The Pelicans and friends

From the week end on the
Island. I want to come back
as a pelican. I can watch the
pelicans fish for hours.....

How to build a beach

I am on a three day week end to SPI

Make a Smilebox slideshow

and I shot these photos from my deck last night while enjoying a cocktail aka Martini and cheese and crackers. The restaurant is in the way of my sunset, have to go out to the pier tonight. Low tide this morning from the deck and lastly, in the distance, the palm trees, that is where I lived last winter. Carry on.......

Around the Valley

This is a photo of the Border Wall at the Progresso cross over to
Mexico. Left of the trees is the Rio Grande River.Maybe a football field
from the river to the cement fence.

Goofy and I are at a rest stop at Bentsen park, Palmview TX.
the next crop of oranges are growing. As soon as they have a small touch
of yellow, they will be stripped from the trees. Free fruit.
Today it is 95 at 340 PM. I am working on my taxes, boring. I set today's
deadline at 4 PM, then off to the store and to pick up carry out for dinner.
Tomorrow a trip to Mexico. Friday I'll pack a suitcase and some toys for
the week end at South Padre Island......I'll be right on the gulf, my deck
faces west for a beautiful sunset/cocktail time........carry on

For those of you from

HOME, that have following along with my business dealings.....the latest........

SOLD......mobile home sold, money in the bank...sweetness, sadness, great memories
from both parents, mom alone, AJ and UGH living in the back yard, the Canadian
friends that lived there one season, Jeff and myself living there for a few seasons....
October vacations for Greg and Cyndy.....2006 New Year's eve with the neighbors,
fire works, lots of booze, a pinata, the kids having so much fun.....time to move
along, which I am doing. what the future brings for life in the Rio Grande Valley
is still a question......doing OK......happy.....81 today and NO wind........


Carry On.......

A Great week

for the most part, down here in the Rio Grande Valley. 70's plus on the weather station scale, not much wind until today, Sunday. Golf league and scramble were real golf, you did not have to guess about your club. I shot a sweet 39 on my own, our three some had a 5 under par to win last week's scramble. I sold the mobile home, Monday I will get the paperwork to finalize the deal and get my money. Friday I went with a group on a bike ride to Mexico. We had to drive 70 miles to Roma Texas. We were supposed to go to a school for entertainment, but that was not to be, a big sore point for the bike riders. It was an enjoyable ride none the less, to a very poor town on the border, Miguel Aleman, Mex. Today, Sunday, I went to do laundry early morning. A little before 10 am there is great traffic to attend church services. I saw an elderly man trying to get in the gate, I went to help, it was Bob, an Iowan that I had breakfast with last week. He said, "I was the one who was shot!" I was shocked. Bob and his wife were going home, the other night, when he was hit in the neck. 5 hours of surgery. Bob is around 80 years old. A tough SOB. There is a levee that surrounds our RV park to help protect us from floods. In the distance south, open fields and when I am working late at night cleaning swimming pools, I hear the gun shots. One night last week I know I heard machine gun shots. Bob did not get hit by random violence, you need a clicker to get in the gate to our park. I think the guns were firing and one was caught by the wind..unless there was someone standing on the resaca and shot when this person saw someone in the park....go figure......
Today, Sunday, I ordered a 21 foot by 40 inch high screen to block the wind so my tomato plants have a chance to bloom. I have a lot of small toms, none red yet. LIFE IS GOOD.....no sense in being scared about bullets. I believe when my time is up, it happens. Neil Diamond is performing on the Grammy's tonight, I hope it is before I turn on Brothers and Sisters......carry on my friends, I will post some photos soon from the Mexico trip...which you will see before you read this....HAHAHAHAHA......

another video on the beach at SPI

Day Trip to the Beach

birdies golfers and the beach

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My First Video

posting is next. I thought it was going to be a difficult
project, no way Jose. Just a little time consuming.
These two walkers with the wiggles are my friends,
Marian on the left, blue hat and Michelle on the
right, blue shorts. Guess I will make more videos to post.......

Walking Across the Causeway, Port Isabel

Driving Along that blue Highway

or on this morning, it was beautiful at my North Pool,
even a little spooky,
but on Juarez Street, the neighbor's BIG diesel was sidelined by
their garbage can. Lots of excitement in the RGV.
Out on that Blue Hwy, there is a series of BLUE billboards......I don't
know who is doing the messages, but they are fun.......
reminds me of the "God" billboards........Carry on............

Another walk across the Queen Isabella

This is the starting line, 10K leaves at 10 am, us walkers 10:15

Actually, this is the starting line, 20 deep at the KYBO'S
Year One I was alone on the walk, Year Two brother Jeff, left Michelle
and her mom Marian joined me. This year, Jeff home, only us 3 girls.
Marian and I outside the starting point......
A little butt shot for ya'll and
some good looking runners. highest walker # we saw was 1985.
On the way past the light............starting point is about 6 blocks from the
lighthouse.3.3 miles to lunch and the waiting boys, our ride home.
One of my favorite photos of the day. this is near the land/water
point of the highway. Leaving land, on to the bridge.
the crowd ahead of me.
Almost done and a side show of dolphins

Starting temp from Mercedes was 74, cloudy......ending temp and very
little sunshine 84. Another favorite photo of the clouds surrounding the
new high rise that did not get destroyed by Dolly, the hurricane........It was
a great walk, stopped at the Isla Blanca office and found some mail for me,
a Christmas present. Forgot to look at the letter box for missing Christmas
cards. Lunch at Dirty Al's, home by 2 PM and off to see Elvis, aka Eddie
my co worker, a musician, he does a variety of music, mostly music that
I LOVE............Carry on...........

