Caught my eye

When digging goes on in this park you will find seashells. After all, not that long ago it was the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Moonshine

Jerusalem artichoke? or Compass plant? Hard for me to tell the difference.

 A pair of Kiskadee are nesting in a cactus located in the middle of the park.

This is the Week

This is the week when it all happens at once. It is a load of fun but it is also very easy for me to get behind. I mention this because I mistakenly posted a park entry here instead of on the Magnolia blog. I am going to leave it because at this particular minute I am tired. Maybe later...

Annual Show and Tell

We busy people of Magnolia Village spend our days doing a wide variety arts and crafts to keep busy in between the numerous events. And we bring our efforts to Allen Hall each March to show what we have achieved. The women who quilt have made 42 of them this year. They will be finding a new home at the veterans home, the colonias and nursing homes. Each one is injected with love, caring, and warmth.

Larry Ergan

Barb Kent is a big time crafter always working on her projects.

Paint Class has been painting up a storm.

Creative Idea- Chris Pearce

Cheif Engineer- Don Knorr

Dave Bruun can frequently be found on his patio working on some project with wood.

Writers Block...sorta

I am sitting here trying to think of something interesting to relate to you. My day kinda goes like this; I wake up around 6, sometimes earlier and sometimes later but always before 7:00. I get my vitamins taken, coffee made and sometimes dressed before sitting down at the computer. As I age all this seems to take longer. Along about 8:00 Butch gets up and starts into his day. At 10:00 we go for our first walk of 1.2 miles and this takes 20 minutes on an uninterrupted walk. But there are dogs to pet and people to talk to so rarely is it a flat 20 minutes. Lunchtime comes around very quickly it seems. Today is Thursday so I will be going to Costco with the "girls". We get back in early afternoon and we walk at 4:00, another 1.2 miles. Butch will be playing cribbage this afternoon and pool at 6:00. Thursdays are a day for me to do as I please. Well, maybe they all are...

Didn't know we were "Ploggers"

Way back when Colleen and I started walking the bike trail we would pick up small trash, usually on our return trip. One time a county employee saw me and thanked me for it. I didn't know it had become a craze...in Sweden. This article in the Washington Post has spurred me to be more conscious of it wherever I might be.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/02/23/plogging-is-the-swedish-fitness-craze-for-people-who-want-to-save-the-planet-its-making-its-way-to-the-u-s/?utm_term=.b3c689ded3d0

You can be a plogger too!! Maybe I am more of a palker?

Motorhome washed

Today we had the motorhome washed by Jorge Martinez of Martinez Car Wash. Call 956-563-5154 We had noticed the excellent work he did on one of our walks. He was busy washing several RV's in the RV section of the park. Butch has been wanting to get the roof washed for quite some time and I said he should have it hired out as he is getting of an age when a fall from the roof could be the end. Also, it takes quite a bit out of him these days to do that much hard labor. It was more money to include the roof in the wash but well worth it. $80 with the roof. We plan to call him in the fall to have it done again.

The motorhome is 14 years old this year but still gets mistaken for a new one now and then.

Our South Padre Excursion.

We had planned a week ago to go to South Padre and the day dawned cloudy with extreme fog. But then about 11:00 AM it started to clear so we took the plunge and headed for the coast. It is about 50-60 miles from the park. We were going to eat at Dirty Al's first but we could not find a place to park so we went down to beach access number 9 and went for a walk with the plan to go back to Dirty Al's later and hope it was less busy. We walked about a mile and a half and then returned. It was slightly less busy. Butch had his usual burger and I had the shrimp basket with salad that I have been waiting two years to eat. It was worth the wait and I enjoyed every bite.
Here are the best of the pictures taken.

The Yucca is blooming

From the causeway

Fish Tales

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

One-legged Gull

Butterfly Kite

Mr. Whitefeet

Lots of fishing going on

These two are trying to increase the size of their tide pool

Surf's up

Her Grandma buried her at her request.

Sweet Clara is one!

Clara is the only granddaughter of Leo and Keri. Her great-aunt Marlene should give her broom lessons so she can control all those boys.

Grandpa Leo and Beckett

I love this picture of these two. It is just too cute!!

I think winter is over...

...in Sunny South Texas. For the first time in a very long while we have temperatures more like we are used to here. Daytime temps in high 70's and 80's and nighttime temps in the 60's. It would be nice if this happened gradually but that is rarely the case.
Nice change either way. When we go for our walk we have to allow more time because we become engaged in far more conversations.

Butch and I are thinking about going to the beach one of these days soon. I have been finding a bit more camera time and I hope to find even more in the days ahead.

