SUPER MOON, DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, BABY ARMADILLOS

THE FIRST SUPER MOON OF THE SUMMER WAS JULY 12.

IT WAS A HUGE, BRIGHT MOON!  I  WANTED TO GET MY YEARLY CHECKUP OVER WITH BEFORE LEAVING HERE, SO TALKED TO KAT, A NURSE STAYING HERE, . SHE RECOMMENDED THE  RESIDENT'S CLINIC. DR. MENDEZ WAS VERY NICE, AND VERY HAPPY WITH MY HEALTH!! I HAD MY BLOODWORK AND  MAMMOGRAM DONE AND EVERYTHING WAS GOOD!!  AROUND THE MIDDLE OF JULY,  HANNAH AND I STARTED VOLUNTEERING AT THE FOOD BANK. WE GOT INTO A ROUTINE, WE WOULD GO AT 2:00 AND HELP BAG FOOD. ON THE 18TH OF JULY, I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND THERE ARE FOUR BABY ARMADILLOS IN MY YARD.....I GUESS THE ARMADILLO I HAD BEEN SEEING WAS ACTUALLY A GIRL ARMADILLO.

 ARMADILLOS ARE NOCTURNAL...BUT YET, HERE THEY WERE OUT IN THE BROAD DAYLIGHT! THEY WERE LIVING UNDER THE OFFICE. ONE MORNING, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE MAMA AND THREE OF THE BABIES, HEADED OVER TO THE STATE PARK.  SHE MUST HAVE BEEN TEACHING THEM. IT WAS CUTE, WISH I HAD MY CAMERA. I PRETTY MUCH SAW THEM ON A DAILY BASIS. I WANTED TO KEEP IT A SECRET, BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO KILL THEM. SO, I WOULD LET THEM BE OUT FOR A  WHILE AND THEN I WOULD TAKE THE HOSE TO THEM. THE OLDER THEY GOT, THE MORE STUBBORN THEY GOT. THEY WERE HUNGRY AND WANTED TO EAT!!

I THOUGHT THEY WERE CUTE! I WANTED SO MUCH TO TOUCH ONE, BUT I HAD BEEN WARNED THAT  THEY COULD  CARRY DISEASE. OUR REFRIGERATOR HAD BEEN ACTING UP FOR A WHILE, AND THE TRUCK HAD A SERVICE LIGHT COME ON. FINALLY, HAD TO TAKE THE TRUCK IN TO THE SHOP. IT WAS THE  TURBO.  IT WAS AN EXPENSIVE FIX, BUT THANK GOODNESS, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL NOVEMBER.
WE RENTED A CAR FOR A WEEK. I HAD FUN DRIVING THAT LITTLE CAR AROUND FOR THE WEEK!
 DARRELL CALLED DOUG BENNETT AROUND THIS TIME TO SEE IF HE WOULD HAVE A PUMPKIN AND CHRISTMAS TREE LOT FOR US. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL US BACK, HE HAD TO CHECK ON A FEW THINGS. DOUG CALLED BACK AND SAID HE WOULD HAVE BOTH FOR US!! WE ARE GOING TO CALIFORNIA!!!.
ONE DAY HANNAH AND I WERE TALKING AND I ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW HOW TO SEW.....SHE SAID NO, BUT SHE'D LIKE TO LEARN, SO ONE AFTERNOON I TOOK MY SEWING MACHINE OVER TO HER HOUSE AND TAUGHT HER HOW TO MAKE THE TOWELS THAT I MAKE TO HANG IN THE KITCHEN. SHE WAS A NATURAL!!  I LEFT THE MACHINE WITH HER A FEW DAYS....SHE MADE QUITE A FEW TOWELS ALL  ON HER OWN.

ALL SUMMER IN THE PAPER I HAD BEEN READING ABOUT A GUIDED  KAYAK TOUR  AT THE ANTACOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. IT WAS 88 MILES FROM HERE, ON THIS SIDE OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, WHICH IS CALLED LAGUNA  MADRE.  HANNAH OFFERED TO LET THE DOGS IN AND OUT THAT DAY, SO I MADE RESERVATIONS FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 1. ALL LAST SUMMER I WANTED TO KAYAK, BUT DARRELL THOUGHT IT WAS TOO COLD IN WASHINGTON. I WAS FINALLY GONNA GET TO KAYAK!!
BY THE END OF JULY IT WAS IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS EVERY DAY. HANNAH AND I STARTED WALKING AT 7:30 INSTEAD OF 8:00 AND SOME MORNINGS IT WAS TOO HOT AT 7:30, BUT, WE DID IT EVERY OTHER DAY!!!
OUR FRIEND, BONNIE, WHO IS A DECORATIVE ARTIST SENT US A SIGN SHE MADE FOR US.....I LOVE IT!!

