Rio Grande Valley – Texas

Please ignore the April 2009 date – I can’t change it and will use a new blog after today.

We arrived in Alamo Palms, Alamo, TX on Nov. 15th, 2009.  I think that this is our 8th winter in this park – and we’re still discovering new things to do in the area.   And that is what this blog is about – some new things that we have done. 

There are 6 RV’s here from Alabama – and they all belong to a National Square Dance Club.  Joe and Mary Patt Talton are one these couples and they invited us to go to a “Bloodless Bullfight” in LaGloria, TX – last Sunday afternoon.  The Talton’s drove their truck out to the homemade bull fighting ring.  Don Fred Renk had a “build it and they will come” idea and he also raises the 'pure bred Spanish bulls that fight in his ring.   Admission was $25.00 to sit on the shady side, but well worth the price for the shade and the show.        Lupita Lopez in one of only 3 women bullfighters in the world and she was graceful and daring – she won our hearts.  The ring was small enough that we sat close and we could hear the bulls snort as they pawed the ground before they charged.   

MOVIE – Just a note that we went to the movie theater and saw “AVATAR” in real 3D.  It was amazing!  Both Don and I really enjoyed it.

ROPA – We finally got to Ropa! (Ropa means clothes in Spanish)  There are several different “Ropa” buildings in McAllen and this is where all the leftovers from the Salvation Army stores, etc. wind up.  The clothes and bedding, etc. are in huge bales (think forklift) –and they break open the bundles and it’s put into a huge pile and sold for 50 cents a POUND. I was told to wear tie-on shoes or I might lose them when climbing the mountain of clothes.  Here’s photos of our shopping trip. Note the big bales!