Another busy week here in South Texas

 70º here in La Feria, TX at 7:15 pm Sunday evening, cloudy all day, but nice temperatures.  Last several days we have been on the run.  Men Of A-Chord Barbershop concerts Wednesday, Friday and this afternoon.  Making up many of the dates we missed due to illness late in March.

Couple of photos from today.  CLICK HERE for video of today's concert (Camera run by Patty S)

CLICK HERE for Friday's Video

and CLICK HERE for Wednesday's Video

This was us in our monkey suits before we drove the 42 miles west to where we performed today.

After church we went out with Patty & Darlene to the La Feria Café for late breakfast..

Some shots from Thursday evenings Beanbag Baseball game.  This next Thursday will be the last for Ardel Finken to keep score for this which he has done for many years.  They leave the park for the last time next weekend.

Here I started  digging in a soaker hose to water our Bougenvelia bushes

Got the soaker hose buried and now burying hose to it.

Put buried boards up nearly to the faucet to keep the yard mower guys from eating up the hose with their weed whippers.  Will give it a coat of grey paint to kind of camouflage it.

Tuesday we picked up Doris Winter at her park in Alamo on the way back from Men of A-Chord Barbershop Chorus practice and she was able to be with us for the final Pegs & Jokers with Bob & Bobi Raab as well as Pat Smith, Butch Giesking, Patty Steckelberg, Joyce Holder and Darlene Winslow.  Had Pizza before the P&J game.

Pat Smith and Theresa VanOnen played the organ and piano at Kenwood Church this morning.

Phyllis gave a recitation at church - "If Jesus came to your house", which was the same as one she had given at church when she was 10 years old.  CLICK HERE for video of this

Pastor Stan Gray gives very thought-provoking sermons each Sunday.

We were only given a few minutes to go over special music this morning.

Click HERE for video.

Saturday morning they had a "Show and Sell" at the Rec Hall.  Only items personally made, or collections could be shown, and, if desired, sold.

Phyllis displayed several of the quilts she has here and set up her quilting frame and quilted during the morning.

They had hot dogs, hamburgers and Charro beans at noon.

Well, is now almost 10:30 Sunday evening and am running out of things to say/show.

Plan on going to Mexico with Patty tomorrow and to South Padre on Wednesday with Patty and Jan & Lynn Frye.  MOAC practice on Tuesday, quilting on Thursday, and a "goodbye"  supper with Finkens on Friday.  Anniversary party is Saturday and Phyllis & I are going to sing as part of the program.  Sunday we go to Llano Grande RV in Mercedes with the Men of A-Chord (Jan & Lynn are staying at that park).  Have done 4 performances for Barbershop Chorus and have 4 remaining.

Later, Lynn

Busy Valentine's Day

 41º with mostly clear sky in La Feria, TX at 8:10 am Monday.

Yesterday, after church and lunch at Panda Express in Harlingen, we drove south of there and west to the 1,400 acre project of solar farm (South & a little east of La Feria)

Drove down a lot of dirt roads and through the middle of this huge project.  Many posts with solar panels on are in place as well as many areas with just the posts and many areas with no apparent development taking place yet.

This site - CLICK HERE gives some explanation and THIS SITE more on the story.

On returning home I placed some plywood sheets on the roof (So I spread out my weight in an attempt to not collapse any of the roof ridges) and used some aluminum guttering to cover the abutment of the two roofs over the Texas Room.  Riveted it in place and think will have no more trouble with the caulking which had sealed this joint drying and shrinking, letting water through.

At Church in the Rec Hall here in Kenwood yesterday we both sang with one "special" song.

Well, it is now 70 degrees with bright sunshine at 11:15 am on Tuesday.  Many interruptions since I started this blog, including all the work taking food down to the hall for the Valentine's Day Dinner and setting up tables & chairs and helping as needed as the crew of ladies prepared the salad, cheesy potatoes, baked chicken breasts, baked pork, and green beans.  They worked from  9 am until mid-afternoon and then again from 4:30 or so.  Phyllis spearheaded the operation, but had lots of help, including our Patty who is visiting us,  The husbands of the ladies all helped, including serving the meals to the 80 people attending the dinner last night.

