On Friday I was looking forward to some downtime to catch up on inside activities; those were finished promptly Saturday morning.  However, the cold and rain has hung on through today (Monday).  Temperatures have hovered around the mid-40° mark with little change from daylight to dark, and winds have been pretty constant at 15+ miles per hour, yielding a windchill of near 35°.  None of the RVers like the cold weather, and residents of the RGV treat it as we would treat single digit temperatures at home, wearing heavy winter coats and hats.  Guess it’s what one is used to.  The “downtime” has provided an opportunity to read several books, visit with neighbors, watch a couple of movies, and catch up on  recorded television shows.  Of course there has been no birds, butterflies, hot tub, or pool, though I did see a Vermillion Flycatcher in the RV park Saturday morning as I was walking, but it left before I returned with a camera.  We returned to the 9 AM contemporary worship service at FUMC, Mission on Sunday, and continue to enjoy attending services there.  The sermon was on shepherds, both good and bad, and it brought to bear on family, work, church and politics and the good and bad shepherds we’ve experienced in these areas—quite thought provoking.  Monday was overcast all day, and though we only had misting rain for a brief time, it was not conducive to partake in any outdoor activities.  However, we have enjoyed the quiet time, and are appreciative of all blessings, even the drab and dreary days.

A repeat of the last couple of days, Monday was wet, cold, and blustery—a good day to stay in and read.  A game of Court Whist was on the calendar for the evening, but at 7 PM, the Activities Center was dark and locked.  We watched another Mission Impossible movie via Netflix.

We awoke to sunshine this morning, the first since Friday.  However, wind was howling with gusts to 30 miles per hour.  Nevertheless, Kay and I rode bicycles to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, but few birds and butterflies were around.  Riding with the wind was not too bad, but riding against the wind was a challenge, and with temperatures still in the 50s, it was a bit cool considering the windchill factor.  Happy hour at the palapa resumed today as all the neighbors were anxious to get out and socialize.  We enjoyed the hour of socializing, and Jim Miles was on a roll with jokes causing us to laugh until we cried.  We watched recorded television, and I read another book to wrap up the evening.