RELAXING AND ENJOYING THE TEXAS SUNSHINE

We are finally back to our normal Texas sunshine and temperatures.  The weekend forecast is for mid 70s to mid 80s, which is what I have been used to down here. 

 

 

Here I am in another selfie of me with a drink enjoying the sunshine on my patio.  My patio feels very exposed since we lost our neighbour. He pulled out yesterday. 

 

 

 

 

My plants are enjoying the sunshine too, but they enjoy the rain as well, which I don't. 

 

Now that the sunshine is back, I will spend a lot of time out on my patio and I will definitely be going for some evening swims again as well. Which I have been missing of late. 

 

 

 

I HOPE THIS SUNSHINE LASTS

 

 

 

 

 

IT HAS TURNED COLD AGAIN , IN TEXAS

We had lovely warm weather over the weekend, but we were warned that it would be cold on Tuesday.  Sure enough, come Tuesday, that cold front arrived, with warnings from the weather man, that it may get down below 32F or 0C over night. 

 

So, Dan put all my plants into our garden shed for me.  This is the first time we have ever had to do that since we started coming down here to Texas. 

 

 

It poured all night, and they closed the interstate, because no one is equipped to drive on ice down here.  But I don't think it ever did actually freeze.  As we know from at home it has to get quite a few degrees below freezing for anything to freeze, especially with all that water, from the rain, all around. 




ONE MORE DAY OF THIS, THEN WE ARE BACK TO 80S ON THURSDAY




 

DIY - I AM IN STORAGE HEAVEN

Ever since we have moved into this trailer, I have been in "Storage Heaven." I have huge closets.  I have probably mentioned this before, but I'm just so happy with it. 

 

I also have lots and lots of cabinets and cupboards.  One of the problems with them, was the fact that they were designed for a trailer traveling down the road, with very strong spring loaded clips, to keep them closed during travelling.  That also kept them closed when I was trying to open them as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, seeing as how this trailer is never going to move again, the last couple of days, Dan has gone through the trailer and replaced all those clips with magnetic closers. 

 

 

 

Now they are all, simple finger tip open and  close, but still stay closed like they should.   

 

 

 

 

DAN HAS DONE ANOTHER GREAT JOB ON OUR TRAILER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT'S UP WITH THIS WEATHER?

What 's up with this weather?  We keep getting the edge of those cold fronts, "Coming in from Canada,"reaching all the way down here into Texas to get us.  Actually we didn't get any of the snow down here in the valley, which they got up north in Dallas, but it got damned cold.  Just around 33/34 F.  That's just above zero C overnight, but it's back up to 64F or 18C now and my plants didn't freeze. 

 

 

 

This has been the coldest winter we have experienced since we started coming down South each winter.  We think the cold weather is over and is warms up to mid 70s, which is what it should be now .  It stays nice for a few days and then"BAM" another cold front hits us.  It is supposed to warm up to 77 on Sunday, then apparently by Tuesday we are in for another drop.  But, I guess I shouldn't complain.  At least it is not -40 and we don't have to shovel. 

 

I WILL ENJOY MY PATIO ON SUNDAY WHILE IT LASTS. 

 

DIY - MY NEW PULL - OUT PANTRY

Dan installed a new Pull-Out Pantry in my our trailer kitchen. 

 

Step 1.  Remove all the food from the existing cabinet. 

 

 

 

Step 2.  install the pull-out Garbage container in the bottom. 

 

 

Step 3.  Figure out how to put these things together.  If all else fails, "follow directions." 

 

 

 

Step 4.  Take a picture of what we have accomplished. 

 

 

 

 

WELL DONE DAN. 

 

( I just wish it had more room. )   

 

 

 

 

THE FUNKY CHICKEN

Seeing as how no one has rented the spot that is behind our lot, Sea-Enna has kind of decided that it is her back yard. 

 

 

 

She has, what we call, the Funky Chicken and she takes it out there, sits and guards it and watches everyone who comes and goes.  The Funky Chicken is a little stuffed animal that when it is squeezed starts to chirp like a bunch of young chicks and it goes on and on for about 30 seconds, every time she squeezes it.  If you don't think 30 seconds is very long try living with it.  That's why it is kept outside.  And because it is kept outside that is why it is kind of funky. 

 

 

So, when she is not out for a walk or at the dog park, she sits in the neighbouring lot guarding the Funky Chicken and enjoying the outdoors just like at the lake. 

 

 

 

 

 

IT SURE BEATS WINNIPEG, THE SNOW AND THE CONDO. 

 

CANADA DAY IN PARADISE

 
 Today was Canada Day in Paradise Park,  All of the Canadians in the Park got together for a lunchtime meal.   

 

 
 
 The event was well attended and everyone got into a real RED and WHITE mood. 

The food was contributed by everyone in a pot luck style and was delicious.   

 

        

 

 

And very well received. 

 

 Fun and Games and a great time was had by all. 

