Seasonal Switch

In short order, we will be heading back to Iowa and the other half of our lives. My emphasis changes because I write about what is happening in our lives or to those close to us.
Butch's cousin, Dick Jorgensen and his wife Joanne are coming down to get the grand south Texas tour for a few days so I will have great opportunities for photo ops.  It will be fun seeing things familiar to us through their eyes.
Till next time...

Leo and Keri's grands. 3 out of 4

Little Clara Davis- the youngest at 1 month.

And her cousins Beckett and Brady Westergaard

Winding Down

Things are winding down around here so we finally had time to go to Harlingen and visit with friends Brian and Mary Carlson. Mary is a friend from our youth and a classmate of Butch's. Back then we called her Mary Ellen Minnehan.

They are coming to Iowa in August so maybe we will get to see them again this year.

We then stopped at Marlene and Bernards, picked them up and went to lunch at Los Asado's. I had talapia and it was VERY good. http://losasados.com/menu/
Then back to the Kelley's for cribbage. Always a good time with family. Shortly before we came home Dwight came by so we were able to say hello.

Leo and Keri's newest Grandchild -Clara Rosalie Davis

Mayo cake

I have enjoyed this cake before and it is yummy!! Also, if the print is too small you can click on the image to enlarge it.

Slower pace

People are beginning to return to their northern homes. We have made a few moves in that direction. We do have to make plans. I have set the date for mail delivery to stop here. March 22nd. I will need to call Jefferson and have it held at the post office till we get there. I do have a ToDo list and keep it from year to year tweaking it here and there. I use an app called ToDo in Chrome to do this.

I enjoy the slowdown when people start leaving. Traffic is lighter. Grocery aisles see less traffic as well. Fewer park events. More like being on vacation and less like fast paced living.
We have had some heavy rain events the past few days and a few more are promised. It hasn't stopped too much activity just yet but I am ready for sun filled days to return leaving the local weathermen twiddling their thumbs.

Padre Island on my Birthday!

Yesterday we met up with Marlene and Bernard and went to the Island, South Padre Island, where the seafood is fresh and Spring break has started. It was still easy to get around so it isn't in full swing just yet.

This is the pirate ship moored at Pirate's Landing where we stopped for lunch. I had a Shrimp P' Boy and coleslaw. Delicious! 

 Bernard and Marlene looking good!

The yellow-headed parrot was grooming the blue and white one. They did appear to be best buddies.

 It was high tide.

 Sandpiper

 A one footed sea gull. It did seem to be doing alright despite the loss of his left foot.

 Bernard and Spring breaker guys.

 Marlene and Butch

If they had not been looking down they may have known I was taking their picture.

Beach patrol. It was a hazy day

Warm but Rainy day

It was a warm but rainy day today. It was not unpleasant to walk as long as you didn't mind getting sprinkled on with a deluge now and then. We did get out long enough to go to Walmart for a prescription. Yes, we do not get ALL of our meds in Mexico. It is a nasal spray I get that isn't available to me in Mexico. It is not expensive in the U S so no big deal.

To back up a bit, this was the weekend of our monthly garage sale. I wasn't too interested but then Kay told me that there was a NuWave oven up there that I had missed. So I popped in quickly this morning and bought it. The owner told me she had only used it once and that was not a surprise to me. There is a learning curve to them and not everyone has the initiative or interest in getting through it. So now I have two. There are times when having two is a good thing. Or perhaps someone close to me might have an interest in it. Time will tell.

It has been raining hard since about 4:00 p m and the swimming pool is filling up. I assume there is an overflow of some kind because it up to the rim but hasn't filled completely. We haven't had this much rain all winter. It has been very warm and dry and quite unusual compared to the last 3 or 4 years. Warm and dry is supposed to return on Monday. We have plans to go to South Padre Island on Monday with Marlene and Bernard. I am really looking forward to it.

Squeak, Birds and Dental Work

Butch tried to rouse Squeak from his nap but he was not enthused. 

