Harvesting the Cane

This cane has been burnt and is ready to harvest. After the burning you can see it was planted in rows, but before it looks like one big mat o'cane

I'm sure the workers thought we were nuts but they waved back at us.

This was a Sunday, but like farmers everywhere they work when the crop is ready.

 There's a lot of cane grown here in the Valley. It has replaced citrus as the largest crop.

Fat Daddy's and The Donna Market

John with our friend Joe Stackman in the parking lot at Fat Daddy's, a BBQ joint.

Me with Joe's wife Barb. We met them down here last year and were happy to spend time with them in Door Co Wisconsin last summer. They are leaving in a few days for Big Bend, and we'll hook up again in March at a resort on Mustang Island.

We rode the bikes to Donna TX, a town just a few miles down the road with a really large Flea Market. The Donna Market is one of the many flea markets in the Valley. They're really popular here. This market is full of Northerners selling their crafts and other merchandise.

I'm looking for a banana tree to plant at Pomme de Terre Lake this summer. The plant salesman here didn't have any, but a guy on the side of the road had several. I hope I can get one just before I start north.

The ferry at Los Ebanos

The town of Los Ebanos has little to distinguish it. Only three miles south of  U S 83 it looks like a public service film about poverty. It has one unique feature, a hand drawn ferry dating to 1950. It is the only one of its kind crossing one of our borders.

The river has been forded here at least since the 1700's, by armies and cattle thieves, and bootleggers during prohibition.

 

 I figured the ferry was largely a tourist draw, rarely used but kept as a curiosity.

Wow - was I wrong. They did a steady business all the time we were there just as soon as the operators' lunch hour ended.

Note that the last sign just before the water line reads "Reduced Speed Ahead".

That's Mexico on the other side, and it looks a lot more prosperous over there. 

Lunch break over we begin to see action.

Maximum load three cars. I didn't think the Suburban would fit but they packed it on.

Hand over hand, they move quicker than you'd think.

If you look closely you'll see an American flag on the front of the overhang and a Mexican flag on the back. Thanks to my friend Barb for pointing it out.

International Ferry.......... brings to mind exotic far away places, huh?

Loading the ferry for the trip to Mexico. Notice how the ferry is anchored to the American side. The two men on either side are holding a chain wrapped around a pole. Safety standards may be a tiny bit lax here. The Americans standing on this side of the ferry are crossing to Mexico so they can take advantage of the duty-free liquor purchased on our side. Weird laws.

Just up the road, a picturesque old building with an interesting sign in the window.

Yes, it says "Pot   drinks". It also looks like someone lives there.

Los Ebanos translates as The Ebony Trees, and here's what one looks like.

Hidalgo Texas

This is the Hidalgo Pump House, a museum on the Rio Grande.

Built in the early 1900's, the steam powered pumps took water from the 

Rio Grande to canals irrigating the valley.

What had been a desert became farm land, changing the area forever.

A land speculator took an enormous stalk of sugar cane to the St Louis Exposition in 1904, saying that everything grows bigger in Texas. Farmers began moving to the valley soon after.

Over 40 crops are grown here commercially, with cane now the largest.

The water was pumped north to what is now Edinburg, and gravity pulled it east toward the Gulf of Mexico.

The grounds around the museum are beautifully landscaped.

Look to the back of the photo. See the fence? And the border guards? 

Our guide assured everyone that the border was still a half mile away, but nobody walked over for a look. The pump house was built on the river, of course, but a hurricane in 1933 changed the course of the river. When the flooding went down the river had moved south.

Since the river moved this canal had to be dug, bringing water to the pumps.

These are stand pipes, controlling the water flow to the fields. These pipes are everywhere crops are grown. It's rare to be in an open area without seeing a stand pipe, or a dozen of 'em.

The city of Hidalgo has more than a museum to bring it fame.

In 1990 the first Killer Bees found in America showed up in Hidalgo.

They have a big Christmas parade every year here, and one year a Killer Bee was featured on a float. The bee was so popular the city installed it on the courthouse lawn.

I don't know if the lights wrapped around the bee are seasonal or permanent, but isn't it FABULOUS!

 One more item off the bucket list!

Quilt Show at Llano Grande

Every year we there's a quilt show at Llano Grande,

 the R V park we are staying at.