 

 

HAPPY CANADA DAY FROM PARADISE PARK

 

 

 

 

DIY - A PERMANENT SEWER SYSTEM

Now that we have a large trailer on a lot that we own and have no intention of ever moving it again. 

 

 

Rather than continuing with one of those flexible trailer sewer hoses, Dan has decided to hook up a permanent solid sewer line to the new trailer.  Not exactly a pleasant job, but once done, we will not have to think of it again. 

 

 

 

YUCK,THANK GOODNESS THAT'S OVER WITH. 

 

 

 

A VISIT TO THE FLEA MARKET

Yesterday we took off bright and early for our first visit, of this year, to DonWes Flea Market . 

 

We like to go nice and early before the crowds build to big. 

You can find almost anything you can think of at the Flea Market

By the time we left, this aisle was shoulder to shoulder.  We were glad to get out of there. 

 

 

 

IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING AT THE FLEA MARKET. 

 

 

 

 

OUR COMBINED BIRTHDAYS

Seeing as how we all have our birthdays in January, Dan and I and our son Ken have traditionally always celebrated our birthdays together.    But times have changed. 

 

 

I cooked Dan a Roast Beef dinner last Sunday for his birthday, so he took me out for Chinese food for my birthday.  We went to a great Buffet called "The China Sea" that our friends Lois and Larry introduced us to last year.    

 

 

Now that we are in Texas, it's just the two of us, we hope you had a great Birthday son.   

 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN"

 

 

 

 

             

OUR GRAPEFRUIT CROP

The grapefuits on our trees this year are so abundant and large it's amazing.  They hardly fit into my soup bowls. 

 

 

We also have an orange tree as well, but we are not much on oranges. 

 

 

 

The grapefruit were weighing down the trees, so Dan decided he better pick them before the birds got to them. 

 

 

So, now we have all these grapefruit, but everybody else have lots as well.  It's like tomato growers at home, they can hardly wait until they are ready, then everyone's come ready at once and they can't give them away. 

 

 

 

OH WELL,  IN TEXAS IT'S ORANGES AND GRAPEFRUITS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE'VE BEEN OUT DANCING AGAIN

This time it was "Alamo Palms" and one of my favorite groups, "The Cruisers". 

 

 

Lots of fun, great company and great music. 



AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT TEXAS



 

 

 

 

 

 

NAUTICAL DECOR

Today I finally got the majority of my Nautical decorations set up around the new trailer. 

 

 

I have accumulated these items over the years and love to have them in my trailer. 

 

 

On the boat the nautical things that we have around are mostly practical and useful. 

 

 

 

And in the Condo the only nautical items I have are some pictures as nautical just does not go with French Provincial or Georgian. 

 

 

 

 

But here in Texas, I like to have some nautical touches around. 

 

 

 

So this is where I have brought them all. 

 

 

 

They make me feel at home. 

 

 

 

 

SO, NOW MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME FEELS HOMEY

 

 

DIY - ANOTHER REFIT PROJECT

As usual with Dan and I,  we have always got projects on the go.  Today it was the chair that came with my desk in the new trailer.  The seat of this chair consisted of a piece of particle board cover with foam and upholstered to match the lounge chairs.  And particle board being what it is, is not very strong and it broke into many pieces.  So, somewhere down the road some idiot decided to repair it by removing the damaged seat, roughly cutting a piece of plywood to almost fit under the damaged seat and place the damaged seat back on top of it, with rough cut plywood showing all around. 

 

 

 

So, today's project was for me to remove it all from the chair frame, salvage the upholstery fabric and foam.  Dan cut the piece of plywood to the correct measurement, we discarded the smashed up piece of particle board and replaced it with the newly cut plywood and I re-upholstered it. 

 

 

And here it is below, sitting in front of my desk, as good as new. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT IS VERY SATISFYING TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE KIND OF THINGS. 

(It saves a lot of money too) 

 

 

 

 

LET'S GO DANCING

Saturday night in Texas it's time to go Dancing. 

. 

 

That's what we do for fun down here in Texas. 
 

 

 

Last night was "Jealous Heart" at Trophy Gardens. 
The whole Rio Grande Valley is full of large Dance Halls. 


AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT TEXAS



 

THE SUN IS SHINING LETS GO OUTSIDE

 

 

Well, the sun finally came out today and it was a glorious sunny day. 

 

 

Sunny enough for Dan to take on a project. 

 

 

 

He removed that ugly old Awning that came with our trailer.  I really don't like awnings and have never used the one on our other trailer.  And this one was really old and damaged, so I'm glad to see the end of it. 

 

 

 

As for me, I took advantage of the sunshine to sit out on the patio with a drink .  As usual. 

 

 

 

 

NOW THIS IS WHY I COME TO TEXAS FOR THE WINTER. 

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

We had a wonderful time at our New Years Eve dance last night.  It was well attended and a really good time was had by all. 

The main thing I am looking forward to in 2014 is an improvement in the weather.  I want sunshine and Patio Living for the rest of my stay here in Texas. 




BRING ON THE SUN