Five Down, 45 to Go!

November 28, 2011

Today is dead calm again.  Time to golf in Texas.  There are only two choices in our vicinity.  A Par 3 course in one of the local retirement communities where the longest hole is 140 yards.  The other is the South Padre Island Golf Club.  The local rooty-tooty course which is open to the public.  Fourteen dollars versus 48 dollars for 18 holes.  This is Texas so we go for the big one.  After seeing this sign at the first hole I didn't chase any out of bounds balls.

Tried some of the local brew after the game.

Got the sticker!  Notice that line of stickers leading to Texas.  I will fill up that southwest corner come next year.

High Winds on Padre

November 26, 2011

Dead calm today.  Must be laundry day.  Did get to go out to lunch afterwards on one of the local piers.

Found a pirate friend.

Pelicans all over the place.  So much so that they have their own sign.

November 27, 2011

Last night the winds kicked up to over 40 mph.  The clubhouse was rocking around all night.  Mark was very nervous about going out in such strong winds but considering that one of his problems in the kiting days prior to this was the wind not being strong enough he decided  to go.  Sweet Jesus!  He is up again.  I am a nervous mother bird when he goes out there.  It is kind of like when I used to watch Lindsey playing soccer when she was little.  I would stand on the sidelines and when she would go after the ball to kick it my foot would kick at the same time hers would.  I so wanted her to get a good kick in.  Same thing with Mark.  I root for him to get up every time he falls and then I am formulating a rescue plan in my head in case he gets in trouble.

This is Mark when he first launches his kite.

That is Mark in the middle.  He made a good run in 25 mph winds and successfully returned to the beach.  It was 69 degrees today so with the wind chill it was pretty cold so we didn't stay out too long today.  Actually, I didn't even get out of the jeep today.  Mark had to get someone on the beach to launch him.  I almost had to get out of the Jeep when he returned but I waited long enough and someone else noticed him and caught the kite when he returned.  I could just see myself knocked down in the mud by that huge thing.

Photography Skills

November 25, 2011

Today we are again out kiteboarding.  Mark makes a great run and actually returns to be beach where he started.  That is a great success.

This is what you get when you try to take a picture of a beautiful sunset while sitting on the couch.  I didn't really see the screen when I took the picture because I was so focused on the beautiful sunset.  My camera did, though.  Mikayla will get a laugh out of that one!

This is the shot I got from standing on top of the picnic table next door.  I need to get outside a little earlier so I can get some cool sunset pictures.

Thanksgiving at Isla Blanca Park

November 23, 2011

Today we move to Isla Blanca Park.  Our spot looks good but we find that the grass is full of stickers!  The same stickers that were in Craig & Wendy's lawn and Andy Bowie Park grass.  Those darn cockleburrs.  We also have a few goat heads.  Miserable for the people that have dogs.  Every time we walk back into the clubhouse, we have to scrape all the stickers off our feet but we still manage to drag a few in.

We meet our new neighbors, Charlie and Joanne.  We notice that Charlie has tin pie pans hanging from sticks all over his lawn.  They bang in the near constant wind.  What the heck, I have to go over and introduce myself so I can find out what Charlie is thinking.  He tells me that he has pigeons eating his grass seed so needs to scare them away.  He is likely to scare us away with that incessant banging.  Well, after we are parked about 2 hours Joann brings us two pieces of fresh, warm apple cake.  I guess we will stay right here for a few days.

Happy Thanksgiving!
November 24, 2011

Today is the Thanksgiving potluck at the Bingo Hall.  I bring deviled eggs.

This is Mark talking to John from Minnesotta.  I sat next to his wife, Joey.  Nice people.  We drove by their spot, C76, later in the day to scope them out.  We noticed they drove by our place the next morning.  We are all alike, aren't we?

Mark is in line, left of the star on the wall.  He was a little unhappy about not being first in line but our table was called second so that wasn't too bad.

