Boat Trip on the Rio Grande + Wine Tasting

Hi all, Dianne here.  Well, our brief winter seems to be gone and now it's springtime in South Texas!  The forecast for the foreseeable future shows temps in the low 80s with sunshine.  To celebrate our good weather, we joined a group of friends and neighbors for a pontoon boat ride on the Rio Grande.  One of the perks of living here or staying at the adjacent RV park is that if you collect a group of 8 people you can rent the boat owned by the Bentsen Palm development, complete with an experienced captain (Doug).

It will be interesting to read Bob's blog, Because We Can, to get his take on the day's events.  We were both snapping away during the trip up and down the river.  Here are a few interesting sights that I caught on camera:

Friendly Fishermen on the Mexico Side

(Actually I have yet to meet a Mexican down here that wasn't warm and friendly.)

Reputed Abandoned Cartel Mansion - Mexico Side

Roger and I took this same pontoon boat trip in February 2010, and at that time there were signs of life and beautiful horses at this mansion.  

Crested Caracara

Most of the wildlife we saw consisted of birds and turtles.

An interesting bit of history is that before he became president, Zachary Taylor stayed in this house when he was commissioned to patrol the Mexican border.  The house is abandoned and not restored.

We saw evidence of the flooding from Hurricane Alex which hit northern Mexico in June of 2010.  These photos show the former Pepe's on the American side, which was a popular place to eat and dance for Winter Texans:

I don't think anyone will be dancing there any time soon....

You can clearly see the water mark from the flooding on this horse stable that is part of the "cartel" mansion estate on the Mexico side:

Of course, the Border Patrol is a constant presence here....

Just two more sights that caught my eye....

This palm-thatched roof has some extra greenery (home on the Mexico side -- note the swimming pool right on the river's edge).

This next photo would make you think twice about  taking a swim in the river.  These are live wires on this pole on the Mexican side of the river.  It's just a matter of time before it falls all the way in!  Our boat captain, Doug, told us it's been this way for quite some time.  

We also passed by a party boat on the Mexico side.  They had music and dancing, and looked like they were having even more fun than we were!   We enjoyed some friendly photo-taking and waves back and forth with the Mexican party-goers.  There is a Mexican flag barely visible behind the American flag.

It was a beautiful day with good neighbors and friends, and we enjoyed a picnic lunch and some wine as we cruised along.  

The day's fun was just beginning, though..

At happy hour one evening, we were discussing the great wines our next-door neighbors, Bob and Linda, enjoyed as they traveled through Spain last summer.  

Bob got the brilliant idea to have a Spanish wine tasting, and after they made a few shopping trips for supplies, their friends and neighbors were treated to an excellent evening of wine, food, and a little education too, on Bob and Linda's new patio.

Bob started us off with a little background info and history on the wines we'd be sampling.  Linda even printed out score sheets!  Such a clever girl....

To go along with our Spanish wine there was a whole table of go-with foods.  

The fun lasted well into the evening, and was capped off with a campfire in their new fire pit.

It just doesn't get any better than this!!

Since I'm in charge of the blog this time, I will end by making up for the lack of doggie photos lately.  Here are a few of my favorites:

This first one shows Tequila and Freckles, a dog visiting at the RV park next door (Tequila is on the right).  Tequila and Freckles shared a dog pen for months at Cinderella Pet Rescue last year before they were both adopted, and I'm thinking they are probably litter mates.  Freckles spends her summers in Canada, but they can meet up and play each winter here in Texas at our shared doggie park.

The next doggie photo shows Bart, a pooch who isn't as lucky as Tequila and Freckles because he's still at Cinderella waiting for a forever home.  Bart is my special pal when I volunteer twice a week there.  He's smart and loving but is an exhuberant boy who will need lots of exercise.  (If you are interested or know someone who might be, here's a link to Cinderella's web site:  Cinderella Pet Rescue

The next photo is just a pretty dog that came to our doggie park to play this morning -- what a beauty!

