It’s still raining, so we are washing clothes, cleaning the RV, and reading.

Okay, time to do something even if it is wrong.  About noon, the rain decided to abate, so we rushed to guest services for a pass to the Bentsen Palm State Park, a part of the World Birding Center.  The state park is on the US/Mexico border and is the winter home of several migrating species of birds and waterfowl.  As a resident of Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort, we get a free pass to the state park. 

We began the 3-mile walk about 12:30 PM, and immediately saw birds unusual to us at the first set of feeders.  As we continued along the road, we saw other beautifully colored birds.  Here are some of the birds we saw, in the following order in the photographs:  Great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus), Plain chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) about the size of a small chicken, Green jays (Cyuanocorax yncas), and Altamira oriole (Icterus gularis).

The weeks are rolling by quickly, and today is going-to-church day again.  The particular church we decided to attend, First United Methodist Church in Mission, has 3 services:  a contemporary service at 8:00 AM, a praise and worship service at 9:00 AM, and a traditional service at 11:00 AM, with Sunday School at 10:00 AM.  We opted for the  praise and worship service.  When we arrived the parking lot was practically full, but we found a space that someone was vacating.  As we entered the foyer, we noted how packed the 8:00 AM contemporary service was, and were quite surprised.  Of course, many of the attendees, mostly of the older white variety, were Winter Texans.  The 9:00 AM service was a totally different service, with a very sparse and diverse congregation; we were among the minority as most were Hispanic with a few black attendees.  There was a lot of music, and the combination music leader and piano/keyboard player was extraordinarily good, really jazzing up some of the more traditional songs.  The message of the day was from Isaiah, and quite simple, based on the often misinterpreted word “wait” as used in the book of Isaiah, meaning to serve, e.g. WAITer, WAITress, WAIT tables, etc.  Another interesting, but ominous thing—the minister asked for prayers for his gardener’s friend who was kidnapped in Mexico, and no one has heard from the man since.  They suspect he was killed, is being held for ransom, or will be used to run drugs across the border to save his life.  Things really are worse in Mexico than we assumed.  We stopped by the coffee bar after the service, staffed by a couple from Lawton, OK, who are fellow RVers that had been coming to the Valley as Winter Texans for over 10 years, and attending this church for that long. 

The Rio Grande Valley received two inches of rain last night, and It continues to rain, with rain in the forecast for the next 7 days.  It’s hard to complain as this part of Texas is desperately in need of rain, and is still in serious a drought.

As we watched the last of the super bowl, we heard a helicopter flying the border right near us for a couple of hours.  I looked out once and could barely see its lights.  Folks down here have told us the Border Patrol flies completely dark often in an attempt to spot illegal aliens with infrared cameras.

Chef McDonald cooked our breakfast today; he sure gets around.

We drove to Donna, Texas, to the Don Wes Flea Market.  This Flea Market is by no means the largest at which we’ve shopped, but it is by far the junkiest!  There are a few good items, like Rada knives, but a lot of it is nothing but junk—I suppose that’s what real flea markets are for.  Also, one can see a cross-section of North America Texas there including Canadians from their west coast to the east coast, folks from just about every state in the USA, and a few people from Mexico.  (NOTE:  the violence in Mexico is much worse than we had imagined. Many Latinos from the US that travel to Mexico are being kidnapped and killed or kidnapped and used to carry drugs across the border to the US.  Mexican nationals, for the most part, do not travel via automobile to the US for fear of being kidnapped or killed as they travel Mexican roads and highways.  Rather, an increasing number are flying to the US for their shopping excursions as more and more small commercial flights are available.)  Back to the flea market.  Kay bought a couple of pineapples, a couple of Rada knives, and a few kitchen things.  (NOTE:  for those of you from our hometown of Bradford, Mrs. Rena Hickman used to sell Rada knives as a fundraiser for the Eastern Star, and my mom would use them until nothing much was left of the blade.)

After the Don Wes Flea Market, we drove to Paradise South RV Park to visit friends Jim and Cheryl from Republic, Missouri.  It sure was good to see them and visit after such a long absence; we last saw them at an RV rally in Branson in June 2011.  We caught up on kids and grandkids, and summer and fall RV trips.  We consider Jim and Cheryl to be among our favorite RVing couples, and hope to do some bluegrass festivals with them this coming year.

