COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA TO FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA

We left Council Bluffs this morning in more bright sunshine. With a view of Omaha across the Missouri River.

There is nothing quite like driving through the "Bible Belt", on a religious holiday.  "You have the roads all to yourself". 

We were an hour into our journey before we saw the first trace of snow in a sheltered area protected from the sun.  That will not last long. 

 

But, on the other hand.  By the time we got half way up South Dakota there was a lot more snow around. 

And in Northern South Dakota ran into lots of snow everywhere you looked. 

Then we entered North Dakota.  Of course there is still lots of snow in North Dakota, and there will be just as much, or more, in Manitoba when we get there. 

 

And as I watch the snow covered fence posts whizz by, on our way to Fargo.  I can't help but wonder, "Which one has that briefcase full of cash buried beside it?"       Mmmmmmmmm!!

 

 

 

 WE WILL BE HOME BY NOON TOMORROW. 

 

OKLAHOMA CITY TO COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA

 
There were lots of storms all around us last night, with lightning, rain and hail, but luckily, they have all missed us.  We headed out at 8:30 this morning under sunny skies and put Oklahoma behind us. 

It is already very green in Kansas. Some of the cultivated fields are greening up nicely. We followed those thunderstorms all day today, with the clouds ahead always looking a little threatening.  . 

Then you start into the ranch land and it goes on and on for miles and miles of unchanging hills with the highways meandering through them. The skies stayed dull all day.  But, we never did overtake those storms, and they continued East when we turned North in Kansas City

 

 Then as we left Kansas City in the rear view mirror, The sun came out and a couple of interchanges later and we were on good old I-29.  The rest of our trip home is straight North, all the way to Winnipeg. 

We haven't seen any snow yet, but I'm sure we will be seeing some tomorrow, when we cross into South Dakota. 

 

 

 

 

WE ARE NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, BUT WE KNOW IT'S INEVITABLE. 

 

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CONTINUING THE JOURNEY NORTH

Today's journey consisted of Austin, Texas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

  

 

Even with it being Good Friday, the traffic was heavy as usual going through Fort Worth Dallas area.  I hate those stacked up highways, but as long as we don't have to go up on them, that is just fine with me.  With a few slow downs for heavy traffic we were soon though the last of Texas and into Oklahoma. 

 

 I love Oklahoma, you notice the immediate change in the roadsides.  Everything is so neat and park like compared to the hustle, bustle of the advertising signs etc.  all along the Texas road sides. 

In Oklahoma all private property seems to be well back from the freeways.  And the property around the freeways is all very well maintained. 









 

Therefore everything looks much more park like. 

 

We arrived in Oklahoma City and checked into our Motel around 3:00 pm, which gave us a very relaxed afternoon and evening.  We went out for Dinner then relaxed and watched TV. 

 

 

TOMORROW WE WILL PUSH ON THROUGH KANSAS CITY. 

 

 

WE"RE ON OUR WAY NORTH. FIRST STOP AUSTIN TX.

We left Paradise Park behind this morning. 


The trailers was all prepared.  Foil on all the windows, the fridge defrosted and propped open.  The slide is in and all the patio is put away until we get back late this year. 





And so we headed north, past the last of the Palm Trees we will see till we return.  We will continue to see Cactus, but the Palm Trees are a South Texas thing. 


It was a very relaxing drive.  There is nothing quite like driving through South Texas listening to Classic "Los Indios Tabajaras" on the stereo. 






We didn't have a long journey planned for today, as we are stopping in the Austin area for another visit with my cousin Carol and her husband Rick.  We have found a Motel 6 in Cedar Park, which is close to where they are in Lago Vista.  It is one of the "Re-Done" Motel 6's, which I'm kinda getting used to, as they are slowly changing them all. 

They are very stark and not exactly what you would call cozy, but at least they are still dog friendly. 





So tonight, we went over to Rick and Carols condo for dinner.  They are staying in a lovely condo  In a rolling hill area next to a large river system with lots of golf courses.  Very pretty. 

 

We had a wonderful evening and a lovely dinner.  Thanks guys. 

 

 

 

SO THAT WAS DAY ONE OF OUR JOURNEY HOME/ 

 

 

 

 

IT IS TIME TO SAY MORE GOODBYES

Now it's our departure date that is approaching. 


