Thursday, February 29, 2024

It is Time to Head Home

 We managed to squeeze an extra day out of February this year, but alas, it is time to head home tomorrow March 1, 2024.   Both President Biden and Donald Trump are flying into the Rio Grande Valley today so it is getting a bit crowded anyway.

These waterfall rain spouts caught our attention but we never get to see them in action because it rains so infrequently down here.

The town of Mission, Texas was named after this small mission that is still standing in a beautiful county park.  It has made the blog before but still is worth a visit when we are in the RGV.

The church has no doors and is always open to the public.  Above is the altar where people still come to pray.

Outside nearby is this statue of the Virgin Mary.  If you ever get to the Rio Grande Valley be sure to stop to this small out-of-the-way landmark.
🙏







Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Flowers are Blooming and Turkeys are Frisky

 Today, February 27,2024, the temperature is expected to reach above 90 degrees for the warmest day we have experienced so far.  We leave soon and have made a deal with Bentsen Palm Village to leave our trailer right where it is until we return in December.

The flowers nearby are starting to show their true colors in the warm weather.

We have not seen any rain for over a week and the desert plants do not seem to mind at all.

The song birds are starting to sing loudly each morning, and in the nearby state park the Rio Grande Turkeys are strutting to impress the hens.
🐓


Sunday, February 25, 2024

Two Lucky Guys

 Bentsen Palm Village RV Park hosted card bingo on Saturday evening this last weekend, and again the Smokers came over to join in the fun.

Here is Karen dealing out the cards for the first game.  In the foil are hot dogs for supper.

This is what the hall looks like on Bingo Card night.  The fellow at the far end in the light blue shirt is the caller who also checks each winner's cards after "BINGO" is called out.

  And guess what???

Both Phil and Bill brought home some dough.  Bill split one dime game with another lady and Phil won a  quarter game all by himself.  His winnings were $26.50.  Above are the two lucky fellows having a beverage after the big victories.

🎯


Texas Needs Rain

 Here is a portion of the border wall a few miles east of our location along the Rio Grande River.

The river looks pretty normal from this view but...

....notice this dock directly across the river in Mexico.  You can see how far and high the dock is now above the water.  The river bank also tells the story from previous years of normal river depth.

Also, along a nearby bike path this pond is usually full of water and often busy with ducks and other water fowl.  A few years ago there was a flock of Pelicans enjoying the water.  Now, Bill considered trying to ride his mountain bike along the stone bottom that he had never seen before.  Southern Texas needs rain.




GoldWing Express Band

 Earlier this year we attended a concert down the road at another RV park called Green Gate. The band that was playing was GoldWing Express and we had seen them previously at our park.

Their father was always part of the show but they said he had cancer and had to stay at home.  He played the mandolin, and we missed him.


The band has added a couple new members including a keyboard player, and a rather chubby singer who liked to preach as well as sing and dance.  The show was not as entertaining as in years gone by.

🎤    🎶    🎸   🎻



Thursday, February 22, 2024

A Creature Encounter

 On a recent bike ride along a nearby irrigation canal Bill saw a strange shape a ways ahead in the middle of the road.

What could it be?  Why a Javelina or Collared Peccary of course.

It is a wild pig-like animal that roams the low lands near the rivers down here.  Years ago we would see them quite often in the nearby state park, but now spotting one is rare.

We often hear coyotes at night, so we know the Javelinas are tough enough to coexist, but their numbers seem to be dwindling.

🐷


Sunday, February 18, 2024

Finally an AirStream Trailer for the Smaller Wallet

 
We saw this AirStream trailer recently on a bike ride.  It is the smallest we had ever seen, but still very expensive, no doubt.

It might work well for one traveler.  Or perhaps two small people who really like to be close.

👫

A Texan Green Thumb

 Here is an example of what a person with a "green thumb" can produce down here in the warm weather of Texas even this early time of year.

The small garden is unprotected and right next to the road in a nearby RV park.

We would think that rabbits and other hungry critters would help themselves but the garden appeared to be undisturbed.

🌿   🍆   🍅





Friday, February 16, 2024

A Day at the Races

 On a beautiful Saturday early in February our RV park held its annual "Kentucky Derby Race" event over in front of the park wood shop.  Not only were there six "horse" races on which you could bet, but also bag tacos and mint juleps for sale.

