Christmas

Christmas has come and gone. We missed spending it with our family back in Nebraska, and yet we were glad we didn't have to deal with the blizzard conditions there. We got pictures via email and on Facebook and it did not look like a lot of fun. I know many families were not able to be together because of the storm. (and some got snowed in together!)

We got new steps for Christmas! RV steps are not ideal for long term use and Curt decided we needed something better for the winter. Richard (from Indiana) lives across the park and is a welder. He and his friend Wayne have started producing the support and railings for steps. We purchased a set from him, then went to Home Depot for treated lumber for the stair treads. When Curt started to put it together, several neighbors came over to lend a hand: expertise, tools and just another hand. I had a picture of the assembly process, but somewhere in the download from the camera, it got lost! So I am including a picture of the finished product in place.

Christmas Eve we went to the program at the community hall. We sang a lot of carols, listened to the story of Christmas, Santa stopped by and we ate a lot of finger food after. When we came home, the movie "A Christmas Story" was beginning and we watched it as is a tradition every Christmas season!

Christmas Day dinner was a noon affair at the community hall with about 300 others. People sign up ahead of time for a table (each holds 20-24 people) and then have a meeting to determine who brings different dishes. The park provides a turkey AND a ham for each table, but someone from the table has to cook them. Of course there is always more food than any one table of persons could possibly eat in one sitting. And so we go back again for evening leftovers.

I am including some pictures of the hall before and during Christmas dinner. Blame Curt for the "Let It Snow" banner picture! He is just glad he is not there scooping it! We truly hope for a better weather in January and February for friends and family up north.

Our weather is again cool (60's for daytime highs and 40's at night) and the forecast is for similar weather for the next week. We too are hoping for better weather in January and February!

We enjoy hearing from everyone, so keep emailing and phoning!

Progresso, Mexico

Last week (Thursday) we went to soup supper at the hall for the first time. It is usually too early for us to eat, since soup is served around 5:00, but we decided to try it. You have to go about 4:30 to get a table if a group wants to sit together and you bring your own bowls, spoons, bread, crackers or anything else you want to add to your meal. The cost is $2.50 per person. Numbers are drawn for the order in which tables can go for their soup and we were not the last, but close. If we had been at the last table, we would have won a cake! This week's soups were chili, ham and bean and broccoli/cheese. It was okay but probably not something we will do every week. After soup, we went to Dennis and Linda's and played Joker.

On Friday morning we ventured into Progresso, Mexico. Darold and Sondra drove, and Denny and Linda went along too. None of us had been there since the shootout between the drug cartel guys and the Mexican military that occurred on the main street there a couple weeks ago. (Three drug cartel members and one Mexican military man were killed that day, according to residents in Progresso. The actual release of information from the military was very sketchy.) We had talked to other people that had gone and they indicated they did not feel afraid. Though it is unlikely that it will happen again, nobody can guaranteee that.

While we always park on the American side and walk over the bridge, Darold drives in and parks in a parking lot, attended by a local who watches over your vehicles. That makes it a little easier because your heavy bottles don't have so far to be carried! The streets were all full of a thin layer of muck, due to all the rain in the area on Wednesday. The merchants were out cleaning off the sidewalks.

Three of the group wanted their teeth cleaned, so we stopped first at the dentist office. They could all get in within a short time, so Curt, Sondra and I left them there and went across to the street to get a few things. Curt got his booze and we got some quarts of vanilla. We then took them back to the car a block away so we did not have to carry them around.

Next all of us went to Angies salon. Linda, Sondra and Darold had pedicures. It was a cool day, and I didn't want my feet to freeze, so I just had a manicure. (you can get both for $15). While in Angies, there was a loud pop from outside, and all the people in the pharmacy in front of Angies were nervously looking out the windows! We went for lunch and discovered the source of the pop was a transformer blowing and everyone was without power. At the Red Snapper, they assured us they could still cook, so we had lunch. I took a photo of part of the mural wall in the restaurant.

The Red Snapper is upstairs with a balcony, and I snapped a photo of the street below. You can see there are not the crowds of people on the sidewalks as there usually are - I think the incident really hurt their business - it is such a poor town and only survives from the tourist trade.