The birds love the Gordon's water fountains and we love to watch them.

One of the rings on my dental implants came loose last night so I had a restless sleep wondering what to do and what the ultimate outcome might be. Friends of ours, the Droogmas and the Cleveland's had some dental work done in Mexico and were very happy with the results so I asked where they went and they told me on the other end of the block from Jessica's. 

Butch is playing in a pool tournament in McAllen today so having him take me down wasn't going to work and he was nervous about me going alone. Darlene offered to take me which I was very grateful for and off we went. 15 minutes after entering the office I was back in business. He did ask me to wait 20 minutes for the glue to dry and I was more than happy to do so. So $20 and 20 minutes and all is well!! I was very impressed with the place and the dentist. The place was very clean and looked as though it could be in the US. No hoopla, no paperwork, no waiting and the best possible prices.

Dr. Edggar Contrares was the name of the dentist. Now if I can just get Butch talked into it...He needs a new crown and it would cost him $160.

Camera Pics

 A Merlin Hawk

Butch and Squeak playing through the glass.

North Out of Texas-Simplified version

In South Texas get on Hwy 281 north.
Hwy 281 N to I-37 N take (exit 133) and get on I-410 N
I 410N to I 35N
I 35 N to Hwy 46W (exit 190)
Hwy 46 to Hwy 281N
Follow 281 N to a few miles south of Jacksboro TX (380)
Take 380 east to Hwy 51- Turn left (north)
Follow Hwy 51N to Gainesville and I 35 N.

The main purpose of these directions is the avoidance of the Austin to Waco section of I 35. If you do it once, especially in an RV you will have a firm understanding of why you need to avoid this section.

Our route home-mostly

I am frequently asked about our route from Iowa to South Texas or South Texas to Iowa. We mix it up usually, sometimes a lot and other times a little here and there. But this is the route we would take if we were making a straight run with out any friends or family visits along the way. This is what we have found to be the best for traffic and the most avoidance of major cities, particularly the stint between Dallas and San Antonio. From Waco to Austin on I 35 is particularly challenging in a motorhome and the years do not seem to make it better.

Here is the link: https://goo.gl/maps/zEozBogyL7m

Camera experimentation

Keep in mind that all of these photos were done as an experiment on my part in the process of becoming acquainted with my new camera. Many of these were taken as I sat in my easy chair inside the motorhome through the unscreened side of my window next to my computer. Most of the birds were in a tree across the street at Donn and Peggy's place.

Mockingbird

Dove

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Dove

Dove

Black bird

Sparrow

Friday rolls around

I am in the computer workshop and not much is happening at the minute so thought I would take a crack at updating.  Butch and I are headed...written later...to Mexico.
So we left the park about 11:30 and we debated driving in versus walking mainly because it is a long walk down to Hectors, probably a mile. But for us walking in is less hassle on many levels. And today we definitely made the right decision. The main street of Progreso was blocked off and we really could not determine why and so we asked a man on the street when we were walking back after visiting Hector. He said, "Nothing really", with a shrug. "They brought in motorcycles." "It isn't amazing." So we made the assumption it was some kind of motorcycle rally.

To back up a bit, Hectors place was very, very busy! For the curious-
Omprazole (prilosec) 360 tabs-$10
Clariton 100 tabs-$4
Diclofenico- 360 tabs-$15
Xarelto 2 boxes of 28 tabs-$66 each
Naproxen(Aleve)-270 tabs-$15
Charlote (for arthritis) 90 tabs-$30
Zyrtec 200tabs-$20

We came back up the street stopping at Jessica's for lunch. Donn and Peggy had told us it was a great place to eat and we have to agree. We ordered Pancho's Tex Mex. They consist of chips covered with refried beans, onions, tomatoes, avacado, chicken and beef with both white and yellow cheese. They were terrific. We also had 2 margaritas, a light coke, and a beer. The bill was $10.50 Oh! I almost forgot we were served a cup of bean soup too! It was also very tasty!

