Happy "Day Before Labor Day" from Sunny Haven!

A big group from Sandpipers has gathered for the 7th annual Labor Day Reunion at Sunny Haven in Granger, Indiana....in spitting distance from the Michigan border.

There are 21 peeps here this year, most from Sandpipers, a few friends from other clubs.

We play cards, scrabble, read, hot tub and swim, shop, sightsee and then all gather for a rollicking good Happy Hour with good eats, followed by the best food you can imagine!  For instance...last night we ate pulled pork (smoked by Barry M.), coleslaw, potatoes, corn, beans, homemade bread from Hilton, BBQ sauce including Jon's House Special....followed by Dick & Sharon's homemade ice cream with chocolate sauce, sugar cream pie, bars of chocolate from Marijanne...and it goes on and on!  Burp!

Jon coordinates the dinners and with a big group of guys, goes shopping every morning for that night's meat.  We sign up for sides and/or appetizers in advance so nobody has that much cooking to do...except for Jon & Donna, with help as needed.!  Thanks guys!

It has been pretty rainy which I really don't mind 'cause, to me, rain is a novelty!  But the temps are quite comfortable.  Warm enough for outdoor showers, cool enough (in the shade) to even welcome a t-shirt.

Heading north on Tuesday for a week before returning to Dr. Bob & Catherine's for my next doctor appointment.  Time for a nose job.  Hope I won't end up with Bob Hope's nose!

Toodles, SueZ

Barry & Joey Do Houghton, MI

Barry & Joey visited with Peg & Terry (from 300 row),

 and are sharing these pictures.

Beach where Peg finds agates

  Copper Cove Overlook - one of many beautiful scenes

  US 41 beginning here and ending in S. FL

 Peg's garden- beautiful with flowers and plentiful with vegetables

Peg's artistic portrayal of the Houghton area in stained glass.

Summer in Indiana...

We are in Indiana, visiting with Bob & Bernie, and Dr. Bob and Catherine, for several weeks.  Tomorrow we all head to Sunny Haven in Northern Indiana for a Sandpiper’s Labor Day Reunion.  Weather sounds a bit iffy, we’ll see.  I wished for cool and rainy, I think I might get it!!

Before we left Edinburg I made a dermatologist appointment to have my doc look at a sore on my nose that wouldn’t heal.  She was on vacation, and then we went on vacation, so we never got together.  Appt. was made for the end of October, when we expected to return.

When we got to Dr. Bob’s I showed him my nose…well, he could hardly miss it.  He immediately called his guy, pulled a few strings, and got me an immediate appointment.  Yesterday I got zapped on my lip, and a biopsy done for my nose.  Results next week, but all the experts are pretty sure it is a basal cell cancer.  Unfortunately right on the part of your nose with hardly any “meat”.  Bad place apparently.  Painful. If it is cancer (probably) a Mohs surgeon is just down the road near Indianapolis and is considered just about the best IN THE WORLD!  So I am in good hands…but may become a resident of Indiana if this takes much longer!

Good news is the weather has been wonderful!  I feel for all still roasting at Sandpipers!  And in the future I will have to REALLY stay out of the sun.

Summer Book Club Recommends....

The Sandpiper Summer Book Club met Thurs., Aug. 14, in Flip Flopz.  As always, we had stimulating discussions of books we have read or are reading. We also decided that we will continue the Informal Book Club (formerly known as the Summer Book Club) this winter.  We will meet on the third Wed. evening of each month.  It will be on the calendar.

 

Pam recommended two books, "Roses," and "Somerset," by Leila Meacham.  This series deals with a family through several generations in Texas.

Pam also recommended "Kinder than Solitude" by Yiyun Li.

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Joanie just finished "Light Between Oceans" which will be the Sandpiper Book Club book  for the month of November, our first meeting.

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Mary read "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper.  It is based on a true story of a near-death experience.

Mary also read "The Midwife" by Jennifer Worth.  This is now a series on PBS on Sun. night.

