We had another long driving day, 332 miles from La Grange, Texas, to Rocky Point Campground at Wright-Patman Lake near Atlanta, Texas.  It was uneventful and pleasant driving for the most part.  We did find heavily concentrated traffic signals in four cities, including Palestine, Jacksonville, Henderson, and Marshall.  Not only were there plenty of signals, but their cycling time was short, and there was not very much time from the yellow to the red light.  We’ll look for an alternate route next time, and will spend our money elsewhere.

At Rocky Point Campground, we were able to get a 50-amp site overlooking the lake.  With a slight breeze, we could hear the water lapping at the shoreline.  Kay loves sunsets, and enjoyed a great one on the shore of Wright-Patman Lake.  What a way to end the day.

Readying for our return trip north was a simple matter—morning coffee, a lite breakfast, unhooking the water and electricity, bringing in the slides, retracting the jacks, and hooking up the Honda.

Everything was going just great, that is, until the auxiliary brake in the Honda locked up, and the Honda began skidding as we towed it behind us.  This happened just a half mile before the border check station. We quickly stopped, surveyed the damage—all four tires had flat spots from the skid and were ruined for practical purposes, unhooked the auxiliary brake, and took off towards Victoria, Texas, the nearest town with a tire store.  At Victoria, we checked Sam’s Club, but they did not have the right size, but a tire store across the highway did.  We debated whether we could limp to Little Rock or not, and decided to buy new tires there in Victoria.  What had happened was that the auxiliary brake works on a pendulum and when it detects a significant change in forward motion, the pendulum reacts to cause a piston attached to the brake pedal to push in.  The Honda is peculiar in that the engine must be completely shut down to remove the vacuum in the brake line, and the anti-skid feature does not work when the car is in “Accessory” position—a double whammy.  I had installed the BrakeBuddy while the car was running—another requirement is that the Honda has to be shifted through its gears and then allowed to idle for 3 minutes—there is nothing in the owner’s manuals that say to make sure the engine is complete shut down before installing the auxiliary brake.  Another lesson learned the hard way.

With new tires we continued north to Colorado Landing RV and Trailer Park in La Grange, Texas, where we stayed on our 2nd night on the trip down to the Valley.  The trees had budded since we last stayed there, but otherwise, not much had changed.  We ate dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant and it was very good.  We watched television to end the day.

I spent this morning getting everything ready for the trip home:  breaking down the bicycle, dumping the tanks, stowing chairs and grill and tables, and checking the oil and kicking the tires.

This afternoon, Kay and I squeezed in a couple of hours of pool time, in 90 degree temperatures, and one last palapa party.

Fellow retired US Army Corps of Engineers civilian and premier birder, Jerry, and his wife, Karen, came by to wish us farewell, as did Al and his wife from Canada.  Gosh, folks have been so friendly down here.  It is a sad evening indeed.

February 2012, despite having 29 days, has proved to have far too few days for enjoying the Rio Grande Valley. We didn’t get to do all of what we wanted, partly because of the extensive rain, partly because we didn’t have enough time, and partly because we wanted to do too many things. Consequently, there was no fishing, no kayaking, no pontoon boating, only one dance lesson and one evening of dancing, not enough birding, and not enough bicycling. But, we had a great time, anyway!

Tomorrow, we join some 60 other RVs leaving for home, but some 40 more will show up here at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort to take our place.  This is a busy place! 

Happy birthday, brother-in-law Gerald.

There was no rain bouncing off the roof this morning when we woke up, a good sign.  Admittedly, we kind of slept late, but…

There are several things we wanted to do during our stay in the Valley this winter, but some are not going to happen.  With high winds predicted today, it does not make for good birding or butterfly watching.  Nevertheless, Quinta Mazatlan awaited.  It is an old 1930s adobe estate built by a very politically conservative publisher who was also quite a conservationist—and not, that is not an oxymoron.  It was given to the State of Texas, is managed very much like a state park, and in addition to the beautiful adobe house, is know for its gardens—especially cacti, birds, and butterflies.  There were also many animal sculptures on the grounds, and they fit into the environment quite nicely.

