Year 3 Week 37

February 25 to March 3, 2007

Port Aransas to La Feria, Texas

Year 3 week 37

 

Sunday ; Today was sunny and mild.

We went with Erbon and Lorraine to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. They picked us up at 8:00 A.M.. We drove about an hour north, "zigzagging" along the Gulf Of Mexico Coast. First stop was the Visitor Centre, where Erbon confirmed our spots on the 10:00 A.M. guided tour. The guided tour, led by 2 older women, with 8 participants, in a van, drove slowly around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge for 2½ hours, stopping at places of interest to view birds and / or wildlife. Highlights were seeing the rare Whooping Cranes, and a couple of Wild Boars. After the guided tour, we had a picnic lunch, enjoying the warm sunshine. Lorraine and I both have colds, and didn't feel great today. After our picnic lunch, we drove slowly around the self guided 16 mile auto tour, stopping frequently to view birds, and occasionally alligators. Erbon and Lorraine are avid birders. To me, one big white bird is the same as the next. What a Philistine ! HA HA HA !

They dropped us off at our RV park about 5:00 P.M.. We walked Bo quickly, then hurried off to this park's ice cream social held every Sunday at 5:00 P.M.. HUH ? Nobody in the clubhouse ! And no announcement about the ice cream social being cancelled. Oh, well !

I finally and reluctantly concede that something is wrong with our TV antenna. So I set up our little tiny "emergency" TV, with its own little antenna, and we watched Amazing Race while we ate supper. After supper I downloaded and processed a couple of photos I took today of alligators, then went to the clubhouse to get online with Wi-Fi so I could do my weekly blog update. Oh, for crying out loud ... this park's Wi-Fi is out of service again !

 

Monday ; Port Aransas to La Feria, Texas

Today was sunny and hot ! I finally felt my cold diminishing significantly.

This morning we prepared for departure and left Port Aransas heading south on Hwy. 361, driving the length of Mustang Island, and crossing onto Padre Island. We turned inland heading alongside Corpus Christi Bay towards the city of Corpus Christi on Hwy. P22 which became Hwy. 358. Through Corpus Christi and onto Hwy. 44 heading west, then we turned south on Hwy. 77.

We drove a few hours south on Hwy. 77, turning west on Hwy. 83 when we reached the Rio Grande Valley at Harlingen. We found our way to La Feria, and La Feria RV park, where we've stayed twice before. We got hugs from the couple working the check in office. They are Escapees who are WorkCamping here. We checked in and got settled into our site. Joanne did laundry and I got online in the clubhouse with Wi-Fi. I updated my blog, sent and retrieved e-mail, and did some Internet surfing.

We took Bo for a walk, everybody enjoying the great weather. We did some planning of where to go and what to do with Erbon and Lorraine when they come to The Valley to visit with us next week. We finished the evening by giving Bo a bath. What a filthy little cur ! How does he get that dirty ? Mind you, I guess my wife asks that about me, too, especially when she’s washing my shirts. HA HA HA !

 

Tuesday ; Today was mostly sunny, hot, and humid. Evidently spring has arrived in the Rio Grande Valley. My cold is mostly over. I felt healthy for the first time in a week. It was unfortunate, and inconvenient, that I was ill the entire time we were visiting with Erbon and Lorraine in Port Aransas / Mustang Island.

First thing this morning I reinstalled the repaired fluorescent light fixture over my folding computer desk. It was waiting for us when we arrived here yesterday. I sent it back to the manufacturer for warranty repair when we were in Benson, Arizona less than 2 weeks ago. I'm impressed that Thin-Lite in California repaired and returned it that promptly. We drove over to the Post Office to buy a stamp and mail a letter, then over to a nearby motel to check their rates. We're looking for a suitable place for Erbon and Lorraine to stay next week.

After lunch we drove into Harlingen. First stop was, as usual, Wal-Mart to replenish supplies and groceries. Then we refilled with diesel at the Wal-Mart gas bar. From there we found our way to a Walgreen's Pharmacy to buy a few items that Joanne had Walgreen's coupons for. On our way back to La Feria there was a very serious looking single vehicle accident on the freeway. Back in La Feria, we stopped at Mexicana Bakery #2 and stocked up on ... well, you know ... a bunch of Mexican pastries. I wonder where Mexicana Bakery #1 is ? HA HA HA !

When we got back to the trailer, there were chores to do, but ... what the hell ... the pool looked too inviting. We spent a couple of hours floating around the pool, chatting with a couple from Missouri. I spent the remainder of the afternoon on the roof of the trailer trying to determine what was wrong with the TV antenna. I determined the problem, and began to work on the solution. The problem is corrosion, caused by 8 years of exposure to the elements. The connections are rusty. The coaxial cable core is rusty. Everything made out of metal is rusty. Everything made out of plastic is brittle and cracked. I managed to get the antenna head removed before it got dark. Certainly the antenna head will have to be replaced. Perhaps the entire antenna head, shaft, and mounting assembly will have to be replaced. Oh, well ... at least we don't have to whack the starter every time we want to start the truck and go somewhere. HA HA HA !

Joanne wants me to mention in today's journal entry that her incessant nagging ( well, that's not exactly the wording she used ) for the last 6 months ( it seemed like 6 years ) about the TV reception problem was justified. HA !

 

Wednesday ; Today was sunny and hot.

