March-ing

 Actually, Dennis, Bob, and Jerry rode into March

on South Padre Island Beach

I think the wind probably blew them in...

The waves were really "wave-ing" ...

bringing March in like a lion.

 A trip to the Padre Island Brewery, a few oysters,

some craft beer, and a visit with Mark (no cap), 

the owner, warmed the guys up

The food is always great, here, too.

On Sunday, the 3rd, we sent to see "Annie"

at the Harlingen Community Theater

 Aloe tour on March 12th

We softened our hands with fresh aloe.

 The farm also houses animals for a local lady.

 "Kid" climbing a tree

 Pony looked so sad :-(

Orange and Grapefruit groves 
on the property...we picked the 
sweetest, juiciest oranges I have ever tasted.
They actually had a golf course on the
muddy swamp area!

Tom, Trina, and kids arrived late on the 15th...
The kids all slept in the living room...on air mattresses,
recliners, the couch, and the floor.  Tom and Trina
retreated to the guest bedroom on the mattress
from the sofa bed!..they all survived the night
before heading to their rented condo on South Padre Island.

Mermaid Annika got a swim in our park pool....

 
While Trina and Montse (their exchange student from 
Paraguay) froze on the deck.

 They enjoyed meeting with the family:  L to R
Wendy & Jerry, Tom & Caiden, Jett, Bob, Trina,
Annika, Ariana, Montse, Jerry & Kathy.

We managed a drive to the north end of the island,
and discovered this crazy camper!

 The condo had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a 
large living area and kitchen...

plus a pool, hot tub, and great view of the beach
which disappeared under the high tides a couple
of days.  

 Temps were in the 60's, but that didn't deter this fish...

the beach swimmers...

or sand-castle builders.  Debris on the beach was
a result of high winds and high tides.

Bob and I stayed at The Pearl, but didn't get a 
chance to use the awesome pool.

 We explored a couple of museums at Port Isabel

and learned more area history...

 before lunch at Joe's Crab Shack.

We met the kids at the Port Isabel lighthouse,

so they could get a view of the Laguna Madre

 climb the mesquite tree

snap a shot of the pelicans,

and meet a pirate.

 Ari and Montse tried the oysters at the Brewery...

before we played mini-golf

and rode the go-carts.

The next day, Bob went for a bike ride, 

and I managed a walk through the Birding Center.

 
My first view from the tower was the waste
water treatment plant.

I decided to follow the walkway and discovered

 a lot of birds that I had never seen before.

So, I am numbering them...and you can email me 
to let me know what they are...#1

 #2

 #3

#4

 #5

 #6

The weather didn't improve, so the kids decided

to head out a couple days early.  It was a good move

because they had some fun adventures on the trip

back to Iowa.

"Horse race" at the end-of-the-year park picnic.
I made 50 cents! :-)

February 2019....Heart Month

 Beach bums...our first trip to South Padre Island

this year was on February 5th...we were too busy to relax!

 Believe it or not, Dirty Al's is a good place to eat!

Bob and Nancy were the first ones in the door.

On the 7th, we went to "The Day the Music Died"
concert in a neighboring park.  "The Big Bopper,
Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens" put on a great show.

 February 8th was the annual Chili Cook-Off

in our park.  This was my first attempt at chili

since I taught in Germany.  I had a "little help

from my friends"...:-)

The judges were some of the local firemen. 

They even brought their truck (in case the chili

was too hot?)  The half-bowl was all that was

left of my batch.  The prizes: some edible and

some practical.

On Valentine's Day, our "gang" toured 

the Mozma Chocolate Factory in Hidalgo, TX.

 We learned about the process from the trees to the table!

This machine is grinding up the beans...we tasted cacao
beans from four countries.  Each had a different flavor
which gave the final products a unique taste.

The newest machine does everything...grinds, crushes,

softens (it was 84 degrees in the room), and makes

the chocolaty syrup.

 
We each had the opportunity to taste the chocolate
(with little plastic spoons) right from the vat. 
(No double-dipping).  Yummy!

 Some of the fancier creations....yes, we bought sugar-free
protein bars with orange and peanuts, with coconut 
and pecans, and with sapodilla and almonds, and
 hot chocolate mix with cinnamon. They gave me a 
 chocolate heart on a stick for my birthday! 

 We stopped at a great BBQ place afterwards, and the gang 
came to our place for pie and chocolates that evening.  
One of "the girls"brought Wisconsin chocolate 
made from cheddar cheese, and the others gave
me a new apron purchased in Mexico.

We took a trip down the Rio Grande on the 22nd. 

these are the developments on the Mexican side...

 a lot of resort areas

 blurry because I took the pics

 with my phone.

 This was the extent of development on the U.S. side

 Afterwards we went to the La Lomita Chapel

 which is on the National Register of
Historic places, but they want to destroy
it to build a wall.

 Outdoor oven at the chapel site

 Our Lady of Guadalupe

The next day, Bob, his brother Jerry, and I 

went to a German sauerkraut fest 

and enjoyed the oompah band, too.

On the 27th, we played in the round-robin pickleball

tournament in Harlingen.  We won a few and lost a few. :-)