Texas 2012 Blog

Tuesday - 2 weeks left

2012-03-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

light breeze, clear, cool morning; temp 59; high to be 81.
just 2 weeks from today, we fly home to the cold country; doesn't seem possible that our 9 week sojourn is almost over.
went out on bike ride before wind comes up.
J&D play mini-golf at The Zone while I rested at home.
afternoon was extremely windy with gusts to 40 mph.
pot luck at the Hall for supper; mmm . . . good!
in the evening while J&D played Bingo at the Hall,
I attended a McAllen Community Concert of Mass Ensemble; listen here; I went with Kathy Bailey, Bobby Timms, & Ruth Casey. The concert was very interesting featuring an instrument called an Earth Harp where the auditorium was the body of the instrument with the wires stretching from the bridge on the stage to the back anchors; try to find a musical number on the linked sites and listed to the Earth Harp.

Monday - an excursion: Los Ebanos, TX hand ferry

2012-03-06T04:56:00.001-08:00

clear, calm, cool morning; temp 50; high to be 81.
went for early morning bike ride; beautiful morning.
we shared lunch with Candy & Dan & Dan's sister, Diane & her husband, Rocky at (where else?) Taco Fiesta.
while Rocky & Diane left for home, we drove over to the only remaining hand operated ferry across the Rio Grande at Los Ebanos, TX, a very poor village on the river about 30 miles west of Pharr. Click this link for lots of pictures of the ferry.
after our exciting excursion, we returned to swimming & napping.
Jim played cards at the Hall in the evening.
enjoy both the pictures below and the pictures on the above links.

rain/sun shade for customs in the background

carries 3 cars & 12 passengers

up river

down river

Sunday -

2012-03-05T04:46:00.000-08:00

calm, clear, very cool; temp 45; high to be only mid 70s.
have a very pleasant report about last night; after I posted last night's blog, both Diane & Dan won Bingo jackpots over at Pharr South; yippee!!!
church service at 10.
drove over to Don-Wes Flea Market for Jim to fix bike light he bough ther; had lunch.
went to Las Palmas Nursing Facility for a birthday party of Bob Shaffer who turned 80; Bob has multiple sclerosis.
while I napped, J&D went swimming.
had hot dogs at the Hall for supper followed by a very enjoyable movie: Tower Heist; if you like action flicks, go see it.
as the yard sale is over, I have no additional pictures today ;-(( maybe tomorrow.

Saturday - quiet day

2012-03-03T17:36:00.001-08:00

warm, breezy morning; temp 74; high to be only 79.
by mid morning temp was down to low 60s; brrr... cold.
Saturday breakfast at the hall; had to get back home quickly as yard sale started at 8 AM.
sold most of our yard sale items between 8 AM & 10 AM.
ran errands to Walmart, Best Buy, Red Lobster, & Wendy's.
biking was very difficult today because of the wind gusts to 50 mph.
this evening I stayed home to rest while J&D went to play Bingo at Pharr South.
Enjoy the pictures.

who, in the world, would want this junk

guess those people on that porch wanted it (at one time)

okay let's negotiate!

everything's gone except these few items which we can haul to the junk; yippee!

Friday - sales, sales, sales

2012-03-03T04:56:00.000-08:00

pleasant, breezy morning; temp 70; high to be 92.
helped Candy with a printer problem - finally vendor agreed to replace failing printer - was in warranty.
Diane & Candy went over to craft sale at Tropic Star just North of us.
then in preparation for the park-wide yard sale, Jim & I washed a number of highly valuable items he selected from his garage that he felt he could do without now.
after lunch at Whatsaburger, I napped.
local park residents came by in the afternoon to purchase the valuable items in our front yard.
very warm afternoon with gusty winds; biked around park viewing yard sale items.
dinner with Candy & Dan and Dan's sister & her husband.
evening show called Valley Finale which included several performers from shows earlier in the year.
and tonight I have a few photos; enjoy!

Howard bought the old bike beside Jim - what a saleman!

the Valley Finale show

Thursday - March already

2012-03-02T04:58:00.001-08:00

breezy, warm morning; temp 73; high to be 88.
had 34 at men's breakfast this morning.
gusty winds but biked the entire park anyway.
in the afternoon, while Jim went bowling, Diane took Irene to pick up her car, and I watched NCIS: LA & napped.
late afternoon, we attended the volunteers appreciation dinner at the Hall
in the evening, I drove up to Edinburgh to attend the music show, Music for All Ages; it included 3 vocal groups and a band; each performing 6 to 8 songs; very enjoyable evening.
performing groups included: Men Of A-Chord, Magic Valley Chorus, Senior Ambassadors, Rio Grande Valley Band.
finally, I know you hate to hear this, and I'm sorry, but I have no pictures for you today. :-((

Wednesday - a leap day

2012-03-01T04:32:00.001-08:00

warm breezy morning; temp 70; high to be 90.
unusual happening today; my daughter Kathy reported that Wayzata School District (I have 2 grandkids at the High School) is closed today; can't remember the last time that happened.
perfect morning for our bike ride.
early lunch at the Hall because . . .
we accompanied Candy & Dan to Progresso where Candy had some dental work done.
hot afternoon; temp 91.
my renter's policy insurance is sending me a check to replace my laptop; they were most helpful.
evening's entertainment was Lindley Creek Bluegrass at the Hall; quite entertaining.

Kathy's front yard

Kathy's back yard

Tuesday - another Bingo win

2012-02-29T05:20:00.001-08:00

clear, calm, warm morning; temp 68; high to be 86.
craft sale today in our Hall; unfortuneately, both Diane & Beth will miss it; Beth departing today; Diane arriving late today.
morning was min-golf at The Zone again; gusty winds to 57 mph.
riding my bike home from golf, I stop for the mail; my computer was hung on the handle bar; it tipped over; now my computer screen is cracked; oh well - I wanted a new computer anyhow.
late after noon, I drove over to the McAllen airport to pick up Jim & Diane who returned.
evening we play Bingo at the Hall; Dan & I both won jackpots; yippee.

I must be sick this morning cuz' that picture seems fuzzy; what did I drink last night; did someone at Bingo slip me a mickey?

