Today is golf day...we had a tee time at 2:30 with Al and Bonnie.
Katie and I got to the course sooner than Al and Bonnie. For those that have not read the blog before, we have a golf course right next to the park called Tierra Del Sol. We are able to go through a gate at the end of the park with a door opener device and we are right in the parking lot of the course.
We looked at the first tee and there were about ten carts waiting to tee off. Oh Oh...not good...and very hot.
We noticed we might be able to get out on the back 9, so Al went and checked and we could. So we decided that we would only play 9 because of the heat and how busy it was, and the fact it was Katie's first game this year.
Off we went and it was a very good decision. We didn't have to wait at any tee box, so we played in just under 2 hours.
First game for Katie since playing here last year? You wouldn't know it! She shot 43, and apart from some hooks with her driver which she put away to be disciplined, she looked like she had been playing for months. Her putting was outstanding.
Katie was very happy and I was happy for her. I had a pretty good game myself, but as is often my habit the score is not the most important part for me, so I can only guess I might have been a couple of strokes higher than Katie.
We came back to our house, and both had showers as we were very hot. Al and Bonnie came over shortly after, we had a before dinner drink, then we had Katie's special chicken burgers which she makes with Mango Chutney, smoked paprika, chipotle, green apple, onions, and chicken breast.
They are so good! We also had curly fries and home made cole slaw. For dessert we had lemon slice.
After supper we sat outside and watched the lightning show across the sky and listened to the thunder roar. It was quite a show and was predicted. As always with Al and Bonnie we have a good time both on the golf course and sitting around and having good conversation and lots of laughs.
Later on that night when we were sleeping, the thunder was huge and woke us up a few times.
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later...
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Day 22 Thursday
Katie and I always go to Harbour Freight at least once every year. They have all sorts of tools at very good prices. We picked up a few items there.
It was lunch time and we were hungry, and we felt like Chinese food for some reason...both of us...we do that all the time, order the same thing and want the same thing. We went to a place called House of China where they had a buffet. It was very good and hit the spot.
Then we went to Feldman's which is a huge liquor store, as we wanted to find one of our favorite drinks.
It is really good served over ice.
Then we came home, and Katie called the Elaine who we know and who owns the cart that we are using. After a tiny bit of haggling, we are now the proud owners of "The Yellow Submarine". as the cart is yellow. What the heck are we doing? We just sold ours. Well, it is 10 years newer in very good shape with one year old batteries, so what the heck!
We also have new renters next January and February, so we don't have to think about that anymore. They are also going to rent the cart from us for the two months, so that is helpful.
Katie went to the store to get some supplies for supper tomorrow, as Al and Bonnie are coming over after we play golf in the afternoon.
Here are the rollup blinds we installed...
They are much better than our previous installation, as we can roll them up when it is to windy, and also when we leave to go back home.
and so ends another great day in Valley...
more later...
It was lunch time and we were hungry, and we felt like Chinese food for some reason...both of us...we do that all the time, order the same thing and want the same thing. We went to a place called House of China where they had a buffet. It was very good and hit the spot.
Then we went to Feldman's which is a huge liquor store, as we wanted to find one of our favorite drinks.
It is really good served over ice.
Then we came home, and Katie called the Elaine who we know and who owns the cart that we are using. After a tiny bit of haggling, we are now the proud owners of "The Yellow Submarine". as the cart is yellow. What the heck are we doing? We just sold ours. Well, it is 10 years newer in very good shape with one year old batteries, so what the heck!
We also have new renters next January and February, so we don't have to think about that anymore. They are also going to rent the cart from us for the two months, so that is helpful.
Katie went to the store to get some supplies for supper tomorrow, as Al and Bonnie are coming over after we play golf in the afternoon.
Here are the rollup blinds we installed...
They are much better than our previous installation, as we can roll them up when it is to windy, and also when we leave to go back home.
and so ends another great day in Valley...
more later...
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Day 21 Wednesday
Quite a day...I don't feel too great...think I have the Texas Crud...but off we went to go to the flea market(s).
We stopped at the first one we have never been to before. There is a lot of parking, but there are so many cars and people the cars have to line up on the road and wait to get in. Katie and I parked a couple of blocks away and walked.
This place is huge....Katie and I walked down about three rows which are really long and packed with people...pretty much the same stuff in each row, so we said "let's get out of here".
Then it was on to Don-Wes Flea Market, which is not as large, but at least in the different rows the goods for sale are different. Not nearly as crowded...good for me not feeling good. We picked up a few small items we needed, but didn't really stay that long.
