Sunday, March 16, 2008
Mission Texas First Few Weeks
On Monday evening shortly after dusk, Amber pulled up in front of Lot 51. We had never been there before. Inside all the furniture was draped and the mothball was so overpowering, we immediately opened all the windows.
It's a one bedroom RV trailer that no longer has wheels and is permanently parked in this RV park that is now being run by the second generation of ownership. We like Jason a whole lot. His wife is the local vet and they have two or three children, six and younger - who also love the goats up from by the main road.
Two weeks of cleaning followed therein. We rewashed all the dishes, all the bedding, and linens. Let's talk about laundry. In the snowbird RV world, the clubhouse has coin washer and dryers. Its a convenience for the campers, and a profit center for the owners - hopefully. For the long timers, they usually are the ones who rent their lot by the year, leave the RV parked there, build on porches, pour patios and the like. Many put up a utility shed somewhere - usually in the back on their tiny lot. And in that shed resides the washer and dryer. Thank heavens we have one of those. About the third week in, I moved every thing that moved out of the shed, and scoured it as well. Ughhh.
These Santa Ana winds blow and blow, and silt and dust go everywhere. When we got here, we thought it was dirt not being able to cleaned by a man in his 90's. Now we know it is an ongoing experience to clean, clean, clean. But that's not too bad. The space isn't very large.
We were very cranky when we first got here, because we were tired, and did not enjoy having to clean from top to bottom, in every closet and drawer. We found mouse droppings everywhere. Ichch. But it comes with the territory. There are routines people do here to set up their trailer when they leave to go home, setting out traps, leaving roach and ant poison. We're in the tropics. Lots of bugs down here - however I haven't seen nary a mosquito! And we have had no roaches.
My feet always crawled when I walked outside to take the dogs, because I didn't know if there were snakes. When I grew up in Naples Florida, we kids tramped all over everywhere, through palmettos, waist high weeds, exploring. And I acquired a habit that became unconscious. I am always looking at the ground when I walk. I asked Derrill about that one time and he said "We learned as kids to always watch for rattlers and cottonmouths as we walked." It clicked then.
Close by here is a high school. The sign from Shary Road says "Rattlesnake Stadium." Who in their right mind takes that logo?
We watched the dogs like hawks when they were out or on a walk. Our dogs are Minnesota born and bread. They wouldn't know what was a poisonous snake or was not. On one of the days I was cleaning the aluminum awning over the outside window of the trailer, tucked in behind a gardenia bush. I got the willies. Had Amber come watch for snakes at my feet while I scrubbed.
We laugh now. Haven't seen one snake, and the owners and other inhabitants of the RV park have not either.
Gradually we have made our way around the area and are beginning to know the major roads. There are almost no lakes so the roads are all straight mostly, north and south; east and west.
For some strange reason, I, who can find my way almost anywhere, use a map well, and keep a good sense of direction, can't tell what is north and south here!!!!! When we look out the front door towards the office and clubhouse, we are facing south. My internal compass thinks its west. Even with seeing where the sun sets, my body doesn't seem to get it.
That was some of the adjustment period. New lodgings, new place. But we have gotten settled in. It took us a while, but we have learned how to cook in a very tiny kitchen with about a 2 x 2 counterspace. I'm so glad to have this experience. This isn't nearly as tiny as the Casita would be. Here there are get away spaces, and a covered porch with concrete floor.
We had lots of fun finding the dollar stores, and getting some major staples. My most fun was finding shelf lining on sale. I have lined almost every drawer and shelf in the place. Now we are comfortable with having our belongings in the place. One of our fun finds at the Goodwill store was the cute blue shaded lamp that we use every night. (in the recliner photo above). Do I ever love that recliner! I am sitting in it right now writing this blog.
What has been mission's saving grace, is the community here at the RV park. It is a whole culture of its own. People have come here for years, feel like family to each other, and welcome the newbies.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
New Year 2008
We decided that 2008 is GREAT!!!!