When we left, Darold and Curt saw a post with large hole in it from flying bullets. (at least that was their theory, so they snapped a photo.) We split up then - the ladies went to look at jewelry and purses and the men to pharmacies to get medications. Not Curt, but the other two.

We met back at the car and traversed safely out over the bridge, declaring our purchases and paying the Texas tax on our alchohol.

Not Much Again

Yesterday was an extremely rotten day. I heard it raining fairly hard at 5:00 a.m. and it continued to rain throughout the day. Temps did not get out of the 40’s! I heard from friends in western Nebraska that they had highs in the mid to upper 50’s! I don’t think it was quite that nice in eastern Nebraska though. The rain has stopped here and temps are supposed to rise some today and more for the weekend – into the 70’s. The most important thing is that we will be seeing the sun!

Monday we had big excitement in our neighborhood. People three spaces west bought a new park model so the old one was moved off and there was a happy hour in their empty spot while waiting for the new one to arrive. We all then moved to the side and watched when the new one was backed in. I forgot to take a picture.

Monday night we went to Darrold and Sondra’s to learn to play Joker. That is a big game here and we had never played. It is a board game a little like Sorry, but uses a board and cards. It will take a while to learn all the strategy involved. (Darrold and Sondra were our next door neighbors last year (in their 5th wheel) until they bought a mobile just across the street and down a few spaces – they are from Iowa.) Denny and Linda, also from Iowa were there too.

Last year I helped Sondra clean the mobile before they moved in and Darrold dubbed me Hazel (from the old TV show – Hazel was George Baxter’s maid). So now they all call me Hazel! I had best wear my name tag around all the time. We bought permanent ones this year, but of course they didn’t have any 09 dangles left, so we only got one for the 2010 season. After 5 years, you trade them in for a 5 year one, and so on.

Tuesday was laundry day. It seemed like it took all day too. I don’t like the new but old dryers. I discovered that the price is still the same however. (I reported previously that it was higher.)

We had planned an outing with the Iowans for Wednesday, but we canceled due to inclement weather. Curt was so bored that he organized all the plastic containers in the cabinets. They contain all the various cords, RV repair stuff, indoor tools, batteries, and lots of miscellaneous junk. Wow! He had to be really bored. I rearranged stuff too. I found that it would work okay to move the computer desk to face outward instead of diagonally, which allowed me to put the Christmas tree on a wooden box (brought in from outside) on next to the window also. I like it much better there. I can’t rearrange much other furniture!

I had line dancing so that got me out of the house for a couple hours. We have learned quite a few new dances and practiced some old ones. New people keep showing up every time and we are still waiting for some old regulars.
This morning I got a haircut by Olga. Olga’s shop is just down the road about a half mile or so from our park. I went to her last year on recommendation of a friend and she is every bit as good as my regular stylist in Omaha, but she charges much less. Olga probably in her mid thirties, a chunky, talkative, no-nonsense Hispanic lady with a hearty laugh. When you call or stop for an appointment, she always says she is getting so busy now that all of us are here. Yet I can usually get in with a day or two notice.

She remembered me from last year and said, “Winter Texans that have a lot of hair are good for business.” She means because my hair is thick, I come often to have it shaped and texturized. She also said “once I know someone, if I think something about their hair is ugly, I will tell them” (she doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but once she gets to know them, she feels more freedom to be honest)! But she liked my cut and she cut it the same. She also liked my highlights and said she will will do them again for me when she thinks it is time. What a great place to go!

When I got home, I defrosted the freezer and rearranged to make room for more stuff. Fixing something and rearranging something is a daily chore.

Pictures are: Newly relocated Christmas tree, name tags, outside look at the Texas room, playing joker with: left to right: Sondra, Denny, Hazel, Darrold, Linda. (Curt took picture).

Not Much

There is just not much to report from warm and sunny south Texas because it has been neither! The weather pattern continues to be cool and rainy. The sun just cannot break through. Everyone wants to be outside enjoying the amenities or just in a lawn chair by their house visiting with friends. It is not happening. We are supposed to have a brief respite from the dreariness this afternoon and tomorrow morning, but then the cool rainy weather pattern continues at least until the weekend.

