Tuesday, October 30, 2012 9 pm 75 degrees

We went to the Brownsville flea market looking for a little table that might hold the laptop and get it off the kitchen table but didn't find anything

It is a fun place to visit tho.  You can buy anything from birds

To boots

and even these............  um I guess they would be called dolls....................... which I cannot believe that anyone would buy...but no little table.

I got tired after a bit and said, "Let's sit down. "

I looked and Neil is sitting on the benches across from me....I don't think he even knew I wasn't  there.

I have blocked out the writing on this next billboard because I want you to guess what it is advertising.  Don't look, but the answer is at the last of the blog.  Clue:  she is not advertising beaches, suntan lotion or tropical  vacations.

I am just beginning to know how big football is in Texas,

This is a high school football stadium in Harlingen.

There are 6 high schools in Brownsville and every one of them has a big stadium like this.  

I don't think the University of Maine has a nicer stadium.

Over the weekend  there was a game over near Weslaco...I don't know which town....but it was a big rivalry and there were 14,000 people in attendance.  I couldn't believe that number was right so when the Time Warner man was here installing internet (yes, we have internet at the RV now), I asked him and he agreed...14,000 people.  

I think this guy should  be watering his lawn instead of mowing it.

She is advertising vein surgery.  Do you think they just misspelled vain?

These are my favorite Halloween  decorations.

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Tuesday, October 23,2012        1pm       85 degrees

Winter can begin now, we are all settled into our winter home where the temperatures outside run in the 90's every day with one day over 100 degrees.  I could say we came back a little early, but....no...it's cold in Maine so I am happy here.

Of course we spent a little time looking around to see what has changed and what hasn't.  There is a tree that we like just because it is old and gnarled and interesting and it just happens to be in a graveyard, so we went to visit it. 

On the way , I noticed this grave.  I think they might want to re-think a Happy Birthday balloon on a grave where the occupant didn't make it for more birthdays.....not too happy a day, maybe.

  Just a  suggestion.

We also laughed about this building that we thought was a bargain book store, so we went in and found it is a publishing place for a weekly booklet called the Bargain Book about local for sale items.  Oops.

 

Biggest changes in the area, tho ares these 171 wind turbines that have been going up since January. When complete at the end of the year, they will generate 400 megawatts of electricity.

 This nice flat ground is ideal for wind turbines as they need to be 20 or more times the height of anything else in the direct area.

 This crane lifts the 160 ft. long blades into the post.

I always wondered why there was so much opposition to wind power and according to the news here, one of the reasons is that because heat rises and the blades turn continuously  their stirring  actually brings the heat that has  naturally risen back down to  ground level.   As to the danger to migrating birds which directly relates to this area as it is a natural migration  route, they have developed radar that detects large flocks of birds and they can turn the turbine off when the birds are in the area.  I wonder if that will actually happen.

 I like all the murals and  decorations painted on buildings.

 Look how the decorative painting makes this little in-between place show up to better advantage.

 This one is a little misleading because it honors American and Mexican cinema.  Mexican cinema?

Hate this billboard.  Panders to the idea that everyone wants to be young again   and by just saying so, you will be.  It's a Peter Pan idea.

Neil's whine cooler.

March 10 2010  6pm 82 degrees

broad billed hummingbird

Here we are at our new RV Park where we have decided to  leave the camper year round.   That's us behind the orange tree

 There is a pair of hooded orioles  that keep us entertained by coming to the hedge where we can see them  eating the oranges that Neil puts out for them. 

 A mockingbird also comes to the oranges but he is a bully and drives the orioles away

Holidays bring out the street vendors.  This one is selling pinatas

Just about every street corner has someone selling these eggs.  They are real eggs hollowed out with confetti put inside and sealed at the bottom.  They sell them by the dozen and on Easter the kids hit each other on the head with them.   Sounds like fun.

Easter decs at the cemetary.  I don't think they were expecting  the stone to be rolled back on Easter morn, tho.

  

About 6 years ago when we were in Arizona, we met a couple  from Sorrento Maine and  then again last week, we were at Santa Ana  wildlife refuge on a bird woalk and met them again!  I just can''t get over the coincidence of that.  They come down to the valley for a few months every years so we plan on seeing them again next year.

I  love this house.  As soon as I become rich, I am buying this house  where Neil and I will live downstairs and Sammy will live upstairs and write his first great screenplay.  There is also a little garden apartment off to the side for Mary Jo to open her  speech therapy office.  

Well, I have two laptop computers and both are nearly dead.  One has only a blue screen and the other overheats (this one that I am using at the library with a cheesy fan blowing on the processor to keep it going) 

I think this will be my last blog on this  trip . We leave here May 1 , go to Fort Worth to spend some time with Matt and Lori and then  home for the summer

. Close with some pictures that I like but never got into the blog or until the computer heats up  and turns itself off.

March 28 2012 8 pm cdt  81 degrees

beep beep (roadrunner)

We went to the Brownsville flea market the other day.

there was a wide variety of wares

 but Howie got most of the kid's attention.

I just love this little girls cowboy boots to match her outfit.

I kept hearing a little voice say  "Cat"

I'd say dog but this little guy kept saying "Cat" So when I looked around and saw him, I just let him call Howie a cat and then he put his hands on his hips and said "Dog".   Then he pointed at the camera and I guessed he wanted his picture taken so here he is, The Boy Who Says Cat.

There were some interesting eats at the flea market.

  This is an ear of corn with mayonaise, lime, chili and cumin

This is called a tornado potato...spiral potato deep fried on a stick

We have also seen some cool wildlife lately.

  This is a bobcat that had been getting water at a leaky faucet at an empty campsite  at Cameron County Park.

Also these dolphins feed in the channel here  in the mornings sometimes and then head to the ocean.

I was lucky with the fast camera with those two pic but the next one  was easier to get.  This is a Texan Tortoise who was crossing the road  so we stopped and gave him the right of way.  

 Of course he withdrew into his shell but it gave us a good opportunity to see up close  how he fits inside the shell.    Probably it is to  protect his vital parts, but  I prefer to think he covers his eyes like a little kid who doesn't want to see the bad stuff.

Night fishing at the Cameron County park

Sea Lice ?  !