22 Things To Do While Sheltering In Place

1.  Pick a foreign accent and talk in it all day.

2.  Answer an ad on how to make BIG money at home.

3.  Make a Halloween costume out of things in your closet.

4.  Learn Morse code.

5.  Practice to become the world's fastest remote control user.

6.  Enter a sweepstakes.

7.  Mix up a unique facial mask from your lunch.

8.  Practice your kissing technique on a pocket mirror.

9.  Name the seven dwarfs.

10.  Name the fifty states; now try their capitals.

11.  Name the ten Canadian provinces.

12.  Teach yourself to shuffle cards like a casino dealer.

13.  Recite the alphabet backwards.

14.  See how long you can go without blinking.

15.  Write your family history in rhymed verse.

16.  Call the local radio station and ask how many CDs and tapes they have.

17.  Compose a letter to your local newspaper editor on a topic that bothers you.

18.  Plan how you would spend your money if you won the lottery.

19.  Draw happy faces on your toes.

20.  Call a talk show and say you're a space alien.  See if they notice.

21.  Paste together your own wish book from mail order catalogs.

22.  Make a list of 100 wildly exciting things to do when you're no longer sheltering in place.

A Discordant State of Being

View from the kitchen window at Bluff Landing

The last time I posted a blog, I mentioned how quickly things could change in a week.  Little did I know how drastically things would change!

We spent a week parked on the street in front of daughter and SIL's house in our hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, which was exceedingly good.  There's nothing like being with your grandsons 24/7 to get all caught up.  After a week on the street, we decided to drive out to Bluff Landing just to see if the campground had opened.  We were pleasantly surprised to find the gate open and campsites available.

Hundreds of birds roosting in the trees at Bluff Landing

Bluff Landing is a Corps of Engineers campground.  The rules set by the COE limit the amount of time one can stay in their parks to two weeks.  Our plan was to spend two weeks, take care of some business, attend a seminar, and then head on our merry way.  Sometimes things just don't work according to plan.  Have you noticed that, or is it just me? 

We pulled into Bluff Landing on a Thursday afternoon.  Saturday, when we returned home after running countless errands, there was a note stuck to our front door.  It was a short note from the camp manager asking us to call.  Consort called and received unwelcome news:  The COE was shutting down the campground on Sunday.

Not long after the phone call, a motorhome pulled into the park.  Consort, ever the good neighbor, went over to let them know the campgrounds would be closing on Sunday.  These folks were from Kentucky and had been wintering in New Mexico.  They were headed back to Kentucky because their RV park had been shut down due to the Covid 19 virus.

These two pictures are to showcase the white flowering trees in Oklahoma.  They are everywhere and really stand out.  I've always associated these trees with the ornamental pear tree, but I'm not sure that's what these are.  Gorgeous!.

Hearing from other RV travelers that campgrounds were closing down due to Covid 19 was very disconcerting.  Couple that with all the news we're hearing about "shelter in place," and we made the decision to return to Brownsville.  We talked to the manager of 4 Seasons RV Park who said we could stay as long as we needed to.  Welcome news in uncertain times.

Saw this on the road to Brownsville

We pulled into 4 Seasons RV Park late Tuesday afternoon.  On Wednesday, pretty much everything in Texas shut down.  Here in the park they have closed the pool and hot tub; shuffleboard, billiards, darts, and cards are all off the schedule.  Consort and I are self-quarantining ourselves after all our travels and exposure to the general public.  The last thing we want is to pass on anything we might have been exposed to.

Today is day two of the quarantine.  I've been cleaning out all the closets and bins, reorganizing things to make them more accessible.  Consort took care of all the laundry and started a new book.  We do get outside to walk the dogs and, of course, we practice social distancing when out.

Rooster in Holly tree at the Walmart store

We decided to boondock in a Walmart parking lot on the way to Brownsville splitting the 15-hour trip into two days.  To boondock means to camp in a place not intended for camping; there's no water, no electricity, no dump station.  We carry fresh water in a tank that is a permanent part of the trailer for just such an occasion.  Our electricity is provided by a generator we carry onboard.