Proof #3

#1 has the most votes, so far

Monday - last guests depart

2012-02-27T17:35:00.003-08:00

calm, cloudy, warm morning; temp 67; high to be upper 70s.
had to cut my bike ride short due to heavy mist rain.
MN picnic committees meeting at 9 at MJ's; see separate minutes.
then before the kids came, I went over to Candy's to diagnose her sick computer that wouldn't even boot up.
while there, her mother came by requesting help unloading some groceries she had bought, so I did that.
then when I got back home the kids had arrived and I helped Liam prepare breakfast for all of us that we ate on the patio; he's a good cook.
kids left for South Padre at about 11:30; sure is quiet around here; tomorrow evening, Jim & Diane return; so I need to wash towels & vacuum; plenty of time.
napped while the load of towels were washing.
afternoon cleared, got hot (80), so I went out for my full 4 mile bike ride.
when I got back, I found a golf cart in the driveway and a lady in the back yard painting a donkey. Thanks, Candy.
Candy called as her computer wouldn't connect after she had lost power; I was able to restore full operation.
made a small grocery run to H-E-B, had supper, watched tv, & went to bed.

ooo... this is fun

how does this look?

the 9th floor sure is high

nice hotel right on the beach

we can fly

hope there's no sharks around here

don't get your pants wet

is this close enough?

proof #1

Sunday - traveling

2012-02-27T05:36:00.002-08:00

cool morning; temp 54; high to be 73.
picked up Everett & Sally Leland, Brad's 2nd cousin.
picked up our friend, Dale Thompson.
ate lunch at Logan's Roadhouse.
drove up to Don-Wes flea market to get spice
drove to Chimney Rock to get picture of kids climbing wall; never found wall; found another 2nd cousin of Brad at Chimney Rock RV Park & Resort.
when we go home we found a strange bike beside the others; and then we found Candy in the back yard painting the donkey.
then we had to drive back to Chimney Rock to get Beth's purse.
on our way home, we drove up & down Cage looking for a Mexican non-fast food restaurant; finally ended up at Poncho's again.
now swimming as everyone was too tired.

at Logan's Roadhouse

I think she's showin' off

nice fruit

chimney rock

ladies deciding

I'm pisst

what's happenin'

I just love to paint

they caught me

don't know if I can eat all of that

formal photo for park picture roster

Saturday - busy, busy, busy

2012-02-25T20:54:00.001-08:00

bad weather day: blustery, hard rain, cold; temp 46.
might even be to bad to go to Mexico today.
Bill Duenow's Memorial Service starts in a half hour, at 11 in Spicer, Minnesota; Bill was Diane's dad; may he rest in peace.
late morning Beth's family & I drove over to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico; lunch at Artero's was excellent as usual; and Beth & Lexi found lots of great bargains to purchase at the various Progresso shops.
Beth & family went to Pharr South for the evening dinner & Bingo.
while I joined Ruth Casey & June & Dick Kohler for a concert at McAllen Convention Center, called American Spirit; Irene provided her ticket as she wasn't going; all 3 have season tickets at that theater.
American Spirit was a musical with wonderful music and a lot of spirit; most enjoyable! Thank you, Irene.
and when I got home; guess what? everyone was already in the pool.
and do I have a lot of pictures for you tonight; enjoy 'em!

what's up, doc?

what a sweet couple!

who are those 3 young people?

what is a mariachi band?

you're in Mexico - no, you're in the United States - no . . .

Where is Arturo?

"now if I could just find the paint brush" - Liam

guess who got a Mexican haircut?

smile, dammit!

ooo... you look so nice.

now how does this work, again?

is this Uncle Roger's or Grandpa Jim's?

Hope I didn't get Jim's with that bad tire!

okay, tell me how to play 31.

duh, I dunno.

I think I can beat Candy's 25.

let's just play cards.

smile darn ya, smile.

Dan & his mother-in-law, Irene with all those boards. ugh.

if those people in Minnesota could just see us now!

Friday - hosting new guests

2012-02-25T06:09:00.002-08:00

breezy, gusty (cold front coming through), cloudy, foggy, warm morning; temp 70; high to be 70, dropping to 45 this evening; rain expected; unusual weather.
blustery rainy morning;by 10 AM temp is down to 59.
napped
during a minor break in the clouds, I went biking.
left about 5:30 to meet Beth's flight; Beth, Brad, Liam & Lexi all arrived on schedule.
stopped at Poncho's on our way home for a Mexican supper; Mexican bands were great.
of course, all had to come back and go swimming; was up till midnight; late for an old timer.
the first 2 pictures are of our earlier visitors; I'll include Beth's pictures on tomorrow's blog.

Thursday - projects

2012-02-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

calm, warm morning; temp 70; high to be 91.
men's breakfast at Taco Fiesta with 29 guys was back home in 55 minutes.
several guys asked if I was Jim or Roger; so I told them about Jim & Diane returning to MN for Diane's dad's funeral.
skipped bowling today staying home getting caught up on projects.
temp is not reaching 90 because of the constant overcast.; evening was mid 80s, very calm, & very muggy; change is coming.
evening dinner at WhatABurger.
received a picture from Diane (in Minnesota) to share with you.
am skipping Karaoke at the Hall this evening.

Guess Who?

Wednesday - all alone

2012-02-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

breezy, warm morning; temp 72; high to be 85.
up at 4 to take Jim & Diane to the McAllen airport for their 6 AM flight; it was late departing by over an hour.
on my bike ride this morning, I met Candy walking Willie; so we chatted a bit.
mid morning, Dan & Candy called from Sears - Auto to come pick them up as their van needed service.
hot dog lunch at the Hall before the Jam.
attended first half hour of Jam; just not my kinda music; although 2 old classical barbershop songs were done - Baby Face & All Of Me - with my bias, they sound better a Capella.
Kathy Bailey asked me to come over to help her with a Internet connection problem; didn't fix her problem; but was able to get AT&T person to come fix it tomorrow morning.
early evening, ran errands to Walmart, Wells Fargo, & H-E-B.
am skipping the evening entertainment due to my early hour of rising.
and sorry, no pictures tonight.

Tuesday - William Duenow, R.I.P.

