RIO GRANDE VALLEY

WE GOT ALL SET UP ABOUT 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, WE CAN USE OUR PASSPORT AMERICA DISCOUNT FOR 7 DAYS. WE HAD NO GROCERIES, DUE TO THE FAULTY REFRIGERATOR, SO HAD TO MAKE A QUICK RUN TO WALMART,  FOUND IT EASILY, THINK WE HAVE BUILT-IN RADAR NOW. MAGNOLIA PARK IS A SMALL PARK, BUT WE ARE ON THE CORNER OF MAGNOLIA AND TEXAS, A VERY BUSY CORNER!!!

 SENIORS BIKING, GOLF CARTING, WALKING, MET SOME VERY NICE FOLKS, MOST STOPPED TO WELCOME US TO THE PARK. WE SAW LICENSE PLATES FROM MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, IOWA. MOST SAY THEY'VE COME TO THIS PARK  FOR MANY YEARS , I CAN SEE WHY, THE SOUTH DAKOTA FOLKS ARE FROM THE SIOUX FALLS AREA.
ON SATURDAY MORNING, WE HAD TO CHECK OUT THE FLEA MARKET THAT IS ONLY A BLOCK FROM THE PARK. IT WAS INTERESTING,  I FOUND A FEW ITEMS I COULD USE IN THE RV.

THE KETTLE CORN WAS DELICIOUS!!  AN UNUSUAL RECIPE, NONE LIKE WE HAVE EVER TASTED!

THEN,  WE WALKED ACROSS THE STREET TO THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET. WE BOUGHT ORANGES, GRAPEFRUIT, TOMATOES AND A WATERMELON.

 IN THE FRONT OF THE STORE THEY HAD CLOTHING. I FOUND A BATHING SUIT FOR EIGHT DOLLARS!

ON MONDAY MORNING WE HEADED TO ALAMO, TEXAS, WHICH WAS ONLY 7 MILES AWAY,  TO INTERVIEW FOR THE ADVENTURELAND JOBS IN IOWA FOR THE SUMMER. WE MET GARY PARDEKOOPER, WHO HIRED US ON THE SPOT, AFTER FINDING OUT WE HAD WORKED A CHRISTMAS TREE LOT. HE SAYS, "AFTER DOING THAT, THIS WILL BE A PIECE OF CAKE!" WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT BEFORE?????????

WE WERE ABLE TO CHOOSE THE AREA WE WOULD WORK IN, I CHOSE FOODS AND DARRELL WILL BE OPERATING THE RIDES. WE WILL STAY AT ADVENTURELAND CAMPGROUND FROM APRIL 13 TO SEPTEMBER 30. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE WORKING FOR ADVENTURELAND, IT WILL BE ONE OF THE LARGEST WORKAMPER COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. GARY'S BOSS TOLD HIM TO HIRE AS MANY WORKAMPERS AS HE COULD . ADVENTURELAND LOVES THEIR WORKAMPERS!!

THERE ARE ORANGE TREES EVERYWHERE, GROVES AND IN PEOPLE'S YARDS. THEY EVEN HAVE ORANGES ON THEM!

IN THE RV PARK,  TOMATO PLANTS ARE  BLOOMING AND THE  FLOWERS  ARE BEAUTIFUL!

ON VALENTINE'S DAY WE DECIDED TO DRIVE OVER TO MISSION, TEXAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST WORKAMPER JOB WE WERE OFFERED AND TURNED DOWN.

 IT WAS A SHORT DRIVE, WE ACTUALLY FOUND THE RV PARK WE WERE GOING TO WORK IN, JUST PUT THE ADDRESS IN THE GARMIN.....WE LOVE MRS. GARMIN!! IT WAS A LOVELY PARK, RIGHT ON THE RIO GRANDE RIVER.

AFTERWARDS, WE HAD LUNCH IN MCALLEN AT LOGON'S ROADHOUSE, WHERE YOU CAN THROW YOUR PEANUT SHELLS ON THE FLOOR, IT WAS FUN!!! 

GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK

WE ARRIVED AT GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK ABOUT 4:00 ON THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 31 AFTER SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR FRIENDS KAREN AND MIKE AND SAN ANTONIO. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD MADE  RESERVATIONS, WE WERE ALLOWED TO DRIVE AROUND AND PICK OUR SPOT.

MOST OF THE  CAMP SITES WERE BACK-IN SITES AND AFTER SOME  TRIAL AND ERROR, DARRELL GOT GUSTOW BACKED  IN PERFECTLY!  IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SITE, SO PRIVATE AND QUIET. WE WERE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT WE HAD NO CELL PHONE SERVICE AND COULDN'T PICK UP THE WI-FI.

THIS IS A BIRDING PARADISE, EVERY SITE HAD A POLE THAT YOU COULD HANG A BIRD FEEDER AND THERE WERE DAILY BIRD WALKS AND  PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE BIRDS.  TURKS CAP WAS THE TRAIL WE WALKED THE DOGS ON, IT WAS PICTURE POSTCARD BEAUTIFUL AND PEACEFUL.

WE WERE ONLY ABOUT A MILE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, SO WE WALKED TO THE GULF QUITE OFTEN. WE SAW BROWN & WHILTE PELICANS, WHO ARE  PERMANENT    RESIDENTS OF GOOSE ISLAND. THEY WERE SO COOL!! ALL THE SHORE BIRDS LOOKED LIKE PREHISTORIC BIRDS.

 ONE DAY WE WALKED DOWN AND BROUGHT MAGGIE'S BALL,  SHE KEPT PUSHING THE BALL FURTHER OUT INTO THE WATER  UNTIL I HAD TO GO IN  AFTER IT, WE HAD A GREAT TIME PLAYING IN THE GULF, I WAS SURPRISED THE WATER WAS SO WARM!

ANOTHER DAY WE DECIDED TO DO A "TOURIST" THING AND VISIT THE BUSY TOURIST TOWN OF PORT ARANSAS, YOU HAD TO TAKE THE FERRY OVER, IT WAS A SHORT AND FREE RIDE.

AND WE HAD LUNCH OUTDOORS AT FINN'S, I HAD A FRIED OYSTER PO BOY....IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

THE TOWN OF ROCKPORT AND FULTON WERE ONLY NINE MILES FROM GOOSE ISLAND, ACROSS THE BAY, WHERE, OF COURSE WE FOUND A WALMART.

GOOSE ISLAND HAS SO MANY BEAUTIFUL OAK TREES, THIS GIANT OAK IS THE MOST FAMOUS TREE IN THE WORLD AND IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1,000 YEARS OLD!! 

WE HAD ONLY  PLANNED ON STAYING AT GOOSE ISLAND 7 DAYS BUT, THE DAY AFTER ARRIVING,  DARRELL DEFROSTED THE FREEZER AND THE REFRIGERATOR WOULDN''T TURN BACK ON. JOHN FROM  ACTION RV  HAD TO ORDER A PART AND ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 , JOHN CAME OUT AND PUT THE NEW PART ON AND IT TOOK RIGHT OFF, WE WERE THRILLED, YOU DON'T MISS ANYTHING UNTIL YOU DON'T HAVE IT!!!

SO, ON FRIDAY MORNING WE LEFT FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WE HAVE RESERVATIONS AT MAGNOLIA RV PARK IN DONNA, TEXAS. IT WAS ABOUT A FOUR HOUR DRIVE AND ON THE WAY WE STOPPED AT A REST STOP, I HAD MAGGIE AND MARLEE OUT UNTIL I SAW THIS SIGN, AND GOT THEM BACK IN THE TRUCK AS FAST AS I COULD!!!  

