ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT WITH THE AGENCY

 Last Saturday we were dancing again to "The Agency".  This is one of our favourite groups down here in the valley.  We are going to see them again March 7th. 

 In our group there was Dan & I, Gord and Ellie, Ed and Hazel, and Mary Ellen and Margaret. 

 As usual, we had a great time, dancing the night away. 

That was the last Texas dance for Gord and Ellie, as they left for Corpus Christie this morning. 

Have a safe and interesting trip home and maybe we'll be dancing in Paradise again next year.  

HAPPY FEET

CANADA DAY IN PARADISE PARK

 Sunday February 22nd was our Annual Canada Day in Paradise Park. 

 This is when all of us proud Canucks gather together and take over the Clubhouse for a Pot Luck lunch as only us Canadians can do it.  

We always have a great turn out and it is always quite a feast.  We even sing "Oh Canada"  at the start. 

It's great fun and lots of laughs and everyone pitches in to make it really easy. 

A quick clean-up and we are done.  

A GREAT WAY TO MEET ALL OUR FELLOW CANADIANS IN THE PARK.  

WINTER TEXANS LOVE TO DANCE

There are many entertainers that spend their winters down here in the Rio Grande Valley.  We have every variety of singers, groups and bands.  A lot of them are Country Western, which isn't exactly my cup of tea, but we still manage to find plenty that aren't.  Dan and I (mostly I ) prefer the old Big Band sound and from there my preferences jump to the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  I also love what I call "Beach Music" , which includes The Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet, and the Surfer groups.  Like "The Castaway" that entertained at our New Years Eve party.  

Some of these entertainers play all over the country during the rest of the year, then follow us seniors down here for "The Season".  Others live down here and survive the rest of the year on what they are able to make during "The Season".  

When we first started travelling with our trailer, we saw a lot of parks with lots of activities and amusements offered, but we didn't come across many Dances.  We've been to parks from Florida and up the east coast, then another year on to Arizona and New Mexico, California including Palm Springs, but nowhere did we find much dancing going on.  Now here in Texas, you could go to a Dance every night of the week if you wanted to.  

It's all very reasonably priced (some in our own park are even free) and it's Bring Your Own Beverages.  Everyone brings their own little cooler and the hall supplies set-ups of cups and ice and you can buy soft drinks and popcorn. 

It always makes me think of the old prohibition days with everyone reaching under the table or into their cooler for their flask and pouring their own drinks.  It's lots of fun.  

AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT TEXAS

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS

Today, Dan and I and Sharon and Casey took Gord and Ellie on a day trip to the Gulf Coast.  

 

First stop on South Padre Island is Pier 19

And posing with the statues on the pier. 

Then a look at Hooker's Bar. 

It was a little breezy and cool when we started out so not many people here. 

The weather improved as we moved on throughout the day.  A tour of the Marina was next. 

Not as many boats there as there are in our Marinas back home. 

Then we moved on to one of Casey's favourite bars and stopped for a drink. 

We watched a guy do some sand sculptures

While Sharon and Ellie took a walk on the beach, looking for souvenir sand and shells. 

We had a " late lunch/early supper"  in a great seafood restaurant, then headed on home.  

A SPECIAL THANKS TO SHARON AND CASEY FOR SHOWING US SOME OF THEIR FAVOURITE ISLAND HAUNTS.  

WINTER IN TEXAS, WITH FAMILY

My daughter Wendy and her husband Murray just completed a cruise that landed in Texas and rather than flying straight home out of Houston, that was arranged with the cruise, they cancelled that flight and rented a car and drove here for a couple of days with us.  

We will have a three day visit with them,  then they will fly home out of San Antonio on Tuesday.  

We all, Gord and Ellie, Dan and I, Claudine and Robert went with them to the Sweet Heart Dance to celebrate Valentines Day. 

Then today we did laundry and hung out around the pool.  

Plus of course they had to experience Dan's Hamburger Night on Monday.  