2012-02-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

pleasant, warm, morning with light fog; temp 62.
my daughter, Kathy, reported that Plymouth where she lives had the most snow in the Twin Cities area: 5"; she sent me a picture taken from her front door.
last night, Diane's father, who had been ill for some time, passed away; plans are pending for Diane & Jim to attend the funeral in Minnesota.
miniature golf was not available due to an on-site tournament; but we didn't find out until we drove over; ugh.
for the information of the blog readers, Diane's father was William Duenow of Spicer, MN; funeral services are Saturday, February 25th at 11 AM in Spicer; click his name for a link to his obituary.
Dan & Candy bought Diane a palm tree in memory of her father which Jim & Dan planted in the back yard (see picture)
had supper with Dan & Candy at Taco Fiesta.
Jim played evening Bingo.

Monday - our visitors depart

2012-02-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

another breezy, cool morning; temp 59; but high to be 78.
early morning bike ride.
kids arrived mid morning from their motel.
kids finished packing.
snack lunch
beautiful afternoon; mid 70s; sunny.
afternoon lounging & swimming
left for airport late afternoon.
supper at airport; flight on time.

Sunday - South Padre Island

2012-02-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

clear, calm, cooler morning; temp 54.
Jim didn't feel well all day today, but agreed to go to South Padre Island (SPI) with the group.
a large group spent the day at SPI, including: Dan & Candy, Jim & Diane, Tim & Amy, Kristina & Barry, Jastin, Sammie & me; we all drove over in 3 cars.
our first island event was lunch at Dirty Al's where we had a fish meal.
then we spent about 3 hours on the beach at Clayton's Resort where the weather was not hot - temp about 65 - and only very occasional sun - mostly cloudy.
on the way home back down the island we stopped at several shops so that everyone could get something to take back to Minnesota when they leave tomorrow evening.
so this evening after driving 150 miles today, while others went swimming, I went to the movie Dolphin Tale; a marvelously enjoyable movie; if you haven't seen it, do!
finally, I've got lots of pictures from the last few days contributed by Diane, Kristina, & Amy; enjoy! and thank you ladies for a marvelous travelog!

smile for the camera.

ooo . . . isn't this fun.

reminds me of the Meyer boys.

where are JJ's feet?

now who took that . . . oh, thanks, Diane.

well, women have to go shopping, don't they?

Saturday - busy day: flea market, Bingo, & 3 meals out

2012-02-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

breezy, cloudy morning; temp 63; windy day; high to be 81.
we all went to the Hall for breakfast - unfortunately, they ran out of eggs.
for lunch, we attended the Minnesota Picnic with just over 100 attendees; door prizes were won by Tim (clip & message taker) & Amy (stuffed Loon) & Roger (Minnesota Vikings cap).
beautiful warm afternoon, although a little windy.
our afternoon entertainment was provided by the Don-Wes Flea Market.
in the evening, Jim, Amy, Kristina, & I had supper & played Bingo at Pharr South; after the intermission break, I brought Jim home with stomach discomfort and then went & got him some Pepto-Bismal; hopefully, he'll be okay by morning.
few pictures; still waiting for Kristina's; maybe tomorrow.

Friday - a Hula girl

2012-02-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

muggy & misty, warm morning; temp 69.
humidity makes it feel cold out.
Jim, Tim, Amy, Barry, & Kristina went to Mexico while Diane & I stayed home with the little ones.
this evening, Tim & Barry slow cooked burgers for quite a crowd; supper guestes included: Tim & Amy, Barry, Kristina, Jastin, & Sammie, Dan & Candy, Jim & Diane, & me; delicious outdoor supper.
the International travelers bought a cute little grass skirt outfit for Sammie - she asked me to take her swimming in her grass skirt; lots of pictures of that outfit.
after supper, Barry, Kristin, Jastin & Sammie went swimming; while Jim & Tim & Amy went to the Hall to play cards.
I got pictures from both Amy & Kristina, including several videos; so you should have lots to view tonight (sorry 'bout the horizontal hula dance - just lay on your back to enjoy it - I couldn't figure out how to rotate the video file - sorry.
haven't gotten Kristina's pictures yet - but will update the site when I get them - again, sorry.

Thursday - more guests (Tim & Amy) arrive

2012-02-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

warm, drizzly morning; temp 71; high to be 70; drizzle all day.
men's breakfast
on the way we stopped at Trevino's Mexican Restaurant, 54 Boca Chica Blvd., Brownsville; the picture of Barry is taken when his eyes were watering from some very, very hot sauce from this restaurant.
spent about 3 hours at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville; always enjoyable.
back to nannah & poppa to swim; while I napped from having driven 120 miles while others napped.
then to Taco Poncho's for supper where Tim & Amy joined us.
back to nannah & poppa to swim some more.
I think Kristina has some pictures for me, but I'll have to post them tomorrow as she's not here.

Wednesday - new guests arrive

2012-02-16T04:26:00.000-08:00

breezy, cloudy, warm morning; temp 72; high to be 85.
moved Dan & Candy's patio furniture as new patio carpet arrives today; carpet delivered & installed this afternoon... nice.
Walmart run to get Sammie's life vest & a few groceries.
yesterday (Valentine's Day) was Dan & Candy's 25th Wedding Anniversary; they invited us to join them for lunch today at Joe's Crab Shack; delicious food & we were honored for the invitation.
while Jim went to the Jam, I napped & took my 2 mile bike ride.
guests (Kristina, Barry, Jastin, Sammie) arrived at 6:55 PM; borrowed Dan & Candy's van to pick them up; then headed for supper at the Longhorn Cattle Co.
then home 'bout 9:30 so that Jim, Kristina, & Sammie could go swimming (before the overnight thunderstorm & rain).
and enjoy the pictures; don't think they need much of an explanation.

