Summer in Texas

Summer Greetings:

We only stayed in Arkansas a couple of weeks in April and then returned to our winter place in Texas to provide whatever assistance our friend Sharon asked for.  The soon-to-depart spring and the year-round summer residents of the resort pitched in as well with helping Sharon with needed chores and support. It was heartwarming to see a benevolent community when one of their own encounters life’s tragic curves.  For nearly 2 months, there was a parade of prepared meals that filled her refrigerator and freezer to overflowing.   Sharon and Rosaire would have been there for others if the situation would have been reversed and others were in need.

Over the next 2 months, the winter Texans returned to their primary residences in the northern states or went traveling in search of cooler climes. The goal is to return in fall 2013 to do it all over again.  Don’t you just love retirement?   

Can always find an open lounger at the pool this time of year.

Living in Texas in the summer time is just like living in Texas in the winter time, except there are some major differences.  

 Triple digit heat keeps you at the pool, in the shade, or inside in with the air conditioning during the daylight hours.  Shopping is a whole lot easier due to thousands of winter shoppers not being there, and some of the stores are closed for the summer season.  The beach communities are packed with families and weekend vacationers out for a good time. The overall pace of the Rio Grande Valley is definitely laid back…a Mexican manana approach (which loosely means “not today”).

Lee, Sharon, and Daisy being pampered

In the resort, we dropped to about 50 people staying year-round.  I have to admit it was very peaceful and quiet. Each month we had some excuse to share cake and ice cream or a brunch of some type in the recreation center for the remaining fluctuating population.  It gave us a time to get to know others as we also ran errands, shared meals, and provided support for our friends. One highlight for me was going to see the movie “42” (the Jackie Robinson Story) with Rosaire. It seems that Jackie first played professional farm team baseball in Montreal and Rosaire watched his exploits.   A highlight for Sharon was having a girls’ day out and doing the nail salon thing.

They had such a great time that Patty, Daisy, and Sharon went to the salon again and I got invited.  I parked the car and when I went in Sharon advised me they had set up for me already! I should have noticed the twinkle in her eyes. Yes she had set me up!

Patty telling Chip this will not hurt at all.  Man up!

Sharon, I will get you!

We kept busy as well. Daisy and I made it a point to get out of the park once or twice a week to visit friends we made at church, go dancing, eat with friends, or just explore what southern Texas had to offer.  

We met Bill and Annie at church. He grills a perfect medium-rare steak.

Kitty liked to snuggle against my belly.

Barry's the chef but Janet is in charge.

The following week we invited ourselves to the home of our dear friends, Janet and Barry, for dinner. Barry is a diehard NY Yankees fan and Janet has a heart of gold and mothers any critter that Barry brings home from the shelter where he volunteers. Lately they have had a series of abandoned, tiny kitties that are not weaned. They have been the foster parents for a few of these homeless kittens and prepared them for adoption and long-term homes with loving people.  Janet and Barry have not been able to talk me (notice the emphasis is on me) into becoming a pet parent.  Daisy is the cat person.  Maybe someday when we are more responsible we’ll have a pet, but for now we want the flexibility of being free of both children and pets. I know it’s being selfish, but that is the way it is.

Tinka and John are dancers from our resort

One of the large dance floors in the valley

During the winter months, Ms Daisy and I dance often. So when we realized we would be in the area for the summer months, we began checking out new ways to keep dancing on a regular basis. With help from our friends we found venues to do just that.  A couple of the larger resorts in the area share various bands on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer months. What you wind up with is an opportunity to go to different resorts with large dance floors to hear and dance to good groups within a familiar crowd.  It’s fun if you like live music.  We also made folks in our resort aware of where we would be and encouraged them to come join us if they so desired.

Sunset at the resort over our TC and 5th wheel

Daisy's assortment of birthday cards.  Guess which one came from me?

We celebrated Daisy’s birthday by scheduling several events that would involve an adventure, and food of course. We started by going to a Texas state information center to check on places to go that we had not heard of.





