OUR SUMMER HOME

WE LEFT FOR BENTSEN PALM VILLAGE ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, IT ONLY TOOK 45 MINUTES TO GET THERE. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SITE!

AND THE BEST PART IS........ WE HAVE THE PARK PRACTICALLY  TO OURSELVES! WE MET WITH GUY THE NEXT MORNING AND HE TOLD US THAT HE AND JUANITA HAD GIVEN THEIR TWO WEEK NOTICE. HE ASSURED US THAT IT WOULDN'T AFFECT OUR JOB AT ALL. WE WILL  HAVE FULL USE OF THIS  GOLF CART FOR THE SUMMER.

WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING GATES, GUY GAVE US ALL THE CODES AND DARRELL WILL BE ESCORTING GUESTS TO THEIR SITES.
RIGHT AWAY WE NOTICED THE BORDER PATROL PRESENCE, GUY EXPLAINED WE ARE  ONLY A FEW MILES FROM MEXICO. HELICOPTORS FLY OVERHEAD DAY AND NIGHT AND BORDER PATROL TRUCKS  AND SUVS  EVERY WHERE. ONE NIGHT I WAS AWAKENED TO CLOPPITY  CLOP, THE BORDER PATROL ALSO PATROLS ON HORSEBACK.  THE NEXT MORNING WE HAD OUR FIRST "ENCOUNTER" WITH THE "ILLEGALS". THERE WERE THREE OF THEM BEHIND OUR RV, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EIGHT FOOT CHAIN LINK FENCE. I CALLED GUY, HE CAME OVER AND  SPOKE  TO THEM IN SPANISH.   GUY GAVE THEM WATER AND CALLED THE BORDER PATROL. THEY WERE READY TO BE PICKED UP, THEY WERE COLD AND HUNGRY.  THEY HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD 40 DAYS FROM HONDURAS.

THERE IS A SHEPARD'S HOOK AT OUR SITE AND A LITTLE PLACE I CAN PLANT SOME ANNUALS.....I WAS HAPPY.....I CAN GARDEN!! 

BENTSEN PALM VILLAGE IS LOCATED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BENTSEN-RIO GRANDE VALLEY STATE PARK AND THE  WORLD BIRDING CENTER, WHERE  BIRDERS COME TO SEE TROPICAL BIRDS FOUND NOWWHERE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES.

GUY ASKED IF WE WOULD PUT THE BICYCLES AWAY FOR THE SUMMER, WE HAD FUN RIDING THEM OVER TO THE STORAGE SHED.

OUR FIRST  "SPECIAL PROJECT" WAS PAINTING THE ROCKING CHAIRS THAT SIT OUTSIDE. THERE  ARE  TWENTY FIVE OF THEM.

 A FEW DAYS LATER GUY TOLD US THEY HAD HIRED NEW MANAGERS AND THEY WOULD BE HERE IN A FEW DAYS. WE MET THE NEW MANAGERS, DAVID AND SUSAN, THEY SEEMED REALLY NICE. GUY AND JUANITA WILL LEAVE THE 24TH OF APRIL. THE NEW MANAGERS WON'T TAKE OVER UNTIL MAY 1. GUY INVITED US FOR EASTER DINNER WITH HIS FAMILY. I MADE COLORED DEVILED EGGS AND A BUNNY CAKE.

WE HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME MEETING GUY'S FAMILY. IT WAS A DELICIOUS DINNER AND EVERYONE WAS SO NICE.

SO, ON THE 24TH OF APRIL, WE SAID GOODBYE TO GUY AND JUANITA.....WE HATED TO SEE THEM GO, WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM.

WE THANKED THEM FOR HIRING US AND WISHED THEM NOTHING BUT THE BEST! A GREAT COUPLE THAT WILL BE MISSED BY ALL HERE AT BENTSEN PALM VILLAGE.

BENTSEN PALM VILLAGE RV PARK JOB AND SOUTH PADRE ISLAND

ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, I NOTICED BENTSEN PALM VILLAGE RV PARK IN MISSION, TEXAS WAS ADVERTISING FOR WORKAMPERS FOR THE SUMMER. WE TALKED IT OVER AND DECIDED WE COULD STAY IN TEXAS FOR THE SUMMER. WE LOOKED THE PARK UP ONLINE, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PARK AND CHECKED ALL OUR BOXES FOR WHAT WE WANTED. DARRELL CALLED TO ASK WHAT THE JOB INVOLVED, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PURSUING. I SENT THEM OUR RESUME AND GUY CAVAJAL, THE MANAGER CALLED THE SAME DAY. WE SET UP AN INTERVIEW  FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 21.  MISSION IS JUST 45 MINUTES FROM HARLINGEN.

