Thursday, February 22, 2018 - Morning Chores; Lunch with Friends; Clothing and Grocery Shopping; Planning Our NE Trip

Thursday, February 22, 2018 - Morning Chores; Lunch with Friends; Clothing and Grocery Shopping; Planning Our NE Trip

We woke up to very cool temperatures.  I think the weatherman said it was 51.  After an 80 degree day yesterday, we decided not to walk or ride.

After breakfast and readying myself for the day, I loaded the charged battery and an SD card in my new camera.  That worked, so the next step was to input the date and time.  Then I took a few pictures of Dean.  Since I had several things to do I put it away in the case that was included.  Wow-that is a very tight fit!  I could barely get the case closed.  I like the case for the fact it isn't too big, has a belt loop and a magnetic closure, but it very difficult to get the camera in or out without pressing the "on" button.  

I'm concerned if the button to turn it on is pushed while still in the case, the camera might be damaged if the lens cannot extend. I have a nice case in our storage shed, so we'll switch it out when we return.  That case has room to carry not only the camera, but also the battery charger, an extra battery as well as separate storage for SD cards.   

Since we do not have any plans until 11:30, I decided to go through my clothes and see what I could store when we return to Oswego.  I determined somewhat early on this trip that I brought more than I needed.  Except for one or two items I removed, I've not worn them since our official full-time date of November 20, and we've encountered all types of weather since then.  What I did wear I have other things I will keep that I can wear instead. We also went though Dean's closet and eliminated a few shirts from his closet to a drawer where we keep his "work shirts", for when he's working on the rig or we're just hanging out here at Bentley.  I replaced the old plastic hangars I collected from stores over the years with the new skinny hangars.  Wow, the closets are so roomy now with the bulk of the old hangers gone.  Along with the clothes I am going to eliminate, I estimate we will remove at least two plastic tubs full (clothes as well as other items) when we return to our home base.  That will free up major space under the bed.  

On my side of the closet there are 4 drawers to the left.  This is where I keep all of my hair "stuff" and makeup.  The closet light just inside is very bright, and the closet door has a mirror on it, so I am able to do all of my "beauty work" right here.  

Now with at least 6-8 inches of extra space I am no longer crowded by my clothes.  It has made a big difference.  While having some new clothes would be great - if that happens I'll change old items out as I add new in order to maintain this newly expanded area.

I gathered up all of the plastic hangars and placed them in the box my camera and accessories came in.  When we go to lunch later, I will check with the thrift store next door of the restaurant, to see if they will take the hangars. 

Another task was to call the office of one of my doctors this morning.  At my December appointment, the doctor asked the nurse to schedule me for a follow-up test when we return to Kansas, and I have yet to hear from anyone.  April and May are getting very close.  I want to make sure I get the test scheduled during the time we are back at our home base; and, before I see the doctor again.  I left a message last week at the doctor's office, but never received a return call, so I was hoping to get through by calling early this morning.  Fortunately that worked, and better yet, the nurse finished with a patient while I was talking to the receptionist, so I was able to speak with the nurse right then.  The nurse told me she had submitted the request in December, but she would resubmit it, and did so while I was on the phone with her.  I will call the hospital tomorrow to check what dates are available.  I hope it will not require changing the appointment with my doctor, but I will deal with it if it is necessary.

By now it was time for us to leave for lunch at "Ranch House Burgers" where the Heartland Owners Club (HOC) members in the area are gathering today.  Yes, we were there yesterday too, but they have such a wonderful menu, you could eat here for days, enjoying many other types of food than burgers.  However, the burgers are AMAZING!  Today I selected the Avocado Burger.  Of course, as the name indicates it included avocado, as well as swiss cheese.  They place a plate with typical toppings - lettuce, tomato, onion, plus jalapenos, on the table.  I like being able to choose these toppings once your burger arrives.  I think of all the burgers we've ate here in the Valley - and all three were awesome burger places - this was the best burger I've had yet.  It may have been because I asked for them to cook it medium rather than medium well, so it was nice and juicy.  If you wear your RV park tag or club tag here, they will give you a free half order of fries.  When Dean ordered he asked for the fries, with his badge.  With the size of these burgers a half order between us is plenty.

At some point I realized I forgot to bring my NEW camera!  We were in a rush at the last minute and I walked out and left it laying on the table next to the love seat.  I almost forgot my phone, and dashed back in at the last minute to get it, but didn't even think about that camera.  A new habit I must work on!

Our lunch was awesome and we sure enjoyed the conversation with everyone.  Six couples attended.  It is just like a big family reunion when these RV groups get together.  We really feel blessed to be a part of them.  

After lunch, I checked with the thrift store next door to see if they would be interested in the hangars I have.  Fortunately, they took them.  I was thankful we did not have to look any further.  I am still looking for capris, as well as a few shirts to wear when we walk or bicycle.  Another stop will be at the grocery store for a few things.  With that in mind we decided to return to the same area where the new to me clothing store we visited a few days ago, Melrose, is located.  There is an HEB across the road, as two clothing stores, Cato and Ross for Less.  Cato was a total strike out.  I am not a dressy, dress type of girl.  I prefer more of a business casual if I want to "dress up".  Maybe I want to be too casual!  I did find 2 pairs of jean capris and a shirt at Ross to try on, however I only purchased the shirt.  

