Friday, March 23

Another March Photo Shoot

These started out being Jo Brooker's roses but now they are Peggy Gordon's roses. They have come through some tough times but always bloom in the end.

 Gleaned onions drying in the sun.

 Black-bellied Whistling ducks on a wire just above our RV.

Four Black-bellied whistling ducks hanging out in a tree on the lot west of the park.

 Parrots on Peach Street

Colleens Column-March 21, 2018

The wonderful places I could go
March 21, 2018 Greene County News Online
~a column by Colleen O’Brien

Mysterious place names across this country – Missouri Breaks, Natchez Trace, Toledo Blade – all coloring my life with a romantic tinge when I was first to read the words. I had an idea what “breaks” were (which turned out to be wrong); a “trace” I figured was a “trail, “which turned out to be almost right; a “blade”? No idea.

At first, it was just the sound of them I liked but eventually, I looked them up to find out where they were exactly, why they were named such.

The Missouri Breaks I thought in a vague way must be somewhere out there in the Rockies where the Missouri River begins, breaking east toward the Midwest. The “breaks” are not that, they are badlands, treacherous terrain, deep chasms, sheer bluffs, prow-like outcroppings, rocky trail intermixed with prairie grasslands and woodlands.

It was buffalo hunting grounds of a dozen tribes with names as romantic as the Breaks – Assiniboine, Ojibwa, Nez Perce. Eventually, some of it was tamed, but much of it remains wild lands and national protected areas. Butting up against the Charles M. Russell National Park, the Upper Missouri Breaks National Public Monument is a “Wild and Scenic River” designation.

I thought for years that the “trace” part of Natchez Trace meant “trail.” But it more precisely means following the “traces” left by herds – bison, deer – that the Native Americans of the area hunted for their livelihood. It became a trail for the Indians eventually, a tried and true path for trading from the Cumberland Plateau to the Gulf of Mexico. The way the animals had made it their trail revealed that it held to high-ground, good-view grazing, with the best odds of not being taken unawares by predators or enemies. The humans, first the Indians and then the Europeans, eventually made it their own and benefitted from the bison “design.”

Toledo Blade, which I’ve known as a roadway in southwest Florida that in my imaginings had a romantic reason behind the name, is just another honoring of the city of Toledo in Spain where strong sword and knife blades have been cast for centuries. And if you’re a newshound, you may be familiar with the newspaper in Toledo, in Ohio USA – Toledo Blade – just another nod to the original old-country city.

Another place name, near Jefferson, in fact, is the M and M Divide, which I had never heard of until I returned to Jeff in 2001 after 40 years in the desert. Had I learned this in school and forgotten? This divide is akin to the Continental Divide in the Rockies, which is the backbone watershed west of the Mississippi River. At the famous western Divide, all waters break there to lead to the coast or to the Plains. The M and M Divide near Carroll, has the same job in our prairie state, for it is the drop-off west to the Missouri River and east to the Mississippi.

It is not just in our country but throughout the world that names of things entice the wanderer. How about this description to whet the curiosity of the traveler, armchair or actual: Lim Bay and Valley is a peculiar geographic feature found near Rovinj and Vrsar on the western coast of Istria, south of Porec, in Croatia. I want to go there because of its “peculiar geographic feature.” Although first, I would like to know how to pronounce the word that starts with Vrs…. Should there be a vowel in there somewhere for us westerners to know how to say it?

The only peculiar thing about the Lim is that one side of the river grows oak and ash trees, the other side pine trees. Is that peculiar? It sounds not especially so to me.

The Great Rift Valley of Africa compelled me to read about it when I first came across the name, thinking that there, surely, a great rift of some kind happened – geological or human. As it turned out, both were true, for it is a 3000-mile-long depression of from 10 feet to 6000 feet of volcanoes dormant and active. It is as well the anthropological treasure trove of the earth where bones of the first humans – little “Lucy,” 3.2 million years old, found in 1974; and more recently, in 1994, an even older dame, “Ardi,” whose bones are 4.4 million years old. Other places on the planet have given up old bones, but not so many as this valley, this once hotbed now boneyard of human ancestry.

I was led to reconnoiter the landmarks of my wannabe wandering past after reading Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane. This is a book about thousands of words humans have come up with for mountains, hills, crags, and peaks; for woods and forests; for grasslands and prairies; for tunnels and paths and caves; for streams and cricks and brooks. It’s about one’s own familiarity with a place and the enticement our naming has bestowed on the unusual and the mundane of each place, just like what has been done over the decades with our familiar landmarks – Squirrel Hollow, McMahon Landing, Eureka Bridge, Danger Hill . . . words to instill fondness in those who have named the place and remain there to love it; and for those who’ve never explored it.

