888 GETS FLOORED

Carpet in an RV is not smart -- I had it removed and had wood laminate installed. 

Carpet being removed.

Mac supervising project

Plywood under foam

Foam under carpet

New flooring at entrance

New flooring toward kitchen--Amen!!

WOODSHOP PROJECT

Used the lathe tool in woodshop, I made a 6-sided segmented bowl from walnut and maple wood with assistance from TOT residents.

As lathe turns, my hand held tool will trim wood first from outside, then inside of bowl

Base is round (walnut); second layer is maple with walnut segments; top layer is walnut.

Top two layers have been trimmed; base and middle layer are next to be trimmed

Outside top layers has been shaped; base and inside still needs shaping

Inside trimming is underway

Woodburned my logo, year, and location in bowl bottom

Amazing!! My finished bowl. Amazing!!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY AND MEXICO RE-VISITED

Mac participated in St. Patrick's Day Parade

Masks and/or dentist?

I chose a dentist in Mexico -- $25 for check up and cleaning; $50 for full X-rays.  There are many dentist offices to choose from -- I went to the one my friends recommended. That clinic is open Monday through Sunday, was huge, and the waiting room was packed with Winter Texans at 8 a.m. on a Friday morning. The cleaning was thorough and the dentist that checked my teeth was the actual owner of the clinic.  I was impressed and would return.  BTW crowns would cost $200.

DVD vendor

Stopped to check out DVDs. Asked to play each one to be sure it was in English and that it would play.  The young boy assisted me with my selections; his sister (who had been sitting under table) appeared when I indicated I would buy the DVDs (3 for $10) with the yellow bag opened to receive the DVDs.

Fresh pineapples are cut for customers

Street scene of stores and vendors

Close up of stores and vendors

OUR LAST BIRD OUTING

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Chachalaca

Lovely plant or perhaps it's a cactus...

 

Kiskadee

Quinta Mazatlan -- a historical Adobe mansion and nature and birding center located in McAllen, Texas

Tiled bathtub with fountain faucet

Lucky Scottie got to live at Quinta Mazatlan

Perfect setting for weddings and special occasions 

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR FUN

John Sager's appearance at TOT was very enjoyable -- he deserves the Best Male Vocalist awards he's received from the Branson and Rio Grande Valley contests.

 

Harris' Hawk

 

Armidillos aren't usually seen during the day

Northern shoveler -- note that "shovel" for a bill

We also saw a great horned owl -- thanks to a volunteer at Santa Ana who had a scope capable of focusing at a great distance. The owl was looking right at us as we each took a turn viewing this majestic bird in his/her habitat.

White-faced Ibis - I'd only seen all white ibis' until today

Sunlight accented these red-winged blackbirds

BACK FROM AN AMAZING 10 DAYS

Two Scotties check each other out

On my drive back to Pharr, I stopped at a Rest Stop and saw a Scottie; so I jumped out of 888, leased up Mac, and we walked over to meet Duncan.  His owner is a truck driver so he doesn't have easy access to a groomer, so Duncan's fur is a tad long -- and Duncan is a very large Scottie.  Mac is at the groomer as I type this...

Yesterday, I had planned on stopping in Corpus Christi for the night so I could do some sightseeing there. I decided, however, to drive straight back to Pharr because seeing Corpus Christi's ship, their aquarium, their beach, their art museum, their botanical gardens and zoo -- didn't excite me after my wonderful Galveston and Houston experiences plus what I have in Chicago.  I was totally content to settle back into Tip O'Texas. 

My experiences in both Galveston and Houston were wonderful -- the people, the public transportation of each city plus the great food, beaches, art and science museums, antiques, birding, historical artifacts, etc., etc. made the past ten days great, great memories.  And I'd recommend both RV parks -- SandPiper and LakeView.

HOUSTON - DAY 3

I made it to NASA ....

Moon rock I touched (approx. 2" x 3")

Red phone was the Mission Control team’s direct link to the US Department of Defense

NASA's Johnson Space Center is the home of astronaut training and Mission Control. Our tram stopped at the historic Mission Control Center and the Saturn V Complex. 

Mission Control Center


The first words Neil Armstrong uttered as Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon in 1969 were: “Houston, Tranquility base here—the Eagle has landed" was heard from this machine.

I'm impressed with Houston's public transportation.  Their buses and metros have all been timely allowing me to move around the city and to visit NASA.  Houston is a GREAT city to visit!!