THE INTERVIEW WENT WELL. GUY HAD AN EMERGENCY, SO WE TALKED WITH HIS WIFE JUANITA. THIS IS A NEW JOB OPPORTUNITY BEING OFFERED FOR BENTSEN PALM  RV VILLAGE. IN THE PAST, BENTSEN PALM HAS ONLY HIRED WORKAMPERS FOR THE WINTER SEASON. JUANITA EXPLAINED THAT SUMMER IS THEIR OFF SEASON AND WE WOULD BE THE ONLY WORKAMPERS WITH VERY  LIGHT DUTY. WE WOULD BE THERE MORE AS A PRESENCE, ASSISTING GUY AND JUANITA AND DOING A FEW  "SPECIAL PROJECTS."  THE PARK IS BEAUTIFUL AND BENTSEN RIO GRANDE STATE PARK IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR. WE WANTED THE JOB!! GUY CALLED LATER THAT AFTERNOON TO TELL US THE JOB WAS OURS IF WE WANTED IT........WE DEFINITELY DID!! THE JOB STARTS APRIL 2, AND WE CAN STAY AS LONG AS WE LIKE. WE  GOT BUSY THEN, WASHING AND WAXING THE 5TH WHEEL AND THE TRUCK.
BEFORE STARTING  OUR SUMMER WORK, I WANTED TO TAKE MAGGIE AND MARLEE TO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND SO THEY COULD PLAY ON THE BEACH.

WE WENT TO "OUR BEACH", IT WAS PRETTY MESSY......LOTS OF SEAWEED!

MAGGIE AND MARLEE DIDN'T SEEM TO MIND, THEY HAD FUN CHASING THEIR BALLS!

THEY FINALLY WORE OUT AND THEN WE JUST ENJOYED SITTING ON THE BEACH.

IT WAS A FUN, RELAXING DAY!!! WE LOVE THE BEACH!!!

MORE OF FIG TREE

ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, WE WENT ON A WALKING TOUR OF HARLINGEN.

IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, WE LEARNED SOME  HARLINGEN HISTORY. HARLINGEN HAS BEEN WORKING HARD TO REVITALIZE THE DOWNTOWN. THIS OLD THEATRE BUILDING  HAS BEEN RE DONE AND IS BEING USED AGAIN. LOTS OF ART AND MURALS IN DOWNTOWN HARLINGEN.

LATER ON IN THE AFTERNOON, WE CAME BACK TO DOWNTOWN FOR THEIR FARMER'S MARKET.

WE BOUGHT CARROTS AND SPINACH. THEY WERE DELICIOUS!! WE WENT TO DON WES THE NEXT DAY AND BOUGHT ORANGES, KETTLE CORN AND A ME A  NEW PURSE.

IT WAS A COLD, WINDY DAY!!

BUT DARRELL GOT HIS BAG OF ORANGES.

WE WERE STARTING TO GET CALLS AND E MAILS ABOUT JOBS FOR THE SUMMER.  WE WERE TURNING THEM DOWN LEFT AND RIGHT. WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TOO FAR FROM CALIFORNIA, BECAUSE, WE WANT TO WORK FOR  DOUG BENNETT AGAIN THIS YEAR SELLING PUMPKINS  AND CHRISTMAS TREES. ONE MAN CALLED FROM TEXAS, WANTING US TO WORK IN AN RV PARK, WE TALKED A WHILE, AND HE FINALLY SAYS,  " WELL, THE REAL  REASON I CALLED  IS  BECAUSE WE HAVE A BLACK/TAN DACHSHUND JUST LIKE THE ONE YOU ARE HOLDING IN YOUR RESUME PICTURE".  FUNNY!!  WE SAW A FEW JOBS WE WERE INTERESTED IN AND SENT OUR RESUME TO THEM. ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS DISTANT DRUMS RV PARK IN CAMP VERDE, ARIZONA. RICKY AND ART BEUTLER, A COUPLE WE MET AT FIG TREE LAST YEAR, EMAILED SAYING THEY WERE IN THE VALLEY, STAYING AT LLANO GRAND RV PARK IN MERCEDES AND WANTED TO GET TOGETHER.  WE MET THEM FOR LUNCH AT RANCH HOUSE BURGERS AND THEN TOOK A TOUR OF LLANO GRANDE. BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PARK!! IT WAS GREAT TO SEE RICKY AND  ART AGAIN, AND WE MADE PLANS TO GET  TOGETHER AGAIN FOR  GONZALEZ BURGERS IN DONNA, TEXAS. 

