March 1 – 26, 2012 “Vacation & Winter Texan Appreciation Day”

CC and I decided a short reprieve from this lifestyle was in order, so we planned to meet longtime friends, Terry and Janice, at the Port Royal Resort on Mustang Island, just south of Aransas Pass. It is conveniently located about 3 hours north of our winter home in Weslaco, and about 3 hours southwest of their home in Houston. We had a great time catching up and telling tall tales about a variety of topics; as Terry so often says, “You can’t BS a BSer”. Here we are on the Gulf boardwalk adjacent to the resort. (As usual, click on any image to enlarge.)

Since we are nearing an end to our stay in Weslaco, CC thought we should venture to Nuevo Progreso at least twice a week to fill our tanks with authentic Mexican food. We were told by several of the locals about a place where they prefer to eat, Alex’s Café, one block east of the main drag. It may not look the best, and it is not fancy, but the food is very good and the prices, in US dollars are reasonable; about half of what they are at popular Gringo eateries such as the Red Snapper, Garcia’s, Arturo’s or Angel’s. Diners beware no margaritas or cerveza served at Alex’s, so if that is your beverage of choice, bring it with you; no one minds and it’s a widely acceptable practice in Nuevo Progreso.

I opted for the Milanesa, and it did not disappoint. The homemade salsas were some of the best we have ever had. CC brought along her “Rita” in a styrofoam cup, whilst I sipped on a cerveza Indio.

CC enjoyed one of the largest ground beef stuffed chile rellenos I have ever seen, along with a tortilla warmer packed with a dozen handmade tortillas; all for $3. Notice the limes on the plates? If you’ve never tried fresh squeezed lime juice on Mexican food, try it. The locals use it like we Gringos use salt; it brightens the flavors and invigorates the taste buds.

And yet on another trip SOTB, a group of friends from Country Sunshine on our bi-weekly Friday luncheon get together. First stop is always at Pancho’s El Disco II for Antonio’s famous $2 margaritas; as Tony (pictured right of me) says, “You no like, you no pay”. Do we look like we’re having fun?

March 21 was Winter Texan Appreciation Day in Nuevo Progreso, and what a party it was. The Mexican people REALLY know how to put on a fiesta; live music and dancing by pretty girls, no less, free food and drinks, gifts, and most importantly, a genuine feeling of hospitality toward us gringos from the North. Below, CC and Friends, (from far left, Terry, Wendy, CC, and Arlene) showing off their fiesta masks.

The Corona Girls shakin’ their booties, and later pouring free cervezas for party goers.

Not to be outdone, Team Tecate opted for a stage complete with DJ, along with added help, stage right, pouring free cervezas for those interested.

This troupe of dancers, dressed in native costumes, stopped for a “Kodak Moment” with the girls. (Notice the bags CC and Wendy are holding? Full of free “stuff”)

Our stay in Weslaco is nearing an end. From here we will travel along the border, northwest through Laredo, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio, before turning southwest to Big Bend National Park where we will spend 5 – 7 days exploring the area. The next blog entry will be, a Wille Nelson classic; “On the Road Again”. Until then, take care and stay well……………………..

February 1 - 29, 2012 "So Much for Promises"

Last month, I hinted that I would try to update more often. Obviously that hasn't happened. It's 7:00 pm and we just walked in from one of the residents in the park that had a happy hour and dinner party. Now it's time for the hot tub. CC is trying to do some laundry, as we are preparing for a trip to Corpus Christi this weekend to meet up with Terry and Janice, now residing in Houston. Tomorrow is SOTB Day, to stock up on a few gifts, prescriptions, and to replenish the national beverage of Mexico, a essential ingredient in CC's margaritas. With that said, I promise (?!?!?!?) to update our February ASAP. Now it's off to the hot tub. When you live this lifestyle, you have to set your priorities, and learn to live by them, otherwise minutia gets in the way.

OK, now the update.

In early February, CC and I decided on a day trip to Boca Chica Beach, which is the southernmost beach of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico; at which point, only the Rio Grande River separates the US and México. While there we saw numerous Customs and Border Patrol vehicles, as well as other surveillance operations. The following photo might lead one to believe no one was watching. Maybe that’s what they want you to think? (As usual, click on any image to enlarge.)

