The Gang in Mexico

The gang in Mexico

We went to Mexico today and, of course, went to our favorite bartender, Santiago.  After drinks (I had water) we went over to Old Town Cafe for lunch.  We have been by this place several times and always thought it would be a good place for lunch so today was the day.  The food was good and the strawberry margarita was exceptional.  They put us in the back of the restaurant so we had lots of room back there.

The toenail trio

We all went to Rubens for haircuts, pedicures, and I had my eyebrows waxed.  That is a little painful process but worth it in the long run and it lasts for about a month if I keep all the little hairs out.  Bob Boynk and GW Harley were in the chair for a haircut while Jan, Steve and Pat Boynk were getting their toenails done.  I got the eyebrows then Ken had his head shaved while Lee and Jan got haircuts.

Ken joining the baldy trio

It was off to Joe's for square dancing in the evening and ice cream later.  We had a great day!

Thanksgiving at the Pottingers

Today is Thanksgiving and we have a lot to be thankful for.  We have a great family and good friends.  Since we cannot be with family on this holiday we will be with our friends.  We had dinner at our house this year and everyone chipped in with the food.  We had a lot of good food and it is always nice to try something someone else has cooked.  Good food, good wine, and good company...nothing is much better except having family around.

November 26, 2011

After a late start this morning "we slept in" and not going to Weight Watchers "Thanksgiving blew that", we went to El Teo Chuey's for lunch then went geocaching.  Our trip today took us to a 900 year old Montezuma Bald Cypress tree practically right in our back yard in a little community called Abram.  There is a paved road through Abram then we took off on a dirt road, up over the border fenced area and down another dirt road.  The tree can be seen from the border fence and is easy to get to.  The geocache was a little more tricky but can be seen from the road if you know what to look for.

900 year old Montezuma Bald Cypress

Yturria and LaPuerta

We decided to do a little geo-caching today and wouldn't you know, the computer was down so we couldn't get to the information we needed but Hardy had a few in his IPad.  We took off to LaJoya and found two caches in the conservation area.  We stopped at the gate and there was a sign stating you had to have permission to enter so we decided we better leave but then we noticed a parking area just down the road so stopped there and they had a walking trail into the area.  We found the caches but the last one was a little harder to find and off the beaten track, through the brush and under a tree.  There were lots of thorns on the bushes so Hardy went after the cache and I guarded the road for critters.  We took our chairs out of the car and had a picnic under the trees in the parking lot.  It was a nice day for a walk in the area.

 Yturria and LaPuerta
These disjunct areas of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge are located directly on US 83 between La Joya and Rio Grande City. Both are undeveloped except for some old roads allowing foot access, both are narrow tracts of land stretching north for a couple of miles from the highway, and both, with their upland thorn scrub habitat, are known as good places to see birds associated with more arid country farther west.

Hardy's Birthday

Today is Hardy's birthday and we have had a busy day.  We started out with breakfast at home and he wanted waffles with pecans so after spilling the batter all over the counter and floor,I was finally able to put something together.

We then went to the McAllen Library and worked on some genealogy.  They have a great section and i need to spend more time there.  They have lots of books on the Mayflower Descendents and as I am one of them, I want to go through those books.  I also found something on my great great grandfather, William Campbell.  Apparently he fought in the the War of 1812 as there is a pension mentioned for him.  I am sure it is my ancestor as it listed his wife as Nancy Barter with a marriage date of 1814 and this matches the information I have.  In Index to war of 1812, pension files. White 1989, there is a William Campbell married to Nancy Barter (WC25776) married October 14, 1814, Lincoln City, ME, sd Mar 1878 Boothbay, ME.  wd July 1883, srv Ellis Percy's MA Mil. Lived in Lincoln City, ME.

We then went to dance C1 with Darryl and out to dinner with Jan and Steve at Macaroni Grill.  They sang happy birthday to Hardy in Italian so that was different.  He had the most decadent chocolate cake there.  Later we went to the C2 dance with Darryl and had a great time there too.

It is hot and humid tonight and our air conditioner is not working properly.   I don't know if it will get fixed but it is very warm in the house tonight, even with the fans running.

Breakfast at Angels

We went to our Sunday morning breakfast with Jan, Steve, Pat and Bob at our favorite "Angel's Restaurant".  After breakfast we came home and I washed the car.  That was a mistake as it showed every little water spot so Hardy took a rag and went back over it while I cleaned the inside.  Hardy also cut down some aloevera plants that were taking over the west side of the house and I used the hose to wash some of the dust off the house so it was a busy morning.  I did nothing in the afternoon but watch a couple of TV programs, work the crossword puzzle and cryptoquip.

November 11, 2011

Several of the square dancers went to Progresso today for our usual margarita but we came back to Wesleco to eat at Fat Daddy's.  This is a BBQ joint and very good but too much food.

