From Edinburg to China

 

The car and trailer Earle and Sarabeth wanted to trade our RV in for!

Since leaving Edinburg in early August we have explored the wonders of the universe at the McDonald Observatory at Fort Davis and the Solar Observatory in New Mexico.

 

We visited with friends in Alamogordo, NM and saw the White Sand Dunes (they are actually made of gypsum----lots of Sheetrock?).

 

We discovered that there are mountains in Texas

( good to know for Trivial Pursuit).

Today we have gone from NM to Colorado

 and Mesa Verde National Park.

 

We had planned to be here only two days but there is so much to see here I think it will take a little longer.

 

 Whenever we do get on the road again we will head toward California via Salt Lake City. Our youngest daughter lives in California and is going to keep Sarabeth for us while we go to China.

Speaking of China brings me to Sue's blog about what food you would like to try. I'm beginning to think my suitcase to China needs to be filled with food instead of clothes. I usually like to try the local cuisine wherever we are but fried grasshoppers and duck feet are not sounding very tasty and certainly don't fit well with my vegetarian lifestyle

Always expect the unexpected----so far we have:
Replaced two tires on the car...

Replaced six tires on the RV (that story includes a night in a hotel leaving the RV stranded on the side of a mountain

 with a blow out)...

Put new brakes on the car (yes it was scary to find out we needed new brakes as we came down a mountain after having dinner at a beautiful restaurant at an elevation of 9000 feet)...

Had gas siphoned out of the RV as we slept (now we get gas in the mornings instead of the last thing at night and are getting a locked gas cap)

Since we knew the unexpected would probably happen we are just rolling with "whatever" and enjoying the journey as we slowly make our way to CA----Texas was REALLY BIG----it took a long time to get from Edinburg to the top of Texas.

Jackie and Earle
# 226

Gourd Goodies

If you are lucky you've seen some of SueP's gourds before they have been sold or shipped off to family.  She does a MASTERFUL job of carving and embellishing the gourds into what I think is museum quality art.

 

She gifted me with a couple of blanks that I painted

 (me, not a carver).

  This could be a self portrait!

 

Go LSU!
 

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!! 



This one she carved into a cholla cactus skeleton

 and I added a clay lizard that looked a whole lot better

before I broke off his tail and leg!

Here are just a few of her masterpieces!

 

 

Gorgeous!

Sports Buff Weekend

Have you noticed the ads in The Bulletin,

 last month and again in the Sept issue? 

 

Sandpipers is going to have a big sports weekend,

October 25-27th.

 

There are still plenty of details to work out

and more info will be forthcoming....

but so you can begin training, here is what's proposed.

 

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

 

Get your team together and sign up for any or all these sports:

 

• Water Volleyball

6 person teams, women, men, & mixed.

 

• Petanque

3 person teams

 

• Shuffleboard

Individual competition

 

• Tennis Doubles

 

• Basketball Hoops Competition

"3x3" & three throw contest

Hurray Mamacita! We got rain!

The weather station didn't record 'cause it was clogged with debris....but, oh, boy, did we get a frog strangler this afternoon!

 

Bugs were washed away....

Woowee!...thunder, lightening, rain...about time!

September-Ladies Day Out

Thursday, September 5th.

 

The Ladies are breaking out again! 

We’re going to the

 Palenque Grill,

606 e. expresway 83,

McAllen   

956-994-8181 

( next to Pier One, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Michaels.)

meet at the gate at 11:30 am 

rsvp to Nancy, #212,

949-375-6868

 

Border to Border Chapter 11

We arrived at Saddletramp Trail only to find out that recent heavy rains had washed out a portion of the road leading from Happy Hollow to the house of Tommy and Terry. This is a gravel road which is not friendly to Spyders. Nevertheless, with passenger disembarked and luggage removed we were able to pick our way up to the house at about two miles an hour. We were thankful that we had installed a rock guard on the belt prior to leaving home.

 

Here we met up with Lowell and Mary. Lowell was concerned that he would not be able to leave as scheduled due to the poor road conditions.

 

 

On our first afternoon John along with Tommy, Lowell and two of Tommy's friends mounted horses and proceeded to search for Tommy's cattle. This area of Missouri received seven inches of rain in one day. This resulted in the creeks overflowing and debris tearing down the fences that kept Tommy's cattle on his ranch. After a two hour search we were able to locate the cattle in a neighbor's pasture.