TOO SOON OVER, HOPEFULLY  A LITTLE LONGER, NEXT TIME 

A TRIP TO THE TEXAS COAST

Each year when we are down here, I like to take at least one day trip to the coast. It's only 60 miles away,  but we usually wait to do that until someone is visiting us, to take them on a tour.  There are three places we can go to.  

 First there is Brownsville, if you want to see big ships and old battle history, this is for you.  Unfortunately Brownsville is all about "Ship Breaking".  It is where all the big old battle ships are brought to be turned into scrap metal.  It's not a pretty sight, but interesting.   

Then there is Port Isabel...

 

 Established as a town after the Mexican revolution, Port Isabel became an important cotton export port before the Civil War. The harbour, town and lighthouse all were fought over and exchanged hands during the Civil War. 

Now it is a major tourist destination for us Winter Texans and other seasonal tourism. And a kind of gateway with it's causeway over to South Padre Island.  

 Then we have South Padre Island. 

South Padre Island is a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast accessible via a  causeway from the town of  Port Isabel. It is home to many water sport activities with personal water craft rental, kite boarding, dolphin watches and ecological tours that explore Padre Island National Seashore.  

South Padre Island is home to one of the most popular destinations for college Spring Break.  

We certainly don't go near there during spring break that seems to go on all through March down here.  It's KAYOS and one of the reasons we would not have our trailer anywhere near there.  

 BUT, IT'S A NICE PLACE TO SPEND THE DAY WHEN IT"S NOT SPRING BREAK

(We are going there next week with Gord and Ellie and Sharon and Casey a kinda Manitoba Tour Package.)

    

LAST NIGHT WAS THE 50s-60s DANCE

We all had a great time at the 50s - 60s dance at the hall tonight.  The music was by "Chuck and Earl". 

 There was a great turnout of enthusiastic Rock and Rollers. 

And Gord and Ellie really got into it. 

 We even got Claudine up to do some boogieing with us girls.  

I think Gord was really getting DOWN with this twist.  We wondered if he would get back up. 

It was a great night with lots of fun.  

AND THAT'S WHAT BEING RETIRED IN TEXAS IS ALL ABOUT

GORD & ELLIE ARE BECOMING WINTER TEXANS

Yes, this is the second year that Ellie and Gord Gowie have meandered down south to spend part of the Winter season with us in Paradise. 

They have just arrived and we are now busy making plans for Dances and tours around the area.  

It's always great fun to share something you love with Friends and Family.  



THE FIRST DANCE IS WEDNESDAY NIGHT

 

TRIMMING OUR ORANGE TREE

Our Orange tree has become very overgrown.  

We don't really eat any of the oranges off of this tree, as they are very sour.  So they always go to seed and apparently that is not good for the tree.  I just found out that us Winter Texans, should use the fruit as needed, then make sure that we pick it all before we leave in the spring and we have not been doing that. 

So this year we have stripped the tree of all of the criss-crossed branches and all of the fruit and dropped them off at the dump. 

I also found out that if you use the hose and blow off the blossoms in the spring you will have less fruit.  Each blossom represents future fruit.  So, this year we are also going to blow off as many blossoms before we leave.  It's worth a try. 

Meanwhile our Grapefruit Tree is doing just what we look forward to.  Lush abundant Ruby Red Grapefruits.  And since I have just found out that "Crestor",  the "Statin" drug that I am taking, is the only statin that you can still eat grapefruit with.   So I'am going to continue to have one every morning just like I did last year.  So we will not strip this tree until just before we leave.  

MMMMMM, GRAPEFRUIT

AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT TEXAS 

 

OUR HANDRAIL IS INSTALLED

The final phase of our 2015 trailer project is coming together.  

We are in the process of building and installing our safety handrail.  
 

It's been measured, cut, sanded, painted and installed

And I am very pleased with the results.  

THAT'S A MAJOR PROJECT COMPLETED