More Park Excitement

After my encounter with the drug runner in at the state park exit, I thought that was our excitement for the rest of our stay here. Wrong again. The other night there were 20 illegal aliens in our park [13 in this park and 7 in the same-owner park next door] and the Border Patrol were everywhere. Our front and back gates are locked from 5pm to 8am every night. There is a walk through gate that leads to the state park that has a lock but it is not double checked each night. That is where the illegals entered after swimming the river and coming through the state park. They were heading north and some had gotten into Retama next door, when someone noticed the activity and called the Border Patrol who were all over the area, eventually catching everyone. This happened at the north end of our park and we are in the middle, plus it was the middle of the night, so us ever vigilant people slept through the whole thing!

It is time for us to leave S Texas. When it gets to be hot, humid and the wind blows like hell this place loses its appeal for me. I am still going into the state park every day where there are lots of trees and protection from the wind. I will really miss that as it is so nice to ride my bike through all those areas and see great birds. Our bikes will be in the car until we get home as they are not easy to load and unload but since we have a bike trail at home that is 25 miles long and just a mile from our house, we can look forward to riding on that this summer.

Park Excitement

Last night at 5 pm I decided to take a bike ride through the state park which is right next door to our RV park. There is a paved road in the park that makes a loop which I had gone around twice. I was wanting to go around again but thought that since it was getting near sundown and there was no one else around, perhaps I should consider my safety and not make the third trip. As it turned out, I should have gone around again. As you leave the park there is a levee that you climb to an area at the top where there is currently some construction, then down the other side and on the road to home. When I got to the top of the levee I heard a collision and saw a black pickup truck with Mexican license plates crash through a security gate that had just been installed. There was a big cloud of dust as the pickup accelerated through the gate, made the turn onto the road where I was riding, wiping out a couple of construction barrels in the process. I was on the way down the hill when I realized the guy was right behind me and closing fast. I hit the ditch and he went flying past me, turning at the bottom of the hill onto Old Military Highway. Shortly after a Border Patrol vehicle came at high speed down Bentsen Palm Drive so I pointed out the direction the bad guy was going. As I was talking to Roy, a Texas Parks employee, another Border Patrol vehicle came flying down the levee in the direction the bad guy had come. Roy & I waved him through in the direction the pickup had taken. Since I am so low down when I am riding my trike I could not see into the bed of the pickup but Roy, who had been standing there talking on his cell phone, told me that the bed of the pickup was full of bundles which were fairly obviously marijuana. Dan & I watched the news last night but there was no mention of the chase. This morning I went back to the park to take pictures and immediately saw a construction worker talking to a couple and telling them about the activities of last night. I told him I had been there when it all happened. He said "Oh you're the one who saw it all". He told me they had caught the guy at Anzalduas, about 5 miles from here. There were also 2 Canadians who walk with their 2 german shepherds who said that in the distance from the state park to the palapa which is owned by the owner of our RV park and that our residents can visit [just a couple of miles away] they had seized 2800 lbs of drugs recently. There is also a path that comes up onto the levee from beside the state park that is seeing a lot of drug activity right now. As if that was not enough excitement, this morning when Dan went outside, there was a trail of blood across our concrete patio...probably not an animal as the drops were from high enough up that they caused a splatter when they hit, and there were no tracks.

All in all, just another day in sunny south Texas. Birding anyone?!?

Coming down from the levee and turning left onto Old Military Highway.....the scene of the excitement!

The construction site where the bad guy turned off the levee wiping out a couple of barrels and coming down the road toward me.

The newly installed security gate on the levee that he crashed through and the Border Patrol assessing the damage. Note the bend in this very sturdy [but not sturdy enough] gate

My low riding trike. Great fun to ride but not high enough up to see into the bed of the pickup.

One of 8 blood splatters on our concrete patio this morning.

South Texas Ice Storm [mini]

Here in South Texas we are experiencing below freezing temperatures...something we seldom have to deal with. After the third day, we are finally seeing the sun but the wind is cold. Last night we had light rain which froze on everything and through the night we could hear the ice fall onto the top of the motorhome. The tender vegetation is already frozen and looking very sad. The water pipe coming out of the ground is frozen so I hope we don't have a water leak when it thaws. I have kept the hummingbird feeder full and thawed, but this is really hard on those little guys. However, being inside lets us sort through the many pictures we took on our trip to Peru. While our weather is not nearly as bad as the rest of the country we can be like them, and look forward to spring. Stay warm everyone.

Trip Day Minus One

Tomorrow we leave for our trip. We have everything packed except for toothbrush etc. Once in Peru we have a shuttle flight on a smaller airline that has a weight limit on luggage of 44 lbs per person. We tried to weigh on our bathroom scales but that was iffy at best so we decided to go to the airport and get an official weight. Dan was 3 lbs under and I was 1 lb over but that also included snacks etc that we will eat on the plane before we get there, so we are in pretty good shape.