We departed Jim and Cheryl’s place just after the lunch hour, and drove west to Bentsen Palm Village RV Park.  Along the way, it began raining, and the temperature was dropping like a lead weight, from 84 degrees to 64 degrees in just a couple of hours.  We had a late lunch, a quiet afternoon, and watched some recorded television for the evening, though Kay did take a break for some serious girl shopping.

Cooking was the chore of the morning—I cooked breakfast outside using an electric burner (hot plate) and Kay cooked a hamburger/eggplant dish using the electric skillet.  As she was cooking, I walked the trash all the way to the end of the RV park, at least a quarter of a mile, and visited with other RVers on the way back.
After lunch, I spent a couple of hours at the pool and spa while Kay drove into Mission for a pedicure which was much less expensive than at home.  Mountain Home charges a high price on a number of items including personal care and health-related services, taking advantage of the largely blue-collar resort community.  Pedicures there are $30 compared to $25 in Little Rock and $20 here in the Rio Grande Valley, and men’s haircuts are $12 compared to $8-10 elsewhere.  Guess one has to pay for their thrills.
At 4:00 PM, Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort hosted the Link Family, a bluegrass, gospel, and evangelizing family from Lebanon, Missouri.  It was one of the best programs we’ve seen in the Valley, with some awesome talent, particularly the “kids” playing their various bluegrass instruments—mandolin, fiddle, and banjo.
At 6:00 PM, we drove to Alamo Bell RV Park in Alamo, Texas, for a dance, sharing 3 tables with our dance instructor, his wife, and other Winter Texans.  We sat next to a very nice, full-timing couple originally form the Minneapolis area, and he and I shared a common bond of being prostate cancer survivors, after having had the same kind of surgery.
It was late when we arrived back at the RV, ending another full day of activities in the Rio Grande Valley.

What to do, what to do?

Our first order of business after coffee and email was a trip to Walmart for some groceries and other necessities.  (Bentsen Palm Village RV Park is a gated park, and the gates are open only from 8 AM to 5 PM; we departed before 8 AM so had to let the gate automatically open to get out.) The Walmart was fairly new, and designed specifically with Latinos in mind, i.e. the shelves were not as tall, or at least that’s what we were told.  We hurried with our shopping as we wanted to get back for the 10:30 AM Trail Dancing lesson.  With an hour to spare, I washed the road grime and grease off the Honda, and then got ready for the dancing lesson.  We joined several other couples at the Activities Center, and once they started, I knew I was out of place.  Trail Dancing is like line dancing, but for couples who dance in unison.  I don’t like any part of line dancing (though you’d never know I have a strong opinion about this.) 

We left after the first song, but to make it up to Kay, I looked up the phone number of our former dance instructor; Kay called, and we got the particulars of where and what he would be teaching.  Bob and Linda are extraordinary teachers. Their typical class consists of 4 30-minute segments: polka, two step, waltz, and swing, all done to country music. After a quick lunch, we drove to the RV park where he was giving lessons, including the Western Cha-cha, and it was just like old times, though we had forgotten all but the most basic steps.  It didn’t take long to get back in the swing of things (get it, swing, like Texas Swing).  At this particular park, they have opted for the Cha-cha in stead of the polka, so this was a new dance for us.   Having arrived at 12:30 PM, we were ready to call it quits at 3:00 PM, with sore feet!  It was back to Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort for the pool and spa, and it was sooooo good.

After our R&R, I walked in the park while Kay rode her bicycle.  It sure is good to do things outdoors!  We sat on the patio, cooked and ate dinner, and read books to wrap up the evening.  Wow, what a great first day.

After our usual morning routine, we finished putting everything in its traveling place, retracted the slides, unhooked the water and electricity, and retracted the leveling jacks.  Kay paid our electricity bill for 15 days—$37.  We hooked up the Honda and at just past 8:30 AM were on our way south through Corpus Christi, Kingsville, and on to Mission.  At Kingsville, we turned west for a few miles on a sparsely traveled road, and saw over 50 sandhill cranes in the ranch pastures.  Our auxiliary brake accidentally engaged on the way, and we had to come to an emergency stop and remove it since it wouldn’t quit cycling.  As we got closer to the Rio Grande Valley, traffic increased, and we took a rock to the windshield in Edinburgh, Texas; replacing motorhome windshields is a costly endeavor, about $1,100.  We’ll see if someone can’t “patch” the dime size spatter. Flexibility is the key to RVing, and things aren’t as bad as they may appear in this writing.  We have learned to just go with the flow, i.e. it is what it is.

