience applauding and cheering the virtuoso picking and Sheila's vocals. Sheila sang a touching rendition of Coat of Many Colors...






and a wonderful yodeling song that was a hit with the crowd.




This morning we danced to Darryl Lipscomb. Randy Dougherty showed up to dance too, and we were in a square with him and Kathleen.

For lunch we had sloppy joes, carrot sticks, and apple slices with dip. For supper we had cole slaw and shrimp stir fry.
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Happy New Year 2009!

We had a lovely first day of the year--mild and sunny. It is hard to believe it is 2009. In February we will celebrate our first year on the road, but we have already lived in Venture for a year now. The time has flown by, and nearly every day we find something more we want to see or do... Today Ken found a website for a program called Take Pride in America, which lists and describes volunteer opportunities on public lands. We might be interested in being campground hosts or doing other volunteer work in 2010.

First thing this morning we restored all the furniture and things to their regular places after letting the carpet dry overnight. The clean carpet looks 100% better--we'll plan to schedule a cleaning every year here. Now we're thinking about having the fifth wheel washed and waxed professionally. It definitely needs some attention after sitting here for two months.

This afternoon we spent some time sitting in the sun on the patio, reading and enjoying the day. The park is filling up, with lots of rigs arriving today as expected. Our circle now has only one empty space.

Chris and Annie called to wish us a happy New Year. They were at a coffee shop and planning to go to Powell's. Annie is really into playing Rolando on her iPhone.

For lunch we had creamy broccoli soup, which was much better after we added yogurt, brown bread, and apple slices with creamy caramel dip (leftovers from the snacks we took to the dance last night). For supper we had green bean salad and veggie chili with blue corn muffins. The muffins, with butter and honey, are always a hit.
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New Year's Eve

The last day of 2008 is here, and we plan to celebrate by attending a New Year's Eve dance called by Jerry Story and Randy Dougherty, along with several of our new friends.



This morning the RV Steamer, Jack Cook, came to clean our carpets and spray them with stain repellent, a service we really needed after living in Venture for a year.
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Into the Wild

Jerry Story's dance was dark today, so we were able to attend a talk at the clubhouse on keeping RV carpets clean. We were so impressed that we scheduled a cleaning.

This afternoon Ken finally took the truck in to get a fuse installed in the windshield washer heater--a recall that we'd been waiting for some time to have completed. On the way home he stopped at the Video Hut and rented the movie Into the Wild. We watched it with Gary and Mary Ann. The film is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who rejected what he saw as his parents' materialism and hypocrisy, gave away almost all his money and traveled to Alaska to live in the wild. Sadly but predictably, the young man died.

Some have suggested that Chris is not the idealistic seeker portrayed in the book and movie, but rather a troubled young man suffering from schizophrenia or some other mental illness. Read more!

Farmer's Market

Today we got a Christmas package from Italy, which included gifts from Greece and Portugal. Thanks, Terri and Blake and Molly! Here's a photo of the tiny chess set for Ken:

We also got Christmas cards and letters from some friends, which we were late picking up because we had misplaced our mailbox key (we're sure it's around here somewhere . . . .) Dennis and Linda's letter includes a photo of their new home, which we saw in progress when we visited this summer. It looks completed, but they plan to spend the next two years finishing the interior. But they won't be starting on that project this month--they're spending Christmas in Hawaii with their kids. Ed and Marlyn's letter hits the highlights of their many activities and travels during the year, as well as news of their kids and grandkids--and the newest member of their household, Bear, a Golden Retriever.

We went to Donna, TX, this morning. First we visited Victoria Palms RV Resort, a very large complex which includes a hotel, motel rooms, mobile homes, and RV spaces. It's an attractive park with great amenities, but we prefer a quieter atmosphere and larger spaces.

Next we went to the Don-Wes Flea Market just down the street. It's a pretty standard flea market, but seemed a bit overpriced in some cases ($1-$2 for paperback books, for example). So we moved on to the Farmer's Market, just across the street, where we found abundant fresh produce. The citrus was especially attractive and reasonably priced. We picked up a few things (no room in the fridge for much more), including some poblano peppers we had for supper in a chile cheese casserole.

On the way home we stopped at Sun Harvest, a health food/grocery store that carries a large selection of bulk foods.
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Christmas Dinner 2008

Christmas dinner was at Hardy and Judy Pottinger's house. We enjoyed a scrumptious turkey dinner and great conversation. It's very rewarding to have friends who've lived or wintered here in the Rio Grande Valley for years. We learn a lot about life in the Valley from them.


















