Downtown, football and play time!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

This morning, Dad took Mom and me for a ride to downtown Dallas.  Boy, is it ever BIG!  Mom and I decided that it was too big for us - just look at some of these pictures!



Five levels of freeway!!!!!





Just a few of the buildings.




This is the John F Kennedy memorial.



More of that freeway system!!





After our ride downtown, we went back to cousin Kathy's house.  Mom and Dad watched some of the football games, Bert cleaned Dad's clock playing pool (that means that Bert beat Dad really bad) and Mom and Kathy chatted - a lot!

Ria and I played all afternoon!  She would chase me, and then I would chase her.  Sidney came out a few times and played with us too.  Sidney is a lot older, so she doesn't work too hard at playing.  She has a favorite chair in the house where she can watch Ria and me chase each other.  We sure had a good time - Mom said it felt good to sit down in a recliner - we miss our recliners!

Catch me if you can, Ria! 
(She really can catch me with those long legs!)

Sidney is playing keep away with the ball!



UNCLE!  I give up Ria!
(Besides I need to catch my breath!)

 Cousin Kathy really cooked a good dinner - brisket!  Mom and Dad said they both ate too much, then Kathy gave us some to take home for leftovers!  YUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Visit with Mom's relatives...

Friday, January 21, 2011

The weather wasn't too bad today - the sun came out (after a low of 21 degrees) and I was able to work on my tummy suntan.  This afternoon we went to see Mom's cousin (Kathy) and Aunt (Phillis).  Then the grownups went to dinner with Mom's cousin Kathy and her husband Bert and had a REALLY GOOD Mexican dinner.  Mom said we get to go back on Sunday for dinner and I get to romp with their dog - they have a 6 month old Irish Setter - she likes to play.  We got to chase each other around the yard for a while this afternoon.

This morning while we were waiting for the temperature to go up a bit, we had this silly bird pecking at the window!  Mom says he sees his reflections in the window and is trying to get to it.  He sure is pretty tho...


Silly bird is going to get a headache
trying to get in through the window!



What happened to Austin?

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Well, we didn't stop in Austin, TX!  We were supposed to have some work done on the trailer just North of Austin, but the whole service department was at school, so, we ended up driving all the way to Dallas, TX.  That was the longest day we have had so far - 326 miles and almost  8 hours.  (Boy, was Mom ever grumpy!)  Mom called her cousin and a friend of hers suggested a camp site, but when we got there - they didn't allow pets!  So, we kept going until we found this little place called Hidden Acres RV Park (in Princeton, TX) - and boy oh boy, is it ever hidden!  We are out in the country in a very small park that has maybe 20 sites.  Mom wanted to move closer to town, but we couldn't find anyplace, so here we are, and here we are going to stay.  It sure is a lot different from the last place we were at.  I think I even scared a raccoon out of the garbage can the other night when Dad and I went for a walk.

We are all freezing to death too.  The low tonight is supposed to be down to 22 degrees!  It was rainy and the wind was blowing today, and Mom and Dad kept talking about wind chill - that's when the wind blows and it feels a lot colder than it really is!

The only good thing about these kind of days is Mom and Dad like to cook "comfort food" - today Dad made short ribs - YYYUUUUUMMMMMMM!

Tomorrow I may get to meet Mom's cousin, Kathy.  Mom says they might have dogs to play with - Kathy used to raise Irish Setters.  I'll let y'all know what happens!  (Y'all is a Texas term.)

What a difference a day makes...

Monday, January 17, 2011

What a differecne a day makes.  We went back to the beach today and look at these pictures...the sun was bright and warm today and I really got in my beach work!

LOOK OUT!  Here I come......



They sure have good beaches here!




WHOA!  That wave almost got me!




Dad sure likes to drive on the beach



On the way home, Mom got some good shots of the "swing bridge" as a site-seeing boat went through the channel.



The whole section of the road "swings" out into the channel...



....to make way for the boat to go through



YUMMMMMM - Day is done and I get my ice cream bar!

We are going to be moving on tomorrow - heading towards Austin, TX.

A seriously TALL dog!!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

We haven't been doing much because the weather has been kind of crummy - we ended up getting about 3 inches of rain in this last storm, so things are pretty soggy.  Friday we went over to Mercedes, TX (about 45 minutes away) and Mom and Dad went to a huge RV show.  They were looking at park models, and new trailers, mostly just for something to do, but they may be thinking of upgrading - what ever that is.  Yesterday Mom took me for a walk and by the time we got back, we were both soaked to the bone (Dad was sleeping in).

But, today the sun came back for a while so Mom and Dad took me back to the beach to get some running in.  While we were there I met this dog that had the LONGEST legs I have ever seen!  WOW was he ever TALL!!  Then the clouds came back, but it was still warm...


