November 20 to 26, 2008

November 20 to 26, 2008 ; La Feria, Texas

Thursday ; Today was sunny, hot, and humid. I spent the morning installing new hub covers on two trailer wheels. I had to jack up the trailer, remove the wheel, install the new hub cover, reinstall the wheel, lower the trailer off the jack, then repeat the process for another wheel. I discovered that all the trailer wheels' lug nuts are worn and need to be replaced. That's 24 lug nuts that I'm going to have to remove and replace ( sigh ). And I discovered a break in a metal brace in the trailer's exterior steps assembly. I'm either going to have to have it welded, or I'll have to replace the steps assembly. I washed the roof and hood of the truck, to remove the muddy cat paw prints on the roof and hood. Apparently some cat with muddy paws couldn't walk around the truck during the night, he had to go over it ! ! ! We took Bo for a long walk and chatted with a neighbour, who gave us some cheese from St. Albert's Cheese in St. Albert, Ontario, near Ottawa. St. Albert's is their favourite cheese, and they always buy a large quantity of it when they visit their daughter who lives in Ottawa.

We had lunch, then I napped. I put that in for the benefit of Barry, a former employee of ours. I received an e-mail from Barry asking for my new blog address. He's lost track of how often I nap. HA HA HA ! I finished waxing the trailer. Joanne is afraid to go to the top of the ladder, so she leaves the highest sections of the trailer for me to wax. I removed an exterior light fixture from the trailer, and on Saturday will install a new one that I bought.

At sunset we went to the pool and hot tub. I barbecued supper while we watched Survivor. Well, we watched part of Survivor. For 15 minutes during the show we were both outside looking for Teddy. He walked out the door on one of my trips outside to tend to the barbecue. He was gone for about 10 minutes before I noticed he was missing. He stealthily sneaks out the door about once every two years or so. And it's very frightening ( to us, not him ) when he does !

Friday ; Today was cloudy, cold, and windy. We had planned to spend today down in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, but decided first thing this morning that it was too cold to go today. The weather made us feel lazy, so we stayed in bed for most of the morning.

This afternoon we went to Mercedes for some grocery shopping at H-E-B. The H-E-B in Harlingen is better, but there are two panaderias ( Mexican bakeries ) across the street from the Mercedes store. We bought some pan dulce ( Mexican pastries ) at one a week ago, and today we tried the other. They're both very good. Mind you, I haven't yet found a panaderia I didn't like. HA HA HA ! Back at Kenwood RV Resort, I installed three new light fixtures I bought a few days ago. They are battery operated LED lights. I installed them to use when we're boondocking, to conserve the main "house" battery in the trailer. Gil and Maria spent the afternoon at Kenwood's weekly music "jam session" in the clubhouse, then went to the local legion for a Friday fish dinner.

We went to the pool and hot tub before supper. BRRRRR ... it was cold walking back to the trailer. After supper I got online and ... took a look at what's happened in the stock market this week. When is this going to end ? ! ? !

Saturday ; Today was cloudy, warm, and humid. This morning I installed a new exterior light fixture on the trailer. And fretted about our investments ! And worried about finding employment next summer !

This afternoon I worked on the electromagnetic brake wiring, fussing, tidying up, redoing Camco Wheel & Axle's workmanship to my anal retentive standards. That was all the "home improvement" work I was going to do today, but with encouragement from Joanne, I also installed the Extreme Vent on the kitchen grey water holding tank's plumbing vent on the roof. We took Bo for a long walk. Late in the afternoon we took a guacamole break with Gil and Maria. Maria made the guacamole. ( whispering very quietly ) Joanne's is better.

We went to the pool and hot tub a little earlier than we usually do, before heading for Edinburg. Edinburg is about ¾ of an hour northwest of here. Gil and Maria went to church, having forgotten that we had planned a trip to Edinburg tonight to see the Rio Roundup Rodeo at Sheriff’s Posse Arena. The Rio Roundup Rodeo is advertised as taking place every Saturday evening at 7:00 P.M.. Except when they don’t feel like having it, I guess. And apparently tonight was one of those nights ! What a waste of an hour and a half worth of fuel !

Sunday ; Today started out cloudy, warm and humid, becoming sunny, hot, and humid.

I spent most of the day installing a new water pump. It was a very difficult job, although I had expected it to be even worse than it was. I had been contemplating buying and installing a better water pump for about 2 years, and finally got serious about it just before we left Keremeos seven weeks ago. The factory installed water pump in the trailer was constant flow, essentially on or off. To conserve water when we're boondocking, I wanted a variable flow pump, providing "home like" infinitely variable water pressure and flow. The "variable speed demand" RV water pumps are very expensive, but I finally bought one at Camping World last week. I've kept the old water pump as a spare. Having a spare water pump while travelling in Mexico is recommended, as RV parts and service businesses are pretty much non-existent in Mexico.

We went to the pool to cool down after a long hard day of work before going to Sunday ice cream social, a regular weekly event that has just resumed for the winter season here at Kenwood RV Resort. We chatted for awhile with neighbours, then rushed home to watch Amazing Race. After supper I reconciled our monthly MasterCard statements. Ooooo ... what an expensive month !

Monday ; Nuevo Progreso, Mexico

Today was sunny and hot. This morning we went with Gil and Maria to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, about 15 or 20 minutes southwest of La Feria. This is only the second place in Mexico that Gil and Maria have been to. They've also been to Los Algodones, near Yuma, Arizona. We wandered around Nuevo Progreso for about 4 or 5 hours, browsing and sightseeing. We bought Creminos ( chocolate hazelnut mints ), Nugs, Coconugs, and Nugs Crujientes ( chocolate bars ). We checked out the currency exchange businesses. The one bank in Nuevo Progreso had a better exchange rate than the 3 or 4 private money exchange businesses called cambios. We will also check out the exchange rates at a couple of the banks here on the U.S. side, but last year the exchange rate was better in Mexico than in the U.S.. Gil withdrew 5000 pesos from an ATM using his bank card, to see what exchange rate he would get from his Canadian bank. We got comparison pricing on pet medications at 3 or 4 veterinary pharmacies. I got some dental work prices my sister had asked me to get for her. We took a rest break in a bar, ordering piña coladas, a margarita, and cerveza. We walked to the school where the Amigos de Los Niños de Mexico Fiesta de Navidad ( Friends of the Children of Mexico Christmas party ) will take place on Christmas morning. We found a church. Maria wanted to visit a Mexican church. We had lunch at a roadside taco stand. Six beef and avocado tacos for U.S.$3.50. I had told Maria about the great fish tacos we had in the Baja last year, and she was eager for fish tacos. But none of the taco stands in Nuevo Progreso had fish tacos. I guess we're not close enough to the Gulf of Mexico for fish to be readily available. Either that, or the Texas influence makes beef the preferred choice. Maria struggled with Spanish words and phrases I was trying to teach her. I hope she can at least remember the word for bathroom, which she had difficulty with today.