Dinner included turkey and all the trimmings, including some delicious green beans with almonds Judy made and a lovely salad Doris brought. For dessert we brought brickle bars, a chocolate pie, a lime jello/cream cheese/tofu pie, and a strawberry jello/cool whip/tofu pie. The brickle bars were a hit.

The place next to Hardy and Judy's is for sale, so we took a few minutes to look it over--part of our campaign to get smarter about Valley real estate.


Later we finished the day with bowls of tomato soup. Dinner had been a typical holiday feast--lots of delicious dishes. So the soup was all the food we needed for the rest of the day.
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Sun Again

The sun came out today, so we finally had a chance to wash the truck. It was beginning to look pretty dirty, but as long as the forecast was cold and possible rain, it didn't make sense to get out and wash it. Now it's all shiny white again 8-)

This morning we danced to Joe Saltel. Hugh and Juanita, who knew Romney when, brought in a photo of him taken in 1988. Hugh showed it to me and asked if I recognized the handsome young man in the photo. I had to admit that I didn't. Romney was definitely slimmer then!

We picked up Ken's ring from the jeweler after having it resized, so now he doesn't have to worry about having it slip off his finger. Then we went to the HEB Plus to see what it was like and to pick up some groceries. The selection was by far the best we've seen in the Valley, so we'll be going back. They even had soft tofu, which we needed to make tofu pies for Christmas dinner.

After we washed the truck, we went and sat in the hot tub for a while, partly because we had been meaning to do it for some time, and partly because we thought it would ease the pain in Ken's leg. The hot tub was nicely warm and had very good jets. It did seem to help.















For supper we had cheese enchiladas, shredded lettuce and tomato, and summer squash sauteed with onions and parmesan.

I wrote a letter to Mia finally and included a photo. We've changed since we were in Nacogdoches in May. I feel bad that I am such a procrastinator--I meant to write much earlier. Christmas seems like a good time to get in touch with people who are important in your life.

Tonight we played dominoes--a very basic version with just a double six set. Ken beat the pants off me in the last hand, when I had to draw all the dominoes from the bone pile before finding the last one was playable. Of course Ken then played his single remaining domino, and I didn't even bother to count the pips I was caught with--it looked like zillions and zillions. Neither one of us found the game very enjoyable, so we'll look for a better two person domino game.

We are trying to play all our games at least once. Here are the ones we still have to get to (of course, there are also lots of card games....):

Backgammon
Chess
Clans
Farkel
Hera and Zeus
Perquacky
Reversi
Uno

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Miscellany

This morning I got our of bed reluctantly, started the coffee pot, raised the thermostat, and jumped back under the covers until the furnace had warmed the rig. That's happened more than once recently, and the fact that we need propane again reflects the time the furnace has been running.

We danced to Jerry Story at the Peppermint Palace, but we won't be doing the same next Monday, because he and Kristi are going to Iowa for Christmas. Jerry said that they are both from Iowa and haven't been back at Christmas for 17 years. I think I'd have let that run continue and visited Iowa in the summertime.

After the dance we stopped at Target, where Ken bought an electric beard trimmer. He's looking forward to getting his beard shaped up.

For lunch today we had meatball sandwiches, baby carrots, a little leftover spaghetti, and apple slices. For supper we had packaged red beans and rice dressed up with canned tomatoes and hot dogs, along with cole slaw. We have been trying to eat our leftovers in a timely fashion and to use up some of the packaged food that has been in the cupboards for a while.
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We're Staying in the Valley

Since none of our friends from Southern California is planning to be in Quartzite this year, we decided we'd like to extend our stay here for a month. After breakfast we walked over to the office to see what the prospects were for staying at Bentsen Palm RV Resort, which we really like. Fortunately there was a site available into February, which we snapped up, so now we'll be leaving here and heading towards Mesa on February 5. We'll move to our new site on January 5. It's a back-in rather than a pull through, but has a nice wide cement pad and patio, and it backs up on the dog run, so it will be convenient for Sweetie.

Today has definitely been another day for cocooning, chilly and overcast.