Tuesday - Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

calm, clear, cool morning; temp 58; high to be 81.
attended MN breakfast at El Rigio
went to mini-golf, but I put together a new release of the Barbershop Harmony Society contest system with new features.
nice nap on a warm afternoon.
bike ride.
paint run to change the color slightly.
polished bike chrome; removed rust.
pot luck was delicious, as usual.
evening Bingo; only winner at our table was Irene, Candy's mother who also lives down here.
no pictures tonight; sorry. :-(

Monday - errands

2012-02-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

cool, high fog, light breeze morning; temp 49; forcast, clear & warmer; high to be 74.
all of us ran errands in the morning: paint store, drug store, bank, Penny's, & lunch; plus a second paint store run.
warmer afternoon for a very nice 4 mile bike ride by each of us.
after Diane's delicious supper, Jim went to play cards, while Diane & I rested at home watching TV.
lovely evening (see pictures below).

wonderful high Cirrus clouds

picturesque sunset

Sunday - quiet day

2012-02-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

drizzling, rainy, cloudy; temp 47; not a very nice day.
gospel music church service at 10.
all day drizzle; didn't do much but sit inside & listen to the rain.
during a break in the rain, Jim & I rode our 4 miles in the afternoon.
the movie this evening was great; Courageous; drizzle started again while we were in the movie; but you enjoy it; if you haven't seen it, do! It's a terrific message. Go see it!

Saturday - trip half over

2012-02-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

clear, calm, cool morning; temp 54; high to be near 70; sunny most of the day with a few light clouds.
right now as I write this, the temp here is 53 degrees warmer than back home where it's presently 1 degree above zero; brrrr.....
before I forget, I need to thank my daughter, Kathy, for doing such a good job at adding inspirational comments to the blog. Tell us how you do it, Kath.
while the women went shopping, the men went to the Edinburg Livestock Auction; enjoy the pictures!
in the evening, we went up to Pharr South for a chicken dinner followed by an evening of Bingo; Candy won the horse race; way to go, Candy!

note the catwalk in the open area to the right.

2 longhorn cattle "horning" each other through the fence.

cattle for sale.

better looking cattle for sale.

big cattle for sale.

looking down on that longhorn.

2 horses being sold.

longhorns being sold.

Bingo players eating supper.

Friday - sure is quiet around here :-(

2012-02-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

cool, cloudy morning, light breeze; temp 56.
drove to Mexico for lunch at the Red Snapper and for Candy's dentist appointment.
fish at Red Snapper was delicious.
shopped while Candy went to dentist
got home just before 5.
forgot to take my camera to Mexico & couldn't use cell phone camera; so no pictures today; sorry; but enjoy all the links.
this evening, Jim & I attended the Goodtime Gospel Show in the Hall with Keith Ross, Jay & Tammy, Lafayette & Vada; quite entertaining.

Thursday - Guests (Denise & Nolan) Depart

2012-02-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

another cool, breezy morning; temp 55; more rain on the way; drizzle started 'bout 7;
Jim & I attended the regular Thursday morning men's breakfast at Taco Fiesta with 25 other men.
left near noon to go bowling at Pins & Cue; Jim, Denise, & Nolan bowled; Denise got a turkey!
after bowling we went to the Longhorn Cattle Co for a meal with Dan & Candy.
then took Denise & Nolan to the airport.
home just after 6; heavy mist.

this bowling sure is fun.

and there it goes.

hurry up - my teeth are itchin'.

cattle at the Longhorn Cattle Co. restaurant.

look pretty for Great-Uncle Roger's picture.

bye; thanks for everything; we had a great time.

Wednesday - Ropas & Poncho's

2012-02-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

rained all night, cool; temp 57.
Dan & Candy came by about 8:15 to pick us all up to go out to Taco Fiesta for breakfast so that I could spend some of my Bingo winnings.
then Dan had to go cook brats for the afternoon Jam; Jim & Nolan went to fix a guy's water heater & never made it to the Jam; while Candy, Diane, Denise & I went to the Ropas.
after lunch, we returned for me to take a nap.
took my 2 mile bike ride & wouldn't ya' know it sprinkled the whole time.
early Mexican dinner at Taco Poncho's - good Mexican food!
in the evening, Jim & I went to a show by Bo Rivers at the Hall.

breakfast at Tiffany's (on Roger).

let's ship some of this crap home!

ooo... I think we can find more junk here.

ya' have to look carefully to see Diane (standing) & Denise (sitting in clothes pile).

I found just the thing for my dear husband.

dinner at Tiffany's ? ? ?

eek - ain't this good.

again, the tribe (at Tiffany's)

the stars on the balcony.

the real star (under his hat).

looking down at the table.

Tuesday - golf, Mexico, & Bingo

2012-02-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

cool, slightly overcast, light breeze; temp 55; high to be 68.
mid morning we drove to The Zone & played mini-golf; top 2 scores were Denise & Candy; Nolan played video games after; we had pizza & soda.
on returning, Diane & Nolan went swimming while Jim, Denise & I went to Progresso Nuevo, Mexico; Denise had never been there before; we bought a purse, vanilla, candy, & a cape/hood for Nolan.
early evening we attended a pot luck supper at the Hall with great food.
later at Bingo, Denise won her first game we played, while Roger won several games. Candy was the caller while Diane & Dan were the pursers.
with heavy fog/mist, Denise & Nolan went swimming after Bingo.
and enjoy our voluminous pictures - thanks to Denise & Diane.

Denise demonstrating how to look cool when using "ball grabber" to take ball out of hole.

I think Grandma sunk it!

ooo... I hope it goes, I hope it goes, I hope it goes...

yippee; look at my cool ball grabber.

yours truly relaxing while others pursue the course of 36 holes.

this ain't so hard.

see... it's as good as in.

another short putt for a par.

ooo... grandma, that feels so good.

but it's sort of cold out today.

grandma showed me how to hit the ball properly.

grandpa & Nolan waiting for others to finish the hole.

that's a little bit warmer.

after mini-golf, it was almost as good as Chuck E Cheese.

my prize: glasses & a plastic gun.

Mexico, here we come.

Denise: "should I have my teeth decorating like this?"

"...or like this?"

now I'm a Power Ranger!

hoo - rah.

stand down!

cool. eh?

notice Nolan on Grandma's (Bingo pursor) lap.

Monday - end of 4 weeks - lazy day

2012-02-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

cool, breezy morning; temp 51.
(last Saturday was a big day in my life; but I wasn't even able to attend the celebration; my eldest grandson, Garth Nolan Meyer, graduated from college. So in recognition of that life altering event, I've included a few pictures of the event and of Garth; congratulations, Garth; we are very proud of you; pictures are below.)
this noon, Denise & Diane & Candy attended a women's luncheon & style show at the Hall; Jim & Dan & I did room setup & teardown.
in the afternoon while napped, Denise, Diane, Nolan, & Jim returned to LaPlaza Mall for shopping they didn't get done yesterday.
Denise cooked supper of wonderfully delicious stuffed peppers and a dish of fresh fruit; mmmm . . . . . good.
this evening, Jim's playing cards while Denise, Nolan & Diane go swimming (temp: 55); and I played photographer.

