Monday, February 17, 2025

February more than half over!!!!!

74 degrees with heavy overcast at 4:30 pm Monday.  Was 53 degrees when we woke.  


Looks like we are going to have come cool weather in the next few days.  Nothing like the cold and snow up in the Midwest, though.




I did get a few of the cruise photos from late January, early February edited this weekend.

Here is some of our cabin.









This photo was taken from our 3rd floor dining room.  Our cabin was on the 2nd floor and we were, I guess, about 15-18 feet above the water.  When we were sailing at night there was always white water from the ship plowing through the water and lights from the ship deck shining on it reflected into our window to the point I had to draw the curtains nearly closed.  I know, it is rough being on a cruise.



Today, along with help from several others, we cleaned out the "little shed" and piled the stuff outside so pest exterminators could spray the building.

Some of it Phyllis brought home to sort





This afternoon I started the annual job of cleaning leaves and twigs off the Texas Room roof.  Leaves are all dry as we have been in a literal drought this winter here.


Last evening we listened to a man from North Dakota present a good music program--he wrote most of the songs.  His wife ran the sound system and was on stage with him for several songs to sing harmony.


Till later, Lynn

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Valentine supper at Kenwood

 71 degrees at 9:45 pm Saturday.  Been a decent day weatherwise after the bitter cold the last few days.

Chef Tom spent most of Friday cooking.  Prime Rib and Shrimp for the Valentine Day Supper.


Here is the Program and the menu




About 50 meals were served of a very satisfying supper.








Look at the plates full of food!




And there was cake at the end!

I took many photos for the people who attended and gave them a link so they could look, and copy any they wanted.  CLICK HERE to go to the photo album.


Going to be a bit of a roller coaster for temps this week.


I finally got the schedule made up with new photo.

Later, Lynn

Friday, February 14, 2025

Valentine's Day 2025

 

57 degrees, heavy overcast, windy.  Couple days ago the high was 93 degrees, yesterday morning it was 53 when we woke up.  20 mph or higher winds out of the north.  Nothing to shovel, though.


Meet Butch -- short haircut this morning.  This was while we were eating at Sam's Club after shopping.




Had our second concert with barbershop chorus Men & Women of A-Chord last evening.  All members were present and we got a photo!!

Yesterday afternoon the group that attends the Kenwood Iowa Summer Rally in State Center met and decided  from Tuesday August 5th at supper through Friday August 8 at Breakfast and Lola Shoppe's KeLo RV Park in State Center, Iowa.  Last year or so has been small turn out but several want to have it again. 

Wednesday we went to Progreso, Tamaulipas, Mexico to the dentist for our annual teeth cleaning.  I had a tooth break off last May 7th and wondered if they could glue it back in.  They x-rayed it and took a look at the decay on the bottom tooth (it was a cap), dug it out, drilled and put in a post for an implant.  I went back Thursday morning and got the plate with one tooth on it.  Not enthused about it, but will put up with it until sometime this next November when I return and they will put the permanent tooth on the post.





Have Patty's bike back in
storage until next year.


 Patty had to return to Kansas City February 3rd, the day after we got back from our cruise account her niece in Kansas City being put on hospice--and passing about the time Patty was landing in Kansas City.  She is staying with her sister there for some family time.


Our drugstore in Progreso

Walking into area of our dentist.  Their office
is through the glass doors above the blue at left

Looking west from bridge over Rio Grande River.
Nearly dry from the drought, no water visible under us

Above is where we walk up from parking lot,
at right is where we pay $1 and start walking
across the bridge.

Arial view of where we park in Texas, walk south across the bridge to dentist office in Mexico.  Our pharmacy is a half-block south of the dentist office.- I am guessing we walk a quarter mile from the parking lot to our dentist's office and a bit further to the pharmacy (and next door to the source for 
Spanish peanuts)

Tonight we will go to the Valentine's Day supper at the Rec Hall that Tom & Lisa Urban, with friends, are putting on.

Till next time, Lynn

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Super Bowl Sunday 2025

 77 degrees with 12 mph wind out of SE at 7:00 pm Sunday.

Was up to Rec Hall for some vittles and watched start of the Super Bowl with maybe 30 others from the park.  I got done watching before the rest did.