We went to the movie down at the hall with Jan and Steve.  The movie was called "Water Horse" and was a cute little "Puff the Magic Dragon" type.  It was filmed in Scotland near where Shonas is from.  
 

                                                       
The Water Horse

Angus, a young Scottish boy, finds an enchanted egg. Taking it home, he soon finds himself face-to-face with an amazing creature: the mythical "water horse" of Scottish lore. Angus begins a journey of discovery, facing his greatest fears and risking his life to protect a secret that would give birth to a legend.

November 10, 2011

We have had a busy week dancing with all our callers and ended today and this week with Randy at a C-2 dance.  There is no more dancing until next Monday as Darryl and Decca are gone this weekend so we will have to find something to do for a few days.

November 6, 2011

I remembered to change the time back last night so we were on time for breakfast with Jan, Steve, Bob and Pat at our little Angel's Restaurant.  We did a little grocery shopping in Pinitas at Walmart and then just laid around all afternoon working on the blog, doing laundry, etc.  Tonight we watched the movie "Certain Prey" by John Stanford who happens to be a writer that I really like.  Mark Harmon played Lucas Davenport and Mark is an exceptional actor and played a very good part.  We are able to get the Military Channel for this month so we have been watching military movies and documentaries too.

International Space Station

We were able to watch the International Space Station fly over again tonight.  Last night we went down the road to watch and it was quite dark.  Tonight we watched it from our front yard with artificial light but it was far enough overhead that was quite visible, even with the clouds rolling through.

November 5, 2011

Kites at South Padre Island

We went to South Padre Island with Jan and Steve to fly our kites. This is just a group of friends getting together and flying kits.  They get together the first Saturday of every month (weather permitting).   We then went to eat at Daddy's Restaurant which is a favorite of ours and serves Cajun food.  I always get the shrimp salad.

Palo Alto

 We stopped and picked up two virtual geocaches; one on the way off the island and one at Palo Alto National Park near Brownsville. On May 8, 1846 troops of the United States and Mexico clashed on the prairie of Palo Alto in the first battle of a two-year war.  Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park is the only unit of the National Park Service designated to focus on the war between the United States and Mexico.

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November 4, 2011

Darryl Lipscomb

Here I am catching up on my blogging instead of sleeping but I woke up at 5:00 and couldn't get back to sleep so thought I would just use the time to get this caught up. We have decided not to dance this morning but will dance this afternoon.  We went to our C2 dance and saw several friends we had not seen in several months. It was a good dance with Darryl calling.

November 3, 2011

Bentsen State Park

We started off the day with a dance in the morning with Randy. It was such a good dance and he is a very good caller. We decided to finish up the geocaching at Bentsen State Park. When we got to the park we noticed border patrol in the area so asked them if it was all right to go into the park. They assured us it was no problem so we went in and found our cache. On the way out of the park we stopped at the visitor' center and got into a conversation with the volunteer who just happened to be from Ennis, MT which is about 100 miles from where I am from. While we were talking to her the border patrol came whizzing by then we say the patrol on foot running toward the entrance. We thought they were on a training mission but it turns out it was the real deal. The park called the volunteer and told her she could lock the doors if she was uneasy about what was going on so we decided we should probably leave the park. On the way out of the park the patrol was standing near the entrance with several bundles of marijuana they had found inside and told us there was more in there too. They still had not found the carriers but apparently they had the marijuana in back packs when they crossed the river and dropped the packs when they spotted the border patrol. The helicopter was hovering overhead and there were more patrol looking for the illegals. The sheriff's department told Hardy and I that we should get on the other side of the levy so we decided it was time to leave the area but it was exciting watching our tax dollars at work. It would probably have been more exciting if we had run into those illegals while we were taking our hike in the park. That kind of excitement I can do without! 

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is best known among birders and "Winter Texans" who flock to the park for its diverse bird life and subtropical climate. Located on the U.S.-Mexico border, the park's 588 acres include two large resacas (old oxbow lakes formed by the Rio Grande). These resacas are bordered by dense, brushy woodlands which provide shelter for endangered mammals such as the ocelot and jaguarandi; opossum, javelina, coyote and armadillo are more common. 

Anyway, we went square dancing later on so got to tell our exciting story to our square dance friends.

November 2, 2011

Joe Saltel

Randy Dougherty

We continued with the square dancing today with an A at Randy's and then a C1 in the evening with Joe Saltel. Joe always calls a good dance and he is just such a nice guy too. Jan and Steve were there so we all went to the Dairy Queen afterwards. I had some coupons to give out but they did not have my fudge cycle so I ended up with water while watching everyone else eat ice cream. They assured me they would have it next Wednesday.

November 1, 2011

Well the season has started in full swing so we are off and square dancing. We started out with Randy Dougherty at 10:00 with the C2 workshop. We only had one square with one extra couple but he put us through our paces. At 1:00 we continued dancing with Randy at a C1 workshop which was also very good.