We pulled into Walmart, parked, then set up camp.  We knew we had a second long day of travel ahead of us, so after walking the three mangy mongrels around the parking lot, we called it a day.  We were running the AC and had all the windows in the trailer closed.  About six o'clock the next morning, we woke up to the sound of a crowing rooster.  Now, that's something you don't hear every day.  I smiled to myself, enjoying this comforting sound from my childhood.  Half an hour later when the bird was still crowing, consort and I gave up on sleeping and got out of bed.  We were not smiling.

So that's the story of why we're back in Brownsville.  With any luck we'll be able to resume our travels in a few weeks.  Don't misunderstand me, I love Oklahoma and Texas, but I'd really like to expand our travels to include other states.

These are the red chairs we picked up at IKEA in Round Rock, TX.  While in Broken Arrow, I picked up two tables from my grandparents' home I had in storage.  Notice the doilies?  My great grandmother made those.  I have a feeling it won't be long before this trailer is packed full of antiques.

Arrange whatever pieces come your way.  ~Virginia Woolf

Bluff Landing

We arrived in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, about a week ago.  Isn't it amazing what can change in just one week?

After a nine-hour drive from Austin on Thursday last week, we finally reached our destination: Our hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  We exited the highway and immediately headed for our favorite campsite, Bluff Landing, on the Verdigris River.  If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll remember Bluff Landing is where we first camped when starting this adventure.  Consort and I were both exhausted from the long day, and the pups were ready to get out of the truck and stretch their legs.

The road going to Bluff Landing is barely a two-lane road.  With the F-350 and fifth wheel, we pretty much take up the entire road.  There are trees and brush that line either side of the road leaving no shoulder.  We were completely surprised when we reached the entrance to Bluff Landing; there was a chain preventing entrance into the park and a sign that read, Park closed for repairs until further notice.  Bluff Landing is not a park that takes reservations, it's strictly first come, first served, so we had no idea the park was closed.  We were not expecting to park in our favorite site, but we knew there would be many other available sites to choose from.  The last thing we expected was for the park to be closed entirely.

Realizing we could not go forward into the park left us only one alternative:  Back it up.  The road is terribly narrow, as I previously mentioned, and there is scarcely room for the F-350 to turn around, let alone the fifth wheel.  At the entrance to the park, there are two very small and rutted roads that split off the main road.  The main road leads into the park and was chained.  The other two roads are not really roads at all, but old driveways that now lead to nothing.  Consort was not pleased.

As consort began maneuvering the fifth wheel into the tightest turn imaginable, a white pickup pulled up beside us.  We recognized the driver immediately as Michael, the maintenance man who lives onsite at Bluff Landing.  He explained to us that the COE had shut the park down to work on water lines and trim trees.  He told us if we would back up just a bit, he would unlock the gate and we could drive down to the campsites and turn the camper around without any problem.  At the end of such an exhausting day, this was welcome news.

Allow me to digress a moment.  The very first outing in the fifth wheel, we parked at Bluff Landing.  I woke up in the trailer that first morning by myself, consort was still working then.  It was up to me to take the dogs out for their morning nature call.  I went out in my pajamas and a hoodie.  I did not take my phone or keys or anything else for that matter, well, except for a roll of poop bags for the three mangy mongrels.

We strolled around the nearly empty park enjoying the morning until everyone had finished his or her business.  I headed back for the trailer ready for my coffee.  When I tried to open the trailer door, however, I realized the door was locked.  And there was no reasonable way to break in.  So there I am, locked out of the trailer, wearing pajamas, no coffee, and the wee heathen mongrels in tow.

Embracing my fate, I decided to take the dogs on a longer walk.  What else was there to do?  As we walked through the park, I noticed a guy down by the river.  I headed over and introduced myself, then told him our predicament.  He offered to lend me his phone, and I happily accepted.  I called consort at work and he came to my rescue without delay.

I tell you this story to simply say that the guy who allowed me to use his phone was Michael, the same guy who opened the gate so we could turn the fifth wheel around.  I think I'm going to have to bake that man some cookies.

