Coming Right Along...

The shower house is progressing nicely, and has a target date for completion.

Labor Day.

We'll all have to take showers to celebrate.

June 19 ............................................................. June 25

In contrast with past building projects this time there seems to be a big crew working most of the time. Because of the building boom in the last few years here in the valley, it has been sometimes difficult to get a committment from the builders. This time we seem to have the right guys. There has been some difficulty rounding up materials, but some ingenuity with exterior design seems to have solved any problems.

June 19 ............................................................June 25

The exercise room will be part of the shower complex,

with sidewalks connection the building to the pool.

June 19 ....................................................... June 25

Yep, it's coming right along!

"Love Letters" from Absent Friends.

At this slow time of year I relish the emails from goners.

Here is one from Sandy J. that has a link to a super magazine, chock full of Texas recipes.

******

There is a magazine that I read from cover to cover each month, even the ads.

It is Saveur, a combination of National Geographic Travel and the BEST cooking magazine.

The July 2009 issue is the TEXAS issue.

It can be purchased at Borders, Barnes and Noble

or googled at http://www.saveur.com/.

Even though it doesn't mention the Valley there are great recipes for TX favorites.

Some yummy ideas for potlucks, food contests, etc.

How about Book Club Sangria, Longhorn Bull Shot or a Crayfish feast!?

Also, there is an interesting article in the June 1, 2009 issue of The New Yorker

about health care in the McAllen area.

Seems that it is one of the most expensive health care markets in the US.

I read the article twice and there is no mention of "Winter Texans".

I e-mailed the author, a prof. at Harvard School of Med. to see why.

I'll let you know if/when he replies.

Love & hugs,

Sandy J

*******************

Very timely, 'cause

OUR COOKBOOKS HAVE ARRIVED!

We are working on a sliding price scale to give you a break if you buy more than one. We have the list of those who ordered throughout the winter and will hold them for you, but we have extras, too. Plan on sharing these great recipes with family and friends.

***********************

Another "love Letter", this time from Lanny & Donna:

**************

Thought you might like this tidbit for your delightful blog:

Where are they now?

We spent most of the day yesterday with SUE ROBERTS!

Remember Bingo Sue, aka Kentucky Derby Sue?

She now lives in Key West, FL, on the 7th floor of a condo with a fantastic sunset over the Gulf view. She works on Duval St. at a higher class department/tourist trap store and looks great. And yes, she still drives her hot rod Chevy SSR pickup!

Anyone wishing to contact her can call her at

(email me or Lanny for the number. We don't want every salesman from here to Calcutta calling her), since she chooses not to be of the computer persuasion.

We also visited Ron & Donna K. & Charlie & Kim B. while in Ft Myers, FL.

Next stops are Haulover nude beach in Miami and then on to Cape Canaveral.

Hugs, Lanny & Donna

Water Conservation Guidelines & More

Look!

We caught ANOTHER raccoon!

This one was just about as big, not nearly as feisty, and hopefully the last one.And no, they aren't cute.

They growl.

They try to bite.

They are bandits! Look at the mask!

They don't smell as bad as a possum, but they dig up pots looking for tasty treats, and make a mess everywhere. There are reports of a trail of Tootsie Roll poops all over the place...in chairs, on my bicycle seat of all places!...on patio tables.Hasta la vista, baby...

Don't come back.

***************************************

Now...on to water conservation.

You know it hasn't rained very much...only a few inches in the last 9 months.

The City of Edinburg has issued a water alert, and we must try to comply.

Water Conservation

Stage 2-Mandatory Compliance-Water Alert

(Wow, sounds serious!)

Designated Days

Odd address = odd days

Even address = even days

(Although we are a pretty odd group, our address makes us "evens").

Sprinkler irrigation of lawns, gardens, landscaping, trees, and shrubs-before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm on designated days only. Watering at any time, on designated days only. With handheld hose; a handheld, faucet filled bucket of 5 gallons or less; or a drip irrigation system.Washing of vehicles, trucks, boats, airplanes or mobile equipment-before 8:00 am and after 6:00 pm, on designated days only, with a handheld bucket or a handheld hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle for quick rinses. Washing may be done at any time on premises of commercial car wash or commercial service station.

Washing or sprinkling of foundations and refilling or adding water to swimming and wading pools-before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm, on designated days only.

That's Mandatory Compliance....

