The Last Days

As usual I am a little behind on my blog. Okay, I will admit I was busy having fun but also I was having a lot of problems getting an internet connection. At any rate I will try to recap the last week and at some point I will come back and fill in some blanks if need be.
Last friday, March 15, we made one last trip to Mexico with many of our friends from the park. . This is definitely  the FINAL, last trip. I also managed to fit a bit of last minute shopping for some friends back home. Anna and I  had our last chance to enjoy lonches-our favorite Mexican food.. It was such a beautiful hot sunny day! The smiles say it all!

There was a fellow nearby who did the most beautiful paintings on spoons. All he used to do this was a fine plastic pick- smaller than an average toothpick- and his paints. He created scenes of flowers, birds, horses and their riders and all sorts of other things.

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We all  met up later at the Rose Garden and we were soon swamped with local people wanting to sell us some of their wares.

 This lady sold the most beautiful flowers. If I would have had room to take them home I think I would have bought the whole bouquet.

This young boy came around to sell us bracelets. Of course with all the trips to Mexico we have had this winter we all had more bracelets than we knew what to do with so we invited him to sit with us and just gave him some money.

And of course, we had some live entertainment for awhile.






We had a very tasty dinner at the Red Snapper and then headed back across the border. It had been a wonderful day.

Saturday evening we had a wonderful cookout party at John and Linda's place at  the Park. Everyone brought their own meat to B-B-Q and also a big enough  side dish for all to enjoy.  It was great fun and it gave  Anna and I  the opportunity to say farewell to good friends as we were leaving in the morning to start our journey home. It was hard to say goodbye. These people have really found their way into my heart. I hope someday I can come back to the Valley and see them all again.

Keep warm.

Audubon Centre

Yesterday morning, George, Janie and I went over to McAllen for shoe shopping. We had planned to tour  the Jukebox Museum at Pharr along the way but when we got there it was closed. This happens in the Valley. No matter, we just carried on down the highway.

  After a couple of stops for directions and food we located the Sketchers store.   I FINALLY found a pair of running shoes. I had found a pair when we first got down here but had to return them as they were very uncomfortable and I had not been able to find a pair since. But today luck was on my side and  I found a really comfortable pair for only $32.00.  They would have likely cost me over $100.00 in Canada.  Janie managed to find a pair for herself as well and also for her granddaughter so we both left the store very happy.

In the afternoon George and I, being the fellow adventurers that we are,  went to Weslaco to the Audubon Centre. What a wonderful place. It is like taking a walk from the desert into a tropical forest.

We searched for butterflies in the butterfly garden   and found many but they would not stay in one place long enough for me to take their picture. We had to be content with just watching them flit from bush to bush.

There were numerous dirt trails that twisted and turned and we came upon one beautiful scene after another.

There were many benches along the trails and it was lovely just to sit and listen to all the birds singing.We tried to spot them but the foliage was so thick that we were unable to see very many of them.  Oh for a pair of binoculars!

The birds we did see were much different than any I had ever seen before.







We walked through the Sabal Palm grove and the foliage was so thick that in places the paths seemed to have walls on both sides.

It was incredibly beautiful!















There were many different kinds of foliage and in many areas off the paths the ground was covered with fallen branches likely a foot or so deep.

At one point I was rather unsure of which trail to take next. The map was like a maze. No matter, it was all good.

Which trail do we go on now?

We came across a number of ponds and were delighted to spot an egret talking a stroll through one of them.
I had spotted a larger one in an earlier pond but when I went to take his picture he flew away. His wing span was several feet across.

Egret checking out the pond

The highlight of the walk was the Feeding Centre pictured below. There were  chairs to sit on just outside of this area and if you sit real still you can watch the birds coming in to feed.

I caught some pictures of a few handsome birds
at the feeder. This fellow had a very red beak and a red tuft of feathers protruding from  the back of his head.








The oriole in the picture below was actually a brilliant scarlet  but the sun was so bright it was impossible to capture the color.

It was a wonderful experience and I found it hard to leave there. Eventually, we continued on and I  found a few more ponds and I took a few last pictures.

As we were leaving, I asked one of the staff about the huge mansion sitting at the front of the grounds. 

She informed me that the building and the surrounding 10 acres had been donated to the Audubon Centre in 1992 by Merrill Ann Skaggs James. The house was originally built in 1927 by the Skaggs family who were prominent bankers and citrus growers in the area. 