When we were turned away from our first choice of camping, it was already early evening.  Rather than trying to locate another campsite for the night, we headed over to daughter and SIL's house planning to park the trailer in the street.  As we were pulling up to the house, all three grandsons and SIL were outside playing ball.  The boys dropped their balls and mitts and came running down the street yelling, Hello!!  I wish I'd gotten a picture of SIL's face.  He remained still, as if he was frozen to the ground, but he looked as if he, too, was yelling, and I don't think it was, Hello!

We are still parked on the street in front of daughter and SIL's house.  Now we're dealing with the shut-down of America due to the coronavirus.  Tulsa and Broken Arrow have followed the guidelines given by the federal government.  School is suspended, gyms, theaters, bowling alleys, restaurants, churches are all closed down for at least two weeks.  Grocery stores are open, but the aisles are bare, as you can see from the photo above.  We're basically on a two-week lockdown.

We're fine, we've landed in a good place.  Daughter & Co. have opened their home to us and treat us like royalty.  The dogs are happy running in the yard and playing with daughter's dog, Boomer.  I hope for all of you out there that you, too, are in a good place.  These are trying times for everyone.  If you get the chance, help out your neighbor.  You'll make yourself and someone else feel better, I promise.

D.O.G. and Boomer on the way to the dog park

Boomer and Annie napping again

I miss all of you at 4 Seasons, especially you, Mom!

Shout out to my favorite Canadian, safe travels!

On the stereo:  Jordan Smith, Stand in the Light

Road Signs

Today is a travel day.  We're heading north again and hope to be in our hometown by nightfall.  Lots of loose ends to tie up when we reach our home base, but the most important reason for heading home is to see the grandsons!  

Here's a list of road signs I've seen in the last six months that I have never seen before.  Enjoy!

Gusty wind area

No snowplow from 10 pm to 7 am

Rough road ahead. Gravel

Hitchhikers may be escaped inmates

Rumble strips ahead 

Textured pavement ahead 

Limited sight distance

Road ends in lake

No hand-held devices while driving or cycling 

Road closed when flooded

Watch for Pelicans

Watch for sand on road

Wildlife crossing

No tie zone  (does this mean informal wear only?)

Pavement ends in lake

Sea turtle crossing

Warning:  Tick eradication quarantine line (did anyone alert the ticks?)

No parking.  Illness

Caution:  Never handle grounded bats

Cup holders were originally designed for cupcakes

— Chip Gaines (on a billboard outside Waco, Texas)

Movin' Right Along

Brownsville, we have left the city.  After three completely enjoyable months, consort and I have loaded up the trailer and returned to the road.  Our stay in this southernmost point on the United States-Mexico border was magnificent.  The weather, the beaches, and the park activities added to our pleasure-filled time in Texas, but what was most noteworthy were all the Winter Texans we met at 4 Seasons RV Park.  They are wonderful, good-hearted, fun-loving people and we will miss seeing them all each day.  I will especially miss my favorite Canadian, even though she never did learn to make scones.

After leaving Brownsville, we headed north.  We're currently at Willis Creek Park on Granger Lake, an Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the San Gabriel River in central Texas.  Willis Park is five miles outside of Granger, Texas.  Did you know Granger, Texas, was the site for the filming of the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the 2010 remake of the movie True Grit?  

We've stopped at this COE park for two important reasons:  One, to purchase replacement furniture for our fifth wheel and, two, the barbeque.  Central Texas is world famous for its barbeque.

We've been looking for the past six months for furniture to replace a worn-out set of recliners and a very uncomfortable sofa that were in place in the trailer when we purchased it.  We have a forward living space in our fifth wheel which means you climb up three steps into the front of the trailer where you'll find yourself in our living room.  The furniture is basically built into the slides on both the left and right side of the fifth wheel.  To replace the original furniture means finding items that fit within the original furniture dimensions.  Not an easy task.  Did I mention we've been searching for six months?

When we were in San Antonio, I saw wing chairs at IKEA that I fell in love with and was pretty sure would fit within the available space of the slides.  All of the products IKEA sells are made in Sweden and are much smaller in size than their American "super-size me" counterparts.  Consort, however, wasn't convinced the IKEA chairs were the solution and voted to continue looking.  And, so, the search for furniture continued.    

