Palacios TX 2010

Our favorite restaurant in Palacios

Cactus

The boys gave me a cactus for mothers day several years ago. It was small and in one of those little square throw-away pots. It has grown tremendously and has changed pots at least 3 times. Not long ago I noticed these odd looking knobs on the top of it and I assumed it was part of the cactus. I still assume so and I have hopes it is about to bloom. So here are the latest photos of it and I will give you more as we progress.

Searchin'?

I added a new search feature to this blog. So now if you remember a post you want to find again it should be very helpful. As much for me as you.

From Palacio Texas

We arrived in Palacio Texas yesterday afternoon. Palacio is located on the coast north of Corpus Christi and south of Houston. We didn't stop for lunch so right after we arrived we high-tailed it to our favorite restaurant here for catfish. It was just as delicious as we remembered it to be. Palacio is a fishing/boating village and one of their highly harvested items is Oysters. I told Butch if we were going to be true to his idea of always trying the local fare that we would need to eat oysters. This of course did not appeal to him but he did say that if I ordered them he would take a bite so that is on my agenda. Stay tuned for further development on this adventure for "Mr. Pickypants".
It is always a bit of a feeling of being on vacation when we leave Magnolia Park and that is even more so this year. I sit here thinking, " Hmmm...what will I do next." So today I plan to go for a long leisurely walk along the coast and perhaps get back to my Swedish weaving when I return home.
I have some pictures to get on here but I left my camera in the car. Didn't want to go out in my jammies to get it so look for them a little later.
Till next time...

Full timers and the census

As April 1 looms, so do the questions: Just how do full time RVers respond to the US census? It’s an interesting scenario, since as the Census folks says, “We don’t mail forms to people, we mail them to residences.” It’s a tough act to mail a census form to a rolling resident.
We spoke with a national census representative in Washington, DC, earlier today, and laid out the problem that some fulltimers may face–at least those who want to fill out the form.
“We have a program for folks like these,” our census guru tells us. “It’s called ETL.”  Oh, bless government for acronyms that don’t sound like anything.  ‘Ee-tell?”  They call it the process of “Enumerating Transitory Locations,” like folks working for circuses, at marinas, and in RV parks. That process started back in mid-March and will go on til April 15. Of course, if you don’t happen to be a “carny” with the circus, or staying at a marina or RV park when the census folks come by–woops, you’ve been missed.
Others too, can easily be missed. Since they don’t send forms to people, if you get your mail at a private mail service, you probably won’t get a census form. If you’re not caught in an RV park, or you are at some location that a census taker can’t locate, what’s to be done?
The Census folks hope that you’ll take the time to phone their “2010 Hotline,” where helpful workers can point you to a location where you can pick up a 2010 census form. However, other media types have commented that some of these locations are only open during rather limited hours, some are listed, but never got staffed, and a plethora of other issues that could make getting your form a bit on the difficult side. Still, those who persevere may get what they want. The hotline phone number is (866) 872-6868.
We found it quite interesting that we mentioned that many fulltime RVers are on the road, and don’t necessarily stay at “Joe’s RV Park,” the government guy seemed a bit astounded. He then told us, “We try our best to get to everyone,”  but then pointed out that fulltime RVers are obviously, “a very small minority of people in the US.” Wonder what he bases those figures on? Census 2000 perhaps? When that oh, so small minority of Americans were never found.  Perhaps in the minds of bureaucrats, fulltime RVers just don’t exist.

A Day on South Padre

Create your own free slideshow design

Grapefruit, Ham, and Spinach Salad

Stock up on that grapefruit before heading north. This recipe sounds great to me but I would never be able to get Butch to even try it.

Grapefruit, Ham, and Spinach Salad

 

4 cups tightly packed torn fresh spinach

2 cups grapefruit sections (about 3 medium grapefruit)

1/2 pound thinly sliced lean deli ham, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped

3 tablespoons raspberry-flavored vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon pepper

 

Divide spinach among 4 serving plates, and top each with one-fourth of

grapefruit sections, ham, and egg. Combine vinegar and next 4

ingredients in a bowl, and stir well with a wire whisk. Drizzle 2

tablespoons of dressing over each salad. Serves 4.