On the way to the airport we pass the military National Cemetery for this area. There was a young soldier killed in Afganistan whose funeral is today and they were going all out to make everything look perfect. Of course the actual cemetery is always spotless but today the city of Mission was grooming the roadside from the expressway to the cemetery picking up trash, mowing, putting out an avenue of flags along the median outside the cemetery. Mostly the people buried there are retired military but today they are doing everything to pay respects to a young man who gave his life for his country. It touched my heart.

Happy New Year!

I have a lot of updating to do so had better get started. Christmas Eve was spent with 12 friends who went to the Presbyterian Church for the candle light service. I do that every year and really enjoy it. Christmas day was spent with good friends Anne & Scotty, Jim & Linda. We had a non traditional meal at Hyashi Hibachi [like Bennihana] where Dan & I had filet mignon prepared at our table. It was sensational. I had some left over which I took home. I think Dan thought I would share, but with filet, it is every man for himself! I enjoyed it almost as much the next day. When we got back to the park we stopped and had delicious homemade desserts with John & Deanna, Dave & Karen, Pat & Vern. We are lucky to have such outstanding cooks among our friends. After stuffing myself with carrot cake and pies, we headed home and counted our many blessings this Christmas season.

The park has a New Years Eve party but we elected to stay home. I was in the back of the motorhome watching TV when at 10pm I heard a noise in the front. Upon investigation, I found Dan snoring on the couch. So much for a wild New Years Eve. Even the many fireworks at midnight did not wake him up.

We have been riding our bikes more lately and enjoying it. When we got here the state park next door was completely closed due to flooding last summer from the hurricane. The water did a lot of damage and it was taking a long time for the water to recede and the mess to be cleaned up. Before Christmas they opened a small part of the roadway and it was so nice to be able to ride at least part of the way through the park. At Christmas they opened the entire roadway and although some of the trails and birding areas are still closed, it is wonderful to be able to ride as much as we want.

One day while riding in the state park we heard sirens that sounded very close. When riding out of the park there was a great commotion in the parking lot. A couple from Sydney, British Columbia had parked their RV and headed into the state park. Someone noticed smoke coming out of their RV and called the fire department. In no time at all the RV was completely consumed and a total loss. The couple had just sold their home, bought the RV new and were travelling around the country to decide on the next stage in their lives. They had a bunch of cash [which was salvaged] and passports [which were lost]. They are staying in cabins in our RV park until they can get all the mess straightened out. One of them is Canadian and one American so they will have to deal with both country's state departments to get passports renewed. What a huge hassle. There was a problem with their refrigerator causing a gas leak then a fire and explosion. The insurance is not contesting anything since it is a new vehicle but it is still a major inconvenience.

Birders are always looking for something rare and since this area is so close to Mexico, and since birds don't know anything about international borders, South Texas often gets strays from farther south. This time the bird is a black vented oriole and it has taken up residence in our RV park. There is one particular tree that it likes to get nectar from, the coral bean tree, and there are 3 in our park. Birders have been coming from all over the country to see this bird and the traffic is causing havoc in the park. This also happens to be the busiest season for the RV park, and the coral bean tree is at the busiest intersection. For a few days it was chaos until the bird decided to visit the other coral bean tree and the management figured out how to route traffic so everyone is happy.

Yesterday we ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant with friends Jerrie and Mike, Marcia and Dave. After coming home, I started sneezing, my nose running and a headache. I seldom get colds but the timing on this one stinks as it is only 4 days until we leave for our 11 day trip to Peru. I am loading up on cold stuff and taking it easy so it does not spoil our trip. Our trip is a birding trip [of course] which we have been looking forward to. Will give you more details when we get home.

Dan has a partial plate with 3 front teeth which he keeps in all the time. Yesterday one of the teeth fell out [he was eating Fritos....I didn't hit him....honest]. We thought it would be easy to find someone to glue it back in but he couldn't get an appointment until Monday. I forget about it until he smiles and then he looks like a hillbilly! Can't wait until Monday. Thank goodness it did not happen in Peru.

We have had great weather this year, until the past couple of days when we have been forced to stay inside. However, considering last year when the whole winter was crummy, we can't complain.

This is harvest season for the citrus crops down here and I have been taking advantage of a plentiful supply right from the farm, at great prices. Dan asked me what I was going to do when we leave here and have to go back to full price! Not looking forward to it.

We are enjoying our time here in South Texas with new people arriving daily at the RV park. After Thanksgiving there will be a big influx and the official start of the winter season will begin. Our weather has been beautiful in the 55-75 range and low humidity with a slight north wind. However, the last several days the wind has been howling out of the south with the temps 75-90 and high humidity....the kind of weather I dislike. The overnight low temps have been setting high records. We have been holed up in the motorhome with the air conditioner running. However, I guess that is better than our Montana home where they have been having unseasonably cold weather and even some snow.