Wonder if the water police will get us if we transgress?

Raccoonamania

Lately I've been plagued by something digging in my container plants, knocking over pots and leaving Tootsie Roll poops all over the place.

Not being an expert in poops, other than my own, I thought it was a possum.

Jim got a trap and made a peanut butter sandwich bait.

Heck, everything likes peanut butter, right?

The first night the sandwich was eaten but nothing was in the trap.

Guess what? Not set right.

Nothing the second night either.

But the third night we succeeded.Ahhhh...Ricky Raccoon...how cute.Curled all up, awaiting my wrath.Not so cute close up.

Demon eyes!That raccoon was most unhappy, let me tell you.

Snarling and hissing and trying to attack Jim. It was a big sucker, too.

Heavy.

Jim took it over to the garage in hopes Ricky will be disposed of or relocated.

If he comes back and digs up my plants again we will be having raccoon stew!

A Little Slooowwwww.....

This time of year is a little slow. Not quite enough players for water volleyball, but we make do. Usually with 5 or 6 a side, however, a few days ago we had 5 against 2....and the 2 beat us. Us being the ladies, and the 2 being a couple of guys (including Spider-Man Mike). Humiliating!

The cookbooks, the famous Sandpiper cookbooks are finished and on their way to Sandpipers. We worked on that project all winter long, collecting recipes, reading, editing, drinking a little wine, rereading, checking each others work, drinking a little more wine....wonder what the finished product will look like? We are still fine tuning the pricing structure, but it will be set up so the more you buy the cheaper per book they will be. They will be available when you return. If you signed up for a book it will be held for you. We will also be selling the cookbooks at Junque & Java, if they haven't already been snapped up by then.

*****

It's been way too hot too early and we are all just panting in the shade, but we still have a few fun things planned for the summer.

We are having lunch by the pool every Saturday and it just keeps getting better and better.

A steak dinner with all the trimmings is planned for Father's Day. Ribeyes, yum!

4th of July is shaping up to be an All-American Treat with grilled hot dogs.

And July 11th....oh, boy!

To celebrate our participating in the record breaking skinny dipping event that is taking place all over the nation we may just have a shrimp boil. Working on it!

Hmmmm...seems to be all about food doesn't it?

Jon & Donna's Western Adventure Continues.

Jon & Donna continue to explore the West! Great pictures, guys!

Hi Everybody,

We are leaving Moab today and heading for Denver! We have seen towering mountains, bottomless canyons, ice cold lakes, and an infinite variety of rocks and plants.

We started this leg of our travels by stopping in Las Vegas for a few days.

Not to visit casinos, but to catch up with our friends Dennis and Helen.

Dennis and I sailed together on Lake Michigan when we were both Racine residents.

Our favorite challenge on that great lake was something called "double-handed" sailing where a race consisted of a fleet of sailboats each with only 2 people on board (most of these were good sized boats in excess of 30+ feet).

The course lengths ranged from 66 to 200 miles.!! We have now outgrown those toys and enjoyed his new ones - lengths of approximately 30 inches.

The challenge was to "dock" these small radio controlled devils without running them into the piers. This physically exhausting exercise was performed in the pool in his backyard while taking adequate precautions due to the Las Vegas weather .

Thanks to Dennis and Helen, we ate our way through some wonderful meals out there and saw a great show called the "Hitsville - the Show", which delivered 90 minutes of Motown hits.

Leaving Sin City, we headed to the western edge of Utah,

staying in Mount Carmel which provided convenient access to

Zion National Park,

Bryce National Park

and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

We hiked, we scrambled, we clung to cliffs by our fingertips (not really) and learned about the geologic history of this area dating back hundreds of millions of years. The effects of wind, water, erosion and something called tectonic plate activity joined to create wonderlands of awesome formations.

Pictures do not do this justice, but we did take lots and lots and lots of them anyway.

From there we headed to the eastern edge of Utah and landed in the Moab area, where we explored still more National Parks - Canyonlands and Arches. Again, more spectacular rock creations! Hikes that took us hundreds of feet down into the canyons, miles of walking through their shadowy depths, and then the long arduous climbs back up to the top using seemingly endless switchbacks and stairs.

(Donna, climbing, ever climbing!)

Temperatures had cooled and the winds were blowing 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of up to 50 that threatened to blow me off of some of the more exposed rock faces.

