March 17: Still Hot and Windy

As you can see by our indoor thermometer, it was hot on the 14th--101 outside and 82 inside. I think it actually got up to 105 that day. About 102 the next. Needless to say, we've been swimming a lot. Notice the pricey clothes hanger. We've now figured out that we can hang everything on the chain link fence with clothes pins. Can't wear sun screen into the pool and I don't want to put it on when I get out, so Larry is now wearing a t-shirt when he swims to cut down on the sun burn and I'm trying to sit in the shade of an umbrella. One lady here in the park went to Mexico with her husband who was getting a root canal and both were mistaken for a Mexican. She says they really check her car and look the papers over when they come back across the border. They both lay out in the sun everyday that we've been to the pool. I'm really amazed at the number of elderly that are sun bathing - guess when you get this age, what's one more wrinkle.

We've been sticking pretty close to home. Too hot to geo cache and too windy today to even go swimming. Yesterday we had gusts up to 50 mph and today's were around 40 mph. Temps in the 80's. If the wind weren't miserable enough in it's own right, the dust it kicks up is a pain too--in the eyes and into the camper. Wednesday and Thursday are suppose to be really good so I'm sure we'll get in another geo or two before we leave here next Tuesday.

We can stay pretty busy just staying here in the park. Bingo, shuffleboard, Euchre, 500, aerobics, ice cream socials and pot luck dinners. Went back to Pepe's Friday for hamburgers and drinks. Really good margaritas for $2. I hope they're that good in Mexico. We're going there Thursday. We were going to go Friday for Winter Texas Appreciate Day but everyone said it would be really crowded so we'll go a day early. We've been told to be prepared to see the local law enforcement with machine guns and one time tanks came into town and all the locals shut down shop and all the gringos headed for the border. Larry and I are real excited about those prospects.

Went to a show at the Chicken Opry last Saturday. It was the grand finale of the season with the talent from the valley. It was an nice program (I almost went to sleep) and have decided we will come to the valley to go swimming.

The neighbor's dog barked again this past week and the border patrol nabbed 10 more illegals. He said the dog had alerted the border patrol to about 50 so far this year - since November. I still have a hard time thinking they slink along this fence behind us when it is so well lighted.

The fruit down here is outstanding. The orange trees, at least in this part of the state, grow as wind rows to protect the grapefruit. Closer to Corpus Christi, there were orchards of oranges. You can see both orange and grapefruit trees growing in peoples yards We bought some lemons the other day and I've been making us fresh squeezed lemonades in the afternoon. I also have some limes (for my margaritas) to make limeades. The neighbor has been supplying us with grapefruits and they are really sweet. I can't eat very many but I've been trying to eat some because they are so good. One place advertises $2 for a 5 gallon bucket of grapefruits; another says $1/car - all you can pick. They're just dropping off and rotting on the ground.

I have know idea what this first flower is, but there are several of them around. This bloom is on top of about a 2 to 3 ft stalk. And the Bougainvillea are abundant down here. Huge trees and long rows of bushes of them, blooming everywhere--in several different colors. The hibiscus have been in bloom since February. As you can see, I love taking pictures of flowers. Bugs too but haven't seen too many yet - and I'm glad. I don't like bugs but I like to take pictures of them.