Style Show Decorating Committee or . . .

Denise's wonderfully delicious stuffed pepper.

tough looking group - Texas Holdem'?

Whatdya think their game is?

Jim's in the far back right corner.

Didn't seem to playin' much cards.

it's cold out here; brrr.....

the hot tub's a little better, Mom

===========================================

Sunday - cold & wet

2012-02-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

well, the weather has certainly changed; this morning it is cold, blustery, wet, cloudy, & rainy; temp 51; high to be 52; rained all night.

strange how we can go from a day at the beach with lots of hot sun to the opposite today.

La Plaza shopping center before stores were open.

Don-West flea market - cold.

Chuck E Cheese.

Nolan insisted that Mom go swimming with him upon our return.

Super Bowl party at the Hall.

evening weather improved as rain stopped & wind died; temp still only 50.

Mom, do I look pretty now?

Nuttin' to drivin' a car. Heh. Heh.

I can do it! I can do it! I can do it! Oh, no!

Mom, it hurts so bad.

Pro'ly needs a little more setup.

Saturday - on South Padre Island

2012-02-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

another warm, mostly clear, breezy morning; temp 73; high to be only 78.
breakfast at the Hall as on all Saturdays.
drove the 75 miles to South Padre Island for a full day of fun.
first we spent an hour or so on the beach getting lots of sand in our toes.
then we had a wonderful lunch at Parrot Eyes; yum, yum.
attended the Kitefest; beautiful & very unusual kites.
then we went to the park on the south end because it has a shelter (shade); temp was hot 85; bright sun.
then had some ice cream at the gift shop; and while we were there heard a severe thunderstorm warning.
so on our way home we were drenched; had to slow to 30; but no rain by the time we got back to Pharr.
Jim & Denise went to play Bingo at Pharr South.
Enjoy the many pictures taken by yours truly (last 2), Denise (middle 18) & Diane (first 3).
after driving 150 miles today, I'm too tired to think up captions; just enjoy the pictures.

Friday - zoos are sure fun

2012-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

another warm, cloudy, lite breeze morning; temp 72; high today 87.
by 9 we were on the road to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, about 40 miles east.
wonderful day at zoo; Denise & Diane took lots of pictures which are shared below.
all went swimming upon our return; except me, I took a nap as I did all the driving.
spaghetti dinner & auction this evening; didn't buy a thing.
had to wait for the auction to finish before we could go swimming this evening.

but Grandpa, your hand is cold.

how long do I have to stand here?

nice kitty!

but, Mom, 10,000 feet is a long way down!

Mom, your squeezing too hard.

please don't throw me off the bridge.

I told you to brush your teeth really good this morning!

ooo... that sun is so bright.

little birdies have to eat too.

dippin' dots are for kids!

Thursday - our first guests arrive

2012-02-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

another warm, clear, calm morning; temp 70; high today was mid 80s.

men's breakfast at Taco Fiesta.
made a True Value run to get rain gutter for Dan & Candy's home.

Jim went bowling while Diane & I napped.
met Denise & Nolan at the airport; stopping on the way home for some good Mexican food; guess where? yep, Taco Fiesta.
and everybody always wants to know what we do in South Texas all winter; recently we ran across an article that describes it very accurately.
at the request of my daughter, Kathy, I'm including the report - see below.

we can finally get off that airplane.

ooh, you're so sweet.

. . . now, who again is great-uncle Roger?

========================================================================

Written by a third grader, on what his grandparents do.
After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school. One child wrote the following:
We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house, but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Arizona. Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles, and wear name tags because they don't know who they are anymore. They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well. There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it. He watches all day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And they eat the same thing every night - early birds. Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck. My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and, says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday too. When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house. Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren.
Forward to all your "retarded grandparent" friends. Or just your "retarded" friends.

Wednesday - haircuts & entertainment

2012-02-02T04:49:00.000-08:00

another warm, lite breeze, cloudy morning; temp 66; high to be 86.
after coffee at the Hall with the men, we drove over to Alamo for a $5 haircut.
lunch at the Hall (before the Jam).
I stayed for the start of the Jam. The first song was an instrumental arrangement of Down Yonder which was my father's favorite song. It was most entertaining. But that was the end of the entertainment. After that, they started calling people to come up on stage and sing. And their singing was awful at best. So I was hoping for another instrumental piece, but left after 5 vocalists.
after a nap, biked 2 miles; nice after noon; temp 80
this afternoon, I moved a large potted plant to the back yard for Diane to paint the pot. (see pictures)
while we were doing this, Candy was staining the new door on the closet where the old furnace use to be.
evening's entertainment show are the Fab 4 with Tammy & Jay; very enjoyable show of 50s music.

Down Yonder (Instrumental).

Vocalist 1

Vocalist 2

Vocalist 3

Is this the way you do it?

Oh well, here goes nothin'.

Another beautiful sunset.

Eloise, across the street, rebuilt her fountain.

Tammy & Jay and the Fab 4 - very entertaining.

Song 1 - can't remember it's name.

Song 2 - also can't remember it's name.

Song 3 - would you believe that I can't remember the name of it. Ugh.

Tuesday - foggy, muggy day became beautiful evening

2012-01-31T17:43:00.000-08:00

calm, warm, fog/mist; temp 65; high to be low 80s.
today is the Craft Sale in the Hall; setup started at 6.
our morning project was mounting the new kitchen ceiling fan.
no mini-golf today - rained out.
ham sandwiches, potato salad, & pie at the Hall for lunch
napped.
afternoon cleared; warmed up; so I biked 4 miles.
my pictures of the Craft Sale were terrible; don't know what happened; will include the best one.
pot luck supper was great food.
bingo afterward is always popular.
and enjoy the pictures tonight.

Sorry for the poor quality; don't know what happened.

Self-picture.

Sunset on foggy, muggy day; beautiful evening.

Bingo players in the Hall. Recognize 5 people in the center?