Now it was time to go to Gonzalez Burgers...we pilgrimage there once a year. It is also in Donna. By the time we got there it was around 2PM or so, and there was the usual lineup. Last year we had to wait an hour, but I can only say it is well worth it. They produce their own meat, and the burgers are huge and always perfectly cooked. They also have fries and onion rings, so Katie and I had a burger each but shared an order of onion rings. So good!!!!
This is what the outside of Gonzalez Burgers looks like...there is no sign...you either know where it is or you don't. Lots of Winter Texans do. They open at 11:00 and close at 3. They actually put the closed sign up at 2:30 while we were still waiting for our number to be called.
After we stuffed ourselves...it was off to Mercedes to the Factory Outlet Stores. We always seem to find a bargain there, but not so much this year. Katie got a couple of items but we didn't stay too long as Katie felt sorry for me.
Then home....
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later....
We stopped at the first one we have never been to before. There is a lot of parking, but there are so many cars and people the cars have to line up on the road and wait to get in. Katie and I parked a couple of blocks away and walked.
This place is huge....Katie and I walked down about three rows which are really long and packed with people...pretty much the same stuff in each row, so we said "let's get out of here".
Then it was on to Don-Wes Flea Market, which is not as large, but at least in the different rows the goods for sale are different. Not nearly as crowded...good for me not feeling good. We picked up a few small items we needed, but didn't really stay that long.
Now it was time to go to Gonzalez Burgers...we pilgrimage there once a year. It is also in Donna. By the time we got there it was around 2PM or so, and there was the usual lineup. Last year we had to wait an hour, but I can only say it is well worth it. They produce their own meat, and the burgers are huge and always perfectly cooked. They also have fries and onion rings, so Katie and I had a burger each but shared an order of onion rings. So good!!!!
Then home....
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later....
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Day 20 Tuesday
I wrote about our new blinds yesterday, so it was time to get them installed today. Says 20 minutes in the instructions...I jokingly said to Katie, more like one day.
I was closer to being right, though it shouldn't have been that way. First I had to take down metal strips which I had previously had to install for our previous setup. I thought I could take them down with my drill and the correct socket..oh oh...first sign of trouble, didn't have an extension to fit in the drill even though I had the right socket. On to the manual method with a regular ratchet handle and socket and what should have been a few minutes took a long time.
Then Katie and I did a lot of fooling around to make sure we had the two sections properly centered, and that believe it or not took quite a while because we had to make sure that the brackets and the bracket with the clutch were in the right places and mounted properly.
Again...problem...the installation screws and retainers were not for mounting on metal, but rather in a drywall type situation. We tried to make the best of that as well, but again did not have the right tools or screws.
Lucky for us, one of our friends Remi rode by on his bike and he want to look for what we needed. He did not have the right screws either. Then our neighbor Ron came over and saved us. He went and got the screws we needed from his place, along with the right extensions for his drill which he also brought. After that because we had things all marked out already, it was a breeze. We put the second one up in about ten minutes. Amazing what happens when you have the right equipment. They look good and work well.
Before we even started this, Katie washed the car, while I was wrestling with the metal strips and screws. They weren't easy to get out and by the end my hand was actually cramping. Again right tool would have been simple.
Started to get really hot then.
The vegetable guy Joe who always comes to the park on Tuesdays with a truck full of fresh vegetables drove by honking his horn as he always does. We took the cart we are borrowing and went to get some.
We decided we had enough, and I didn't want Katie to have to cook, so off we went and had supper at Pizza Hut. It was very good and hit the spot.
We watched some TV and off to bed. I could tell I was going to get something as I could feel a dry cough in my chest. We'll see.
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later...
I was closer to being right, though it shouldn't have been that way. First I had to take down metal strips which I had previously had to install for our previous setup. I thought I could take them down with my drill and the correct socket..oh oh...first sign of trouble, didn't have an extension to fit in the drill even though I had the right socket. On to the manual method with a regular ratchet handle and socket and what should have been a few minutes took a long time.
Then Katie and I did a lot of fooling around to make sure we had the two sections properly centered, and that believe it or not took quite a while because we had to make sure that the brackets and the bracket with the clutch were in the right places and mounted properly.
Again...problem...the installation screws and retainers were not for mounting on metal, but rather in a drywall type situation. We tried to make the best of that as well, but again did not have the right tools or screws.
Lucky for us, one of our friends Remi rode by on his bike and he want to look for what we needed. He did not have the right screws either. Then our neighbor Ron came over and saved us. He went and got the screws we needed from his place, along with the right extensions for his drill which he also brought. After that because we had things all marked out already, it was a breeze. We put the second one up in about ten minutes. Amazing what happens when you have the right equipment. They look good and work well.
