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Published: March 5th 2007
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Mon. Feb 26th: Today was the long awaited day for the windshield replacement. All went smoothly with them locating us and having the correct windshield. Getting our old windshield out was a bit difficult, but successful. Then they came to the challenge of getting the new one in without breaking it. We’ve heard that it’s difficult to do successfully. They worked really hard trying to get it in and inch by inch it got into position. They almost had it completely in, when on the last section it CRACKED!!! Now we have different and more cracks than in our old windshield. The next new windshield is being shipped today and should be here within the next couple of days. We decided we’ll take the RV into the shop to have the next one installed.
This afternoon we went to the World Birding Center at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Our Texas State Park pass saved us the admission fee ($8 total). We walked in with the dogs, as they weren’t allowed on the tram. At the first viewing/feeding area we saw: Kiskadees, Green Jays and Chachalacas. The guide at that station was very informative. We then walked further into the
park, but due to the heat we walked slow and they dogs had lots of new smells to investigate. We came prepared with water and a cup to share the water with the dogs. We lingered in the shade when available. The dogs’ tongues grew longer and I was feeling a little cranky. When we got home we cranked up the AC and all took a nap.
Tues. Feb. 27th: Today we went to Edinburg, Texas to tour the Museum of South Texas History. The exhibits start with a dinosaur era sea lizard and an Ice Age Mammoth and progress to the 20th century. There are exhibits about ancient cultures, Spanish exploration, steamboat era, ranching, wars, and more. It is great touring these different attractions midweek with no crowds.
Wed. Feb. 28th: Returned to the World Birding Center at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley Sate Park and took the tram. We walked from the tram stop to the hawk tower. During the time we were there, no hawks flew near. Toured the exhibits and enjoyed the displays. We saw a bobcat cross the road as we were leaving the park on the tram. George was surprised at the size.
Tile floor
In entrance to the South Texas History Museum George used clear packing tape to secure the windshield cracks. It cooled off enough to talk a walk at dusk, but still humid. We’ve walked the park so many times that we ventured to the neighborhood streets that back up to the park. The homes weren’t as large as we originally thought, but had appeared bigger due to all the changes in roof elevation and peaks.
Thurs. Mar. 1st: No word on the windshield yet, so decided to move to Falcon State Park. We’ve seen what we wanted to in the Mission area and are ready to see something new. We‘ll come back to the glass shop in McAllen after the windshield has arrived. We’ve booked into the state park until Monday and are about half way to Laredo. It’s great to be out in the country again. We saw a Road Runner today for the first time, but there was no Wiley Coyote in pursuit. We took the dogs to the lake and let them play in the water. It’s the first time they’ve been frisky since we left the coast. They were really feeling the heat and here its cooler and has low humidity. We’re feeling better
too with the cooler weather. There are lots of plants in bloom in this area. Unfortunately that means there’s lots of pollen and allergies. Thank goodness for benedryl. Lizzie has started getting itchy. It may be more due to some kind of bug bites rather than her usual summer itchiness.
One thing we noticed in the McAllen area was that all the gas stations were selling gas for the same price. No variation by even a penny. We’re used to having a wide variety of prices from corner to corner or county to county. Free market doesn’t seem to be alive and well in pricing gas. No point in shopping around.
Sun. Mar. 4th: We’ve been hanging out and enjoying the area. We do have WiFi here, but we aren’t supposed to use it until after head-quarters closes at 5:00. Then we can go to the parking lot and connect. So that’s the plan for tonight.
This park has a lot of nature trails for taking walks. At the entrance there’s always a sign that states “Watch for snakes.” So far we’ve been lucky and haven’t seen any. There are lots of birds here and a resident
Plain Chachalaca
A sign at the birding center bird expert. During Jan. and Feb. she gives 3 different “bird walks” per week. Now the birds are getting more into their nesting behavior and there are fewer people, so the walks are only once per week. We see lots of birds all around us and so far the only one that we recognize from home is the cardinal, the rest all require checking our bird book.
We went into Roma one day to have lunch and do our grocery shopping. We went to a restaurant that someone recommended for real Mexican food. It was the kind of place that we would have driven by, but the inside was pleasant. The waitress did speak English, but all the conversations around us were in Spanish. The salsa that came with the chips was too spicy for us to enjoy it. We both had fajitas and enjoyed our meals. The refried beans are more flavorful than what we usually get up north.
The bathroom situation at the restaurant was unusual. The sink area is a shared area for both men and women, but each has their own commode room. There was a soap dispenser, but it was empty. My comment
to George was that I hope the cook has her own soap! We discovered this after eating and fortunately have had no digestive system problems.
Grocery shopping is a new experience every time we go, as it’s always a different store. Usually brands we would buy at home aren’t available, so we end up reading labels. It’s 15 miles away, so it’s not just a quick trip to pick up some forgotten item. On our latest shopping trip they had skinless chicken necks for $.49lb that were fresh and packed that day, so we stocked up and made dog food. Now our freezer is full with the dogs’ usual fare.
Yesterday was laundry day. This state park is unusual in that they have 2 washing machines and dryers. They’re more the normal ones than the Laundromat type. They have a sign up sheet and payment in made to the cashier at the lunch counter, so no need to have a ton of quarters. I’m surprised at how excited I was when I discovered this feature. It was nice sitting outside enjoying the view and a cool breeze while I did the laundry.
Today we went to Zapata. On the drive there we had to go through a Border Patrol check point with men and dog ready to inspect as needed. Our dogs insisted that we not be inspected and I was concerned by their behavior (our dogs). Fortunately no one even approached the car and just waved us on after a friendly “Hello.” I imagine us 2 pale middle aged northerners with out of control northern dogs weren’t what they were looking for.
Over the course of history the area of Texas has flown 6 different flags. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, U.S., and Confederate. There was also a seventh in this area: The Republic of the Rio Grande, with the capital in Laredo. This experiment was short-lived (1839-41) as Mexico did not like the idea a whole lot.
We had trouble uploading our pictures tonight, so we'll do it another night, perhaps with a better connection!
I added the photos March 7 now that we're in San Antonio.
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Randy
non-member comment
I just found out you had left for your great adventure from Bill Wesp, so had to look for myself. I'm glad you are keeping all of us up to date, and this is giving me ideas for a trip of our own. We need to get the Winnebago out for exercise soon anyway. Continue to have fun, and we'll be looking for your entries.... Randy