I’ve been away from this blog WAY, Way way …to long…..So What’s Happening here at Eastgate Rv & Mh  Park.    Our Winter Texan season began officially November 1.  It is also the beginning of our 5th season here at the park.  Wow, how time has flown.  Just imagine…..5 years since we left the regular work life of 9 to 5 and retired.  We left Illinois and arrived here our first season on Dec 1 2014.  I worked in the office and Rich in maintenance.  I now have been Event Coordinator….fancy name for Activity Director, …..lol…. since the winter season of November 2015….This is a busy but fun job.  I plan all the outside activities as well as keep the activities with in the park on a schedule.  Our first Holiday was Veterans Day.  We offer all the Vets free breakfasts.  Then we have a short program, and our 2 little girls that have been coming for 3 years, sing for us.  Launa 6, and Pearl 4, sing solos, and handed out a copy of a Veterans Poem.  This year they brought cupcakes for the Veterans.  They are so precious.  They usually sing God Bless America and Our National Anthem.

We also have had Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners, serving around 120 people.  The Wednesday before Christmas we hold a Golf Cart Christmas Parade.  Golf Carts are decorated up with lights and decorations.  Santa was on a float this year.  They parade around the park and even threw out candy.  They end up back at the hall and we have free ice cream and sit with Santa if the so desire….lol….A great evening of fun.

Also during the Christmas season, we enjoyed the Sam Houston Elementary School Choir.  Around 50 kids came and sang Christmas Carols.  Now it wouldn’t be Christmas with out Santa showing up.   The kids were really surprised.  Santa gave each one a bag with 2 cookies, 2 pencils, 2 erasers, and a chocolate as they filed back out to the bus.  Its so nice to see kids in the park….(sometimes….lol…).

But what Rich and I will have fun with this year is Entertainment.  We volunteered last year to take on Friday Night Entertainment.  We went to the 2 Showcases and picked out our Entertainers for this year.  We have to sign them to a contract for the date, time, ticket price, and Percent.  Our shows began the first Friday of December.

Our first performer was The Castaway.  Do you remember way back in the 60s?   The group was “The Castaways”,  they sang beach type music.  Their claim to fame was “Liar Liar”.   Well now it is just Dennis,  so he is just The Castaway.  lol.  But he is awesome.  He brings a Beach Hut Umbrella,  and has numerous drums including a steel kettle drum.  He also brought a fellow drummer along.  They did a FANTASTIC version of “WIPE OUT”.…I think we all know that one.  Ohhhhh could he play the drums along with his drummer.  Our next entertainer was Janelle.  She is from Rockport Tx, trying to break into the Valley.  She has a beautiful voice and could really sing.  We will now continue our Entertainers this Friday with the Nashville Recording Artist, “Lawless and Mae”  They have been voted favorite “Country Duo of the Year”.  It will be a really fun evening.

We also have our friends Ron and Theresa (Park Managers) help us.  Theresa and I take care of tickets sales, and Rich and Ron run the Concessions.  Theresa’s daughter has a T Shirt business, so Theresa designed these really cool shirts for us to wear.

Our good friends from Canada, Kathy and Glen have decided to sell everything and head back to Canada.  For the Canadians, it is very expensive for them to come down.  Their Health Insurance is free when they are in the country.  We they leave, they have to purchase it.  It can cost several thousands of dollars for each, for a winter season.  Glen and Kathy both some health issues so they decided it was best to sell their fifth wheel and maybe come back in several years in hopes that things were better.  They have been here for 4 years every winter season.  We were all neighbors.  They always had Happy Hours, not just at 4 pm but anytime of the day.  Needed a drink or company???  Go to Kathy and Glen.…They’ll fix you up.  Always good times on Kathy and Glens pad……We all went to Mexico for one last time.

Rich and them decided to get 1 last tattoo together.  So we all went down the narrow alley like hall to the Tattoo shop.  Glen picked a neat one.

It is really a good choice as Glen is full blooded Indian.

Now Kathy fell in love with the 2 Palm Trees making a heart.   My favorite though is the one on her upper arm….

Rich chose another Skeleton.  His has a lot of color in it.  They were fast.  We were probably only in their a little over an hour.  I don’t do tattoos…..I’m not a lover of pain.….lol….By then we were all hungry so we ate a Angels.  It is restaurant on the top floor of a building, right in the middle of Progresso Mexico.  They have a musician playing the keyboard for background music.

Looking out the window, we are around 4 stories up.  You can see the main street of town.  This is actually one of the main intersections.  It is always so congested.  Its a free for all on the streets.  You drive slowly as cars just pull out in front of you.  This is the line backed up to the bridge waiting to cross back over.  See all the little street vendors,….They are lined up on both sides of the main street.

This is looking towards the bridge over the Rio Grande River.  It is the official border of US and Mexico.  You can see the Mexican customs booths.  It was waiting in line traffic that day.  When we finally got in line, it was a 2 hour wait to get across the bridge to American Customs booth.  Obviously their is no worries here in Progresso about the Caravan.   Their is also no Mexican Military presence either.  Their are armed guards at the gates sometimes and a vehicle or 2 near the bridge, but no more than normal.   We seen more last year.  Occasionally several armed military Jeeps would drive down Main Street.  So far this year, none.

The only evidence we seen of tightening security is the gates they put up on the middle of the bridge.  Their are swing gates to close off the drive part of the bridge, and also swing gates under the canopy to close off the walkway of the bridge.  Nothing else……Business as usual…..We feel very safe here.  Even with all the hipe about safety, Cartel and the Caravan,  Progresso is still a safe town to cross over to shop.  We stay on the main street, and only drive around a block to turn around to come back.  The Americans are what makes the Economy of Progresso thrive.  The Winter Texans go over for Dentistry, and Pharmaceuticals.  Where else can you get a denture for $300-$500. The prices of their drugs are far less than in the Unites States.  You also need no prescription.  They also shop at all the many street vendors and stores for many interesting items that you can’t buy in the US.  But one of the Favorite things of the Winter Texans do is eat at their restaurants, listen to live entertainment and have a drink at a bar whether it is inside or street side.  It is such a different, fun atmosphere.  A whole different way of life.

We had one last fun nite with Kathy and Glen at Stefanos Italian Restaurant.  The were already attending Happy Hour all day that day when they decided to go out.

This is what happens when  you take them to a public place.  They found Santa’s Sleigh and Kathy beheaded Rudolph. …… lol…...You just can’t take them anywhere!!!!!   So finally Kathy and Glen were off, back to Canada after selling everything.  It was sad to see them go, but hopefully with time they will be back.  We will ALL MISS THE GOOD TIMES…..SO So so Many Memories have been made…..