Back to the Beach

November 21, 2011

Today we are back at the kiting beach.  Trying a down winder, which means Mark is at a neighboring beach which is upwind of the regular kiting beach.  He launches there with the intent of getting to the down wind beach without having to worry about driving his kite upwind.  Two launches, each unsuccessful.  He can get up but cannot keep the kite in the air.  We observe everyone else has no trouble.  Final conclusion, it is not the gusty breezes, it is Mark's current driving ability.  We will try again tomorrow.

November 22, 02011

Today the wind is down early in the morning (10:00 am) so we head to the Birding and Wildlife Center that is down the street and walk the boardwalk.  Then it is off to Ace Hardware for maintenance stuff and then down to Isla Blanca County Park and pick our site for the next week.  We are moving down there to try their park for a week.  They have a Thanksgiving Potluck which I will sign us up for.  More activities down there but further from the kiteboarding beach.

It's All Happening at the Zoo

November 20, 2011

Mandarin Duck

Today we go to the Turtle Rescue Facility and the Zoo in Brownsville, which is about 25 miles to the west.  Brownsville is a port town that borders Mexico.  Saw the port with lots of huge ships and a couple of the access gates said they were open to the public and you could get fresh wild shrimp.  They were singing my song.  I wasn't prepared to bring any back with us but I will go back before we leave South Padre.   The zoo was pretty good with a nice assortment of animals.  Didn't take any pictures until I got to an open aviary.  Many beautiful birds of brilliant colors.  This little guy amazed me.  I had heard of Mandarin Duck on the menu of a chinese restaurant but did not realize they were so beautiful.

I did feel like I was deep in Mexico as we visited the Brownsville area.  With the exception of one white gentlemen who looked to be married to a hispanic lady, we did not see one caucasian person the entire day in Brownsville.

The turtle rescue facility was in South Padre Island.  Small outfit with lots of turtles.  Most of the huge ones were missing a fin and that was why they were in captivity.

Sweet Jesus! He is Up!

November 18, 2011

We went to the kiting beach today so that Mark could make his first attempt at kiting.  It has been 8 months since he kited in Mexico and needless to say he is very nervous.

This is Mark getting his kite "launched" into the air.  You just get one of the other kiters to hold your kite and turn it so that the edges are not flapping and it is catching the wind solidly.  Then you give them a thumbs up and they let go.  The kiter then "drives" his kite up into the air.

The end of the story is that Mark was not successful on his first day.  We left the beach a little sad, planning the strategy for the next attempt and analyzing "why" this embarrassment had to happen.



November 19, 2011

Sweet Jesus!  He is up.  We are back at the beach today, a little less nervous.  The routine for getting your kite ready is long with a lot of detail, as far as I can tell and I think it helps Mark mentally calm his nerves.  Just my observation.  Anyway, after approx. 25 minutes of preparation he is launched and gets up the first time.  I will tell you that the big complaint regarding this beach as far as Mark's concerned is that the water is extremely shallow and you walk out into the water almost 1000 ft. before it gets a little deeper.  It makes your legs tired getting out there.  Anyway I had to drive the Jeep down the beach a ways to pick up the old man.  He couldn't drive the kite back upwind to beach where he had begun.  That will be the next learning curve.

Yes, the kite closest to us is Mark.  Happy day.

Dead people and druggies.....

November 17

We are settling into a routine here on South Padre Island.  Things won't be quite as exciting for a few weeks.  We are at our final southern destination until middle of December when we fly home.    Our small county park only has 7 residents, room for about 25 rigs.

We noticed that the small motorhome next door is buttoned up tight, there is no extra vehicle and nobody comes or goes.  It is going on the fourth day.......is somebody dead in there?  We are waiting for the smell.

On the other side, there was a young man in a small trailer.  Has a jeep for transportation.  Lots of ice chests, barbecues and law chairs around a carpeted area.  You don't see much of him during the day but come night time he starts driving away for about 30 minutes then comes back.....leaves again about 45 minutes later, then comes back in about 30 minutes.  This happened about 6 times Thursday night.  My conclusion is that he is a druggie and I need to turn him in to the park ranger.  Craig and Wendy warned us about these county parks but we didn't listen!  Well yesterday a truck comes and hooks up his trailer and what looked like his mom and dad arrive in a suburban, pack up all his junk and take him away.  Good deal.  Now it is just a bunch of "Winter Texans".  Hopefully, all still alive.

