Choral Concert

One of the joys of spending time in the Rio Grande Valley is having opportunities to enjoy great music.  Last evening we attended a choral concert featuring the VSO Chorale and the UTPA University Choir.

This was the first concert where both of these groups performed in the same event.  Each choir presented their own concert and then they combined for the final number, "Hallelujah" from Mount of Olives by Beethoven.

It was a delightful evening of great music.  Conductor Dr. David Means announced that he hoped to be able to present more concerts by these two groups in the future.

Spring Comes to the Rio Grande Valley of Deep South Texas

Several months ago, a friend challenged me to chose one location and take a photo once each week at that same location to show the arrival of Spring.   I chose a location just north of Elsa, Texas, on Spur 1925.   This location is about 18-20 miles north of the border with Mexico and the Rio Grande River.

March 2, 2014

March 9, 2014

March 16, 2014

March 23, 2014

March 30, 2014

April 6, 2014

April 12, 2014

April 19, 2014

While there are more blooms on April 19 than on April 12, a careful examination of the April 19 photo reveals that some of the blooms are already past their peak.  Summer is coming and Spring's beauty will fade.   But, oh, how Spring's beauty has excited us!

Hitch Itch

A couple of our RVing friends have a unique word for that irresistible urge to get on the road and travel. They refer to it as "hitch itch." You know the feeling, don’t you? It’s that inner subconscious restlessness that engulfs you when the weather begins to get nice and you and your RV are sitting still!

We are developing a serious case of "hitch itch" as our D-day (departure day, that is!) draws closer and closer. We "itch" so badly that we’d be out of here already if it weren’t for all the last minute things we need to get done before we can hit the road.

One of those essential tasks, of course, was to put the hitch back in the truck. Bruce had taken it out shortly after we got our new-to-us truck in February. Removing the hitch from the bed of the truck opens up much more space for hauling bicycles for our weekly rides. But we can’t tow our home on wheels with the hitch out of the truck! So, on countdown day ten, it was time to put the hitch back in the truck where it belongs.

However, we ran into an unexpected problem: it wouldn’t fit! The hitch assembly has four tabs on the bottom that are supposed to slip into four slots on the foundation bars mounted on the floor of the bed of the truck. The entire piece is then secured by the inserting pins thru the holes in the bottom of the slots. A great theory!

The hitch is a heavy piece of equipment. Even half of it was more than Bruce could maneuver (and, of course, I was no help at all!). He struggled manfully with it and could get two of the tabs into the appropriate slots but the other two wouldn’t go. If the front two went in, the back two wouldn’t. If the end two engaged, the other end was off by one 32^nd of an inch! A neighbor came over to help but all we could do was wring our hands and shake our heads.

"Hitch itch" was intensifying for us with the frustration of this new roadblock. The hitch had been mounted in the truck when we picked it up, so it had to fit. Bruce remembered that it had been a bit difficult to get it out but how could it have changed size while it hung on the front of the fifth-wheel? It didn’t make sense, but it would not go back in. Fortunately, before he lost his temper or his religion, he decided to quit trying and brood over the dilemma overnight.

Next morning, after breakfast, I heard an unusual sound. I looked out the door to find the source of the sound. Bruce was again up in the truck bed struggling with the hitch. He was using some grinding tools he had, and others he had borrowed from neighbors, and was painstakingly enlarging the slots. He was "scratching" those holes out, and, in no time, the tabs slipped right into their respective slots!

The old adage says "There’s more than one way to skin a cat." Well, apparently there’s more than one way to install a hitch, too. If you can’t shrink the tabs, enlarge the slots! Bruce’s vigorous "scratching" gave us a great deal of relief from the extreme level of our "hitch itch." Now I think we’ll be ready for D-day in just four days!

Raising the Roof

A week or so ago we bought a porch.  A neighbor had had it built for his rig but, when he sold the lot, it wouldn't fit the in-coming RV.  It's small but handy: two sets of steps (front and back), handrails, a narrow floor outside the door (to stand on while searching for our house key!), and a roof!  Finally we can get from truck to door without getting drenched in the rain.

One of the park owners -- a handyman with tools and equipment --  moved our new porch from its previous home to our site on the front-end loader of a tractor.  It looked rather odd, but it worked.  Several other neighbors drifted in to be part of the project.  One was a master carpenter, several were good "followers of orders" and all had strong backs and willing hands.

As they muscled the porch up to the side of our fifth-wheel, we realized we had some problems.  The length and width were good but the roof was so low it kept our door from opening. Whoops!  And when the door was opened, one of the roof supports kept it from opening fully.  Double whoops!

I was inside the trailer putting away the clean breakfast dishes when I heard ominous sounds: SSccrraappee, UUgghh, SScchhrreeeech "Just a little more." The helpers were pulling our porch away from our door again, trapping me inside the trailer!  All I could do was watch out the window and listen.

It was a fascinating conversation.  Bruce and several helpers spoke English.  The master carpenter mostly spoke English but often had to translate for his French-speaking helper.  There seemed to be some difference of opinion because there was plenty of hand-waving and shaking of heads in both languages.

Finally I began to hear more hopeful sounds:  BLAM, BLAM as the original upright supports were removed.  New and higher roof supports were added, BANG, BANG, in positions that did not interfere with the door.  But the roof was still too low.