Our next stop was HEB.  I love this store.  We've only been to one HEB since we've been here, shortly after we arrived.  It was a super HEB and it was HUGE!!!  This was a smaller one.  I told Dean I'd like to take the time to look down each aisle.  They have so many things different than other grocery stores that I just wanted to see what was available.  He is so patient and followed me around the store without complaining.  He chose to set in the car looking at his phone apps while I was in the clothing stores, telling me to take my time.  He's a  jewel.  I am so blessed!

Back home I spent the rest of the afternoon working on plans for our summer/fall trip to New York and the New England area.  We hope to visit New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland and West Virginia.  While we've already visited a few of these states (Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland & West Virginia) we did not have Bentley.  For Christmas a few years ago, our daughter Misti, gave us a state map that includes a colorful adhesive of each state.  To update our state map we only add one of the states if we spend the night in Bentley during our visit.  Some RVer's update their map if they pass through the state or do something as they pass through, but this is a personal decision to each RVer.  Our goal is to not only visit, but to stay overnight in each state.  We want to experience some of what the state has to offer while we are there.  For us, that means staying there and spending some time exploring things to see and do.

We continued watching the Olympics this evening.  We have really enjoyed the various competitions, and especially for me, the ice skaters.  I can't even stand on a pair of ice skates without falling.  I am in awe of their skill and how they make the routines seem so effortless.  The commitment they have to reach this level of competition is truly impressive!

I pray each of you have a wonderful day!  Thank you to all who make comments.  I love hearing from you.  

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 - Bicycling; Laundry; Lunch with Friends; Camera

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 - Bicycling; Laundry; Lunch with Friends; Camera

When we checked to see what the weather was like outside this morning, we decided we would ride our bikes at the State Park.  It was humid and warm.  We had a nice ride but deviated from our regular route.  It shortened our normal ride a little, so we only rode 3.3 miles today.

After returning home, we ate breakfast and then I gathered up the laundry, soaps and  hangars so Dean could take me to the park laundry.  I'm only doing two loads today, and will do two more loads later this week.  Once the clothes were loaded in the washers I noticed it was a little past 9.  I walked to the office (same building) to pick up my packages (camera and accessories).  When I returned to the laundry area I opened the boxes with the intent of reading the operating manual while I waited on the clothes to finish.  Unfortunately, the manual is online so I'll have to take a look at it later.

So, while waiting, I rode the stationary bicycle in the adjoining room.  It seemed no time and the washers were going off.  I moved both loads to the two dryers they have here.  The dryers are just not very good.  I got everything as dry as possible and hung everything I could on the hangars I brought with me.  I called Dean to come and pick me up and help load the clothes.  We hung the damp clothes in the bedroom and shower.  Most, if not all of them, will be dry by evening.  I've decided using the park laundry is better than going to the laundromat, however having my own unit will be even better.  

We are having lunch with Escapee friends Dennis and Pam, and John and Sharon at Ranch House Burgers at 3:00.  At 11:30 I made each of us half a sandwich to tide us over until then.  I was tired so I sit down to play my word game and promptly fell asleep.  

A while before we had to leave, my daughter, Misti called. We talked about some of the things she would like for me to look for in Old McAllen.  She will send me a list of things she's interested in.    

We hung up and I gathered the things I want to take to Pam, and we drove to their place to visit for awhile before we leave for lupper (I've seen this used in several blogs to describe a meal that is neither lunch or supper).  Pam gave me some information on an event, "Citrus Center Winter Festival" being held this Friday, to see if we would be interested in going.  We didn't have a chance to really look it over, until when we returned home.   We've decided unless the tires are scheduled to be changed on Friday, we plan to go.

John and Sharon arrived at Dennis and Pam's a short while later and we followed the four of them to Ranch House Burgers.  Last time we were here I had a wonderful, but huge enchilada burger.  Today I decided to eat a grilled chicken salad.  It was just enough and satisfied me for the rest of the day.  We normally eat salad often, and I found I have really missed it.

I asked Dean if he would stop at a Khol's, since there was one near us.  I am still hoping to find some capris, but again I didn't find anything I liked.

By now it was close to 4:30, so rather than get caught in traffic, we took some back roads to return to the park.  Once home, I decided now was a good time to check out the camera.  After placing the battery in the charger, I downloaded and saved the manual to my computer, and registered it online.  I'd like to print the manual, but with 230 pages, front and back, I won't.  I read the basic information to get it operational, so tomorrow we'll try it out and see how well it works.  

I wrote most of the blog for today, and then we watched the Olympics.  

Here's another picture of the tree that sits next to our lot here in the park.  Right now it is just beautiful and fragrant with the flowers in full bloom.  Thanks to my good friend Carolyn, who loves to search online for all kinds of information, she sent me info to confirm this is a Texas Mountain Laurel tree.  Thank you, Carolyn!

Texas Mountain Laurel tree

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - Phone Calls; Trip to Mexico; Lunch; Breadsmith; Harbor Freight; Joe's Ice Cream; Shipley's Donuts; Melrose; Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig; Mail Check

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - Phone Calls; Trip to Mexico; Lunch; Breadsmith; Harbor Freight; Joe's Ice Cream; Shipley's Donuts; Melrose; Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig; Mail Check

It was still very windy this morning so again we did not walk or ride our bicycles.  I hope we are able to do one or the other tomorrow morning.  

