And, Cold again in the Valley

La Feria, TX  47º, misty rain with light wind all day long.  A bit miserable out.

This last week of Patty being here we went to several things.  One evening went to at Stephono's Brooklyn Pizza Place on Business 83 just west of Harlingen.  We had some Mushroom stuffed with crab meat appetizers first.

We got the Supreme 14" - delicious and we had enough left over to eat lunch the next day.

 This last week Phyllis & Patty spent several hours sewing two new purses.

Patty shows off her new purse.  Phyllis' was same color/style, etc.

We, and Patty, went to the Las Vegas Cafe in Harlingen for breakfast one morning.  They have a heck of a breakfast for less than $5, including coffee.

On Tuesday the Safety Representative from Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc. (RGVSG) 
Click HERE for website.  
presented a program on what they do.  Patty took these photos of the movie showing their operation.

 They burn the field before harvesting to get rid of as much other than the cane stalk, which limits the amount to run through cutter, truck, etc. 

After burned

Cutter harvesting.  Whirling knives up high cuts off the top of the stalk to eliminate running it through mill as it does not contain much sugar,

Wagon is filled as the chopper does it's thing.

Wagons are dumped in to trucks nearby.

Truck being unloaded at the sugar mill, which is at Santa Rosa, Texas -- which is about 12 miles north of where our winter home is.

"Selfie" as I am typing this.

Set up boards to see about where french doors will be when finish south end of the "Texas Room"

 Tearing down the steps and platform.  Rebuilding it narrower and longer to accommodate a door on the platform in to the new "Texas Room"

Much of the platform finished.  Upright board will be side of wall that the French Doors will be in.

Will be moving the south two windows 12 inches to the south and the 2" x 10" shown will be end of the wall -- also where the French Doors will be across end of room.








With the weather cold and wet today I spent much of the morning putting new covering on the ceiling in the shop/storage room.  Worked this afternoon putting most of the floor boards on platform and deciding how the storm door on the platform will hang and swing.

This afternoon we had Coconut pie that Phyllis had made with Bill & Darlene Winslow and then played a game of Manipulation.

   Till later, Lynn

Hot..................then, Cold in south Texas

La Feria, TX - 44º with light misty rain.............was 82º yesterday afternoon with bright sunshine.

Phyllis, watering her flower pots on the west side of the shop/storage area at north end of "Texas Room" on Saturday afternoon with temperatures in the low 80's.

Phyllis ready to clamp the last of the windows to be put on the west wall of the "Texas Room" while I am lifting the 3' wide by 6' tall window in place.

Clamp in place.  Now to put screws in top and bottom plates to hold the window.  The flanges all around window will be covered by trim.

All west windows in -- wall below windows not finished.  -  Not all of insulation on ceiling.

All windows on west wall in - to finish trim and lower wall soon -- as soon as this current wet cold weather moves out of the area.

Last evening our neighbors, Harold and LaRhoada Neher introduced us to a new (to us) game called Fastrack.

Each player works off his own deck of cards and advances pegs according to cards drawn.  Some similarity to pegs and jokers, but a lot of variations to the value of the cards.

Another evening we played Manipulation card game.  On this hand I was dealt 5 cards and had good chances.

Concentrating on Manipulating the cards after others do their adding/changing to ones on table.

 Went to Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River -- shown at right one day last week.  Last chance this year for Patty to go over, as she heads back to Iowa this Thursday.

This is at the center of the bridge that we walk across the Rio Grande River on.

Just leaving the Mexican end of the bridge.  Welcome sign.

Patty took these pictures of some of the street vendors in Progreso, MX

Several shoe shine setups on the sidewalk.  This one had taken a lunch break, I guess.

This guy paints vases, bottles, saw blades, and many other things, all with aerosol paint, spraying both on the item, but mostly on newspaper then smears with paper or sticks on to the item.  We bought one of the vases about 3 years ago from him -- home in Clarinda, Iowa on the mantel.

Last Saturday evening there was a program at the Recreation Hall in Kenwood RV Park honoring residents who celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year, and recognizing any couples who have been married 50 years or longer.

 Photo of us, after the program.

