Back Home In Illinois

May 17, 2017w2bergen 2 Comments

We are back home for a short time. We’ll be here around 3 weeks total. Its good to see the kids again. We left Harlingen on Saturday afternoon and arrived Monday afternoon. The goal was to make it to Scott and Brandy’s bar for tacos. They serve them only on Mondays 5-7.

They are deep fried, something you can’t get in Texas. Must be a northern thing. Brandy puts in the meat filling, inserts toothpick. Drop them in the fryer and immetiately open and put in lettuce, onions and tomatoes after frying…..mmmmm…..Saturday morning I had an employees meeting before we left. I work at the Cinemark 10, 2 days a week on the weekends in the box office. I, of course am the oldest. Most are all kids or young adults. It was rather interesting. The General Manager of the theater held the meeting. The purpose of course is to update all employees on new programs coming up for the summer, as well as safety issues, fire drill procedures, and many at risk situations. But the think I find most interesting is the general manager is so good with these kids. He is firm with rules, but he also builds them up, trying to get them to strive for the very best in life. He demands respect and yet have fun at the same time. One of the managers, Miss Ramos, has been taking the steps to climb the ladder in the company. She has just taken a test and achieved a fabulous score. The General Manager announced that she was 4th in the nation and is now titled “Assistant General Manager” Everyone is called Miss or Mr. In fact, this is something I have noticed here in the Rio Grande Valley. Their is respect everywhere from little kids to Seniors. You can be in a grocery store or on the phone, and everyone says, “Thank You Maam”……It is something that is taught from childhood on and still continues. As soon as I came back home we finished packing.

This little guy was hanging around on the awning. There are zillions of these everywhere. Kinda cute……It was so hot……Sweat was just pouring off Rich. Finally we took off and had a rather uneventful trip home……but that’s good…

Kitty enjoyed the ride as usual, sleeping most of the time. He would of course also sit on his foot stool by his dad and paw at him. He always wants Rich to pet him while driving.

Finally crossing the Mississippi we made it into Illinois. We seen some floods coming across Arkansas. They were really hit bad on the White River. The Mississippi was up but nothing out of the ordinary. Its been so much worse.

Brandy behind bar

We arrived in McNabb and parked at “One Pawz Pub”. Brandy was working, Scott showed up about a half hour later, from driving truck. This was the first time we had seen the new progress on the bar. Scott reconstructed a new bar and put stripe designs in it and covered it with epoxy. This is not a good picture but it is beautiful.

Patio area….it was getting dark

He has also finished his patio out back. He made all his own bars and bar stools and painted them different bright colors. He also made 3 octagon picnic tables and put down grass turf. They have a Harley Davidson Bag game in the area you can’t see. He is striving to gain a lot of bikers this summer on their poker runs.

Tammy, Cassidy and Carly came for Tacos. Also her boyfriend Bryan and son. Ed, Tinas Husband showed up with Austin. Tina was at a softball game with Miley. Finally Cameron came in. He was working…….”What a Nice Sound”…..lol….This past year, Cameron has made “HUGE STEPS” in his life. He accomplished his GED, then went to Truck Driving School, obtained his CDL, and now has a seasonal job at AG Service. He drives the chemicals out to the fields for the farmers as they plant. He loves it. He also has a truck driving job coming up after the season is over. It will be a roller coaster for him as he is only going to be 19 in June. Lots of companies can’t or don’t want to hire him because of insurance. When he is 21 it will get better…..Just have to stay positive….Finally Connie, Richs youngest sister came and Brian. We had a nice visit eating Tacos. Finally drove to the house a block away before dark, parked and settled in.

Now time for a “Randy update”. Randy has been in New Orleans and Galveston having a Grand time. He went to a museum to check out and learn about alligators and turtles.

Look at Randy’s COOL NEW PANTS

He’s been to many resturants checking out the hot sauces and peppers…..lol

But he decided to eat Brownies instead…..Guess he knew it would tear up his stomach.

So now Randy and his parents are all packed up. They are heading on their way to Maryland. Their having such a good time seeing the sites….

