Jan 5th-6th-7th-8th from Kay

Wednesday the 5^th of January was Chuck’s Birthday…and the sun was shining so we took advantage of that and spent time on the outside verandas reading and catching up on e-mails (some Birthday greetings by e-mail and mail shared too), we also had to get groceries too (we sneaked in the choc. Cake for Chuck too).  We also packed for our 2 day trip to South Padre Islands and to visit friends in McAllen and Harlingen. Went to the Big Fisherman to eat and had martini’s to celebrate the big occasion.

We had a 3 hr drive to McAllen to get to the Citrus Valley campground to visit Al and Barb DeLange (Mitchell friends who winter there), they gave us 2 bags of fresh grapefruit off their trees by their camper.  This campground was originally a grapefruit farm, until some were frozen out and then when they don’t have the right combination of male/female species the fruit sometimes changes to lemony taste, so turned it into this campground. 

Our drive in this area consisted of many groves of grapefruit trees...with fruit laying on the ground.  I said why don’t they get out of bed and pick up all that nice fruit?  They were of course working, just not enough trucks to put all the fruit in.  The DeLange grapefruit was/is tremendous.

Then we drove into South Padre Island/Port Isabel area & stayed overnight in the Sheraton Hotel and we were able to get 3 rooms with Ocean Views, eat in their Restaurant with Ocean view for supper, and on the outside patio for Breakfast, then we walked on the beach with the best weather conditions ever.  We saw many men fishing, they stand in the water a ways out with their waders on, and stick their poles in the ground with the ocean waves spashing against their bodies & poles. 

We didn’t get to see any fish pulled in, but one fella caught a nice size STINGRAY.  He was very heavy and brought him to shore laid him on the sandy beach so we got lots of photos/videos of him. He tried many many times with a bucket to push him out to the Ocean Waters, and had to be very careful at the same time for the barbed stinger he flipped around. Also saw more Portuguese Man of War.  We also saw a fisherman hold up a stringer of fish...but he was so far out couldn’t really see what size or what they were.  Talked to one fisherman who said you catch Trout and many other varieties of fish.

Then it was off to Harlingen to visit Billy and Ruth Hinton at the Tropic Winds Resort campground.  On the way home to Rockport stopped at a fruit stand to select fresh fruit and vegetables. 

All the time we have been here we get to hear or watch the BASKETBALL GAMES…imagine that 1200 miles away and we can sit with our laptops in front of us and together the 6 of us still get to view the games.  We told DeLanges about it, and hoped they saw the Mitchell/Watertown game last night…we ordered pizza when we got home and it was so much fun for all of us, to bonds our friendship even more. 

We get to see our soaps together on TV if we are home, or on the Internet if we aren’t…thanks to Kim telling Mom how to do it.  Guess a person is never to old to learn new things. 

Saturday…it is R & R for us old foggies…a bit of fatigue from the last 2 days out and about.  Josh comes Jan 14^th thru 20^th or 21^st, then Bonnie & Jerry’s son, Kevin and 3 boys, followed by Sandy and Wayne about the the 24^th or so.  Then off to San Antonio with Sandy and Wayne to visit a cousin, Gus VanSteenberg & friends Craig & Corky Porter…Porter’s invited us 4 to stay with him.  Then back home about first part of February.  Jerry and Bonnie will head to New Orleans, and Chuck and Carol to Kansas to visit relatives.

Our plans are to play cards, Mexican train, or pokeno…since it is cloudy and windy probably in the 50’s we won’t get to spend too much time on the verandas.  We have planned our meals to cook at home all weekend.  They have a meat market to purchase fresh meant, enjoyed filet mignon’s for New Year’s Day, and a pork loin with sauerkraut, and soon a meatloaf.  Carol had a delicious Lasagna you cook in the crock pot, I shall post this and send to my 4 daughters. 

I shall see if Kim can assist me with posting photos.