Travelog - Day 18, Feb.18

Hardie's trailer sandwiched in Weslaco.

Sunday morning. Al goes to ‘get the mail’ while I laze in bed until 9:00am Looks like another warm, sunny day. After breakfast I head back to Pine to Palm, Brian’s resort, to update the blog. Takes about an hour to upload pictures, paste text and then try to rearrange so that commentary is somewhere in the vicinity of the picture. As I’m doing 2 days worth, I really get frustrated with the slowness of the whole process. And, of course, forget to send the emails I wrote this morning.

I will definitely buy a faster laptop if we should do this kind of travelling next year. Also have mentally added more items to my trailer checklist: collapsible, round nylon bag for laundry & mini cart (idea from our last campsite; this morning I saw a blue garbage can on wheels go by, bet it’s laundry), monopod & long camera lense (the better to see that alligator or cormorant with wings spread wide to dry), obviously summer clothes (will have to buy a pair of shorts at least as the), small folding table for outside (the barbecue sits on the ground), sandals (other than my shower flip flops), sunhat, more reference books (cactus, trees), second pair of bino’s for me (one birding lady was wearing an interesting cross strap system to hold hers, more comfortable), fanny pack (for passport, $$$, credit card & handwash when shopping or…), bicycle rack & bikes (Al never got around to figuring out the rack system which he says will have to welded to the bumper and the spare tire moved),

Back at the ‘ranch’, the dogs are laid out on the grassed area of their X-pen. Temperature is now in the 90’s in the sun by the trailer door, a cool 79 inside, no breeze and no shade except for that cast by the neighbour’s trailer It’s lunch time and we need to decide what we’re doing. I suggest more shopping, that I go alone while Al does laundry. He checks the main pavillion: yes, there are laundry facilities, but no change machine. Indoors couples are practising line dancing (1-4pm) and outside, 2 ladies are sunning beside the pool.

In the end we decide that since we are almost out of American dollars, he will go to Walmart’s ATM and from there we will cross-border shop together. Yesterday, Brian had indicated a store just this side of the border with top quality clothes and jewellery. Perhaps we can stop in there on the way back.

I comment that leaving here a bit later than yesterday won’t matter since we won’t be ‘bar’ hopping. His reply, “I ‘ll just take my beer with me” Hmm! I warn him that I don’t want any unsubtle comments ‘hurry up’, etc.

It’s now 1:19, Al has not returned. My shopping time is in jeopardy. The dogs in their X-pen and I have put up the awning to give the trailer some shade.



The Rio Grande from the bridge to Mexico.








Entering Mexico.






Lucie, which dress would you like?




















The end of the shopping street. Al is still carrying the 'load'.


















For the pharmacist in my life.


I can't remember the name of this, but I know it's very popular at Michels and drives me crazy with the smell.

BTW - We’ve made reservations for the next two stops: first at Colonia Del Ray in Corpus Christi (Feb.15-20) and then Almost Heaven, just south of Houston and near my email buddy who lives in Sugar Land (Feb.20-27). Lafayette will probably be the next place.