Starting 2012

Tuesday January 11, 2012

Today, we took a Mexican cruise that the men took the ladies on.  Here is a picture of the ship we took as well as a property we were looking at purchasing.

OH well, it actually was a ride on the Rio Grande, between Mexico and Texas – the captain said it was the Mexican cruise that all the women were promised!!

This area was pretty well destroyed back in 2010 by high waters due to hurricane.  They are just rebuilding some properties.  The one I am showing was up for sale the year before for 3 million, on now for ½ price at 1.5 M.  Still too much for a fixer upper

There is one section near a park that the Rio Grande waters were strong enough to separate the land and make a new area that separates it and the sends the river on another direction.  

Mexico side

Straight ahead used to be land

 The guide was telling us that once the sugar cane is picked, they do a burn so that it can be regrown.  Unfortunately at some time in the past, they had several illegals that were hiding in the cane and were burned, some dying.  Now they post signs in English and Spanish all around, have warning shots etcetera so that if anyone is in their, the hopefully will leave.  The border patrol also is patroling this side on the roads and they have sensors on the paths that they can also detect any illegals coming across.

Sugar cane US side

Mark half way up is water line

Foundation

 Had lunch then went for a drive through one of the RV parks – Chimney Park.

The border crossing guards are stationed right at the side of this park and there is a boat ramp.  Last June some smugglers drove right through and down the ramp into the river with border patrol shooting.  Cartel retrieval teams unloaded 400 pounds of marijuana and started moving the bundles across the river to Mexico when border patrol and police arrived. This was just south of Mission Texas, three smugglers were shot, and one dead.  The river at this point is very narrow but up to 50’ deep.

One Wednesday, we took a tour out to South Padre Island on the Gulf coast.  On the way, stopped in at San Benito and met up with an old friend I had worked with, Leonora and spent some time with her.  For you all that know her, she is doing fantastic and a going concern as always!! 

Went for drive up and down the coast, a lot of stores closed but that is due partly to the season, but some look like they will never be re-opening, but there are several large condos going up, so someone must have money somewhere.  The part is though, that a lot of people you speak to, say it is too hot to stay here in summer but of course not everyone can be leaving the state.

Port Isabel light house

Bridge to South Padre

Beach

More beach

Look familiar anyone?

We walked along the beach, not as clean as Florida, but nice white sand, the water was still cold, put feet in as usual through just to say we did.  Took a few picutures, there was one wind surfer out but not too many people on beach.  It was over 20 C 70 F but too cold for the locals.

  Went to Pier 19 for a drink (2$ each... at happy hour).  While there, saw several pelicans of course but also some dolphins.  By the time I had the camera out, they were pretty far away, but if you look really close, you can see some - black spots – that’s them!

Spots on left are my dolphins ( squint people!!)

Pelicans - easy to see

From there we went to Pelican Station a nice seafood restaurant on the bay – excellent food – enjoying seafood while we can.

Saturday was my birthday and I was feeling a little bit down because everyone kept deserting me!

Ken did wish me a Happy Birthday in the morning.  We also lost our email service at this time, so no emails or call either.

Later that day, Ken did take me out for dinner and lo and behold, a party!! With new friends we met; Mike and Bonnie, Bill and Bea, Dru and Alice and of course Jim and Mary, Ken arranged for them to meet us out at dinner.  Nice restaurant down here called Cheddar's, excellent food again and a birthday cake!!!!. (Thanks Mary)  Had a nice time then had them all back to our place for drinks.

Not feeling low now!
 

Sunday

We went to Mexico with Mike and Bonnie and drove to the border, parked on the American side and walked across.  There is a toll booth (.25 to get in and out).  Under the bridge, people were putting their hats out begging for money. The long main street is lined with stores and people of both sides, trying to sell drugs from their pharmacy’s, dentists by the dozen, girls saying pedicure, manicure, hair, waxing and young kids trying to hawk just about anything. Every few feet were jewelry vendors as well.  Quite a few people from the US and some from Canada as well have come down here to use their dentists and have had no problems with them and they say it is reasonable. I have no idea how all these people make a living. At least we can say we did it.  This border town is supposedly the "safe" one.  But there are people here that go over on a regular basis - this is Progresso, they say don't go to Reynosa.  Brownsville, which is just a 1 1/2 away, arrested several people just the other day, as that is also a border town.

Border Bridge

Mexico Ken, ME, Dru, Alice, Bonnie

Facade on one of the buildings, was probably great at one time

Mike - he took our first picture

We are enjoying all of this though, and meeting new people is always fun.  We are here for another week and then will be on the road again.  May have some side trips before we leave and if so will update as we go.