The border crossing from Mexico back into the United States is now guarded by soldiers in sandbag bunkers with machine guns perched on top. Seems a bit dramatic for a border crossing where the only people crossing are senior citizen gringos with trinkets and booze. I attempted to take a picture, but a soldier waggled his finger at me. So ... I stood off to the side by a store and used the zoom function on my camera. HA ... take that ! Joanne chastised me for once again indulging in activity that runs the risk of getting me shot in a foreign country. HA HA HA !

Back at Kenwood RV Resort we had some of Joanne's freshly made ( yesterday ) plum pie with frozen plums we picked back home at Riverside RV Park Resort. We spent time in the swimming pool before supper, a daily ritual. Gil checked his bank account online to determine how much his 5000 peso withdrawal cost in Canadian dollars. The Mexican peso to Canadian dollar exchange rate the bank applied was good.

Tuesday ; Today was cloudy and mild. This morning I downloaded and processed yesterday's photos from Nuevo Progreso. I mounted a small wall calendar I picked up at a dentist's office, so I can learn the months of the year in Spanish. I prepared huevos rancheros for lunch. Fried eggs on warmed tortillas, covered with salsa and queso ( melted, seasoned cheese, like on nachos ). Well done, Daniel !

After lunch Joanne went with Gil and Maria in their Westie to Ropas Usadas ( Used Clothing ) in Mercedes. I went to a local bank to check on their peso to dollar exchange rate, then met Joanne, Gil, and Maria at Ropas Usadas. From there we drove in both vehicles to the meeting of Amigos de los Niños de Mexico in Weslaco. We took both vehicles anticipating having to transport lots of toys from the meeting to the organization's storage unit in a local storage business. After the meeting, we loaded up toys and some school supplies and took them to the storage unit.

While my truck was parked at R & R Storage, Gil scraped the side of his Westie along the rear dually hip and bumper of Lanoire, damaging the hip and bumper of my truck, and the side cargo door of his Westie. In the interests of not destroying a friendship, suffice for me to say that I'm not pleased, and leave it at that ! ! !

On the way back to La Feria we stopped at H-E-B in Mercedes to buy some groceries, and stock up on pan dulce at the panaderia across the street. Back at Kenwood RV Resort we gave Bo a bath and went to the pool and hot tub before having a late supper.

Wednesday ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning I cleaned the damaged areas of the truck with acetone, to remove as much of the Westie's white paint as possible. The corner of the bumper and the rear of the dually hip are scratched and scuffed. Tomorrow I will use a polishing compound to try to buff out as much of the scuffing as I can. On the weekend I will spray paint the corner of the bumper and the rear of the hip. Wish me luck with that ! In the interests of friendship, and given that Lanoire is now 3½ years old, I'm trying to avoid having such minor damage repaired professionally.

We spent the afternoon running errands ( sigh ). First stop was the Post Office to post some mail and pick up my Mexican vehicle insurance policy sent to General Delivery. Then the WesDon flea market to buy some hardware and the farmer's market to buy fruits and vegetables. Next stop was Ron Hoover RV to pick up Gil's special order and my special order. Gil's had arrived, mine had not ( sigh ). Next was Camco Wheel & Axle to buy 24 new lug nuts for the trailer. Then ... the joy of my day ... Wal-Martin'. On to Pep Boys to buy spray paint for the truck. Then Auto Zone to buy a gallon of Lucas diesel additive, and select the torque wrench I want for Christmas. Last stop was El Centro Foods to refill our 5 gallon water jug. By the time we got home it was too late, and we were too tired, to go to the pool and hot tub before supper.

EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW ! ! ! While loving up Teddy, Joanne found a lump on his tummy. A close examination showed it to be ... wait for it ... the end of some kind of a worm, embedded in his flesh. While Joanne held Teddy upside down, I grabbed the end of the worm and pulled. EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW ! ! ! Only about ¼ of it was sticking out, the rest was in his flesh. It left a big hole in his abdomen. I'm not certain, but I think that type of worm is called a chigger. When Teddy "escaped" last week he was outside for only about 25 minutes. He certainly is poorly equipped for outdoor survival !

I cooked catfish for supper. The cooking of fish or egg dishes is my responsibility, because I'm better at fish and eggs than Joanne is. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. We administered flea prevention treatments to Teddy and Bo, and heartworm prevention medication to Bo. Joanne did laundry. I ate Nugs and Coconugs. HA HA HA HA HA !

DSK

November 13 to 19, 2008

November 13 to 19, 2008 ; La Feria, Texas

Thursday ; This morning was raining heavily. That's odd for this area. This afternoon was sunny and warm. This evening it rained a bit more. Maria and Gil spent much of the day working on the Amigos de los Niños de Mexico toys responsibility.

This morning Joanne and I spent some time chatting with our new neighbours, in two rigs from Quebec. A couple in a fifth wheel trailer and a single woman in a very large motorhome. It's unusual to see a single woman travelling alone in such a large motorhome. We went to chat with them because they have Escapees decals on their rigs, and because we know that Quebecois often feel a bit isolated while travelling if they don't speak English. They comprehend English, but speak it poorly. I comprehend French, but speak it poorly. Joanne is bilingual. We all got along just fine. They spoke mostly French, I spoke mostly English, Joanne spoke both.