 

STONE CREEK RV PARK AND R & R

ON THE LAST DAY OF 2011 WE ARRIVED AT STONE CREEK RV PARK, READY FOR A LITTLE R & R. WE WERE TIRED AND SPENT THE FIRST DAYS RESTING AND GETTING THINGS DONE WE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO WHILE WORKING AT THE CHRISTMAS TREE LOT. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A WALMART CLOSE, WHICH WE QUICKLY  BECAME REGULAR CUSTOMERS.

MOST OF THE TREES IN THE PARK HAVE MISTLETOE GROWING IN THEM, I NEVER KNEW MISTLETOE GREW IN TREES LIKE THIS. 

WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET IN THE BEAUTIFUL JACUZZI,  IT WAS A LITTLE COOL FOR AN UNHEATED SWIMMING POOL THOUGH.  TURNS OUT WE HAD THE WHOLE POOL AREA TO OUR OURSELVES FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF JANUARY, GUESS THE FOLKS HERE THINK IT'S A LITTLE COOL FOR AN OUTDOOR JACUZZI, WE THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT WEATHER.

 OUR FRIENDS FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREES ARE HERE ALSO, AND  WE SHARED SOME AWESOME MEALS AND GOOD TIMES!

THEY INVITED US TO HAVE BREAKFAST ONE SUNDAY MORNING SO WE COULD MEET THEIR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS, WHO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE ATE AT A MEXICAN RESTAURANT AND HAD OUR FIRST MEXICAN BREAKFAST AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!

DARRELL ENJOYED HIS POTATO WITH BACON BREAKFAST TORTILLAS!! AND I HAD SOMETHING I COULDN'T BEGIN TO SPELL, BUT IT WAS DELCIOUS!

WE ENJOYED  ALOT OF THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES HERE IN THE PARK, BINGO, POT LUCKS,  ICE CREAM SOCIALS. MAGGIE &; MARLEE  ENJOYED THE AGILITY EQUIPMENT AND PLAYING BALL IN THE FENCED IN AREAS.

SAN ANTONIO HAS ALOT OF DOG PARKS AND WE TOOK THE GIRLS EVERY CHANCE WE GOT!

ONE DAY MIKE AND KAREN TOOK US BACK DOWN TO THE ALAMO. WE ENJOYED IT ALOT MORE  THIS TIME, WE WENT ON A THURSDAY AND THERE WEREN'T TOO MANY PEOPLE.

WE HAD LUNCH RIGHT ON THE RIVERWALK, THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT!

WE DID GO BACK TO CAMPING WORLD AND I FINALLY  FOUND SOMETHING TO BUY!! I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED A MAP TO PUT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RV AND ADD THE STATES AS WE VISIT. WE WILL ONLY ADD A STATE IF WE SPEND A NIGHT IN IT. WE ONLY HAVE 3 STATES SO FAR......SOUTH DAKOTA, COLORADO AND TEXAS.

WE HAVE  ENJOYED OUR MONTH AT THE RV PARK AND  ON THE 31ST WE WILL HEAD FURTHER  SOUTH TO THE GULF OF MEXICO , WE WANT TO STAY AT SOME TEXAS STATE PARKS  STARTING  WITH  GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS.

AHH.............WE LOVE RETIREMENT!!

FINISHING UP

ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, DARRELL HIRED DAVID TO HELP LOAD THE TRAILER, IT TOOK ABOUT FOUR HOURS TO GET EVERYTHING LOADED.

WE HAD PLANNED ON RETURNING IT SATURDAY TO THE WAREHOUSE, BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY TRAILERS THAT HAD TO BE GONE THROUGH, SO DARRELL PUT THE TRAILER IN THE TENT, AS WE WERE EXPECTING RAIN. DARYL AND ELAINE HOSTED A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER FOR ALL 14 CHRISTMAS TREE LOT COUPLES.

IT WAS THE FIRST WE HAD SEEN OF THE ORIGINAL COUPLES SINCE THANKSGIVING, THERE WERE ALSO THE "OLDIES", THE COUPLES THAT HAVE BEEN COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR. DARRELL WASN'T THE ONLY GUY THAT LOST WEIGHT, IT LOOKED LIKE THEY ALL WERE LEANER. WE ALL AGREED IT WAS HARD, HARDER THAN WE ALL IMAGINED, BUT MOST OF THE NEW COUPLES COMMITTED TO COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.

