Monday, March 3—Girls Day Out

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With yukky weather—cold and light rain—and Kay preparing for her now annual Girls Day Out, I walked to the Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, registered, and walked further by the resaca (Rio Grande River oxbow) shown above, to the Kiskadee Blind, my “go to” place when the weather is unfit for other outdoor pursuits, passing the volunteers who fill the feeders each day.  Inside the blind there was little wind and with a roof, no rain.  Birds were coming in at once, attracted by the fresh suet, oranges, and seeds.  Overcast skies necessitated a very high ISO speed in order to get a decent f: stop and shutter speed.  No unusual birds were there, but the Black-headed Grosbeak posed at length.
After Kay returned from Girl’s Day Out, we joined a few other hardy circle residents for happy hour at the palapa; the hot coffee/hot chocolate was good as we huddled around the small propane burner.  Kay prepared chili for our meal, and it was very appropriate given the cold, wet weather.  We watched a lot of recorded television, spending a quiet evening in the motorhome.
KAY’S TAKE:  I think the ladies of BPV, Circle 3, have established an annual luncheon tradition.  Last year several of us met at Renee’s of Sharyland to eat at their café and browse/shop in the shoppes connected to the café.  Renee’s is located on East Griffin Parkway about 7 miles from our RV resort.  We met in the inner circle this year, loaded in five cars, and headed out about 10:30 a.m.  Sandy Fuller, a former circle member, joined us also.   I believe we were seventeen (17) strong today!  
It was a rainy and cold (relatively cold 40+ degrees in the valley) day, and we bundled up braving the cold to have some quality ‘girl’ time.  I had alerted the restaurant that a large group would be ordering around 11:00.  The restaurant has homemade soup, salads, and sandwiches, plus some delicious looking (deadly) desserts.  We each placed our order at the counter and sat down to visit while the lovely Hispanic waitress brought out our drinks and orders as they were prepared.  Some of the items that were ordered included:  chicken salad plate, Mexican taco salad with beef or chicken, Manhatten salad, wraps, paninis, corned beef sandwiches, and even a pasta dish.  Several ordered the cheesecake and the coconut cake.  Then we browsed the shoppes attached to Renee’s – some clothing, Vera Bradley bags, jewelry, shoes, purses, etc.   Of course, if we bought something, we’d have to remove something from our RV’s to make room!  Hehehehe!  We decided what happens at ladies lunch, stays at ladies lunch.

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We also went to the shopping strip next door because there is a great Hispanic café and bakery.  Not sure what many of the baked items were, but they all looked wonderful.  This bakery is where I scored the outstanding (and vastly discounted) 3 Kings Cake that we all enjoyed in January.  
Several pictures show the ladies enjoying the food and the good camaraderie.   I wouldn’t be surprised if many returned to the RVs for a nice nap on a yucky afternoon.  Thanks ladies for a lovely ladies lunch.  Fun, Fun.

Sunday, March 2—Yet Another Cold Front is Blowing In

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We attended First United Methodist Church in Mission Sunday morning for the next to last time this winter season, and most people who attend the same service as we attend—Winter Texans make up the majority of the congregation—are still in the Valley; none want to return home to snow and cold!  After returning to the RV, we had a late breakfast, read the newspaper, and napped.  The wind was blowing 25 miles per hour and gusting to about 45 miles per hour, prohibiting any significant outdoor activity—and I wanted to go to the National Butterfly Center one last time before the cold front arrived to chance seeing a Mexican Bluewing.  Hopefully, we’ll get some warm days, back-to-back, before we leave and the butterflies will be abundant.  They have already begun their migration north as we’re seeing some species not seen since December.  Several of the folks in our circle either don’t use air conditioning, or have problems with theirs.  Consequently, on really warm days they’ll gather at the shaded palapa to enjoy the relatively cool breezes.  About mid-afternoon Kay was still napping, and Al, Sharon, Chuck, and Sue were visiting in the palapa.  I moseyed over and joined them, and Kay came over a bit later bringing her Swedish weaving project.  And then, most of the circle residents gathered for our daily visit (happy hour).  With Mardi Gras coming up this week, Kay had purchased a dozen masks for the ladies, and they quickly disappeared.  Sue Mercer brought over a bag of Mardi Gras beads and distributed them as well.  Fat Tuesday is shaping up to be a party day!   We left about 6 PM, and Kay continued working on her Swedish weaving project, finally finishing this beautiful piece of art!