Cant wait till we see where Randy’s Adventures take him next…..

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Randy and his Mom in Galveston La.

The Last Days With Friends…..Randy is Traveling….

April 24, 2017w2bergen Leave a comment

The Park is almost empty of all the Winter Texans. We’ve had a few more head north. On Sunday we went to the Island with Cathy and Bud and Ann, Cathy’s sister. Ann flew down from Canada to spend the last week with them. They are all leaving Wednesday. We ate at Dirty Al’s, at the Pelican Station in Port Isabel.

It sits right on the Lagoon near the bridge that goes to South Padre Island. It has a beautiful view through the windows of the bridge.

You can also see the Dolphin Watching tour boats that are right down the street. Sometimes you can even see the Dolphins from here swimming and jumping in the water.

After we eat a wonderful dinner we decided to ask for Dessert…..Oh How SINFULLY Delicious it was.

The waiter and waitress were so nice, the took our pictures and had fun with us. Just look at those yummy desserts. Key Lime Pie, Cheesecake, Pecan Pie with Ice Cream and chocolate syrup……Yes, We Left Full…..

Last Friday we took a trip to Progresso which was also Cathy and Buds last for the season. We walked around the streets and through some of the shops. Bought some meds….(cheap)….eat dinner and stopped at Ponchos for a drink. This girl is always on the streets trying to sell her jewelry. She doesn’t speak English and is slow. But she knows how to sell. She know all the regulars and always hangs around. Her name is Judy, although its spelled different in Spanish. She calls Cathy and Bud her Mommy and Poppy. But she also calls Glen her Poppy….I think she must call everyone that. Last year, she hung around and wanted to carry my Piñata all the way to the border bridge. Several of us gave her money and she was happy, but she still hangs around till you leave. The last 2 times we have driven across now. No more walking across the bridge. But they get you for parking. They find you a place and want money for watching your car. You can also get a hand wash and wax for around $12. It is a Good Deal.

We had some fun trying on hats…..They always say…..”What you want Lady? It almost Free” ……So another 2 days and they will leave for Canada.

I also want to report on Randy the Reindeer….Remember him from Christmas?….Randy decided to head to Maryland with his Eastgate Parents Alice and Tom. He has never met his family so he is heading east….He will proudly ride on the dash in his chair and see the sites of this great America. You realize he has only seen it at nite with Santa, helping to pull the sleigh on Christmas Eve. So this will be a GREAT EXPERIENCE for him. We’ve had our first report from him.

He went out shopping to buy appropriate Beach wear. He has new sunglasses, swim trunks, even flip flops on his feet. He has a visor on his head also to protect him. But he still has that Margarita glass in his hand…..I think his parents will help him control his drinking problem though. Alice and Tom are good people and they know what’s best for him……lol…

Here is a really cool picture of him on the Beach. They are at Galveston Island for April before they start heading north. So I will be reporting on Randy every time he reports in….. So I will close with several pictures of friends gone north…..Everyone goes North ya know…..We are the most southern point of the USA…….If you look at the map, you will see we are almost in line with KEY WEST FLORIDA

…..You just can’t go any further south…

……..”See You All Next Year”……

Our Ladies Style Show and Super Bowl

February 16, 2017February 19, 2017w2bergen 2 Comments

We just finished our 1st Style Show at the park with 3 different Awesome stores with 15 of our ladies modeling. I surely can’t show you all 15, but these were my favorites. These Ladies modeled from Lionels Western Wear in Weslaco. They wore their fashions from their head including jewelry, down to her shoes and boots. Such Beautiful and colorful items.

This all first started when I was invited to another park last year for their Ladies Fashion Show. Our friends from McNabb, Jan and Bob Shuster are at Paradise park. I attended with Jan and thought how beautiful it was, but thought Eastgate could never do anything like that, as we are so much smaller, and don’t have that kind of cash flow…..For that matter, nor could I…..I certainly don’t have the experience to know how to put together something so elegant as theirs. As an Event last year, we went to beautiful Villa De Cortez in Weslaco for lunch.