See how the wind is blowing these palm trees!

Here's a new picture of the tree that is blooming at our site.  I haven't been able to ask anyone yet if they know what type of tree it is, but hope to find out tomorrow.

Dean and I drove up to the park office this morning at 8:30 to discuss making reservations here at Val's for next winter.  We've decided if we return it will only be for the months of January and February, with the plan to leave home as soon after our family Christmas as possible.  We'd like to be here on January 1 to take advantage of the rent we will pay for the two full months.  This year we paid for three and will only be staying for 2.5 months.  When we reached the office, we discovered it does not open until 9, so we'll have to stop in later today after our return from Mexico.

Our group walking down the sidewalk after leaving one of the stores in Mexico.

Some of the vendors on the streets in Mexico.

We went to Mexico with our Heartland friends Nancy, Dave, Stella and Jay.  We made stops at 3 or 4 different stores, made our purchases and returned to the states.  During our drive I made a few phone calls.  First of all to Ron Hoover RV in Donna, TX to see if they would have time to install a combo washer/dryer before we leave the Valley.  We plan to leave between the 15-17th.  We were able to schedule to installation for Wednesday, March 14.  While they should be able to get it installed on the 14th, we allowed for two extra days in case there is a problem so it does not run into the weekend.  The service department does not work on weekends.  We want to leave the area no later than Friday to begin our trek back home.  The service representative said since the location of the vent in our Big Horn 5th wheel is pre-marked on the outside wall, and has the water hookups and drain already in place it should be a relatively easy project - but with any type of work, there is always a chance for a hiccup.  I'm going to believe it will go well.  When they finish on the 14th, depending on the time - we'll determine if we'll stay there for the night or move on down the road.  We intend to take our time traveling back to Kansas, making stops for sightseeing, visiting friends and just enjoying a leisurely return trip.  

Another call was to UPS, asking they forward our mail to us.  It has worked out well to have it sent every two weeks.  The past few packets of mail have resulted in a fair amount of work including more address changes that are needed, and due to some automatic payments that were held up - but we believe everything is now updated so we do not expect much mail from this point on.  We do almost everything on line with individual companies and even if we deal with one that does not offer online services, we can have our bank issue a check after filling in the necessary information online.  It works wonderful!  

On our return from Mexico we stopped in at Ron Hoover to meet John, the service rep I spoke with and to get all of the details lined out for the install of the combo unit.  He was very nice and we expect the installation to go well.  I had a few questions for him about the type of dryer vent they will use - we want a metal vent not a plastic once, and if we should have a drain pan installed underneath the unit in case there is every a leak.  He is going to let me know the answer to my questions after talking to the installer.

By now it was after 12:00, and we were getting quite hungry.  I was in the process of checking Google for places near us on my phone when I remembered that our friends recommended a place to get shrimp dinners near Victoria Palms and US 83.  Since we were not far from there I looked it up online.  We were so close that we were pulling into the parking lot of "The Lighthouse Seafood Market" within 5 minutes or so.  Dean ordered the fried shrimp plate for $9.99 and received quite a few shrimp - enough he said he was getting full and had almost a half dozen pieces left to eat.  It came with a fish soup, salad and rice as well as ice tea.  I ordered two grilled shrimp tacos.  Oh my goodness, they were so good and only $5.99.  They were full of nice sized pieces of shrimp, tomatoes, and cilantro with a wonderful sauce, possibly chipolte. I tasted one of Dean's shrimp and  it was quite good.

Lunch today was at "The Lighthouse Seafood Market".  They were playing Christian music inside.  I assume that is  where the name of their restaurant "The Lighthouse" reference came from.  It reminded me of K-Love!

Dean's shrimp dinner.  Sorry I forgot to take the pictures before we started eating.

My grilled shrimp tacos were packed with lots of nice size pieces of shrimp.

Our next stop was clear across town in McAllen at Breadsmith to pick up the bread I ordered yesterday when we were there yesterday.  After leaving, we drove by Harbor Freight.  Dean had mentioned a day or so ago that he wanted to stop there, so we turned around and went back.  He purchased two different size packages of tie wraps.  I found a couple of stackable bins I thought might be handy in the pantry to make use of some wasted space on the top shelf.  I took a picture so I could remember the measurements and we'll check once we get back to the rig to see if they will work out.  Update:  Two units stacked would fit wonderful and would almost double the space there, so we may return later to pick up 4 of these.

In the same shopping area, Dean spied "Joe's Ice Cream - 52 flavors".  He thought we should check it out.  After our purchase was made at Harbor Freight, we walked over to Joe's.  We each had 1 dip in a cup.  I chose triple chocolate and Dean chose pecan praline.  Mine was delicious and Dean agreed his was too.  Maybe we can fit in one more visit here before we leave.  

As we moved further down the road, we saw Shipley's Do-nuts.  We have talked about stopping here ever since we saw this do-nut shop the first time; even more since we heard about how good their cinnamon rolls are supposed to be.....so today was the day.  We bought one cinnamon roll. one apple fritter and one do-nut..  We ate the do-nut when we returned to the truck.  It was really good - oh my goodness!   Had the do-nut been warm and my eyes closed, I could have easily envisioned myself sitting in the Oswego bakery enjoying a freshly cooked Jenks do-nut.  Yum....those were the days!