After arriving on Christmas day (we had promised to be there by Christmas eve - kind of missed it by a few hours), Amber and I stayed with my brother Derrill and his wife Linda until Sunday January 12. We had traveled from Midnight on December 23, until 4:30 am December 25, stopping for short naps here and there along the way. One of the most memorable moments was arriving in Kansas City around 4:00 pm on Christmas eve. We stopped, let the dogs out, and realized that we only had our sweaters on. There was no snow on the ground. Yahoo!!!!!
New Year's Eve, we stayed up to watch the new year being birthed. As we popped the champagne, Derrill brought our four New Year's crowns to celebrate with. What a man!
Derrill surprised us with New Year's hat's
Back lit Linda, standing in front of her Mom's property across the street.
Isn't she pretty?
Last Day
We are leaving for Texas after the holidays. Hard to leave such wonderful company. Derrill and I took walks every evening, Amber helped Linda set up 2008 files. I did 6 days of accounting - I was slow though. We hoped we were helping with the busy year end.
Brother and Sister, Anna & Derrill
We were so pleased to be with family
Look no heavy coats!!!
My!
I sure look tired in this picture.
I was!!!!
I feel fortunate to have a supportive family.
After arriving on Christmas day (we had promised to be there by Christmas eve - kind of missed it by a few hours), Amber and I stayed with my brother Derrill and his wife Linda until Sunday January 12. We had traveled from Midnight on December 23, until 4:30 am December 25, stopping for short naps here and there along the way. One of the most memorable moments was arriving in Kansas City around 4:00 pm on Christmas eve. We stopped, let the dogs out, and realized that we only had our sweaters on. There was no snow on the ground. Yahoo!!!!!
New Year's Eve, we stayed up to watch the new year being birthed. As we popped the champagne, Derrill brought our four New Year's crowns to celebrate with. What a man!
Derrill surprised us with New Year's hat's
Back lit Linda, standing in front of her Mom's property across the street.
Isn't she pretty?
Last Day
We are leaving for Texas after the holidays. Hard to leave such wonderful company. Derrill and I took walks every evening, Amber helped Linda set up 2008 files. I did 6 days of accounting - I was slow though. We hoped we were helping with the busy year end.
Brother and Sister, Anna & Derrill
We were so pleased to be with family
Look no heavy coats!!!
My!
I sure look tired in this picture.
I was!!!!
I feel fortunate to have a supportive family.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Adventure Begins
In an RV park tucked away almost at the tip of Texas, Amber and I rest among all the other midwesterners who have found the Rio Grande Valley. Over 500 RV parks are sprinkled through the Valley. Some permanently have winter homes in retirement subdivisions.
Flat lands verdant with fields of citrus, hay sprinkled with an occasional palm tree conflicts with the image of "a valley." Over 94 percent of the natural vegetation of this area has been replaced with agriculture and long stretches civilizations which at night might look like a necklace along the southern border of Texas. It's a culture like no other I have experienced. Most of the year 91 % of the people here are hispanic. On every weekend the shopping centers bulge with buyers up from Mexico. Amber and I have learned to get groceries before Friday afternoon, and try not to leave the park until Monday.
I have finally become a snowbird. While living in Florida, every winter we were invaded by people from the north. Now I have become one of "them." The Rio Grande Valley is a pit stop for migrating birds - who also find their way from the snow. Smart they are!
Our lap tops are set up to see what the temperature is here in Mission, and at home in Minnetonka. Every day we look. Every day everyone in this park looks! The season is almost over down here, soon temperatures will be too hot, so everyone is making plans for leaving, and daily report what temperatures they are going back too. Just like Minnesotans are consumed by the weather, people here in the parks are consumed by both the weather here and the weather back home.
It's a strange land down here. Sunday was a gorgeous day, clear skies, in the 70's, beautiful. Monday, we were almost blown away by what I call the Santa Anna winds. They come up pretty often, and blow really hard. When I first moved down here, I could not sleep from all the groaning, and buffeting of the metal roofs and shutters responding to the wind. Temperatures can change 30 degrees in any direction within the day, and does.
This is a picture of baby goats on the acreage into the park. There must have been over 40 goats there - including a whole bunch of babies. If you didn't know, one of Amber's not so secret dreams is to own a goat farm!
Twilight is one of my favorite times here. Lovely sunsets, the coolness of the evening begins, and its peaceful.
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