LEAVING BENTSEN, DARRELL'S B'DAY, VISITING FRIENDS, NEW MEXICO

I STARTED DOING MY FALL HOUSECLEANING, GETTING VACCINES FOR MAGGIE AND MARLEE AND GETTING THEIR NAILS CLIPPED FOR THE LAST TIME IN HARLINGEN. I STEPPED ON A MESQUITE THORN AROUND THIS TIME, WENT RIGHT THROUGH MY SHOE, FOOT HURT AND SWELLED, I COULD HARDLY WALK. WE SCRUBBED THE TRUCK AND FIFTH WHEEL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, WE WERE ANXIOUS TO GET ON THE ROAD!

ALL SUMMER I WANTED TO PUT MAGGIE AND MARLEE IN THE SWIMMING POOL TO SEE IF THEY COULD SWIM, I FINALLY GOT THE CHANCE ONE EVENING.

SAID GOODBYE TO HANNAH AND JOEY, TOM AND JAN, PROMISING TO STAY IN TOUCH. ON SEPTEMBER 10TH WE LEFT BENTSEN PALM VILLAGE RV PARK AFTER BEING THERE FOR FIVE MONTHS. WE WERE HEADED TO SAUGUS, CALIFORNIA TO SELL PUMPKINS AND CHRISTMAS TREES FOR BENNETT'S BEST. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THERE UNTIL THE FIRST OF OCTOBER, SO WE WERE GOING TO DO A LITTLE VACATIONING. 

 MAGGIE AND MARLEE WERE ANXIOUS TO GO TOO!

WE HAD RESERVATIONS IN KERRVILLE AT BUCKHORN LAKE  RESORT. WE WERE HEADED TO TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.

THE NEXT DAY, SEPTEMBER 11, DARRELL TURNED 70 YEARS OLD!! WE WENT SWIMMING AND HOT TUBING, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

THEN, WE TOOK MAGGIE AND MARLEE OVER TO THE DOG PARK. IT WAS A COOLER DAY, THE FIRST ONE WE HAD SEEN IN A LONG TIME.

I MADE DARRELL A TURKEY DINNER FOR HIS BIRTHDAY DINNER.  WE DECIDED NEXT YEAR WE WANT TO SPEND HIS BIRTHDAY IN HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA AT THE RV SHOW. IT'S A DATE!!! 

WE LEFT SATURDAY MORNING, HEADING FOR VAN HORN, TEXAS TO VISIT MARY AND JIM TAYLOR, A COUPLE WE MET AT ADVENTURELAND. I COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE MARY, WE HAD STAYED IN TOUCH SINCE LEAVING ADVENTURELAND. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM!

JIM HAD A SILLY, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT THIS SUMMER, WE HAD THIS SHIRT MADE FOR HIM TO COMMEMORATE IT. 

WE  GOT TO MEET THEIR DAUGHTER, SHELLY AND HER TWO BOYS. I WENT TO CHURCH WITH MARY AND GOT TO MEET HER CHURCH FAMILY. ON MONDAY MORNING WE HEADED TO  LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO. 

WE PULLED INTO HACIENDA RV RESORT ABOUT 1:00. THIS IS ALSO A BEAUTIFUL PARK. WE HAD DECIDED BEFORE LEAVING BENTSEN PALM THAT WE WANTED TO KEEP THE DRIVING AROUND 200 MILES A DAY.

WE WERE RIGHT ACROSS THE INTERSTATE FROM WALMART......BLISS!! WE HAD HEARD A WEATHER REPORT AND THIS AREA WAS EXPECTING RAIN FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THERE WERE FLOOD WARNING OUT ALL AROUND US.  THIS AFTERNOON, THOUGH, IT WAS STILL A NICE DAY.  WE DECIDED WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT, AND AFTER GETTING SET UP WE DROVE OVER TO MESILLA.

WE FOUND A LITTLE SHOP THAT SOLD ALL KINDS OF PRODUCE.

 IT STARTED RAINING DURING THE NIGHT AND RAINED ALL THE NEXT DAY. THIS IS WHAT THE DOG WALK LOOKED LIKE AFTER ALL THE RAIN.

IT WAS STORMY THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE IN LAS CRUCES, WE HAD PLANNED ON DRIVING UP AND SEEING THE WHITE SANDS, BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT WITH ALL THE FLOOD WARNINGS.

 WE WENT SHOPPING, I BOUGHT ME A NEW PAIR OF JEANS, AND LEARNED TO HEM JEANS. WE HAD STAYED IN NEW MEXICO A COUPLE OF OTHER TIMES, AND I DIDN'T LIKE NEW MEXICO, BUT AFTER STAYING IN LAS CRUCES, I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND.  WE FOUND A LITTLE CAFE THAT MAKES ALBURQUEQUE TORTILLA SOUP, WE STOPPED BY AND GOT ME A HUGE CONTAINER. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

REFRIGERATOR, CASITAS,

ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 5 WE TOOK GUSTOW IN TO HAVE A NEW COOLING UNIT PUT IN OUR REFRIGERATOR. WE HAD TO BE THERE BY 8:00 AND THEY SAID WE WOULD HAVE IT BACK BY 4:00. TOM SAID WE COULD HANG OUT IN A CASITA FOR THE DAY.

WE ENJOYED THE CASITA, MAGGIE AND I PLAYED BALL MOST OF THE DAY.