We went to Wal-Mart ( sigh ). Then to H-E-B. Then to Walgreen's. And there went the morning and part of the afternoon. On the way back home we stopped at a drive in burger place called Stars for a very late lunch. Back home at Kenwood RV Resort we spent time with Gil and Maria in the swimming pool and hot tub. We watched Survivor then had a late supper.

Friday ; Today started out cloudy and warm, becoming sunny, hot, and very humid in the afternoon. I went to the Post Office to pick up a batch of forwarded mail that I was expecting. It hadn't arrived yet ( fume ) ! This morning Joanne and Maria prepared picnic lunches and we set off in the "Westie" ( Gil's and Maria's Volkswagen Westfalia toad ) for Estero Llano Grande State Park. We wandered around the butterfly gardens and the Visitor Centre for awhile before having our picnic lunch. After lunch we went on a guided butterfly walk with a Park Naturalist and one of the park's WorkCampers. Beautiful butterflies ... lots of them ! By the end of the guided walk Maria and I were both tired and "butterflied out".

Back at Kenwood RV Resort, after a short nap, I worked on removing the truck's bed rail protectors which were coming loose. Joanne helped me to clean off the old, deteriorated double sided tape that was the cause of them coming loose. We didn't quite finish before it got dark. Tomorrow we'll finish removing the old double sided tape, get them all cleaned up, then reinstall them with new double sided tape. Joanne's fingers got blistered from scraping off old tape. My feet got bit by fire ants. We went to the pool with Gil and Maria. I drove across the street to use the Wi-Fi signal in Super 8 Motel's parking lot, and for the second evening in a row, the Internet seemed to be "down".

Saturday ; Today was sunny, warm, and windy. This morning we went to the Kenwood RV Resort's charity fund raiser omelette breakfast. We lingered over breakfast and chatted with neighbours, then finished cleaning and reinstalling the truck’s bed rail protectors. Gil and Maria went shopping in Harlingen. Joanne continued waxing the trailer. I removed the light fixture from inside the front “trunk” of the trailer and replaced it with a better light fixture I purchased recently. Boy, my fussy workmanship is much nicer than that originally done by the factory, especially on work like wiring.

After lunch and a nap, and more procrastination, I washed the truck. The wash we gave it a couple of weeks ago in Hondo was "quick and dirty", so to speak, so it needed a more thorough wash. Joanne walked over to El Centro Foods, the Mexican grocery store in the village of La Feria to buy milk, then she continued waxing the trailer. I saw our Quebecois neighbour walking around with her laptop computer. I thought she was trying to find a strong Wi-Fi signal, so I went over to offer assistance. She wasn't looking for a Wi-Fi signal. She was showing this RV park to her son in Montreal. Her computer has a built in camera and microphone, and she was online with her son using Skype, a VOIP service like our Vonage Wi-Fi phone. Her son could see what she was showing him, and he, sitting at his desk in Montreal, was on her computer screen . What a neat way to communicate ! Gil and Maria went to church. They go to a weekly church service ... a Catholic mass, I think ... on Saturdays. When it got dark, we went to the pool and hot tub. We chatted with the couple who own Lucky, the 16 year old Scarlet Macaw.

I learned a new Texan word today. While at this morning's omelette breakfast, I overheard a woman telling her friends that she went to bed last night right after watching the "nyi woos". It took me awhile to figure out that that was a Texan pronunciation of "news". HA HA HA !

Sunday ; It was cold overnight, but sunny and mild today. At 11:00 A.M. Kevin and Sandy arrived at Kenwood RV Resort. They, us, Gil and Maria all loaded into Lanoire and set off west on Expressway 83 headed for La Joya, about an hour away. We stopped for Sunday brunch at Shoney's, a buffet restaurant in McAllen. The 2½ hour Mariachi and Folklorico concert at La Joya High School was, as expected, stupendous. The concert was broken down into ten different "acts" of song, music, and dance reflecting Mexican song and dance culture from Mayan times to the present.

By the time we got back to Kenwood RV Resort it was 6:00 P.M.. We had a late, light supper while watching Amazing Race.

Monday ; Today was sunny and warm. This morning Gil and Maria received news that their daughter's dog, Buppy's 10 month old offspring named Solo, had been killed by a car. That was saddening news for them.

I did some minor maintenance chores this morning. This afternoon I downloaded and processed the photos I took yesterday at the Mariachi / Folklorico / Conjunto concert at La Joya High School. Then ... ( huge sigh ) ... I worked on updating my investment files. Joanne did laundry, baked some apricot tarts with apricots we picked last summer and froze, and continued waxing the trailer. We took a guacamole and tortilla chip break with Gil and Maria late in the afternoon. AHHHHH ... I haven’t had any of Joanne’s excellent guacamole since we last bought fresh avocadoes in Yuma last spring. Just before it turned dark I got the truck and trailer hitched, to prepare for departure tomorrow morning to have the trailer serviced.

We went to the pool and hot tub before preparing supper. We discussed our long term future plans, in consideration of the current status of our investment losses. After supper I completed updating and analyzing our investments. It seems probable that our lifestyle as unemployed vagabonds will have to end next spring.

Tuesday ; Today was sunny and warm. It was a long, tiring day of errands.

Early this morning we pulled the trailer out of Kenwood RV Resort and headed west to Pharr. We dropped the trailer off at Camco Wheel & Axle to have Harvey's wheel bearings repacked and the electromagnetic brakes replaced. WOW ... an expensive job ! We refilled with diesel. Went to Discount Tire and Sears to get prices on new tires for Lanoire. Went to Texas Tops Of McAllen to get a price on a grille guard ( or, as I like to call them, a Toyota pusher ... HA HA HA ) for Lanoire. I suppose it’s unrealistic to contemplate indulging myself in something that expensive that has no real practical value, given the state of our investments, and the high costs of replacing the truck tires and trailer brakes, essential expenditures. Went to Camping World, renewed our Camping World President's Club ( discount ) membership, bought three new light fixtures, a new water pump, a 12 volt heated "blankie" for Teddy when boondocking, and some other RV supplies. Had lunch at Whataburger, Joanne's favourite burger restaurant. Went to Petco. Bo loves shopping ... HA HA HA ! Bought a nylon tunnel to add to the dog agility course I am building for Bo back at Riverside RV Resort. Bo got a new bandanna. He's very pleased, having been "bandannaless" since he lost his bandanna in my sister's yard about a month and a half ago. Went Wal-Martin' ( sigh ). Late in the afternoon we returned to Camco Wheel & Axle to pick up Harvey. On the way back to La Feria we stopped at Ron Hoover RV and bought more RV supplies. By the time we got back to our site at Kenwood RV Resort it was 6:00 P.M..