And so, we have to say our goodbyes to Larry Gentner and Mary-Ellen Johnston, who's company we have come to know and enjoy this year. Even though she did rope me into a job..... (I thought I was retired) 

It is also sad to be leaving behind, Ed and Hazel, who arrived late, and will be staying a little longer. They stopped by to say their goodbyes to us yesterday. 

And Dave and Helen, because you have finally bought a lot, in the park, I know for sure you will be back here again, even if you will not be our immediate neighbours.  (We were obviously far to rowdy for you.) lol  We know where you live.





 

I hope you folks also have that wonderful summer that we are all looking forward to, and we will all meet back here again next winter, for some more fun, when those northern temperatures drive us back down to Texas.

I GUESS YOUR NOT A REAL WINTER TEXAN UNTIL YOU FEEL THE PAIN OF THE GOODBYES AND THE ANTICIPATION AND THE JOY OF THE REUNION.


 

PILES OF SNOW OR NOT, WE ARE HEADING HOME

In communicating with family back home and seeing posts from other Winnipegers on facebook, I have become increasingly concerned about the weather in Manitoba, that we are about to come home to.    They are all saying we have record amounts of snow.  Ready or not we are heading home. 

After being down here in what is  hot, hot, hot weather, the cold is going to be quite a shock to our systems.  But I am afraid we cannot delay our journey north any longer.  We have nothing in particular drawing us home as yet, but as March goes on, it is becoming increasingly uncomfortably hot, down here.  This last weekend it was 102 degrees F.  So, the temperatures here are driving us out.   

I have found that we are spending more and more time cooped up in the trailer with the windows and doors sealed, the blinds down and the air conditioning on.  That's no way to live. 

So, we have decided to pack up and leave here on Thursday morning.  We will certainly take our time going home.  Hopefully things will have improved by the time we get into the Dakotas. 

 

THESE SNOWBIRDS ARE HEADING HOME

 

 

 



OUR LAST WEEKEND IN PARADISE

This is our last weekend here in Paradise Park, so we are kinda saying our farewell to the friends we've made and the life style we've come to love.

Barb and Milt Dietrich have already headed home.  They left early Friday morning.  They are probably already home by now.  Thanks for the beautiful card Barb, and don't forget to send me that email. 

Now it's time to say goodbye to Lois and Larry Jones, who are continuing their journey on into Arizona.  They are leaving early Monday morning, so we had a little farewell dinner last night.


And Diane and Lawrence Becker and their daughter that we met this year, are also heading out on Monday morning. 

 We have decided to start our journey north on Thursday morning, so we will also be saying goodbye to some couples that are lingering a while. 






So the goodbyes will continue and I hope everyone has the wonderful summer that we are all looking forward to, and we will all meet back here again next winter, for some more fun, when those northern temperatures drive us all back down to Texas.

VIA CONDIOS !  SAFE JOURNEY!  



 

 

 

WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING IN TEXAS ?????

I sometimes wonder.  "What am I doing here??"   If I was choosing my ideal place to retire, first, it wouldn't have Tex-Mex food.    I have a very sensitive Anglo constitution and can't handle spicy food.  Second, I was raised on 40's, 50's and 60s and Big Band music, so I really don't like country music.  I always tease my friends who are country fans.  "What do you get when you play your country music backwards?" "You get your wife back, you get your car back, you get your dog back".  And last  but not least, the other thing my ideal retirement place would not have, is guns.  So, what the hell am I doing retired down here in Texas. 

Well, I'll tell you, it's like this.  I have found more things to like about Texas, than the things I don't like.  The people I've met have been warm, welcoming and wonderfully friendly and always ready to party. 

I love dancing and down here in the Rio Grande Valley there is a dance on every corner almost every night of the week.  So, the music is a little country, so what, as long as it's got a good beat and you can dance to it, it suits me just fine. 

There is also the weather.  The weather down in Texas, while we are here, ranges from cool days of in the low 70s to hot days in the high 90s.  You can't beat that. 








And last but not least is the cost of living.  Everything down here is so much cheaper than at home.  Groceries, entertainment, booze, restaurants.  You name it, it's cheaper in Texas and  there is no sales tax on most things. 