Simply awesome! Also drove extensively along the Colorado River and though we didn't do any rafting, I included a picture of some folks that did. We will be visiting more friends in Denver and exploring the area

(neither of us have spent any time there before).

Hugs,
Jon and Donna

Progress!

Work has begun on the new shower house.

Gary, in his office, is checking the blueprints and overseeing the work.This is just some of the block and brick to be used....Now keep in mind, it's about 100 degrees, and windy.

Like working inside a clothes dryer.

With dirt.It was so hot I had to move to a different, cooler angle.There, that's better.And, because I go for the money shots, I caught this one of the dumpster, closed for the season. The chipper has reduced so much garden waste Karen was able to drop down to one dumpster pickup, twice a week...for the whole park. I think the chipper has already paid for itself.

Les & Janet's Most Excellent Adventures

Les and Janet (#225) are spending the summer as camp hosts

at Whitefish State Park in Montana, just outside Glacier National Park.

We are about 60 miles from the Canadian border.

And this particular park has a lot of tourists from

Alberta so we feel quite at "home", eh?

Our way here via west Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho and into Montana included stops at some interesting RV parks.

We stayed in the casino parking lot outside Eagle Pass where a professional gambler dude directed us into the cramped quarters.

He stays 9 months out of the year there making big bucks as a poker player - he says.

So of course, we made him buy the beer for the evening.

At Balmorhea State Park we dipped into the natural springs there.

A lee-tle chilly!

After several months in south Texas it felt like a polar bear plunge in Minnesota. But is was fun to have the fish all around nipping at your toes. Like a Japanese pedicure.

Also stayed at Huerco Tanks State Park near El Paso.

Petroglyphs. Pictoglyphs.

Still unsure which is which but the park has both.
Thanks to Lanny and Donna and Les and Maryanne for all these suggestions.

Amazing state parks.

Moab, Utah included a stop at the only wind powered RV park in the world.

And in a Challis, Idaho park we dipped into the 106 degree hot-hot-hot springs. We probably burned something off but then it froze back up when it got to 40 that night.

And, in Lolo, Montana we stayed at an RV park that is also a square dance club and square dance clothing shop. Square dancing happens every night through the summer and weekly in the winter. Janet was disappointed to find out they do not make a Clogs type of square dancing shoe. Months in south Texas has spoiled her feet for anything but flip flops.

Now we are in Montana, on a lake where Fisherman Les has reeled in

lake trout and Janet has had to figure out what to do with them.

Who has the harder job?

We would have attached the pictures, but, gosh, we forgot to take them.

You'll just have to believe our stories of the eight-pound trout Fisherman Les caught and that we have stuffed and mounted on the front bumper of the truck - like a pair of Texas longhorns.

This is pretty country.

Thanks for all your pre-trip info for us Mel and Bob and Vicki.

Visit us if you are nearby this summer.

Just be sure to bring your wool blankie!

Have a great summer.

We plan to!

Trials & Tribulations of an RV Owner.

One of the emails I received recently was from Bernie & Bob, our resident wine enthusiasts. Between their house painting adventures and mandatory attendance at quilt shows they were expecting a visit from Bob & Pam. Didn't happen...here's why...

From Bernie:
I am forwarding a note from Pam and Bob.
They didn't make it here yesterday due to the following note.
Pam called about 11ish and said they were on their way,
and about 11:45 she called again and said they had to head back.
Talked to Bob last evening and it sounds like they will spend most of this upcoming week in the Elkhart area. I'm sure Pam wouldn't mind you telling their story and showing the great pictures.

From Pam:

And you like RVing because....????
Dear Ones, That's the question you're going to be asking
after you hear our latest travel news.

*
When I wrote you last, we were getting our windshield replaced.
They also moved the dashboard back 1/2" because
it was improperly installed and was hitting the windshield.
That was accomplished and we moved on to another RV service center,
our third in Elkhart, to have the awning fixed that Mandalay had "fixed" but hadn't really.

*
In addition, they also fixed a slide-out that wasn't quite right after Mandalay had worked on it. By this morning we were ready to move south,
confident that all our current problems were fixed properly.

*
Half an hour down the road we were flagged down by a motorist
who had heard a loud shrieking from our engine.
The engine is located in the rear of our coach so we hadn't heard it.
The fellow who flagged us down used to work on motorhomes
and felt we needed to get engine service ASAP.
So we find ourselves back in lovely Elkhart
staying at the 4th service center, one that works on our brand of engine.
A technician spent a good bit of time locating the problem which he believes is an exhaust leak.