Universal Problem

Full Fun Day

Yesterday Butch and I did something we rarely do together in South Texas-went shopping! First, we stopped at the hairdressers in Donna. Butch has not had a pro cut his hair for, let us say, YEARS. So Mary cut his hair and Daisy trimmed mine. It was a cold day and when we walked in the two of them were watching Mexican soap operas on TV. They said it was too cold for people to get out and that is why they were not busy. They quickly took care of us and we were on our way to McAllen and Costco. Butch likes to shop at Costco but down here I go with the girls. Each method has its value.
After shopping, we decided to see what  Raising Cane, a chicken fast food restaurant, has to offer. We liked it and will be going there again. We ordered a combo- 4 chicken strips, fries, coleslaw, toast and a drink for $7 something and it was plenty for the two of us. They are used to people sharing because they asked if we wanted a second plate.  After lunch, we made our way back to the park the slow way and thus stopped at the Dairy Queen for dessert in Alamo. Butch said our dessert cost about the same as our meal! We had not had a day like that for a long time and it was fun.

The Day of the Bee's

Almost a week ago I was cooking roasted vegetables in my NuWave oven. It was warm enough to have the windows open, a very pleasant day. I started noticing bee's gathering around the windows. 3 or 4 of them around every open window and the door. I closed the windows and then there were ever more gathering at the door with some of them finding their way inside. Soon it became alarming because of the number of them. Finally, we managed to get the door shut, turned off the oven and they went away.
My roasted vegetable recipe
 5 or 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
2 large sweet onions, chunked
3 large carrots peeled and chunked
2 T. olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
seasoned salt to taste

Place in medium to large bowl and stir until well coated. Place in shallow pan and roast at 350 to 400 degrees until browned and tender. In Nuwave 30 minutes in conventional oven may take longer

The bee's think this recipe is yummy.

One of the Coldest

This season so far has been one of the coldest in memory. We have been getting a roller coaster of a ride with the temperatures. Right now it looks like it might give us a break after Monday and then we will have temps in the 70's. I am hoping we can then say winter as we know it is over.

Beckett and Mila

Leo and Keri's youngest grandson Beckett with new puppy Mila.

This Morning's photos

The geranium with nine lives. I have nearly killed it and then saved it many times. 

A form of Plant Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

 A view from my window...

I had to venture outside to get these last two photos. The leaves are off most of the trees these days. Buds will soon be appearing and by months end will be fully leafed out.

2/4/2018 Sunday morning at 7:00 am Moon. I have been on a moon kick since getting the knack of it. This too shall pass.

Down in ol' Mexico

Needed to go down and pick up a few meds so we asked friends who stay in Harlingen if the wanted to join us. Brian and Mary Carlson met us at the gate. We walked down to Hector's. Hector is our meds guy in Progreso. Then we lunched at Jessica's, a favorite spot of ours. Panchos Tex-Mex is our favorite on the menu. It was a fun day all around.

The music is excellent so Brian and Mary tripped the light fantastic.

Butch has wanted to buy a hat for mowing in the summer and he seems to think this would be a good choice. I think they would be hauling him off to the Funny Farm. 

Beckett does it again!

Beckett is the youngest grandson of Leo and Keri and he has a real knack for doing interesting faces when getting his picture taken and here he has done it again! I couldn't resist adding the bubble.

Dashing about

We made a quick trip to McAllen (actually Pharr) to restock our cash supply then we came back to Weslaco and went to an 11:30 AM film feature showing the movie 'Hostile'. I expected it to be gruesome and bloody. There was some blood of course but the story of the cavalry and the Indians was treated even-handedly. The acting was top notch and I thought it was excellent. It was a 3 hanky movie and I think Butch used up 4. He is a softie.

Back in Jefferson, Leo and Keri's kitchen project has begun and we are enjoying the photos step by step. Our favorite cook getting a new kitchen has to be beneficial for us too. I am certain of it. Wink, wink.

Busiest time of year

From now till Mid-March is busy for us down here. It slows up considerably after that. Butch used to complain that we didn't have any free time when I was President. I knew then and I know now that it wasn't me being busy. Next week we plan to go to Mexico with friends, Mary and Brian Carlson, who stay in a park in Harlingen. We boiled it down to Friday next week.  Monday is crafting for me but that is a deal where I can be there or not. No problem. Tuesday is Coffee hour and that is my duty as VP to attend. Butch plays golf. Wednesday he plays in a pool league in the afternoon. Thursday he plays cribbage and they are in tournament mode now so he cannot miss it. And that brings us to Friday. Most of the activities wind down or end mid-March.
Trivia is becoming very popular. I wish I could find a better time for it but we are squeezing it into the only time open as far as I can see. Sundays after ice cream. 6:00 pm in Allen Hall.

Dog Poop Blues?

Get Poop Off Your Shoe

You get home to find you stepped in dog do-do while on your evening walk. No problem! Just spray some WD-40 on the sole of your shoe and use an old toothbrush to clean the poop out of the crevices. Rinse with cold water and your shoes will be as good as new.

A new portrait of us

Our picture that I use for this blog and other places where we need a picture is from 2013 so I decided we need a new one and I had my friend Deon take one.