Sandra from Lionels Western Wear, which was one of the stores at Paradise Park, came and modeled several items. It was so much fun. After our lunch several of us went down the street to her store shopping. We were so Impressed. I talked with Sandra as how to do a style show at the Villa De Cortez. She said I should call her this past fall when we all arrived.

My Friend Cicily Mahoney

This fall, after we all arrived, I realized the Ladies Luncheon was having a hard time come up with entertainment. So I mentioned to Linda and Cheryl about the Fashion Show. They were so excited. So we contacted Sandra and set a date. Several weeks before, Linda and Cheryl made appointments at all 3 stores for fittings. We not only had Lionels Western Wear, also Wells of Weslaco and Bec’s of McAllen. Those 2 girls worked so hard transporting all 15 girls to 3 different stores for fittings. Each store had 5 ladies model 2 different outfits. The day of, The stores arrived and set up their close racks in Lila’s mobile trailer right next to the hall. That become the dressing rooms. Each store had 1 room for their 5 girls to change.

They were all so elegant and full of fun as they modeled. Nancy was demonstrating her imaginary gun concealed in the pocket built into her purse.

Pat was just so cool in her red flowing Poncho with black boots and her Cowboy hat.

Of course we had Frances looking so beautiful in a black and white top. Her outfit was from Bec’s in McAllen. All the ladies wore beautiful exquisite jewelry and shoes. Sandra’s store is full of gorgeous Jewelry. The show was just fabulous.

A huge Thank You to Linda and Cheryl for all their work and of course the ladies from the 3 stores that traveled to bring this fabulous show to our park…..Many of the ladies are planning fun shopping days.

The hall was decorated in bright bold colors. The girls made bright paper tissue flowers and suspended them from the ceiling. They purchased bright colored table clothes and bought flowers from Progresso Mexico as centers pieces. The luncheon tables were filled with so much awesome food. Everyone brought a dish to share…..

So See We Can Do a Style Show….It May Have Not Been Elegant as Some Are…..But

…….We Did It The Eastgate Way……

And we had a BLAST

It was so much fun and everyone so enjoyed it. So next event was Super Bowl. We left the flowers up in the ceiling, but I saved all the tables cloths for our Potato Bake next month. Finally the Super Bowl was decided. Falcons and Patriots. Red and Blue. My 2 favorite colors. This year was so much easier to plan. I wrote notes and saved grocery lists from last year. I have learned if you write a plan when you begin and a summary when your done of good things and recommendations for change, it is so much easier the following year. So it was much easier. The menu this year was Brisket, Lil Smokies, Shrimp, Nachos and Cheese, Crackers, sausage and cheese, Veggies and dip, Soda and half barrel of beer. We asked for everyone to bring a snack to share. Rich bought the briskets at Sams and found a new caterings service/bar that would smoke and season them. They were fabulous.

I found a cool looking inflatable ice tray for the table in the shape of a football stadium for the shrimp and veggies. During the season I’ve been collecting things for door prizes. I ended up with 25 items.

…..2 white boards with all the prizes listed….my placemats and centerpieces…..

Top prize from Joe Shannon was a Garmin Fitness Tracker bracelet. I had a fishing rod from Johnnys True Value, Yankee Candle for Quips and Quotes, and many many good gift certificates as well as other things. It was grand. Of course they went through not only the half barrel but another half of a half barrel. I made center pieces of footballs from brown paper and Megaphones in Red and Blue. It really looked nice.

………And What A Game…….I don’t understand football but I did watch the last half. It was sure an exciting game. I didn’t take to many pictures that night, as it was such a busy evening. We went up by noon to decorate and set up. By 8 pm my feet were dead. We left around 11 when the hall was finally cleaned up again

…..Back to Normal for another DAY…..

I will finish with a new picture of our pots in place in the Entrance of our Park. I coated them with couple of coats of concrete sealer in hopes it will protect the pots from the harsh summer months. The pots came from Progresso Mexico. Bought them and had a Mexican wheel them across the border, straight to the truck. He even put them in the back and put down cardboard for protection. All for $48 for both including a $10 tip. What a Deal……… So now the girls planted them with petunias, and they are

………BEAUTIFUL……..