We arrived at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort in Mission, Texas, about 12:30 PM, finally.  We have been on their waiting list since February 2008, and finally were able to get reservations for this February when we called last April 2011.  And yes, it’s that nice of a park.  After checking in, we were led to our site, set up, and immediately turned the air conditioner on to cool down from the high 80’s temperatures.  Lunch was leftovers (seems like we have leftovers a lot).  We were then off to the pool and spa to relax our aging muscles.  Afterward, we walked through parts of the park and were amazed at the number of Canadians.  When we were through here in 2008 and 2009, about 75% of RVers were from the US.  That has now changed and about 75% are from Canada.  The poor state of the US economy is really apparent, and we are hearing that next year will likely be worse for RVers here in this park.  It’s just my opinion, but after seeing our national parks and monuments out west and seeing RVers in south Texas, “foreigners” are really taking over.  More power to them, but it’s time we get our USA house back in order!  (Kay will lecture me on this political statement.)

Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort has a calendar packed with activities ranging from outdoor activities such as birding tours, kayaking, and bicycling, to more sedate activities such as cards, karaoke, and dancing. They also have a huge woodworking shop, do wood carving and wood burning, and everything in between—we settled on karaoke tonight, and it was a hoot.  There were a couple of good singers, though none were even close to Kay.  The others would have made good entries on the Gong Show, and the more lubricated they got, the funnier they sang.  We laughed and laughed.  One guy had had his voice box removed and used his artificial voice box to sing—you’ve all seen these folks who hold an amplifying device up to a flap on their throat.  After watching these folks make a fool of themselves, we finally had to call it a night.

With respect to Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort, as Little Orphan Annie said, “I think I’m going to like it here.” 

We leave this area tomorrow, heading further south to Mission, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. 

After our requisite coffee, email, and news, Kay demanded breakfast in bed, and being the servant husband, I obliged.  We called Carolyn today back in Mountain Home to wish her a happy birthday; we sang real loud as she must be a zillion years old—poor Dick!  Happy birthday, Carolyn, and God speed on recovery from your surgery.  We love you.

Bruce and Jeannie came by for all of us to surprise to Don and Kay from Independence, Missouri.  They were not to be found, and we discovered that a close relative had passed away, and they returned home.  We were sad to miss them, but will email them. 

We then drove around looking at pricey subdivisions, RV parks, and a place to have our real final get together before Kay and I leave.  We decided on The Big Fisherman.  Their outside had some beautiful flowers along the entrance.  On Tuesday’s, they have fried chicken livers, chicken gizzards, and chicken fried steak, with all the trimmings for lunch for $2.25.  Also, their margaritas were $0.99 until 4:00 PM.  A line was already forming at 10:30 AM.

We returned at 3:00 PM, and the lines has dissipated; Ginny met us at the door and escorted us to a table where Mark, Joana, and Jim were already seated.  Bruce and Jeannie joined us a few minutes later, and Bruce played catch-up on the margaritas which were plentiful, though I stuck with just plain ol’ water—poor Jeanie just had to sit in amazement.  Kay and I ordered the grilled fish, shrimp, and crab cake, while some others ordered the $2.25 special; we are limiting our intake of fried food—arrgh!  The food was good, and those who had the “all-you-can-eat” $2.25 special said their food was good as well.  When the bill came, several had a bar bills larger than their food bill, given the $0.99 margaritas and $2.25 dinner—go figure!

Kay and I returned to finish “packing” for the trip south tomorrow.

We awoke this morning to overcast skies, moderate temperatures, and the threat of rain. Today, for me, was a reading day as Kay took the other "girls" shopping in corpus Christie. I was elated about not going, and spending some quiet time in the RV.

Several days ago Jeannie commented as to how she liked Cajun food and I volunteered to cook Shrimp Creole for her and Bruce. Because this is our next-to-last evening in this part of South Texas, we had them over tonight for our first "dinner party" at the motorhome. After dicing onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic, I began sautéing the vegetables in the electric skillet outside. After adding the other ingredients, the Creole sauce was slowly cooked, and then the drizzle began. I moved the skillet under one of the slides and continued the slow cooking, but the drizzle continued at an increasing rate. Kay returned from her shopping trip and we moved our food preparation inside to the too small countertop.