 

 

CALORIES 236 (37% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.4g,poly 3g); IRON

2.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.7g; SODIUM 945mg;

PROTEIN 14.8g; FIBER 2.9g

 

 

Trouble in Mexico update

There were two units not three and they were bandits not drug cartel. The Mexican police recovered their RV's with the only thing missing were TV's and computers. So not as bad as it first appeared but I still doubt that they have plans to return to Mexico. 

Trouble in Mexico

See McAllen near the top of the map? We are about 15 miles east of  McAllen.

Tonight Butch helped some people from British Columbia Canada park their RV. They wintered in Puerto Vallarta. Their friends and next door winter neighbors left last week for the US and ultimately home to Canada. They received an email from them relating their ordeal near Ciudad Victoria Mexico. They were about 20 kilometers north of Ciudad Victoria Mexico (See Map) when vehicles across the road stopped their progress. There were 3 RV's traveling together. They were all three hijacked. They took everything they owned including all their money. They were left on the side of the road with only the clothes on their back. They were lucky they left them alive.
There will be far fewer Canadians in Mexico next winter.

Firming up plans

Today we spent some time firming up plans for when we head north out of the Rio Grande Valley. First stop is Palatio TX. It has been a stop for us before. We like it there. As we travel we develop all these favorite spots that we wish to return to. The next stop is Pass Christian MS and old friends Lum and Donna. That is all we have planned at this time.
Till next time...

One of Amanda's students

One of Amanda's students drew this picture for her.

A Day in Mexico

They were gearing up for their annual appreciation day so it was getting lively in Nuevo Progresso

Enjoying Panchos and margaritas at Garcias

This fellow danced like this for hours with no break. He had a bucket for tips and he removed the tips as soon as they hit the bucket.

Recipes by Request

     Runza Casserole      
      2 lb Hamburger
      2    Onion,Finely Chopped
      4 c  Cabbage,Shredded
           Salt & Pepper,To Taste
      2    Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
      1 lb Mozzarella Cheese,Shredded

[Note: One of my standby recipes. One that Butch is always happy to
see on the  table. ]

Brown hamburger and onion, drain. Put cabbage on top of meat and let
steam for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using one tube, spread
the crescent roll pieces over bottom of a 9x 13 inch pan. Spread
hamburger/cabbage mixture on top. Add layer of cheese. Using the second
tube of crescents, place on top of cheese. Bake in 350 F. degree
oven for 35 to 40 minutes, covering with foil the last 10 minutes to
soften the crust


Peggy's Crockpot Corn
2 16 OZ Frozen Corn (thawed)
2 T. Sugar
1 8OZ Cream Cheese
1 stick Butter
1/4 C. Water
Salt & Pepper

Mix....Cook on Low...4 hours. Stir 2-3 times

Peggy cooked supper for us tonight so we had Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes and the deliciously creamy corn recipe above. Very yummy!!

See a picture of where you grew up.

See  a picture of where you grew  up.    This  is really amazing....    Check  out some of your old "haunts."
   When  you enter an address you will see a picture of  that place.  There's a little map with a  little man on it - you can move the little man up  and down the block if you need to.  I just  looked at my childhood home!  Really nice  website!
    http://www.vpike.com/ 

10 Questions To Ask Your Doctor

Link of the Day:

 

  1.  What is the test for?

 

  2.  How many times have you done this?

 

  3.  When will I get the results?

 

  4.  Why do I need this surgery?

 

  5.  Are there any alternatives to surgery?

 

  6.  What are the possible complications?

 

  7.  Which hospital is best for my needs?

 

  8.  How do you spell the name of that drug?

 

  9.  Are there any side effects?

 

10.  Will this medicine interact with medicines that I'm already taking?

 

 

  http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/

 

 

How to Build Your Own Set of Questions

 

See:  http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/questionBuilder.aspx

Nina Grace

Can't get enough of the great grands.

Nina Grace

Pretty as a picture

Nina Grace

She looks so grown up for her 15 months of age

Elise Colleen

From her Grandma Susan:

Amanda had a 3-D sonogram done this morning, and attached is Elise’s picture.  J  Those things are AWESOME!  I got to go along, and it was just so cool.  Amanda has tons more pictures, a CD with all of them as well as a video.  This was our favorite picture, and it was accomplished when the technician was poking on Amanda’s belly, trying to get the baby “riled up”.  Instead, we got a smile!  J  Enjoy!!

And then we...

We went to South Padre Island and the beach was littered with these jellyfish. Non-poisonous we were told. Locals call them garbage heads. The sun has shone enough this winter for Butch's legs to take on a "Turkey Leg Tan".