We didn’t see many butterflies because of the wind, but enjoyed watching the birds, though we had seen most of the species before.  We did get to see the white-winged dove, a new bird for us, though there were no hummingbirds to be found; we have not seen any hummingbirds down here in the Valley this winter!  Wonder if they all stayed north?

Back at the RV park, the pool looked pretty inviting, and we only have a couple of days left to take advantage of it.  Back home, it will be mid-May at the earliest before Norfork Lake warms up enough to swim.  We spent an hour or so there, then Kay was off to buy fruit and vegetables from the “Vegetable Man”.

Our last big palapa party was this afternoon, and was both a joyous and sad affair.  We exchanged calling cards, gave and received invitations to visit, and had a pretty good feast.  The center pieces of the food were platters of butter tarts made by Lorna, from Croton, Ontario.  These had walnuts and raisins, and were similar to pecan tarts (miniature pies) here in the US.  Kay said they were very good.  Lorna had to borrow corn syrup from another Canadian neighbor as US corn syrup is too thin.  It is quite interesting to note the subtle differences in things made or produced in Canada versus those made or produced in the US. 

Tomorrow, lots of folks will be packing for the trip north, many uprooting from their winter home of several months.  For us, with all the storage in the new motorhome, it will be a pretty easy affair.  Until then.

We have 3 full days left in the Valley, and now it’s rush, rush, rush to get most of the activities done that we set out to do.  Paring down the list to fit the time was difficult, but we are opting to do some things close by:  American Butterfly Association headquarters and gardens, Quinta Mazatlan estate, and watching the parrots roost in Mission.  Today is butterfly day.

With morning rain, there weren’t too many butterflies around, but the rain abated just before lunch and the forecast was for partly sunny skies from about 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  We drove to Walmart to buy a gazing ball for our backyard at home, and diverted to a highly recommended tamale place to purchase tamales for lunch; the tamales were excellent!  Tomorrow, they are $10 for two dozen, so we may stock up for home.

The butterfly center is just a hop, skip, and jump from Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort.  There were only a couple other people there.  We had taken some Repel “Natural” insect repellent, and liberally applied it before we began exploring the butterfly park.  The mosquitos ate us up, and really liked the Repel “Natural” insect repellent; it didn’t work.  Wanting to also get in some pool and spa time before evening, we returned to the motorhome searching for some real insect repellent as an expedient, but apparently left it at home.  When you’re packing in freezing temperatures, it’s hard to remember that there may be bugs where you’re going.  So, we were off to Walgreen’s for some Deep Woods Off.  And then, it was back to the butterfly gardens.  There were so many species of butterflies that it was overwhelming.  It will take a while to associate names with pictures.  Anyway, here are a few photos, and many more are posted on our web album.

Back at the RV park, we moved to the pool and spa and had a refreshing swim and soak. 

The palapa gathering was an extended one; lots of pre-goodbyes as most are leaving Thursday, and others soon after.  Canadians can only stay in the US up to 6 months in a one year period; otherwise their income is significantly taxed by the US.  Also, there are insurance costs as most Canadians have to take out a supplemental policy for coverage in the US.  It’s complicated, but almost identical to our “new” healthcare laws!

Tomorrow is our next-to-last full day here in the Valley, before departing home.

Our church service this morning was kind of lame; a Gideon’s representative gave a “short” talk and showed a video, using the bulk of time set aside for the sermon.  I know Gideon is very important in providing Bibles to children and others, though most of their resources goes to providing Bibles outside of the US.  Anyway, the minister did the best he could with the time he had.  For the most part, we have enjoyed attending services there, and will go back when/if we return to the Valley next year.  Because we stay 3 months or less, we’re pretty low on the priority list for Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort, but Kay turned in our reservation form and talked to the manager in her most persuasive voice; we’ll see.  We really like the “300 circle” and have had a ball getting to know our fellow RVers.  We are all about the same age, so we have a lot in common—it’s been a hoot!

After our delayed morning walk and a light brunch, I had the choice of going to the Don Wes Flea Market with Kay or remaining behind to wash and dry clothes and clean the inside of the motorhome—duh, not a tough choice for this homebody.  Kay returned just about the time I finished—a great swap-off any day, if you ask me.