Wednesday ; Today was sunny and warm.

Poor old Teddy is often cold at night. On cold nights, when we're plugged into 120 volt AC power, we run a little electric heater in the bedroom to keep him warm. But when we're boondocking, without AC power, Teddy doesn't understand why we won't respond to his very clear signals that he wants his heater. Yesterday we bought him a little 12 volt heated "blankie" for when we're boondocking, which we expect we'll be doing regularly down in Mexico. Last night we "road tested" it. Teddy was very pleased with it !

This morning we drove into La Feria, I dropped Joanne off at El Centro Foods to buy a few groceries, and I went to the Post Office to pick up a batch of forwarded mail. I refilled our 5 gallon water jug. Joanne bought a pound of shredded barbecued beef brisket at a small barbecue take out place on the edge of the grocery store's parking lot. MMMMM ! Very disorganized "hot dog stand" kind of business, but very nice barbecue. And preparing barbecue is a very individual thing. Every barbecue is different, using a different recipe or approach. I did some maintenance work on a plumbing problem under the kitchen sink. I purchased Mexican vehicle insurance for the truck and trailer for our trip into Mexico in January and February.

After lunch we went with Gil and Maria in their Westie to the WesDon Flea & Farmer's market. First thing we saw as we walked into the flea market was a grizzled old man, long hair, long beard, walking his pet ... wait for it ... alligator ! The alligator had a leash attached to the dog harness it was wearing. Geeeeezzzzz ... welcome to Texas ! Gil bought some RV supplies. I bought an Extreme Vent for the trailer's kitchen grey water holding tank's plumbing vent pipe on the roof. Last year I installed an Extreme Vent on the bathroom grey water holding tank's vent pipe, and it works excellently to remove odours from the waste holding tank and prevent waste holding tank odours from seeping into the RV. On the way out of the flea market, the alligator man was now showing off his huge python. The python was 24 years old, blind, having been born without eyes. Huge ... perhaps 10 or 12 feet long, circumference of a fence post. Seemed like a friendly enough creature ... I petted it. We crossed the street over to the farmer's market and bought fresh fruits and vegetables. On the way home we stopped at Home Depot and I bought the part I needed to complete the plumbing repair under the sink. Gil picked up the new fuel filter and fuel pump he had ordered from Auto Zone for the Westie.

Back at Kenwood RV Resort I napped for awhile while Joanne continued waxing the trailer. I repaired one of our folding chairs. Gil determined that the fuel pump and fuel filter that he got at Auto Zone were not the correct ones for their Westie. He returned them for a refund, and tomorrow will go to a Volkswagen repair shop that Joanne and I found yesterday near Camco Wheel & Axle. We took Bo for a long walk at sunset, then went to the pool and hot tub before supper. After supper, I reviewed the batch of forwarded mail that I picked up at the Post Office this morning.

DSK

November 6 to 12, 2008

November 6 to 12, 2008 ; La Feria, Texas

Thursday ; MMMMM ... Mexican pastries and miniature bananas for breakfast. Today was partially cloudy, humid, and hot. Gil's forehead and knee are slowly healing. But he's developing a lot of deep purple bruises all over, including around his nose and two black eyes. Joanne's leg rash is slowly healing. Teddy was very ill today, vomiting ten times overnight and today. ( sigh ) Old people, old pets !

We spent the morning running errands in and around Harlingen. Gil and Maria came with us. I refilled a trailer propane tank and the barbecue propane tank. We found our way to O'Reilly's Auto Parts where I had ordered new shock absorbers for the trailer. We went looking for the veterinarian that gave us the cheapest quote on an examination and innoculations for Bo. It was much further than we thought, and when we finally found it, and I went in to inquire about / verify the rates, they quoted me approximately the same as all the other veterinarians we had phoned ( grumble ). Finally, we went to Wal-Mart for groceries and supplies.

When we returned from our shopping trip, Teddy was in bad shape. We lay him down on the bed, covered him with a cold, wet towel, and administered water to him with a syringe. Poor, sick Teddy. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end for him. He's 16½ years old. His condition today seemed similar to how our previous cat Toby was five days before he died. We realized later in the afternoon that he was severely constipated.

There is a man in this RV park who bicycles around the park with his large Scarlet Macaw on the handlebars. The bird seems to really enjoy his daily outings. It's a really gorgeous bird. When the man and bird cycled by today while Joanne was outside with Teddy, the bird said ... I kid you not ... "puddy tat ... meow" ! HA HA HA !

I found a strong, fast, unencrypted ( open access ) Wi-Fi signal at the Super 8 Motel across the street. I parked in their parking lot and did some computer work this afternoon. And I returned later with my Wi-Fi phone and phoned our friends Kevin and Sandy who are nearby in Brownsville. They're coming to visit tomorrow. We hope they will join us, along with Maria and Gil, in Mexico in January and February.

By late afternoon Teddy finally stopped vomiting. We rehydrated him frequently throughout the day by administering water to him with a syringe. After supper, we administered a small amount of a liquid laxative to him using the syringe. He was still constipated, although resting more comfortably than earlier in the day.

Late in the evening, Maria, Joanne, and I went for a late night dip in the hot tub. AHHHH ... that could become habit forming.

Friday ; Today was cloudy, mild, and windy. Teddy's fine !

This morning when Bo woke me up to be walked, the first thing I did was peek into the litter box. ( huge sigh of relief ) And I saw in there what I wanted to see ! Yesterday was a "close call" for Teddy. He's not a "fighter" like Toby was. Yesterday afternoon, severely constipated, dehydrated from vomiting and the hot, humid weather, feverish, so weak that he was immobile and unable to drink water, Teddy just flopped down on his side, unable to even lift his head, and began to die. Without our intervention, he would have. I'm glad that we have the pet knowledge and skills to have saved him.

