Monthly Archives: February 2018

Monday thru Wednesday, February 26-28—So Good to be in Hot Springs Village

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It feels great to be home after a long, sometimes wet and cold winter. Our house provides lots of space and light, something not always present in the motorhome, and the view from the sunroom, breakfast, and master bedroom is awesome. We spent the last few days organizing/restoring things in the house to suit our needs and whims, and getting reacquainted with friends and neighbors. And of course, I got in a golf game on Monday, our first full day back.

Sunday thru Sunday, February 18-25—Packing, Saying Goodbyes, and Returning Home

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We used our remaining time in the RVG packing for the return home and to say goodbye, perhaps for the last time, to all our friends, neighbors, and acquaintances at BPVRV Resort.

We departed BPVRV Resort early Friday morning, driving north to Colorado Landing RV and Trailer Park in LaGrange, Texas. We have stopped here many times in our six winters in the RGV. On Saturday, we drove in a sometimes light rain to another “old” standby, Rocky Point Campground at Wright Patman Reservoir south of Texarkana.

Rocky Point Campground, Wright Patman Reservoir, Texas

Singularly focused on getting home, we drove the short distance Monday to Hot Springs Village, where we unloaded the coach at Balboa Storage—we didn’t want another rodent incident at the house!

Sunday thru Saturday, February 11-17—Winter, and then Summer, and Winding Down

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January and February are typically the busiest months for a Winter Texan, with an abundance of bot community and RV resort activities. And, as mid-February comes, events are crammed into the last few weeks of “winter.” Speaking of winter, we continued to have depressingly cool temperatures and wet environs until Wednesday when temperatures, wind, and humidity began soaring. 
The Progressive Dinner was on Sunday afternoon, with each area of the resort offering a course. Some 200 residents participated (I did not as I am hesitant to do potlucks, unless the people doing the cooking are identified). Our area, Circle 3, did desserts, and as always, they were an overwhelming favorite. Kay baked her apple dumplings and made a chocolate lava cake in the crockpot; none of either was left!
Kay’s apple dumplings
Kay’s crock pot chocolate lava cake
Eagerly awaiting dessert
Only a partial selection of yummy desserts
Wednesday marked the annual CanAm golf tournament with some 70+ entries. Despite an awful golf course, the tournament was fun, and Team USA repeated as champion.
Yours truly
Elton, a retired mechanical engineer
Four beautiful ladies
Part of Team USA celebrating victory
We were back in Mexico on Friday for completion of dental work. I ended up having an unexpected root canal, a partial filling, and the finished crown installed—resulting in occupying the dental chair for 4 hours! While dental costs are extremely low in Mexico, I’m not sure I would do it again.
Kay hosted her annual Ladies Luncheon on Saturday, but because so many other activities were going on, only 10 women attended; rumor has it that they tried all the desserts offered by the restaurant.

We’re winding down our stay in the Rio Grande Valley, and do not plan to return next year. Year after next is questionable as well. Of 4 grandkids, three are 6, 5, and 3, respectively, out of 6 seasons, only 3 have been decent weather wise, i.e. sufficient to support outdoor activities, and we would like to do some international travel and cruises, best done in our winter months—Costa Rica and a Panama Canal transit—as well as spend a partial season in southern Arizona. Time will tell.

Sunday thru Saturday, February 4-10—A Life Bird and Yo-Yo Weather, Ugh!

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After not seeing the Painted Bunting at the National Butterfly Center, I returned Sunday about noon. Several other birds posed for photographs, including a Yellow-rumped Warble, a Long-billed Thrasher, and a Clay-colored Thrush.
Yellow-rumped Warbler 
Long-billed Thrasher
Clay-colored Thrush
Also, a Mexican Bluewing butterfly posed in both closed and open positions.
Mexican Bluewing on a bait log
Mexican Bluewing
I wandered around the area where the Painted Bunting had been previously spotted, but had no luck. After an hour, a fellow photographer chasing the same bird motioned that he had it spotted, and I was able to “shoot” a couple of photos of this remarkable creature—a lifer for me. The rest of the day was rather anti-climatic.
Painted Bunting
We were up really early Monday morning, 4:15 am, in order for Kay to transport Sharon Crawford to the airport for her return to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, after which Kay played golf, and continues to improve;  how she does it without practicing is beyond me.
She and I returned to the golf course, Palm View, Tuesday afternoon, despite high winds as yet another cold front makes its way into the Valley. I squeezed out a decent back nine, and feel my game is returning to “normal”, whatever that is.
Wednesday and Thursday were inside/shopping days as temperatures fell and it rained.
On Friday morning, Kay solicited and picked up donations for the CanAm golf tournament scheduled Valentines Day. I drove to Mexico after lunch for another visit to the dentist to be fitted for a crown. The verdict is still out on Mexican dental work, but after this crown is installed next week, it will likely be my last visit.
I joined five other guys Saturday afternoon for golf at Palm View. It was so slow (three hours for first nine) that two guys dropped out. Once again, I had a high score for the front nine, and a decent score for the back side.

While late November and early December, 2017, were beautiful, weather-wise, here in the Valley, since Christmas, the weather has been up and down, limiting outdoor activities; it has not been our most fun winter!

Sunday thru Saturday, January 28-February 3—Better Weather and a Busy Week

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Though not up to the standards of the last two years, the weather forecast in the Valley has improved for this week.
The Bentsen Palm RV Resort Sixth Annual Derby Days took place Sunday afternoon with 6 “races”. Kay did not “run” this year, a first for her; I assisted Dale Short in preparing Mint Juleps, though I have never drunk one! If only our kids and grandkids could see us now!
Kay played golf Monday morning with several ladies from the resort, and had some good shots and some not so good.
I played golf Tuesday at Palm View, and like Kay yesterday, had some good shots and some not so good.
Along with Charlie McCutcheons, a great birder and fellow Arkansan, I traveled to Salineno and Falcon Lake Wednesday for some spectacular birding, always marveling at the many Altamira Orioles that feed there. And, we saw several Audubon’s Orioles, as well as Clay Colored Thrush, Cardinals, Long-billed Thrasher (brown legs and feet compared to black legs and feet for the Curved-billed Thrasher), Black-crested Titmouse, and lots of Doves and Red-winged Blackbirds. We then traveled to Falcon Lake and saw several other species including American Pipit, Great Egret, and Crested Caracara. All totaled, we observed 50 species. In the early evening, we celebrated Sharon Crawford’s birthday at the palapa.
White-winged Dove
Long-billed Thrasher (note brown legs and feet)
Female Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Savannah Sparrow ?
Audubon’s Oriole
Clay-colored Thrush
Altamira Oriole
Black-crested Titmouse
Crested Caracara
Great Egret
Golf at Shary Golf Club was on the schedule for Thursday while Kay modeled for the sold-out Ladies’ Luncheon and Fashion Show. One of the resort guests from Canada sponsored a keg party at the palapa with both dark and light beer he himself brewed. It was well attended (free beer), and the beer was very good.
We were off to Mexico on Friday for dental work; I had two cavities filled and a tooth prepared for a crown. Though significantly less expensive than in the US, the verdict is still out as far as I’m concerned, as I experienced a  lot of soreness, etc.
Kay was scheduled to go to the South Padre Island Kite Festival, but the ladies who were to join her backed out, and though I offered to go, she opted not to. We spent a relatively quite day at the resort, though I did go to the National Butterfly Center to photograph a few birds.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Long-billed Thrasher

One other item of note is that I’ve had a headache since returning to the Valley after Christmas; it’s probably caused by stress, but it is a nuisance, and can’t go away soon enough.