 SHE DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB! CAN'T GET OVER HOW MUCH THE FIFTH WHEEL LOOKS LIKE OUR FIFTH WHEEL. BONNIE IS SO CLEVER......SHE INCLUDED AN ARMADILLO BY THE SIGN!!

MEXICO, 4TH OF JULY, 49 YEARS, NEW MANAGERS

WE WERE GOING TO MEXICO AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. WE WERE SURPRISED AT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE. WHEN WE DECIDED TO STAY THE SUMMER, WE FIGURED PROGRESSO WOULD BE A GHOST TOWN.

THERE WERE ALOT OF PEOPLE....ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THEY WERE ALL TEXAS LICENSE PLATE. WE BOUGHT MOVIES AND VANILLA. WE HAD A ROLL AT RENEE'S. YUMMY!

THE WEATHER HAD BEEN GREAT, THERE HAD  ONLY BEEN  A FEW DAYS IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS. THERE IS USUALLY A COOL OCEAN  BREEZE BLOWING, THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE TEMPERATURES BEARABLE. I WAS WALKING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. ONE MORNING AT 7:00 A.M. IT WAS 81 DEGREES WITH A HUMIDITY OF 85%. YOU DID WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OR IN THE EVENING, THE REST OF THE TIME YOU STAY IN THE AIR CONDITIONER OR HANG OUT IN THE POOL, WHICH WE DID ALOT!
IN THE AFTERNOONS I WOULD TURN ON THE SPRINKLER AND WATCH THE  BIRDS GATHER!

THEY PLAY JUST  LIKE KIDS PLAYING IN A SPRINKLER! TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF JUNE,  DAVID  TOLD DARRELL  THEY HAD GIVEN THEIR NOTICE AND  WOULD BE  LEAVING BY  THE 5TH OF JULY. WE WERE DISAPPOINTED, WE HAD BECOME FRIENDS.  BY NOW, I WAS WALKING 3 TIMES A WEEK, USUALLY 3 MILES AND BIKING AT LEAST 3 MILES 3 TIMES A WEEK. I WAS GETTING FIT!!! WE OFFERED TO HELP DAVID AND SUSAN LOAD THE U HAUL. THEY INSISTED ON TAKING US OUT TO DINNER THE 3RD. OF JULY.  THEY GAVE US A REALLY NICE CARD AND THIS CERTIFICATE OF MERRIT.

JULY 4TH I MADE A BIG DINNER......

AND THAT EVENING WENT AND WATCHED THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY IN MCALLEN.

 WE SAID GOODBYE TO DAVID AND SUSAN ON  MONDAY, JULY 7, AND PROMISED TO STAY IN TOUCH. WE WILL MISS THEM!!

NEW MANAGERS, TOM AND JAN TOOK OVER THAT SAME DAY. WE CELEBRATED OUR 49TH WEDDING ANNIVERSAY THE NEXT DAY. WE WENT OUT TO EAT AT JOE'S CRAB SHACK. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

 AND DARRELL BOUGHT ME THIS ARMADILLO.....I LOVE IT!!

ARMADILLO TRAPPING

I WAS SEEING THE ARMADILLO ALMOST EVERY MORNING AND HE WAS SO CUTE, I JUST WANTED TO HUG HIM!!

ARMADILLOS ARE NOCTURNAL, AND EVERY MORNING BEFORE IT GOT VERY LIGHT I WOULD SEE HIM. FINALLY ONE MORNING I WAS ABLE TO FOLLOW HIM AND REALIZED HE WAS LIVING UNDER THE MANAGER'S HOUSE. THEY HAD COMPLAINED THEY COULD HEAR NOISES UNDER THEIR HOUSE. DAVID THREATENED TO POISON HIM, AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE COMPUTER, I ASKED DAVID TO WAIT TO SEE IF WE COULD TRAP HIM. THERE WERE SEVERAL LIVE TRAPS IN THE PARK.  WE FOUND HIS ENTRANCE HOLE AND SET UP THE TRAPS.