Look at how TALL this guy is!
How's the weather up there?

 Mom said you could put a saddle on him and ride him down the beach!  His legs were about three times longer than mine! 

Dad likes to go to the beaches here because they let you take your 4 X 4 on the beach and drive around...

Dad said we will be moving on on Tuesday.  We are going to start to work our way to Dallas via Austin.  We have to go to the Lance dealer near Austin to have some warranty work done on the trailer.

Look at my back leg-then look at his back leg - at least three
times taller than me!



The clouds look really ominous, but it was really warm and
nice on the beach today.



Getting in some beach work...

That's our rig on the beach!



Chicken every Wednesday...

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

We went to Donna, TX this morning to have lunch with Mom's Aunt and Uncle again.  They had a really good lunch, because Aunt Shirley gave me her left overs of Chicken Fried Steak.  Then, when we got home, Mom and Dad went down to the Activity Hall and had Chicken Dinner - they do that every Wednesday - with all the trimmings.  Don't tell anybody, but Dad snuck out a drumstick for me for my dinner.  This place gets better and better!

The weather was dryer today, but still overcast and windy.  We are warmer here because the temperature of the water is higher and it keeps the air warmer.  A lot of people in the park don't seem to mind because they are from places like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan - a lot of those northern states.  The people who live here all the time are all bundled up like it was cold or something - not us - 40 to 50 degrees isn't bad at all!  It's supposed to be in the 70's and 80's again by the weekend.....(poor me)!

Moved down the road today........in the same park.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Well, we had to move the trailer today just a few spaces down the road, however, it is the worst weather day we have had since we have been here.  Poor Mom and Dad were out in the wind and the rain unhooking everything then hooking everything back up down the road.  I think they move faster when the weather is bad!  Anyway, we got all moved and set up in no time, then Mom went to do laundry, while Dad and I walked around the golf course - the rain had stopped by then.

Mom wanted to share some pictures she took in the park - Mom and Dad really like it here I think....ME TOO!!!!!



Sunrise in the park




How would you like to
wake up to this?




This is the "back yard" to most of the park




Some folks have boat lifts to keep their boat out of the water




Our first space was to the right (you can see Dad's tail
light in the far right of this shot) - we are now at the end
of this street




OOOHHHHH MYYYYY, what a tough life!

 

This was the place across the street from our first spot -
this lady was REALLY nice.  She kept giving me peanut butter
doggie treats!!!!!!



Lunch with relatives

Friday, January 7, 2011

Today Mom and Dad drove to Harlingen, TX, a little town between Donna, TX and Port Isabel, TX, and met Mom's Aunt and Uncle from Iowa.  They come down here and stay for the winter because Iowa is too cold in the winter.  They had a great visit and Mom brought me a sample of their lunch (brisket sandwich). They were very nice to me and scratched my ears.  Mom's Aunt is doing very well considering she had a stroke (aneurism) this past August.  Mom was thrilled to see them, as she hasn't seen them since they came out to Nevada years and years ago to visit.

On the way home, Mom and Dad decided that we are going to stay here another week.  Dad thinks the weather in Dallas might warm up a bit in a week or so (it's cold up there now).  We went to the office and we have to move to another site next Tuesday, but it's just down the road a few spaces from where we are, so I'll still get to play with Rowdy - he's my new best friend - we get to play whenever Dad takes me for a walk and he is outside.  He's a Black Labrador.

The weather has been great - nice and warm in the 70's and clear with just a little breeze to keep my tummy cool when I sunbathe - but next week it's supposed to rain for a few days.  I guess I'll have to put off the sunbathing for a few days - oh well...

No power!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

This morning about 3:30 am the power went out.  For some reason, Mom woke up when it went out, so she was up looking around and it looked like EVERYBODY was in the dark.  She saw a couple of flashes of light that may have been transformers blowing up, because it wasn't lightning - there were no clouds and she could see the stars.  It was kind of funny because you could see flashlights in the trailers all over the place.  We were fine because Mom has an "old fashioned" coffee pot and she got that out and actually "perked" a pot of coffee for her and Dad.  Anyway, the power didn't go back on until 10:00 am - after Mom had finished the breakfast dishes.

This afternoon, Dad took Mom and I to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.  We saw an alligator and lots of birds, of course.  We were looking for armadillos, but didn't see any.  This place is also the national center for Ocelot conservation and recovery - we didn't see any of them either.  But, Mom finally got her picture of a roadrunner!  We were driving along and one was sitting on the side of the road - at first we didn't realize what it was, but when he turned to "run" it was very obvious he was a roadrunner.

