It has been really quiet around both the motorhome and the resort the last few days. The wind has been blowing steadily at over 20 mi./h with gusts sometimes reaching over 40 mi./h. It sure puts a damper on outdoor activities such as bike riding, flying RC airplanes, birdwatching, and observing butterflies.  Even church on Sunday was very low-key, and many were absent. It is pledge time and this Sunday marked the day when pledges for the upcoming year are submitted, and with many winter Texans attending services at this time of year, most opted not to come. Other than the wind, the weather has been spectacular with highs in the mid to high 80s, even reaching 90° on Tuesday. With Kay gone I haven’t done much except catch up on movies via Amazon Prime.

Kay arrived back in the Valley Tuesday afternoon, just in time for happy hour at the palapa. Of course, everyone was glad to see her, especially me. She appeared as happy to be back in the Valley as we were to have her back. All the ladies nearby had been diligent to keep tabs on and monitor my comings and goings, much like small towns in the 1950s—quite humorous. Things here in the Valley should be normal until we return home.

Sorry there are no photos.

It sure is quiet around here with Kay back in central Arkansas. I pretty much spent time around the motorhome today, but joined neighbors in the center of the circle near the palapa for ladder ball. The first two games were not very competitive, as the team of women trounced the team of men. I was coerced to play and our team of men squeaked out a narrow win. Al Crawford, a neighbor, remembered that it was Robbie Burns (Robert Burns) Day, and took a break from observing the ladder bowl games to return to his fifth wheel. He was gone for several minutes, and when he came back out he was dressed in knickers, short sleeved shirt, and Tartan plaid tam, with the requisite bottle of single malt Scotch. Robert Burns was a famous Scottish poet most notably known for Auld Lang Syne, and those of Scottish heritage celebrate his birthday each year, generally with a Robbie Burns dinner consisting of haggis, creamed turnips, and creamed taters with a dram of Scotch. Haggis is not fit to eat according to most, though the literature says it is a bit like boudin from South Louisiana, except that haggis is made with oats rather than rice.

I did not go to the entertainment venue as Kay and I miscommunicated about the ticket location. It was probably a good thing because several people said that while he sang well, he got a little too intimate with people in the audience—stereo typically a French Canadian from Québec. Anyway, we can see him in Branson as he sings at the Hard Luck Café.

Here’s Burns’ original Scots verse of Auld Lang Syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie’s a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Today is Thursday, and that means it is birding day. Our trip today was to Laguna Atacosa National Wildlife Refuge, north of Port Isabel near South Padre Island. Jerry (in the photo) and Karen Smith, our leaders, invited me to ride with them, and I gladly accepted. They are among the elite birders in the nation, and one always learns something when accompanying them.

This part of Texas has sustained a serious drought and remains in a drought situation. Consequently, there was little water in the lagoons, meaning few birds. An owl was conspicuous in the Visitor’s Center, and was definitely the most photographed bird today. In addition to birds, there was an occasional butterfly along the paths and trails.  We did see lots of birds in the flats along the shoreline, but they were too far to photograph. Altogether, we observed 69 species. Bird identification, particularly shorebirds, is still very difficult for me as I forget from one week to the next.

We arrived back at the resort about 3:30 PM, too late for me to go to the store to get food for the annual palapa party. Kay had included some canned fruit for emergency purposes, and I added a banana, two apples, and some chopped pecans to make a fruit salad. We had hamburgers, and lots of salads and desserts—it may have been better than last year and was definitely better attended. Afterwards, the karaoke machine was cranked up and I began with a terrible rendition of Sixteen Tons. There were few singers at the beginning, and I did a credible job on King of the Road. Apparently, one of the guys thought he was a good singer, as he h0gged the microphone most of the rest of the evening, but his timing was poor and he was off key. To avoid further “hurting” my ears, I left early.

.

This was not a typical day in the RGV. We left the resort about 10:00 AM, and drove to the Valley international Airport in Harlingen, Texas, where I dropped Kay off to fly to central Arkansas for a visit. She will be gone eight days. Back at the coach, it was quiet and lonely. Everyone asked about her at the happy hour, most knowing that she had gone to central Arkansas for a visit. And, the women reminded me that they would keep an eye on me to make sure I kept a straight and narrow lifestyle! Seriously, everyone seems to look out for one another down here.

I played party bridge at the Activities Center; there were three tables. Many of the people who played our beginners, are very deliberate in their bidding and playing, and consequently, quite slow. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to play eight hands. I had one good hand, but never could get a fit with a partner. It was frustrating, but fun, nevertheless.