He will repair it after the part comes in.

Oh, yes, and while the engine tech was searching for the source of the noise,
he discovered three other items that were broken.
All were chassis rather than engine related.

*
So when we finish here, we will be going to a 5th service center to get those items taken care of.

*

We're considering moving permanently to Elkhart. ;-)

*
Love, Gram/Mom/Aunt Pam/just plain Pam

P.S. We did get some really good news today.
Wendy gets to leave Iraq on June 27, three weeks earlier than she'd thought.
Hooray!!

*************************************

Pictures below were taken by Pam & Bob during their

exploration of Indiana prior to moving to Elkhart.

I thought we would like to see them if only to appreciate the rich, bright young green of the trees...The tender new shoots...And all the water.....

Updates from our Travelers

Before I catch you up with the travels of some of our friend, let me catch you up on what's happening here at Sandpipers. Construction has not yet started on the new bath house but the site is being prepared. Grass has been stripped, tree branches and limbs removed, and little red flags have sprouted around the edges. The bids are still out (I believe), but construction looms.

*

The front gate is finished, except for a few little details, like lights, and looks wonderful. The gate code has to be punched in but not for too long, I hope. Miss my clicker doing the work.

*

The new chipper has a huge pile, a mountain, of debis to chip. What a savings for trash collection...much more room in the dumpster!

*

Dave & Evelynn's double wide was sold and moved a few days ago. The air was blue from Spanish curses...it was quite a job to get the two pieces out of here.

*

Other projects are in the works, but haven't started. If and when, you'll be the first to know.

****************************************

Now, on to vacation reports. (and if you want to contribute just email me.)

From John & Mary #5

On our day off on Tuesday we went to Corning, New York. There we toured the Corning Museum of Glass, operated by the Corning Company.

There we saw examples of glass making dating back some 4000 years to present day. It also included the various techniques used throughout the centuries. Glass was first made in Western Asia and the middle East, from there it spread to China and to Europe. Another wing of the exhibit featured the most extensive collection of art glass. These object d'art were sculpted by various artists from around the world. Many were intriguing pieces so much so that we spent several minutes looking at the glass from various angles to discover the perspective of colors that were refracted as well as the visible features the artist included but were only visible from different angles. We sat through a demonstration of glass making and blowing from beginning to end. A demonstration was also presented on the functionality of fiber optic cable versus copper wiring. One single fiber optic, the size of a human hair, can transmit 500,000 telephone calls simultaneously. For copper wire to do the same would require two pairs of copper wire bundled together measuring about six feet in diameter.

We highly recommend anyone traveling in central New York state to take the time to visit Corning and the Corning Museum of Glass.

The weather here has been cool for the last 3 weeks and the nights are even cooler. As we drive to various places in the area we see rolling hills and valleys that are dotted with farm lands, silos, barns and lush vegetation. And I must add I am delighted to see so many fir trees, a memory of growing up in Canada.

We are told that we will be able to buy fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables. Oh and before I close we are most delighted to see a variety of fresh breads that remind us of the bakeries in Montreal. More later, Take care of each other.
Mary n John

**********************************

From Jon & Donna #221

Hi Everybody,

We are now in Las Vegas staying at Sam's Town RV Park. Our time in Tempe was great and passed quickly. We drove down to Tucson one day and explored Biosphere 2. This is the place that was built around 1990 and 8 individual lived inside physically isolated from the outside world for 2 whole years. Built for 150 million dollars by a wealthy Texas oilman to experiment and develop new technologies and procedures that could be sold to NASA, this role was abandoned in 1993 after a second group spent 7 months inside. Columbia University took over the management of Biosphere 2 and used it for various experiments until 2003. It sat virtually idle from 2003 until 2007 when the University of Arizona took over the management of the facility and has embarked on a 10 year renovation and expansion program. Inside the sphere is a tropical ocean, a desert, a savannah, and a tropical rain forest. Really worth a visit if you get a chance.

We spent a lot of time with our friends, laughing, loafing and reminiscing. Backyard cookouts, floating in their pool, discovering new places to eat - it doesn't get any better than that. Oh yes, we explored the surrounding mountains and lakes and Rick even took us out for a day on the lake in his spiffy Sea Ray boat.

