Home Improvements

Here we are again...........

The view from our winter home.

We've had a rough winter by our standards but things are looking up.

Joe and Barb Stackman, friends we met our first winter here.

We've met Joe and Barb in their home state of Wisconsin and also in Galveston, Texas.

Our Grandson, Coen, also met them when he visited us on Galveston Island. He liked them a lot, and he LOVED their JoeBarb cheese.

This is JoeBarb cheese, and it's here for Coen when he visits me in February.

Joe's hobby is woodworking, and when he arrived this winter the first thing he asked was - Would we like a bigger T V?

Our entertainment cabinet wouldn't really accommodate a larger screen, so he began to rework it.

Here you see the cabinet after he began to alter it.

John removes the old television.

The new T V gets a fitting.

The almost finished new and improved cabinet!

And the biggest improvement feature

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A photograph of a very handsome 5 year old Coen!

The Golf Cart Christmas Parade

This evening we participated in the Golf Cart Christmas Parade.

 It was our first time being a part of it.

 It was our first time seeing it also.

 Our first year here we eagerly waited for the carts only to be one of the streets ignored. Yes, in the words of Jake Warren we got "Scrooged."

Years 2 and 3 we somehow missed the festivities.

So here we are, year 4 with a rental cart.

We got some battery operated Christmas lights and garland; and Vikki gave me some shiny stuff.

Here's John in the ever-so-festive golf cart.

Vikki and Charlie's cart is the orange one right behind us. 

Their lights are sooo much better than ours as they feature color changing balls!

 I should add that they had never been in the parade either.

It was a real eye-opener for all four of us.

 We had no understanding of what this thing entailed. 

It soon became obvious that this thing is taken seriously here.

Dogs in Santa costumes were a big part of the parade. 

Don't tell Bella.

She wasn't with us but I don't think she'd have worn the hats without a big protest.

This cart had lights galore.

Check this out. The cart has a generator riding on the back to power the lights and sound system - not only on this cart but two more following. It was a brilliant concept but not practical. The correct distance is crucial to success and it would seem that alcohol affects judgement as to space and speed. Also that pesky cord is real easy to run over.

We like to think our understated entry oozed class.

Next year..........

Game on...........

News from Texas

The weather forecast was dismal.

Cold weather was on its way to the Valley.

Tuesday afternoon I found shoppers at Walmart desperately shopping for winter clothing.

Television news stressed the importance of preparing for the cold and showed charities passing out blankets to the homeless. Laws protect pets also, and owners must provide shelter.

As predicted, temperatures plummeted.

Today it topped out at only 64* after an overnight low in the 50s.

And tonight?.

A bone-numbing drop to the mid-40s.

It should be 80* on Friday, if we can but hold on.

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Supermarkets are running specials for the holidays.

This is an ad for HEB, but Costco sells 'em too.

And an article from the local paper about a Fort Worth incident....

I got nothin' to add!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well............

A lot has happened in the last few months.

First, we sold the dually. We've decided we no longer feel the need to tour with the fifth wheel. We will spend our summers in Mid-Missouri and winters in Llano Grande; the R V resort in Mercedes TX. The trailer will stay at Pomme de Terre Lake. With no need to pull the trailer we had no real need for the big truck.

Of course we still needed a big toy so we got the Ford Expedition pictured below. It's got all the bells and whistles, rides good and is easy to drive. Parking it is another story but I'm getting better.

Second, we sold the Harley. John had spoke of  selling the bike for a while and one day decided it was time to let it go. He no longer felt that it was safe for us to ride together. I was surprised in a way but felt he had considered it carefully. It had been fun but we were riding less each year. I don't miss it too much and I hope he doesn't either.

Third, we sold the car that I'd been driving since we retired. We are now a one-vehicle family for the first time in our marriage. It's a little unsettling but I think we'll adapt.

So here we are in the Rio Grande Valley again and now we're home owners. I'd had my eye on a little "park model" trailer since our first winter here. Every time Bella and I would walk to the dog park I'd pass by and think how cute the place was. On October 1st we closed on it and moved in.

The park model is actually a little smaller than our fifth wheel, but it has a front and back porch plus a storage shed making it seem huge to us after the last three years.

The porch in front is small, about 10 feet square.

This is the storage area - about as big as the porch.

This shows the back porch and pergola. The back porch is screened in, making a really nice room.

Now, I loved the little house just the way it was. I thought it was just as cute as a button but.............

I had to make a few changes to make it my own.

We added a canopy/car port, almost a necessity with the sun here.

We also removed the vinyl skirting replacing it with brick.

The trim color was changed from green to a rust color found in the brick.

One of the best features of the place is it's location. The back of the house is next to the tennis courts, so there's green space behind us instead of a street.

The above picture shows the palms planted in our yard, plus our live oak and a bottle brush tree. I'm afraid the bottle brush may have to go due to crowding.

The previous owner planted lots of flowers. Just look at this hibiscus!

 Another hibiscus; this one a double.

This plant is Crown of Thorns in the U S but in Mexico is Crazy Old Lady.

There are quite a few plants across the back of the place that I'm going to relocate. Landscaping will be a whole other blog, as will the interior.

I hope you have enjoyed your tour.

Tipping the guide is strictly prohibited.

Before and After

Driving to the Rio Grande Valley on Monday September 30th, we encountered swarms of butterflies. South of Kingville we began to notice the first few; very small and resembling a Monarch, fluttering through the hot air.

There were hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands.

Then it began to seem like a plague.

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Pictures can not do it justice, believe me.

The first school program

Thursday September 26th was Grandparents Day at Language Lane Preschool.

Since we have the cutest grandson there of course we went!

Here Mrs. Barda reads a book about Pete the cat and his groovy, groovy buttons.

Here Mr Adorable is seen in his favorite shirt standing next to Violet and singing.

We've heard about Violet.

They sit next to each other and hold hands on nature walks.

 Puttin' down some dance moves.

 The art work on display. 

As you can see, a brilliant use of color and not limited to the constraints of lines.

You might also notice the "Yellow Duck" name tag.

One of four groups in the class, the Yellow Ducks are of course the most prestigious.

Each week one student is the Shining Star and it was our good luck to be visiting during Coen's term. Click on the photo and check out  These are the things I like to do.

Wearing Rock Star shades and headed to Sonic for after school snacks.

Tubing

I've wanted to take my grandson Coen tubing for 2 years.

Finally, on Labor Day weekend, I got it done.

Coen and his dad, Jeff, taking off on the tube.

Jaclyn and Billy Inskeep are in the background.

  

Tearing across the lake at a blistering speed.

Maybe 8 mph.

Uh oh! - we have a problem.

Crossing another boat's wake has made water come over the front of the tube, causing the tube to "submarine".

Disaster is imminent.

People will be thrown from the tube.

And.........

Coen remains on the tube, wondering what exactly Dad is doing back there.