Turkey Head & Flooding updates

A couple of updates on things. My SIL Diane did get a call from Butterball regarding the turkey head (see previous blog). Candace (their granddaughter) emailed a picture along with the product code to Butterball and the company person thanked her for the email along with the code number. Of course they were very apologetic and offered to reimburse them the cost of the bird. They did mentioned that they wish they could have gotten the head and Diane said she still had it in the freezer. Now I have no idea why Diane would keep a turkey head in her freezer but some things you just don't question. Anyway I guess they are sending a special box to her and even having someone come and get the box. I'm thinking someone - someplace- won't be happy campers.

The other thing was a picture I said I'd post. We took a bike ride yesterday back in the State Park and I remembered my camera. I was hoping we would see the bobcat and her two babies but I did take one of Larry pointing to the water mark on the tree from the flooding this summer.
We stopped at the Park Office on the way into the park. The ranger there said they aren't sure when they would be able to open more of the park. Still lots of work to do from the flooding. There were walking trails off the main road but those are so over grown and trees down that who knows when or if those will ever be cleared.

Sunday night we had one last turkey meal. A huge pot of soup. It was really good but it will be awhile before I'll even buy turkey sandwich meat.

Monday we did our three mile walk than the three mile bike ride. Just as we got back we spotted Mike/Pat McFall hooking up the car to their motorhome. They are heading for their place in AZ for the rest of the winter. Safe travels to them.

Today I rode along with Linda & Adel to get a hair cut. My appointment isn't until next Tuesday and boy do I need it. Seems like with this warm weather my hair grows like crazy. Once done there we made a trip up to Hobby Lobby so Linda could find some material for one of her crafts. Than of course you can't be out and about without stopping for lunch so we went to one of our favorite places, Sweet Temptations Cafe/Bakery. It's a cute little place that serves just breakfast and lunch is homemade soups and salads.

Another update on Mr Cricket. He's been very quiet since that last night when I blogged that we had another family member move in. Thought maybe he went home for the holidays and of course that would be in Mexico. But while sitting here typing I could hear him up in the bedroom. Some how he got from the TV cabinet back up in the air conditioner. I guess I'll have to put up with him until I figure some way of getting rid of him - - - Lysol spray, nope gives Larry headache - Pledge, nope not strong enough - Air Freshener spray, nope gives me headache, Scrubbing Bubbles - bubbles in air conditioner, probably not a good idea. So guess I'll have to do more thinking on this.

Guess that's it for today. Till next time................................

A surprise I never want to see

Three mile walk in the morning and 3.5 mile bike ride in the afternoon. I'm thinking I might feel a few sore muscles tomorrow but with all the rich food these last couple of days I think we should have done twice that much.

While Larry watched the MSU Game I went over to Sue's to help with the cutting up of veggies for our Turkey Soup dinner tomorrow night. Than that is it - no more turkey.

I do have one more turkey picture to share with you. Bob & Diane (DB & SIL) were having thanksgiving dinner today with their family. Diane was in the kitchen getting Old Tom ready to go in the oven. Unfortunately there was more to Old Tom than most of us (thankfully) don't see.

I can just hear Diane when she pulled this thing out.



Guess the old saying "having your head up your butt" applies to even Old Tom.
Bet you'll never just stick your hand in without looking, I know I won't.

We didn't get the frost last night but it was still in the 30's so I pulled two more blankets out of the closet. But today the sun was out, no wind and it did get up in the high 60's. It's either that or

THIS
Taken at Bob & Dianes place this morning.

Guess that's it for tonight. Till next time....................................

Thanksgiving 2010

Dinner yesterday was wonderful but like most of you out there we ate too much. David and Sue McCarron opened their brand new home for us to have our Thanksgiving Dinner.

Sue wanted to try out her big oven so she was in charge of two of the turkeys.
And Jim Brumfield did a deep fried turkey.

Dale Bruss made a beautiful ham but I didn't get a picture of that.

But here is our part of our Retama Family
Tonight we always have our 2nd gathering for left over night. Doug and Jutta were able to join us and she got a picture of the group.

We really miss our family back home and would do anything to have them all down here with us but if we can't be with them we couldn't ask for better friends to spend the day with.

OK, I've bragged about the warm temperatures here and knew it couldn't last but wasn't expecting such a dramatic change. For the last week it was in the mid 90's and tonight we have a frost warning. BUT don't worry about us, by Sunday it's suppose to be back around 80.

Guess that's it for tonight. Till next time.............................

Gobble Gobble to You

To all our family and friends that are in all parts of this country. May you have a wonderful day with the ones you are sharing it with.

Hot Days & The Cricket War

Pretty quiet and uneventful around here the last couple of days. Sunday night I had one of those wide awake at 1AM and finally gave up and got up at 4am. Boy I hate those nights. I think I figured it out and I had a can of root beer that evening. I finally started feeling tired and stretched out on the couch, about that time Larry got up so for about a hour it was one of those half in half out sleeps. We did go for a short walk but it was just to warm (yes I said to warm) to go very far. Heat index has been in mid 90's and really windy so it's not a very enjoyable walk. We have two more days of this than a cold front Thursday night with a high in the 60's on Friday. Space heaters coming back out. I do watch the weather back home and saw they had some nasty storms last night. The highs in the 60's than today 30's. I'll keep my 90's.