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Karen recommended the "Outlander" series by Diana Gibaldon.  It deals with time-travel and can be seen on Starz TV on Sat. at 8:00 pm.

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Patsy re-read "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See.  This is the story of two girls growing up together in China.  It is a fascinating look at Chinese culture and the position of women in the 19th century.

 

Our next meeting will be Sept. 11 at 7:00 pm in Flip Flopz.

 

 Patsy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Summer Book Club-August

The Summer Book Club will meet Thurs., Aug. 14,

at 7:00 p.m. in Flip Flopz. 

 

 We'll talk about any books you have read or are reading. 

 

It's informal and open to all!

Patsy #108

Crossing the Rainbow Bridge

Sad news for us.

Daughter Melinda's cat, Mr. Pickles, has lost his chance for the Guinness Book of World Records for longest lived kitty...tho he gave it his best shot...21+ years of a happy life.

 

Cross the bridge Pickles, you were loved.

Purple Martin Madness!

Here are 2 e mails we just received from Texas Master Naturalists about the purple martins that will (hopefully) discover the birdhouse in the field at Sandpipers.  

 

Sandy J
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Many of you may also know that the same massive purple Martin pre-migration is happening nightly above the south parking lots of Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. Also in the 10's of 1000's if not more.

An awesome sight. 

VBMC is on Ed Carey near 77 Sunshine Strip.

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Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you know that there is a pre-migratory purple martin roost in McAllen. The birds are roosting in oak trees behind Office Max on Ridge Rd just east of Cynthia (this is just east of Rio Grande Regional Hospital). Tens of thousands of martins were seen a few days ago.

Purple martins are a migratory songbird that have become completely dependent on humans to provide housing for them to nest in and raise their young. Some of you may have martin houses or may have seen them in people's yards.  After the nesting season, the martins will gather in huge groups and spend the night in trees together before they make the long trip to their wintering grounds in Brazil. Some of these roosts can have well over 100,000 birds! I really have no way of knowing how many birds are at our local roost, so I'm really just guesstimating, but it's a lot of birds.

The roost will most likely continue throuh the month and into September, but the numbers will start dwindling as the birds begin their migration.

I encourage anyone who wants to see this awesome site to go as soon as possible. There is also a roost somewhere in downtown Harlingen, but l'm not sure

Gambling Fever!

Spent the last few days at Coushata Casino in Kinder, LA.

GREAT RV park, free shuttle at your phone call...door to door service.

 

First day we won pretty big on penny slots...$40 which is a lot of pennies.

Made us cocky.

 

Second day we started to lose, and lose, and lose.

  Oh, the despair, the anguish.

 

We were able to eat at an over 55 buffet for just a few bucks but still...losers!

 

And then...

and then...

We entered a slot tourney.

Jim came in near the bottom, but me....ME!!!

I won $200.

Saved our butts!

After doing all the math we are $55 ahead.

Yipee!

 

Almost enough to pay for our site.

 



Summer travels, so far.

We are headed north, trying to find, if not cooler weather...maybe some rain!

So far no luck.

 

On our way through Houston saw an (to me) amazing sight!  Guy on a motorcycle, legs stretched out before him, his arms...ARMS, both of them, dangling beside his reclining body.  I think he may have been dozing, at 70 mph, in heavy traffic.

 

Spent last night at Gulf Coast RV in Beaumont.  Who should we run into this morning on our walk back from free breakfast...That white cowboy hatted Texan...Larry Dean!

Small world, huh?!

They have been all over the country already ...First Indiana, then a run to Florida, back to Texas now, then up to Idaho next.

We are going to stay at a nearby Indian Casino and try our luck today...fingers crossed!

Let's Celebrate an Important Accomplishment!

From Mariana:

 

My friends, Sandpipers has been an important part of the Storm family for as longer than Brian has been alive. 

 

 It would be a great honor to see a few faces there and help me to celebrate this great achievement that many of you have made possible." 

 Thank you.

Mariana Storm

Mom of an Eagle Scout