Days 108, 109 & 110 - Thursday, Friday & Saturday - Horse Training

 Nothing memorable happened on Thursday. I did get in 45 minutes on the treadmill and 40 minutes on the resistance machines at Planet Fitness. 

Friday morning was a $10 all you can eat breakfast buffet at the clubhouse. One of the few food events that Kathy didn't help with. The food was good, and there was a lot of it.

Friday evening Pat, our neighbor from the Rolla area, and I went up to watch an event at the Cowboy Church arena. Kathy didn't want to go. Pat had never been to a Cowboy Church. He had a good time. He and Judy will be starting a slow trip a little over a week from now. They have reserved a site here for next year.

Pastor Chris on Twist. I wish I could show you the short video I took of Twist earlier in the evening, when she was by herself in the corral. She was not calm! They are training her to be a cutting horse. Cutting horses are unbelievable. If you have never seen one check out the link below the photo. The girl in the photos attends the Cowboy Church. Chris picked her out of the crowd, gave her a microphone and had here call out numbers when he and Tracy started sorting cattle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beo3AU-i8cg&list=PL7iK_QQVEqAk2pCz3GT0rVWU11rtWf3sg&index=6 

Chris and his wife Tracy.

Tracy is in with 10 steers. Chris is "guarding" the open gate between the two round pens. The girl would start things by calling out a number. Tracy would cut that steer out and drive it through the gate. As she approached the gate Chris went into the herd to cut out the steer with the next higher number. The continued this until all the steers were in the other pen.

The woman taking photos through the fence is one of Chris and Tracy's 3 daughters. She is getting married this year. They have 2 sons. One still at the Ranch and one who is married, with a child, and lives in North Dakota.

Sorting is one of the activities/contests during Buckle events that happen at the church arena several times a year. There are multiple age groups that compete in the events. Some of the youngest kids just sit on the horse and someone leads it through the contests. Competition gets pretty intense with the older teens and adults.

This morning I went back up to the church for some medical scans. A guy with Texas Mobile Imaging comes to the church once every winter. They offer people a great deal. They scan you for blockages in your Carotid Arteries, an aortic aneurysm, gall and kidney stones, your liver and do an Ankle Brachial test ( An ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a painless test that measures blood pressure in your ankles and arms. It shows if you have peripheral artery disease (PAD).) Total cost $135. Last year I found out that I have a kidney stone, that didn't show up 2 years ago. My Urologist reviewed the scan and said that since it  was not causing me any problems we would leave it alone. 

Around noon Pete, one of the permanent campground residents, and one of the few other guys here would can safely get up on a ladder, and I removed the torn fabric from one of our coach slide toppers. The slide is about 13' long and extends out about 30". Even though the temperature was only 86 it was HOT working in the sun. It took us about two hours. I have new fabric but to put it in place would take at least one more guy, up on the roof of the coach, to help slide the fabric in the receivers. The coach is weather tight without the slide topper, it just keeps debris off the top of the slide roof. If I don't get the fabric installed before we leave I will have to make sure the slide roof is reasonably clear of debris before we slide it in when we leave.

Later in the afternoon a semi-professional couple came in and played classic country music. Kathy and the ladies sold  pulled pork sandwiches, another Christmas for the Children fundraiser.

The March Activity schedules are out. Things are slowing down. Note the End of Season Activity meeting on March 23.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

Days 105, 106 & 107 - Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, February 23, 24 & 25 - Nothing Exciting

 Monday - Spanish class in afternoon. I'm spending 15-20 minutes a day on "homework". I don't think I well ever get to the point of being able to understand a native Spanish speaker, they talk faster than my brain works. I hope to get to the point of being able to read and write, and maybe even speak, at a very basic level. If I say, "Mi Espanol es malo. No entiendo. Por favor hable depsacio." "My Spanish is bad. I don't understand. Please speak slower." I might be able to understand some things. My "homework" is an app called Duolingo. I'm currently at Duolingo Level 8. To get to a CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Level A2 (Pre-Intermediate, Understands frequently used expressions related to areas like family, shopping and local geography.) I need to make it to Duolingo Level 30, its a long way from where I'm at. To be considered fluent you  have to get above level 130.

Tuesday - Kathy's Ladies Bible Study in the morning. I went to Planet Fitness, I haven't been for a while. I  did 50 minutes on the treadmill and 60 minutes on the resistance machines.

Wednesday - Coed Bible Study in the morning. We had a great discussion time talking about Heaven. I am a blessed person. One of the reasons is that I enjoyed my job. I'm convinced we will have "jobs" in Heaven. God has tasks for us, in Heaven, that will bless our socks off. I don't know what my job will be, but I know that I will enjoy it even more than I did being a Structural Engineer.

