It's been about three weeks since our last blog post, so I thought we should offer sort of a catch-up post. Some of our readers may think of our adventure as kind of an extended vacation. That's not entirely accurate. We are in an area that has a high tourist population, and there's no shortage of touristy things to do. But, the truth is that we, as well as most of our neighbors, are simply "at home" in an RV. Many days we do the same things as you folks with homes without wheels: we do laundry, clean the house, wash and wax the truck, fix things, go shopping, eat out, have company over for dinner or dessert, and participate in outside activities that are common wherever you might be. I'm catching up on all the reading I didn't get to do while working. See the photos below - you will see that life goes on.
Here is Pat (front row, far right) with her yoga class at the Pollock Center in Port Aransas. She also is part of an aerobics class at the same place. The lady next to Pat is Delores Olson from Golden Valley MN. Delores and her husband, John, are our next door neighbors at Tropic Island RV Resort. Some crafting classes are also offered, and Pat takes part in some of them as well.
This is the Texas quilt Pat made this winter. It's almost finished at this point. Still needs a backing and final quilting. It's not the only quilt she has made this winter. Being in a house on wheels has not stopped Pat from doing the things she has always done. And the crochet hook almost never stops, either. We go through a lot of yarn.
While our friends in the northern latitudes may be experiencing drifting snow, we sometimes experience drifting sand. Let me tell you, drifting sand is a lot easier to take than drifting snow. For one thing, it's a lot warmer! We've been able to wear shorts and t-shirts almost all the time this winter. The city from time to time has to plow the sand out of the beach roadway.
Last week we made a day-trip to South Padre Island. It is the southern-most barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast. You can't get there by driving down the islands. There is no bridge between Padre Island and South Padre, so you have to go inland and take the expressway south. After all the extra miles are added in our day trip ended up being over 450 miles. What we did discover is that South Padre Island is way overdeveloped and ends up being not nearly as pleasant, from our point of view, as Mustang Island. SPI has too many high rise buildings, too many people, too much traffic, and too little land area. The beach is mostly not accessible, and when you can get to the beach it is unkempt and not driveable or even comfortably walkable.
This is an approach to the beach on South Padre Island.
Our tomato plant has been giving ripe tomatoes since mid-January and is still producing, although it has slowed down somewhat. The hybiscus just go on and on giving us new blooms almost every day. I don't know how they can be so productive.
Turkey buzzard in flight.
Turkey buzzard at rest. This is a LARGE bird.
Pat picking her way through the driftwood on a barrier beach just north of Mustang Island.
So, how does this compare with your winter?
Dave and Pat
This is the demo cattle drive at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Changing beef handling methods and transportation caused the stockyards to go out of business in the mid-1980's, but the entire complex has been converted into a giant tourist trap - Oh, 'scuse me, I mean ATTRACTION.
We had lunch at Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant near the stockyards. Joe's is more than just an eatery. It covers almost an entire block and has nice gardens and landscaping to wander through.
Here is Pat and Dr. Puri. Notice her shiny new smile.
At Joe T. Garcia's you get ambiance, good service, good food, and a good price. It's been a landmark for decades. It's a must-see when in Fort Worth.
Sign and entrance to Garcia's.
Entrance to the Fort Worth Stockyards.
We visited Jerry and Joan Martin, new friends we met on Mustang Island this winter. They live in Benbrook, a SW suburb of Fort Worth.
The only thing we really didn't care for was the traffic. Whether in Dallas or Fort Worth there is too much traffic, and a lot of these Texicans are crazy drivers.