I have been keeping busy reading. I finished Red, White and Dead by Laura Caldwell (a friend of daughter Trish) and am now reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (courtesy of daughter-in-law Susan, who sent three of his books with me.) When I finish all of those, shelves of books await at the library in the commons area. I have also been working on genealogy. I have a lot of new information to enter on the descendants of my great grandparents on my mom’s side of the family. Genealogy is a great hobby and keeps my mind engaged.

Curt has been more challenged to keep busy, as he likes to be outside. Golfing isn’t happening in this weather and other things he wants to do have been on hold.

Big excitement at the laundry room the other day! Loads of washers and dryers were sitting outside and we all thought we were getting brand new everything. Turns out the ones they installed are not brand new, but just ones that take more quarters! So we just have to turn our clothes inside out and wear them a little longer before washing! It is not even sunny and warm so we could hang a few things on the clothesline to dry after washing. Some people have washer/dryer combos in their RV’s, but I have found most do not like them. People who rent a lot for 5 months or more can erect a shed on their lot and some put a washer and dryer in there. Convenient, but it would take quite a few years to recoup that cost.

I put the tiny fiber optic Christmas tree I brought on the dining room chair in the corner! It is a silly place for a tree, but I just don’t have any other place for it besides outside, where it would blow away once the Texas wind kicks in.! It gives us a little bit of Christmas anyway. Curt also put one rope of lights inside the awning – we are pretty lame compared to a lot of people - some have a lot of lights outside.

I don't have much in the way of pictures to share, so will include the Christmas tree and Curt erecting our "Texas Room".

Drug Wars and more

First, I want to thank everyone for emails and phone calls – it is nice to hear from all of you.

The weekend here was pretty quiet – it was still quite cool and people were not out and about too much. Saturday night we watched the Nebraska/Texas game of course. Our defense was awesome and I was proud of our team – just too bad it had to end the way it did. Sunday I did some laundry and we rode our bikes over to visit friends at another site. It was a quiet weekend.

We have had 80 degree weather the past couple days – more like normal – and the sun feels really great! We keep hearing weather reports on the news and from family and friends about the frozen tundra and snow up north, so we are glad to be where we are. Wish you all could be here too!

News here is a bit scary, because there is always word of more drug busts, drug related killings and corruption by elected officials, police, border patrol agents, etc. The news Saturday afternoon was a bit more startling to Winter Texans – a shootout in Nuevo Progresso. Progresso is the little village just over the border in Mexico where we went last year all the time. Even when there were shootouts between the Mexican military and the drug cartels in Reynosa (also not far from here) and other border towns, Progresso was still considered safe. To make it worse, on Saturday the town was hosting a “Welcome Back Winter Texans” event. We had opted not to go, figuring it to be extremely crowded - glad we didn’t. There were people we know who were there however. You can read an account of the story here http://www.themonitor.com/articles/nuevo-33266-progreso-remains.html

Now we are unsure if we will venture into Progresso this season. It may be unlikely that it happens again, but I think I would be scared.

Sunday night we discovered a water fitting for the reverse osmosis system had sprung a leak where it connects to the outside hose, so we had to disconnect it from the water. Monday morning after my walk, we went to our local True Value hardware store to get a new brass fitting and some ant spray. That store is a very busy place because all the Winter Texans who live close go there for lots of stuff! They are very helpful and carry just about everything. Then we kept on driving east to Big Valley RV Park in Donna where acquaintances from Bloomfield live. We visited with them for a bit and stopped at the grocery (HEB) on the way home for a couple things.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 -2:00 is our line dancing class. We are continuing to meet and learn, even though our instructor is not presently with us. Someone else leads the class. On Monday, she did show up midway through to dance with us – we all had to stop to give her a hug and see how she was doing. She did not want to go up front to teach, but she slipped into teacher mode in the back row and I think it was a good distraction for her. (Remember from my earlier post that her husband died here last week.) We had a good workout as we practiced some faster dances several times in a row.