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The palapa happy hour continued well past 8 PM, and Al and Sharon were coming over at 7 PM for bridge, but got delayed waiting for pizza.  Once they arrived, we played several rubbers of bridge while watching the Academy Awards.  As always, we had a great time, and are getting a bit better at bidding and playing the game.

Saturday, March 1—No Slowing Down

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Any chance of seeing butterflies had to occur Saturday morning as cold weather is coming again late Sunday night.  This allowed time for only a short bike ride; Van and I rode together for about 6 miles, and then I split off to return to the RV to pick-up the camera and binoculars for a quick visit to the National Butterfly Center before getting ready for the Mariachi concert at La Joya High School.  Here are the ride statistics:
Ride Time: 1:10:28
Stopped Time: 6:07
Distance: 11.98 miles
Average: 10.20 mph
Fastest Speed: 24.80 mph
Ascent: 190 feet
Descent: 200 feet
Calories: 847
140301 E 017I was “targeting” a Mexican Bluewing butterfly at the NBC, but had no such luck as few butterflies were flying; a nice Monarch sat still long enough to be photographed, though.  Waiting for the sun to warm the place so more butterflies would be around, I sat down at the bird feeding station, and was lucky enough to photograph a male Lesser Goldfinch, a “life bird” for me.  140301 E 005A life bird or life butterfly is one that you’ve seen for the first time.
After lunch, a group from the BPVRV Resort carpooled to La Joya High School for their spring folklorico and mariachi concert.  The photo below was borrowed from their website, and shows one set of colorful costumes.
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This is one of the most successful programs in the United States for keeping Hispanic students in school, and it started in the Rio Grande Valley with the La Joya Independent School District. Some 25 years ago, the district decided to pioneer a ballet folklorico and mariachi program for students to motivate low-performing Hispanic students to stay in school by giving them something representative of their Hispanic culture to keep their interest in school. We have attended several shows and concerts at local high schools in the Rio Grande Valley, and are amazed at not only the quality of infrastructure but also the superb quality of their performing arts programs.  Texas high schools are known for their athletic programs, and more specifically, football, but from what we’ve seen they also strongly support the fine and performing arts programs.  And, they really appreciate Winter Texans and schedule several performances for us.  It would be impossible to describe the Mariachi concert, but suffice to say that it included lots of traditional Mexican music and dancing, and the students were awesome!  There were several costume changes, and the costumes were elaborate.  After the busy morning and afternoon, we chilled during the evening with Kay working on her Swedish weaving and I worked on the blog.
NOTE:  Almost 70 RVs pulled out this morning (Saturday), ending their 2013-2014 season at the resort.  Several traveled to Buckhorn Lake Resort in Kerrville, TX, to meet up with other “jammers”.  Apparently, this is the place for singers and musicians to gather on their way north.  Consequently, as a result of a diminished population, resort activities at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort have slowed considerably. Most of the rest of us will leave on March 15, IF weather at home is decent; however, many Canadians are already planning on extending their stay because of the heavy snow cover and brutal cold back home!  Also, on a different note, hundreds of vultures were observed at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, on their way north for the spring and summer.  The park has a Hawk Tower, and is used in March and April for counting vultures and birds of prey as they migrate.  Hundreds upon hundreds are counted some days, and several RVers in our resort extend their stay to be a part of the process.
 