 WE PICKED UP  OUR 5TH WHEEL UP AT 6:00. OPENED THE DOOR.......THEY HAD DAMAGED MY REFRIGERATOR DOOR!!!

WOW!! THEY HAD REALLY DONE A JOB ON IT!! DARRELL FOUND THE SERVICE MANAGER....THEY ARE ORDERING US A NEW DOOR. WE WERE TOLD TO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THE FRIDGE FOR 24 HOURS. WHEN WE WENT TO BED IT WAS 60 DEGREES, WHEN WE GOT UP IT WAS 60 DEGREES. THEY CAME OUT AND DID A FEW THINGS, NOTHING WORKED. FOUND OUT A COUPLE DAYS LATER THAT DOMETIC IS REPLACING THE COOLING UNIT. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE UNIT, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER 10 DAYS OR SO.
 HANNAH AND HER HUSBAND LEFT THE RV PARK ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, HEADED 45 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD, CLOSER TO HIS WORK. SHE STILL PLANS ON COMING IN SO WE CAN WALK. I WILL MISS HER NOT BEING HERE. SHE AND JOEY WERE GREAT WALKING PARTNERS!!

 I WAS STILL SEEING THE ARMADILLO BABIES ALMOST EVERY DAY.

THEY WERE REALLY GROWING!!

THE SECOND SUPER MOON OF THE SUMMER WAS  AUGUST 11. IT WAS ALSO A BIG BRIGHT MOON!!

MARLEE TURNED SEVEN YEARS OLD ON AUGUST 18TH.

SHE LOVES HER NEW TOY!!

ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, WE TOOK THE RV BACK TO HAVE ANOTHER COOLING UNIT PUT IN. TOM WAS NICE ENOUGH TO LET US HANG OUT IN ANOTHER CASITA.

WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE WHEN WE PICKED IT UP, THAT ALL THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN FIXED AND EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD!

THE TEMPERATURE WAS 60 DEGREES WHEN WE WENT TO BED.....IT WAS 40 DEGREES THE NEXT MORNING!!!! WOW!! IT'S WONDERFUL HAVING A WORKING REFRIGERATOR AGAIN!!

I FOUND A WONDERFUL DENTIST HERE AND HAD MY TEETH CLEANED AND X-RAYS DONE  AND THE BEST PART, WAS GETTING IT ALL DONE IN ONE DAY!!

KAYAKING ON THE LAGUNA MADRE

SO, ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, WE LEFT HOME AT 6:00, THE WEATHER FORECAST WAS IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS AGAIN. WE TOOK LOTS OF SUN SCREEN AND WATER!  WE GOT LOST, THANKS TO A BRIDGE BEING CLOSED! WE SAW COTTON GROWING IN THE FIELDS ALONG SIDE THE ROAD.

WE KNEW MRS. GARMIN HAD TO BE WRONG WHEN SHE DIRECTED US TO DRIVE THROUGH THIS COTTON FIELD!

WE GOT TURNED AROUND AND BACK ON THE ROAD, HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND SPOTTED A LADY OUT WALKING HER DOG. SHE GAVE US GOOD DIRECTIONS AND FINALLY MADE IT, THE LAST TO ARRIVE.

WE WATCHED A FILM ABOUT THE LAGUNA ANTASCOSA AND LEARNED THAT IT WAS SPANISH FOR "MUDDY LAGOON".  WE WERE ALL LOADED INTO A VAN FOR THE RIDE TO THE WATER, AND ON THE WAY WE LEARNED ABOUT THE REFUGE. IT IS HOME TO 12 OCELOTS.....5 FEMALES AND 7 MALES.

WE FOUND IT INTERESTING AND HAD NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE....IT IS ALSO HOME TO THE NILGAI ANTELOPE, AND  YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HUNT THEM HERE, CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR.

THEY ARE HUGE AND SUPPOSED TO BE REALLY GOOD EATING. THEY WERE IMPORTED HERE FROM INDIA BY THE KING RANCH. FINALLY WE REACHED THE WATER!!

AND WHILE THE GUIDES WERE UNLOADING THE KAYAKS, WE GOT TO EXPLORE!

AND OF COURSE......A SELFIE!!

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, NOT TOO HOT YET AND THE VIEWS WERE MAGNIFICIENT!

WE WERE GIVEN A FEW INSTRUCTIONS ON PADDLING, AND WERE CAUTIONED ABOUT NOT TEARING UP  THE SEAGRASS GROWING ON THE OCEAN FLOOR.THESE WERE TANDEM KAYAKS,  IT WAS VERY SHALLOW AND THE GUIDE TOLD US WHO WOULD SIT IN THE FRONT, AND WHO WOULD SIT IN THE BACK. THE FRONT PERSON WOULD DO THE STEERING, THE BACK PERSON WOULD SAY WHICH WAY TO GO. I WAS IN FRONT, DARRELL BACK. COMPLETELY BACKWARDS TO ME.  THE GUIDE GOT A KICK OUT OF US!!  THE ARGUMENT WAS ON FROM THE GITGO! IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RIDE, WE PADDLED FOR TWO HOURS. MY SHOULDERS STARTED TO ACHE, AND I WAS HAPPY TO GET BACK TO SHORE, BUT I LOVE KAYAKING....JUST NOT THE PADDLING!!

THE GUIDES WERE STRICTLY VOLUNTEERS AND WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO KAYAK IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.