This last week was spent recuperating from the Texas Crud or whatever the local flu running around this part of Texas is called.  Both of us had it and I have been pained the last 2 weeks with a back disc problem.  Since we got back from our trip I have been riding the Teeter (where you hang from your ankles to stretch out the back) every day for 10 to 20 minutes and it is much improved.

Here is a link to a video that was made at our Barbershop Chorus practice in mid-January and aired on local TV 5 on their Take 5 program where they weekly interview many people, organizations, businesses, etc.  Click HERE

And Click right HERE for quite a few photos taken at our first, of this season, performance of the Men & Women of A-Chord last Friday.





Monday, February 3, 2025

Back from our 8-day cruise to the Bahamas

88 degrees with bright sunshine here in La Feria, TX at 1:10 pm Monday.  After a long ride on the bus, leaving Port at Galveston about 9:30 am, we got to our place at 6:45 pm last night.  I have pulled up a few photos to put on here.  Will take days to sort and edit all the ones, with videos later.

Goldwing Express entertainment -- separate from
the ship entertainment.





















In Freeport, Bahamas



















Here are some interesting videos I found.

June Carter and Tennessee Ernie Ford  

Science


Sunday, February 2, 2025

Just off ship.

 8 nights on Carnival Dream and just now on bus to Rio Grande Valley at 9:30 am Sunday. 

Will sort photos on computer over next few days. 

Here is some knowledge I got off internet 

Boost Your Knowledge! DID YOU KNOW?❓

Birds do not urinate.

Horses and cows sleep while standing.

The bat is the only mammal capable of flight. Its leg bones are so thin that it cannot walk.

Even when a snake’s eyes are closed, it can still see through its eyelids.

Despite their fluffy white fur, Polar Bears actually have black skin.

The average housefly lives only 2 to 3 weeks.

For every human, there are approximately one million ants.

A small amount of alcohol on a scorpion will drive it insane and cause it to sting itself to death.

Alligators and sharks can live for up to 100 years.

A honeybee has two stomachs: one for honey and one for food.

Elephants weigh less than the tongue of a blue whale. A blue whale’s heart is the size of a car.

Blue whales are the largest creatures to ever roam the Earth.

A cockroach can survive for about a week without its head before dying of starvation.

When a dolphin is sick or injured, its cries of distress prompt other dolphins to assist, helping it surface to breathe.

A snail can sleep for up to 3 years.

The fastest bird, the spine-tailed swift, can fly at speeds of up to 106 mph. (The peregrine falcon is even faster at 390 km/h or 108 mph.)

A cow produces nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

The leech has 32 brains.

The average outdoor cat lives only 3 years, while indoor-only cats can live 16 years or longer.

Sharks are immune to every disease, including cancer.

A mosquito’s proboscis has 47 sharp edges to help it cut through skin and even protective clothing.

The human brain has a memory capacity of over 2.5 million petabytes, equivalent to 2,500,500 gigabytes.

Knowledge is Power!

What is the biological phenomenon responsible for the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and function as we age? This is known as Sarcopenia!

Sarcopenia refers to the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength due to aging. The impact of this condition can be severe, depending on the individual.

How to prevent Sarcopenia?

Stay Active: If you can stand, don’t sit—if you can sit, don’t lie down! Movement is key to preventing muscle loss.

Encourage Movement in the Elderly: When an elderly person is sick or hospitalized, avoid encouraging them to rest or remain in bed. Help them walk, unless they are too weak to do so. Lying in bed for just a week can cause a 5% loss in muscle mass, and seniors often cannot fully recover this loss.

Sarcopenia is more concerning than osteoporosis: With osteoporosis, the primary risk is falling, but sarcopenia not only affects quality of life but also contributes to high blood sugar due to reduced muscle mass.

Idle muscles lead to faster muscle loss: Muscles in the legs deteriorate quickly when not used. Sitting or lying down limits leg movement, weakening muscles. Activities like walking, running, and cycling are excellent ways to build and maintain muscle mass.

Aging Starts from the Feet Up! Keep your legs active and strong as you age. If you don’t move your legs for just two weeks, you’ll lose the strength of a decade! Regular exercises like walking and cycling are vital for maintaining muscle strength.

The feet support the entire body’s weight, making them critical for mobility. So, walk every day to maintain strength and mobility.


Credit goes to original owner


Almost end of August - nice weather in Clarinda, IA

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