Monday through Friday, February 24-28—Wrapping Up the Season, for Some

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Exercise for Kay, golf for me—that’s how our Monday began.  With overcast skies, the rain began shortly after teeing off on the first hole, and never quit, though it was not a hard rain.  The other two-some with us called it quits after a couple of holes, taking a rain check for some other day.  Inclement weather prohibited any outside activities for the remainder of the day, except, of course, for happy hour at the palapa.  Al and Sharon came over in the evening and we played bridge.
Our friends and neighbors, Chuck and Sue Mercer, are selling their house in Ontario and moving to a condo near Edmonton, Alberta.  Another neighbor, Van, who had assisted them in scanning and sending and receiving paperwork for a potential sale, had flown to Ontario for a few days to assist in finalizing his father’s estate.  Consequently, we offered to assist them.  While our wireless printer works great as a printer, it has to be hard-wired to be used as a scanner, and I had not set up either the MacBook Pro or Kay’s HP with the appropriate software to scan.  Because of slow internet speeds, it took forever to download the software and install it on Kay’s HP.  But once it was done, scanning several pages of real estate sales documents went off without a hitch.  With time to spare, we met Jim and Cheryl Watts, friends from the Ozark Ridge Runners, for lunch at Wallbanger’s, having a great visit over salads and burgers.  It is always enjoyable spending time with Jim and Cheryl.  We “caught up” on family and ORR news, and were really enjoying the visit, until two busloads of junior high students arrived!  They are so talkative and loud, and overtook the restaurant; we quickly finished the visit, and said goodbyes until next time.  Tuesday evening is card night at the BPVRV Resort, and we walked over to play bridge.  The Activities Center was filled with smoke from the barbecue grill being used to prepare for tomorrow’s cookout and dance.  With one too many players, I readily agreed not to play and returned to the RV to spend a quiet evening.
A cold front bore down on us, beginning early Wednesday morning.  At 6 AM, it was 72•, overcast, and the wind was howling.  Kay was off to exercise, and Al and I were off to the golf course.  It began raining lightly as we entered the clubhouse, and the other golfers were eating breakfast, having decided not to brave the elements.  We played all 18 holes despite occasional light rain, wind, and dropping temperatures—from 72° to 54° in 18 holes!  We finished in record time, giving us plenty of opportunity to get ready for the barbecue and dance.  Original plans had been to have the barbecue outside, and dance inside the Activities Center..  However, rain and cold temperatures caused plans to change.  

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We all crowded into the Center for barbecue, and after a hour and a half, the tables were removed, chairs were located around the room, and the remaining floor became a small dance floor.  “Country Roland” Garcia Jr., one of our favorite bands, played and we danced until dark.  Interestingly, there were few dancers, so there were only three or four couples dancing most of the time, and the line dancers rarely danced, leaving the floor for the rest of us.  Once though, when he played some 60s music, the floor was packed—another sign that the resort is getting younger as fewer resort residents dance the Texas 2-Step.  The barbecue and dance is a last hurrah for many of the resort residents as they will begin packing up on Thursday and departing on Friday or Saturday for home or parts unknown.  After the dance, we shopped at Sam’s Club, Costco, and Staples, killing a good portion of the evening.Back at the RV, and despite the late hour, we finally watched some recorded television programs, namely NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles, after an absence of several weeks.
We awoke Thursday morning to temperatures in the low 40s, cold for us.  We don’t want to complain too much as we know what other parts of the country are experiencing.  Not having had a haircut since before Christmas, my curly, almost white hair was too long for comfort, and Kay arranged for her stylist to cut it; she really whacked it off, so it should be good until early spring!  Too cold to “play” outside, Kay did laundry and I worked on a presentation, Creating a Blog, for the Photography Club.  In between washing, drying, and folding clothes, Kay worked on the Swedish weaving piece started last year; she’s almost finished!  Temperatures warmed to the high 50s by late afternoon, allowing us to get together in the palapa before waling over to the Activities Center for an ice cream social.  The place was packed as the ice cream and cake were free.  Card night was late starting, but we managed to play several rounds before breaking up at 9 PM.
Kay played hooky and did not attend exercise Friday morning.  Instead, she continued Swedish weaving; she’s just a few days away from finishing this beautiful piece.  At the Photography Club meeting, I gave a presentation on creating a blog.  This past summer we saw a presentation in Copper Harbor, Michigan, where the presenter used an iPad wirelessly connected to a projector via a wi-fi router and Apple TV.  It piqued my interest and the presentation today employed the same technology and worked flawlessly.  As part of the presentation, several blogs that we read and enjoy were shown.  Afterward, Kay went to the pool and spa and I lazed around the RV, finally joining Al at the palapa for rest and relaxation.   575568 241274082642985 1139857452 nAl, Sharon, Chuck, Sue, Kay and I had dinner at the RGV’s only German restaurant, Schneider’s.  The food was okay, but overpriced.  And they charged $1.50 for water, bottled of course.  We got back to the resort just in time to attend the season’s last show, Bill Chrastil. His show features a salute to music legends: Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Tom Jones and The Ventures.  He was good, and did a great job of singing songs of the legends.  He has a decent voice but with a pretty narrow range, and would have sounded great featuring it.   [NOTE:  This note is being added a few days later as it was a forgotten piece of history—in his show he does the Elvis thing and gives out scarves to a few select women in the audience.  Of course Kay got one, and wore it home; it so reeked of cheap cologne that she took it off before entering the RV!  It’s still hanging outside 4 days later; yuk.] 