While we were running errands a day or so ago, I saw a clothing store that I've never heard of before.  I told Dean I wouldn't mind trying to find it again.  He was quite patient as we retraced where we've been the past few days, and we finally found it - at the last place we could remember going.  I would like to find two or three new capris and tops.   I found one pair of jean capris that I really liked but the price was more than I was willing to pay.  I did find something to buy though.  I think I mentioned my plan to change the hangars in our closet out with skinny ones I found at Walmart the other day.  Today I bought 25 hangars at Melrose for $9.99.

2" more space for the 14 hangars on the left versus the 14 on the right.

The ones I purchased yesterday

For every 14 hangars I am saving 2" of space.  That is a lot of extra room in a confined area.  I'll be glad when all of our clothes have been transferred to these hangars.  I may go back and buy another package at this price.  By the way the name of the clothing store was Melrose.

This being our last stop for the day, we were ready to head home.  It's hard to believe we left our park a little before 9 and we did not return to the park until almost 4:30.  We had a busy, but fun day.  

For those of you with spouses that wear hearing aids, do you have some odd conversations sometimes?  I keep thinking I'll right down some of ours to share, but I've not followed through.  Too bad, I think I could write a book!   I can't remember what Dean said, but believe me I was laughing so hard I could hardly talk.  We were at the ice cream store and I said I'd like to come back because they have rasberry sherbert which is a favorite of mine and you rarely find it at ice cream shops.  He looked at me and repeated what he thought I said - but it was no where close to rasberry sherbert!  I can no longer remember what he said, but as soon as he said it, he was lucky he didn't have an ice cream shower all over him.  It was hilarious and I was in a fit of giggles. This happens often!  We laugh a lot and often its about misunderstood words because he did not hear me correctly.  I'm thankful he's such a good sport about it and laughs with me, rather than being upset about it.   

While running our errands, Dean received a notice that $15 and some odd cents had been charged to our credit card for an Amazon purchase  Neither of us had been on Amazon today.  The only thing I could find was an item I ordered a couple of weeks ago had been delivered today - and the cost with tax would have been just over $15.  Hopefully that is it.

In addition, what I found when checking on the $15+ charge was great news; a notice my camera was delivered today.  I did not receive a notice via email saying it had been delivered like I usually do on my phone.  We immediately walked up to the park office to see if anyone was still there, in hopes I might be able to pick it up.  Unfortunately the office was already closed. I checked our mailbox.  There was only a note explaining we have a package too big for the box.  I'll have to wait until morning.  I'm excited to try it out tomorrow and very happy it came a week earlier than expected.

I visited with my sister Cindy this evening for awhile.  It was really good to talk to her.  Tomorrow is my sister Crystal's birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!  Love you so much!!  

Now that we have less than 3 1/2 weeks before we leave we are taking a closer look at what things we still want to make time to see or do.  

Monday, February 19, 2018 - Phone Calls; Errands; Lunch with Friends; Walmart; Home Again

Monday, February 19, 2018 - Phone Calls; Errands; Lunch with Friends; Walmart; Home Again

Today was so windy that we decided not to walk or ride bicycles.  The gusts were just shaking Bentley.  With that decision made we ate breakfast, then did our chores before I made a few phone calls.

My first phone call was to the RV center to ask questions about the washer/dryer combo.  The person that we need to talk to about ordering it will not be in until after lunch so I'll call back later today.  They did tell me it would take about 3 days to get the unit delivered from the time the order is placed.  Well, that is good news. 

The next call was to the Mobile RV service to see if they would install it and if so, can they do it before we leave the valley.  I was immediately connected to their answering machine, and was asked to leave a message. 

We have been trying to decide whether to return to the Valley next year, and if so do we return to Val's or look at other RV Parks.  We do like the advantage of being close to Bentsen State Park, our friends in the area.  Now that we have become accustomed to the traffic and learned our way around we do not mind being in this area as much as we did when we first arrived.  There is a lot of traffic here but the heaviest is around 5:00.  We make it a point not to be out at that time if we can help it.  

I made a call to the park office this morning to see if we could still sign up for next year - yes, we can.  What is the price per month, if we do not stay for 3 months?  It increases $60 a month.  Is the lot we have now still available?  Yes, it is.  

We will stop at the office to talk to them when we return from our luncheon date this afternoon.  We only have to put an $85 deposit now and if we notify them at least 60 days prior to our arrival date that we are not coming, we can get our deposit back, so it makes sense to move forward with a reservation at this time.  We are considering coming down after Thanksgiving, and then driving the truck home for a week at Christmas.  We may or may not do this - it's just an option right now.

We need to run a few errands before lunch.  Our first stop was at Sam's Club to buy diesel for the truck.  Everyone was buying fuel this morning, so we had to wait in line.  It wasn't too long until it was our turn.  Dean also wanted to stop at Home Depot to look at a few things.  By the time we were finished it was time to head to Cowboy Chicken for our lunch date.

On our way the Mobile RV service returned my call.  He asked a few questions and when he learned we do not currently have a washer/dryer unit in the RV he was not interested in taking the project on.  He did not want to make the cut into the RV to install the vent.  So we'll do some more checking as we'd like to get it done soon if possible. 

