L & P Miles

Monday, February 18, 2019

Time's a'flying

58º with heavy overcast here in La Feria, TX at 10 AM Monday as I start this. Guess I haven't posted for a while. Click HERE for Texas Flowers

Darlene Winslow and Patty Steckelberg

Phyllis had over 45 people lined up for a chartered boat ride with shrimp lunch going from South Padre Island up the channel to Brownsville today, but with the weather forecast of cold and a lot of wind there, it was rescheduled for March 1st.

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to Cheddar's after Church service at the Park.

Courtney Hages and her grandmother Darlene Winslow

Bobbi Raab, Butch Geisking and Pat Smith

Phyllis & Lynn Miles and LaRhoda Neher

LaRhoda and Harold Neher, Bob & Bobbi Raab

Took these photos at Exercises this morning

Saturday evening Phyllis hosted a bluegrass band
at the Rec Hall. I had a Barbershop performance in Mission.

They had some dancers

Sunday morning at church service a guest played trumpet

LaRhoda won first pick at quilts on the drawing on
the night of the Valentines Day Supper

Darlene read "Wonky Donkey" to Butch

Phyllis making announcements at Valentines Day Supper

I am now selling advance tickets for our
March 2nd performance.

Our Magic Valley Men of A-Chord barbershop group will be at a combined program with the Sweet Adeline lady barber-shoppers group on March 2nd in San Juan, TX

Finished a book

The battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, with approximately 160,000 casualties on both sides: at least 75,000 Allied and 84,166–117,000 Japanese, including drafted Okinawans wearing Japanese uniforms. 149,425 Okinawans were killed, committed suicide or went missing, a significant proportion of the estimated pre-war 300,000 local population. This 82 day battle had sickening effects with the decaying bodies, "surrendering" Japanese soldiers pulling pins on grenades when they were next to the Marines, and almost 24 hour/day snipers from hidden caves. Many of the civilians starved and most of the Japanese soldiers were near starving, but they could not, would not give up - they had to die for their emperor.

Also finished this book, which is record of many conversations with General Lee and his officers during the Civil War. A very interesting book. The biggest reason the South lost was because of running out of supplies. They were nearly starved, and were rationed to only so many bullets a day that they could fire at the very end.

41 Days

Many of the Blogs I follow have people commenting to the author. I get none -- is anyone out there with something to say, for - against - or just a comment? You can do it at the bottom.

Later, Lynn

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

'Nuther day

62º with heavy overcast in La Feria, TX at 10:45 am as I start this.

Phyllis' cousin Jan Guthrie Frye and her husband Lynn, who farm just south of Lincoln, NE, are on a retreat from the cold and snow up north. They are staying in Llano Grande RV west of us; and, came over last night and we went out to eat at Golden Corral in Harlingen and had a good visit. They will be heading north in a week or so, hoping some of the cold and snow will have dissipated.

Looks like they added some higher walls to the RC race track

Don Ferguson was given a pair of glasses to better
read the huge cards they use for dime bingo!

Phyllis had 70-some people for Bingo and then eating Pizza and Salad bar at Gatti's Pizza Monday noon. Getting back into the work routine.

"Pop" Bob Baldridge and wife Joyce

Here are some more photos of around the ship on our cruise. The Saturday Bluegrass session was from 8:00 am to 10:30 am so there was a lot of activity around the water slide area, and photos that evening.

The Baldridge family getting a professional photo taken

Patty & Phyllis watching the water slide activity

Getting a taste of "Guy's" hamburger

Some people kept busy in the casino, both gambling and smoking

I was doing some Zumba exercises that were being called
on the deck below us.

Got to head to Weslaco, then McAllen for Barbershop Choir practice.

Have reports of heavy snows in southwest Iowa.

Later, Lynn

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Cruise done and back home in Kenwood

67 degrees here in La Feria, TX at 5:25 pm Sunday. Was 53 degrees when we got off ship in Galveston and we ran through rain the first several miles of the almost 400 miles from Galveston. Just got everything unpacked and girls are washing clothes. Got off the ship and to our vehicle about 8:30 am after leaving our 6th deck room on the ship at 7:10 am, taking our own bags (skipping the waiting for checked luggage on the dock) with us. Went smooth and walked short distance to our parking shuttle. Was a very fun cruise, though now seems to have gone too quickly. I am still working the videos I took of most of the bluegrass entertainment and will have them uploaded. By googling "lycamiles youtube" you should be able to look at any you want. Lots of still pictures to go through (almost 700) and the 16 or so hours of video.

Received e-mail on Friday that our close friend Oliver Herzberg had passed away in Villisca, IA. He and his wife Mary Jo were the ones who got us interested in coming to the Rio Grande Valley 12 years ago. Due to his health issues they had not been coming south the last couple winters. We will miss him, but intend to stay in touch with Mary Jo, especially in the summers when we are in Iowa.

Ship TV showing our position

We had some wind, but generally ideal weather on our cruise trip as we went south from Galveston clear to Cozumel, Mexico; Mahogany Bay Isle just off Belize, and the isle of Roatan which is a 39 mile long island about 39 mile off mainland of Honduras.