Believe it or not, here in southern Texas there is a winery.  It is new and the only one in this arid part of the state that is growing special grapes that are processed here.  Their first production was 2012, with 9,500 bottles.  It is called Jaber Estate Winery and is located about 30 miles west of us in the western prairie.  (It’s a wonder what irrigation will do.) Their tours/tastings are by appointment only. So Daisy talked to the retired 80-year-old Hispanic owner, who is “hands-on” in every phase of the process, and made a appointment for a visit the next day.  The drive out there was on a very hot and humid day and the last 5 miles were dusty gravel roads.  In route, we passed grazing and cultivated crop land, turned onto a dirt road indicated by a winery sign, and stopped at a chained gate 5 minutes before our appointed meeting time.   I could see another gate on this access road before what looked like a machine shed and asked Daisy call the owner to let him know we were here. We found out that the gate was not locked and that the owner was 25 miles away. He had forgotten and gone to town.  It was 102 degrees out, only one hired man was on the complex, and he did not speak English.  The owner offered to return as soon as he could, but we decided that with the heat that was not a great idea and we would just leave.  When he found out we had traveled many miles to taste his wines, the owner encouraged us to just go on up to the winery and he would call the hired man and have him present us the wines for tasting at no charge.  This we did.  I had to open one bottle of wine myself. They were both dry wines but with the right offering would complement a meal. I later found out that he has an interesting story to tell and that his Black Spanish is an American hybrid grape and the Blanc du Bois is an award-winning cultivar considered among the very best wine grapes for southern regions of the United States with heat and humidity. We may just have to go back for a dinner event and give it another chance. We will remember this birthday/winery adventu.


It was early for dinner, but we decided that the only way to end this birthday was a good cold beer or tasty margarita and a seafood meal.  That we did!

Crab pot with shrimp, scallops and corn

Steamed mussels in a butter garlic sauce

On another day of her birthday week we went to a local honky tonk and had bar food of wings, pizza, and beer.  Daisy listened to karaoke songs sung by me and other artist wantabees.  I did My Girl, Summertime, Unforgettable, My Way, The Impossible Dream, and Stormy Monday Blues to name a few.   Don’t worry. I will still keep my day job.  She chose the songs in advance so that I could practice them prior to embarrassing myself or her. This is a favorite activity here in the valley. I do have a small following of little old ladies who like the old standards. No fan club yet!

Good pipes

This celebration was just the beginning.

This native tree is called a Jacaranda. Pretty in bloom but messy when the blossoms drop.

In a few weeks, we celebrated our 1^st Wedding Anniversary.  We decided to remain in the resort area to recognize this significant happening.  Circumstances were not conducive to having a happy group celebration, but we still marked the week with well wishes, fun, food, and music. 

Flowers came from a friend, cards from each other and admirers.

On our anniversary evening we dressed up and splurged at a great seafood restaurant. They provided us with special service. We ate intently and decadently, enjoying the moment and reliving the past year of loving adventures.  It has been a good year. Daisy’s record shows that in our first year we spent: 10 days in the VA house,  48 days in the AR house, 197 in the 5^th wheel in TX, 63 days in the truck camper, and 47 days in other travel places on land and sea.  We are blessed and we know it. We give thanks to God and to you our friends and family for your well wishes and prayers. They are working!

Watermelon thirst quencher for Daisy

Baked oysters with spinach and cheese sauce

More mussels simmered in tomatoes, garlic,and spices.

Then there were soft shell crabs over dirty rice, Caesar salad, baked bread, and creamed spinach.

Melon balls soaked in high spirits...Yummy!

Because it was our celebration we got a desert on the house.

Our dear friend Sharon passed away within a couple days of our anniversary. When diagnosed, she thoughtfully wrote down goals she wanted to complete.  She was one remarkable woman.  She accomplished her written goals and will be missed by family and her many friends.  She called herself my big sister and loved Daisy. She even designed her own Celebration of Life Service and charged me with carrying it out. Rosaire decided it will be held this fall when more of the residents have returned. Sharon was truly a lady of Grace. We dedicate this blog to her memory. She will always be an angel watching over us.

Sharon:  A woman who loved and lived her life fully with no regrets.

As we packed up, we made one more Mexico run prior to leaving the Valley.

The main bar in Arturo's across the border

Spicy tortilla soup with chunks of avocado

Lonches: baked bread stuffed with cabbage, fahita beef and tomato

While we were eating, Rosaire walked in with his son, who was helping him pack up and return to Canada. Rosaire is looking forward to going home for awhile after delivering Sharon's ashes to her family in Kansas City for internment.

One journey ends and another begins...

A week after Sharon’s passing, we started on the way back to AR. Our first stop was in the Dallas area. My brother Mark and his wife Denise have just moved there to work. We now have another family stop in this area of the country on future travels! 

Mark and Denise

On the road again with Daisy, the TC and me.

Yes, Virginia, we did have chickens in the campground near Waco, TX.

Near Checotah, OK

So we returned to AR and do some yard and housework. On our arrival, our dear friend Carol greeted us, and it was great to see her. It was also a special feeling to open the door to our house. As we viewed its decorations and furnishings, we realized it had now become our home, not just a house.  

Our next planned travel adventure is to California to see my son Michael in Long Beach with stops in New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Kansas before we return to Arkansas.

Happy Trails

Carol makes the best pies

She thanked me for bringing her a new girlfriend.

See you on the road...soon.