Our next stop was to meet some friends from Oswego.  Fred and Pat, contacted us after seeing the article in our hometown newspaper about our travels and blog, to see if we would like to meet up for lunch one day.  We were delighted they contacted us, and today is the day!  We are looking forward to spending time with them.  We arrived at the restaurant within just a short time of each other.  Neither of us has ever been to Cowboy Chicken before.  After checking out their menu online it sounded great and we have heard positive comments about it.  You order at the counter after arriving, so we were glad we had checked out the menu before hand.  Dean ordered their 3 pc. dark chicken with corn fritters and okra as sides.  I chose the Larredo sandwich which included a rotisserie chicken breast, tomato, housemade guacamole, chipotle mayo, and melted cheese on a toasted bun, and a side salad with chile lime dressing.  We really liked the food.  The chicken was so tender and moist it all but melted in your mouth - no dry taste at all.  The chile lime dressing was very different but very, very good.  Our meals were 7.99 each - worth it for the quality of the meal.

Once we started to visit, we continued talking for the next two and a half hours.  We enjoyed our visit so much.  During our conversation I learned that I've known Pat's brother for years but didn't realize they were siblings.  Dale is married to my step-mom's niece Linda. (Note to my stepbrother Mike----I can't believe I didn't know this!)  Dean and I used to attend the same church Fred and Pat do, in fact it is the church we were married in so we've known them for quite sometime.  I also knew Fred from his association with a township fire department when I worked for the city.  Of course when you get RVer's together there is always a common ground for conversation and a good part of it related to that, but we still managed to do some catching up on what our kids and grandkids are doing.  We also learned the church that our son Jarred works for in Wichita, Pathway, is the church their daughter-in-law's parents attend, and where their son and his wife were married.  (Jarred, I failed to get their names - but asked Pat to have them look you up.)  We had to come to Texas to find out all of these details!!  Isn't it funny how things work out?  

They gave us some tips on things to do while we are here, when Dean asked for suggestions.  We have done a few already, but one thing we want to do is take the hand drawn ferry across the Rio Grande.  They take both walk-on passengers and cars across, but we will not take our vehicle. We'll just ride over and back for the experience.   Another thing they asked, "Do you like apple fritters?". They told us about the fritters they make in Rio Hondo - and how wonderful they are.  We had heard this before and since we both absolutely love apple fritters - it is on our list to do before we leave.  We have some Escapee friends that are staying in Rio Hondo so hopefully we can spend some time with them when we make the trip.  There will be pictures to share for sure!

We left the restaurant, and then stood outside talking for another 20 minutes or so at our trucks.  I hope they did not get in too much late afternoon traffic leaving here.  We needed to make a stop around the corner at Breadsmith as we are down to our last couple of slices of bread.  I was so disappointed they were out of my favorite "Farmer's Wheat", but I ordered one that we will pick up tomorrow afternoon.  We bought a loaf of "Country Buttertop" for Dean.  He's getting a little tired of my favorite.  Since the bread freezes so well, I'll freeze half of the loaves.  

We needed to make a quick stop at Walmart for some milk, and decided to take a chance on finding some of our trail mix - can you believe it, there were 3 bags on the shelf.  We bought 2.  I felt a bit hoggish taking 2, so could not bring myself to take them all.  Evidently we are not the only ones who enjoy this, so hopefully someone else will be as happy to see that last bag as we were.

I failed to take any pictures today so I'll share one I took awhile back and forgot to include at the time.

I told Dean this water tower is just so wrong----my Chetopa and Oswego friends will understand.
Oswego's mascot is also an Indian; Chetopa's school colors are green and yellow!
Chetopa and Oswego are neighboring communities in Southeast Kansas.  Having lived in both city's during my school years, I claim them both as my hometown's!

It was about 4:30 when we returned to the park.  I wanted to stop and visit with them about making a reservation for next year, but the office was already closed.  They are having a meal at 5:00 with a street dance to follow tonight.  We are not going, so I had forgotten about that.  We'll stop by in the morning.

Nancy texted later in the evening and asked if we wanted to go to Mexico with her and Dave, and Jay and Stella tomorrow morning.  We want to go back since to get a few things before we leave the area, so we'll drive over to their park in the morning and follow them in our truck.

We watched the Olympics and just relaxed the rest of the evening.  The wind has continued to blow all day and still is this evening.  We will not ride or walk at the park in the morning since we are leaving early, but hopefully we can get back to it on Wednesday.  

Sunday, February 18, 2018 - Bicycling; Church; Lunch; Skyping; Dinner; Meeting Neighbors

Sunday, February 18, 2018 - Bicycling; Church; Lunch; Skyping; Dinner; Meeting Neighbors

We were back to bicycling at Bentsen Park this morning, wearing our new helmets.  It was still windy, but not as bad as the past two or three days.  We had a great ride of 4 miles and we both did well.  One thing I learned today, is all of this time I thought I was in the gear that would allow me to pedal the easiest.  For some reason I decided to move them around and just double check - oh wow, I should have checked that sooner.  It will be much easier trying to make it up hills from now on!  Lol!  At least my legs have been getting a really good workout.  Today, going up the incline as we left the park was a breeze compared to the other day.  

