March 1- 15, 2010

March 1, 2010, Monday


(Entrance to Casa de Valle)

I was an early riser this morning getting up at 4:45 am; I stayed up until 6 am going back to bed for a couple more hours rest because I wasn’t feeling all that good. Getting things ready to depart the outskirts of Goliad, TX we headed out ten minutes till 9 am with Rhonda taking the helm of our rolling mansion (okay our motor home). She drove the first 90 miles of our trip to the Valley; I took over after resting in the co-pilots seat finishing up the last 105 miles. Arriving at Casa de Valle close to the 1:30 pm hour, we walked into the office where we were greeted by Julie who seemed to be running around in circles. It being the first of the month she was in a scatterbrained mode of operation barely paying attention to us. Handing us a couple of flyer/brochure type pieces of paper, she gave us instructions to our site and sent us on our way telling us to come back tomorrow and check-in. It wasn’t the warmest of welcomes but when you have over 700 sites to contend with I guess it was the best she could do. Driving around till we found our spot at #216 we were greeted by Mrs. Kratchet (you know one of the busy-bodies of any neighborhood) letting us know where her property line was and what we were allowed to do and not do while we parked our rig between two park-models; one being hers. It wasn’t a welcome to the neighbor Mr. Rogers’ type of moment for us. We smiled and let her feel important because by all-rights she had seniority. We called our friends that we had met last summer at Adventureland, Tom & Barb Hollatz. They came over to our place with the new addition to their family, Sophia a six-month Australian puppy dog. We had a relaxing time and the conversation just flowed effortlessly. (Barb w/Sophia w/Rhonda – Tom & Barb at Denny’s)














March 2, 2010, Tuesday

Just a normal day getting out of bed at 7am, turned on TV to watch a little GMA to see what’s happening in the world and made a pot of coffee to make it all make sense. Before we really started our whirlwind day of shopping we stopped for a lunch at a Star restaurant for their dollar menu meal with Dave and Clair Ton, even picking up dollar banana-splits. After the banana split treats we were ready for the day activities.






(Clair & Dave at Don-Wes flea-market)

We stopped over at a flea-market known as Don-Wes (two cities Donna and Weslaco, thus the name Don-Wes). This is one huge flea-market, I’m sure there are bigger ones but I don’t believe there are any in the Valley bigger. The entire market is only open on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, but there is a produce section. Rhonda picked out some bananas, some limes and a small onion to take home. After the flea-market, Dave, Clair, Rhonda and I went shopping at some of the more conventional stores, K-Mart and H.E.B. (grocery store down in this area).

Clair picked up some liver and onions for supper at H.E.B. She made a delicious dinner for us all and afterwards we had coffee and dessert while we played some cards the rest of the evening. It made for a fun filled day, running around shopping, good food, good fun, and good friends.

March 3, 2010, Wednesday

It was a little chilly this morning around 52 degrees, but soon will warmed up into the 70’s today according to the forecast. We took a little walk around the park today. It has a lot to offer but it certainly isn’t our “cup of tea kind of place.” We feel like sardines stack in an overcrowded land grant.




(Nice swimming pool at Casa de Valle – Our unit between park models)






The evening hours found us going out to see a very talented husband and wife team called the Laughing Bird. They are a comedy and musical act that normally comes down to the Valley once a year to perform. They have been all over the world entertaining and are very successful having been together for thirty-one years. They go by the stage name of Laughing Bird; his name is Tupelo and she is Janey. He writes, sings and plays 6 and 12 string guitar, banjola, dobro, mandolin, harmonica and a toe-tapped tambourine. Janey’s main instrument is her voice, she also plays mountain dulcimer, bass, banjo, and percussion instruments and she makes spoons into a hot commodity. They have a knack to make you laugh and tap your toes at the same time and all this for only $5 - what a bargain.

March 4, 2010, Thursday

We called our friends Tom & Barb Hollatz to see what they were up to today. They invited us over and we readily accepted their invitation. Going over to their place was not only a treat for us, but was profitable for us too. They were able to get us in touch with a campground where we will be working this summer. It’s in Wichita, KS at a campground called USI RV Park. They were offered the job but had already made a commitment to return to Adventureland in Des Moines, Iowa. So after a few emails to the owner Sheila Wagner and a few phone conversations we were accepted and we look forward to working with her and her staff. She sounded like a wonderful person; we look forward to meeting her in April. The four of us decided to go out for lunch at a Denny’s. There we said our goodbyes for the day.

