Don's 80th Birthday

January 23, 2009 - Don's 80th Birthday and we're here in Alamo Palms RV Park in Alamo, TX. We started the big day by going to What-a-Burger for breakfast (as usual) and they had just decorated with big, orange balloons! Sandy, the waitress, presented Don with a Happy Birthday box containing a big Cinnamon Bun. Then she gathered the staff and they sang "Happy Birthday" and the whole restaurant sang, cheered and clapped.

Sitting outside the motorhome and having a glass of wine was a great way to spend the afternoon.







We had a special steak dinner at the Santa Fe Restaurant in downtown McAllen. Dixie & Frank helped us celebrate.




There was a "triple" Birthday celebration on Sunday evening in our Tampico Hall for Frank, Wayne Stukenholtz and Don. Joyce Stukenholtz arranged for our park band to entertain and she baked NINE cakes! There were about 40 people - Don sure celebrated his 80th!!

Hildago Pump House & the Wall

The Hildago Pump House and The Wall along the Rio Grande


Hidalgo is on the US side of the Rio Grande River and is just south of McAllen, TX. We went to tour the old pump house, which is now a Museum, part of the World Birding Center and has biking and hiking trails.








Note the sign for hiking and biking and oops! what's that? A giant wall blocking our way and keeping out the Illegals! Nice $$$ job!





Our tax dollars at work.

This wall is just too tall for me to get over!

Pepe's by the River (Rio Grande)

Sunday afternoon is prime time at Pepe's. We had to wait to get a seat and a beer! There's a live band, dancing, food and of course, beer. There were lots of Winter Texans (retired seniors), Harley Bikers and families with children in tow. Pepe's deck is on the Rio Grande and the Border Patrol boat stops by for a Coke. The new levee is huge and they say the "wall" will be built on top of it. Question: How will we get to Pepe's? In the photo is our friends Dixie and Frank Proulx.

Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville,Texas

We visited the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, one of the premier zoos in the country. Taking photos of the animals was fun. How many can you name?

Christmas for the Needy - delivery

Alamo Palms supports "Christmas for the Needy" - all the families are in our town of Alamo and the names come from the school. This year we gave food and clothing to 62 families. We delived the food and presents the week before Christmas and "poor" is an understatement.
Watch out for those geese - they'll chase you!

Alamo Palms, Texas

Hildago's wonderful "Festival of Lights" included a dinner, trolley ride and a musical show from Mexico. The young boys sang with the older group. They are from a school in San Luis Potosi in Mexico. The lighted dragon is a gift from China and is made of thousands of small empty medicine bottles.



This is one of the many lighted displays that the city of Hildago has every year. Hildago is a US border town across from Reynosa, Mexico.

2008 -11, Branson, MO

We left Niskayuna, NY before Halloween - heading to Branson, MO. This is the "farewell to Ohio" sign - quite impressive!
I always take a photo when we cross the Mississippi River. Here you see the famous St. Louis Arch, taken from our RV as we crossed from Illinois into Missouri.
Last is a photo of the Ozarks, just as we are coming into Branson. Love those hills!