With Kay out of town, I was looking for things to do to keep busy. This morning after walking, I rode to a nearby grass field and watched several of the resort residents fly radio controlled (RC) airplanes. Among those flying, one was a retired Boeing 747 pilot, another was a semi-retired mechanical engineer, and another was a retired veterinarian. These planes, with battery powered electric motors, are much different than those I used to observe in college which had gasoline powered engines. They still fly very fast, and can do acrobatics.  Jim Alexander, the semi-retired mechanical engineer, had built two airplanes from scratch, and they are amazing. With foam bodies, and the engine mounted above the fuselage on the tail, they are good planes to fly over water.  Regrettably, he crashed  one plane accidentally and flew another into a tree, and had to wait for the wind to blow it out. Flying RC airplanes is something I have wanted to do my entire adult life, and now may be the time to begin!

We are back to a somewhat normal schedule, beginning each day by walking around and through the resort. As I told Kay, we are getting “sucked in” down here in the RGV because everyone stops to talk along the way, greets us with a friendly hello, and most even know our names—well at least they know Kay.  It definitely makes one feel at home, and deepens the new friendships.

We performed necessary chores this morning—Kay washed clothes, and I dumped the black and gray tanks and cleaned the inside of the RV. Somehow, the afternoon got away from us, and before we knew it, it was happy hour. Again, there was a large crowd at the palapa.

Tonight, the resort hosted country Roland Garcia and his band for a dance at the activities center. It sold out quickly, but we were fortunate to get a seat at the last table. We danced all but three or four dances, doing the Texas two-step and the Texas waltz. We had forgotten how much fun we have dancing to Texas music.  Here’s a Facebook link to a video of one dance—and regrettably, Kay and I are conspicuous on the dance floor:  http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=436041959798231

Quiet hour begins at 10:00 PM, and the band honored the time constraint to the chagrin of the crowd.

Today was our last full day together for about a week, as Kay returned to central Arkansas tomorrow to visit kids, grandkids, and friends.

We awoke early enough this morning to attend early church at 8:00 AM. First United Methodist Church of Mission has three services each Sunday: an early traditional service at 8:00 AM, a praise and worship service at 9:00 AM, and the regular traditional service at 11:00 AM. After this morning, we have attended all three. The early traditional service was packed, and we had to sit in the balcony. It is my least favorite of the three services, though still good.

On our way back to the motorhome after church, we stopped at McDonald’s for Egg McMuffins. With nice weather forecasts for the foreseeable future, Kay and I washed the very dirty Honda, not having been washed since just after getting in the RGV in late November.

I attempted a long bicycle ride  from our resort to Anzalduas Park, approximately 7 miles each way. There was a $4 fee for weekends—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—so I did not go into the park, but returned back to the resort, stopping along the way to photograph the skeletal remains of an old mission. Kay and I spent a couple of hours in the hot tub and pool, though the pool was still a bit cool from last week’s cold weather.

Happy hour followed pool and spa time, and the palapa was full as everyone wanted to visit after hunkering down most of last week.

We opted not to attend the baked potato dinner at the Activities Center, and spent the rest of the evening watching television.

We awoke from a great night’s sleep, and enjoyed a walk through the resort.  The weather has returned to almost normal, though this morning was a bit chilly.
Kay returned to the woodshop to put another coat of finish on her segmented bowl, and I rode to the National Butterfly Center (NBC) to shoot some photos in the “raw” mode suggested by Gary Martins, another photographer, birder, and woodworker here at the resort.  Each time I visit the NBC, another new butterfly is “discovered”.  They have been there all along, but one’s eye becomes more discerning after thousands of butterflies! 


Back at the motorhome, the photographs were downloaded into Lightroom 4, and what a difference the “raw” mode made in image quality; thank you, Gary.  I am particularly fond of photographing butterflies that have been “damaged” in their migration, by bird attacks, etc.

Rather than play card bingo tonight, we played party bridge with Al and Sharon, and had a great time.

Okay, where do we begin. It is the end of a cold week, marked by frustration with purchasing a new computer and uploading software, some which proved to be incompatible, but working out in the end, and successfully turning a segmented bowl, and experiencing an allergy reaction to the dust—this too shall pass but, we need a vacation!

Tylenol has begun to take the edge off of the allergy headache I’ve had for several days, and the weather is such that Kay and I have been able to resume our morning walks. We typically walk around and through the resort, about 2 miles. Regrettably, we had to forgo a tour of the Border Patrol facilities in McAllen this morning with friends Jim and Cheryl, and other Ozark Ridge Runners because of my allergy problems.

We are taking it easy today, and just hanging around the motorhome, except for a break to have lunch with Al, Sharon, Chuck, and Sue at Lin’s, a Chinese buffet. Lin’s had a huge assortment of food, and it was good enough that we would eat there again. Both before and after lunch, I spent a good portion of the day updating the blog after an absence of adding entries for several days.  Otherwise, things have pretty much returned to normal, and not a minute too late.

Our entertainment at resort this week, performing tonight, was the Redhead Express; this is our favorite group in the RGV.  Redhead Express is a 4 sister act originally from Alaska, and now hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. The girls have spent the past 5 years touring with their family band across the country.  They sing a mix of country and bluegrass.  I really like their song, Chasin’ Butterflies, but they have many others which we like almost as well.  It was obvious they were a crowd favorite as evidenced by near capacity attendance and constant applause.

