In Cape Girardeau, Missouri

 68º with heavy overcast here in Cape Girardeau, MO at 9:00 am.  Forecast for intermittent rain today and bad storms tomorrow, including high winds and hail.

Some of our neighbors sent several pictures of Kenwood Park and area the day we left and the following day.  National Weather Service reported 20.3" of rain in those two days. and lot of low flooding.

Looking through front gate towards
Burger King across Main Street

At the front gate
We are set up at Cape Camping in Cape Girardeau, not too far from facility where brother Don & wife Vicki are located.  Visited briefly with Vicki last evening -- she was feeling bad and waiting for nurse

to check her out--some dizziness.  We went down stairs and some distance to the east to where Don is now located in the more skilled nursing care.  He was wheel-chairing down to the room where those on that floor eat.  Visited briefly with him and told him we would be back today.

9:19 am - just started raining here.

Later, Lynn

 We are set up at Cape Camping for 3 nights. After driving some 1,200 miles the last 3 days I am beat.

Don't have any energy to write blog. 

Have received pictures and letters from our Kenwood neighbors of the 20.3 inches of rain they received Wednesday and Thursday and the area is flooded.   Will try to post them in the morning. 

G'Night 

On our way north

 72 degrees with heavy overcast at our Passport America RV in rural Dayton,  Texas, northeast of Houston.   Drove the 375 miles in overcast, sprinkles, and some very heavy downpour of rain. 

Houston was not pleasant traffic-wise, but we survived without any accidents.  Millions, seemingly, of cars, trucks, and several who thought it was a race track and loved to rev their engines and constantly change lanes.  Even when we were in stop-and-go traffic. 

Have 479 miles ahead of us tomorrow and will spend the night near Kensett, AR.  Looks like rain may chase us north.

Want to hear something dumb?

I filled out a USPS form online to stop delivery of our mail in La Feria and start forwarding to Clarinda as of March 21.  We received an item yesterday, thinking that's odd.  Today on the road we get an email of a delivery today.   Phyllis called the post office explaining about the online order.  Lady said they didn't have it, it takes 3 weeks to get to them!  Phyllis asked if she could put the order in---no, no that has to be done online.   She said she would have the mailman retrieve anything delivered and she said she would hold it until they got the online order. 

Unbelievable!!!!!

Later, Lynn 

Hot last day in the Rio Grande Valley

 77 degrees at 9 pm Tuesday.  Was 91 degrees in the afternoon.   Long day, packing pickup and trailer, went to McAllen to our last, for the season Barbershop Chorus practice, parked golf cart and wrapped it.  Put Damp Rid in Hot Tub after draining it, covered back door and window on Texas Room, below.

And put down the west-facing window awning there.

Took all the Solar night lights down and packed away to be used with trailer and at Clarinda when home.  Individually wrapped 50 lbs. of 1015 Onions, washed and refrigerated 25 lbs. of carrots that will be put on ice in Styrofoam coolers.  Onions were put in small mesh bags and scattered around back of pickup to fill niches.  

Found I had a nearly full 20-lb. propane tank on the BBQ grill that we haven't used since the freeze about 4 years ago.  (Did some cooking on it when we were without electricity for about 4 days).  So, I moved it to the live position on the hitch and took the 30-lb. one off and fixed it to the rear bumper.  I put a web belt around it after taking this photo, and the bottom is wired to the bumper itself.

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Last Thursday we had almost 30 folks, singers and spouses or friends, at a picnic on driveway of 88-year old Izzy's who is not singing this year but wanted a get together like we had for the two years prior.

Had a good pot-luck meal with roasted brisket that Izzy prepared.  Then we sang for nearly an hour, quartets, and everybody together.  Was an enjoyable afternoon.

Some pictures from our Barbershop practice.  Did some fun Tags and also worked on a few pieces that weren't quite ready this year as well as some new pieces for next year.

Stopped at Victoria Palms to pick up check from our performance over a month ago there.  Also, stopped at Jersey Mike's in Weslaco to use a 2-for-1 coupon we had gotten last night when ate at one in Harlingen with Dick & Diane Messer.  Will eat the second sandwich for breakfast in morning.

These two photos were at Jersey Mike's in Harlingen Tuesday.

This little fella was on the north Texas Room door one day recently.

Sat with the congregation Sunday at Methodist Church in Harlingen as the choir did not perform.

Visited our soon-to-be neighbor in the hospital where he is in therapy for broken hip.  84-year old moved from Dallas, but broke his hip falling out of the U-Haul moving truck.  He won't be able to move in next door for several more weeks.

Well we pull out in the morning - Wednesday.  Will hook on to camper trailer in the morning after we load the Styrofoam boxes with the carrots on ice.  Hope to pull out at least by 10 am.  The neighbors - the VanOenons - will be pulling out also with their 5th-wheel to head north, eventually home to Canada after visiting some family in north Texas.