Mansion at front of Audobon Centre

The Audubon Centre is in the midst of restoring the mansion but it will likely take several years to complete. To find the Centre, drive south a mile or so  on Texas Boulevard off Busines 83.  It is easy to miss the sign but if you look for this mansion then you will know you are there.

 I strongly recommend this place to anyone who loves birds and lovely scenery. The grounds of the  Audubon Centre  are perfect for quiet walks and meditation. I found myself doing a lot of reflecting on the last few months while I was walking the paths. I am so glad that I took this "time out" from life and came down here to Texas this winter. To anyone who is even vaguely considering such a thing let me say this, " Just Do It".  Enough said.

Keep warm.

Aloe Vera Farm & Mexico

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day so  my friend George and I  drove over to Mercedes to the Aloe King aloe vera farm. I had heard a lot about it from people who had taken tours through there a few years ago and it sounded very interesting. Unfortunately, when we got there we were told that there were no tours that day and that tours had to be booked ahead and must have at least 10 in a party. We were very disappointed but we decided to make the best of it. We browsed through the gift store for a bit. They have a small supply of lotions, creams, and aloe vera juice. They also have some jewelry and carvings for sale. One of the most interesting things was a table covered with small bottles of various colors of  sand in each bottle. Apparently, the owner of the place who is approximately 90 years old makes these "scenes in a bottle" and on days they have tours he demonstrates how he does it. Most of the bottles of sand had scenes of animals. We met this man as we were leaving the gift store and he informed us that yes he still practiced this art.
We walked over to the fields so I could take some pictures.  As you can see from the picture, the aloe vera plants were in bloom with pretty yellow flowers that rise up above the plants.

George bought some aloe vera gel as he bought it last time he was at the farm and he swears it is good for a variety of things. I know from personal experience that it works great on sunburns. 

I would strongly suggest that if you are ever down this way that you make a point to set up a tour as I am told the tours are very interesting. The farm  is only a mile or so south off Business 83 Highway on Mile 2 Road. It is too bad that they do not have a sign on the highway as I think it would draw a lot of people in if they did. We had looked for the farm awhile back but were unable to find it. This time I  looked it up on the internet to get directions. 

We left the farm and headed to Mexico to meet up with some friends from the Park, have some lunch  at The Red Snapper, and of course, do a bit of shopping.  I had chicken fried steak and it was absolutely delicious. It came with a salad, mashed potatoes and rice and was only $4.99. I am  going to go into shock when we return to Canada when it comes to eating out. 

I know I stated in an earlier blog that I was not going back to Mexico but I had to relent as I really love it there. I have even gotten to know some of the people there now and it is fun to see them again. 

We have all had so much fun in Mexico this winter. 

I said goodbye to Mexico and felt sad leaving as I knew I would likely not be back for a very long time.  I took this one last picture as I started crossing the bridge.

It was such a beautiful sunny day and there were many people sitting around  the courtyard  listening to the music.  It was hard to leave. 

Keep warm.

Iwo Jima Monument & Museum

Last Saturday my friend  George and I  drove to Harlingen to see the Iwo Jima National Monument and Museum which sit on the grounds of the  Marine Military Academy.

We spent at least 2 hours going through the museum as there was much to see and read: newspapers from that time period, weaponry, letters from soldiers on Iwo Jima to their family, descriptions of the war from the standpoint of both the Americans and the Japanese, and a film produced by the local TV station and a fellow who had lived in the area and  fought at Iwo Jima.

Bob Bladehorn-Veteran

Because of its strategic position, it was imperative that the U.S gain control of the island of Iwo Jima. They had planned to take the Island  in  about 3 days. It actually took them 36. The casualties on both sides were horrendous. The Americans lost 6,891 soldiers and over 18,000 were wounded. Of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers on the Island, only 1,086 survived- 6,000 of which were left buried in tombs and catacombs they had built there.

  While we were going through the rooms we met the fellow on the right. His name is Bob Bladehorn and he fought  on Iwo Jima for the entire 36 days. He was only 18 years old at that time. I shudder to think of the horrors he must have seen.

Bob was a very likable fellow and was very obliging when it came to answering any questions that anyone might have. We spent a good while talking with him and listening to his stories.

After we left the museum, we walked across  the grounds to look at the monument. It is massive. The monument represents  the flag being raised on Mount Suribachi on the Island of Iwo Jima.  However, the memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps who have died in the defense of their country since 1775.  So many lives lost. 

I hope someday we will see a time when the world will have no more wars.

Keep warm.