Arizona to Mission, Texas

Yuma to Casa Grande, AZ

On the road again, and as usual, the terrain is changing drastically.  The desert foliage is still amazing me with the quantity and diversity, this area now has the Saguaro cactus, which are the ones we normally think of in Arizona and desert country (the guys with the arms – picture of course) as well as flowering barrel cactus and nopal cactus or referred to as prickly pear cactus.  Along this route we are in a valley and as we went through the country side, they now have water in some of the areas and they are growing so, we passed a field of desert, then a cotton field, then a green field (don’t know what but some type of veg) and then sand again.  The scenery never gets boring as far as I am concerned.



Road Yuma to Arizona City



Suagaro cactus

Field of cactus by mountain

Cotton field

Green vegetation

Desert wash

Sand dune

We are going to stay at Quail Run RV right and meet up with friends of our Don and Donna for a week.  As she was away on vacation, we staid an extra day to get to see her and catch up before heading out.

Biosphere2

We went on a side trip today to Oracle, AZ to see the Biosphere2.  This was an experimental project started back 1986 and the Human missions lasted from 1991 to 1994 where they built an enclosed eco center to see if possible to grow and live in a controlled environment.  It was a twofold experiment, one to see if possible to live on Mars as well as to see what could be controlled on earth in a controlled environment.  It is currently run in conjunction with the University of Arizona as an experimental proving ground, the same stringent controls are not in place, but they can still control some of the climate aspects.  We went through three bio domes which had tropical rain forest, savannah and desert all with plants indigent to the areas.  They even had an ocean level, as well as a water and life experiment. When this was inhabited, they had two “lungs” for the Biosphere2 which kept their air and there fresh water reservoirs.  This part was really neat to see as the whole room had an insulated lining and at the top was a large disc with a membrane on that when the door locks were opened, the room would be full of air and the disc would rise to the ceiling as the air filled the room.  When the air was leaving, it would slowly descend to the ground – air displacement that could be seen.  I had heard of this and the Biospherians before so was really interesting to go and look at where they were and some of the area that they also had to live in.  For any of you other Science geek types (like me) their web site is B2science.org .  There is also a book out “The Human Experiment” by Jayne Poynter who was one of them that I am currently starting to read.  I am interested in the interpersonal relationships as well as the other experiments.

The domes

Snow on Mount Lemon

Their view - always through lines and glass

The lung

The lung coming down

Power plants

Rain forest

Inside rainforest

Inside Savannah

Ocean

On this trip through the desert, came across another cactus variety, they obviously all have different areas that they grow in as I don’t seen the same ones all the time.  I probably won’t remember any names by the time I go back, but will at least remember what they look like!

almost flowering barrel cactus

We spent several days with friends in Arizona City and as the weather was getting cooler, we decided to move south and east where it looked warmer.  Since it was close to Christmas, we decided to “drop in” to Mission TX to surprise Ken’s Brother Jim and sister in law Mary.

We left Arizona City AZ and on our first day went as far as Las Cruses, NM,  again different terrain across here, we stayed overnight and in the morning, there was frost on the ground , see picture Ken.

6:00 AM New Mexico - frost

Still in shorts, frost does not even deter him

Scrub in Texas

Texas flats

Oil Rig

BIG TEXAS

From there we went as far as Junction TX, just outside of San Antonio.  On the third day, we arrived at Mission, TX.  We had the park fellow take us around to a couple of sites to check out and found on behind a Titanium ( Brother Jim’s)  we tried to sneak in and were doing pretty good until Mary looked out her back window.  We had both of them running across the parking lot towards us – it was a total surprise and unexpected Christmas gift for both of us!  We were greeted with a Labatt’s Blue (Ken had not had one since we left Canada) and a glass of wine for me – it sure helps when people know a little bit about you!!!!

Another friend of ours through the Titanium group, Dru and Linda were having a Dinner get together before Christmas, so Jim called Linda to see if they could bring us,  which was another total surprise to Dru so that was fun as well.   Met some new people and re met people we had met at Kingston and Letchford – Richard and Kathy.  When we were in Casa Grandes, Don said it was a one Titanium resort, well Don, here there are at least, four so far and counting!!!

We settled in and the next day was Christmas eve so we managed to sign up for Christmas dinner in the park for the Sunday – dinner was at 1:30 PM,  earlier than we are used to but by the time everyone served themselves and was finished, it was around 4:00 PM.  We took a few leftovers, for either dinner that night or the next day.  Ended up back at our trailer for a drink or two and a few rounds of euchre.

Many activities here, so since we got here, I have tried line dancing and shuffle board and Texas hold’ em – I had never played before.  There were a few pool games going on, so now Ken is involved in that as well while we are here.  The weather has been up and down here as well, but most days are in the 70’s (20’s for the young Canadians) but still quite cool at night.

                HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!!!!!

We had a quiet New Year’s eve, dinner with Bro and Sis, and friend.  Staid up long enough to watch fireworks and midnight, then to sleep.  Missed the gang for New Year’s as we normally spent it with together and since they have fire ants here, no sand or snow angels were made!!!

Since the holiday season is now over, it is time for us to start doing some more site seeing instead of sitting around – so will be on some side trips again soon and will be posting again.