Peggy, Mary and I went to Ropa Usada (used clothing) and went on a WinterTexan treasure hunt. I purchased 4 pounds of baby clothes for new great granddaughter at 38 cents a pound.

Everyone has to go to Gonzales Burgers at least once. Here Donn Gordon is ready to tackle the double meat burger he ordered. Another treasure of the RGV.  Most do not order the double meat and now you can see why!

The Iwo Jima Memorial in Harlingen TX at the Marine Academy near the airport.

Nina Grace

Great Grand of ours. Her Granddaddy Rich sent me this  photo of Nina Grace. She is now 15 + months old.
Cute as a button.

South Padre trip

Create a slideshow

Explanation

I was experimenting a bit to see the best way to post pictures of the Ropa style show- thus the 5 pictures below. I have been busy and will continue to be so but will get as many pictures posted as possible as soon as possible. Right now there is a complete Smilebox album on the Magnolia News website.
Today we are headed to South Padre with the Gordons. I will be adding those pictures to the mix as well. When it rains it pours.
The weather is finally summer-like. High today of 89. We will be leaving the AC on for Angel for the first time since last November. As I sit here I am hearing the whir of  a lawnmower and the smell of newly mown grass. Aaaah summer!

Erv Hagens Ropa Pictures

Dorothy Wendt


















Kay Voss


















Mary Bruun


















Erma Cleaveland and Mary

Egg-citing!

Personalize your own photo slideshow

Ice Storm Recovery Video

Thanks Keri Brooker for sending this. Butch will enjoy every minute of it. I thought others might as well.

http://www.midlandpower.com/aspx/Announcements.aspx?AnnouncementID=2241

Time Marches on

Clever huh...since it is March. I was elected president of the park association this week. It is a social association rather than a homeowners association which makes the job a bit more palatable.  I will give it my best.
The weather has taken a turn for the better. We are finally getting some temps in the 70's and 80's. Long overdue!
Friends Donn and Peggy Gordon will be arriving on my birthday Saturday to stay for a couple of weeks. We always enjoy each others company so it will be a fun two weeks. Peggy and I met when I worked at the medical clinic in Panora IA. Her husband Donn was a merchant seaman and was gone for 6 month periods and Butch was in sales and gone through the week so Peggy and I did things together outside of the time at the clinic and developed our friendship as individuals and as couples. They moved to Nevada and we had a long gap in seeing them but when we retired and took to the road we re-established our friendship and it was as if we picked up where we left off. I will be telling you all what we do for fun this next two weeks.

Here is a picture of us from the old days in Panora.

Suggested

It has been suggested to me that it is not apparent what part of Butch's anatomy is injured. For the record it is his right shoulder. 

Golf Ball Hit

Butch was hit by a golf ball Saturday. Fortunately it hit the ground before hitting him. You can see the glancing blow lines. He says it hurts and I am sure it does.

Roses

We have been grumbling about the weather down here but these roses are thriving. Cannot be too bad, can it?

Roses in Bloom

My Oh My

I keep trying to think of something positive to add to this dear blog...it is tough. This is the worst weather we have ever had in the valley. It changes how we do everything! It is a very serious reminder of what life would be like had we stayed up north. We can get out and walk but we are usually one of the few who are out there. Standing on a street corner for a 15 minute conversation does not happen all that often when the temps are in the 50's. Wanna go to South Padre? Not really...and freeze our butts off! Gonna grill tonight? Not hardly when it is soup and chili weather. The coats and jackets cannot be put away and wearing shorts is only happening on rare days. We are not wading through 4 and 5 foot snowdrifts and that is what we all console ourselves with as we quickly head for the warmth of Allen Hall.
If this were the first year for coming south I do not see how the poor souls would be at all impressed. I hope this is not a trend for future winters!!

Northern Woes

From friend Mickey in Clive Iowa (near Des Moines):
Here's my mailbox in it's own little igloo. There's no way I can throw it that high so have to carry it to a lower spot. Only have to shovel what the plow builds up at the end of my drive. In picture 2, can you see the ice above the gutter that is acting as a dam? It will keep water from running off the house when the snow melts and allow it to creep under the shingles and into the house. Problems yet to come. Should I sell now?

Not much new going on here.