There they are; looks like Jim's really concentrating while Diane's daydreaming.

Note the bingo machine display up front; that was what Diane was watching; heh. heh.

The hall from the outside; can hardly see the bingo players.

Monday - end of 3 weeks

2012-01-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

cloudy, calm, cool; temp 58; high to be only 73.
light rain shower this morning.
morning analyzed Saase's rain leak; had lunch with them.
and it misted & sprinkled all day.
afternoon, looked at a new refer & purchased ceiling fan.
Candy & Dan joined us for Diane's delicious chili this evening.
Jim's playing cards this evening.
No pictures today - will try harder tomorrow.

Sunday - birthday party today

2012-01-30T04:25:00.000-08:00

cloudy, calm, cool morning; temp 51; high to be only 67.
Jim & Diane & Dan & Candy attended a "polka" church service at Candy's Mom's church. I chose to skip it.
After church, we collected about 50 chairs from a variety of friends & set them up at Irene's (Candy' mohter) for the birthday party at 2.
About 60 guests attended Irene's 85th birthday party. I took lots of pictures that I'll send to Candy for review and/or printing. Below is a sample.
weather was cloudy & cool all day; not reaching 70; but we made the most of it.
We didn't attend the Sunday Ice Cream Social as we'd had lots of goodies at the birthday party.
Tonight's movie is One Day. Boring...

Irene, the birthday lady is the one in the middle.

Talking with guests.

A guest's 6 month old grandchild.

The birthday lady.

Candy is over the left shoulder of Irene.

Talking with other guests.

Saturday - busy day - but nice all day

2012-01-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

pleasant, calm, cloudy morning; temp 61; clouds burnt off, now sunny, 71, at 11 AM; beautiful day.
I slept in till 7:30; didn't hear a sound; latest in years.
Jim had Biscuits & Gravy at the Hall while I slept.
after breakfast, Jim & Dan & I assembled a 5' 4 shelf bookcase, a surprise 85th birthday gift for Candy's mother who also lives down here.
this noon, we attend the West Zircon Block Party at the hall; lots of good food.
then after 1 PM we have to unload the surprise birthday gift bookcase into Candy's Mom's home; she's leaving to pick up her birthday cake for party tomorrow.
next I installed the bike odometer/computer that came in the mail today while Jim painted the veranda rail.
2 mi bike ride
tonight we had supper at Pharr South prior to bingo; between supper & bingo, we play cards, 31; and wouldn't you know that Diane & Jim were the big winners - Diane won 90 cents while Jim won 15. Yippee!

can we all fit in there along with the bookcase?

maybe if I just push real hard, that seat up there will get out of the way.

Friday - another perfect weather day

2012-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

another cool, calm, clear morning; temp 49; but so cool I'll have to wait a couple hours before biking.
Diane's breakfast of bacon & eggs was delicious.
mid-morning, I biked my 4 miles
Candy's lunch was scrumptious - cinnamon jello, wiener wraps & tator tots.
ran several errands including a Walmart stop; on the way we saw a very interesting truck with Mexican plates, hauling a very unusual load; can anyone guess what it is?
Diane cooked an appetizing pork chop dinner.
weather today was perfect; light breeze; comfortably warm (82); beautiful sunset.
more tomorrow.

What in the world?

What is that?

Bet they can't go under bridges.

All that crepe paper! or is that clothes?

We're right beside them & still don't know what it is. Ugh!

Thursday - perfect weather - high 77

2012-01-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

clear, breezy, cool morning; temp 53
Walmart run with Dan; got new mouse for Diane
biked 3 miles
left about noon for an afternoon of bowling & eating; went to Pins and Cues in Weslaco; only Dan & Jim bowled; must not have done too well as they didn't talk about it afterward.
Karaoke this evening; Jim didn't go this week either; now I'm sure he's sick.
The 2 videos below are from last evening; after I converted them to a new format; enjoy!

these 2 videos are poorer quality than those from last evening as I had to use a conversion that reduced quality in order to get the files under 100 MB each; doesn't affect music

Wednesday - perfect weather

2012-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

another warm, breezy, cloudy, not humid, morning; temp 73.
biked 3 miles this morning.
lunch at the Hall before the jam.
Jim attended the jam while Diane & I went grocery shopping.
after the jam & shopping, J&D went swimming while napped
evening's entertainers: Gold Wing Express; very entertaining.
and I shot 5 videos for you; enjoy!

beautiful sunset this evening; can you see Venus & the Moon?

our neighbor across the street when we left to go to the show

the Hall is filling up with the audience for the Gold Wing Express

the father with 3 Indian sons whose Indian mother died long ago when their boys were quite young

I have a couple more really good videos, but they're so large I can't upload them. I'll try to split them tomorrow and upload them then. Sorry. :-(

Tuesday - beginning of 3rd week

2012-01-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

another warm, windy, cloudy morning; temp 72.
biked my 4 miles again this morning - every street in park.
on a cloudy, windy, morning we again ventured out to play miniature golf at The Zone; however, some significant scoring events occurred today; first off, Jim scored 2 holes-in-one, one in the front 18, & a second in the back 18; but Diane even bested that; she scored 2 consecutive holes-in-one on the 15th & 16th holes on the back 18.
after pizza for lunch at The Zone, we returned for a nap.
taco supper at the Pharr American Legion; mmm... good!
evening bingo at the Hall; Candy split on jackpot with 3 others; the rest of us, nothing.
very warm, muggy, & cloudy all day; looked like imminent rain several times; but nothing.

same course as last week; did you really expect different pictures

our table at the American Legion taco supper

I didn't say the music was good; but it's sure loud

Monday - end of 2 weeks

2012-01-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

another warm, almost calm morning, temp 70, some fog.
early morning bike ride of 4 miles - every road in the park.
made a run looking for bike computers; none found; had to come back & order them off the Internet.
Esmerelda backed her golf cart over here as it won't go forward; so Jim has another task.
Diane & Candy went furniture shopping in the afternoon.
all day was cloudy & cool; high 75.
took a few pictures around the park - for those who've never been here.

a cute fountain & patio across the road from us.

looking west down West Zircon Avenue - J&D's lot is 3rd on right.

this is the Hall veranda.

across the street are the shuffle board courts & the horseshoe pits.

looking out the front gate.