Speaking of places to eat, Donna and I found a Greek restaurant called Byblos and enjoyed a very good authentic meal along with - get this - a belly dancer! Who would have thought?

We also ran into an old friend of mine from Racine - Carlton Ruud. He owned his own electrical contracting firm (Ruud Electric) which he sold in 1985. His son Alan followed in his father's footsteps in the electrical field by creating his own company in 1982 called "Ruud Lighting". This company has now grown to a 50 million dollar plus enterprise with manufacturing facilities in Racine and in Italy and a worldwide sales and distribution network. Coincidentally, it was Carlton's and his wife Phyllis's sixty-third wedding anniversary and we joined them for a wonderful dinner to celebrate their many happy years together.

We were treated to dinner at a place called the Organ Stop - a restaurant/entertainment venue that houses perhaps the world's largest Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. Originally installed in a Denver theater in 1927, it was used until the "talkies" took over in the early 30's. This organ now over 6000 pipes, percussion instruments, drums, xylophones, and hundreds of other effects powered by wind. The wind is generated by 4 huge turbines housed in a separate building. The various pipes and instruments are displayed in full view of the audience (some contained within a glass enclosed room with rotating "doors" to control the volume). The 43 foot high ceiling provides exceptional acoustics and the console (containing 4 manuals, 276 keys and 789 stops and controls) is breathtaking.

Our brief stay in Vegas ends when we leave Monday morning and head for Utah, but until then we will enjoy time spent with long-time friends, Dennis and Helen......

Hugs,
Jon and Donna

***************************

From Irwin & Margaret #332

We are planing a trip to Grand Forks the third week of June, and a trip to see George and Pauline the end of July.

We will be going though Medicine Hat so we might get to see Russ and Betty

Take care

Irwin & Margaret

Mexico Travel Safety

Some timely tips from About.com, brought to my attention by Elaine, who considers these great tips for anywhere travel, not just Mexico. Thanks, Elaine...I was getting real tired of chatting about the Butterfly Garden!

*****

Most people who travel to Mexico have a wonderful time and don't encounter any problems. However, as in other tourist destinations throughout the world, crime is a fact of life, and as a tourist you may be targeted for theft. In order to increase your chances of having a safe and pleasant vacation, follow these tips for Mexico travel safety.

Before you leave:
*Research your destination. The Us State Department Web site has information about Mexico as well as current warnings and public announcements regarding safety issues for travelers. World Travel Watch also offers frequently updated reports.

*As you're packing, think twice about taking valuables with you. If they're not essential, they're probably better off left at home. This will also make for lighter bags, allowing you greater ease of movement which can deter potential thieves.

*Scan your passport and travel documents and e-mail them to yourself. That way, if your documents are lost or stolen you can easily access copies from your e-mail.

*Take your bank or credit card's international telephone number with you (the 1-800 numbers used in the United States don't work in Mexico).

*Leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home, but don't share details of your travel plans with others you meet while traveling.

*Buy a money belt (not a fanny pack) to carry your money and passport underneath your clothing.

*Credit or debit cards are the most convenient way to access your money while traveling, but losing your card (or having it swallowed by a cash machine) can be a great inconvenience, so have a back-up plan. Take some travelers cheques (or a small amount of cash) just in case.

While you're there:
*Blend in as much as possible. Walking around with a camera around your neck and a guidebook in your hand advertises your tourist status and may make you a mark for thieves. Try to be discreet.

*Choose ATMs in malls or stores if possible. Avoid using ATMs at night or in deserted places. When you withdraw money from an ATM put it away immediately.

*Carry only the cash you need for the moment in your pocket or purse. Carry your passport, credit card and extra money inside your clothes in a money-belt, or leave them in your hotel's safe. When you need to get something out of your money belt do it in a private place.

*Exercise particular caution when in crowds, markets or on public transportation. Pickpockets can be very crafty and sometimes work in pairs - one person will distract you while another takes your wallet.

*Ask your hotel manager or another knowledgeable person if there are some areas of the city you should avoid.

Taxis

*In Mexico City you should avoid hailing cabs in the street. Ask your hotel to call a cab for you. They will take note of the number of the taxi and the driver's name. At the airport and bus stations in Mexico City and other major cities there are official taxis (Taxis Autorizados) that you should take. Find out how to take an authorized taxi.