No Spanish class this afternoon. This evening is the baked potato bar at the clubhouse, another fund raiser for Christmas for the Children. Kathy has pork roasts cooking in the clubhouse oven. I'm not sure what those are for.

Highs have been in the high 70's to mid 80's, lows in the mid 60's. Days are sunny. The only negative is the WIND. Right now the average/constant speed is 15 mph, with gusts to 25 mph. Out walking around it feels higher than that, the gusts rock the coach. The winds have been about this level for the past couple of days. It is DRY here. 

Days 103 & 104 - Saturday & Sunday, February 21 & 22 - Car Show and Church

 Saturday morning was the annual campground car show. Due to a scheduling error the show here was the same day as one over at the DonWes Flea Market. Last year we had 60 cars here, this year there were only 16. Most of them were one that were here last year. Last years photos are at:

https://bertdsblog.blogspot.com/2025/01/day-58-saturday-january-25-bake-sale.html 

I didn't do much, I was quite stiff, and a little sore, from wrestling the toilet around yesterday. I did manage to finish our 2025 taxes and get them efiled. If you consider inflation our 2025 income was almost the same as our 2024 income. Last year we paid about $1,300. in federal income tax. This year, primarily due to the extra $12,000 deduction we had due to Trump's tax plan, we paid no federal taxes for the year. I have mixed emotions about that. Every year the self serving scum in DC pile massive amounts of additional debt on all future generations so that they can increase handouts/welfare. What we need is some massive cuts in federal spending. We probably should plan on giving away some of what we didn't pay in taxes. I'm sure we can find places that can do far more with the money that the government. 

Speaking of giving money away. You have read me posting about the many Christmas for the Children fund raisers that have already occurred in the campground this year. They already have over $5,000 collected to go towards Christmas 2026. Today's ice cream/banana split get together was a fund raiser for some type of Children's Bed program. I think the money will go to a group of people who actually build beds for kids. 

I did get in a 3 mile bicycle ride in the late afternoon, trying to work out the stiffness.

Sunday Kathy went to campground church and then we went up to Cowboy Church. We had talked about the cowboy church with Bill and Joyce, who have a home in Albuquerque, NM and a park model here. They followed us up to the church and attended the service. They said it was great. The spirit was a lot like they experience in their home church. After the service they went to McAllen to run some errands and Kathy and I came back to the campground for lunch. She had to be at the clubhouse to help get ready for todays 3 PM ice cream and banana splits.

People are started to head "home" for the summer. 2 couples pulled out last week and another couple left for Ohio early this morning. It seem far to early to be thinking about heading north. One of the couples who left last week are full timers. They were going to slowly make their way over to Arizona and then head north up through Utah.

The weather cooled off dramatically. Todays high was only 68.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

Days 101 & 102 - Thursday & Friday, February 19 & 20 - Bluegills & Toilets

 Thursday the high was 95 degrees. Today it was 92 degrees. PTL for AC.

Catch up stuff. Kathy learned that the police did find the naked guy who someone complained about. The person who told her thought that the guy was from a house outside the park.

Tonight, Friday, Kathy fired up the bluegills Pat gave us. I  ate almost the entire plateful. They were awesome! She also made scalloped potatoes to go with  them. We still had part of the loaf of homemade bread that Paul had made for us but we were to full to even take it out  of the bag. On the left are a couple of dessert things, part of what she made for tomorrows car show.

Thursday we went to Sam's and HEB for some groceries. We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. In the late afternoon I was using a brush to clean the seal on the toilet. I normally pull the fuse to allow me to lock the bottom open. I was to lazy to get down on the floor and pull the fuse. I just kept cycling the valve and brushing as it cycled. That was fine until I let the brush get caught in the valve. Something made a snapping noise and the valve would no longer close, which basically left a 4" open pipe down to the black tank. No good. I checked  online, a new one of these toilets, from Dometic, lists for $2,794.99

Visualize a hollow sphere and cut part of it away, thats the valve, part 5 below.

This morning I went to 3 auto parts stores and 2 hardware stores before I found enough stuff to cobb together something that would let me apply 12 volts to the motor that operates the toilet valve, once I  had it out on the floor. Before Johnny's Tru Value burned down last summer I'm sure I could have gotten what I needed with one stop at his place. It's sad that it isn't going to be rebuilt.

After lunch I started working on the toilet.

The lids off and its unbolted from the floor.

It's upside down on the bathroom floor.

Flush mechanism removed.

Below is the mechanism that operates the valve. I ended up taking it apart 3 times, then partially reassembling it to check it to see if it worked OK, before I got it sync'd properly.

Back in business a little after 6 PM. 

I'm bushed!