Sunday - quiet, but busy

2012-01-23T04:40:00.000-08:00

another warm morning, temp 72, breezy; high to be 84.
10 o'clock church service.
2 mile bike ride.
Diane made a delicious beef roast dinner and had Dan & Candy & Willie over.
this afternoon, we attended a show, Aunti Kreamsaugen who was very funny.
afterward, since temp was over 85, J&D went swimming while I took a nap & watched the football game.
Diane prepared a wonderful supper on the veranda.
evening movie was Main Street - good flick, dumb ending.

Auntie Kreamsaugen & Jim

swimming pool area - particularly nice when temp is over 80

another angle of the same

Saturday - some work & some play

2012-01-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

warm, calm morning; temp 72; suppose to be another warm day with temps in the mid 80s.
pancake breakfast at the hall this morning, like every Saturday.
one lady even came up and ask me if I had my new bike yet; how did she know I was getting one?
right after breakfast, did my daily 3 mile bike ride.
with the golf cart with a box in back, we hauled an outdoor table & chairs to the junk for Dan & Candy and then hauled several cement blocks left over from J&D's old A/C condenser to the junk.
Jim fixed Gary Wangen's golf cart.
the afternoon was spent at the Don-Wes fruit stand/market and the flea market across the road.
this evening we played bingo at the park up the road, Pharr South.

who says we never work; note their truck; and it's loaded

we're just about ready to head for the dump

our reward for all the hard work was a relaxing afternoon at the flea market

Friday - end of a busy week

2012-01-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

breezy, warm morning; temp 70
yesterday's report had one mistake; Jim didn't go to Karaoke last night (he must be sick).
the furnace guys finished the installation of the new heating/air conditioning unit about noon yesterday; so last night was the first night I could sleep without a heater beside my bed; and yesterday afternoon was warm but my room stayed comfortably cool; great addition.
several readers felt I was too hard on the jam show; for that I'm sorry; but there really needs to be some sort of auditioning control on the performers; maybe then I could enjoy the show ;-)
after breakfast, Jim & I put together the gift in the box; it sure is pretty; I'm the envy of everybody in the park.
just before lunchtime, Dan & Candy & us headed for oranges at the Obst Family Farm Market in Alamo stopping at Long John Silver's for a fish sandwich lunch.
returned home for an afternoon nap.
since temp was in upper 80s, we had to go swimming (1st time in the water for Candy; 2 weeks after her hip surgery)
biked for a couple miles - first real exercise since I got down here.
early evening Walmart run

Sure doesn't look like your bicycle.

What dya' think this little thing-a-ma-jig is for?

It must go right here!

Do you think we'll ever figure out how to put this together so it works?

Look at that beautiful bike! How did my kids know what to buy me?

It's just like Jim & Diane's. Isn't that surprising!

Guess which one belongs to whom.

2012-01-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

very pleasant morning, calm, temp 62, cloudy; high today in the upper 70s.
Dan, Jim & I went to the Men's Breakfast at Taco Fiesta.
all 5 of us made another Lowe's run to get a patio table & chairs for Dan & Candy.
when we got home, there was a great big cardboard package sitting on our front step addressed to me. velly... intellesting...
this afternoon, Jim & Dan went bowling while Diane & Candy went to pick up Candy's new special shoes and attend a card-making seminar. I stayed home & napped & read the trib.
Diane & Candy cooperated on the fixings of a delicious supper at Dan & Candy's - ham, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes, & Mexican sponge cake. Mmm . . . good.
this evening, Jim's going to Karaoke at the hall; guess I might skip that . . . after yesterday's show (I use that term loosely).
the first picture below of Diane & Candy is especially good of both of them. I forgot to send it yesterday.

Diane & Candy

What in the world is that large package on our step when we returned home at about 11 this morning?

Sure is big. Sits right by the front door.

Note thick soled shoe. Also, fresh corn-on-the-cob.

Wednesday: a new furnace, jam day, & the Redheds

2012-01-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

much cooler, cloudy this morning; 58 at dawn; high only 62.
installers of the new furnace/air conditioner arrived bright & early and are working hard - but didn't finish - will be back tomorrow.
Jim & Dan made a Lowe's run
lunch at the hall before the jam.
I stayed at the jam just long enough to shoot the pictures below. Couldn't take any more that music. Ugh.
supper was with Dan & Candy at Taco Fiesta - catfish
evening show was Redhead Express and even better than last year. See pictures & videos of their show below.

"Ooh. That's so pretty!"

How can 300 people be wrong?

Because they're all nearly deaf . . . including the performers on stage!

Yuck! That music (being kind) is terrible!

So then I decided to entertain myself with this panorama.

You need a sample in case you don't believe me.

Now, do you believe me?

Now these kids have some talent, most entertaining!

Now that's talent & really entertaining!

36 holes of miniature golf, swimming, & pot luck

2012-01-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

another warm morning; temp at dawn is 70; high to be 86.
after breakfast, quick run to H-E-B to get meatballs for pot luck this evening.
we went miniature golfing and I lost; ugh - but I did manage to get one good photo (see below); and here's a link to the place we played at.
after pizza for lunch
and a short nap
we had to go swimming (temp = 95), while
Diane & Candy went to get special shoes for Candy as she has one leg over an inch shorter than the other (caused by the hip surgery of 1 1/2 weeks ago.
pot luck dinner tonight; mmm . . . it was good.
Jim & Diane played bingo while I relaxed from our strenuous day . . . of play.
more tomorrow - enjoy the pictures - high tomorrow is to be no more than 66; i.e., much, much cooler!

now how did Roger teach me to tie these again?

great shot, Diane!

let's see that scorecard, Candy, I think you made a mistake!

"hurry up, my teeth are getting dry."

Monday - Our 7th Day

2012-01-16T17:36:00.000-08:00

6:00 AM - beautiful, breezy, warm, mostly clear morning; high to be 84.
Diane cooked a delicous breakfast of bacon & eggs. Thanks, Diane.
Diane took Candy to her doctor for a 9:30 appointment.
service men came by to estimate the cost of installing central air conditioning; they start tomorrow.
run to Lowe's, PetSmart, & Walmart for supplies.
DQ chicken for lunch.
worked on Esmerelda's golf cart again - still doesn't work.
with the temp near 85, we spent a good long while in the pool.
had supper during an H-E-B run.
Jim played cards at the hall.
Enjoy the pictures!