Bruce and Jeannie arrived, in the rain. We talked and laughed a bunch, then had dinner. After dinner we talked some more, Bruce told a couple of funny stories, and Jeannie sang us a new Scottish ditty. It amazes us how they remember these things. In the course of conversation they mentioned the need to visit some other RVers, also Don and Kay, down here from Missouri. Kay and I looked at each other and I asked if they were from near the Kansas City area.  Bruce responded that they were, and we mentioned their last name, the type of 5th wheel trailer they had, and low and behold it was the same couple who were part of our caravan to Alaska in 2009—what a small world!  We plan to surprise them tomorrow.

After we said our good nights, Kay and I cleaned the kitchen and washed dishes, and then Kay read the rest of the evening.

Having missed two Sundays in a row, we definitely needed to attend church today. We chose an old, small United Methodist Church in Ingleside, Texas, just south of Aransas Pass. We were greeted in the parking lot by a friendly couple, then at the door by others. As we entered the church, we were greeted by pastor Kelli, a young woman in her mid-20s. (OH WOW!  my computer just crashed, out of the blue; hope it can be restored.  Okay, we’re back now, no harm?)

It’s amazing how different churches have different cultures.  The Community Protestant Church in West Yellowstone, Montana, that we attended this summer was much like a small version of our church at home, though of a different denomination.  The church today had a "blended" service of just over 100 people—guess that means a blend of contemporary with traditional—and a very young pastor just out of seminary last June.  Some parts of the service could’ve been from a small Pentecostal church back home as almost the entire congregation raised their hands in praise during singing.  At other times, the service was more formal, though it seemed the formality was a little uncomfortable for most of the old-time locals.  Their music was okay, but made us appreciate the music at FUMC and at TLBC in Mountain Home. Sometimes, we take for granted the musical talent in the Mountain Home area!  Anyway, the pastor preached on "Intentional Faith Development", a topic near and dear to me, and ways to keep ourselves accountable (something I needed)!  After services, the church was having a “fish fry” fund raiser, with fried flounder caught in the area.  Regrettably, fried fish is an exception to the diet, and since we had dinner plans for later in the day, we passed it up.

The afternoon went by quickly. We met our friend, Jack, and his friend, Marilyn, for dinner and drove to Port Aransas. “Uncle” Jack was our neighbor briefly at RedRock RV Park in Henry’s Lake, Idaho, this past summer. We really enjoyed his company, and grew to like him after he brought us cherry cream cheese pie—he was our new best friend!  It was at that time that he told us about the Rockport/Aransas Pass area and his plans for wintering there.  With this information and after learning that several of our fellow Arkansas Travelers would be here, we opted to come by for a few days prior to arriving in the Rio Grande Valley; by the time we made reservations for Rockport, a lot of the really good RV parks were full, but Redfish Bay RV Park in Aransas Pass is great. Anyway, we had intended to eat at Moby Dick’s, but they closed just a couple of hours before we arrived (you think they knew we were coming?). We then cruised the island and settled on one of only a few restaurants that were open, and were surprisingly delighted with the food, though the prices, atmosphere, and wait staff lacked a lot to be desired. However, I had grilled red snapper and it was the best fish I have had in the area.

Back at the motorhome, we ended the evening with Kay watching television while I read.

We have had such a hectic schedule the last couple of weeks that today, and in fact the whole weekend, is going to be a “slow-down” time for us.

Just like every other morning, we began the day drinking coffee in bed, reading e-mail, and keeping up with local, state, and national news via online newspapers. Traveling with the Internet allows us to keep in touch as we read the Baxter Bulletin, the Arkansas-Democrat Gazette, and USA Today—all online.

Kay went to a crafts fair in Rockport on her way to grocery shopping while I remained at the motorhome to catch up on the travel blog and bring some order to new photographs.

We met fellow Arkansas Travelers Bruce, Jeannie, Jim, Ginny, Mark, and Joana for dinner on Mustang Island, across the Bay. It was sort of our last “formal” get together before our really last get together before Kay and I leave. Once again, I had grilled tilapia as did Kay. We talked, laughed, ate, and talked and laughed some more; we all had a very good time, and it’s nice being in South Texas among friends.