My new bicycle helmet!

When we returned to Bentley we had breakfast and got ready for church.  We weren't sure if Gary was running the bus this morning or not, so we were prepared to drive if he did not.  We have not heard from or seen him all week, so I hope he's not under the weather.  Once we arrived at church, another couple that attends, Ray and his wife, Arlene or Evelyn {There is both an Arlene and Evelyn that attend church with us - and I can't remember which one she is} told us that Gary was not feeling well.  He thought he was getting a cold so was staying away from others until it passes.  Prayers he is feeling better very soon.  He's such a sweet and caring man, and full of love for God.  By the Ray and his wife are from Benton, Kansas.  

Pastor Domingo had a wonderful sermon this morning about the importance of taking communion.  Today was the first day they have taken communion in their new church.  It was one of the best sermons I've heard about why we take communion and how important it is.  The first service (given in Spanish) ran late - partly due to the communion but they also had several people saved, and they did the week before as well.  The Spanish service is pretty large, but I've noticed the past two weeks the congregation in the American service is growing as well.  I think it's at least doubled since we've been going.  The people here are very loving and it reminds me of our church at home.  We miss it, our pastor and friends there.  

We were a little later getting home due to the services running longer than normal, which was not a problem.  We have plans to Skype with Matt and Megan at 2.  I made us a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and warmed up a little of the leftover BBQ pork to go with it.  By the time we ate and I cleaned things up, it was time to call them.  Dean tried to connect a couple of times but nothing happened..  I sent Matt a text to see if they were ready.  He told us Megan and Sarah were napping so he'd let us know when they were ready.  No problem.  About 3:00 or 3:30, we tried again and while we finally got through, we could only see them, they could not see us.  That wasn't as much fun for the kiddos.  We love the ability to do this, when it works.  It helps the grand-kids remember who we are while they are so young, since we do not see them as often.  After talking to them and seeing their sweet little faces and antics, it makes us look forward to seeing them even more.  We are feeling that way about all of our kids and grand-kids back in Kansas as well.  As much fun as we are having, we sure miss them and look forward to seeing them all again. 

By the time we hung up, it was 5:30.  We planned to grill shrimp and salmon for dinner but it was just too windy, so I made chicken and noodles in the Instapot.  Dean was outside emptying our tanks and I could hear him banging around so once the food was on, I went out to see how long he would be.  He was talking to our neighbors.  I could not hear their remarks so I walked closer.  (Dean told me later the gusts were 25-30 miles an hour) They asked us to sit down to visit for a bit.  Until now, I've only said hello to them as we come and go, although Dean and Rich have talked a few times when he's been out working around the rig.  We had a nice visit with them.  Rich and Jane live in Hannibal, MO.  This is their first visit to Val's as well.  They are heading back home on Wednesday.  About 20-25 minutes later I had to excuse myself since I needed to check our dinner, which should have been done in about 10 minutes.  I'm glad it worked out that we visited, for two reasons, the opportunity to get to know them, and my meal came out even better.  The last time I made chicken and noodles they were good, but the noodles (Reames, frozen noodles) were not as done as I would have preferred.  By letting them set that last 10-15 minutes, even though they were no longer cooking, the warmer was on.  It was just enough to soften the noodles up.  They turned out perfect.

It was a quiet day and we enjoyed it.  The coming week is going to be busy.  We already have three luncheon dates planned and we are looking forward to each one of them.  We also will be getting the tires for Bentley and making a final decision on the combo washer/dryer purchase.  There are still a number of places we want to visit, so I'd like to fit in at least one a week our last four weeks here.  We are still trying to make a decision on returning to the Valley - if we do, how long, if so when, and do we want to return to Val's or look at some other parks?  While we really like Val's and the location to Bentsen State Park, there are things to consider.  A number of parks are offering some great prices - as little as $199/mo if you stay at least 3 months.  At this point, we are not sure we want to commit to 3 months next year, and the rates are higher if you do not stay at least that long.  A lot to consider.

This tree is at our site.  These flowers just started blooming the past few days.  It is very pretty!

I pray you enjoyed your day.  Thank you for following along on our adventure, even when we do not have much happening.  May God richly bless each of you!

Saturday, February 17, 2018 - Walk in the Park; Tires Ordered; Bicycle Rack; Visiting with Neighbors; Cheddar's; Evening at Home

Saturday, February 17, 2018 - Walk in the Park; Tires Ordered; Bicycle Rack; Visiting with Neighbors; Cheddar's; Evening at Home

Today was a nice laid back day even though we did manage to do a few things.  After yesterday's bike ride, we decided to walk in the park today.  It was a nice day and we enjoyed the slower pace.  We managed to get in 3 miles and walked a little over an hour.  We returned home with nothing on the agenda but making sure we get tires ordered for Bentley.