Before we even started this, Katie washed the car, while I was wrestling with the metal strips and screws. They weren't easy to get out and by the end my hand was actually cramping. Again right tool would have been simple.
Started to get really hot then.
The vegetable guy Joe who always comes to the park on Tuesdays with a truck full of fresh vegetables drove by honking his horn as he always does. We took the cart we are borrowing and went to get some.
We decided we had enough, and I didn't want Katie to have to cook, so off we went and had supper at Pizza Hut. It was very good and hit the spot.
We watched some TV and off to bed. I could tell I was going to get something as I could feel a dry cough in my chest. We'll see.
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later...
Day 19 Monday
Sorry folks, the days and subsequently the blog are getting away from me the last couple of days.
Katie and I have been debating about how or if we would replace the cloth partitions we had on the carport, which gave us some shelter from the wind and also privacy. After a couple of years the wind had its way with them, and our friend Al was forced to battle with them while the wind was blowing hard and take them all down. The grommets were starting to rip as well.
We were looking at three options basically, one, to take the three we had and combine them into two so that the RV place at the Donna Flea market where we originally got them could reinforce and fix them.
Another option is to take a section of vinyl fencing and install in between the posts that hold up the carport roof. The sections at Lowe's are reasonable 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall for $99. Trouble is getting them installed properly. Other friends in the park actually had them custom made and mounted and labor formed a large part of the cost.
Another option was to do nothing, however, if you want to sit on the patio or have people over for a happy hour it would have to be when there is no wind.
We decided to walk over to our neighbors across the intersection as he has some on his balcony and we wanted to see how they were fastened. He turned out to be a very nice guy, and said we should look at his neighbors setup. We did...another nice guy from Missouri...and he had the same material as we had previously, but these ones roll up like a blind and are 8 feet wide. He said he got them at Lowe's and they come in 3 different colors. We thought these would probably be the answer if they weren't too expensive. The advantage being we came leave them all the way up, or down as much as we want, and they won't take a beating from the wind and sun when we are gone.
Off to Lowe's we went found them, but we wanted 8 footers wide and deep in the color we wanted and Lowe's didn't carry those.
Off to Home Depot we went, and found exactly what we wanted. $99 each, but you can install yourself. We got two for the front two sections of the car port.
It got really hot in the afternoon so we couldn't put them up, so we just did a few chores for the rest of the day and took it easy at night.
and so ends another great day in the Valley....
more later...
Katie and I have been debating about how or if we would replace the cloth partitions we had on the carport, which gave us some shelter from the wind and also privacy. After a couple of years the wind had its way with them, and our friend Al was forced to battle with them while the wind was blowing hard and take them all down. The grommets were starting to rip as well.
We were looking at three options basically, one, to take the three we had and combine them into two so that the RV place at the Donna Flea market where we originally got them could reinforce and fix them.
Another option is to take a section of vinyl fencing and install in between the posts that hold up the carport roof. The sections at Lowe's are reasonable 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall for $99. Trouble is getting them installed properly. Other friends in the park actually had them custom made and mounted and labor formed a large part of the cost.
Another option was to do nothing, however, if you want to sit on the patio or have people over for a happy hour it would have to be when there is no wind.
We decided to walk over to our neighbors across the intersection as he has some on his balcony and we wanted to see how they were fastened. He turned out to be a very nice guy, and said we should look at his neighbors setup. We did...another nice guy from Missouri...and he had the same material as we had previously, but these ones roll up like a blind and are 8 feet wide. He said he got them at Lowe's and they come in 3 different colors. We thought these would probably be the answer if they weren't too expensive. The advantage being we came leave them all the way up, or down as much as we want, and they won't take a beating from the wind and sun when we are gone.
Off to Lowe's we went found them, but we wanted 8 footers wide and deep in the color we wanted and Lowe's didn't carry those.
Off to Home Depot we went, and found exactly what we wanted. $99 each, but you can install yourself. We got two for the front two sections of the car port.
It got really hot in the afternoon so we couldn't put them up, so we just did a few chores for the rest of the day and took it easy at night.
and so ends another great day in the Valley....
more later...
Monday, March 14, 2016
Day 18 Sunday
Mexico Day...Katie and I left at 12 so that we could drive, park the car on the US side, then walk to the Pharmacy to see Lenny and get picked up by our family. We got to the pharmacy at 12:55. Lenny was not there and we waited. No one came, and because Lenny wasn't there he could not phone Erika. About 1:50 they came and told us they had come before but we weren't there. Somehow we missed each other, but it all worked out in the end.
