Where did the week go?

La Feria, TX 79º 24mph winds with gusts to 35 mph.
    Really windy day here, maybe leading up to some rain tonight or tomorrow.  Earlier this week we went north to Santa Rosa and drove by the Sugar Mill.

Some semi-trucks were being dumped.

This plant runs 24/7 during most of the winter months processing surgar.

 We followed one of the trucks to a field where they were cutting the sugar cane.

And watched them put three of those wagons into a semi-truck.

And it headed off to the plant.  It didn't take very much time to load it.  As we left that field and drove back toward FM506 we pulled in to watch some crop being harvested--wasn't sure what it was.

We drove from there into Harlingen and ate a late lunch at the Mexican restaurant Las Vegas.
We were sitting next to a wall with a mirror:

That evening we had some neighbors over and the 8 of us played Pegs & Jokers.

Lynn Miles and Carolyn Ruhde -- hamming up for the camera.

Saturday morning the four of us picked up Oliver & Mary Jo and we headed to Shipley's Donuts for breakfast:

Eating at Shipley's - they roll dough, cut the shapes of donuts and make them behind the window.

We headed to Los Fresnos and then south to Palo Alto Battlefield where there were some volunteers doing some reenacting of the weapons and equipment as well as battlefield dress.

Two US Soldiers showing stance at a double line holding their guns with bayonet to hold line.  They said the soldiers were lined up elbow to elbow and would load and fire on command, taking some time with the cleaning, loading, tamping and firing with the flint.

Mounted US Ranger on the left and Mexican Lancer on the right.

Canon and 3 of the 6 man crew.

Showing the flint and firing area of musket.

Mexican and US Soldiers firing Muskets.

Firing the 6# canon (blanks)

We went from there to Port Isabel and stopped at Dirty Al's Pelican Station restaurant.

Lynn & Phyllis Miles

Mary Jo & Oliver Herzberg

Al & Carolyn Ruhde

From there we headed over to South Padre Island and went to Beach Access #11 and spent a few hours on the beach.

Carolyn wasn't quite hysterical when the birds dived in to grab the cracker.

Al held the cracker for bird to grab it.

The Birds are Coming, the Birds are Coming.

Al & Carolyn Ruhde, Mary Jo & Oliver Herzberg, Phyllis & Lynn Miles - Gulf of Mexico behind us.

Carolyn made acquaintance with couple next to us with a couple young kids, who turned out to be from Creston, IA.  She took the photo above of the 6 of us.  Several vans of college kids came to the beach in swimming suits - again, Carolyn determined they were from Pella, IA working in the Valley on a mission and this was their one day break.  They played in the water even though it was a little cold.

This picture of Carolyn shooting birds shows some of the college kids in the background.  We stopped a bit at Bobz World on the way back after a refreshing stop at the Dairy Queen.

This morning we attended church at the Rec Hall (Phyllis & I sang with the choir) and then we and Al & Carolyn went over to the flea market at Don-Wes where it was in the upper 70's but windy as the dickens with a lot of dust rolling around.  When home we put some steaks on the grill and ate a late lunch and have been loafing this afternoon.  Plan on going to the Rec Hall at 6:30 pm where we will listen to announcements, eat ice cream, and then watch the Jim Sager Show.
Till next time, Lynn