We are going to have to leave in a few minutes for Barbershop Chorus practice -- almost an hour's drive--but will put a few pictures for last night.  I didn't get any of the seated guests as I and 3 other guys were busy taking plates from the kitchen to serve at the tables.  Then I helped clean up some of the plates, etc. afterwards.

Us before the event.

Picture with Phyllis and the dozen roses I got for her yesterday.

Gotta run.  Pegs & Jokers here tonight with us serving pizza for supper, performance of the Barbershop group tomorrow night.

Will try to catch up on this sometime.

Lynn

Cold and wet in the valley.

48º with bright sunshine here in Kenwood RV at 11:37 am on Saturday.  Supposedly, it was at or near 32 degrees for several hours early this morning, but I see no evidence of any frost on our Bougenvelia bushes.  Is to be sunshine today and tomorrow and get up into the lower 60's and then rain Sunday evening and all day Monday.  Temps don't show above the 60's.

Finally getting around to putting together a frame and workspace on wheels that includes a set of plastic drawers.

Finally finished it up.  Used all recycled boards, new wheels, and drawers from Harold's shed.  Will easily move around and think it will better organized some of my stuff and make a little work bench area, also.

This Thursday the weather was mean -- wet, cold and windy -- and there were six of us showed up for Meet & Greet.

1

In spite of the weather, or maybe on account of the weather, we had a pretty good turnout for Beanbag Baseball Thursday evening at 6:30 pm.  Everyone has been cooped up in their units for several days and wanted to get out, I guess.  Anyway, everyone seemed to enjoy the evening at the Rec Hall.

1

Bobi Raab, our neighbor to the east, has been hearing some animal gnawing under her mobile home for more than a month.  The park maintenance man put out a trap under her unit, but the bait was always gone and trap not tripped.  The trap was old and would not trip even when you bumped it.  She finally bought a new trap from Johnny's Hardware in Harlingen and I set it (actually two traps, there was a small one inside the large one when she bought it) with various goodies.  Bananas, oranges, and we finally put hot dogs in them.  The food was always gone, but no luck in tripping the trap. 

Bobby finally came up with the idea of hanging a hot dog from a string which would make the animal reach further to get it and maybe step on the tripper.  For two days the wieners hung there and then they finally disappeared, with nothing caught.  She heard that a possum was caught at Dave Engle's unit with doughnuts in the trap.  So she drove to Shipley's in Harlingen, got some rolls for her and Bob as well as us, and a couple cake doughnuts for the traps.  I put them in yesterday and just checked -- doughnuts still there.  Will see what happens.

Wednesday evening we had Pot Luck Supper at the Rec Hall.  Fair turnout, lots in the park are not attending.  Courtney, Darlene's Granddaughter, is at the left of the table here.  She came in Tuesday and will be here for some 9 days.

We had picked up Patty at the Airport in Harlingen on Tuesday and she fit in with the people in the park that she has been well acquainted with over the years.  She will be here until about March 2nd.

Shortimeers Ardel & Marianne Finken are in this photo at the Pot Luck Supper.  They are leaving March 1st.

Later Wednesday evening we did Pegs & Jokers at the Raabs.

With the warning of freezing, all the potted plants were once again moved into the Texas Room.

Has been wet and windy and cold much of the week, but don't think the rain amounted to .05".

Last night's entertainment drew 30 people - Pickpocket Gene.

 

Photo at left - Margaret Henning, from Missouri, had her two sisters visiting and good friend Terry Servin stepped in for a photo during the break in the Pickpocket show.  Pickpocket Gene gave a lot of information on fraud and internet security.  He mentioned one thing that I did not know: a lot of the credit cards now let you place them over a receiver instead of inserting them into a credit card machine.  He showed how anyone can get a hand-held receiver and take that info off your card if they are near you.  This I had heard of before, but he went on to say that if your driver's license has the star, it too sends out the signals and can be picked up by thieves.   He sells, and recommends, you get the little aluminum lined pockets for your credit cards AND your driver's license so the info cannot be stolen.  He also sells that type of sleeve for Passports.  He spends much of his time working for corporations; banks, and others that need information security.  He had told us at the Showcase a few weeks ago in Mission, that he is not coming back to the Valley, at least not next year.

2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” ―Henry James

Until next time, Lynn