We have had several comments on the number of times we go SOTB, and I’ll have to admit, we do go often, but not as much as some. We have spoken to other Winter Texans that will NEVER go, fearing it too dangerous, and if that is their belief, so be it, as “Chicken Little’s” exist everywhere we have traveled. We just do not want to live that way. Make no mistake, if we thought there would be a risk, we would not go; just as we don’t visit Matamoros or Reynosa as they are undoubtedly not safe, even for the Mexicans living there. But, do as we do, and one morning our long lost friends from SPI called and said that a group of 10 were on the way, to which we replied, “we’ll meet you at the border at 11”. They actually arrived around 11:30, so after a Rita (or more by an individual that will go un-named wearing a Corvette cap), it was off to lunch at one of our favs, The Iguana house for lonches and tacos.

We averaged two trips SOTB weekly during the month. Why? CC loves to shop, we both enjoy the $2 Ritas, the food is tasty and reasonably priced, and the people we go with are just so much fun; this is life imitating craziness. On this particular trip, Ms. Banana Pants got her “beak in the creek” and ended up on the tables after lunch doing a little “Salsa”. Who says retirees are boring? Does it look like she’s having fun?

On yet another outing to Nuevo Progreso, the “sistas” (Texican for sisters) were on a mission to see who could buy the most bracelets from the many street vendors hawking their wares. Here they proudly display their hard work for the day.

Flea markets are a way of life in the Rio Grande Valley, mostly because they are THE way of life in Mexico. Almost every single town in the RGV has one, and the largest of them all is the 77 Flea Market located a few miles north of Brownsville just west of Hwy 77. Think of an outdoor Wal-Mart, K-mart, and Target combined, and you have the 77 Flea Market. The drive from Weslaco is about 30 minutes, but the line of cars exiting the highway entering the parking lot added another 20-25 minutes to the trip.

Everything from soup to nuts, as my Dad used to say, is for sale at the 77; new and used, some possibly obtained by, shall we say, less than lawful means. This sentiment is widespread by the Winter Texans, but I must say that in my dealings with the natives, I have been impressed by their work ethics and family values.

Our friends, Carl & Carla, and former park mates here at Country Sunshine moved to South Padre Island (SPI) on the first, so Carl could feed his fishing addiction, and we’re glad he did, as we were invited to a fish fry. Upon arrival at SPI, we were informed the special event was to be held at Dirty Al’s, the legendary seafood restaurant on SPI. There were four out of the group that decided to tackle the 40 piece challenge, and much to our misbelief, ate the whole damned thing, complete with fries; that my friends, is some serious eatin’.

In nearby Mercedes, the Texas State championship, Smokin’ on the Rio, was held and attracted 150 teams. The $5 entry fee was a small price to pay for sampling some seriously good “Q”. We left completely stuffed on chicken, sausage, fajitas, ribs and brisket. The smokers used by the competing teams are always interesting and fascinating, and this year was no different; some small, some large, others unique.

So, that's a summation of our February, thanks to Mother Nature, as it is in the high 50’s here today in early March. Thanks for stopping by, and until next time, take care and stay well………….

January 5 - 28, 2012 "Livin' La Vida Loca"

Wow! It’s been almost a month since our last posting. The park really fills fast after Christmas, and that means more people = more parties / happy hours / potluck dinners. It is truly amazing how busy we stay, and we comment often that this retirement lifestyle is a full time job.

We started the year with OSU vs Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. CC went “all in” as we prepared appetizers and cold adult beverages for what was anticipated to be a good game. It was, as OSU was victorious 41 - 38 . When OSU scored the winning touchdown, CC screamed so loud, it caused one of our neighbors to come knock on the door and check on us. He thought I was "doing something" to her???(As usual, click on any image to enlarge.)

Our friends from Englewood Beach, FL, Kathi and Obie, came for a week to visit our winter home here in the RGV. The week they were here was a little cooler than normal, but we did our best to cram two weeks of activities into one; two trips to Nuevo Progreso for $2 margs, shopping and lonches, 2 potluck dinners (one smoked ribs and the other a fish fry), daily happy hours, shopping , sightseeing and pool time as weather permitted. We had a wonderful visit, and, as usual, the time went by too fast; probably because we didn’t have any fun at all. NOT.