 

So this city boy got to participate in his first ever cattle round up and move the herd to an adjoining pasture where they were left for the night. The next day Tommy and this city boy returned to the pasture where we had left the cattle and proceeded to move the herd to Tommy's ranch. We also had to check and make sure that all of his herd were accounted for. Then became the daunting task of rebuilding the fence destroyed by the high water. So Tommy and  I got to work to repair the fence. A new experience for the writer. This took two days and with Lowell's help we were able to complete repairing the fence.

In the first four days of our stay here this writer has been on a horse three days, mended a barb wire fence, drove cattle from one pasture to the next and then to their final home.

 

Lowell, Mary, Terry, Tommy, Mary and John drove to the Lake of the Ozarks to tour and have dinner.

 

Team sorting! The only teams I have played on were on ice or a diamond or a 110 yard field, not in an arena and certainly not on horseback. But it was Tuesday and team sorting took place at 7pm. So here were Tommy and John signed up to sort through a group of eight mean calves and move them from one pen to another in sequential order by the numbers on each calves back. This is to be done in sixty seconds. If one calves gets into the second pen out of order then we are trashed. First time up the team of the experienced cowboy and the city boy managed to get their first calf moved to the second pen. Then disaster, a calf not playing by the rules slipped into the second pen. TRASHED! But all was not lost. We had agreed to do a second team sorting. This time we were able to move five calves in to the second pen correctly before time expired. Tommy entered two more events with friends and Tommy and Terry got two attempts. That Terry is some horsewoman. John did get one more chance to show off his riding skills. This time with a cowboy named Joe. But, alas no success here.

 

 I think I will stick to riding Spyders.

 

I mowed the horse pasture of 18 acres. I drove a Massey-Ferguson tractor towing a 15 foot wide brush hog. It took about 3.5 hours to complete the operation. Jay could do the SPR field in about 30 minutes.

 

Sunday night after dinner at the Willows, Tommy, Terry, Mary and John got in one last horseback ride.

 

Monday morning it was time to load up the Spyder and say goodbye to some excellent hosts in Terry and Tommy. A whole lot of memories were made at Saddletramp Trail that will remain with us for a long, long time. A return visit is something to consider.

 

We are heading south into some hot weather. We will stop in Greenville for the Spyders 8000 miles service. Then on to Houston for a few days. Our goal is to be back at SPR Labor day. This will result in a 94 day ride.

 

Hugs

John & Mary

Brad & Barb's Labor Day Dinner

An invitation to everyone in the Resort:

 

 

 

Brad & Barb's, Lot 10,

Sunday evening,

 Sept. 1st, 4 P.M.

We will provide:

 

  Chicken & Ribs

Baked Beans

Cole Slaw

 

Everyone's invited...bring chairs and your own drink....
and perhaps an appetizer or a dessert.

Plan to have a good time!!

 

Border to Border - chapter 10

It was nice to spend time with family in West Lafayette.

 On leaving we rode east to Kokomo.

We stopped for a few days visit with Bob and Bernie.

There is not much to do in Kokomo so this was an opportunity to relax. We don't have to be on guard when visiting fellow SPRers as it is when we visited family.

 

 

 

We took this opportunity to swim and catch some rays.

 

There is a large farm behind the Hulka's which this year

they have a crop of Roma tomatoes.

 

 These tomatoes go to the Red Gold cannery.

Some may show up in the Valley.

 

The time has come to point the Spyder south.

But first we plan to make a stop at

Saddletramp Trail for a few days.

 

We report later on this part of our ride.

 

Hugs

John & Mary

Foodies Unite!

You might know I'm kind of addicted to food programs.

 

Chopped..

Bourdain's profanity filled travelogue..

Andrew Zimmern's quest to eat everything strange!

 

 

Got me to thinking about my foodie bucket list.

I've tried many strange and delicious things.

 

Durian....tastes like almond custard.

 

Roasted Hog's eyeball....there was alcohol involved but it was GOOD!

 

flash fried grasshoppers....

Thai sister-in-law...legs get stuck in your teeth, but garlicky crunchy goodness.

 

Of course I love sardines and anchovies.

Hello, pizza and romaine.

 

What's on YOUR foodie bucket list?

I ask this knowing full well nobody...

I MEAN NOBODY will answer.

 

Knock, knock...is this thing even ON?

 

I would like to try:

really good caviar.

truffles.

brains.

Maybe one of those chickens from Costco that cost $28 for two...Ok, maybe not.  That is just BIZARRE!

Their rotisserie chickens are just fine, thank you.

 

Oh, I know...I would like to cook a whole roasted pig.

 

Never mind. 

 

Just comment.

Tell me your food fantasies.

Maybe we'll start a food lover's club at Sandpipers...

no Velveeta allowed.