South Padre at Last!

November 15, 16, 2011

Today was travel day.  We left Craig & Wendy's in Alice and headed for South Padre Island which is on the southernmost tip of Texas.  Our last night in Texas, Mark spent some time with Rambo (retired service dog), Kayla (lab),  and Sami(lab) on the back deck.

Found a spot to camp in Andy Bowie County Park on the Island.  The walkway right behind our camping area leads to the ocean side.  If you look behind Mark you will see kite boarders out in the heavy surf, jumping the waves.

Mark has already joined the local kite boarders's private club which gave us access to their private section of beach.    It is across the road and down about 1/4 mile.  Mark got the skinny on the lay of the land for today and tomorrow will launch for the first time.

Watch Your Head!

November 13, 2011

Today Mark and I toured the Lexington, a retired aircraft carrier, anchored in the Corpus Christi Bay.  On the drive over we passed a few oil refineries.  We so wanted to stop in and ask why the cost of regular gas has dropped locally to an average of about $3.25/gal. and our diesel is still averaging $3.79.  The Diesel Dollars we are spending takes our breath away.

I am getting ready to shoot down Japanese Zeros!

Dad aiming his gun.

All aboard!

Mind your P's and Q's on the ship or you end up here!

My captain.

Steady at the helm, sir.

We spent almost four hours touring the ship.  As you well know, lots of steep stairs and hatches that you must step over and through to move from one room to the next.  All went well until our last section.  I was coming down a steep ladder when "wham"!  Smacked my head on a metal hatch.  Just about knocked myself out.  Still have a bump and red mark two days later.

Going On Safari

November 14, 2011

Today we went out to Craig and Wendy's new property.  They will be building in the next year or so and are just getting started with the clearing process and getting electricity.  We drove the fenceline in their 4-wheeler, watching for deer, wild pigs (javalina's), snakes, armadillos's, etc.  The property has lots of mesquite and brush.  We followed several "hog" trails as they called them.  The hogs had already made a path along the new fenceline.  Yikes!

Yes, folks, Wendy is putting on "snake boots"!  Needless to say, I had my eyes peeled as I had seen many snake skins in the museums/displays and they were quite large.....and this is the first time I have ever seen anyone put on snake boots.

Loading up to go on Safari.  Yes, that is a loaded shotgun we are toting to possibly bag some pear cactus rats.

Mark was smart enough to throw in a couple of lawn chairs so we had a little comfort.  No, they didn't let me hold that shotgun very long.  Just posing!

Craig had to use his machete to clear tree branches so we could get around the fenceline.  Go Craig!  I will stay in the 4-wheeler and watch for snakes!

We picked up debris as we drove the fenceline.  Craig and Wendy are unloading leftover fencing material.  They just had a fence installed around their 50 acres.

Mark and Angie saying goodbye to the new GJ Ranch.  We'll be back!

Thanks, Craig and Wendy for a great time!

Hanging with Craig and his girls, Rachel and Kendra

November 12, 2011

We arrived in Alice, TX on Saturday afternoon and had an enjoyable evening with Craig and Wendy.  We have  finally gotten far enough south that there is no need for jackets in the evening.  We sat outside and roasted marshmallows over a mesquite fire and were not the least bit cold.

November 13, 2011

Rachel and Kendra have come over from Kingsville to spend the day.

Rachel and Kendra are sitting on Craig's new tractor.

Craig helping Kendra drill holes in her Mom's new plant shelf they were building.

Mark and Angie out in front of the King Ranch Visitor's Center.  We toured the King Ranch this afternoon.  Biggest ranch in the country at over 850,000 acres.  Two words, amazing and dry.  Below are longhorn cows sitting in the wide open spaces.
We stopped on the way home today at a store called "Tractor Supply".  The girls loved this store because of the smell.  Well, Mark cleaned his nose out before we entered to get a good whiff of this special store.  Smells like a feed store.......so, I guess these girls are truly Texas Ranch girls!