One afternoon, after pool time, and before happy hour, Kathi was shocked as she started screaming, “CC, there is an officer at the front door”. I thought, “What the hell is going on”, as I laid eyes on the "officer”.

One look was all I needed; it was just Kenny, another of the Winter Texans here at the park. He has a propensity for dressing up in a variety of costumes. You just never know when, where, or what he will show up as. We all had a good laugh, even Kenny, as he was pleased with his “act” and the fact he scared the beejees out of Kathi. But today was a first. We were to witness only his first appearance, and little did we know that he also had plans for Obie after dinner that same evening. (Carl and Carla whooping it up in the background.)

You may want to click on the picture to enlarge it, and see how Lena (aka Kenny) left her signature trademark on just another of her victims. We were all laughing so hard, someone actually tinkled in their shorts. After “Lena” left, we all decided we would take up a collection to get her some new shoes for her outfit, but finding a women’s 12EEE with a 5” spike heel may prove a difficult task to complete. Are we having fun yet?

Since it’s been a few days, a visit to Nuevo Progreso was on the agenda for manicures and pedicures at Bianca’s. On this trip, Hugh and Jane decided to tag along and indulge as well. Hugh is a little on the tight side, but $9 for a pedicure is just too good a deal to pass up.

The NPBR (National Professional Bull Riders) held a world championship event in nearby Mercedes, about 5 miles from our park, so we decided to attend. CC and I drove to McAllen one morning to purchase 8 tickets that would permit us to enter the event without standing in the long lines formed by those purchasing their tickets at the gate. We got right in, had excellent seats, and thoroughly enjoyed the 3 hour show. Nothing but bull riding; it just doesn’t get any better than this. (The burning 8 in the picture stands for the 8 seconds a rider must stay on the bull for a qualified ride.)

CC and I like to explore the RGV, so we decided Arroyo City was as good a day trip as any. Arroyo City, also known as Arroyo, is located on Farm Road 2925 a mile east of Farm Road 1847 and ten miles northeast of Rio Hondo in northeastern Cameron County. The area was settled by Mexican herders in the early 1860s and named for its location on the Arroyo Colorado. In 1904 the community had a school with one teacher and twenty-four students. A post office operated in Arroyo City from 1887 to 1907. In 1910 the settlement had two stores and a population estimated at ten. During the 1930s a few scattered houses remained in the area. In 1970 the community had various dwellings and businesses, and in 1990 Arroyo City was still marked on state highway maps.

The arroyo (a steep-sided gully cut by running water in an arid or semiarid region) still operates today as a shipping channel, running from the Gulf of Mexico to Harlingen, TX, and is 250-350 feet wide the entire length. The Army Corp of Engineers maintains it by dredging, to allow large cargo ships adequate depth for passage. Five miles inland lies Arroyo City Park, complete with 2 fishing piers, boat launch, and RV park. This is a remote area, roughly 15 miles to the nearest store of any kind in Rio Hondo. For those looking for some prime fishing, and/or “getting away from civilization”, this is the place. We haven’t yet decided on if we will drive the RV one hour west to spend a week, possibly in March.

Well, that is just a snapshot of our month here in Weslaco, TX. If we can slow down a little from our hectic social calendar, future postings will resume to at least once a week. There are just so many hours in the day, and the main reason we chose this lifestyle was to live every minute, and unfortunately living takes priority over blogging. Thanks for stopping by, and until next time, take care and stay well………

January 4, 2012 "2011 Budget"

First, we would like to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. 2012 will be a pivotal year for our country, and we hope you will utilize sound judgement in restoring our great nation to that which our Founding Fathers envisioned. Together, we can make a difference.


Well, the final numbers for 2011 are in, and they're not too bad considering the year we've experienced, with all the travel and lifestyle upgrades we've made. I've had some comments / questions regarding how we manage to adhere to our budget. The truth is we have been on a budget for over 30 years, so it is no problem. The biggest challenge is distinguishing needs from wants, within the budget, and I'll give credit where credit is due; CC has improved dramatically in this area. That virtually eliminates the need for me to say "No", which I have a hard time doing anyway. (I'm a pushover, what else can I say?) Could we live this lifestyle on less? Absolutely. And there may come a time when we need to tighten the belt a little, but for now, we're living our dream, and enjoying every minute. (As usual, click on the image to enlarge.)

Until next time, take care and stay well...........