Monday afternoon our friends Larry and Carolyn (from Indiana) picked us up and we went over to Mission West (another RV park) for hamburger night. Every Monday they hold this event and they have burgers, fries and onion rings. You can purchase a soda but there is free iced tea and coffee. For an extra $1 a slice of pie awaits. Curt had a slice of grapefruit pie for the first time there last year, but there wasn’t any this time. Anyway, it cost $20.00 for all of us to eat our fill, so a pretty cheap deal. I have to say that the burgers are really excellent – these are good-sized burgers and my favorite thing in a burger – they grill the bun! Yum, yum! The drawback with these types of meals down here is that you have to eat extremely early. We left here at 3 p.m. to get there before the rush, and were eating by 3:30 p.m. I guess if you showed up at 5 p.m., the food might be gone. So we probably should learn to eat a small snack early morning, a very light early lunch at 11 a.m. or so, and then we would be hungry for dinner by 4 or 4:30 p.m.!

After a long morning walk, our excursion to the hardware and grocery store, visiting friends, line dancing and hamburger night, I was pooped out and tried to watch TV, but fell asleep before 9 p.m.

Below are a couple pictures I took over at Mission West - the hall where we ate and one of some sites at the park. As you can see, they do not have cement pads there, you park on what they call grass down here - it is mostly weeds with a lot of sandburs mixed in! Some people who go there every year for 5 or 6 months have paid to pour their own big concrete pads. It seems like very nice park other than the lack of concrete - there is a par 3 golf course right there and a beautiful swimming pool.

Publish Post

Cold

What happened to the warm Texas sun? After one nice afternoon, another cold front began pushing through and we have been freezing ever since. Friday was rainy and barely about 40 degrees for a high. Friday night it got down below freezing

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We did some grocery shopping and I was afraid I would not have space for everything we bought. Refrigerator space is particularly limited – other stuff can fit in SOMEWHERE. But after we got home, I did some reorganization and everything did go in.

Yesterday I made a pot of chili in the crockpot and popped some biscuits and cinnamon rolls in the oven. Just like a winter day in Nebraska! Except cooking in this little area with limited countertops is a bigger challenge than at home. I really don’t like cooking all that well anyway but this makes it even harder! It was a good day for staying in to read and watch TV. I did go to line dancing but otherwise I am getting a lot of rest. Warmer days are ahead and we will be glad to get outside again.

Tonight is the big game! Go Huskers! It is sort of funny to watch the sports down here because it seems that the team Texas is playing in the Big 12 Championship game is just an afterthought – a reason for Colt McCoy to pile up some more stats for the Heisman race and showcase the Texas team. There is rarely any mention of anything about Nebraska, although one night there was a brief blip of Bo Pelini talking about something. I hope our defense makes them earn every yard and that our offense can find a way to score points. I have been wearing my Nebraska red ever since we got to Texas. Curt likes to confuse people by wearing a Husker shirt and a Texas hat. GO HUSKERS!

Now because I know everyone will whine if there are no pictures and because we have not really done a lot of anything just yet, I will just stick some pictures of the inside of the 5th wheel in here.

We found last year that we did not want to drink the water here, so were always running to fill jugs at the watermill. Curt decided he should put a reverse osmosis system in the 5th wheel (which meant we also had to buy a portable water softener to treat the water before it could be treated by the reverse osmosis system)! Anyway, several dollars later, it does work quite well and we have a faucet at our kitchen sink for drinking water just like at home. So here is a picture of the system he installed.

His next idea was to take out one of the recliners and put in a computer desk. Before the kitchen table doubled as office space and it was not the best solution. I did get to pick the desk. My laptop is large and I basically use it as a desktop 90% of the time. I also wanted space for a wireless mouse and keyboard and my printer. But it had to be as small as possible and sturdy. I found one online that met all my requirements - the mouse tray slides in under the keyboard shelf and then the whole thing slides under the top shelf when not in use. A folding chair completes the office space. Now it is still a little tight with the recliner to the other side and the end table between the two, but it is certainly better than before. So my handy husband actually had some really good ideas even though I had my doubts! Now all I have to do is find a place for my Christmas tree! Maybe Curt will come up with a creative solution... Yes, I know this is a lame post, but my day has been very lame and I had plenty of time.