Whew ... lost an awful lot of money in the stock market yesterday. Oh, well ... as my Quebecois friends would say ... "spway cadeau" ( ce n'est pas un cadeau / it's not a gift ). I expected this market correction. The stock market's been too hot to hold.

I started out this morning by having to dismantle the plumbing underneath the bathroom sink, to retrieve the electric toothbrush battery that Joanne dropped down the drain < sigh >. Then I climbed up on the roof and continued working on the TV antenna. I needed to know if the coaxial cable was rusted just at the end of the connection, or had the rust extended down into the cable core. I cut off the rusted connection and an inch of cable, and discovered that the cable was okay. I installed a new cable end connection. Now I knew I would only have to replace the antenna head, and not the entire assembly. Then I did a minor repair underneath the bed, where the bed slide mechanism is. That went okay as well.

After lunch we headed west further into The Valley. La Feria is near the east side of The Valley. First stop was an apartment hotel in Pharr, to see if it was a suitable place for Erbon and Lorraine to stay next week. Not bad ! Next stop was Camping World in Mission where I bought a replacement RV antenna head. A bit more expensive than I thought it was going to be. Finally we went to Seldom Rest Ranch, an RV park in Mission that also has some rental units available at reasonable rates. We liked the place, and selected an RV site for us, right next to an older mobile home available for rental for Erbon and Lorraine. It has a nice screened porch which I'm sure we'll all enjoy, including Teddy. Teddy misses the large screened porch of our last home, in Ottawa.

We began to head back east, stopping at the Farmer's Market in Weslaco. We bought some fresh fruit and produce, including some massively huge Rio Red grapefruits, 5 for a dollar, and some local oranges, 15 for a dollar. From there we went to H-E-B for a few groceries, then we drove back to La Feria.

Back at La Feria RV Park we had to decide whether to wash the truck, or head for the swimming pool. Some decisions are easier than others. HA HA HA ! On the way back to the trailer from the pool, we found that neighbours, from Sarnia, Ontario, were searching for their misplaced kitty. We took Bo for an obedience walk, searching for the missing cat while we walked. About half an hour later the neighbours found their cat, cowering under a truck 3 sites over from theirs. They were extremely relieved. Been there, done that !

After a great supper of huge barbecued beef ribs, we phoned Erbon and Lorraine, making arrangements to meet with them on Sunday to head to Seldom Rest Ranch in Mission. Afterwards we administered Teddy's and Bo's monthly flea treatments and heartworm medication. I went to the office to retrieve month end investment updates. YIKES !

 

Thursday ; Today was partially cloudy and hot.

This morning I installed the new TV antenna head. It took a little longer than I expected, but the results were good. After lunch we spent half the afternoon floating around the swimming pool. We chatted with a woman from South Dakota who is here for the first time on her own. She and her husband had been coming here for a number of years. He died in July of cancer. The rest of the afternoon was spent washing the truck. Very thoroughly, inside and out. Just because it was nice to work outdoors in such nice weather.

I retrieved my February bank statements and reconciled them. I spent the evening updating my investment files with month end data.

 

Friday ; Today was sunny and hot here in The Valley again. Kind of a repetitive theme, n'est-ce pas ?

This morning while Joanne went off to do laundry I got up on the roof to do some resealing with rubber roof compound around the TV antenna mount . I tried to pay the MasterCard bills by phone, but MasterCard was experiencing some technical difficulties. I'll have to try again later. I phoned Passport America and renewed our annual membership. I disinfected the fresh water holding tank.

After lunch we spent much of the afternoon floating around the swimming pool, and lying on a lounge chair in the bright, warm sunshine. Another repetitive theme. Joanne took the truck and drove into Harlingen to do some shopping. I did some reading, took Bo for an obedience walk, and finished my investment updates that I had not completed last night.

While Joanne prepared supper, I went to the clubhouse, paid the Canadian dollar MasterCard online, then paid the U.S. dollar MasterCard by phone. I can't pay the U.S. dollar account online. The stock market continues to decline < sigh >.

 

Saturday ; Today was sunny and hot.

This morning I got up on the roof and finished up the resealing around the TV antenna. I had to slice the rubber roof compound I applied yesterday, around the base of the antenna, to allow the antenna to turn for tuning. I didn't think I was going to be up on the roof very long, but I can tell from the feel of my shirt on my shoulders tonight ( ouch ) that I should have worn a shirt while working up on the roof in the bright sunlight of South Texas.

After lunch we went out to run errands. First stop was Mexicana Bakery # 2 in La Feria to stock up on Mexican pastries before we leave here tomorrow morning. Then we stopped at a market in La Feria that was advertising freshly picked pecans. We bought a pound. I'll shell them and Joanne will bake a pecan pie. Pie made with pecans fresh out of the shells is great ! We drove to Harlingen. Joanne went into H-E-B to buy groceries. I went into the adjacent Radio Shack to look at small TV's.

When we visited with our new friend Mary Anne from Virginia while we were in Hondo, she showed us a small TV she had just bought at Radio Shack. We wanted one. Today I looked at 5 different models they had on sale, and bought one. It has a 5 inch colour LCD flat screen, operates on both AC and DC power, and tunes / finds channels electronically. It will replace a boxy little black and white TV we have that works on AC and DC power.

Back at La Feria RV Park, we spent the balance of the afternoon in the swimming pool. AHHHHH ! Life is good !

DSK