Fast forward three-and-a-half months and here we are, settled in for a week at Willis Creek Park because there's an IKEA in Round Rock, Texas, a mere 18 miles from our campsite.  We bought two matching chairs to try out.  We knew if they did not work, we could drive them back to IKEA for an easy return.  And voila!  The chairs fit beautifully!  You have no idea how wonderful it is to finally sit down in your own home and be comfortable.  Personally, I have a whole new outlook on life.

Now that the furniture issue is resolved, it's time to move on to bigger and better things, like the pursuit of barbeque!  

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you'll know we have stayed at Willis Creek Park previously.  You'll also know that we found sumptuous barbeque at Davis Grocery & Bar-B-Q in Taylor, Texas, home of mutton ribs extraordinaire.  This time around we left the three mangy mongrels at home and decided to try our luck at the second option listed for "barbeque near me," a restaurant in Taylor, Texas, a short 15-minute drive from our campsite.

  

We stopped in at Louie Mueller Barbecue today for lunch.  We tried the pulled pork, we devoured the burnt ends, we feasted on sausage links and spareribs.  I gobbled up the potato salad while consort, picky eater that he is, stuck with Lay's potato chips.  

I have eaten a lot of barbeque in my life, but I have never had barbeque as good as this.  The website for this little slice of barbeque heaven says the store closes daily at 6 p.m. or until sold out.  I'm guessing they have never been open much past 3 p.m.  When we were there at 1:30, we bought the last of the burnt ends and spareribs.  The barbeque has won numerous awards, and the restaurant has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  If you're ever in the area, get on over to Taylor, Texas, and arrive early.  You can thank me later.

South Padre Island

We finally made a trip to the south end of Padre Island.  We have visited Boca Chica beach, just outside of Brownsville, numerous times.  There are always lots of fishermen and piles of seashells to pick through.  We have also made quite a few trips to the north end of Padre Island.  Again, there are always people out fishing; there is horseback riding; and there are lots of people just out for a drive down the beach.  What the north end does not have are buildings:  No hotels, no businesses, no houses.  It has a very out-of-the-way secluded feeling.

The south end of the island is very commercial.  Seeing the towering hotels and businesses in the distance adds to the charm of the south end of the island.  It is quite beautiful.  In the time it takes to walk from your car in the parking lot out onto the boardwalk bordering the white sand beaches you are transported into the tropics.  Each of the beaches we've visited are very different from the others.  Here's a few pics of the south end of the island for you to enjoy.

Wind surfing

People feeding seagulls despite the signs that say, Don't feed the seagulls!

Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Since being here in Brownsville, we have taken several trips to Nuevo Progreso, a border town in the state of Tamaulipas.  There is usually a group of about a  dozen or so from the 4 Seasons RV park who go together.  We shop and have lunch; some people get massages and manicures.  But the most common reason for crossing the border into Mexico is to purchase medication.  The prices for medicine, the exact same medicines sold in the US, are a fraction of the price they are sold for in the US.  Why is this?  Even the medications I give my dogs are sold at a reduced price.


 We will be leaving Brownsville at the end of this month and decided it was time to stock up on pet meds.  Here in the United States, the meds I needed for the three mangy mongrels would cost around $600, plus the cost of the visit to the vet.  In Mexico, I purchased those very same meds for $200.  I wish our politicians on both sides of the aisle would come up with a solution to our overpriced prescription medications and the widespread lack of insurance prevalent among US citizens.  And that's all I have to say about that.

On a happier note, I love this sign.  It is posted in the duty-free liquor store.

Happy Margarita Day!

Did you know today is National Margarita Day?  Every February 22nd, people all across our great nation come together to pay homage to our favorite cocktail, the margarita.  The margarita -- triple sec, tequila, and lime juice -- was created in 1938 in Mexico and is widely considered the official drink of having fun.  