This morning our friends Kevin and Sandy came to visit. We introduced them to Gil and Maria, and we all spent the morning and part of the afternoon visiting and chatting. We had hoped that Kevin and Sandy were going to join Joanne, me, Gil, and Maria in our 2 month exploration of mainland Mexico. Unfortunately, they are not going to. They do not want to go down into Mexico before February. And we want to go at the beginning of January. Too bad ... we would have really enjoyed their company.

After Kevin and Sandy left, I went to nap and Joanne went with Maria to shop at health food stores. After they returned, we met Dana, the manager of this RV park walking her dog Angus, who is ... well, a "twin" of Bo. From anything more than 25 feet away, they look identical. Angus is 13 years old. Dana rescued him 3 years ago after he had been abandoned at a boarding kennel. What kind of moron abandons a 10 year old dog ? ! ?

Saturday ; Today was a beautiful, sunny, warm day, high of 80 degrees, low of 65. A perfect "June 18" day ! A great day to be alive ! I've been suffering from mild depression lately, so it was refreshing to have higher spirits today.

I prepared huevos ( pronounced "hooWAYvoes" ) con machaca ( scrambled eggs with shredded, dried beef ), Joanne's favourite Mexican breakfast. We found packages of machaca in the grocery store recently. We went for a walk around the park with Bo, and did an obedience training session. I drove over to an independent mechanic in La Feria that I have dealt with in the past to discuss having him remove three shock absorbers from the trailer, probably cutting them off with an acetylene torch. I changed one shock absorber on the trailer this past summer in Keremeos, and it took me an entire day of brute force "persuasion" to remove the old shock absorber. I'm going to start working on removing and replacing the remaining three shock absorbers within a day or two, but if they prove to be as difficult to remove as the first one, I'll pay someone else to do it.

We gave Bo a short haircut today. It's too hot and humid here in the Rio Grande Valley for him to have long hair. I hope "winter" doesn't suddenly arrive here in South Texas. If it does, he's going to want to sleep under the duvet at night. Joanne applied Aloe Vera ointment to his flea bites, then we applied a flea spray all over him. Poor Bo has flea bite dermatitis, an allergic reaction to flea bites. Each flea bite produces an itchy, red bump. Maria assures me that she has eliminated fleas from Buppy. I certainly hope so !

After much procrastination, I began working on removing the three old shock absorbers from the trailer this afternoon. The first one came off relatively easy. The remaining two were difficult, but I got them off. WOO-HOO ! I removed all three in less time than it took me to remove the first one last summer at home. Tomorrow I'll install the three new ones. Cleaning myself up after the job was difficult and messy. I was covered in grime from my fingertips to my biceps. My reward to myself for a job well done was some time in the pool and hot tub. This park has a very nice swimming pool and hot tub facility. The pool temperature is perfect, warmer than the one back home at Riverside RV Park Resort. And the hot tub is hot ! AHHHHH !

Sunday ; Today was cloudy, warm, and humid, with a warm breeze. A few drops of rain fell around lunch time. This morning I installed the three new shock absorbers on the trailer. I repaired a broken side marker light assembly on Gil's and Maria's motorhome. We went for a long walk with Bo. Joanne did laundry. The rash on her legs has almost disappeared. Gil's forehead and knee are healing nicely, although he still has two black eyes.

This afternoon Joanne wanted to go grocery shopping to an H-E-B. We usually go east a few miles to Harlingen but today we went west a few miles to Mercedes. The H-E-B in Mercedes was a smaller, older store, without a deli, not as nice as most H-E-B stores, but ... across the street was a ... wait for it ... ( pause ) ... a great panaderia ( Mexican bakery ). Who needs sliced luncheon meats when you can have empanadas ? ! ? HA HA HA ( SNORT ) HA HA ! After returning from grocery shopping we spent some time in the swimming pool and hot tub before preparing supper and watching Amazing Race.

Monday ; Today was sunny, hot, humid, and windy. This morning we took Bo to Altas Palmas Animal Clinic between La Feria and Harlingen for a physical examination and innoculations. He's healthy, vaccinated, and ready for Mexico. This is the first time he's had an intranasal vaccine. SQUIRT ! Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you, Bo ? HA HA HA ! I made some phone calls to get quotes on some trailer service and made an appointment for next Tuesday to have the trailer serviced at Campco Wheel & Axle in Pharr. Joanne worked on cleaning windows and waxing the trailer. Gil and Maria went health food store shopping in Harlingen.

After lunch and a nap, we met with Gil and Maria to do some planning of things to see and do here in the Rio Grande Valley over the next week or two. While reading some local community newspapers over lunch I found some very interesting activities and events. I am particularly interested in joining Amigos de los Niños de Mexico ( Friends of the Children of Mexico ). Every year a large group of a few hundred "Winter Texans" organizes, sponsors, and hosts a Fiesta on Christmas morning in Nuevo Progreso for about 3000 underprivileged Mexican children from northern Mexico who are bussed into Nuevo Progreso for this annual Christmas morning Fiesta.

I have been suffering ( sometimes a lot ! ) with arthritis in both my knees and one shoulder. I have been doing knee and shoulder exercises in the swimming pool and hot tub. Today we went to the park's exercise room and I did some knee and shoulder exercises on the Nautilus equipment. I hope I don't regret it. There's a very fine line between just enough exercise to be helpful, and too much. Then we went to the pool and hot tub. Today was the first day that Gil was able to use the pool and hot tub, having healed enough since his bicycle accident a week ago. Through the large glass patio doors of the pool we watched the Scarlet Macaw outside swinging very adeptly on its swing. While Joanne prepared supper I drove over to the Super 8 Motel across the street, parked in their parking lot, and used Wi-Fi to do some Mexican vehicle insurance comparison shopping.