Taking a little break we went home for a few hours to take it easy. Late afternoon we headed over to Dave and Clair’s for dinner (or is that supper?). We met one of Dave’s old friends he had worked with in the past. His name was Will and a very nice gentleman. He had some interesting stories from his time-travel on a boat for the last 1 ½ years on the high seas. His travels were logged onto the blog for the Veritas Sailing Mission, if you Google it you can see the high adventures traveled and the exotic ports he was able to explore. He actually was down here in the Valley looking for a location where is mother (93 years young) could roost for the winter months. It was a good day but a long day. There are so many activities down in this area – it’s so busy and just wears you out both physically and mentally. (Dave on left with friend Will)

March 5& 6, 2010, Friday & Saturday

Friday was a take it easy day. We were supposed to have dinner with some friends from Adventureland but it had to be cancelled until Sunday. Saturday we would enjoy exploring Don-Wes flea market. Rhonda found an ice-cream scooper she had been looking for. We walked and walked and talked and talked. It was a good day for fun. We went back to Dave & Clair’s 5th-Wheel for supper and a good time.

March 7, 2010, Sunday

I was up a little before 7 am and I felt terrible. This is the day we are suppose to visit with friends from Adventureland. My throat was very sore and my body felt weak. I think Rhonda wanted me to stay home for my own good and there was a part of me (at least my throat) wanted to stay home too. But I felt if I just got up and started getting myself going I would be okay and it worked out just like that.
We ready ourselves for the day and went down the street to the Alamo Rose RV Resort. Pastor Jack Gregory was giving his last sermon at this park for the season. He was headed back up north to Iowa on Wednesday the10th. His sermon was inspiring and after the service a group of us from Adventureland (all of whom sat on the front row, you know the good seats) found a table and sat down to catch up.

This gave Pastor Jack the opportunity to go around and say his goodbyes to all those in attendance. So at the Adventureland table we had Bob & Karen Johnson; Bob & Mary Lukkes, Tom & Barb Hollatz; Tom & Rhonda and Karen Gregory who sometimes was at the table and then would leave to say her goodbyes. When she came back to the table in-between the goodbyes and hugs, her eyes showed the evidence of tears wiped away (she has such a tender heart).


After everything settled down eight of us went out to lunch; Jack & Karen Gregory; Bob & Karen Johnson; Bob & Mary Lukkes; and us Tom & Rhonda. We hi-jacked Bob & Karen, Jack & Karen bringing them back to our place to show off the remodeling we had done in northern Indiana. It was a really good day and I forgot all about my aches and pains. It’s amazing what friendship can do to make one feel better and make the pains and aches go away.


March 8, 2010, Monday

Dave Ton and I went to play golf at a par-3 course. We both did pretty well out of 18 holes. Clair and Rhonda went out shopping and just running around. After golf we went back to our place and visited for awhile. Going out to dinner at a place called Willey’s we had some huge Idaho potatoes. They were so big that the girls split one. Between Dave and me, he was the only one to finish off the spud completely, I still had eyes peering at me daring me to finish, and I lost the dare.

March 9, 2010, Tuesday



Today we travel to the little border town called Progreso, Mexico. We have a list of medication to pick-up for Rhonda’s sister Barbara; Ken a roommate of Barbara and Nolan her husband. We have to get our own medication for Rhonda and then some doggie stuff for Sadie. I also told my youngest daughter Katie that I would take a lot of pictures for her class (she’s a high school teacher in Indiana) in Mexico. It probably isn’t indicative of the real Mexico because it’s a border town, but it still shows Mexico in a certain light.

It was a long day in Mexico and a good day in Mexico. Crossing the border is always an interesting experience. There were armed army guards inside Mexico just as you crossed into their country. They were checking vehicles and individuals as they enter. Not so much in this little border town but in surrounding border towns they are having trouble with the drug-lords.

The town was a hustle-bustle of Winter-Texans spending the all-mighty American dollar. It was elbow-to-elbow; people walking up and down the main street of Progreso, Mexico. Going in and out of the shops it was fun looking at all there is to offer. There were merchants on the street as well as beggars everywhere. It’s astounding to see the old women and children just able to walk begging for your pesos. I guess I’m a little soft-hearted because I give them a little something as I pass by.

The four of us (Dave, Clair, Rhonda & me) went to the Red Snapper restaurant for lunch. Our timing was perfect as we were seated right away. Rhonda and I shared a shrimp lunch. It hit the spot and energized us for the rest of the afternoon activities.
We walked out of Mexico stepping into an ice-cream shop for the treat at the end of the day on USA soil.

Driving back to Dave & Clair’s we went to an evening meal at the clubhouse in their campground. The main dish was chicken & dumplings with green beans and at least 10 desserts which I was obligated to test drive at least half of them before forming an opinion. They were all good! And the price was just great at $2.50 per person for all you could eat. Meanwhile back at the 5th-Wheel we played cards calling it a night around 9:30 pm. We drove home and took the rest of the evening to relax. Ahhh, life’s good isn’t it.