 For quite a few years, my mother
and D have hosted a margarita party at their home here in Brownsville.  We were lucky enough to be here and experience the party for ourselves this year.  The weather was sunny and warm, perfect for an outside party.  No one did an official head count, but I would estimate there were around 60 people present.  This year D took the party to a whole new level when he hired a band, Two Bad Apples, to entertain us.  All the attendees brought snacks, and Mom and D provided the margaritas.  I believe I speak for everyone when I say we had a tremendously good time.  Consort and I are already making plans to be back for next year's party!

Matamoras, Mexico

Matamoras is the sister city of Brownsville.  It is within walking distance of downtown Brownsville.  In the past, the Winter Texans from here in the Park made weekly trips to Matamoras for lunch and shopping.  In recent years, the drug cartel has taken over the city. 

Consort and I were warned by my mother, and many others, not to go into Matamoras.  It isn't safe.  A group from the RV park toured the Custom and Border Patrol station just outside of Brownsville recently, and the CBP officers confirmed what everyone else said:  Stay away from Matamoras.  

If you know me at all, you'll know that when someone tells me not to do something I am much more likely to go and do just that.  It's a character defect, I know.  So, despite all the warnings, consort and I decided to make the trip across the border into Matamoras.  

The night before our planned trip, I was playing cards with a group of women.  I asked what they thought of walking over to Matamoras.  They generally agreed we would be safe as long as we didn't venture too far into the city.  The main reason I wanted to cross from Brownsville into Matamoras was to see for myself the "tent city," the location the immigrant Latinos are waiting to gain access to the USA.  I won't go into my thoughts or opinions regarding the situation at the border.  I'll just share with you through pictures what I saw.

Consort and I were fine and never felt we were in any danger.  We did not go far into the city.  The tent city is right on the edge of the Rio Grande as you enter Matamoras.  We carried nothing with us but our passports, iPhones, and a small amount of cash. 

Prior to leaving Matamoras, consort suggested we stop at a street vendor for gorditas.  Always up for adventure, I agreed.  It was interesting placing our order.  I speak a little broken Spanish, which has been helpful here in south Texas, and most of the Latinos I've spoken with speak some English.  With my Spanish and their English, and a lot of gesturing with hands, we've been able to communicate.  

Unfortunately, the lady selling gorditas did not speak any English.  Honestly, with the rapidity of her speech and her accent, I'm not entirely sure she was speaking Spanish.  I conveyed to her, in Spanish, what we wanted to order.  She then gave me a list of food options that would fill the gordita.  I couldn't understand anything.  I asked her to please speak more slowly, and she kindly repeated the list of choices.  I still didn't get it.  I asked her if she might repeat the list one more time.  I listened closely as she once again recited the available choices.  When she landed on a word that I recognized, chicharrones, I said, Yes! Chicharrones would be great.  She asked if I was sure, and I nodded enthusiastically.  

Here's a little piece of advice from me to you:  Don't order the chicharrones.  Chicharrones are large chunks of boiled pork fat.  If it hadn't been for the green chili sauce, I don't think I could have gotten it down.

Old City Cemetery

 Cemeteries have always aroused my interest and curiosity.  If you take the time to read epitaphs on monuments, you can learn a lot about the local history.

Consort and I visited Old City Cemetery in downtown Brownsville this week.  The cemetery was established about 1848.  I had no idea Brownsville had been around so long.  I was completely ignorant of its history and the important role this southernmost city played in the development of the USA.

Brownsville started out as Fort Texas on the Rio Grande River.  The settlement around the fort was called Brownsville.  The city incorporated in 1853 and was named the county seat.  I could write pages on its history, but instead will give you a link to the history of Brownsville.  I think you'll be surprised by the important events that occurred here.  I know I was.

Some of the inscriptions
on the tombstones tell how the person died.  Some epitaphs are in English, some are in Spanish, and there are quite a few in both French and German.  I found the headstone for George M. Dennett interesting.  He served in the 9th Regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War.  Note the abbreviation, "Cld Trps."  The 9th regiment was comprised solely of free Blacks.

We noticed several orange trees as we were driving to the cemetery.  Oranges are in season here and the trees were loaded.  

As we were walking through the cemetery, we found an orange tree growing next to one of the fenced family plots.  I couldn't resist.  I picked up some of the oranges that had fallen to the ground and brought them home.  Does this make me a grave robber?