Yesterday's News: Butch and his partner did well in the Olympics yesterday but did not score well.
 I had picked up a pizza from Costco. It was free. I knew that time could be tight for him to get to the pool hall. I also knew he was not going to like the pizza toppings but I really did not have much choice. So I served it on a plate accompanied with tweezers and a fork. He used it all picking off mushrooms and black olives.

Clara Rosalie Davis

Leo and Keri welcome their first granddaughter and fourth grandchild yesterday February 16th 2017.
And here she is!!

                                           Clara Rosalie Davis

It's a creeping up on me...

I am getting older and slower. Taking care of two blogs has always been a challenge for me and especially this time of year. Thanks to the nudge from my friend Bev G. I am trying to catch you all up on what we are doing these days.

This happens to be one of the busiest of weeks because it is the week the Rio Grande Valley Senior Olympics. Butch is in two events. The pool event was held on Monday and he and partner Dick Cleaveland did not place well. Butch said they had plenty of chances but things did not happen for them. The next event for him will be tomorrow's golf. Butch and Mike Jordan will be playing 18 holes at Los Lagos Golf Course in Edinburg TX.
Two events in one week does not sound bad, does it? But let me fill you in on Butch's schedule. Every day of the week from 6:00PM to 8:00pm and sometimes longer he can be found in the pool hall. Tuesdays are golf day. Wednesday is league pool outside the park in the afternoon. Thursdays are also league pool outside the park.
My schedule is Monday crafts if I feel like it. It is more of a social event for me than a craft event. Friday morning is computer workshop and it takes up my entire morning!  I am running for vice president of the association again. It is the best job of all the offices in my opinion however it will be adding more to my schedule.
I have my new camera and I am loving it. It is a learning curve to be sure and I have never had a camera with so many functions. I also bought a book on it at the suggestion of my friend Deon and it has been essential to my understanding of the camera and how to get full use of it.

I purchased the kindle version and have been reading it frequently.
Below are 3 pictures taken with the new camera. Below is Fred Rabe, 92. Fred was halfway across Allen Hall from me with lots of people seated between us. Getting this shot was easy.

 This is a picture of Squeak. Squeak and Butch have a special bond.

 Our friend Bill Stilson, otherwise known as Pecan Bill was the Cribbage Champ this season.

I started a new bracelet yesterday. I have sold a few.

Sometimes I like to sit and do nothing.

This is February in South Texas

Butch brought me a cold from the pool hall again. I am not thankful. We are both going to live through a very unpleasant few days.


I purchased a new camera. It is an upgrade to my Fuji and this time I have a Nikon Super Zoom S9000. A friend of mine here in the park has one and I have been very impressed with her pictures. The phone pictures are fine but the quality is lacking. My photography hobby has been life long but in my youth it was outside my budget as film and developing and a quality camera were too costly. Besides that, every time I read anything about camera settings and lenses my eyes would glaze over. If you start firing numbers at me my mind goes into rejection mode.
Here is a link to the camera I purchased. There is a learning curve to this camera but these days there is to everything with the least bit of technology.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=11127274&InitialSearch=yes&sts=suggestions-pi&typedValue=P900+

6th grade Barbie Brock

😉

100th day!

Here is a conversation between me and my granddaughter Amanda about her daughter Elise on Facebook

Barbara Brooker This is a joke, right? Or is this the latest fashion for 6 year olds?

Like · Reply · 1 · 21 mins

Amanda Sue It was the 100th day of school so they were supposed to dress up like they are 100 years old. It's hard to tell in the picture but her hair was white too.

Like · Reply · 12 mins

Barbara Brooker Amanda Sue Oh shucks! I thought perhaps fashion was finally catching up with me!LOL

Like · Reply · 1 · 7 mins

Amanda Sue Lol, on the 100th day it has. I was not dressed up and got asked if I was 100, so apparently the fashion has caught up with me as well!! 😂

Like · Reply · 6 mins