Tuesday ; Veteran's Day ( U.S. ) / Remembrance Day ( Canada )

"Lest We Forget"

I found a quiet, private area of the park, and on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, I observed a minute of silence ... "To Remember". When I was a child, my father, who was a veteran of World War II, taught me that this ritual was important. In his honour, I continue to practice it. Today I remembered my father, of course, and Joanne's Uncle Gerry, who was a veteran of the Korean War. And I remembered an old man who shared my minute of silence on a Remembrance Day some years ago at the airport in Winnipeg. Joanne and I had flown from Ottawa to Winnipeg on the morning of November 11 to attend a memorial service for my mother who had died a few weeks earlier. We were waiting for our luggage at the luggage carousel with Joanne's family. It was a few minutes before 11:00 A.M.. I noticed an elderly gentleman wearing a Legion blazer and beret, and Remembrance Day poppy, waiting for his luggage. I introduced myself, and invited him to join me in observing a minute of silence to remember, in a quiet corner of the airport. He accepted, and joined me. We stood in a corner of the airport, and while we observed a minute of silence, he held my hand, and quietly wept.

Today was sunny and hot. Kenwood RV Resort hosted a Veteran's Day ceremony and luncheon for local veterans and residents of the RV park. WHEW ... it was tough wearing a shirt and long pants for a couple of hours in this heat and humidity. Over lunch Joanne and Maria chatted with a couple from Ontario. Gil and I chatted with a "Snowbird" ( rolling eyes ) couple from Oklahoma, a few hundred miles north of here. They "can't stand the cold" ( rolling my eyes again ). Last winter in Oklahoma the temperature REACHED THE FREEZING LEVEL THREE TIMES ... OMIGOD ( still rolling my eyes ). I was going to tell them what it was like to stand waiting for a bus at the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg in 40 below weather, but I didn't think they would believe me. People from the south can't comprehend 40 degrees below zero. I guess there's Snowbirds and then there's Snowbirds ! ! !

I dismantled and Joanne cleaned the "Fantastic Fan" ( a type of RV ceiling fan vent ) in the kitchen. Joanne continued waxing the trailer. I dusted the truck ... again. It's windy and dusty here in South Texas, and the truck needs to be dusted every few days. I discovered an infestation of tiny fire ants around our kitchen sink. I don't know where they're coming from. We went shopping this afternoon for a solution. We found our solution at the first store we tried, Dollar General in La Feria. They had a huge section of products to get rid of ants, so I guess it's a common problem around here. We went to the exercise room, then the pool and hot tub, before preparing supper.

Wednesday ; Today was cloudy, hot, and humid. This morning we set off for a day of errands all over the Rio Grande Valley. Gil and Maria joined us. We headed west on Expressway 83 towards the "upper" valley. First stop was Ron Hoover RV in Donna. Ron Hoover RV is a Fleetwood dealer. Gil needed to order two side marker assemblies for their Fleetwood Southwind motorhome. But ... just before we arrived, he realized that he did not have the piece of paper that I gave him with the side marker assembly part number on it ( sigh ). Nevertheless, we shopped for some other RV parts. I bought a new light fixture for the inside of the storage "trunk" on the front of our trailer, a new window knob, and a damaged package of "dually" valve extenders. A package of four dually valve extenders is $80. This damaged package was $20. I couldn't resist, since I didn't currently have any spare valve extenders, and malfunctioning valve extenders have proven to be the most common tire problem I experience with our truck.

We drove all the way to the far west end of The Valley, to La Joya, where we bought tickets to this Sunday's afternoon performance of La Joya High School's Performing Arts concert. Mariachi "Los Coyotes", Grupo Folklorico "Tabasco", y Conjunto "Los Diamantes". Mexican musical group The Coyotes, Mexican folkloric dancing group Tabasco, and the alumni band, The Diamonds. We attended a concert at La Joya High School 2 years ago, and it was the highlight of our winter. These high school kids are great ! And their concert theatre is a professional theatre seating about 600 people.

Heading back east, we stopped for lunch at RJ Mandarin, a Chinese buffet restaurant in McAllen. Driving out to La Joya and back took longer than I had expected, so by the time we were finished lunch, it was time to head for the Amigos de los Niños de Mexico planning meeting in Weslaco. Amigos de los Niños de Mexico is comprised of about 150 Winter Texans. They have about 3 or 4 meetings in November and December to prepare for their Christmas morning Fiesta for about 3000 children in Nuevo Progreso. The activities and functions of the big Fiesta are broken down into "committees", each with a chairmen and members. Toys ( acquire, sort by age and gender ), fruits, candy ( acquire bulk, repackage), crowd control, entertainment, transportation ( drive it all down to Nuevo Progreso on Dec. 23 ), etc., etc. ... ! A total of 37 different committees ! A huge project ! After the meeting, we went to volunteer our services. I volunteered for crowd control, entertainment as a magician, and transportation, since I have a large truck that will be insured for travel within Mexico. Much to our very great surprise ( and perhaps a bit of chagrin ), Maria volunteered to be the chairman of the toy committee, the largest responsibility of the organization. I thought it a bit unwise for a "rookie / newbie" to volunteer for this huge responsibility, but I guess Maria deserves credit for enthusiasm and commitment. Good luck !

After the meeting we drove to the WesDon Flea & Farmer’s Market. Darn ... the flea market was already closed for the day. But the farmer’s market was still open, so we were able to buy fresh fruit and produce. Oh, goody ... today limes were 36 for a dollar ! ( sigh ) It was a long day. By the time we got home, it was 5:30 P.M.. We unloaded the dozen or so large bags of toys that were in the back of the truck ( the beginnings of Maria’s responsibility ! ), then headed to the pool and hot tub.

DSK

October 30 to November 5, 2008

October 30 to November 5, 2008 ; Hondo to La Feria, Texas

Thursday ; Today was sunny and hot. All of the "projects" that I could do prior to arriving in the Rio Grande Valley are done, so today was, and tomorrow will be, days for relaxing. This morning I updated my blog during one of the few brief periods per day that Lone Star Corral's Wi-Fi system was working properly. This afternoon we went for a long, leisurely walk with Bo. We sat outside in the warmth and sunlight and read books. And, of course, I took a nap.
We learned that a television in the library in the clubhouse was hooked up to a satellite dish, so in the evening we went into the library and watched Survivor. Then, back at our trailer, we watched the movie The Terminator. Ah'll be bahk !