I woke up with a headache and lots of congestion, both the result of breathing in dust at the wood shop. Oh well.

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s birding day. The trip today was to Falcon Lake and Salaneno, northwest of mission, Texas, in the upper Rio Grande Valley. Despite cold temperatures near 40°, 12 hardy birders made the trip.  Fifty-six species were observed, not too bad.

Falcon Lake is famous for its monster bass and for the maniacal obsession of the fishermen who come from all over Texas—and the world—to fish for them.  This somewhat remote reservoir that straddles the international boundary is also Mexican pirates.  In May 2010 three armed burglaries took place on Falcon Lake in Mexican waters.  US citizen David Hartley and his wife, Tiffany, had used personal watercraft on Falcon Lake just a month before a tragic day in September 2010 when investigators believe they wandered into the middle of a drug trade. Hartley was shot and killed by suspected Mexican drug pirates and his wife escaped, according to her account. In response to the border problems, President Obama ordered 1200 troops to patrol the area, but tourists still mostly avoid the place because of the bad publicity. Nevertheless, it is known as a top birding area, but the 2012 drought has seriously impacted the number of birds visiting the area, and in combination with safety and liability concerns, there are many fewer birds and birders than what we observed last year.

At the entrance to Falcon Lake State Park, we stopped to view waterfowl at a private lake, and saw several species, all of which had been seen previously this season. Within the state park we stopped at a feeding station maintained by a volunteer, and I was able to add several species to my life list, including Pyrrhuloxia (a large cardinal-like finch), Cactus Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bewick’s Wren, Long-billed Thrasher, and many other species.

After lunch, Jerry led us to Salaneno, one of our favorite places last year.  However, because of liability issues, the private area was closed, and the bird numbers were significantly down.  Near the river, an osprey was dining on a recently caught fish.  Along the very short, abbreviated National Wildlife Refuge trail, a few feeding stations had been setup and maintained, and both the Altimira and Hooded Orioles, and a few other species, were observed.

Back at the are the resort, I hurried to the wood shop to apply a finish to the bowl, and was able to rub out any remaining rough spots. Again, time evaporated and the wood shop closed. Maybe tomorrow. Rubbing the bowl

Despite taking Tylenol, the allergy headache continued, though never reaching migraine level—just a nuisance, more than anything. I do not like not feeling well. As a consequence, we did not participate in card and game night, missing another opportunity to play bridge.

Immediately upon getting out of bed, I checked to see if LR4 had downloaded, and of course it had not. Further attempts do download this software were suspended until later in the day.

Still cold, but with sunshine, I returned to the woodshop to begin, and finish, turning the segmented bowl.  I’m a little afraid of the lathe (from watching, as a young child, my dad get his fingertips cutoff on a jointer), but managed to shape both the outside and inside of the bowl. I still don’t know which turning tools to use for the various parts of the bowl, but suspect that would come from experience. The woodshop is quite busy, and one has to be prepared for a few bumps along the way, something quite unsafe. After the bowl was turned, the sanding process began, beginning with a very coarse grit sandpaper and transitioning to a finer grit sandpaper each time.  Sanding was easy while the bowl was still on the lathe, but I could not help but breathe in the dust created by all the woodworkers.  The dormant allergies kicked in and the allergic reaction began, with a stuffy nose and the beginning of a headache. When the bowl was smooth, I applied a coat of 50% Deft/50% lacquer thinner. The bowl was dry in about 20 minutes, the rough spots were removed with a scouring pad, but time did not allow for applying a second coat before the shop closed. The photo shows the bowls side by side—Kay’s is on the right.

Back at the motorhome, a final attempt at downloading LR4 was made, this time as a free 30-day trial, and it worked! The trial version was easy to convert into an upgrade, simply by entering in the identification tag number. The process of copying and migrating the backups, catalogs, presets, and preferences was begun knowing that it would be interrupted by Margarita hour at the Activities Center. Kay had made “Uncle” Jack’s cherry cheesecake, and planned to take it for the potluck, but a neighbor, Van, rapped on the door, bringing his computer to show pictures of the several bowls he had made last winter. He is a retired veterinarian, a perfectionist, and has the patience of Job; the bowls were awesome, and the surface finish was near-perfect. We had a great conversation concerning kayaking, where we each lived, and some of our work history and retirement. We find that we have many things in common with our neighbors.

All of the relevant files for LR4 ban the slave codes on hands were copied and migrated to the new computer, and everything worked just fine.

Tonight following Margarita hour, the Activities team scheduled a Karaoke night. It was a mixture of some pretty decent vocalists, and a number of people who were well lubricated, but could not carry a tune, even in a washtub. Kay was far and away the best vocalist, and I surprised her by joining her in singing You Light Up My Life. We succeeded in bringing a few tears to the audience, either for emotional reasons or because we were bad! It was a good way to end a good day.