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

Days 98, 99 & 100 - Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, February 16, 17 & 18 - Warm Days

 It's been warm here. Daytime highs are running in the mid 80's, mid 70's is the norm for this time of year. The temperatures are fine, but the winds have been blowing like a banshee, well maybe not like a banshee. One entire day the "average" wind speed was 20 mph with gusts of 40-45. The norm for the past couple of days has been average speeds of 15 mph with gusts of 25-30 mph. Right now it is "calm" with an average wind of 7 mph and gusts of only 10 mph.

The highlight of the past three days has been Monday AM when Kathy saw that the police were in the campground. At last nights potluck dinner we found out that someone from the campground had reported a naked man walking around in the campground. So far we haven't learned who reported it, nor has anyone else claimed to have seen a naked man walking around. 

We both went to Monday AM's Information Meeting - nothing exciting. I did talk to a guy about helping me replace the awning fabric. He thought is was something he could do with no problems. Most of the old farts down here (maybe me included) have no business up on a ladder.

I went to my Spanish class Monday PM, we didn't have one today. My brain definitely needs something to decalcify it. I can't remember words I've know all my life and I can't seem to find space to store new words. 😀

Tuesday AM was Kathy's Ladies Bible Study. This morning we went to the Coed Bible Study. 

Yesterday we did some grocery shopping (Sam's & Walmart), filled the car up with gas at Sam's ($3.20/gal) and had lunch at Taco Bell.

Yesterday afternoon I did 50 minutes on the treadmill at Planet Fitness and then 20 minutes on the resistance machines, I had to get back to the campground in time for the potluck dinner. Late this afternoon I did 30 minutes on the campground treadmill. It has been to windy to ride my bicycle. Going with the wind is fun, going against it is painful.

At yesterday's potluck dinner we sat at a table our neighbors (next campsite), a couple from the Rolla, MO area. We were discussing things we like to eat and the subject of seafood came up. I mentioned that I could eat seafood but it was nothing I cared that much about. I said that a panful of fried bluegills was better than any "seafood" I'd ever eaten. Pat agreed with me and talked about catching bluegills in MO. This afternoon he knocked on the door and gave us a plastic bag full of frozen bluegill filets. Kathy already had a meatloaf cooking but the bluegills will be in the frying pan tomorrow.

Paul, a guy from the campground who is close to 90, regularly bakes bread. Kathy had taken he and his wife some pie a couple of days ago. Today he brought us over a loaf of fresh baked bread.

God is good. I pray that He bless you and yours. He has blessed me.

Days 96 & 97 - Saturday & Sunday, February 14 & 15 - Happy Valentines Day

 Our Valentines Day treat consisted of a trip to Long John Silvers for lunch. The campground had entertainers come in for a Valentines Day show and had a meal catered but at $25/head we thought it was far to expensive. We don't dance and thought the meal probably wouldn't be all that great. 

I did get in a 3 mile bicycle ride around the campground and Kathy spent some time in the Puzzle Room

Today, Sunday, Kathy went to the campground church service and then we drove up to the Cowboy Church for the service. They had extra seating set up so that they could sit 280. My guess is that at least 225 attended the service. Pastor Chris did a good job, like he normally does.

We stopped at McDonalds for lunch on the way home. Once we got home we turned on the NASCAR race. I took a nap and Kathy went over to some function at the clubhouse. Later she sat outside reading and I did a 6 mile ride around the campground.

God is good. I pray that He bless you and yours. He has blessed me.

Days 94 & 95 - Thursday & Friday, February 12 & 13 - Finally Went for a Motorcycle Ride

 Last Monday I mentioned the quilt ceremony for veterans. I forgot to include photos of the firetruck and flag.

From our coach

From the street when I walked the trash to the dumpster. The radio controlled car race track is in the foreground.

Another photo I forgot to include was of the parking lot during the Wednesday evening potluck dinner.

I finally dusted off my motorcycle and went for a 40 mile ride on Thursday, just wandered around. On the way home I did get on the Interstate for about 5 miles. My little 321cc Yamaha can run 70-75 mph and still have power in reserve. However, running 70 mph on the Interstate isn't fun like running 80 mph was with the 1,000cc Kawasaki Concours I used to have. (It is a LOT more fun riding Missouri's hilly, twisty back roads at 45 mph than doing 70-75 mph, in all the traffic, on the Interstate.)  

Roads/streets here in the big flat Rio Grande Valley are different. There are lots of irrigation canals and not to many bridges over them on county roads.

Today's "excitement" was defrosting the freezer so that we could continue diagnosing the problem with our ice maker. No success today. I think the next step will be to replace the solenoid valve that controls water flow to the ice maker. Actually it was more exciting when we went to Long John Silvers for lunch.

Temperatures were in the mid 80's. Today was pretty windy.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.