Friday ; Hallowe’en ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning I cleaned the barbecue. YUCK ! I trimmed my beard. We took Bo for an obedience session. Good dog, Bo. After lunch we went into Hondo to buy groceries at H-E-B and refill with diesel in preparation for departure tomorrow. Joanne was agonizing over what to contribute to the Hallowe'en Party finger foods potluck. I made the decision for her from the options she presented. And I regret it ! Neither of us is exactly Martha Stewart ! We made "eyeballs". Joanne cut small cherry tomatoes in half, then scooped out the insides. I cut black olives into slices, then stuffed guacamole into the tomato halves, and positioned olive slices on top, so they looked ( allegedly ! ) like eyeballs ( rolling eyes ). My efforts at the beginning looked a lot better than my later efforts, when I was getting tired of making the damn things. HA HA HA !

We went to the Hallowe’en Party. Some well done costumes. Interesting people, interesting food. Lots of neat Hallowe’en cookies and cup cakes. Afterwards, we hitched up Lanoire to Harvey, to expedite our departure tomorrow morning. We’ve got a long drive to “The Valley” and we hope to arrive at La Feria RV Park before their office closes for the day. I noticed as Joanne was climbing the steps up into the trailer, and I was behind her, that she had a severe rash on the backs of her legs, from ankles to knees. Wonder what that's from ? ! ?

Tonight we watched the movie A River Runs Through It. HUH ? ? ? WHAT ? ? ? Fly fishing is a metaphor for life ? ? ? I don't get it ! Joanne thinks the movie should have been called A Story Line Doesn't Run Through It. HA HA HA !

By bed time the severe rash on Joanne's lower legs was spreading upwards. Uh-oh !

Saturday ; Hondo to La Feria, Texas
Dia de los Muertos ( Day Of The Dead ) ; dia uno de dos ( day one of two )

Today was sunny and hot. This morning we prepared for departure and left Lone Star Corral SKP Park. We drove into the town of Hondo and stopped at McBee's to buy a pound of barbecued beef brisket for lunch sandwiches. How fortuitous ... we arrived exactly at 10:00 A.M., just as they were opening for the day. We had to wait a minute or two for the first barbecued beef brisket of the day to come in off the barbecue, after having been slow cooked all night. MMMMM !

We left Hondo heading southeast on Hwy. 173. At Devine we encountered a police road block and detour. The highway, which was the main street of the town, was closed for the Dia de los Muertos Parade. Sheesh ! Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican two day holiday of celebrating the memories of dearly departed loved ones. With considerable difficulty we found our way around the town, and then with the assistance of the police at the roadblock on that side of town, got directions back to Hwy. 173, by going onto Interstate 35 briefly ( sigh ). We continued southeast on Hwy. 173 to Pleasanton, then with a bit of "dipsy doodling" made it to Interstate 37 heading southeast. At Hwy. 281 we turned south heading for the Rio Grande Valley.

It was a long hot day of driving down to "The Valley". Just before reaching the Rio Grande Valley we refilled with diesel at Flying J. It was the first time since entering the U.S. that we paid less than $3 a gallon for diesel. From the Canadian border southward the price of diesel has been slowly but steadily decreasing. Once in The Valley we turned east on Hwy. 83 heading towards La Feria. We arrived at La Feria RV Park in La Feria and checked in. The park was not quite yet ready for the influx of Snowbirds. This is quite early for Snowbirds to be this far south already. The only RV's in the park were us and ... BUPPY ! ! ! Bo's best friend Buppy ! Bo was very happy to see Buppy. Our friends Gil and Maria, and their dog Buppy had arrived shortly before us. It was the first time we've had a chance to see their new Class A motorhome. They traded in their land and “Park Model” ( modular home ) in Riverside RV Park Resort in Keremeos this spring on a Class A motorhome, and became full time RV'ers. The last time we saw them was in May when they left Riverside RV Park Resort headed for Alaska. We're going to be travelling through Mexico in January and February with Gil and Maria ( and Buppy ).

After getting set up in our site, we went with Gil and Maria in their "towed", a Volkswagen Westphalia camper van, into Harlingen, a city about 8 miles east of La Feria. First stop was PetsMart to buy cat food for Teddy, and flea treatment for Buppy. Buppy got fleas while Gil and Maria were at Padre Island National Seashore on the Gulf Of Mexico coast a bit northeast of here over the last week. It only took a minute or two of visiting Buppy for Bo to get fleas. ( SCOWL ) I'm not pleased ! Next stop was Cici’s Pizza for supper. Cici’s is an all you can eat pizza restaurant chain. They used to have an incredibly low price, but their price has almost doubled since we were last at a Cici’s, about a year and a half ago, I guess. We ate a lot of pizza, and chatted, then returned to Gil’s and Maria’s motorhome for tea ( they’re British ) and more chatting, until late in the evening.

The rash on Joanne’s legs did not get any worse today, nor did it get any better either.

WHEW ... from home to here the journey has been about 6000 km. / 3750 miles.

Sunday ; Dia de los Muertos ; dia dos de dos

Today was sunny and hot ! Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley. This morning I chatted for awhile with Gil and Maria, took Bo for an obedience session, then went to the clubhouse to get onto Wi-Fi and get caught up on some online computer work. I retrieved updated investment and banking data, retrieved and sent e-mail, added some photos to my blog, then Joanne researched shingles and leg rashes. After some research she concluded that the rash on her legs is likely not shingles. Seems more likely to be eczema. Which is much less of a concern than shingles.

After lunch I napped for awhile, then joined Joanne, Gil, and Maria who were at the swimming pool in the RV park across the street. The VIP RV Park across the street is owned by the same people as the La Feria RV Park that we're in, and the VIP RV Park is more "ready" for the winter visitors than the La Feria RV Park is, so we have to go across the street to use the swimming pool and laundromat. Joanne and Maria did some laundry. Back at our RV site, we sat around on the patio, munching on snacks, chatting with Gil and Maria, and enjoying the great late afternoon weather.