It was another warm sunny day, but the humidity was a lot lower today - thank goodness!!



Alligator basking in the sun in his "tub"




Roadrunner!  (Not much of a picture, but we know what he is!)




Some of the birds we saw - what a wing span!

 Tomorrow, Mom said I get to meet her Aunt and Uncle from Iowa.  We are going inland about 60 miles to meet them for lunch.  They come down here for the winter - just like most of the people who are here.  They even have signs all around town that say "Welcome Winter Texans".

I'm NOT a surfer - I'm a RUNNER!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Today Mom and Dad took me to South Padre Island.  Dad tried his darnedest to get me into the water because it is real shallow, but I didn't like it.  Running on the beach is more my style.  Last week they found a body on this beach of a Mexican fisherman whose boat capsized - of course we didn't know that at the time we were on this beach.  I'm glad we didn't find him!

Dad trying to get me into the surf



This is what happens when you are short and trip in the sand!



High rises on South Padre Island

It was really humid and warm today so we didn't last too long on the beach.

WOW!! Now this is what I call "camping"!!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

BOW WOW!!  What a NICE place this is!  This is a really BIG park - 800+ sites.  Dad said this is an "owner resort", so all of the sites are owned by people.  Most of the park have park model trailers on them, and in between are pads with full hook-ups for those of us who are on the move.  There is an 18 hole golf course, and a restaurant on site.  They check your ID every time you come in so there is a lot of security.  Most of the sites have a (water) channel in their back yard so they can bring in boats - we don't have one of those because we don't have a boat!  They have activities every day all day and some of them look like they could be a lot of fun!  Mom said she could get used to this kind of living.  We are in the Long Island Village in Port Isabel, TX and it looks like we will be here for a while.  We are waiting for the weather to get a little better before we head back up to Dallas, TX to see Mom's cousin.  Another REALLY GOOD thing is:  THERE AREN'T ANY STICKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After we got "camp" set up this afternoon, Dad went and found us some shrimp, so we had Bar-B-Qued shrimp for dinner - boy was it good. 

While we are here, we are going to see Mom's Aunt and Uncle that used to live in Iowa.  They come down here for the winters (about like most of the people here).

There is plenty to do around here, so we will keep you posted on our activities. 



Some of the birds on the golf course!



Cows and Horses

Monday, January 3, 2011

Today we drove down to the King Ranch.  It wasn't too exciting unless you like to look at cows and horses.  This place is huge (this is Texas, after all), it's almost a million acres!  They have developed a new breed of cow, and they perfected the Quarter Horse breed.  They even had one triple crown winner.  Mom said the cows were a pretty color, but would look better on the plate!


A few of the 50,000 cows on this place




A few of the Quarter Horses

 Mom said it was really hard to get any good pictures, because they had to ride around in a tour bus.  Mom got some pictures of some birds that are very different than what we have at home. 

The two pictures below are of a Green Jay.

Tomorrow we are moving on to Port Isabel, which is down by Brownsville, TX.  Mom called her Aunt and Uncle and they are looking forward to seeing us when we get there.  Dad said it will only take us 2 - 3 hours to get there tomorrow.

WOW! 29 Years???

Sunday, January 2, 2011

WOW!  Mom told me that she and Dad have been married for 29 years today!  She said that was a long time to spend with just one man (Dad said it was a long time to spend with just one woman!).

After I found out how long they have been married, I took them to some special places today.  First I took them to the USS Lexington.  Mom and Dad spent a couple of hours climbing all over that big ship.  They said it was very interesting, but there sure were a lot of steps going up and down and around the ship.

The USS Lexington



Here is a shot of the flight deck




Even I have a bigger bed that this!!


 

US Flags lining the walkway to the USS Lexington

After Mom and Dad got done with that, I made sure they had lunch, and then they went over to the Texas State Aquarium.  They have all kinds of animals over there and Mom got a lot of pictures.



Bald Eagle

Sea Turtle

Dolphin swimming upside down!



Ant Eater!

 
























After all of that activity, I let Dad take Mom out for dinner.  The only bad thing about that, was that there were NO LEFT OVERS - they ate all of their dinners - AND - desert - AND - NO DOGGIE BAG!!



29 Years Together

Desert before...

...Desert after!



HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Happy New  Year 2011 !!!

Mom, Dad and I wish you ALL the bestest of

New Years!!

I don't think much is going to happen today.  Mom is going to cook a pork roast with all the trimmings, and Dad will probably watch football, and I'll probably nap - in the sun, of course - if it comes out...

Mom and I DID hear the new year come - some people in the park had firecrackers - but that didn't last too long, and we were soon back to sleep!  (Of course, Dad never heard a thing!)