We were the first folks at the palapa tonight, but were soon joined by other neighbors.  As mentioned in a previous blog, we seem to linger longer and longer each evening as most of us are pulling out this week.  Gosh, this winter has flown by, and we definitely have not had time enough to do everything we wanted to do down here.

The Academy Awards are on, so it’s time I take leave of absence and adjourn to the bedroom; Kay will have to watch them alone.

Are we in a rain shower pattern?  We had a brief rain shower this morning, and it hung around off and on until just before lunch.  It kind of set the mood for us today, so we decided to stay around the RV park, and do a bunch of nothing, though we had planned to go to the Don Wes Flea Market and attend a car show with Jim and Cheryl.  We did get our morning walk in between showers, but the otherwise cool and overcast day did not lend itself to our enjoying either the pool or spa.

Late this afternoon and early in the evening, Kay coerced our neighbor to build a fire in one of the firepots near the palapa.  Several people stood or sat around the fire and visited, but the smoke set off my allergies and I returned to the motorhome.  Kay came in later, then went to the clubhouse to play card bingo.

I took advantage of the quiet to sort through the bird siting list from Thursday, 66 birds spotted, in an attempt to identify birds in photographs I had taken, resurfacing this humbling experience.  Many of the birders on this day trip travel all over the world to add to their lists.  The next photo is of Black-necked Stilts (there is a better photo on the web album); their legs are bubble-gum pink in color.

Yesterday’s wind brought cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and a few sprinkles of rain today.  However, our social calendar is already filled for this afternoon and evening, and we were lazy this morning, allowing it to get away from us.

At 1:00 PM we met a large contingent of Ozark Ridge Runners (a Family Motor Coach Association chapter based in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas) at the Riverside Club, just down the road from our RV park, and on the Rio Grande River.  Though not as good as the old Pepe’s, they are know for their pork tenderloin sandwiches, which are about the size of a plate.  Kay and I met several new members and enjoyed the company of two couples from Rogersville, Missouri, and got to spend a few minutes with friends and fellow ORR members, Jim and Sheryl, from Republic, Missouri, near Springfield (we really like them, but don’t get to spend enough time together as we’re in the upper end of the Valley).  Kay and I split a pork tenderloin sandwich and a house salad.  The pork tenderloin had little taste, so we would rate the food as average.  Their entertainment was a singer/guitarist who had been the youngest member of Bill Haley and the Comets.  He had a great voice, but the genre of music he performed, 50’s and 60’s hits, was not the country/western music folks down here prefer.  A few of our Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort “circle” neighbors were there, and Lynn, our next door neighbor on the driver’s side, was kind enough to take a group photo of the assembled Ozark Ridge Runners. 

With the weather cool and threatening rain, we stayed in the motorhome, until early evening, and then departed for Edinburg, Texas, to attend a concert of both the Redhead Express and the Link Family.  The Redhead Express is a family of parents with 4 redheaded young women and 3 preteen boys, all who sing and play music.  They are originally from Palmer, Alaska, but have since moved to Nashville, Tennessee.  The Link Family is a bluegrass, gospel, and evangelizing family from Lebanon, Missouri, whom we saw on February 3, and were very impressed with their talent, particularly the “kids” playing mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and banjo.  We were quite disappointed with the first half of this combined concert; videos showing on the screens adjacent to the stage were out of synch with the performances on stage, and were driving us crazy.  At intermission, the Redhead Express family father mingled with the crowd and asked us what we thought—his mistake!  We told him about the problem, and he said they were unaware the performances were going to be videoed.  We ask him to have them “kill” the video if they could not get it into synch.  He did, and the second half was awesome.  Both families were superb.  I like the bluegrass  and Gaelic music performed by the Link Family best, but the Redhead Express is really, really good when performing their own songs.  If you get a chance to see either of these groups, and they perform in Branson, Missouri, take advantage of it.  We predict the Redhead Express will break into the upper echelon of country western music some day and be chart makers.