 Butch and Bill have been busy with projects for people here in the park. Both plumbing and electrical. Rain is predicted for today and the radar map shows it coming. The in-park pool tournament is tonight and both Butch and I participate.
Angels flea situation is under control. We haven't seen a sign of any for the past two weeks now. Of course she wants outside but we are afraid to let her go. Those damn fleas are waiting for her to step outside so they can jump on her.
It is about the time we start thinking about where we will go from here and we have been doing a bit of that. Haven't come to any conclusions however. It does not seem the time to head north too early. All that snow has to go somewhere, sometime. Best case scenario would be a slow warm up so that the runoff is also slow but that means it would be a late Spring with cold and cool temps well into June. It sounds like quite a balancing act. Predictions do not mean a thing. It usually is getting hot enough here by April 1st that we are ready to venture north but we have had a cold winter here too so the temps in April may be quite pleasant right where we are. What will be , will be. Let's wait and see.
We have company coming in March. Friends Donn & Peggy Gordon from Nevada. That will change our routine a bunch and we are looking forward to it.
Till next time...

Shirley Franey's Birthday

Shirley's son Mike flew into McAllen to surprise his mom and help her celebrate her birthday. Way to go Mike!!

Greene County Iowa gathering

A light crowd gathered at Lin's Chinese restaurant in Weslaco TX for the annual Greene County get together. Those who were there enjoyed the food and the company. See ya'all next year!

Brian & Mary Carlson

Dale Weaver

Shirley Franey

Dave and Cherie Roquet

                                                        Carolyn & Eugene Houk

                                                           Hazel Monthei

                                           Hosts- Jane & Bill Ecklund

                                                 Bill & Jo Brooker

Get This: Warming Planet Can Mean More Snow- From NPR

Get This: Warming Planet Can Mean More Snow

February 15, 2010 Shared

View and comment on NPR.org

With snow blanketing much of the country, the topic of global warming has become the butt of jokes. Climate skeptics built an igloo in Washington, D.C., during the recent storm and dedicated it to former Vice President Al Gore, who's become the public face of climate change. There was also a YouTube video called "12 inches of global warming" that showed snow plows driving through a blizzard. For scientists who study the climate, it's all a bit much. They're trying to dig out. Most don't see a contradiction between a warming world and lots of snow. That includes Kevin Trenberth, a prominent climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. "The fact that the oceans are warmer now than they were, say, 30 years ago means there's about on average 4 percent more water vapor lurking around over the oceans than there was, say, in the 1970s," he says. Warmer water means more water vapor rises up into the air, and what goes up must come down. "So one of the consequences of a warming ocean near a coastline like the East Coast and Washington, D.C., for instance, is that you can get dumped on with more snow partly as a consequence of global warming," he says. And Trenberth notes that you don't need very cold temperatures to get big snow. In fact, when the mercury drops too low, it may be too cold to snow. There's something else fiddling with the weather this year — a strong El Nino. That's the weather pattern that, every few years, raises itself up out of the western Pacific Ocean and blows east to the Americas. It brings heavy rains and storms to California and the south and southeast. It also pushes high-altitude jet streams farther south, which bring colder air with them. Trenberth also says El Nino can "lock in" weather patterns like a meteorological highway, so that storms keep coming down the same track. True, those storms have been record breakers. But meteorologist Jeff Masters, with the Web siteWeather Underground, says it's average temperatures — not snowfall — that really measure climate change. "Because if it's cold enough to snow, you will get snow," Masters says. "We still have winter even if temperatures have warmed on average, oh, about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years." Masters say that 1 degree average warming is not enough to eliminate winter. Or storms. A storm is part of what scientists classify as weather. Weather is largely influenced by local conditions and changes week to week. It's fickle — fraught with wild ups and downs. Climate is the long-term trend of atmospheric conditions across large regions, even the whole planet. Changes in climate are slow and measured in decades, not weeks. Masters and most climate scientists say a warming climate would be expected to affect the weather, sometimes drastically, but exactly where and when is hard to predict. "In that kind of a climate, you will have more frequent extreme events, heat waves and so on, but again, none of those individual events is proof itself that climate is changing," Masters says. Climate scientists say they can't prove any single weather event is due to climate change. Thus, they say, Hurricane Katrina or the heat wave in Vancouver that's dogging the Winter Olympics isn't proof that climate change is happening. Nor can southern and eastern snowstorms prove that it's not.