 

 

 



Summer Camp for Sandpeeps

Did you know there is a

summer yoga program here at Sandpipers?

 

Every Wednesday,

beginning August 14, at 10 am in Jackz,

 Barb, lot 10, will be conducting a beginner’s yoga class.

So come out and see what yoga is all about and what it can do to help you live a healthier life.

 

Bring a yoga mat, blanket, and plenty of water.

If you have any questions about beginner’s yoga

see Barb at lot 10.

 

 The Edinburg Food Pantry continues to provide food and clothing to needy families.

 

You can help by placing canned food and/or clothing in the basket located at Flip Flopz…

or you can give your donations to

Barb at lot 10 or Gloria at lot 43. 

Thanks for your support of the Edinburg Food Pantry.

Birthday Party for Lanny!

Happy Birthday Lanny T!

 

Please join Lanny and Donna in Flip Flopz

 on Tuesday, August 20^th, 6:30 pm,

to celebrate Lanny’s 70^th birthday!! 

 

 

 Enjoy birthday cake and ice cream,

and give Lanny a good “roasting” for this ripe old age. 

 

 

Open to everyone in the resort!

 

 BYOB. 

 

 See you there!

Border to Border - Chapter 9

 

Reluctantly, we left Dave and Sandi's place and headed west. We stopped in Lackawana to visit the Bascilica of Mary of Victory. This Bascilica is a gothic style church with some of the nicest stained glass windows we have seen.

 

After a short stop we continued through Pennsylvania and into Ohio. We spent the night at Cedar Point, Ohio before continuing on to Elkhart, Indiana. Soon after checking in a motel we contacted Jon and Donna. They were in Elkhart to have some work done on their motorhome. We got together for some refreshments and later went out to dinner. On Monday Donna drove us to Napanee so we could tour Amish Acres. This is an eighty acre Amish farm built in the 1880's. We had a nice Amish style lunch, rode in buggy, rode in a wagon, visiting an old one room school house and toured the original farm house. Later we caught up with Jon at the RV repair facility and went out to dinner.

Tuesday morning we checked out of our motel and pointed our spyder east for the short trip to Shipshewana and a stop at Marijanne and Hilton's. While there we got the opportunity to visit the flea market. The Rauch's live a few miles from Shipshewana adjacent to 1200 acres where the farmer grows feed corn. While there I saw this lady cavorting in amongst the corn.

After leaving Marijanne and Hiltion we proceeded to West Lafayette to visit Mary's brother. Monday we ride on to visit Bernie and Bob in Kokomo, but that will wait for the next chapter.

 

 

For those of you may be asking, up to our arrival in West Lafayette, we have rode 4857 miles with about 1500 to go.

Summer Book Club list - August 2013

Thanks to the extraordinary secretarial talents of Karon: Here is the list of discussed books from the

August 14 Summer Book Club gathering.

Happy Reading!

 

 

Non-Fiction; Historical Fiction; Science Fiction

Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution - Nathaniel Philbrick Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War – N. Philbrick

The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn – N. Philbrick

The Host - Stephenie Meyer

Bel Canto – Ann Patchet

Sarum – Edward Rutherford

The Lake of Dreams – Kim Edwards

Earth of Fire – Orson Scott Card

Earth Unaware – O. S. Card

Snow Flower and the Secrete Fan – Lisa See

Black Hills – Da Simons

Outlander Series – Diana Gabaldon (to be a Starz TV series in 2014)

Killing the Messenger – Lisa Jackson

Authors

Nora Roberts; Lisa Jackson; Catherine Coulter; Iris Johansen; and Hannah Howell

Non-Fiction

The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown

Mystical Magical Marvelous World of Dreams – Wilda B. Tanner

The Five Stages of the Soul – Harry R. Moody, PhD

The Secret Destiny of America – Manley P. Hall

SOURCE FOR DISCOUNTED BOOKS, INCLUDING EBOOKS

Bookbub.com

Yay! Ice Cream Party!

ROOT BEER FLOATS

ICE CREAM,

YOU SCREAM,

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM. 

SANDY, JOANNE, AND LISETTE ARE SERVING

ROOT BEER FLOATS

ON SUNDAY, AT THE POOL, UNDER THE SHADE CANOPY AT 6 PM; JUST BEFORE VOLLEYBALL. 

 COME COOL DOWN WITH THE ROOT BEER FLOAT AND STAY FOR WATER VOLLEYBALL!

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, AT 6 PM!

