Coldest January for years here in South Texas

Holy Smokes!!! it is 47º here in La Feria, TX at 11:30 am Friday as I start this.  Predicted high of 55º with sunshine maybe just before sunset today; we'll see.  Has been near freezing since Tuesday with high winds and misty rain most of the time.  Phyllis' sister Beth and husband Steve got here Tuesday afternoon and left this morning, thinking we sure live in a cold place.

Supper Tuesday evening at our place

Beth & Phyllis

Phyllis & Steve

Tuesday we drove to Progreso, Mexico.  As you can see by the clothing, it was quite cold, temperature being about 30º when we left the park.

After walking around an hour or so in the cold in Progreso we crossed back over to the Texas side - just as cold.  Stopped in south side of Weslaco, TX to eat at Nana's Taqueria.  Excellent Mexican food and good prices and service.

Drove on down towards Brownsville and took some pictures of the Border Fence along the way when the Military Highway we were on was close to the Rio Grande River

In Brownsville we spent time at the SAS (San Antonio Shoe) store and then drove on towards Port Isabella and then cross The Queen Isabella Bridge to South Padre Island.  Went in to the Isla Blanco Park.

This is the "Statue to the fallen seamen"

I had fixed a bag of popcorn to feed the gulls (Mary Jo and Oliver Herzberg taught us this).  With the very high wind they could almost head into the wind and float right above me as they picked a few kernels out of my fingers.  Then I just held up the plastic bag and they came in and picked right out of the bag.

Sisters Beth & Phyllis

The Sisters below the Sisters sign

Stopped in at the Sisters Interior Design & Gifts new store and looked at some up-scale items

Then went to a Tee-Shirt/bathing suit place.  Wind still
blowing and really cold.

Then went to a Tee-Shirt/bathing suit place.  Wind still
blowing and really cold.  Was so cold in this store the clerk
was wearing a stocking cap.  

Had thought we would

stop at the turtle rescue place -- with the cold weather they had taken in a lot of turtles who cannot take the cold and go comatose and must be warmed up and returned to the water after the air is warmer.  But with the bitter wind and mist of rain in the air we elected not to.

Returned across the bridge and ate a late lunch at Pelican Station in Port Isabella.  As you can see by the coats, still cold - temperature around 33º with misty rain and a lot of wind.

Very good seafood at Pelican Station.  Starting at left, Oysters Rockefeller, Black Drum fish, Fried Shrimp, and at bottom Fried Shrimp and Scallops.  Very enjoyable meal and though we sat by the window looking out to the bridge and South Padre Island, could not see the east end of the bridge or Island buildings very clear account the misty rain.  Being late in the afternoon and the cold there were only about 10 or so of us dining.  All the stores we were in both Wednesday and Thursday were nearly empty.

Happy diners.  Vacationing is all about timing.  These were the only two days Steve & Beth had scheduled to be here and turned out to be two of the worst weather days with high winds, misty rain and temperatures never above 34 or 35 degrees.

 Stopped at the place with the wooden pelicans out front, just west of the Bridge to do some shopping.  Note the dog with the lady at the counter.  Had a very nice visit with her, both about the many carved items she carries, and about the dog.

Phyllis had always wanted one of the chain-sawed pelicans -- the large ones cost over $200.  Saw this smaller one, and I am showing it at our house sitting on a chunk of wood that I had.  When a little warmer to work in my shop I will fix it permanently to the log and coat the log with some "refinishing wood liquid" I have.

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Farmer John lived on a quiet rural highway. But, as time went by, the traffic slowly built up at an alarming rate. The traffic was so heavy and so fast that his chickens were being run over at a rate of three to six a day.  So one day Farmer John called the sheriff's office and said, "You've got to do something about all of these people driving so fast and killing all of my chickens."  "What do you want me to do?" asked the sheriff.  "I don't care, just do something about those crazy drivers!" So the next day he had the county workers go out and erected a sign that said:SLOW--SCHOOL CROSSING
Three days later Farmer John called the sheriff and said, "You've got to do something about these drivers. The 'school crossing' sign seems to make them go even faster."  So, again, the sheriff sends out the county workers and they put up a new sign: SLOW: CHILDREN AT PLAY
That really sped them up. So Farmer John called and called and called every day for three weeks. Finally, he asked the sheriff, "Your signs are doing no good. Can I put up my own sign?" The sheriff told him, "Sure thing, put up your own sign." He was going to let the Farmer John do just about anything in order to get him to stop calling everyday to complain.  The sheriff got no more calls from Farmer John.Three weeks later, curiosity got the best of the sheriff and he decided to give Farmer John a call. "How's the problem with those drivers. Did you put up your sign?"   "Oh, I sure did. And not one chicken has been killed since then. I've got to go. I'm very busy." He hung up the phone.  The sheriff was really curious now and he thought to himself, "I'd better go out there and take a look at that sign... it might be something that WE could use to slow down drivers..." So the sheriff drove out to Farmer John's house, and his jaw dropped the moment he saw the sign. It was spray-painted on a sheet of wood:
NUDIST COLONY -- GO SLOW AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHICKS

Is 53º now at 2:30 pm and still cloudy, but no wind or misty rain.

Keep warm -- Lynn