Plus, I've never seen a single gun, in all the years we have been coming down here each winter. 

 

 

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING HERE IN TEXAS.

AN OVERNIGHT IN SAN ANTONIO

The five of us got together again this morning and lingered over Breakfast at IHOP before we parted ways and Carol, Rick and Mark continued on to Corpus Christie.  And we returned to our little Paradise Park winter home. 

It was a very nice drive from McAllen to San Antonio and back again.  It will sure be nice when they finish all those interchanges.  We are becoming more and more familiar with that route as the years go on.  The wild flowers are starting to bloom in the ditches and road sides again. 

Traffic was light and it was clear sailing there and back. 

So, we are home here in Texas safe and sound, so now it's time to decide when we are going to pack up and head north again, all the way home. 

 

BUT THAT'S TO THINK OF ANOTHER DAY. 

 



SIGHT SEEING IN SAN ANTONIO

Tuesday morning we took off for an overnight trip to San Antonio, to meet up with my Cousin Carol and her family.  We both booked into a downtown Motel and had a great visit.  We visited together for some time, then went sight seeing and out for dinner. 

We arrived at the Riverwalk at sunset and started looking for a restaurant for dinner.  There are so many restaurants to choose from, it is hard to decide. 

The San Antonio Riverwalk is one of my all time favorite tourist attractions.  It is lined with hotels, shops, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and bars on both sides of the river.   

The architecture is stunning and unique at every turn. 

Around every bend there is something different view to see.  Our Riverwalk at home, is booooring.  It goes on and on, same, same, same.  But not this, every business front facing the river is unique. 

We found an Irish Pub, we thought we might like, so we went in and ordered a drink, but as we perused the menu a couple of us couldn't find something we liked, so, we finished our drinks and moved on to find somewhere else to eat. 

."Then we found "IT".  "IT", was "Dirty Dick's Last Resort", it was hilarious.  The place is a mess, the staff are trained to be rude to the patrons, they yell at you "What d ya want".  They throw the napkin wrapped cutlery on the table, and say, "Get it yourself".  If you try to ask a question, while she is giving you her spiel about the menu, she hollers "Shut Up, I'm talking".   She had us in stitches.  They had live "Jimmy Buffet" type music blaring through the place.   They give each person a long strip of white paper, that we assumed was a place mat, but NO, your food comes in a stainless steel bucket, which you have to dump onto that paper to eat it. 

Then to top it all off, once they have dumped your food at you, they hand make each person a large white paper hat.  Not only do they make you wear this ridiculous hat, but these hats all have rude things written on them.  Mine said "As seen on Golden Girls gone wild".  Carol's said "When Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity, he was flying my apartment key".  And some of them were so crude I can't even repeat them here.  But, everyone walks proudly out along the Riverwalk wearing them, with everyone stopping and asking to read your hat.  Which you proudly display, because you survived Dirty Dicks. 

It was so dark by the time we came out after dinner I couldn't really get any good pictures of the Riverwalk at night.  It was beautifully lighted, but I didn't have my good camera with me with the proper settings to take pictures into bright lights.  I only managed to get this one because I didn't include any of the lights in it.  Oh, well, maybe next time.  And there will be a "next time". 

I did manage to get this one of a beautifully lit horse drawn cart, as we were waiting to hail a cab and go back to the Motel.  Once back at the Motel, we talked and talked, till midnight. 

 

 

ALL IN ALL THERE WAS A GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL

 

 

 

PARADISE PARK STREET PARTY

Today we had a street party in Paradise Park. 

Two of the Carports facing the open lawn area in the center of the park, were used, for shelter.  One to shelter the entertainers, and the other to shelter the array of pot luck food. 

The largest tree in our park is in the middle of the center lawn area.  It was a prime spot for getting out of the sun as the temperature went to 100F today. 

 The entertainers were "The Coins", a couple that live in the park and entertain locally. 











And of course there was dancing in the street.

The line for the food was especially long, but certainly worth the wait.  Everyone out did themselves with the food. 

Then the hi-lite of the afternoon was when Mike, Marnie and Denny entertained us with their special demonstration of how to dance to "Wooly Bully". 

 

 

 

 

 

PARADISE PARKS STREET PARTY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.