The month of February has ended.  It has been an incredibly busy month, with a full resort and lots of activities.  We renewed several old friendships.  While the weather has been abnormal, with more cold and windy days that normal, it didn’t seem to slow us down.  Tomorrow, 70 RVs—almost a third of the resort’s capacity— depart for home, most making long stops in Kerrville and other places on the way home It is with more than an bit of melancholy that we bid adieu to these Winter Texan friends and the month of February.

Sunday, February 23—Hockey, Church, Cycling, Arts, and a Party

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Sunday deserves an entry by itself,  as it was jam packed with activities, beginning early in the morning, 6 AM, when Canada played Sweden for the gold medal in this winter’s Olympics.  Both hockey and curling are huge sports in Canada, and this morning’s live broadcast via Canadian television was viewed by a palapa full of mostly Canadians in the Circle 3 palapa.  A television and satellite receiver had been set up, and donuts and coffee were plentiful.  Kay’s pecan pie muffins were a fabulous hit.  We’re still working on the correct pronunciation of pecan—“pee can” or “pa con”; we tell folks from the midwest and Canada that pee can is under the bed!  Kay and I watched the first half of the game, then got ready for church. 
After church, Chuck Mercer and I did an 11 mile bicycle ride, and after returning to the resort for a bite of lunch, I rode another 19 miles:
Ride Time: 2:55:24
Stopped Time: 1:13:50
Distance: 30.35 miles
Average: 10.38 mph
Fastest Speed: 19.65 mph
Ascent: 318 feet
Descent: 410 feet
Calories: 2037
While I was riding, Kay exhibited her bowls and Swedish weaving piece in the Arts in the Park.  She has become a very talented artist, and has a flare for design, particularly regarding segmented bowls.

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After an already busy morning, Circle 3 had their annual palapa cookout and party late in the afternoon.  It didn’t appear to be as crowded as in previous years, perhaps because there are so many new people.  We had lots of food and fun.  Afterwards, Shar and Brian hosted karaoke for the rest of the evening.  We left early because of the mosquitos, but could hear music until quiet hour.  We watched the season 4 finale of Downton Abbey—a British soap opera of sorts, and one of our favorite television programs.  There were a few holes in the plot which we either missed or were not present, so maybe reruns are in order.

Thursday through Saturday, February 20-22—The Storm Before the Calm

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Wow, everyone is really packing the calendar with get-togethers, golf, arts and crafts, cycling, parties, etc. before folks begin pulling out in a week or so for home or their next stop.  And, we seem to be right in the middle of it!  With high winds again Thursday, Kay and I did a short bicycle ride into Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park next door, stopping along the way to look at birds at the Kiskadee Blind and Eagle Pond.

Ride Time: 29:16Stopped Time: 1:02:16Distance: 4.18 milesAverage: 8.57 mphFastest Speed: 10.09 mphAscent: 525 feetDescent: 384 feetCalories: 288

In the afternoon, Kay made her next to last visit to the hair dresser this season while I soaked in the spa.  The “old” joints sure ache a lot after exercise!  We played bridge in the evening; we both had decent cards, and are really enjoying playing.

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Friday provided a window of opportunity to travel to Mexico to experience the festive atmosphere, shop for a few meds, and eat lunch at Arturo’s.  We have been extra cautious about going there this year because of State Department travel advisories, but were told things had calmed considerably.  The streets of Progreso are much cleaner than the first time we traveled there in 2008, but there seem to be fewer people, though Kay thought there were more.  They now have sales tax in the 15% neighborhood, and fewer people, including Mexican nationals, shop there now.  We bought some “over the shelf” antibiotics for emergency use, real Mexican vanilla, flavored peanuts, and Kay bought a cowgirl hat for dancin’.  Mexico doesn’t have the same appeal to us as it once did, and with the ever present possibility of border closing, and cartel attacks, there is some trepidation in spending time there.  Consequently, we were in and out in just a couple of hours.

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After crossing back into the U.S., we drove to Harlingen to pick up the packet for the Jalapeño 100.  The bicycle shop was having a sale, and I purchased a couple of the colorful riding tops.  We stopped at Costco’s briefly for gasoline, and made it back in time for happy hour at the palapa.  Our weekly entertainment was a Canadian singer and songwriter—his name escapes me—who was quite good and personable; the entertainment this year, for the most part, has been better than in the past.  Hope the trend continues for next year.