There were six "horses" in each race and the moves were determined by the throw of large fuzzy dice.  Betting was limited to 75 cents per race and winnings were paid after each race determined by how many bets were placed.  Above, left, you see a visiting granddaughter helping her grandmother throw the dice.  Also, a prize was given for the best race headpiece.

Phil and Nancy Smoker came over with their lawn chairs to join in the festivities.  It was a fun day at the races and nobody got rich or went broke either.
🐴


Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Who Needs to Peddle for Ecercise?

 We took this picture the other day down by our RV park swimming pool.  We are seeing more and more bicycles like these down here and fewer simple peddle types like we own.  The terrain in southern Texas is very flat.  For many of the riders, exercise would be beneficial but "keeping up with the Jones" rules the day!  Golf carts and electric bicycles are everywhere. Go figure!


🚴     🚵     🚴

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Reminder That We Are in the Deep South

 
On a recent bicycle ride into another RV park near Mission Bill saw this flag proudly blowing in the wind so he stopped and took a picture.  Old beliefs down here are hard to shake!

🎱

Monday, February 12, 2024

About As Lucky as one Can Get

 Today is the day after Superbowl #58 where the KC Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25 - 22 in overtime.  A couple of weeks ago at our weekly Card Bingo game a fellow was taking money and filling in a football pool for the game.  $10 a square and we all bought one.  You can see the sheet in yesterday's post below.

Now above you can see who got lucky and won the first quarter because she had the square for 0-0.  She drove over from her and Phil's RV park to collect during the game.  $250 is quite a prize.  Congratulations to the Smokers from Vicksburg!
🏆💰


Sunday, February 11, 2024

Super Sunday Today 2/11/2024

 Super Bowl 58 is today in  Las Vegas with the Kansas City Chiefs facing the San Francisco 49ers.


There are plenty of Kansas City fans in our RV park including our next door neighbor from Missouri.


Our RV park is having a super bowl party in the clubhouse with a large-screen TV and food being served (if one buys a ticket in advance).  See above.  We will attend.


Furthermore, to add to the fun and game - a football pool was put together and sold out for $10 per square.  The 4 winners will receive $250 per quarter as the game progresses.  Karen and Bill each bought a square as did Nancy and Phil Smoker.  (squares marked in red)  
Wish us Luck
🏈 #58



Friday, February 9, 2024

A Big Waste of Money

 Down here in southern Mission, Texas sits a great example of wasted tax dollars.

Here in a large field sits tons of rusting border wall pieces that were never put up.  Chances are it will never be used on the wall, and will probably be sold as scrap metal when all is said and done.

Above is another nearby field of wall pieces farther back from the road.. Your/our tax dollars at work.

😨

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Interesting Lawn Decor

 Many residents of our small RV village have site decorations and lights.  Most are not very noticeable until nightfall.  As an example..

This bare spot at one site looks pretty plain.  Right?

Always looked pretty uninteresting as we walked or biked past.
But...
This is how the same ground looks at night. (above)

Beautiful little fungi for sure when the sun goes down.
🍄    🍄    🍄




Sunday, February 4, 2024

Move Over Greyhound

 This state-owned vehicle often drives down the road just outside our RV park.  We think many of its passengers come through the State park after crossing the Rio Grande River nearby.

Many times we have heard it drive by in the middle of the night.   Today it stopped and the driver got out to stretch her legs.  Yes, the driver is a woman, at least today.

It needs a good washing but probably the passengers do not mind after a long walk through Mexico.  And a river crossing as well!

🙌





Saturday, February 3, 2024

Another Lucky Night at Card Bingo

 On Friday February 2, 2024 Phil and Nancy Smoker joined us again for Card Bingo here at Bentsen Palm Village.  And because Bill has been so lucky lately he again wore his "Lucky Texas Lottery" shirt. 

Above is Karen rubbing his lucky shirt for luck.  But...when you're hot you're hot.

Bill won one of the four dime games and brought home 120 dimes for another big win.  How lucky can one guy get???
🏆


Friday, February 2, 2024

Saving Quarters for Card Bingo

 Two things we have plenty of down here in Texas are sunshine and wind.  Bill also has access to the RV workshop.  So we decided to take advantage of all three and save some of our quarters for game night rather than feed the clothes dryers.

We bought a board at the local lumberyard and Bill did some woodworking modifications so it would hang on our travel trailer ladder.   


Karen says the clothes smell better when dried from this method so she bought into the plan.  Now we can put more 25-cent pieces into our Bingo pool.
🌞