Trip Down and Arrival

For those who requested that I blog again from Texas this winter, I am going to honor that request., but I expect some feedback from those people! Blog comments and/or email is very much appreciated. This first entry will be extremely long as I took it from my notes on the way down and much of it is information that may only interest those who may want to take our route sometime. (for instance, diesel prices and fill spots, routes and road construction and camping spots.)

Sunday 11/29/09

Everything was packed the day before, and the 5th wheel was pulled in front of the hosue. We got up, finished everything that needed to be done in the house, threw last minute items in a suitcase and left at 5:15 a.m.

We got to Shelby about 6:30 a.m. and dscovered it was too early for the Shelby mini-mart/gas station to be open on a Sunday. So did a potty break in the 5^th wheel and kept on going. The sun came up and was bright for a while. Diesel was filled at Petro in York for $2.72 where we also grabbed coffee, a breakfast sandwich and an Omaha World Herald and headed down 81. Next stop was at a rest area near Bennington, Kansas, shortly after getting on I-35.

Fueled and had lunch at the Travel Center on the Kansas Turnpike near Wellington, Kansas. Diesel was $2.68 there. By this time the skies were totally gray and the wind was blowing harder. Temps were only in the high 40’s.

South of the Kansas line there was a lot of road construction with one lane traffic and it was stop and go for quite a while with even more construction closer to Oklahoma City. We had planned to stay on I-35 on the east edge of Oklahoma City, but all of a sudden traffic slowed almost to a standstill. We were in the right hand lane and everyone was trying to move over into our lane. When we got close to the intersection of I-35 and I- 44, we decided we had no choice but to go right on I-44 West around Oklahoma City. As we made the turn, we could see the problem was a semi overturned on I-35 that was causing the lane closures. I-44 traffic was good, then we hooked up with I-40 east and then I-35 south again. Even more construction south of Oklahoma City and we also met with some light rain.

We got to exit 86 (Wayne, Oklahoma) about 4:30 p.m. where we stayed at American RV park 1 ½ miles east on Highway 59. ($20). We were told they had rain on and off all day, and it was a little muddy. We didn’t unhook, just plugged in and got water, ate supper and went to bed early. It got down to near freezing, but we stayed warm.

Monday 11/30/09

We left Wayne about 7:40 a.m. The sun was shining brightly even though it was cool, and it sure helped the mood. Filled with diesel at $2.63 (north pumps) and ate a hot breakfast at Flying J at Ardmore, Oklahoma.

We made a brief stop at the Texas Welcome Center to pick up a new map. They just don’t make maps like they used to, do they? Or maybe I wore it out by wringing my hands aroundit as we drove through Texas last year?

Last year we took Highway 380 west from Denton, Texas This time we decided to try a different route that might be a little faster (And last year when we came back home, there was major construction on 380 so we figured it was still in process). Took I-35 West around Fort Worth and caught I-30/I-20 west to catch Hwy 281 south. The traffic was heavier, but not bad. We filled with diesel for $2.75 at this exit (386).

Before long we were in Texas Hill Country and the tree colors were more vibrant than I remember last year. I calledahead to make sure there was room for us at Miller Creek RV park 5 miles south of Johnson City. Last year we stayed at the one in town, but wanted to try a different one. We pulled over just off the road on large bare area and had a quick sandwich in the truck. We have discovered that almost all of the picnic areas right off the highway in hill country are not for RV’s. Some have no way to pull out without turning around, and most have a lot of low hanging trees.

By the time we got to Johnson City, the sky was overcast again – it had obviously rained some there recently. If the weather had been more pleasant, I think this one may have been nice to stay more than overnight, but as all we wanted to do was rest, it served that purpose quite easily. Not full – very quiet - $30.00. Forecast was for big storm system with rain moving in all over Texas for Tuesday and some talk that it could get cold enough to ice up in hill country. We decided to see what the morning would bring.