I was scheduled to ride in the Jalapeño 100 in Harlingen Saturday, but the forecast for 15+ mph winds directly in one’s face on the return leg of the ride was too ominous.  Consequently, I did not ride, and we had a quiet day and evening, one of the few we’ve had in the last few weeks.  Kay did laundry, I prepared sides and baked beans for the annual Circle 3 palapa party, and Kay baked pecan pie muffins for the Canada-Sweden Olympic gold medal hockey game on Sunday.

Monday through Wednesday, February 17-19—Spring Has Sprung

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It sure looks like winter is over here in the Rio Grande Valley.  Trees have new leaves, shrubs are blooming, the wind is blowing, and temperatures have warmed to the 80s and even 90s.  (Note:  Though we don’t typically have frost, trees do lose leaves during an unseasonably cold period, i.e. low 40s for a day or two.)  This weather “change” means more outdoor activities and pool and spa time, and allergies!  As Kay walked over to exercise at the Activities Center Monday morning, Al and I departed to Harlingen Country Club for golf.  Because it was Presidents’ Day, the course was packed, and our 10:10 AM tee time got pushed back to past 11 AM.  Consequently, we didn’t finish until after 3 PM.  Al had a great game and low score, and I hit the ball well, but missed some fairly short putts—anyway, it was lots of fun despite the 20+ mph winds.  We made it back to join the palapa happy hour in progress.

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Despite a moderate wind, I rode Tuesday morning, east to Anzulduas Park on the Rio Grande River, and back to the resort.  Here’s a photo of the river and lake formed by Anzulduas Dam, and Mexico across the water.  Thankfully, I rode into the wind on the first leg of the trip when energy levels were highest; here are ride statistics:

Ride Time: 2:10:58

Stopped Time: 19:57

Distance: 22.11 miles

Average: 10.13 mph

Fastest Speed: 20.11 mph

Ascent: 299 feet

Descent: 341 feet

Calories: 1531

Kay and the “girls” from “Circle 3” in the resort went for a massage, followed by lunch at Country Village Cafe at 10th and Nolana in McAllen.  As one can imagine, it is a tough life down here, and though our young minds tell us it is okay, we do try to pack too many activities into our 60+ year-old bodies.  Consequently, we both enjoyed the pool and spa in the afternoon, aided by temps in the 80s.  Happy hour at the palapa was well attended; this year we have had a full palapa most afternoons, and this differs from previous years.  And despite having several new RVs in the circle, and 3 singles (one whose husband is working in Saudi, another who is a recent widower, and the third a recent widow), the well-attended happy hour is reflective of the profound friendships among Winter Texans.

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The BPVRV Resort CanAm golf tournament was Wednesday, and it’s a big deal.  Folks from both sides dress in national colors, put flags and buntings on their golf carts, etc.  As luck would have it, Al and I were in the same foursome, but on opposite sides.  Al is the Canadian dress with the top hat and cape.  We both played terrible, but had lots of fun.  For the $5 entrance fee, we had a Sloppy Joe sandwich lunch, and most people won door prizes—in my case, a sleeve of golf balls.  This year the Canadians had the Americans outnumbered.  The winner was announced at Margarita Hour later in the afternoon, and the Americans retained the trophy. It sure looks like winter is over here in the Rio Grande Valley.  

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Thursday through Sunday, February 13-16—Trying to Get It All In

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With only a couple of weeks left for some, and a month for most of the rest of us, a lot of activities are being packed into the remaining time.  However, no planned daytime activities were scheduled for Thursday, and Kay and I suited up for a short bicycle ride, waiting until the cool early morning had warmed somewhat before beginning. We rode our usual route to the Mission Nature Park pavilion, then rode the “Roadrunner” trail—Kay had ridden it earlier this year, but it was my first time to ride it since early December.  Wet conditions, combined with US Customs and Border Patrol activity resulted in significant mud clods being left on the trail, and the road bike is not equipped to handle the sometimes very rough surface.  Nevertheless, Kay and I picked our way carefully; we did not see a Roadrunner on the cutoff part of the trail, so we rode the longer loop, and sure enough, spotted one of the birds on the side of the trail—it never fails!  

