Rio Grande River plus

 In the 25 years we have been coming to the Rio Grande Valley, we have not seen the river out of its banks. We have now! Butch and I went to see Hector for the last time till next fall. The river was out of its banks and we could see the current running fast.

Another tidbit is that we have never seen the streets of Progresso so clean. They underwent a major power wash at the same time we did. We were there 2 days after the big rain, so there was only one spot that failed to drain away, and we had to watch our footing. We easily walked the mile down to Hector's pharmacy. With Butch being on several new and different medications we needed to stock up on the ones that are pricy in the U.S. As it turned out, there were only 2 that were not covered fully by our insurance. Eliquis and Farxiga. Each of those is over a hundred dollars a month if purchased in the U.S. through our insurance. And when you inquire about them on this side of the border, they behave as though that is a bargain.

Another story about meds in Mexico: Years ago, my doctor prescribed Xarelto for me, and that is when the difference between North and South was enough to knock you off your feet. So we bought them from Hector. And then after talking to a friend who was also on blood thinners, I found out that Eliquis was considerably cheaper than Xarelto. So I called my cardiologist to find out if I could switch, and he said "yes," no problem. So for several years, perhaps 10 or more, I was on Eliquis. On our last trip, Hector informed me that Xarelto is now cheaper than Eliquis, and you take one pill a day instead of two! So I called my cardiologist again to find out if I could switch back, and the answer was once again "Yes". It is great to have a Mexican 'pharmacist' who looks out for you and an Iowa cardiologist who listens. And that is only one way Hector has been a great help over many years.

We are both feeling well and adjusting to our new ways of being healthy. 

We will be on our northern trip in about 12 days, stopping in Johnson City, TX, and Thackerville, OK, before landing with the Missouri kids on the 17th.

I have my fridge pared down to almost nothing getting ready for the event.

Later...

South Texas Flood March 2025

 We were told to expect rain yesterday. Renie and I played some pool for a couple hours. The wind was very strong but that is nothing new here. It started to thunder so we decided to head for home. Shortly after I got home the rain started and then it poured and then it didn't quit. Hours passed with continued torrential rain. The thunder and lightning would come in waves but the rain would only slow down for a few minutes and then let loose again! At times it was so thick you could barely see across the street. 

Darrel and Linda Millard had went out to eat and got caught up in it. They were stranded in the H.E.B. parking lot and the intersection they needed to cross was closed due to high water, 3 feet or more, stopping their path to getting home. They had to stay the night and got home at 7:00am by taking a different route.  I have since heard stories of people having to stay on the expressway all night because the exits were flooded. This event will stay in our memories for a good long time!

This is a photo of the street we live on, taken by the people who live on the south end of it. We live on the right side of this street about 2/3rd of the way.

The photo below was taken by my hairdresser Rhonda who lives on the street facing the golf course.

My rooster fell over! His mate floated over to the neighbors and then took refuge in the oleander bush! It took me a while to find her this morning.

The view off our deck! The rain was a good 5 inches up our steps!

We were fortunate because we were home when it started and were never in danger or discomfort!

Health update: We are both doing well. Mostly back to normal! If there is such a thing as normal!

Medical news

 Overactive: It seems I have an overactive bladder. All of my tests come out with likeable results so the Doc says I am A/OK except for that overactive business. Yes, there is a med for it and yes, I am taking it.  I am having slightly good results with it so far. It upsets my gut a bit. End of story...I hope.

Today we see the cardiologist for Butch. This is a day we have been looking forward to. We have lots of questions. We hope to have answers.

Results of appt. He is doing well, and they will take him off the Brilinta 90 mg, which costs $429 a month with insurance, however, he will then be taking 3 new ones, and we do not know the cost yet. So the med thing is a bit of a deal to be figured out but all the rest of it is good. So I guess if we look at it as a way to make the next 10 years or so good years then it takes on more importance and makes it well worth the cost.

Now seems like a good time for a nap!