For a few moments it was quiet as I heard many voices sharing ideas and solutions.  And then, again, there were sounds of hammers ripping out nails --SSqquueeaakk, WWrreenncchh.  What in the world are they doing, I thought, tearing up instead of fixing up?

Then the air was again filled with grunts and groans as our husky helpers shoved and pushed the remodeled porch back into its proper place.  Voila! The door could now open, close, and, when open, lie flat  against the trailer wall. 

 

Our friends and neighbors had successfully raised the roof!

Big Bug!

While I was doing my daily walk this morning, look what I discovered!

I hurried and did some research and this is what I learned  --  this is a new threat to the Rio Grande Valley and only a small handful have been reported..so far. 

 

It's a new spider called the Angolan Witch Spider.
They migrated from South America.
In Texas they primarily eat dogs and cats.

If you want to read more about the Texas invasion of the Angolan Witch Spider click here.

Texas Wine from the Rio

Texas travel brochures will tell you that the hill country of central Texas is the location of the state's wine-making industry.  Last Saturday we learned that there are new developments in the wine-making business in the Lone Star State.



Rio Farms is an agricultural research facility located just a few miles north of our winter home.  The Director of Research there is a friend from church.  Several weeks ago he invited us to attend their up-coming "Grape Growing Seminar" which was to be co-sponsored by Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension, and USDA-ARS. The event was to include specific grape growing information, as well as introductions to the wineries and vineyards of the Rio Grande Valley and tasting of their vintages.

It sounded interesting, even though we are neither grape-growers nor connoisseurs of wines.  So we went.  As we arrived, we were invited to enjoy appetizers of Gulf of Mexico-caught shrimp from Shrimp Outlet, a developing new industry located in Brownsville. As we sipped on wine samples (some of us, that is!) we heard illustrated presentations by an expert viticulturist and a plant pathologist.  We had no idea there was so much to know about growing grape vines!

 

After sitting for awhile, it was time to walk a bit.  Most of the 150 persons in attendance loaded into school busses which drove us out to the Rio Farm Vineyards.  These vines were planted in 1998 after a previous trial with table grapes was unsuccessful due to Pierce's disease, a common vineyard threat.

 





The growing of wine grapes on a small scale in the Rio Grande Valley dates back to the early 1900s.  But only recently has it begun to be considered as a viable option for diversifying the agriculture of the area.  With "citrus greening" threatening the citrus industry, the growing of wine grapes is becoming a more attractive alternative.  About a decade ago, Southwest Farm Press estimated that established vineyards could earn between $1500 and $1800 per acre.

 

Three types of wine grapes have been found to be resistant to Pierce's disease and other vineyard threats: Blanc du Bois, Black Spanish (Lenoir), and Convent.  Rio Farms has vines of each.  Currently, there are 60 acres of vineyards in the Rio Grande Valley, 45 of those acres in Hidalgo County where we live.  Last year, these vineyards sold more than 25 tons of grapes to long established wineries in the hill country.

 

 

As we returned to the auditorium, a generous and delicious meal had been prepared for us.  As we dined representatives of four Valley wineries  introduced us to their vintages.  In addition, several home wine makers spoke of their experiences.





 

Many of those in attendance took home souvenirs of the day: bottles of wine made from Rio Grande Valley grapes!  What an interesting, informative -- and tasty -- event!

Winter Woes

 

The Oldtimers like to tell stories

Of their winters of long ago,

When blizzards howled for days on end

And houses were covered with snow!

 

The water pump froze, so melted snow

Filled in for liquid need.

They tunneled through drifts to reach the barn

To see that their livestock had feed.

 

But the blazing fireplace kept them warm.

Garden produce, canned and drying,

Gave them food that was plenty and good

Through snowbound days so trying.

 

Now, Oldtimers. I’ll tell a winter’s tale,

So sad – and oh so new –

Of the winter of 2013 and 14,

The one we’re now living through!

 

Winter arrived about Hallowe’en

With a blizzard a week piling snow.

Some polar vortex (s) – (a brand new word) –

Dropped temps to a new Arctic low!

 

From West to East, frigid blasts roared.

Roads were ice rinks from coast to coast!

Traffic pile-ups were a daily risk.

The Great Lakes froze over – almost!

 

Even the South took a winter punch

As snow fell in Georgia and Texas.

The kids liked the snow days off from school.

The adults felt cursed by cold hexes!

 

Electric lines broke under weight of ice.

Water pipes froze and burst.

Grocery shelves soon became bare of food.

Old Man Winter had thrown out his worst!

 

No heat. No light. No food or drink.

No TV, movies or video.

Not safe to go out to make snowmen or forts

When it’s 35 below zero!

 

All we could do was shovel snow.

The next day, shovel more – and get mad!

St. Pat’s Day came and the snow lingered on.

This year’s "luck of the Irish" was bad!

 

We wondered, "Has Spring forgotten to come?

Or been kidnaped by Winter’s punks?

Will Winter now reign over half the year

Instead of just three months?"

 

Yes, Oldtimers, your winters were hard

‘Till Spring turned season’s page.

But we don’t know if this Winter will end

Or just bring in a new Ice Age!