For breakfast we had fluffy cottage cheese pancakes, made with oat flour and silver dollar size. For dinner we had some great minestrone, made with homemade vegetable broth and great northern beans, along with cole slaw and Carol's brown bread.
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Bird Walk

This morning we joined a group in the state park for a bird walk. There were 10 or 11 in the group, including the park naturalist who led the walk and two volunteer naturalists. We were joined by the 2008 Ohio Naturalist of the Year, Rick Nirschl, who has a hybrid warbler named after him. The event was planned for two hours, but it lasted three and a half. The three naturalists were clearly expert birders. Their list of birds seen during the walk totaled 65 different species. The two of us didn't see quite as many--only 35--and some of them we glimpsed only briefly:

Snow Goose, American Wigeon, Plain Chachalaca, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, White-faced Ibis, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, American Coot, Stilt Sandpiper, White-winged Dove, Eastern Screech-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Black-crested Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Long-billed Thrasher, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Altamira Oriole, and House Sparrow.

Most of the birds were too far from us for us to get pictures, but we did get one shot of the Eastern Screech-Owl. Here's what it looked like to us from below the branch it was sitting on. (Look closely to see tail feathers below the branch and part of the head visible above.):



And here's how the Audubon Society presents it.




















For supper tonight we had pizza and salad, with apple bread pudding and ice cream for desert.
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Birding Scope

This afternoon we got out the new birding scope and set it up. After some collaboration, we managed to get the finding scope calibrated to matching the main scope aim. Tomorrow morning we'll go on a birding walk at the state park and perhaps get a chance to use the scope. We'll need a target willing to sit still while we set up and aim the scope. Fortunately the park usually provides lots of birds to watch.

This morning we went to dance to Darryl Lipscomb, as usual. Ken has been talking about having his ring resized, since it's loose enough to fall off on occasion. We asked if anyone had a jeweler to recommend, and one of the ladies gave a glowing recommendation for Rico's Jewelry and gave us directions. It turned out that our friend Doris had several rings to resize, and she suggested that we go together. It's a good thing we did, because we all agreed that if we had been alone, we'd have definitely have been put off by the location and appearance of the shop in a run-down strip mall, and by the limited English skills of the staff. Encouraged by the recommendation and bolstered by having a friend along, we went ahead and left the rings.
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Christmas Shopping

We've done almost all our Christmas shopping online, but today we shopped for a couple of needy families being sponsored by our RV park. It was fun, but also a bit eye opening. We found selections sparse and prices high on children's clothes, toys, and books. We're enjoying our little bit of Christmas spirit 8-)



















When we got home, a large package was waiting under the rig, a Christmas present from Ken to me. He urged me to open it early, because he said I might want to use it before Christmas. It turned out to be a birding scope with a tripod. We decided to wait until tomorrow in daylight to take it outside and adjust and try it out.




















We packed a lunch to eat between shopping and dancing--peanut butter and banana sandwiches with a little honey, which were surprisingly good.
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Still Cold

We have nothing scheduled on Wednesdays, and today was chilly and overcast, so we did our laundry and cleaned. Even in retirement, some days are like that.....


We decided not to keep the duvet. It made the room darker than we liked, and the bed too warm. Since we bought it in the going out of business sale, it isn't returnable, so we'll donate it, in the hope that someone else will enjoy it.
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Another Cold Day

Chilly drizzle and overcast made today a good day to cocoon. We did go to Pharr this morning to dance to Joe Saltel. There were 12 squares, a pretty good crowd, but we hear that he draws many more at the height of the season here, January and February. After the dance we went to Jason's Deli for lunch with friends. We split a Southwestern chicken sandwich and the featured soup, Poblano corn chowder. Both were delicious. The chowder was creamy, but with a bite.

After lunch we stopped in the Linens N Things going out of business sale. The main thing we bought was a green satin striped duvet and bedskirt. The store was nearly empty. We put the duvet and shams on the bed when we got home.

We used Amazon for most of our holiday shopping this year. We ordered subscriptions to Discover and O: The Oprah Magazine for Kelley. The magazines won't start arriving until February, but Kelley said that hearing they were coming made her smile and brightened her day. That's just what we hope for when we select gifts, and it was thoughtful of her to let us know we'd hit the mark.

For dinner I made salmon patties with lemon yogurt sauce. It was a different recipe than I usually use, with mashed potatoes incorporated and breaded with seasoned stuffing crumbs.

We're hoping for better weather tomorrow, but the cold front that dipped into the area yesterday may persist a while. I finished reading a Robin Cook novel, Marker, borrowed from the resort library. I read it largely because I recalled enjoying some of Cook's earlier work, but the last few of his I have read have been pedestrian and predictable.
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