Jason's Latest Yard Art

You can see Jason's latest artistic endeavor on YouTube. At least I hope you can. It has been quite awhile since I have downloaded a video to Youtube. I was actually surprised I got it done!

https://youtube.com/shorts/HJ4WGpj925U?

How are we?

 Really...Butch has been sleeping a lot-8+ hours at night and perhaps a nap or two during the day. He recognizes this as not at all normal for him. He has an appointment with the cardiologist on the 26th. We have a list of questions. However this morning we saw an update on Pope Francis. They said he had pneumonia in both lungs in late February and is now home but not expected to do his full duties for two more months. Butch will be 84 in June. The Pope is 88. Butch had pneumonia in both lungs, a heart situation, and AFIB. My assessment is that he should be easy on himself as he is still healing.

I am a different story. I am on my 3rd round of antibiotics for UTI's. I would like it to be my last. Yesterday was a rough day because I had a recurring episode of the same old pain and I am supposed to be getting better, not backsliding. Needless to say, it put me down in the dumps. Throughout this ordeal, it has always felt worse when I was in bed and I have spent a few nights sleeping in the recliner where I was slightly more comfortable. Early this morning I woke up in pain, passed some gas, and felt much better immediately! This may be a clue to a different path. I have an appointment in the morning with my doctor. I have some questions to be sure. So I currently cannot say where I am as far as my health is concerned. Currently, I am feeling much better than I did yesterday and hopefully will continue to feel much better tomorrow!

Other than the above we are doing okay. We are still playing pool and yesterday, Butch and his poolplaying buddy Paul Kelleher played golf for the first time in a long while. We are both ready to put these episodes behind us and get on with our life. I can see this goal. We are just short of it but not by much.😵‍💫

Happy Hour Conversation

  I keep telling people that our "Happy Hour" is NOT a gossip fest and they give me a skeptical look. One person even said, "Aren't they all?". So as a random thought I decided to take notes on the subjects covered during happy hour. Ours runs from 4-5. After all we are a very busy bunch and we have other things awaiting our attention.

So yesterday this was the rundown:

1. What is the population of Reynosa Mexico. I had recently heard it was 4 Million and that seemed very high. One said they had heard 1 Million. I looked it up and the answer is 1,000,000 in 2020. It was admitted that it fluctuated.

2.The Dangers of seniors and ladders. We shared ladder stories and it seemed everyone had one!

3. Good breakfasts are served at Victoria Palms.

4. We talked about Ropa. A place where people should go at least once. Some people are repulsed by it and others look at it as a fun treasure hunt. Ropa Usada is Used Clothing in English. There are large buildings in far South Texas where discarded clothing is gathered from all over the US with its next stop being overseas. Tre Demensions is a popular Ropa Usada place. This particular place has a mountain of clothing in the middle and people climb the mountain to find their treasures. Gotta see it to believe it!

5. Dentists in Mexico. Seems everyone has a favorite.

6. There is a German restaurant, 'Schneider's' that one of the happy hour people recently went to and gave a good review. It is located 1/2 block north of Dove on Ware Road.

7. We talked about allergies and the different types and suffering of such.

8. Tom Ball stopped by and we talked about his black powder shooting. Not a subject that comes up often.

9. Rumor has it they caught the bike thief, but then you know how rumors are.

10. One of us mentioned they had scratch marks on their car from a cat and would not have believed it but they witnessed it.

11. We talked about the new directory and how great it was!

12. We admired Linda P. new shoes!

13. We discussed food and things we had made lately. Such as Bacon and Waffles.

Promptly at 5:00 we depart and look forward to the next one!

Close to normal

 I enjoyed a good night's sleep. I was only up twice and then right back to sleep. It is far from a trend but it is a wonderful start.

My next 'job' is to remember my haircut appointment in 30 minutes.

Butch and I went to the Alamo Cafe for breakfast. I enjoyed my usual veggie omelet and Butch had a breakfast taco as he had not had one for a long time. It used to be his number one go-to for breakfast This was followed by a quick trip to H.E.B. to get what I needed for a fish fry we have been invited to this weekend. And now you are all caught up?

We are on the lookout for normal and will let you know when we find it.