ON SATURDAY, MARCH 1,  FIG TREE HELD THEIR ANNUAL GARAGE SALE. WE HAD RESERVED A TABLE. WE SOLD A LOT OF STUFF, BUT NOT ALL THAT WE WANTED TO SELL.

I PUT THE STUFF I DIDN'T SELL ON CRAIG'S LIST AND WAS ABLE TO SELL IT ALL.

WE STARTED OUR SPRING HOUSE CLEANING, WASHING WALLS, CEILINGS, CLEANING CLOSETS. WE WERE SIGNED UP FOR A SEGWAY TOUR  TO HIDALGO PUMP HOUSE IN MCALLEN, TEXAS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 6.  I WAS EXCITED! I HAD BEEN WANTING TO DO THIS FOR A WHILE.

THESE SEGWAYS ARE  A LITTLE TRICKY.....ONE MAN FROM FIG TREE IN THE FIRST GROUP, BROKE HIS ANKLE. 

BUT, IT WAS FUN AND WE WERE GLAD WE HAD GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO TRY THE SEGWAY.

WE GOT DUALLY SERVICED AND WASHED AND WAXED THE OUTSIDE OF GUSTOW, WE WERE THINKING AT THIS TIME THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING AT DISTANT DRUMS RV PARK IN CAMP VERDE.  THEY WANTED US THERE THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL. THEY WERE SENDING THE CONTRACT. BEV AND TONY LEFT  FOR HOME ON MARCH 9.

JAN MILLER CAME TO SPEND THE DAY WITH ME BEFORE WE ALL LEAVE THE FIRST OF APRIL. WE HAD LUNCH AT AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT, DID A LITTLE SHOPPING, HAD A MANICURE. WE LAUGHED A LOT AND JUST ENJOYED BEING TOGETHER AGAIN. WE PROMISED TO STAY IN TOUCH. ON MARCH 13, WE HAD SIGNED UP FOR ANOTHER FIG TREE OUTING TO THE BORDER PATROL. WOW!! THAT WAS SO INTERESTING AND DISTURBING AT THE SAME TIME. THE NEXT DAY RICKY AND ART TOOK US TO GONZALEZ BURGERS IN DONNA. WE HAD HEARD ABOUT THESE BURGERS EVER SINCE WE CAME TO THE VALLEY. IT IS ALSO CALLED "NO NAME BURGERS" BECAUSE THERE IS NO SIGN UP ON THE BUSINESS. DARRELL AND I HAD TRIED TO FIND IT EARLIER, BUT WE DIDN'T FIND IT. THE BURGERS WERE HUGE AND DELICIOUS!!

WE HAD A GREAT TIME EATIN' BURGERS AND SPENDING TIME WITH RICKY AND ART...

DISTANT DRUMS RV PARK FINALLY SENT THE CONTRACT, THE CONTRACT STATED DARRELL WOULD BE DOING BATHRROOM CLEANING.  RACHEL HOOD NEVER MENTIONED THAT WHEN SHE WAS EMAILING US THE JOB DESCRIPTION. I EMAILED HER SAYING WE WOULDN'T BE COMING TO ARIZONA FOR THE SUMMER. SHE WASN'T HAPPY, WE WEREN'T EITHER. THE SEARCH FOR A JOB WAS STILL ON.

FIG TREE RV RESORT

WE WERE ON THE ROAD BY 9:00,  AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE VALLEY, IT STARTED TO RAIN.

WE ARRIVED AT FIG TREE AT 2:00. BEV AND TONY HAD ARRIVED THE DAY BEFORE.

THE GRASS ON OUR LOT WAS THICK AND GREEN, THEY MUST HAVE HAD MORE RAIN THAN LAST YEAR. THERE WERE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE....WE WERE GLAD WE HAD MADE RESERVATIONS.  WE GOT SET UP AND WE WERE HUNGRY, WE HAD NOT STOPPED TO EAT. WE HAD A NICE MEAL AT  LONGHORN STEAK HOUSE.  IT WAS STILL RAINING AND COOL. BUT, WE SLEPT GOOD THAT NIGHT......NO TRAFFIC NOISE!
I BOUGHT ME A SEWING MACHINE WITH MY "BONUS" MONEY. I WAS GOING TO  BUY THE CHEAPER MODEL, BUT  DARRELL TALKED ME INTO BUYING THIS BEAUTY.