The rec hall is filled with quilts of every description.

That's me in the black shirt enthralled with a flannel quilt.

You can see traditional patterns and newer creations.

If you click on the above photo you'll see a quilt one of my 

neighbors made. The second from the right, it's a paper doll theme.

I had a good tour guide, Vikki (not shown), who pointed out

the finer points of the art.
She's also the source of all the photos.
Thank's Vik!

My mother was a quilter. She tried her best to interest me in it,

but of course I had no desire at all to learn.

When I look back now at all the craft things I did;

like macrame', ceramics and candle making;

I certainly wish I'd been quilting all that time.

My daughter Amber has two quilts her Grandmother made.

One was made in 1926 when my mother was 16 years old,

and one in 1930 when she was 20.

Every stitch was made by hand.

I inherited the quilts,

I wish I'd inherited her patience.

Gorilla, Revisited

If you look back to the November 2010 entry

"Port Isabel and South Padre"

You'll see a photo of a gorilla in the first stage

of construction.

Below shows him today,

with an alligator curling in front.

This is a huge work of art,

more impressive in person than on line.

I think he's the centerpiece of a future mini-golf course.

I certainly hope there's a plan here somewhere.

You Ole Coot

The dog park has been invaded by a flock of Coots

They look a little like a duck while in the water......

but on land the difference is easy to see.

Their bill isn't like a duck's, but it's not as sharp as a beak either.

Their feet aren't webbed, but they aren't not webbed.

They spend a lot of time grazing, but when swimming

 they do a lot of diving for food.

Another camper familiar with the birds tells me they are incredibly stupid

creatures, pointing one out on the other side of the fence.

The bird couldn't find it's way back under the fence and didn't attempt to fly over

but was frantically running back and forth; passing a break in the fence on each trip.

He also says the meat is very dark and inedible

 but I haven't talked to my Cajun friends about that yet.

 The birds are very skittish, but rumor has it that a small dog caught one this week.

Bella has no interest in trying, but I wish she would.

What do you DO?

People who don't live the RV lifestyle always 

ask us

"What do you DO all day?"

Well, there are lots of answers to that question.

Sometimes we take off on the motorcycle.

Some days we go to the driving range.

We might day trip in the car or truck,

or just hang out at the pool.

I do an exercise class 3 days a week and a zumba class on Mondays.

Sometimes, like today, we hang out with other nutty people who live in tin cans like us.

This was a "street party". Everybody on our street was invited to a pot luck

at Mike and Marcia's park model.

Marcia is the shorter brunette above, and in a coincidence they are from

Hermitage MO. Their home is only a few miles from the Pomme de Terre

campground where we'll spend this summer.

A park model RV is kind of like a mobile home but small enough to fit

 on a pad poured for a motor home or fifth wheel.

Most owners add a car port like this one, and a casita for storage.

Most RVers are extremely outgoing people,

possibly because most of us drink beer and/or wine.

As you can see we come in all ages and sizes,

but we can all get together for a Sunday afternoon of

food , drink and conversation.

Bloomin' Bananas

Can you guess what kind of flower this is?

Maybe if I back up a little...........

It's a banana bloom on a tree here in the park we're staying in.

These little bananas are about 2 1/2 inches long.

If you look closely at the first photo you can see tiny green bananas

at the top of the flower.

Another cluster even smaller.

The owner tells me this is the first year for the tree to produce fruit.

It froze last year and he cut the tree down, but soon after it showed new growth.

It has now spread to a total of nine trees.

Three have fruit on them, and the owner tells me those trees will die as the bananas ripen.

Note how the leaves become more tattered with age,

just like me.

I walk by this tree several times a day on my way to the dog park.

I'll keep updating photos on the progress

Bella Unleashed

 We have often wondered if Bella remembered the dog park

 at Llano Grande.

It was the only leash-off park she'd ever been to, and she loved it.

We arrived late yesterday and as soon as the trailer was settled I took her to the park.

On the walk up she seemed to know where she was, 

and got more excited the closer we got.

We went through the gate and I took her leash off.

.

.

.

.

I'm guessing she remembered it.

.

Total joy!

.

 Bella is convinced that she's the fastest dog in the park, maybe on the planet!

She is now exhausted but happy.