Perhaps on hearing a name, they will be tantalized with a longing to find it . . . Dunbar Slough or Perkins Prairie.

Monday, March 19

Cleaning Tips

I share this with you because this is my primary way to clean and has been for many years and low and behold, someone wrote it all down for me. Enjoy!

From RVing Tip of the Day (http://rvtravel.com/rvdt867/ )

Clean thoroughly for peanuts!

By Bob Difley
Before buying those high-priced, fancy-packaged, specialized cleaning supplies, try these two items you probably already have in your rig. Even if you don’t have them already, they’re readily available in any grocery store – and you may be pleasantly surprised at their versatility.

What are these magic ingredients? White vinegar and baking soda! Don’t believe it? Try this on your oven – one of the toughest cleaning jobs – to convince yourself. Prepare a solution of 1/2 cup each of vinegar and baking soda with 3 cups of water. Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin and apply with a kitchen towel or sponge. Allow the solution to stand for a few minutes, then wipe off. You will only need to scrub the very toughest burned-on food.

How about windows? Wipe solution on with a sponge then wash off with a hose (outside, of course!) and enjoy your new sparkling, streak-free windows. Use vinegar mixed with 3 parts water (you can vary this mixture based on the difficulty of the cleaning job) for less difficult jobs. Here are some more cleaning tips:

Vinegar
Remove stick-on hooks from painted surfaces by squeezing a few drops of vinegar behind the hook.
Price labels will come off by coating the label with several coats of white vinegar and let soak. After several minutes the label will rub off.
Lime deposits around faucets can be softened for easy removal by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about one hour before cleaning. Leaves chrome clean and shiny.
Vinegar removes deposits which clog your metal shower heads and sink aerators. Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and one-quart water and submerge the shower head or aerators and boil 15 minutes. Or put the mixture in a plastic bag, secure to the shower head with a rubber band, leave on for about an hour, then remove the bag and turn on the water to rinse.
For a homemade anti-fogging glass cleaner try 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water.
Remove rust stains and hard water deposits by applying vinegar full-strength until spot disappears, then rinse.
Mix vinegar with salt to create a paste for a good surface cleaner.
Remove stubborn hard water sprinkler spots and streaks on glass with undiluted vinegar.
Clean teapots by boiling equal parts of vinegar and water for several minutes and let stand an hour. Then rinse with plain water before using the tea kettle.
Baking Soda
You can cut the amount of chlorine bleach used in your wash by half when you add 1/4 cup to front-loading washers and 1/2 cup to top-loading machines.
The baking soda will also make your clothes smell clean and fresh.
Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1-quart warm water for a general cleaner.
Use baking soda on a damp sponge to clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
A paste of baking soda and salt will clean baking dishes – enamel, ceramic and glass – and coffee stains from cups or countertops.
It is a great soap scum remover.
For sluggish or clogged drains pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain. Let sit for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of 6 or more cups of boiling water down the drain to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar breaks down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

Friday, March 16

Winding down

Things are winding down in the park. Easter seems to dictate when folks are headed home. We know from experience that it is still too cold up there! We will be headed out after the first week in April. Plan to be in Peculiar so we can enjoy Elise's performance in Oliver and share a few laughs with little Leo.
Butch is playing in the Park Pool Tournament today. Wish him luck!!

I hope to have some spare time to take pictures of birds. It is extremely noisy with all the romance and pursuit of romance that the birds are engaged in these days. The parrots are most active when the light is subdued, however, I did get a few pics the other day.

                                                           Thrashers on Cactus


Parrots on a wire
 

Different Parrots on a wire

Tuesday, March 13

Parrots!

Photo was taken yesterday in our park by my friend Deon Spangler. We both have the same camera. I purchased mine at Deon's suggestion. I am loving this photo.

Saturday, March 10

Best for travel-Chromebook

I agree with all that is said in the article below. In addition, I use it for trivia night. It is easier to tote up to the hall and has any and all info I need. I do use my large computer at home (motorhome) to make up the questions and since I do most everything in Google Drive it is synced to the chromebook automatically. Still a fan of Chromebook.

http://rvtravel.com/a-chromebook-may-be-your-best-travel-laptop/

Monday, March 5

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.

Thursday, March 1

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...


Sunday, February 25

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?

Saturday, February 24

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.

Thursday, February 22

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!!

Saturday, February 17

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.

Tuesday, February 13

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.


Friday, February 9

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.