South Texas

We have landed in Brownsville, Texas.  Brownsville is the southernmost city in the state of Texas and the third southernmost city in the USA. 

Here's a piece of trivia for you:  The southernmost point of the United States is Ka Lae, Hawaii.  When consort and I visited Hawaii five years ago, I jumped from a 30-foot cliff into the ocean from this selfsame southernmost point.  Of course, I have the visual.

We have come to Brownsville to spend the holidays with my mother and her significant other.  She has been wintering in south Texas for almost 20 years  The park we're in is mostly home to snowbirds, although here they call themselves Winter Texans.  A snowbird is a person who migrates from the colder northern parts of North America to warmer southern climates.  The weather here is tropical -- at least it was until a couple of days ago when the tropics gave way to roaring winds and a nod to Old Man Winter.  It's not as cold as central Texas was, and it's nothing like northeastern Oklahoma, but we have been running the heater.
*Update*  It's now late afternoon and the intense sun is out.  I have, once again, been transported to the tropics.

We have met loads of people at this park who seem to have exactly what I'm looking for:  The ability to relax while simultaneously packing as much fun as possible into every minute of the day.  I'm taking notes.

Consort and I were treated to a parade of light-bedecked yachts on the Gulf of Mexico last weekend.  The view coming from Brownsville over the bridge to South Padre Island was magnificent.  It was sort of like leaving one world for another.  It's hard for me to get my head around the fact that it is so tropical here and, at the same time, so dismally cold up north.  I'm not sure how it's possible, but I am thankful.  The decorated yachts floating past were absolutely magical.  It brought visions of sugarplum fairies dancing in my head.

And there were bagpipes!  Consort is a bagpipe groupie, and I love a good bagpipe myself.  The whole evening, from start to finish, was as if someone picked through our brains then set up a perfect evening just for us.  And the people!  All of the folks from the RV park were seated together on an outside deck overlooking the water.  Each one added to our enjoyment of the evening.  Thank you, Winter Texans, for welcoming us so kindly!