FINALLY, ON TUESDAY MORNING, WE RETURNED THE TRAILER TO THE WAREHOUSE, FINALLY, OUR JOB WAS COMPLETE, EXCEPT FOR GETTING PAID.

ON WEDNESDAY, OUR FIRST FREE DAY WE WENT TO CAMPING WORLD, WE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET HERE SINCE WE ARRIVED IN SAN ANTONIO!

I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ALOT LARGER, AND I DIDN'T FIND ONE THING TO BUY! ON THURSDAY, WE WENT TO THE WAREHOUSE AND  PICKED UP OUR CHECK FOR ALL OUR HARD WORK. IT WAS WAY MORE THAN WE EXPECTED, AND WE WERE VERY PLEASED. WE COULD STAY ON THE LOT UNTIL SATURDAY, AND HAD RESERVATIONS FOR STONE CREEK RV PARK FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY. SO, SATURDAY MORNING, WE HITCHED UP THE RV AND WERE OFF ON ANOTHER ADVENTURE!!!  LOOKING FORWARD TO A LITTLE R & R.

OUR FIRST WORKAMPING JOB COMPLETED!!

THE LAST WEEKEND BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WE WERE A LITTLE BUSY, WE HAD CUT DOWN OUR LARGE TREES TO 7 AND 8 FOOTERS AND SOLD  THEM IN A HURRY, OTHER LOTS WERE CALLING ASKING IF WE HAD ANY 7 FOOT TREES.

BY MONDAY WHEN WE OPENED, FOLKS WERE JUST DRIVING  BY AND LOOKING IN TO SEE IF WE HAD TREES, AND THEN DRIVING OFF, THINKING WE DIDN'T HAVE TREES, SO DARRELL LINED WHAT WE HAD LEFT IN THE FRONT FLAP, SO FOLKS COULD DRIVE BY AND SEE WE DID HAVE TREES.

BY TUESDAY MORNING WHEN WE OPENED WE HAD 18 TREES LEFT, SO DARRELL LINED THEM UP OUT FRONT.

WITH MOSTLY FOUR FOOT TREES LEFT, WE HAD A COUPLE FIVE FOOT TREES, EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FOR TALLER TREES. THROUGHOUT THE DAY WE SOLD A FEW, MOST FOLKS WERE HAVING TO SETTLE FOR THE SHORTER TREES, BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT EVERYONE WAS SOLD OUT OF TREES, WHICH WAS GOOD FOR US!! IT HAD REALLY CUT DOWN ON THE WATERING!! BY THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 23, WE HAD SEVEN TREES LEFT, DARYL SMITH CALLED AND TOLD US WE COULD MARK DOWN THE FOUR FOOTERS TO $10 AND THE TABLETOPS TO $5. SO, WE TOOK THOSE TO THE CURB, MADE A BIG SIGN, AND FIGURED WE WOULD SELL THOSE OUT PRETTY QUICK.

WE FOUND OUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, OTHER LOTS WERE SOLD OUT AND CLOSED, SO WE WERE GETTING ANXIOUS!

BY AFTERNOON WE WERE DOWN TO 3 TABLETOPS, SURELY WE COULD SELL OUT TODAY!!!

BY 5:30, WE HAD TWO TABLETOP TREES LEFT, SO DARRELL CALLED DARYL SMITH AND TOLD HIM WHAT WE HAD LEFT, AND HE SAID WE COULD CLOSE DOWN. DARRELL TOOK THE STANDS OFF THE TREES AND WERE WALKING THEM OUT TO THE CURB AND A MAN STOPPED WANTING A TREE, DARRELL GAVE HIM BOTH, HE WAS VERY HAPPY, BUT NOT NEARLY AS  HAPPY AS WE WERE!!