Sure is hard to put on!

There, almost made it.

Now that's better.

Now I'm ready... for what?

Our new grocery store: center to one side.

Just inside the door: front to back.

Sunday

2012-01-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

pleasant morning at dawn, over 60; all of next week is to be warm with several days over 80.
church serviceat 10; with birthday party for Howard.
Candy & Dan Sasse stopped by for a chat & a snack.
out for a short bike ride.
lite lunch; nap
made Lowe's run looking for water softener cabinet
evening's movie was great: "Water for Elephants"
no pictures tonight; hopefully tomorrow - g'night.

Dinner at Candy & Dan's

2012-01-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

warmer today; 45 at 7:30; high to be 66.
big crowd at pancake breakfast this morning.
drove over to Donna to the Don-Wes flea market.
napped.
temp reached 11 degrees higher than predicted - warm afternoon at 77.
late afternoon, we were invited to Candy & Dan's for a lovely dinner (see pictures - note Candy just had hip surgery 8 days ago - she's doin' great!)
after dinner, we drove up to the Pharr South park, for an evening of bingo. Jim won the "horse race".
two other highlights that bare repeating are events accomplished by Diane that she can now take out of her "bucket list".

she picked up her first dog poop, helping out Candy & Candy's dog
she drove her first golf cart . . . and didn't hit anything.

Congrats, Diane.

Fix it day

2012-01-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

frost warning overnight; our temp at 6 was only 39, calm, cloudy; but day is to be cool: high: 65
fixed Esmerelda's (park housekeeper) golf cart this morning
made a Walmart run late morning with lunch at Wendy's
fixed several other items today (in addition to golf cart mentioned above):

TV (that I broke earlier)
Texas room door latch
wireless printer

had formal photos taken for the Park Directory; will get the CD in 4 to 6 weeks. Proofs looked quite good.
napped
this evening, Jim went to play cards while Diane & I decided to rest at home.
and enjoy the pictures I had to think up to take.

Your favorite handyman going to work.

They're selling my bed! Is that a hint? Ugh.

Dan/Dawn, they have lots of RVs here and room for lots more.

Activities planning bulletin board.

Since my kids never see me, I took a self-picture... now, if I could just remember to smile.

Quiet Day

2012-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Cold front came through overnight so that the temp at dawn is only 56 and the high for the day should be 59 with wind gusts to 25 mpg. No swimming today!
Men's breakfast at the local Mexican restaurant hasn't change a bit in the last year.
Diane & I made a major grocery shopping trip while Jim accompanied Dan to the doctor.
quiet lunch at home; then a nap.
afternoon snack with the bowlers - guess we're too old to bowl - had nachos, fried ice cream, & a hot fudge sundae - mmm..... good.
wind died this evening, pleasant out at 53, so Jim & Diane went for a long bike ride.
more tomorrow. (Sorry, no pictures tonight.)

Day One

2012-01-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

tried to sleep in till 7; couldn't make it.
current temp at 9 is 53; high to be 81 today; beautiful clear, blue sky; not a cloud in sight.
made a Lowes run for paper coveralls for Jim while he
fixes Candy's golf gart.
made another run up to the expressway to the golf cart place to buy a replacement battery.
lunched at the hall with hot dogs & sauerkraut.
"jam" all afternoon.
had a very nice early afternoon nap.
then with the temperature over 80, had to go swimming.
made a minor grocery run.
had supper at Dan & Candy's.
wonderful show this evening by The Punches Family; learned that they sang folk music which I enjoyed; not bluegrass which is instrumentally great, but I don't like the vocals.
show included a cameo appearance by the Gold Wing Express, three brothers who are going to be here in 2 weeks.

And finally a couple pictures requested by Jim's kids.

And We're Off

2012-01-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

Tuesday
Kathy picked us up at 6 this morning and took us to the airport. Flight was on time & uneventful. Lowell Stein & his wife met us at the Harlingen airport as Candy Saase had recent hip surgery and didn't get home from the hospital until late this afternoon. (Stein's had been staying at J&D's place for the last several weeks.) Made a grocery run to the new H-E-B. Pot luck supper was delicious. I'm skipping Bingo this evening to publish the blog update and to update the MSCIG site with new meeting minutes.

And now for the coup d'etat. (... and a hush fell over the audience...)

Look at those beautiful bikes that Jim & Diane's kids bought them for Christmas. Very nice, kids. Thought you'd like to see them since you bought them sight unseen. Good job, Amy, Beth, Kristina, & Denise!

Monday
Printed gate passes early. Went to men's exercise this morning. Spent the afternoon with final packing. Jim & Diane arrived mid afternoon. Dan came by and took us all out to Perkin's for supper. Then Dan & Kath had some nice conversation with J&D. Went to bed early in preparation for Tuesday.

Sunday
Went to the cemetery to say hello to Theresa. Washed the car on the way home. Had a nice luncheon with another RidgePointe resident at the nearby Redstone restaurant. Delicous Sunday brunch. Did a "dry pack" to see what would fit into my 2 suitcases. Fell asleep early in preparation for the week's activities.

Preparations 2

2012-01-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a wonderful day with excellent food, wonderful hosts - Mark & Rona Bleess - and visiting with friends. It was the 2011 Bleess Family Holiday Party. About 12 of Theresa's sibling were able to make it. Several live out of town or have left already for the Winter.

I just have 2 more days to finish packing & everything else that needs to get done around here.

And today, I also sent out an announcement message to Jim & Diane and our kids as well as all of Theresa & my siblings. They all always like to know what we do when we're down there. And a daily family blog is an easy way to do that.

Preparations

2012-01-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm watching TV - Nova on Darwin - while I contemplate what I might have forgotten to do or to pack in preparation for being gone for nearly 2 1/2 months. I'm about 1/2 packed. So I shouldn't have any trouble getting everything done by the time Kathy comes to pick us up Tuesday morning.

I won't get much done tomorrow as we're driving up to Long Prairie to Theresa's brother, Mark & Rona's, who are hosting the Bleess Holiday Party. Except for the 4 hours driving, it should be a day of many good memories. More later.