After breakfast and the usual chores, Dean pulled out his computer and logged on to Simple Tires.  He learned about this from our friend David who did the same thing while he was here last year.  Pep Boys does not carry the brand tire he wants, which is Sailun, however Simple Tires provides a way to utilize Pep Boys services.  We purchase the tires from Simple Tires, they deliver the tires to Pep Boys who will take the old tires off the rims and put the new ones on.  Bonus:  They were offering a 10% discount today so we saved over $50!  It all went well until the charge would not go through on our credit card.  After a call to our credit card company, we found it was denied because of the dollar amount and since it was in Texas.  Once we let them know we did make the charge and we were traveling here, they processed it and the transaction was completed.  It was a bit frustrating at first.  Dean did not realize he had received an alert on his phone about the charge, because the sound to let him know a text message had arrived did not go off.  When he decided to call the credit card company, he discovered the alert.  So Bentley will now have his new shoes before we leave.  

I mentioned in a previous post that we found a bicycle rack at a garage sale a week or two ago for only $5.  Dean wanted to see how it was going to work and we are sure glad he took a look at it today, almost a month before we will be leaving.  While the bikes fit, he will definitely have to make some adjustments to keep them from bouncing against the RV, so that is a task that will keep him occupied in our down time.

I was inside, with the back window open to let the light in, when I noticed him looking at the bicycles after he hung them on the rack.  I walked over and got down close to the window and knocked on it.  He motioned for me to come out.  He was telling me about his concerns with carrying the bicycles without making some adjustments when we travel, when our neighbor across the fence, Ron walked over.  A short time later our neighbor next to us Ray, joined us.  They both thought we were getting ready to head home.  Once Dean explained what he was doing they told him they too had carried bicycles on the back of their rigs before.  Ray has a motorhome that he pulls an enclosed trailer behind.  He now hauls his car and his bicycles in it.  Ron no longer carries his but offered a few suggestions from making a wooden bracket to hold the bicycles away from the rig, welding something or moving them to the front of the truck.  Hopefully Dean will figure something out so we can safely haul them with us as we travel.  If not, we may be leaving the bicycles here in the valley.  Ideas, anyone?

While we were visiting with Ron, his wife Kym walked over.  They live in Neosho, MO.  During our visit we mentioned our planned trip to New York in June and then on to the New England States after that.  Since they had made that same trip they offered a few places we should visit, which we appreciated.  Ron also suggested we consider attending the Riverboat Festival they hold annually around Labor Day in Marietta, OH, his hometown.  We are not sure when we will actually head back to Kansas but decided to keep the Riverboat Festival as a possibility if we happened to be in the area at that time.  Marietta is on the Ohio River where West Virginia borders it to the east side of the state.  We hope to include an overnight stay in West Virginia as part of our trip.  It is a state we have not yet visited, so who knows maybe we'll see them later this year.  

During our conversation with Ron and Kym, our other friend across the fence, Stella walked up to visit after picking up her mail in their park office.  We all visited together for awhile, before Ron and Kym left.  Before Stella headed back to her rig, she mentioned they were going to Cheddar's with Dave and Nancy to eat at 2 if we wanted to go along.  She said you may have already ate, but surprisingly we had not.  In fact, when I tapped on the window about noon, I was actually going to ask Dean if he was ready for me to fix dinner - but an hour and a half later we were still there, enjoying our neighbor's visits.  I guess that worked out in our favor since we did go with them and had a great visit with Stella and Jay, and Nancy and Dave.  We really like Cheddar's food, but we rarely go, because it is always busy.  It was no different today.  We arrived about 2:15.  They said our wait would be about 35 minutes.  The wait time goes much faster when you have friends to visit with.  We were soon seated and was ordering our meal.  Dean had made a selection - I don't remember what it was until I told him what I was ordering and then he changed his to mine.  He often orders something he doesn't end up liking that well, but he almost always likes what I order, and then wishes he had ordered it instead.  (WOW, that was a lot of words!)  We were both very happy with "my" choice!  We had grilled shrimp and chicken breast with a pineapple pico de gallo, rice, broccoli and a loaded baked potato.  He had coleslaw instead of the broccoli. I just realized I failed to take a picture of our food, or us!  In fact I didn't take a picture all day yesterday.

Dean and I drove separately since the others were going to Walmart afterwards.  Since we made trips to Walmart the previous two days for things, we were happy to pass on that trip - especially on a Saturday!

Once home, I read blogs, trying to catch up on several I missed while I was behind writing my blog posts.  I also got out the map to see where Marietta, OH was and checked a few other things for our upcoming trip.  It seemed in no time we were turning the TV on to tune in to the Olympics, which we have really enjoyed watching the past several evenings.  I enjoyed playing my word game - Wordscapes on my phone for awhile.  It's a fun thing to do once in awhile to pass a little time.  There is so little I care to watch on TV and the Olympics have been such a joy.  I will really miss it when they end.  We did take a quick break and ran to Dairy Queen for a little sweet treat.  It's just too close to us.  

While we had no big plans today, we had a wonderful day, and very much enjoyed our visit with friends.

Friday, February 16, 2018 - Bicycling; Juan Diago Academy & Old Seminary; Anzalduas Park; Walmart Run; Checking on Tires; Taco Palenque; Old McAllen; National Butterfly Park

Friday, February 16, 2018 - Bicycling; Juan Diego Academy & Old Seminary; Anzalduas Park; Walmart Run; Checking on Tires; Taco Palenque; Old McAllen; National Butterfly Park

We loaded our bicycles this morning about 7:30 and headed to Bentsen RGV Park to ride.  It was rough today.  I thought yesterday I was tired once we finished, but today I had to stop at 3 miles and rest a bit before going on.  The wind was at least as strong as yesterday, if not more so, so we were bucking it half of the ride.  What I didn't realize when we left, but soon did into the ride, my muscles were sore from yesterday's ride.  It was too late to turn around since we were half way in.  At three miles we stopped at a bird blind and I did get a couple of pictures of the green jay.  