March 10, 2010, Wednesday

Today will be a very busy day for us. Dave and I are going golfing with a couple of his friends over in Mercedes, Texas. Rhonda and Clair are shopping with the wives of the friends. But first we have to go to Don-Wes flea-market to drop of some window-blinds to be re-strung. Dave, Joe, Wayne and I went golfing on a nice par-3 course where Joe lives. We had a good time and believe it or not I shot a pretty good round, but that will be hard to prove since we didn’t keep score.

Going back to Joe’s place (sounds like some kind of bar doesn’t it?) we rested and chit-chatted until the girls came home. We decided to go out as a group for dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. Arriving back at Dave & Clair’s unit after dinner my intention was to leave right away since I was very spent and it had been a long day. That was all changed when Clair had us look to the next door neighbor’s house. Sitting in the sliding glass patio window was a small dark figure staring back at us with her tail acting like a metronome. Two little eyes sparkling as they pleaded hurry up and come get me. Sadie had been rescued by the sweet neighbor couple Sid and Dorothy. At around 6 pm they had come over and took Sadie on a walk and let her out to potty. Something she evidently needed to do badly according to Dorothy. So we visited with this nice couple for another 30-45 minutes. Saying our goodnights to all, we headed home, arriving home just a few minutes before 10 pm making this a twelve hour day.

March 11, 2010, Thursday

Out of bed at 8 am, turned on boob-tube diversifying from the GMA show to the Today show. Rhonda had bought me a couple of egg-rings for cooking the eggs to make our own egg-muffins yesterday. So I’m up early enough to try them out before she gets up. She disappointed me and said she wanted her eggs over-easy with her bacon and toast on the side. Oh well, it is a breakfast-to-order kind of morning. It didn’t stop me from trying them out; I fixed myself an egg-muffin with bacon and cheese, something a McDonald’s employee would have been proud of. After breakfast I cleaned up around the kitchen while Rhonda was getting the laundry ready. This was a day of relaxation for us with the exception of Rhonda having to do the laundry. This is the first day since we have been here that we haven’t been running around doing something. I like these types of days.


March 12, 2010, Friday

4:45 am woke-up and rolled out of bed turned on TV with sound down real low and went on computer to checkout movie times and location for today. (Who said I a man can’t multitask?). I read some of the blogs I follow and watched some new posting by my oldest daughter of a couple of grandsons wrestling matches. Both Mikey and Luke are doing great at this sport. Wrestling is a big time sport in the state of Iowa and they are on their way. Mikey has the ability to go far in this sport and Luke is quick as a cat with moves like one too. It doesn’t hurt that their dad was a champion wrestler either.

Dave & Clair stopped by in morning. Clair gave Rhonda a hair trim; Dave and I talked a little computer jargon. We made plans to meet them over by the movie theatre. We went to see the movie, She’s Out of My League. It was a funny movie but the language was a little raw, especially using the “F”- word, other than that it was a good movie. After the movie we went to an early dinner. We went home and took a little break for a couple of hours. Then Rhonda and I went over to their place to play cards. It was a very enjoyable evening.

March 13, 2010, Saturday

Today is flea-market day. We have to go pick-up our blinds that were being restrung and a sign we were having made for Dave & Clair for Christmastime present. We stopped by Dave & Clair’s and gave them their new sign and then came home. I watched some NCAA basketball games on TV and worked on putting up the blinds in the bedroom.

After watching a few NCAA basketball games on TV and saying a few choice words which helped us put up the new restrung blinds we took off for Dave and Clair’s. We played cards most of the evening taking a break at 8:45 pm going next door to Sid and Dorothy’s to wish her a happy birthday. They were the nice couple who watched Sadie the other day for us. Calling it a night we packed it in and came home.

March 14, 2010, Sunday

Went to bed at 11:35 pm, waking up around 2 am I came out to living room and slept the rest of night on loveseat, which goes without saying I didn’t sleep good last night. (Even though I just said it). Sadie woke me up around 7:30 am because she wanted to go outside and take care of her business.

Today the clocks spring forward one hour. I worked on blog all day until around four in the afternoon. Rhonda went to Wal-Mart getting a few more supplies we needed. After I stepped down from the computer desk, Rhonda replaced the computer with her sewing machine. She was preparing her Swedish Weaving monk cloth for another pattern.

We didn’t do much today just taking it easy which is a good thing as far as I’m concerned. Dave & Clair asked us to go out tonight to some entertainment, in some other park – but we declined just wanting to stay home and relax. They seemed to go and go all the time, don’t know how they do it, but I think it’s good to just stay home once in awhile.

March 15, 2010, Monday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKEY STUART – you have now hit the big 14 and you will be a freshman in high school. WOW! How time flies. Love you Grandpa



I hope this :-) picture isn’t too embarrassing!