And last -- but best -- are my two "kids" playing tug at the doggie park this morning.  They sure have fun together!

RV show - Gonzales Burgers - Vandals!

This is only half of a Gonzales Burger!

Roger here....  We spend a lot of time within walking distance of our RV.  There is so much to do here,  but yesterday it was time for a road trip. 


After a quick trip to the dog park for Bandido, Dianne and I piled into the car heading for the town of Mercedes, about 30 miles away.  Mercedes is the home of a giant outlet mall.  It is also the home of the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show.  We may check that out in March, but on this day we were on our way to the annual Rio Grande Valley RV Show.  The show was worth the $5 admission charge.  Lots of RVs, but no class A motor homes :-( (Not that we were looking; we still love our Mountain Aire -- D.)  There were more than 90 booths.  We enjoyed wandering through the aisles, seeing many of our friends.  Dianne did a little bit of damage at the Tupperware booth.  According to Dianne, there's always room for Tupperware.


When we were ready to leave at mid-day, we were hungry.  We talked about stopping at a local diner in Mission that has great food.  But then, Dianne realized that the famous Gonzales Burger hole-in- the-wall restaurant was in the town of Donna, on the way home.  Gonzales burgers are legendary in this part of Texas, and we had never had this particular culinary experience.  So, with the help of our iPhone, we were on our way.

We had already heard that Gonzales Burgers was in a residential area, and it was.  We parked on the street where we saw all the other parked cars.  The restaurant had no identification sign, only an "open" sign on the door and several people sitting outside at picnic tables. 


The story behind this family restaurant:
    Students from the school across the street often stopped by the Gonzales household after school.  The mom frequently fixed delicious burgers for the visiting students.  They were so good that the enterprise of kindness became a business.  An interesting fact...  all the beef is ground by hand.  When the hamburger is gone for the day, the restaurant closes.  What fun!  Glad we arrived on time. 

Remember the old, old Saturday Night Live sketch at the greasy spoon that only served cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger - and Pepsi?  Well, this is what we found here, with a couple of exceptions....  they had french fries, onion rings, and Coke products.  Oh, and they were extremely happy and friendly -- so typical of the local people here.  


After giving our order, hamburger, hamburger, fries, Dr. Pepper.... the friendly lady who seemed to be in charge smiled and told us that it would be between 30 and 40 minutes.  She was so nice and her smile was so genuine, that a somewhat long wait was not an issue.  We smiled back and found a place to sit at one of the outside picnic tables, later moving inside --- lots of conversations with the Winter Texans at our table who visit this place often.  

"Number 80!"  That's us.  Wow, look at these burgers.  They had to be a pound each.  It was almost like eating an entire meatloaf.  (Credits to our friend, Sue, for that quip.)  We decided to cut one sandwich in half and take the other home to eat for supper the next night.  They were every bit as delicious as they looked... fresh tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mmmmmm!  Well worth the diversion from our normally healthy diets.

Dianne took a picture of her half of the burger (after she had already eaten half of it)  to show how big it actually was.  




So much for the great burgers....  It is time to tell the disturbing story of vandalism at our coach house.  You try to be nice.  You provide food for the hungry, and the hungry gratefully accept it.  SO UNSETTLING!

Look at our beautiful tomatoes.
We watered them every day.  We made sure they had plenty of Texas sunshine.  We rolled them into the coach house on the few nights that we thought it might be too cold.

Look what this ungrateful guest did!  Yes, the mockingbird whose bird bath we changed every day!


When we were not looking, he decimated several of our tomatoes (only the ripe ones, of course -- D).  He had his own food --- orange slices, seeds, etc.  Why would he do this to our tomatoes?

Such betrayal!  Dianne now covers the tomatoes with mosquito nets to keep the mockingbirds away.  And.... Bandido has a new job: guarding the tomatoes.  He loves his new job.