Christmas with the Justice Family

Grandma opened her gift from Jake, an angel that he picked out at his
school's gift fair. Only kids allowed in to shop.
Jake and Aunt Mary Beth, he is a real ham, posing for a bunch of Pictures.
Grandpa and Jake, Gramps is wearing the hat that Jake bought
for him, it says, "Proud to be American"
cousins Jake and Amy. I told Amy to hide away that Colts jacket, I loved
it and told her I might steal it from her.
Jake is getting crushed by MOM Melissa.

I found these wild animals on the golf course

but first, to get to #1 tee box, you get to walk through this beautiful
walkway, lined with colorful petunias
flying birds are abundant, some are even real
this mom and dad were watching over their younguns, look at daddio
hissing at me. I thought he was going to come after me when he turned
his head!
Just a baby lion
and big MAMMA HIPPO. this course is an executive course and well
maintained, only $9 for nine holes, two bucks more for 18. I had to get
home for a 3 PM Hawkeye game, so I could only play 9. Half were pars,
one birdie and one "brain fart" hole........I played two balls off 7 tee boxes,
so I guess I did get almost 18 holes played.

A gloomy day in Texas

I found this pair out by the bridge where the fishing boats rest, I had to
shoot through a fence
the lady in green is a "cyclone". How do I know? I saw her in the
Chamber office when I was picking up our tee shirts for the walk across
the Queen Isabella Causeway on Saturday, my third time, the 25th
overall!

happy New Year

and hello from the Rio Grande Valley again........I still do not
have my new life plan in order, with the job of cleaning
swimming pools and trying to relax and enjoy the sun
and surf and birds and golf and sun and and and...........

It was so much easier up north, to go on photo shoots and
then download and post..........

I am off to the island tomorrow to get our entry numbers
and tee shirts for
the walk across the Queen Isabelle Causeway, a 5 K walk
and 10 K run event..Bad weather is projected tomorrow, so
I expect to visit last year's new friends and won't be able
to do any beach bunny time.

Hometown neighbors lost their 8 year old son on Dec 28.
Walking to an area to go sledding, 1030 AM and foggy......
dad and son walking.......son suddenly ran out across the
street...........a heart breaker...........I went swimming on
Christmas Day with an 8 year old, a little bigger and
stronger than my sweet neighbor..........carry on my friends.......

I'm still here

and still working and still enjoying the weather.
Windy today but it was quite still when we
were in Mexico this morning. I think I will go
pick up my pool chemicals and then head to
the pool for an hour, come home, take a nap,
watch the news and be a bum until 10 pm.

I have some Christmas photos to download
and post, maybe I will do that later......

this wonderful weather makes me lazy.......

It's a Blue Day

Here in the valley........79 degrees, but 14 years ago today, my
mom passed away.......even though I try to get over it, that is
IMPOSSIBLE.So, I did laundry, to get the mobile home ready
for the January renters. Fixed the awning and the back door
so it doesn't fly open. Hooked up the TV with the new digital
box. Bad reception, but renters do not have cable or satellite
back home.......I love Nebraska volleyball, but the ladies lost
in the final four last night. Of course, it was the late game, so
I missed it all. Hoping ESPN will have a replay before the
finals on Sat night. Iowa plays at Drake on Sat......workampers
get a free Christmas dinner on Sunday night......Christmas with
the Justice family .....I need to go to the beach.....40 degree
temps all week and lots of wind, but we golfed anyway. had a
300 yard drive, thank you Mother Nature.........no new photos
to post, I have a ton, but am lazy tonight. This weather does
that to you......mellow out........carry on my friends............

Where does the time go?

Two weeks since the last posting........park wide garage sale today, tried to
unload some stuff from Alamo, no luck. Monday Directv comes and I need to
go to Alamo and get the water situation under control since I am renting out
the mobile home Jan/Feb and trying to sell. I will start the repair work as
soon as I get the check...."IT"S IN THE MAIL" fixing the hole in the roof is the big
problem, that means inside repair work won't get done until the renters
leave in March.....bummer.
I have not been to the beach for two weeks and that is awful......The walk across
Queen Isabella Causeway is Jan 10.
We watched UNI play football on ESPN today, they lost to Richmond, who made
a TD and extra point with 14 sec to play. Coach called for a raz ma taz play and
it did not work.......he only had to call two 20 yard plays to get in the zone
for a field goal........OH WELL, I am not the coach......I feel sorry for the Panthers.
I have some great parrot photos to post, but have to wait on that, I don't want
them "borrowed".
The maid was here on Friday, now the Rig is a mess again. The maid took everything
outside for the patio sale and now it is all back INSIDE.
After church and brunch I have a golf date tomorrow with my new Canadian friends.
Ruth and I are the events chair people for the women's league......I need to golf and
get the stuff out of my hair and enjoy, even though we have those 30 mph winds.....
what a challenge.......Carry on my friends........