Every Thursday, Jerry and Karen lead a birding trip from Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort to an interesting Rio Grande Valley location.  This week’s trip was to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  As you may recall from previous writings, Jerry and Karen are a couple we met at the Savage River in Denali National Park in Alaska. Jerry is retired from the US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and he and Karen are SERIOUS birders.  They volunteer their knowledge, time, and expense in leading these trips each week, and Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort is quite fortunate to have them as residents.  Cars began queuing up in front of Guest Services at about 7:15 AM, and we were somewhere in the middle of the 11 total cars going on the trip.  We drove to the NWR, showed our senior pass, and immediately began a hike along NWR trails.  After just a short while, I was both humbled and intimidated; most of the rest of the birders knew even the smallest nuance of each species we heard or saw, and to me, most looked liked birds, though I did recognize the woodpeckers, birds of prey, and a few of the waterfowl.  Most of the others could tell birds by their sound, their body movements, their color variations, etc.  Wow, do we ever have a lot to learn.  A total of 66 birds were identified today, and a relatively rare mountain bluebird was observed.  We specifically “hunted” for the bluebird, and someone spotted it in a large, seasonally dry lake bed.  It immediately flew to a tree near us, and we were able to view it through binoculars, spotting scopes, and some of us were lucky enough to photograph it.  For many it was a new bird to add to their list.  It is shown first among the following pictures.  Kay liked the ibis and kingfisher best of all the birds we saw, and both are also shown among the photos below.  At the end of the day, we had hiked some 6 miles in humid, mid-80 degree temperatures with lots of mosquitos feasting on exposed bare skin.  After the morning’s bird watching, we joined others in a picnic area for lunch; it was a great day!

We discovered a couple of things about the equipment we used today.  First, my binoculars are great for wildlife viewing, but poor for bird watching.  They have a large depth of field, but require refocusing each eyepiece when the distance changes very much, and today it did with birds both far and near.  Second, the wind was so high that the camera would bounce, even using a tripod, and the overcast sky did not provide a decent background for bird pictures, as you can see above.  Oh, well, life remains a learning experience.

We stopped enroute “home” for a few groceries, and after unloading, immediately took advantage of the spa and pool.  With the long hike, Kay had done some serious damage to an already hurt foot, and badly needed the soothing warmth of the hot tub.

This evening proved to be one of our most active nights at the palapa, and we suspect it’s because several folks will start pulling out for home next week, including us.  After visiting for a couple of hours, we adjourned early to the motorhome, too tired to prepare dinner.  Instead, we drove to Costa Messa, and had great Mexican food to end our evening. 

Beautiful weather continues this Ash Wednesday; we could really get used to this.  Perhaps we should give up bad weather for Lent!  Of course, what’s bad for one might be good for another; one more of life’s conundrums.

Our morning routine is pretty well established by now.  After awaking, we turn on local or national news, have coffee, and read email, catch up on Facebook, and check some internet forums and blogs.  After getting sufficiently up-to-date on public and personal happenings, we’ll have breakfast, and then walk about a mile, disposing of trash and recyclables along the way at the various bins.  By then, it’s mid-morning, and we loosely plan the rest of the day and evening.  It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it!

On our walk this morning, there were some pretty flowering plants along the street that couldn’t resist being photographed.  The RV resort is in full bloom, and everything is greening out.  Here are a couple of the pretty blooms we saw.

We kind of let the rest of the morning get away from us, but Kay did laundry, and we made a quick trip to Harbor Freight to pick up some band saw blades, available only in the store, and found some other too-good-to-pass-up bargains in the process.  On the way back to the RV resort, we made a quick stop at the mega grocery store, HEB, to restock on food, then drove back to the motorhome.  Today, we whiled away the afternoon, lounging at the pool in the mid-80 degree temperatures, and really enjoyed our social time at the palapa.  Interestingly enough, we seem to meet new-to-us folks at each of these gatherings, and have the most interesting conversations.  As has been written previously, this RV park has a large number of Canadians.  It is the friendliest RV park in which we’ve ever resided.  Many of the Winter Texans here are retired educators.  In our small circle alone, we have former English teachers, a guidance counselor, special education instructors, music teacher and band leader, physics instructor, elementary school teacher, industrial arts instructor, and a driver’s education instructor; there are also engineers, one scientist, a farmer, an electrician, small business owner/operators, information systems specialist, and a city manager.  One thing all of us have in common is a love of traveling.  In fact, Kay and I got so engrossed in conversation with folks that we missed Ash Wednesday service at church.