The pet picture of the day was taken when we returned home from Gonzales Burgers.  It is an action shot showing Bandido lunging for one-quarter of Dianne's one-half of a whole Gonzalez Burger.  That blur you see shows that he went after the burger at the speed of light!

A Walk in the Park

Bandido here....   It has been raining here since last Saturday.  Mom and Dad say that the rain is needed, but I am sick and tired of sitting in the motor home watching old Dog Whisperer episodes.  Except for the first rain, most of the rain has been drizzle, but it has been chilly (50s) so our fun trips outside have been short.  Mom has been busy making 16 pie crusts for the Retama Community Christmas Dinner.  I am not allowed in the coach house when she is cooking, and even worse, I am not invited to the dinner.  I have not been a happy puppy.  Grrrr.

Everything changed yesterday.  The sun came out.  The wind dried up the mud.  The temperature climbed to the mid-70s.  I let Mom and Dad know that it was time to get off their butts and get outside by closing Dad's computer with my paw and vocalizing a few doleful whines.  Works every time.




I thought we were headed to the dog park when I saw Dad putting on his shoes.  So, I helped him along by licking his face and nipping at his feet when he put on his socks.  They surprised me though, when they did not take the turn to the dog park.  At first I was upset, but I sensed that this might be a long walk.  I was right.

After a short stroll, we arrived at the entrance to Bentsen Rio Grande State Park.  I have been here before.  It is a fun place.  Lots of things to smell.

We passed a couple of Border Patrol cars as we entered the park.  The agents always wave to me.  They are so nice.  I try to never bark at them because they might take me away from my parents and send me to Mexico.

We looked at a map to see where we would be walking.  We decided to walk all the way around the park.  Wow, look.  We are really close to Mexico.

Mom and Dad took turns going into one of the bird blinds.  One of them always stayed with me because I don't like to be alone.  In fact, I don't like any of us to be away from each other.  We are a family of three (not counting the cat who is really not one of us).  If any of us wanders off, I try really hard to herd that person back.  It is a big job.  Anyway, Dad says that he saw a Baltimore Oriole and a Black Crested Titmouse.  Big woop.  Unless I can chase them out of the yard, I really don't care.


I would much rather spend my time smelling new smells.

After a while, Mom had to go to the bathroom.  This happens a lot with Mom.  Dad secretly took her picture coming out of the "Big John".  So funny!  Mom didn't even know he took the picture and now it is here for everyone to see.  Funny Dad.  He might be in trouble.

We walked to the top of the hawk tower, but did not see any hawks.  I love it up there.  It is so high and you can stand in the wind and see all the way to Mexico.

Mom and Dad were all excited about the water level in the resaca (a lake that used to be a bend in a river) below the tower.  It almost dried up in the drought.  It is not full yet, but it is getting better.  That is a good thing for all the wildlife in the park.

We passed by Dad's favorite tree.  He thinks it looks all eerie and creepy.  He especially likes riding his bike by it at Halloween time.  Just looks like a tree to me.  I really don't understand why Mom and Dad get excited about some things, but I like them anyway.


The sun really was bright.  Me and my shadow..........

When we got back home, Mom's pedometer said that we walked 4.9 miles.  I don't know what that means, but I feel a nap coming on.

Wait a minute..... This day just keeps getting better.  Mom stopped by the mailbox after we got back.  She ordered some special yogurt stuff to put on my dog biscuits and it arrived.  Chaplin used to really like the dog biscuits, but being from south Texas, I have always thought they were a little bland.  Anyway, she glazed the dog biscuits right away and I got to have one.  It  was yummy.


When my parents weren't looking, I helped myself to some more.  (I guess they had to have been looking or there wouldn't be a picture.)

It was a perfect day.  


Now for the "human" picture of the day.....  It got pretty hot during our walk.  When we were close to home, Mom started walking with her arms sticking out.  She told Dad that she was airing her armpits because she forgot to put on deodorant after her shower.  Personally, I think she was very aromatic!