A High-Flying Adult Toy

 Last week curiosity got the best of Bill who just had to stop to talk to a man in our park who was out flying his new drone.  The gentleman was happy to bring it down and show it off.

We have found that many people with unique hobbies love to show off their goods.

He explained this his drone cost $1200 with all the bells and whistles, but he said the basic unit retailed at $800.  It had a camera that could record video and could go up to 1/8th of a mile and hold its signal.

This is the remote control.  He said that if he looses sight of it, it had a "return" button that will bring it back without hitting anything.  It is a great toy, but in Northern Michigan we have too many trees to make it practical.   It looks like Bill will not be buying one anytime soon.

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Meanwhile, we will park the travel trailer and start back toward home tomorrow, March 1.  Out in the real world Russia had invaded Ukarine and we hope the conflict ends soon.

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A Few Sights From A Nearby RV Park

We will be leaving Mission in a few days and heading north.  Here are a few odds and ends in our camera:

 Have you ever seen plants like these purple ones?  This is  beautiful display of gardening skills.

Talk about a horse of a different color!!  This travel trailer has a unique paint job, for sure.

This is a gravel Boccie Ball court that we have never seen in use.  We think it would be fun - as we have no level spots in our yard at home on which to play.  Residents of our park are not allowed to use their facilities.

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An Unusual Travel Trailer in our Park

 Not far from our RV site, over next to the wood shop and craft room, is this unique silver beauty that you see below:

It is unique because you seldom see an Airstream trailer with a slide-out.  The owner told us that there were only 600 units built in 2009 as a special limited production run and he bought this one second-hand from a friend.  If you are interested in what an Airsteam like this has to offer inside and out go to  ---> 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOjKrmn21ns

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The 2022 Winter Texan Fiesta

 Yesterday, February 24,2022, was the day of an annual event that we like to attend.

The Winter Texan Fiesta is put on by the city of Mission and is free to attend downtown.

There were vendors peddling their goods and services with many free items to hand out.  Also the city pays for a free lunch for all who attend with a hot sack lunch from Chick-fil-A  restaurants.  We bought two $5 tee-shirts commemorating the Fiesta. 

This singer was belting our fun old tunes.  From the poster at the top of this blog we think he was Curt James.

The live music brought out the line dancers onto the street.  That is our friend, Nancy Smoker, in the front row of this line dance in front of the stage.  

Bill has been known to enjoy a beer, but this can was more than he could handle.

🍻

We enjoy this event to honor the Winter Texans each year.  It was a cool day with temps in the 50's so there were fewer in attendance than expected.  We had fun and enjoyed a tasty free hot lunch as well.

🎵   🎶   🎼   🎸

 

Conditions Along the Rio Grande River Have Changed

 Because of Covid concerns we did not go south last winter, but stayed home in Frederic instead.  Now, not only do we have the wall across the road from our campsite, but over the last two years - conditions, facilities, rules, and activities have changed.

Bill recently took a back road bicycle trip on some dirt trails not used much anymore.  He had to get by not only a Border Patrol vehicle,  but one National Guard Humvee as well to visit a few places that used to see a bit of traffic.

This was the launch sight of our park's weekly pontoon rides on the Rio Grande. Now empty.

This used to be the location of an annual park picnic along the river.  As you can see it is no longer being maintained. 

Here is the river at the abandoned picnic area with Mexico on the other side.

The Park shooting range near the river is still open, but not being used much this year.  Fairly quiet.

Remember that Texans love their guns!

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Quinta Mazatlan Part 3

 The Outside trails throughout Quinta Mazatlan are full of informative signs and unusual sights to discover as you explore the grounds.

These bottle trees do not grow just anywhere

This tree gnome was guarding his residence.

Many of the displays took a lot of skill and work to create.

Along the many paths are metal creatures to find as you walk along.  Some have descriptive signs nearby about the creature.  Above is the Jackrabbit.

Any tourist to Quinta Mazatlan  should take one selfie and here we are.

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Quinta Mazatlan - Part Two

 

The original estate home is still maintained, and visitors are allowed to wander and explore with complete freedom.  It is a beautiful and lavish in its decor.

The paintings and murals are quite spectacular throughout the grounds.  No - this giant Green Jay is not attacking Karen.

Above is an example of some of the unusual and interesting trails throughout the grounds in which to wander.

Quinta Mazatlan is a place you should visit if you ever get to South Texas.  We all found it quite fascinating and  well-worth the $2 it cost to enter!

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With our Friends We Visit an Excellent McAllen Tourist Attraction

 On Saturday we took Steve and Janie Lowe  to Quinta Mazatlan which in Spanish means "country estate" and "land of deer".  We did not see any deer but there is plenty of other interesting sights.  It is located on the south side of McAllen, Texas.

Saturday was warm and pleasant.

Above is Janie doing her best imitation of a butterfly.

Steve attempted to look like an angel, but we all knew better.

Inside were some beautiful and unique displays to honor the dead

Outside the staff was setting up for a fancy wedding reception.

This display of real local bird eggs, that had been sliced in half, was interesting, delicate as well as unusual.

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More to come tomorrow.

