Saturday December 30, 2006

We are up and about by 8 and Paul takes grandpa to the shower house to take a shower. After walking Pepi and bringing grandpa back to the rig, we decide to go to the flea market and then the farmer's market. Paul is driving as usual and I figure he knows where he is going. Wrong. We are in Mercedes before he realizes we are not anywhere near the place we were heading. We turn around and backtrack finally finding the place. What a bunch of junk we saw! It is one of the biggest in the area and very very busy. Wow. Socks, T-shirts, shoes, tools, kettlekorn. You name it, somebody had it. While we are walking around, Paul gets a call on his cell from our friend Arnie McMillan. He invites us to drive over to Brownsville and then go to the Island for shrimp. Ok! We won't turn down shrimp! I want to change clothes so we leave the flea market and stop by the fruit and veggie stand. Paul and I pick out some tomatoes, onions and some green peppers. Back at the rig, I make the boys a beef sandwich and have some cottage cheese and saltines for lunch. We change clothes and head out to Brownsville. Traffic is very heavy and it takes about an hour to get to their place. Barb is in the shower so we visit with Arnie out on the deck of his home over looking the resacas that wind thru the resort. It is a very nice place and I like the area. Barb is ready so we take off for South Padre Island. It is nothing like I imagined it would be. I was expecting more of a Florida type atmosphere. There were tons of condos and beautiful homes...a huge county campground and a KOA right on the water. Very different...not as nicely "green and flowering" as Florida. Well, that shows how much I know about Texas! Arnie drives us around showing us the Island. We decide to eat so we go to a favorite place of the locals, Dirty Al's. Just a shack really with a huge bar but a nice view of the water. I ordered boiled shrimp, Paul got fried, grandpa got a combo fried oysters and flounder and Barb and Arnie shared fried shrimp and oysters. It was very very good. The service was a bit slow, but the food was great. After we finished, we piled back into the car and did some more sightseeing, going almost to the end of the Island I guess. Arnie drove us back to his place in Brownsville and we visited for awhile. They have a lovely double wide in a beautiful Resort (I was corrected after I called it a mobile home park, lol!). They gave us a tour of the park, and showed us what was for sale. We may come back and take a closer look later in our stay here.
The ride home was quick and once back at the rig, we just watched a bit of TV. Paul took the dog for a walk, and I talked to Zack on the phone. He is going to a New Year's party in Edwardsville. Then he will go back to Rochester for his appointment with Terri the PA next week. We don't know what we will be doing for New Year's eve...there is a dinner dance here at the park, but we are not sure. Da Bears will be on Sunday night football....hmmm...Bears or dance? Guess what Paulie is gonna choose?

I want to find some shorter curtains to hang in the front of the rig...the ones I have are way too long and I have no desire to shorten them. I don't have a sewing machine so...buying new ones is a better alternative.

I can't believe we have been traveling for 5 weeks. Life is good....

hugs

Dee