THE FIRST FEW NIGHTS HE WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE TRAPS AWAY FROM THE HOLE. SO, WE TRIED SOMETHING ELSE.

HE WAS ABLE TO OUTSMART US EVERYTIME!! FINALLY ONE MORNING I SAW HIM AND I FOLLOWED HIM BACK TO THE TRAPS.

HE WAS GOING TO DIG UNDER THE TRAPS, BUT HE KNEW I WAS THERE, AND HE DIDN'T LIKE IT....

SO, HE TOOK OFF RUNNING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE....WITH ME HOT ON HIS TRAIL..........

AND WENT DOWN A HOLE BY THE AIR CONDITIONER............

THAT'S WHEN WE REALIZED  HE MUST HAVE HOLES DUG ALL AROUND THE HOUSE AND WE WOULD PROBABLY NEVER BE ABLE TO TRAP HIM, HE HAD TOO MANY ESCAPE HATCHES. MUCH TO MY DISMAY DAVID SAID HE PUT POISON PEANUTS DOWN IN THE CRAWLSPACE. I DIDN'T SEE THE ARMADILLO FOR QUITE A FEW DAYS AND WAS PRETTY WELL CONVINCED HE WAS DEAD AND THEN..........ONE MORNING HERE HE COMES!!!!! I WAS SOOOOO HAPPY!!

MEANWHILE.......THE HANGING BASKETS WERE GROWING FAST!!

AND WE WERE UNDER SIEGE BY THE WOODPECKER AGAIN!! 

MARLEE WOULD SIT BY THE HOUR AND WATCH FOR THIS WOODPECKER AND THEN THEY WOULD JUST SIT AND STARE  AT EACH OTHER.

DARRELL BOUGHT A PLASTIC OWL AND TIED IT TO THE LADDER, THE WOODPECKER WOULD SIT ON THE OWL AND PECK THE HOUSE.

WE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A FOLDING BIKE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND FINALLY FOUND ONE DARRELL LIKED AT SEARS. CAME HOME, PUT IT TOGETHER. 

IT SEEMS LIKE A REALLY GOOD BIKE AND IT FITS BOTH OF US!

WELCOME NEW MANAGERS!

WE TOOK CARE OF THE PARK FROM THE 24TH OF APRIL UNTIL MAY 1 WHEN DAVID AND SUSAN HAVERTY  TOOK OVER.

I WAS WALKING THREE TIMES A WEEK ON THIS BEAUTIFUL BIKE PATH.

ALSO ENJOYING THE LOVELY POOL AND HOT TUB.

MAGGIE AND MARLEE LOVE THE DOG PARK, WE GO OVER AND PLAY BALL IN THE EVENING WHEN IT'S COOLER.

DARRELL AND I WENT OVER TO AN EVENING PROGRAM AT  THE STATE PARK CALLED "CREATURES OF THE NIGHT". IT WAS VERY INTERESTING!  WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR IT TO GET DARK, WE GOT TO SEE AN ALLIGATOR GAR THAT A FISHERMAN CAUGHT. THEY ARE VERY PREHISTORIC LOOKING FISH, BUT GOOD EATING THEY SAY. THEY CATCH THESE ALLIGATOR GAR IN AN OXBOW LAKE OR RESACA, WHICH WAS FORMED FROM THE RIO GRANDE RIVER.

 WE SAW SCORPIONS WITH A BLACK LIGHT AND A BEAUTIFUL TEXAS SUNSET.

WE ARE LOVING OUR SUMMER HOME!  I MET A YOUNG GAL BY THE  NAME OF HANNAH BARRY, HIS HUSBAND IS WORKING HERE FOR THE SUMMER. I ASKED HER IF SHE LIKED TO WALK,  SHE SAID "YES!".WE HAVE BECOME VERY GOOD FRIENDS, WE WALK AND BIKE, SHOP, PLAY WITH MAGGIE AND MARLEE . SHE GOES TO CHURCH WITH ME.......SHE LOVES SHIPLEY DONUTS!!!  I FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND TO HAVE FOUND SUCH A SPECIAL FRIEND!!

AND WHILE I WAS PLAYING......DARRELL WAS STILL WORKING. HE PAINTED ALL THE NUMBERS ON ALL THE SITES THROUGHOUT THE PARK.

FINALLY SAW MY FIRST TARANTULA........THEY ARE HUGE!!

AND EARLY IN THE MORNING I WOULD SEE THIS ARMADILLO.