Will try to check in with some posts on the way to Cape Girardeau.

Lynn

Heavy overcast skies and 89 degrees in the Rio Grande Valley

 74º at 8:15 pm here in La Feria, TX, Tuesday -- been very windy and dry.  I'M BACK!  Now is 89º here in La Feria at 4:00 pm Wednesday.  Went off to edit accumulated photos and took me 3 hours into the night.  This morning we took Maria & Sal with us to Brownsville, TX, about 32 miles south of here, and went to the SAS shoe store, then out to eat in a very Mexican Restaurant.  Sal & Maria had to order for us as menu was in Spanish.  Very good meal, whatever we had.

Last week we drove over to Ranchero Village RV where Leonard & Nonie Lund, originally from near Sioux City, IA but now live down here premaritally.  Our friends from near Salina, KS were staying in that park in their 5th-wheel for a couple weeks while Bill is getting some major dental work done in Mexico.  We ate supper with them and then played a few games of Pegs & Jokers.

The sisters who bought and just moved into Pat & Lois Sumner's trailer had an open house Sunday.

Monday evening we had a very enjoyable meal of Corned Beef & Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day.

They had quite a few contests of various nature with three contestants each.  Phyllis was picked in the one to paint a Leprechaun. 

Phyllis came in second, but the guy at the 1st place table had a bunch of friends who whooped and hollered when calling for best of.

Last week the had Appreciation Day for the residents.  Lots of games played indoors - it was 98º that afternoon - and in the Musical Chairs Phyllis came in second with the lady's set and I came in 2nd in the men's set.

She didn't take my picture.

After about 3 or 4 years, the stump to the tall tree that I had planted and it froze and was cut down, finally deteriorated to the point I could nock it loose.

Finally cut all the tops off all the plants in the back yard except the one we had covered with a tarp when it froze back in February.

Have mapped out our route and gotten reservations in Texas, Arkansas and finally in Cape Girardeau on the way home.  Plan to leave a week from today - the 25th of March, getting to Cape on the 28th.

Later, Lynn

99 degrees predicted for Friday in our part of the Rio Grande Valley!

 81 degrees here in La Feria at 12 Noon on Thursday with predicted high today of 93 degrees.  Tomorrow, Friday, predicted high of 99 degrees.  And the park people have planned an all-day "End of Season" with games, golf cart races, etc., with at least part of it outdoors.  Imagine they will move all they can indoors.

Went to see an 84-year old man in the hospital yesterday.  We had met him once--he bought Bob & Bobi Raab's old place next door to us--(Tommy was the last owner) and he planned to move in March 8th from Dallas.  He rented a big U Haul truck and after getting it loaded in Dallas he fell when getting out of the cab onto the concrete.  He went ahead and drove the 8 hours down here and then his care giver insisted he go to Emergency.  He had his hip pinned and is to be off it for quite some time, so we won't see him next door until we return in the fall.

I guess we celebrated our 62nd Wedding Anniversary on Monday by eating at Panda Express in Harlingen.  I got the Orchid above and presented to Phyllis Tuesday when we had some 40 people from our Barbershop Chorus eat at Italian Restaurant Bella Mia's in McAllen for our "end of year" get-together. .  Told Director Bob and he had the Chorus sing a love song to us -- though it got interrupted when plates of food started showing up from the kitchen.

Seated by Phyllis is Lois, who we picked up at
Snow to Sun RV every practice day and to go to
every performance.

Angie, the lady at left, has been letting us pick
her up at her park to go to the performances
of late.  Dave, man with goatee in picture has
been with the chorus since I joined in either
2015 or 2016.

William & Mary Curll - he is a baritone and
also treasurer on the Board.

Dennis Bush, sings Lead and has been with
quartets or choruses for 50 years.  He is suffering
from some recent strokes and his wife, Telle is
a care giver now for sure.

Frank (Bass) and Pam (Lead) Frisoni are from
Massachusetts but now live permanently in the
Valley.  They are our youngest -- in their 60's

Our 88-year old director Bob & his wife Barb

Well, I got interrupted about the time I posted the picture of Phyllis eating at Panda Express above.  It did get hot - had 94º in the car when drove to have posters printed in Harlingen and we got some groceries. I also worked up these posters for the printing:

I had these commercially printed on some nice glossy paper and will hand out at practice next Tuesday.

I also put out an email to everyone in the chorus with directions how to get to the park and then to get through the huge park (Llano Grande in Mercedes) a week from today when we will have a picnic on patio of mobile home of Izzy's.  She is 88 years old, has had these picnics the last two years and insisted that we do it again even though she had to quit singing last fall account combination of age & health.

Will be about 35 people with spouses and friends and we will do a lot of singing around the eating and visiting.

We had a good performance (last of the season) last Sunday.  Our 88-year old director loves his directing, but is showing his age.  He had a knee replacement in February of this year and is having the second knee replaced later in March.  He just keeps ticking.

Later, Lynn