When we got to the house, Sherlyn and her mom were there. We are always glad to see them, not just because they translate for us, but because we like them. I told Katie we are getting spoiled, and when they are not there it will be more difficult.
We had a good afternoon discussing all sorts of things, and had lots of laughs. We are able to find out even more about our family with the help of Sherlyn and her mom.
Karelly wanted to play soccer but we couldn't as Katie is still recovering from her cold or allergies or whatever it was, but it certainly didn't make her feel good. She is much better today though. My sore knee still doesn't feel normal in any event.
Katie and I decided that we wanted to take everyone out for supper. So off we went to the Red Snapper on the main street of Nuevo Progreso. It is a nice big place, and the waiters are always dressed in crisp white shirts and black bow ties.
Everyone ordered what they wanted. There was a electronic piano player and a singer performing. They were fantastic and the singer had incredible breath control and a very good voice. Karelly and I got up on the dance floor before supper practicing for her Quinceañera, when she is 15 the celebration to young womanhood.
The food was very good and we all had a good time.
We found out back at the house, that Livario, and the family are getting up at 4AM on Saturday to drive to Monterrey about two hours, so that Livario can get all his papers in order for when he gets his interview to try and get his Visa. He seems pretty confident but we are worried because it is just very difficult to get a Visa. Makes us frustrated when we see lots of illegals on the US side and someone who is trying to do things properly and legally can't seem to get a break. Hopefully it works out.
When it was time to leave we went with Sherlyn in her car, and unlike last week when it took us an hour and a half to get back because there was so much traffic, this week was the opposite with no cars on the bridge and we only had to wait at the crossing behind two cars.
Sherlyn dropped us off at our car, and Katie and I got home and just relaxed the rest of the night. It was about 8PM and the temperature was still 30 degrees Celsius.
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later...
When we got to the house, Sherlyn and her mom were there. We are always glad to see them, not just because they translate for us, but because we like them. I told Katie we are getting spoiled, and when they are not there it will be more difficult.
We had a good afternoon discussing all sorts of things, and had lots of laughs. We are able to find out even more about our family with the help of Sherlyn and her mom.
Karelly wanted to play soccer but we couldn't as Katie is still recovering from her cold or allergies or whatever it was, but it certainly didn't make her feel good. She is much better today though. My sore knee still doesn't feel normal in any event.
Katie and I decided that we wanted to take everyone out for supper. So off we went to the Red Snapper on the main street of Nuevo Progreso. It is a nice big place, and the waiters are always dressed in crisp white shirts and black bow ties.
Everyone ordered what they wanted. There was a electronic piano player and a singer performing. They were fantastic and the singer had incredible breath control and a very good voice. Karelly and I got up on the dance floor before supper practicing for her Quinceañera, when she is 15 the celebration to young womanhood.
The food was very good and we all had a good time.
We found out back at the house, that Livario, and the family are getting up at 4AM on Saturday to drive to Monterrey about two hours, so that Livario can get all his papers in order for when he gets his interview to try and get his Visa. He seems pretty confident but we are worried because it is just very difficult to get a Visa. Makes us frustrated when we see lots of illegals on the US side and someone who is trying to do things properly and legally can't seem to get a break. Hopefully it works out.
When it was time to leave we went with Sherlyn in her car, and unlike last week when it took us an hour and a half to get back because there was so much traffic, this week was the opposite with no cars on the bridge and we only had to wait at the crossing behind two cars.
Sherlyn dropped us off at our car, and Katie and I got home and just relaxed the rest of the night. It was about 8PM and the temperature was still 30 degrees Celsius.
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later...
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Day 17 Saturday
First, I forgot to post the accomplishment of the oldest of the girls we sponsor Karelly. She is so smart and studies hard! We are so proud of her...she does this all the time!
We didn't do much this morning as Katie was still not feeling good...but later still not feeling good she decided we should still go to the driving range. We went to Palmview as it is a nicer driving range than the one next door. Katie was not quite as good as the last two times, understandable, but still good though.
I hit the ball much better than the previous days and was happy with that.
We came back and took the cart for a ride, we stopped and talked to the Rick and Linda Palmer, and I was asking Rick about the Vinyl fence he had put up in his car port. That is one of the options for us to replace the cloth material we had in place until the wind had it's way with them.
We were going to go for a walk at night, but my knee still doesn't feel quite right, so we just took some garbage to the bins in the cart.
We watched some TV and then bed. Mexico tomorrow if Katie is feeling better...Yea!
and so ends another great day in the Valley...
more later...
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