Tuesday 12/1/09

When we awoke it was close to 40 degrees, so no worry of icing. Although the forecast for south of us was heavy rain, we decided to go – we could always stop and wait out the rain somewhere if necessary. We wanted to get out of the hills because Tuesday night was supposed to be much colder and if there was rain, it would be icy for sure. It was just a light mist as we left about 8:30 a.m.

We filled with diesel ($2.65) at a Shell station in Blanco, but should have gone just south of town where there was Exxon station that would have been easier to access, but we didn’t want to have to turn around if there was nothing else ahead. The Garmin can tell us if there is fuel ahead, but not if we can get in there with the 5^th wheel.

North of San Antonio we took the exit off 281 that would take us to the 1604 East Anderson Loop. Next time we should make sure to get in the left hand lane right away if we can. You turn left at the second light – which you can do from the two left lanes, but once it goes down to two lanes, have to be left to catch the on ramp to 1604. Once on 1604, smooth going until a big divide where we thought we were NOT in the exit lane, but ended up exiting anyway. Fortunately, we stayed left and were able to just merge back on to 1604!

1604 eventually becomes just a two lane road. Although there had not been any rain as we hit San Antonio, when we hit the two lane section of 1604, some rain started in earnest – heavy at times. Not much on this section of road and we pulled over to the side and went in the 5^th wheel for a potty break. Got soaking wet with rain. Temps still in the 40’s, so we were freezing. (at least I was!)

1604 circled back west south of San Antonio and then we caught I-37 south for about 50 miles and then back onto 281 south. Rain continued to be heavy at times, and in places there was a lot of water on the road and we almost hydroplaned once – it was time to slow down. Stopped at a pull off spot and got soaked again going into the 5^th wheel for a cold sandwich. Kind of a miserable day so far.

We were down to ¼ tank of fuel and did not want to try to make it into Alamo on that, so we stopped at a Valero station in Premont ($2.63). Had to go in to ask them to turn on pump and you pay inside, so I got wet and cold AGAIN! Temps now about 50 degrees and it would stay that way all the way to Alamo. Should have kept going to Falfurrias as there was a nice big station south of town (and a Walmart). Both looked fairly new.

As we continued the last 60 miles or so to Alamo, the

skies lightened up a a bit and the rain slowed to a light mist.

Exited off 281 onto 107 east by Edinburg and over to Alamo Road and south to Casa Del Valle. We stopped at the office for our packet and were welcomed by the managers. Got backed into our spot with minimal arguing and angst. Curt got everything hooked up well enough to make it through the night. Soon after he came inside, there was thunder and a big rain. That was the final push of the storm though, and it didn’t last a long time.

I spent a little time arranging inside the 5^th wheel while waiting for the rain to stop. A lot more organization will probably follow in days to come. I have to do it quickly because once Curt thinks that something is in a certain place, he doesn’t understand why it has to move somewhere else! I have already discovered a few things I forgot – eye drops (I swear I put them in but they cannot be found), and my cooking oils and sprays (I keep those in a small cabinet by the stove and when I was packing the pantry stuff I forgot that cabinet.) But we can buy those things and so far we have all the really important stuff – finding it is the key. Little things are tucked here and there for traveling and unpacked and put elsewhere once we arrive.

Wednesday 12/2/09

Today it was sunny until late in the afternoon and we had a high of about 70 degrees. The sun felt wonderful! I have forgotten how quickly the sun can warm up the day down here. It quickly went from being jacket weather to capri weather.

I took care of business at the office and completely reorganized bedroom and bathroom cabinets. All I really have left to do is organize the food stuff in the pantry and other kitchen cabinets. Curt worked outside until mid afternoon – getting the sewer system hooked up, satellite dish aligned, wheel covers on, and drying out and organizing the underneath compartments which were a little damp from rain blowing in.

The line dance group met at the hall but we didn’t dance. Barb is our instructor and her husband died yesterday of an apparent heart attack. She is from Canada, but fortunately her daughters were able to fly down to bet with her after their father was stricken. So we stood around and visited a little while and signed a card for her. It was good to see acquaintances from last year though.

Late in the day, I washed the outside of the windows because I could not stand to try to look out anymore They were filthy from the rain and road grime. Then we opted to spend a quiet evening and get rested up.