Our Riverside Dreamer Cruise in Mission

January 16, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

Last year we rode this boat with Larry and Cici. They offer an hour ride and a 2 hour ride. I wanted to try this as a group activity but I was worried because it is almost an hour away. We always have to car pool. So I booked a cruise for afternoon from 1pm to 3pm. Hoping to get 25 so we could still go, I hung up the sign up sheet…..Would you believe, I filled the boat for 45 people. Put up another sign up sheet for standby. Over 50 signed up the 2nd time. Amazing. Never believed they would be all that excited. The cruise was $19. They have a nice restaurant with seating indoors or patio areas outside amongst the tropical settings of plants and patio areas. So last Tuesday we all met at the parking lot and made the drive to Mission to the Riverside Club on the Rio Grande River. It was a beautiful day. We all took our time and enjoyed ordering from the menu. Some ate inside and others outside.

Many of us ordered their good ole Midwestern tenderloin. It was only $8.99. Not a bad price. You can’t hardly find one done here so this was a real treat. It was huge, the size of the plate. Rich made a face on his. …..Ketchup and Mayo face…..

Finally we were all done. I paid for the tickets and handed out 45 boarding passes for our very own private cruise. We all went outside and wandered the grounds and lined up. The boat came in from its 1 hour cruise. Everyone debarked and we all boarded.

Usually the boat goes down river for the 1 hour cruise to the Anzalduas Dam and then back. The 2 hour cruise goes up river as far as it can go before turning around. Since this was our own cruise we were given the option to go down to the dam and then up river as far as we could go. So that is what we decided. We hadn’t been to the dam before. It was a nice ride.

We cruised up near the dam so we could see over. On the other side the captain said occasionally the water gets shallow enough that one can walk over to the other side.

The flood gates were huge. You can see how far up the gates can go to keep the water from flowing down river and flooding the low lands. Their was a lot of flooding and damage along the river back in 2010 when Hurricane Alex came inland. Also note the American and Mexican flag flying overhead. We turned around and went back past the Riverside Club up stream.

We passed Chimney Park boat ramp. You can see the police lookout up in the area. These are all over on the boarder areas, even at shopping malls and busy areas in the city’s. They have a great visual to watch for migrants or crime. You can also see all the border patrol trucks parked.

Right past the ramp is the actual Chimney Park Rv Resort and the Chimney of the original lift station that was started in 1907. The brick was made by hand in the small town of Madero not to far away. They chimney is 106 ft tall, and 6 ft in diameter. The boilers were started in 1907, and the lift station started pumping water for irrigation. The station was used for irrigation until 1952-53 droughts. After that Falcon and Anzalduas Dams were constructed and the pump wasn’t needed anymore. In the 1960’s it opened as a fishing area and eventually became the Chimney Park Resort.

We passed one area on the Mexican side which was a resort. They had sheep grazing on the grounds.

On down the river was beautiful home with an Infinity Pool out front. Just Beautiful. All this area right now is deserted as its off season. I would love to see these areas in the summer. On the Mexican side we passed several resorts. Some were classy with boat docks and beautiful buildings with large ground areas. One was damaged in Hurricane Alex in 2010, and has never really been rebuilt. On the American side it, other than Chimney Rock, it was mainly Sugar Cane fields. Bentsen State Park also boarders on the Rio Grande as well as The Butterfly Gardens by Mission Tx. .

We also seen the Border Patrol speed by…..and then another one….Along the river, we also seen the Border Conservation Police tied up on the American side. Eventually after an absolutely beautiful day, we turned back. The Captain told us many facts on his PA system as we rode. Also mentioned that a wall would take 40 years to build partly because of land that would have to be take by imminent domain. Its true. There is so many homes and business all over the banks of the Rio Grande River. Also the sugar cane fields go all the way the the Rio……

So I guess Time Will Tell……What Will Trump Do…….