Green bird with dark head in the middle of the picture is the Green Jay.  It is a beautiful bird.

Of those, this was the only one good enough to include and it's not a great picture.  After we set awhile I was able to complete the last mile fine - except that last uphill from the park to the parking lot.  I really struggled on those last two or three pedals to make it to the top but I did it!  My legs were a shaking. No pain, no gain, they say!  

After we returned home, had our breakfast, showers, and did a few chores we left to run a couple of errands, and a couple of fun things.

When Hoot and Helen took us to Old McAllen last Sunday we first drove by an old seminary building and down to the entrance to Anzalduas Park.  I wanted to go back so I could get some pictures and to drive through the park.  It is free to enter the park Mon-Fri, but there is a fee on the weekends.

This partial structure is an old Catholic seminary.  Here is an article I found about Juan Diego Academy & the Old Seminary.

The remains of this old seminary really caught my attention.  I love old buildings and learning the history behind them.

Entrance to Juan Diego Academy - Catholic School where the old seminary structure resides.

When we took the Riverboat Tour a few weeks ago we floated by Anzalduas Park which is adjacent to Anzalduas Dam on the US side of the Rio Grande River.  Here are a few pictures we took as we drove through the park.

We are in the US Anzalduas Park.  Looking to the left across the water is Mexico.

Anzalduas Park - a very large park with lots of open space.

The park in Mexico - across the Rio Grande River.

Anzalduas Dam

As we left the park we headed to Walmart - seems to be our place of choice lately - as much as we visit it.  Today we were going for bike helmets and I am looking for a new silverware tray.  The one I bought 4 years ago does not have full sides for each of the sections, so the silverware is always sliding into the adjoining compartments.  I decided it was something I wanted to change if I could, however they did not have anything the size I needed - 9" or less.  I'll keep looking.  Today was the first time I used any of the funds I've accumulated in my Walmart Savings Catcher.  After I reset my password so I could get into my account - it was very simple to use.  

Our next stop was at Pep Boys to talk to them about tires for Bentley.  As I mentioned yesterday we need to get new ones before we leave here.  Dean found out from David (thank you) he can order the tires through a company that will deliver them to Pep Boys.  Once they are there, Dean will take two tires off, take them to Pep Boys, they will put the new ones on the rims.  Once he puts the new ones on Bentley, he'll do the same with the other two tires.  We'll get that set up on Monday.  Dean said we will not be leaving here until it is done!  Hopefully, they will get it completed within the next 30 days!!

By now we were hungry and while we thought about heading back home to eat, we knew we wanted to make another stop so rather than make another trip back, we found Taco Palenque (what we were looking for yesterday) and decided to try it out.  Dean had two Casero tacos (refried beans, rice and premium sirloin); and I had two crispy tacos (ground beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese).  They have a salsa bar and all the chips you can eat.  We really enjoyed both the tacos and the chips, and I was in love with the salsa bar. They had a wonderful avocado creme sauce that was amazing. We were quite full when we left for right at $10 for both of us.  Thanks to Helen for this tip!

We visited Old McAllen with Hoot and Helen last Sunday but I wanted to check out a couple of other places - Casa Kevin which had a huge variety of things (and Helen highly recommended), and another place that was like a party store (mostly kid's party products) along with lots of other stuff - flowers, stuffed animals, housing goods, tools, etc.  We didn't buy anything but enjoyed looking.  I saw a few things I will probably go back for before we leave.

These stores are just packed with all kinds of things to buy from tools to makeup; from shoes to prom dresses; and it's all cheap!  I saw a few things I'll probably purchase before we leave.  For anyone wanting to have a themed birthday party for a child, this would be a great area to pick up paper products.  

Our last stop before heading home was at the National Butterfly Park, which is not far from our RV park at all.  It was about 4:30 when we arrived and it closes at 5:00, but we did get information that will be useful when we come back to visit.  Right now they do not have a lot of butterflies due to the cooler weather this winter, but there are a number of birds.  They feed the birds at 8:30 and 1:30 each day.  A few birds that are in the area now, and somewhat unique include the Rufus Hummingbird, Painted Bunting and the Western Bluebird (which we have at home in the spring-summer months).  I hope we might have the opportunity to see all three of these while we are here.  We will return once my camera arrives.  

From the butterfly park, we headed home.  I asked Dean to stop at the park office to pick up the weekly Winter Texan papers.  They both list all the activities scheduled for the upcoming week, along with several articles detailing special activities, featuring places to eat, etc.  I noticed the Winter Texan TIMES is advertising a special edition they will publish in March.  It is to "let your friends back home know about all the fun times they can have in the Rio Grande Valley". So, for those of you following the blog, who might be interested, let me know and I'll pick some up and bring back to share at the spring rallies.  The rest of our evening was pretty laid back, watching more of the Olympics, reading and studying the new Atlas.

I pray each of you have had a wonderful day!  I love hearing from you, so don't hesitate to say hello or make a comment.