In the evening, we watched Amazing Race ( woo-hoo ), and I worked on reconciling bank statements and updating investment records ( sigh ). The rash on Joanne's legs remains constant, neither improving nor getting worse.

Monday ; Today was sunny and hot again. We spent the morning with the phone and the Yellow Pages, researching local veterinarians and trying to find a place that carries Monroe shock absorbers. We didn't make a decision on a veterinarian. I ordered 4 shock absorbers for the trailer. When I pick them up in Harlingen in a couple of days, we'll check out a couple of veterinarians, then make a decision and an appointment for Bo to have an annual physical examination and innoculations.

In the afternoon we went out with Gil and Maria in their “toad” to run a few errands and check out three other RV parks that I found a coupon for. We went to the Post Office in La Feria, tried unsuccessfully to find the veterinarian that is allegedly in La Feria, and went to two of the three RV parks. Gil’s and Maria’s toad, a Volkswagen Westphalia camper, was acting up. Either there is a problem with the fuel pump, or they got dirty fuel, or water condensed in the fuel tank. And at the RV park in La Feria across the freeway from where we currently are, when we inquired about the coupon special at $189 per month, the clerk at the counter volunteered the information that they had an Internet special, with a coupon on their web site for $249 for two months ! That’s irresistible ! That’s less than the monthly maintenance fees we pay as owners at home at Riverside RV Park Resort. With that rate, and the toad having fuel flow problems, we decided that there really was no good reason to go see the third RV park.

We did some Mexico trip planning with Gil and Maria, coming to an agreement on our route. I had originally intended a route through Mexico of about 3500 km. / 2200 miles, but Gil and I got ambitious while planning and have now agreed on a route of about 5000 km. / 3000 miles. Joanne and Maria went to the swimming pool. I set up our barbecue and started to “slow barbecue” a beef brisket.

At 6:30 P.M. there was a birthday party in the clubhouse for one of the park's residents whose 84th birthday was today. Since we're checking out tomorrow, Joanne didn't think it appropriate to go to the birthday party and eat free cake and ice cream ( shrug ).

Tuesday ; Today was sunny, hot, and humid. Which probably contributed to the main event of today ; Gil's bicycle accident.

This morning we prepared for departure from La Feria RV Park. I accompanied Maria to the office to settle our bills. Our bill was straightforward. Gil's and Maria's was not. They had made a one month reservation at La Feria RV Park, and paid a $100 deposit. They were worried that the park would not give them a refund, after staying only three days. My role was to stand behind Maria, and look mean and tough, while she attempted to persuade them to give her a refund. She spun a tale of woe that, while not a lie, was certainly "creative". HA HA HA ... she got her refund.

We drove from La Feria RV Park over to the other side of the freeway to Kenwood RV Resort, checked in, and got set up in our sites, which are "back to back". After lunch I had a nap. I woke up from my nap to find Joanne rushing about, compiling first aid supplies. She had been visiting with Maria in Gil's and Maria's motorhome. Gil had just been brought back to their motorhome, in a golf cart, by an employee of the RV Park. He had blood streaming down his face. YIKES !

While riding his bicycle around the park, he ... fell ! ! ! He has no recollection of the fall. He simply remembers feeling somewhat ... faint ... then he was lying on the pavement with his bicycle on top of him. He ... fainted ... or passed out ... or blacked out ... or something ! He landed on his left knee, right arm, and ... forehead. There was a bump in the middle of his forehead the size of an egg. And the skin was split open, with blood running down his face. There was another bump on his temple, about the size of a walnut. And it, too, was split open and bleeding. His left knee was ... shredded ! ! ! OW, OW, OW ! His right arm was severely scraped and bruised. Maria lay him down on the couch, and applied ice packs to his forehead and knee. After a couple of hours, he came to sit outside, and Maria performed "first aid" on him, cleaning and bandaging his head and knee wounds. The swelling on his forehead and temple had subsided somewhat, so he didn't look quite as horrible as he did immediately after the accident. Gil ... you're waaaaay too old ( he's 70 ) to be falling off bicycles ! ! ! SHEESH !

Joanne and I spent the afternoon washing the trailer. Around supper time, when we were finished, and Maria finally felt that she could leave Gil alone briefly, Maria, Joanne and I went to the swimming pool / hot tub complex in this RV park. It's very nice, similar to the pool complex at Riverside RV Park Resort. Warm pool, hot spa, indoors, lots of glass walls and windows.

We spent the evening watching the U.S. Presidential election coverage on TV.

Wednesday ; Today was sunny and hot again.

Oh, geeeeezzzzz ... Gil looked like **** this morning. The entire front and top of his forehead was bruised, swollen, scraped, split open skin. His knee doesn't look much better. Not surprisingly, he had a variety of aches and pains today, including a sore jaw. He really did a "face plant" on the asphalt roadway yesterday.

This morning I did a few minor maintenance chores then we ran a few errands in La Feria. First stop was ... wait for it ... the Mexican bakery ! HA HA HA ! Joanne, Maria and Gil did some shopping at Family Dollar while I tried, unsuccessfully, to get my Wi-Fi phone to work. At El Centro Foods, while Maria and Joanne did some food shopping, I refilled our 5 gallon water jug and used a pay phone to pay my MasterCard bills.

After lunch we drove to the WesDon Flea & Farmer's Market in between Weslaco and Donna. Maria came with us, Gil stayed home. I priced some RV accessory items that I recommend Gil buy for our Mexico trip. Maria and Joanne stocked up on fresh vegetables and produce at the Farmer's Market. Darn ... I knew it was a rip off to pay seven cents per lime in San Antonio. HA HA HA ... they're thirty for a dollar here in the Rio Grande Valley. After the WesDon Flea & Farmer's Market we went to H-E-B and stocked up on groceries. Back at Kenwood RV Resort we spent the rest of the afternoon sitting outside chatting and watching the sun set.

Well, finally, the rash on Joanne's legs has begun to improve, with daily applications of a strong hydrocortisone cream. I think it's eczema. Joanne thinks it's hives, an allergic reaction.

DSK