Phyllis and all the ladies married over 50 years, got a rose.

 Last Wednesday Phyllis and Patty went to the Salad Luncheon and fashion show at the Rec Hall.

Several of the residents wore and showed the outfits from Beals, who sponsored the fashion show.  This is Kathy Connelly  from Kansas.

Sharleen Stivers, from Callaway, Nebraska

Daryl Crosby, from St. Catharines in Ontario, Canada

This last Sunday, Rev. Baker had guests from church in San Benito, TX sing and preach in Spanish, intermixing with Rev. Baker's sermon.

Well, we are to take Harold and LaRhoada to the airport tomorrow so they can fly to Kansas City and be home for about a week in Hiawatha, KS where Harold will walk his granddaughter down the aisle at her wedding next Saturday evening.  They are excited about the wedding, but not the cold, snowy weather now in Kansas.  Then on Friday we take Patty Steckelberg to the airport so she can fly to Kansas City and then will go on to her home near Shenandoah, IA.  She has been here nearly a month and feels like she needs to get back to her jobs.  We will miss her.

Later, Lynn

Little Cool in The Rio Grande Valley

La Feria, TX 49º, completely overcast and windy.   Yesterday was bright sunshine, 82º and lots of people out walking, visiting, bicycling, etc.  Today, not so much.  There is a Bluegrass Jam up at the Rec Hall and lots of cars from out of the park, but not many people walking around.  I pulled tight the hooded sweatshirt and rode the trike 2 miles, but came back.  Have been to Harlingen this morning and picked up some tin for working on west wall of Texas Room.  Also reserved a 5x8 U-Haul trailer for going home in late March.

Am doing some painting on panels around the 3 windows I have on the west wall.

More later, Lynn

Valentine Day OVER

La Feria, TX 70 degrees at 7:18 pm.

 Phyllis was in charge of arranging for caterers for Valentine Dinner, advance ticket sales, decorations, entertainment for program afterwards, etc.

At left they are working on getting linens on tables, some of the entertainers practicing.

Tables getting set up.

Phyllis and Kathy Connelly cutting cake and putting on tables, just before 5:30 opening of doors.

   Bob & Bobbi Raab preparing to take tickets, check off attendee's names on list, and pass out tickets for prizes.

Patty placing cake.  Caterers have set out utensils and napkins.

The four assigned ushers -- Lynn Miles (Clarinda, IA), Bill Connelly (Tescott, KS), Leonard Lund (Whiting, IA), and Joe Freeze (Indiana)

Ended up having 177 meals served.  Took 1/2 hour to seat everyone and about one hour for serving and eating.  Program started a little after 7 pm.

Our table.

Our table.

Patty Steckelberg (Shenandoah, IA)

Usses -- Phyllis & Lynn Miles (Clarinda, IA)

 Terry Steinke (Montpelier, OH) and her Mom

Jeanine Houk  (Cold Water, MI) played several songs on hammer dulcimers -- love songs that everyone sang along.

              We sang one song - Give A Little Love Away.

Virgil Greene (Bird Island, MN) read a story and interjected humor of replies of grade school kids to questions about love, etc.

Darlene Winslow did a skit on exercising.

She was supposedly following directions off a TV with Richard Simmons directing her.

 Exercising on the floor.

If you notice her "chest" area you will see she did lose some weight on her right side!









We went out to eat today after church at China Town in Weslaco, TX with Rev Ernest & Evelyn Baker (Kingston, OK) and Jim and Lavin Boozer (Kell, IL).  Stopped briefly at Don-Wes Flea Market and then came home and spent some time napping.
Phyllis & Patty went to the rec hall this evening for announcements and ice cream.  I was working on the windows and west wall of the "Texas Room" -- got the third window raised so all the same height.  I picked up two more 6' tall by 3' wide windows at McCoy Lumber Saturday and they will finish as much as I am going to enclose the west side.  Also got more 2"x6" boards and put several more up for ceiling, which ties the two walls together for support.  Will work on them this week.

If you want to look at all the photos I have taken so far in February CLICK HERE to see my photos in Picasa

More later, Lynn