This morning we took off early and went to Walmart to get the groceries I need for Thursday. It wasn't very busy there so we were in - out and home by 9am. The rest of the day was pretty much like yesterday. The only exciting (if you can call it that) thing that happened was Larry called me outside to see a Walking Stick. So of course I had to get the camera. We've had a cricket up in the air conditioner in our bedroom. He's been driving me crazy for the last week, wouldn't make a peep until after I got in bed and just starting to fall asleep. I tried everything, turned the air on (this is when we didn't need it) hoping this would blow his brains out -nope didn't work - banged on the air conditioner - nope that either - got the Febreze out, turned the air on and gassed him - YES I thought I'd won - nope it must of only stunned his cricket thingie. (Note to self - do not use that much Febreze when planning on staying in the same room for longer than 2 minutes.) But than I didn't hear him the next night so thought maybe it was just a delayed reaction and the Febreze did him in. The following night I kept hearing something weird and every time I'd asked Larry if he head that he'd just bury his head farther under the covers and I think he mumbled some thing like - Don't - no -Febreze. It was a weird sound and just couldn't figure it out. Later I was laying there reading my book and I felt something on my foot. You've never seen a person jump and slam a book down on a bed so fast. Of course between my jumping up (and possible the scream) Larry was wide awake. I wouldn't let him (Larry not the cricket) move the book until I was out of that room. Now I'm thinking that the Febreze did fry his cricket thingie and the noise I was hearing was him (cricket not Larry) trying to sneak up on me to get even. Of course the rest of the night was pretty much spent listening for noises just in case this guy had called in family members.

It's been several days now and I was thinking every thing was good - until night before last. He's back--- only this time he's on the shelf where the TV is. I keep extra sheets on that shelf and there was no way I'm looking for him. But let me tell you I'm getting really good at reading in bed with only having two fingers and my nose outside the covers.

Guess that's it for tonight. Hope you all are having a quiet night.
Till next time.......................................

Home Idea - Anniversary Party

Saturday morning we skipped our walk. Larry needed to go back to Lowe's to return something that he ordered and it was waiting for him there. He was pretty sure the item wasn't the same one he ordered and he was right. We always wander around looking at house things and we may have found the tile for the back splash in the kitchen. Of course this is subject to change if we find something else we like more but I have a feeling we won't. The plan is to wains-coat (already purchased) the eating area at the end of the kitchen painting that with one of the darker greens and than paint above with a lighter green. I've already found a kitchen table at a little shop in our home town and I will paint that. Thinking maybe a cream color or a pale green or maybe yellow to add something different. Maybe my friend Dale will help me on that as she was in interior decorating in her BR (before retirement) life.

After we left Lowe's we stopped at Target than on to home as the MSU Game was going to start shortly. Between that and the other games that pretty much took care of the afternoon until happy hour at Dale & Mark's place.

Today we went for our walk through the subdivision down from us. It was already starting to get warm even tho it was only 8am. Didn't do much, we had a 50th anniversary party this afternoon so I fixed some sausage balls to put on the tray with shrimp, cukes, and olives.

Here is the Happy Couple - Gary and Marilynn Orthober

Their anniversary is actually Oct. 1st and they had a big party with family back home in Door County WI but they also wanted to share this special day with their Retama Family so they had another celebration with us. We couldn't ask for any better special friends.

So another weekend is over. Need to check on what I need to get for turkey day so I can hit the grocery store really early in the morning. Till next time......................................

Trip to Flea Market

Friday we went for our walk down the levee in the opposite direction. We stopped and talked with a County worker who was working on the road and he was telling us they were going to be putting a flood gate on the road between the two levee's. This is about six feet lower and I guess with the flooding last summer this area (only road that goes into the State Park) was the only spot where water crossed. Should be interesting to watch this and hopefully they have it completed before the next 100 year flood.

As I said we walked west on the levee to a area that we've never gone. I've been a little concerned about going this way, there is no road and the border patrol are the only ones that drive along there. Plus not far from there seems to be where the helicopters hover looking for illegals. But we walked about a mile and a half down and it was nice. State park on one side and fields on the other that didn't have anything planted - ground was worked up so something is going in there.

When we got back we decided to drive over to the Don West Flea Market which is about a half hour from here. It's one of the biggest ones around but wouldn't you know we picked one of the days they are closed. Gee sh - like I'll be able to get Larry down there again this year. The fruit market across the street was open so we did go there. Got a whole pineapple ($3), seedless watermelon ($2) and some 4 cukes ($1).

We did drive down to a couple of stores just on the US side at Mexico. Thought about going over to Mexico but it was already after noon so we'll go there next week sometime. Larry found the bath tub he wants, it's a hand beaten copper tub with a price tag of $3800.00 - ah don't think so.

Stopped on the way home in Hidalgo for lunch. Nice little Mexican cafe but the young girl didn't speak much English. Hidalgo has a unbelievable Festival of Lights in Dec., we went down there a couple of years ago and the whole town gets into decorating. I believe they start putting the lights up the first of Oct. The only bad thing about this town is it's right on the River across from Reynosa. Yes this is the Mexican town that has had so much violence. Not sure what the turn out will be this year on their xmas tour, not sure I'd want to be in that area after dark.

I was going to fill you in on what our day was like today (Saturday) but this blog is long enough. So you will have to come back tomorrow. Currently 74 degrees at 9pm, loving it. One more thing - need to say Happy Birthday to my big brother Bob Bishop and also to my sister in law Gail Moore. Hope you both had a great day. Till next time........................