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Here are statistics for our morning ride.  
Ride Time: 1:22:22
Stopped Time: 21:12
Distance: 10.96 miles
Average: 7.98 mph
Fastest Speed: 13.29 mph
Ascent: 184 feet
Descent: 138 feet
Calories: 777


After a late light breakfast and brief rest, Van stopped by inquiring about a ride, and we left on a long ride at 1 PM.  He’s in such good riding shape, and rode me into the ground.  Some 36 miles later, we arrived back at the RV resort, and I headed immediately to the hot tub for a soak to relieve the butt soreness and fatigue from riding a total of 47 miles. Here are statistics for the afternoon ride.
Ride Time: 3:05:30
Stopped Time: 1:08:14
Distance: 35.97 miles
Average: 11.63 mph
Fastest Speed: 20.79 mph
Ascent: 351 feet
Descent: 358 feet
Calories: 2450
With a good soak, followed by a shave and shower, Kay drug me to the Valentine’s Dance.  It was sparsely attended, and once again there is a silent but present conflict between the line dancers and the regular dancers.  It would not be much of an issue if the dance floor were big enough but it is not, and the line dancers took up all the floor.  Several couples left early, and Kay and I were not far behind.  Regretfully, there will be hard feelings at some point in the future as both sides seem unwilling to compromise sufficiently to allow peaceful existence of both.

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Nothing was scheduled at all for Friday, Valentines Day.  We exchanged cards and enjoyed a lazy morning, after which I sprayed with insect repellent and rode to the National Butterfly Center.  There were a few butterflies, but not many.  I did see a Pipevine Swallowtail, the first of the year, a few Monarchs, Queens, and others.  There were birds feeding at the feeding station, but better photo opportunities had presented themselves at the Kiskadee blind earlier in the month.  Back at the RV resort, Kay and I spent a couple of hours at the pool and spa, absorbing the almost forgotten sunshine. With no entertainment scheduled for tonight, we spent a leisurely happy hour at the palapa before retiring to the motorhome for the evening.  There are several RVs here equipped to generate their own power, either via solar or wind, or a combination of both.  Here’s a photo of a couple RVs so equipped.

Fog greeted us Saturday morning, and we had a full list of possible things to do.  Kay’s priority was to pick up a custom metal sign with out first names and state of permanent residence to display on our RV site.  We haven’t been able to connect with Jim and Cheryl this season, and Kay sent a text message asking about their availability for lunch.  Apparently there is a glitch in the process, so “Jim and Cheryl, if y’all read this, we’d like to get together before the season ends.”  With no lunch plans I suited up for a long ride while Kay drove to near Progresso to pick up the sign.140213 E 003  I survived only 18+ miles before the wind/tiredness/butt fatigue settled in. 
Ride Time: 1:42:31
Stopped Time: 10:43
Distance: 18.78 miles
Average: 10.99 mph
Fastest Speed: 18.17 mph
Ascent: 259 feet
Descent: 203 feet
Calories: 1267
When Kay returned, we both enjoyed the pool and spa for a couple of hours.  I spent the rest of the afternoon at Palmview Golf Course, hitting a large bucket of balls.  If I could just slow the swing, keep the head down, position the ball correctly, assume the right grip and stance, etc., etc.  Happy hour was underway when I returned, and after visiting for an hour or so, we walked to the Club House for the weekly entertainment, Roland Garcia, Jr.  He began playing with his dad, Country Roland (Roland Garcia) at the age of 11; Country Roland was the innovator of Chicano country music—a mix of country songs in Spanish and classic Mexican songs with a new influence.  Country Roland, Jr. carries on that tradition and plays great country music, mostly for joints and outdoor bars, and is fun to dance to; we also like to listen to him sing with his band accompanying him.  After the late show, we returned to see a fire in the circle fire pit, and Kay joined the group around the fire while I went to bed.
The annual Circle 3 Waffle Breakfast was on Sunday morning.  Ron and Cheryl Lowe, from Ontario, hosts this event, making waffles for any and all who come.  Two other waffle makers joined them in keeping the waffles coming. Most who came brought side dishes and accompaniments including fruit, sausage, ham, bacon, pastries, syrups, etc.; Kay and I took 21/2 pounds of fried bacon.

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The palapa was crowded with breakfast diners, and no one left hungry!  Kay made the 11 AM worship service, but I remained home.  Today, a speaker from the Gideons spoke.  The Gideon program is a valuable program, but I have heard them speak countless times both here and in Arkansas, so I was not too disappointed in missing the service.  A short nap during the noon hour was followed by reading the Sunday Monitor, the daily newspaper in the RGV; we still consider it one of life’s pleasures to leisurely read the Sunday paper.  Kay went to the BPVRV resort river palapa , on the banks of the Rio Grande River, where the Activities team served hot dogs and brats.  It seems like a lot of the activities here, particularly in January and February, focus on eating and/or drinking, and neither is very healthy; consequently, I try to avoid them as best as willpower will allow!

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