Our Friends Arrive From New Mexico

 On Thursday, February 17,  Steve and Janie Lowe came into our RV park with their travel trailer for a four-day visit.  They used to own Hatlen's' cabin up on the Manistee River, but moved away to Las Cruses, New Mexico a few years ago.   In other words, they used to be our neighbors as well as our friends up near Frederic.  Steve was a steady member of our monthly Poker games in Bill's garage.

We gave them a small tour of this part of Texas on Friday and ended up having lunch at the Riverside Club on the Rio Grande River across from Mexico.

We had a good greasy meal and stepped out on the patio overlooking the river for a few pictures.  This is Steve and Janie above.  Today, we plan for a bit more sightseeing and then we will introduce them to Card Bingo tonight in the clubhouse.   Therefore, they just might go home a few dollars richer! (or poorer)

🎴    💱    💲

Any Exetended Visit to Texas Should Include A Flea Market

 On Wednesday Karen and Bill needed to go into town for a few supplies.  As long as we were out we decided to drive a bit further east to Donna, TX for their Don Wes Flea Market.  It is quite large and busy with plenty of vendors and even live music.

This hog cooker is different than any we had ever seen back in Michigan, and it was smoking hot.

You never know what you may find for sale, and here Bill found a 1960 Schwinn bicycle in good shape for $250.00.

It was was a beautiful warm and sunny day.  We made a couple small purchases but found no treasures about which to brag.  Per usual we were amazed that all the vendors were bilingual in English and 

Spanish.

🌴   🌵

Sugar Cane Growers Presentation

 On Tuesday, February 15, 2022  our RV park brought in a public relations spokesman for the Sugar Cane Growers Association of Texas.  He was an excellent public speaker.

He explained how sugar cane is planted, cultivated, and harvested in only three counties of southern Texas.  He explained how and why they burn the crop before it is harvested once a year.  He also showed a movie of the entire process.  We learned that sugar cane is like asparagus - it keeps growing after it is cut and harvested.  A rotation crop is only introduced about every 6-7 years after which the sugar cane must then be replanted. There is only one large sugar cane processing plant in Texas and the entire sugar crop goes to Domino Foods.
                                                                                          Sweet!
                        

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Important New Disovery for Bird Lovers

 Here it is:

It is amazing - the important informative pieces of information that one finds on the internet!

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Forget Electric Cars - Electric Bikes are Now the Rage

 Two years ago when we were last down here in the land of Winter Texans, electric bicycles were a rare sight.  Back then you could almost call them an expensive novelty.   But now.......

Now we see them very frequently in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  

Although the roads and trails are very flat here, many older folks seem to want/need the help with their bicycle rides. Some of the new bicycles even fold up so they can fit into the back of  a medium-sized SUV.  As for Bill and Karen: we will  stick to the old way for now:  peddle - peddle - peddle with our old standard bicycles.  (We need the exercise)

Last night in Super Bowl 56 -- Rams 23 / Bengals 20.  Matt Stafford got his ring!

💍

A Glimpse at Both Garage - and Canal Sailing

 On Saturday, February 12, the development next door had a park-wide garage sale.

Below is one of the more unusual items we saw for sale: 

They are Ostrich eggs.  Empty, of course, but for sale at $2.00 each.

The couple selling them explained that some people paint pictures and designs on the eggs.  They also had the table, above,  set up to show how the beautifully the eggs can be displayed.   Interesting, for sure, but we did not buy any.  (This time at least)

and.....

On one of Bill's recent exploratory bicycle rides, he came across another unusual sight (above).  These two, young, beer-drinking gentlemen were launching their brand-new kayaks into the nasty canal that runs along the border wall. 

It was nip-and-tuck and Bill thought they would tip over during their shaky launch.  The water is far far from clean.  However, they made it and were soon on their way. 

Oh, to be young and foolish again! 

 (Instead of old and foolish!)

🚣    🚣

The Border Wall - Part 5

 A few days ago we saw illegal migration up close.  The scene below happened across from the entrance to our RV park, and just down the road from the Texas State Park.  

The group of people mainly dressed neatly in black clothing were being apprehended and grouped together peacefully by U.S. Border agents.  

There was no commotion or shouting.  The border patrol officers are, of course,  the people in green uniforms and caps.  The officers were giving orders that were being followed.  Notice that many of the illegals are wearing Covid-protection face masks.

We have no idea how the migrants got to this location.  They certainly did not have wet clothing from swimming the river.  They were not here long before a bus arrived to take them away; probably to McAllen for processing.  The border wall certainly did not keep them out.

🚣      🚍     🚌

The Border Wall - Part 4

 Collateral damage is the injury inflicted on something other than an intended target.  The National Butterfly Center just down the road from our RV park has felt the sting of the conflicts surrounding the border wall.

We have featured it in our blog before because it is a main tourist attraction out here south of Mission.

The owners of the butterfly center have been battling the state of Texas in court to stop the construction of the border wall across their property.  They insist the wall will hinder the migration of  butterflies, but they have been accused of harboring illegal migrants coming into our country.  The city of Mission recently put up one of their surveillance towers on the center's land.

The local paper says that the owners have been getting plenty of phone calls, of late,  threatening their personal safety.  Unfortunately, down here in Texas where so many people have guns - such threats cannot be ignored.  Can you guess what the sign reads that is now hanging on the main gate above?

It is a shame because the National Butterfly Center brought plenty of tourists to the area over the years

with money to spend in the local economy.

Welcome to America today!

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