Mark bought a 6-volt battery to cut open.  He saw a video on YouTube where they cut open a 6-volt lantern battery and there were 32 "AA" batteries inside.  He decided that was a cheap way to buy "AA" batteries.  Well, the girls were quite tickled when he cut it open and there were NOT "AA" batteries inside.  Moral of the story, you can't believe everything you watch on YouTube.

All-Day Tour of San Antonio, Texas

November 11, 2011

Today we have signed up for an all-day bus tour of the city.  They pick us up at the RV Park and drop us off at the end of the day.  Perfect.  No more navigating or driving.  Mindless sightseeing.

Koi Pond in Chinese Tea Garden in San Antonio!  Weird.

Kiss from San Antonio!

Next was Texas Ranger Museum.  Had to belly up to the bar for a shot of whiskey and a taste of the old west.

Gimme a shot of whiskey, Bar-Keep!

Next was lunch at the oldest Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk.  We had some friends as we dined.  I felt something tug on the side of my jeans right by my butt.  I looked down and this little fella was standing there, waiting for some food.  I gave him a chip and he left for a couple of minutes and then I felt something tugging on my pants again.  He was quite polite and would only tug a couple of times and then just stand there and wait.

The lunch was good and had my first Texas Chili, which was served with my meal.  Chunks of beef in a sauce.  Tender and good.

Mark sitting at our table along river walk'

Mark and I at the Alamo Well

The day was great and exhausting, of course.  After returning to the motorhome we ventured out to the H.E.B. Grocery store.  Started by a local family years ago.  There are only HEB, Walmart and Costco around here for groceries.  No Safeway, Albertsons, IGA or any of the familiars.  After buying a few groceries we stopped at "Whataburger" for a burger (of course).  We have seen them all over  New Mexico and Texas and just had to try one out.  Small menu, pretty much burgers, fries and drinks.  Kinda reminded me of an In-and-Out Burger joint from California.  It was started in 1950 so I was just surprised that I had never heard of one.  Amazing what you learn when you travel.

Texas!

November 10, 2011

 We take off like a streak across Texas.  Looks like home.  Speed limits of up to 80 mph at times, country roads that have speed limits of 70 mph and everything in between.  Drove for two hours today without seeing a house or much of anything besides trucks, semi's and signs of oil wells.

The roadside stops are very Texan!

Made San Antonio today.  Seventh largest city in US.  I was driving and Mark was navigator as we hit town.  We did fantastic as we drove through town, as our RV Park, Travel World, was on the south part of town in the old district.  I felt like I was driving a whale through a tangle of freeways.  It was scary but we made it.

We then took the bus downtown to the riverwalk in the evening.  It is one of the coolest things we have seen on our trip.  The sidewalk, trees, shops, restaurants, are all beneath the street level.  Had a great evening strolling around.

Hold On To My Belt Loop

Nov. 9, 2011

Today we visited the Carlsbad Caverns before heading into Texas.  When the kids were small and we were in a store or somewhere they would stray or get into trouble, Mark would always say, "Hold onto my Belt Loop."  That would insure that the kids stayed right next to him and would keep up.  Well, today I was holding onto Mark's belt loop.  I think I have a little claustrophobia.  My knees were getting tingly before we took the elevator ride down into the cavern and I almost didn't go.  I kept thinking of the miners who were trapped underground in Peru a year ago.  So, as soon as I got into the cavern I started holding onto Mark's belt loop so I would feel safer.  How that was going to save me if the ceiling collapsed, I don't know but it did make me feel better.  It was beautiful and we were alone most of the time because it was early and off season so there weren't nearly as many visitors.  However, I don't think I need to go a mile underground again.

Me, before my knees started shaking

Me after the tour!

I am Mark Johnson and I can find my way out of this cavern!

You didn't want pictures of the real caverns, did you?