One good thing about staying inside is that we are using the time to sort and name our pictures we took on our Mexico trip. Both Dan and I carry cameras with big lenses to take pics of the birds we see. The challenging part becomes in the ID of the birds. In the field, our leader Dave, would tell us what they are but after seeing about 225 species in various stages of camoflage in the bushes, and about a month after the fact, it becomes a guessing game as to what some of the birds are. That plus the fact that many are southern birds that we are not used to seeing. We have had some spirited discussions on what some of them may be, ending with "Well, it is your list" [a birding expression for "I don't believe you but I am not going to argue".]

We are back in the land of citrus groves and this time of year is harvest. There are roadside stands everywhere. I really like grapefruit and have found a way to eat it which I really like. I peel it, cut it into bite sized pieces and put them on a plate in the freezer for about 4-5 hours. By that time they have ice crystals in them but are not rock hard and are really delicious. I can hardly wait until evening every day so I can have my frozen treat.

For Thanksgiving dinner the RV park is having a dinner at the clubhouse where they supply the meat and we bring the accompanying dishes. Instead of doing that [the clubhouse is noisy] we have decided that we will eat with friends Anne, Scotty, Linda and Jim. When I went to buy the ham today I had a nice surprise. If you buy a ham [which I was going to do anyway] they gave you a turkey for FREE!! Being my mother's daughter, I could not pass that up. The fact that our RV refrigerator is way too small didn't slow me down a bit.....free was free! Dan is really good at creative arranging and the turkey is now in the fridge, thawing to be cooked on the weekend. We both love cold turkey sandwiches and then stewing the bones to make soup so we will be in great shape for food for the next while. Our local grocery store chain often has really good specials like that.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

She strikes again....the once a month blogger!!! Maybe things will improve but don't hold your breath.

We have arrived in Mission Texas for the winter after a stop in Tucson for a birding trip into Mexico and in Lawton Oklahoma for a visit with family and friends. Both stops were most enjoyable.

As mentioned in my previous blog [is your memory that good?] Dave picked us up plus 6 other people for an 8 day birding trip into NW Mexico and down as far as his home in Alamos. It was a great trip with lots of birds. I think I got 33 lifers and Dan got 23. My back held up surprisingly well all things considered. For a complete trip report go to
http://www.solipaso.com/sonora-yecora-alamos-and-the-sea-of-cortez

I had been concerned about security when driving from Tucson into Mexico because of the smuggling and illegal activity. However, I was absolutely amazed at the lack of evidence of such activity in that area of Arizona. However, when we got to Texas it is an entirely different story. I think things have worsened since last year with many areas by the river being a cause for concern. However, we can stay away from there and all should be OK. Even though our RV park is not far from the river there are Border Patrol around all the time plus the property is fenced and locked from dark to dawn.

Our week at Lawton was spent at cousin Jo's house along with great food and hospitality. At Ft Sill we got some of the shots necessary for our trip in January to Peru.

We also had a "slight mishap" with our cell phone when Dan put it in a half full glass of water that was in the console of the car. We have been trying to dry it out [to no avail so far] but in the mean time, our good neighbors Mike and Linda found our old phone in the office at our house and mailed it to us. It did not have any of the old numbers in it as I had hoped but at least we did not have to spend $250 for a new phone. Plus, Anne knew how to re-activate the old phone so we are all set. It sure is nice to have good friends who can bail us out of our messes.

Dan did some maintenance stuff on the motorhome [with help from friend Ken] then packed it to head south. After a couple of blips in the battery compartment and an extended diagnosis/repair time we got to Bentsen Palm Village [600 miles from Lawton] on Tuesday. Anne and Linda had made a terrific dinner of pulled pork, macaroni, green beans and cole slaw so we grabbed a bottle of wine and headed to their place to finish it all off [it is so nice not to have to cook after driving all day]. It is great to see old friends again and catch up on everything....even though we had seen both couples at our place in Montana last August, plus both Anne and especially Linda are MUCH better at keeping up with their blogs than I am.

Yesterday was Veterans Day plus our third wedding anniversary. When selecting a wedding date it looked like November was going to be best. I liked the idea of Veterans Day [since Dan was in the Navy for 21 years] but wasn't sure if that was a good idea. However, when he said it was also his mother's birthday, the deal was sealed and 3 years ago we went to New Hampshire and got married at his brother's place. The last 3 years we have eaten out at our favorite Chinese buffet here in the Valley and of course I ate too much [I even had a cream cheese stuffed jalapeno for you Jerrie!!]

As I mentioned, I have been pleasantly surprised how well my back has been holding up. We got our recumbent trikes out of the car and have been riding them with no problems for me. Then this morning I went with Anne to the clubhouse where she and others have been doing zoomba dancing which is a heck of a workout. I tried it and so far no problems. I did not get as vigorous as the others, but at least I was moving.

Will end this for today and will try to do better about posting in the future.