Outlander TV Series and the Summer Book Club

From Karon:

 

At the summer book club tonight I announced that Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is being made into a TV series that will air on Starz next year. They are currently casting the main characters and that means that Jamie Fraser has been named.  Sam Heughan is a British actor.   I promised to find a photo of Sam/Jamie; below are the pictures. You will have to imagine him with red hair. 

 

 

 

Yep, I can see him as a red headed Scotsman in a kilt.  Will it be true what Scotsmen don't wear beneath their kilts?

 

 

  One can only hope!

 

 

 

 

Below is a synopsis of the book and the show.

 

The drama revolves around Fraser, who strikes up a passionate affair with Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Armed with sheer grit and enduring strength, Fraser is a young Scottish clan lord with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humor. He's further described as intelligent, principled and -- by 18th-century standards -- educated and worldly, with tenderness and compassion that stand out in contrast to his contemporaries. A natural leader of men, he has no political ambitions or desire for battlefield glory. Instead, he wishes to remove the price on his head and return to his family’s ancestral farm.

 

Karon

 

Ladies Day Out

 

Aug. 15th (Thursday), 

meet at the gate at 11:30AM

 

We’re going to Oliver's French Bakery, 

 1126 Pecan, McAllen.  

956-682-6548

The place is small, but the food is outstanding !!

rsvp to Nancy #212, 

949-375-6868

Summer at Sandpipers

OK...It's 104 degrees!

That is so Africa hot it's not even funny.

 

We keep running into Sandpeeps at Sams, at Walmart...

anywhere its cool.

 

 

I spend my days either:

 

1. driving Jim to rehab appointments.

 

2. Schmoozing with the bug man...we have an earwig infestation.

 

3. Watching food TV....yummy stuff. I love Chopped, and one day maybe, after watching, oh, 10 years of Chopped I may be able to make stuff half as good.

 

4. Playing night volleyball....fun, fun, fun.

 

5. Playing Scrabble word games on Facebook.

 

6. Watering. Rules be damned!

 

Full days indeed!



Border to Border - Chapter 8

 

At Junkins house, house no - retreat - eden - whatever you call it, it is a lot more. Set in the woods of north west New York state this place is beautiful. We are far from civiliation, so it seems, but with all of the amenities that one could ask for. Cool nights, warm days, hosts that are more than anyone could want. See the photo taken from the back porch.

 

 

Dave and Sandy took us touring, to Genesee Abbey, Letchworth state park, the Genesee River, the gorge where the river runs, the dam built in1952 that saved this area from severe flooding when hurricane Agnes visited in 1972.

Did I mention that we could pick blue berries, raspberries and blackberries and fish and kayak and we dont even have to dress.

Their covered pool is inviting any time you get the urge. It may be a little cooler than the one at SPR but refreshing none the less.

 

However, not is all well in paradise. The beavers have dammed the spillway that lets water out of the pond. Dave has to clear the debris and mud that the beavers have built up around the spillway. He doen't want to let the water level get too high in the pond. Some people pay good money for a mud bath. Here it doesnt cost a dime.

As most sandpeeps know Dave and Sandy are avid birders. While at their home Dave set up about 10 nets which allowed him to safely trap about 35 birds in about four hours. These birds included orioles, song sparrows, purple finch, humming birds, woodpeckers and one hawk. Dave explained what he did once each bird was safely in hand. He put a band on the leg of each bird that was not already banded, recorded the band number, the type, sex, condition, wing measurement and overall condition of each bird. Once this was done the bird was taken outside and released. Please see the photo of Mary holding a hummingbird before releasing.

On leaving the Junkins we are now heading west to Indiana.

We have been on the road for 64 days.

Once in Indiana we shall point our Spyder south.

Summer is more than half over.

Time sure flies when having fun.

Hugs to all

John & Mary

OK...it's 103 degrees! What to do?

Jim is recovering from total hip replacement

with complications of infection...

 

I am at the near end of my empathy.

 

"Can you get my Kindle...

Where is my medication...

 Please bring me my walker''...

what's for lunch...

You are so nice!"

 

AAAKKKK!

 

I drink too much wine,

and am watching lots of food network TV.

I think I've gained 8 pounds!

Summer Book Club-August

Summer Book Club 

What books have you read this summer?  

 

 This Thursday, August 8, at 7 pm

 the Summer Book Club

 will meet at Gloria’s house, lot 43.

This will be a general discussion about books

 we’ve read or want to read. 

 Everyone is welcome. 

 

 And what would a book club meeting be

without snacks and wine?

So join us on Thursday, August 8 at Gloria’s house, 

 at 7 pm, for the summer book club.