Last Trip to South Padre Island

                                Living the Dream on South Padre

This past week Anna and I  returned to South Padre Island to visit our good friends Bob and Carol. They were wonderful hosts and spoiled us rotten the entire time. Thank you Bob for the fabulous breakfasts you made us and for touring us around all over the place. And a big thank you to Carol for always coming up with great plans of things for us to do. You are so amazing!

 Anna and I left early Monday morning and got to the island in time to take a nice long  morning walk along the beach with Carol. It was a beautiful morning and of course I took tons of pictures.

Anna & Carol on the Beach 

Anna and Carol are discussing how rough life is on the Island.
Sure they are!















In the afternoon Bob and Carol took us across to Port Isabel to visit their friends Joe and Phyllis who live in a very upscale Park there. Many of the people there live along canals that run throughout the Park and they park their boats below their houses.

As you can see from the picture there are lifts that raise the boats out of the water. This is to avoid barnacles from attaching themselves to the boat.








In the evening we went to Daddy's restaurant to have dinner and listen to Larry Battle sing some soft blues and jazz. He is a very personable fellow and visited with all of us. He took Carol for a spin around the dance floor as he was singing.

Carol & Larry

 Bob, Anna and myself ordered a  tray consisting of fish, shrimp and chicken and fries.

Needless to say we were not able to eat it all.

On the way out of the building Carol and  I met up with a pair of alligators.

 Carol managed to wrestle hers to the floor. I was not as lucky.

Tuesday, Anna and I took a trip across the bridge to Port Isabel in the afternoon  to get some of our shopping done for our friends back home.  Thanks to Carol's great tips we found some really interesting little stores. We packed a nice picnic lunch that we thought we would eat in some nice little scenic spot. Unfortunately, the wind got to what seemed like hurricane strength so we ended up having a picnic in the car.

The highlight of our entire trip was going to Palm Street Pier to see Leslie. She was supposed to sing from 3 to 5 but there was such a crowd that she ended up singing until nearly 8 pm. I was so glad that we got to see her show one last time. I picked up a couple more or her CD's to take home with me.

Leslie and I at Palm Street Pier

The last day Bob and I had to  go out and about to do some errands. He saw this handsome fellow by the side of the street and told me that I needed a picture of me with this guy to put  on my blog with the caption " Brenda found her man". So here it is.

Harry

                                 
He is big and very hairy but is the strong silent type so I think it may work out.

Saying our good-byes on Thursday morning was hard. Bob and Carol are such special people. I hope someday I get to see them again.

Bob & Carol

 Keep warm.

Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine

Last Sunday my friend George took me to see the Bacilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine.

The 3500 seat Shrine is enormous and beautifully designed. Inside is a replica of the small statue of the Immaculate Conception of San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, Mexico. As we were on Winter Texan time, we realized too late that it was Sunday. As the people inside were having Mass we did not enter. However, on the back side of the shrine there is a mural of Jesus and "Òur Lady of San Juan del Valle ". This mural is the height of the church and I realize now that I should have taken a picture of the entire wall in order to get a better idea of the size.

 The shrine is surrounded by acres of grounds. Around the perimeter of the grounds are the  12 Stations of the Cross. We walked them  from start to finish. The sculptures were very life like.

Below are a few of the stations.

Jesus is condenmed to death.

Jesus consoles the women

Although I am not  Catholic, I do honor all paths to God and I like to explore other belief systems as a way of  gaining a greater understanding of other religions and the people who practice them.

Thousands of pilgrims come to this place every year. After spending several hours there I can understand why. The whole place has a special/spiritual  feeling to it that I struggle to  find the words to describe. It is a very peaceful place.

Keep warm. 

Celebrations at End of the Trail

Last Saturday some of us from the Park went to the Anniversary Party at End of the Trail.  The hosts provided great entertainment, food, and many prizes. The prizes included trips to Las Vegas and several $1,000.00 give aways.

The afternoon started out with some Apache Dancers. There was a fellow who tried to explain what each dance was about but as there were over 200 people in the building and we were sitting towards the back,  it was very difficult to make out what he was saying. I believe that most if not all  of them were ceremonial dances. Their dress was very elaborate and  the dancing was very interesting to watch.

 

 

The fellow below was doing "The Prairie Hoop Dance".

We were also entertained by a Mariachi Band who sang and played for us for a good part of the afternoon.  They were all  very talented.







 A few of them sang solo while the band played and other times they all sang together.

The afternoon also included a B-B-Q chicken dinner with all the trimmings- Mexican style. It was delicious.

It was a wonderful afternoon spent with good friends in a great atmosphere of celebration.

Keep warm.