NOW, I JUST NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO OPERATE IT! FIG TREE WAS HAVING THEIR ANNUAL AUCTION IN  A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND I HAD BOUGHT SOME TEXAS TOWELS TO CONTRIBUTE, SO I MADE THEM TO DONATE AND LEARNED HOW TO SEW ON MY MACHINE AT THE SAME TIME. I LOVE MY MACHINE!! IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO SEW ON THAN MY MOTHER'S MACHINE THAT I LEFT IN STORAGE.

WHILE I WAS IN SAN ANTONIO, I BOUGHT FABRIC TO MAKE A RAG QUILT. DARRELL CUT ALL THE SQUARES FOR IT. 96 SQUARES FOR THE QUILT AND 48 FOR THE BATTING.

IT WAS NICE FOR A FEW DAYS.....AND THEN THE COLD CAME.

WE STILL USED THE HOT TUB ALMOST EVERY DAY, BUT THE WEATHER STILL KEPT MAKING THE NEWS.

WE WERE STILL BETTER OFF THAN THE FOLKS UP NORTH.

WE WENT OVER TO PROGRESSO, MEXICO RIGHT AWAY AND BOUGHT MOVIES...ALL THE LATEST ONES THAT AREN'T OUT ON DVD IN THE U.S.

WE FOUND A GREAT BARBECUE RESTAURANT IN SAN BENITO.

WE WENT TO DON WES AND SHOPPED. I FOUND SEVERAL BATHING SUITS FOR $8 EACH.

THE HOT WATER HEATER QUIT WORKING IN EARLY FEBRUARY. IT TOOK DARRELL A FEW DAYS, BUT HE FIGURED IT OUT AND GOT THE ELECTRIC SIDE OF IT WORKING. AND THEN, THE FIREPLACE QUIT WORKING.

WE TOOK IT OUT OF THE WALL AND CLEANED EVERY PART OF IT, PUT IT BACK IN AND IT WORKED!!
THEN THE LIGHT IN THE LIVING ROOM QUIT WORKING.....WE WERE ON A ROLL.
FOUND A GREAT REPLACEMENT FOR IT....HOPING WE WERE DONE WITH ALL THE FIXING.

EVERYONE WAS SICK IN FIG TREE.....THEY WERE CALLING IT THE TEXAS GRUNDGE. WE STAYED AWAY FROM EVERYONE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I LEARNED HOW TO SHORTEN MY TEE SHIRTS. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND A TECHNIQUE  I LIKED AND WENT TO WORK. DARRELL MEASURED AND I CUT AND SEWED.

I WORKED AND WORKED UNTIL I FINALLY GOT THEM ALL HEMMED!! I ALSO FINISHED THE RAG QUILT.....I LOVE IT!! IT LOOKS SO NICE ON THE COUCH!

ONE DAY, FIG TREE LINED UP A ROPA TRIP. I WENT WITH BEV, SUSAN, AND LINDA DROVE. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN AND REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE!!

ROPA USADA MEANS USED CLOTHING.

SOME OF THE GALS GOT INTO IT MORE THAN OTHERS!!

BEV AND I STAYED DOWN ON THE FLOOR.

OF ALL THINGS BEV FOUND THIS WEDDING DRESS!!
WE WERE NEAR HIDALGO, THIS MUST BE THE "ROPA" CAPITAL...THERE WERE BUILDING AFTER BUILDING OF ROPA. WE STOPPED AT TWO MORE, ONE WAS VERY WELL ORGANIZED.

THE OTHER ONE, NOT SO MUCH....MOUNTAINS OF CLOTHING!!

THEY MOVE THE PILES AROUND WITH A FORK LIFT. AFTER THIS GUY MOVED THE CLOTHES, I  WALKED OVER AND FOUND ME THIS CORDUROY JACKET. I LOVE IT!!

THEY SELL THE CLOTHING BY THE POUND, I PAID 25 CENTS FOR THIS JACKET AND IT'S IN EXCELLENT SHAPE!! I WAS HAPPY!! AFTERWARDS WE ATE LUNCH AT THE CORNER CAFE IN MCALLEN. IT WAS DELICIOUS. IT WAS A FUN DAY!!