So back to the dock and we all headed home after a gorgeous day on the river. While I was their I booked a 3rd trip. We’ll see how this goes. I’m collecting money right now for our next one on Feb 9th. Already have 20 paid. Will stop at 40 and start collecting for the 3rd trip on Feb 23. Who would have ever thought. I was only hoping for at least 25 so we could send out the boat…..

So tomorrow I have Segway in Bentsen State Park. This will be an awesome ride. I’ve never been their before. Again this is a park event. Wednesday nite, Us, Cici and Larry, Alice and Tom are all going to see the Oak Ridge Boys. Now that will be a fun evening. Busy days ahead. Oh gees, that means we eat out AGAIN…..lol

Happy New Year! Where Did Dec. Go

January 4, 2017January 4, 2017w2bergen 2 Comments

December is almost over, in fact it might be after I get this posted….lol…We’ve done so much in the park already. The park is almost full. Some have driven or flew home for the holidays, including Canadians. They are starting to return now. After January 1st, they will all be back. The ones who don’t come till after the holidays will probably all come by next week. We’ve been ……BUSY BUSY BUSY…..We scheduled a Downtown Historical Jackson Street walk.

It was a beautiful day. Harlingen offers this tour every Saturday to the public free of charge. Over 20 murals to see, and so much history. We did this as an Eastgate tour. Its so nice for everyone to be together. Lunch after of course.

Racheal from SegValley Tours came for Coffee and Donuts and brought one Segway. After her demonstration, she invited everyone to try it out in the parking lot.

Margene who is 84 and her daughter Kathlynn, and Rachael, owner of SegValley Tours

So much fun was had by all. This was their chance to fulfill their bucket list. Next we had our Annual Golf Cart Christmas Parade and after was Ice Cream and Singing Carols.

The carts were all decked out in Christmas lights and decorations. A group of ladys walked ahead of the carts dressed as the Reindeer and sang Christmas Carols. They traveled all over the park ending at the hall for the rest of the party. Of Course Santa was their too….

We had our Christmas Dinner, with platters of ham and everyone bringing a dish or two to serve at their table. Also the table decorating contest.

They all out did themselves this year. The tables were beautiful, from fun and festive, to beautiful and elegant. This was the first place winner. Great group of people who put so much effort into their Gingerbread Truck and Camper. The hill was also lite up with lights. Awesome Job.

Rich’s brother John came down from Illinois to be with his daughter and family from New Braunfels Tx. Its about 5 or 6 hours away. They met down on South Padre Island for Christmas. We went down the following day and spent the nite. Misty, Mark and the kids had a great time on the beach.

They enjoyed fishing on the jetty. The fog was pretty thick that morning.

You could see it just come in and blow through the island. It was hanging pretty low. This was an awesome picture of the fog covering the lower part of the hotel. The top part just appeared out of the fog like a ghost.

Also the Pirate Ship cruise went by. It was rather spooky too with the fog that was present. They offer games and pirates fighting. A very authentic feeling of a pirate ship. After Mistys family went back home, John and Glenda came by and spent 2 nites. We took them to Progresso Mexico for their first time every.

They had a great time. It is quite an experience for anyone. We sat down at the Red Panty Bar on the tables on the street.

Ordered a few drinks and Glenda took it all in. Street musicians playing drums and trumpet as well as a man playing guitar behind us.

Now this is what every women loves including me of course…lol…..Shopping for jewelry from the street vendors.

Now this was in a store for sale. Beautiful isn’t it. The price on it is $250. I love it. Now if I had a house, …..lol….and a little extra money, I would certainly remodel my bathroom around this toilet. They also have sinks…..lol.. The following day we went to the 77 Flea Mkt. It is so big you can’t see it all in one day.

Rich did find a new pal. This is for Scott and Brandy at the bar. Were not sure if its a “Sally or Sam”….lol….Scott already has “Bones and Trixie”, so this will be a nice addition to the family. We spent New Years Eve with a group of friends.

We spent the nite with a fire pit and Tom smoked a brisket…..At midnite the fireworks in town were huge. They went off in all directions. The next day we heard a lot of people woke up because of all the noise. Happy 2017

Some of the lights of our park. This is 2 Mesquite Trees. The owners have them decorated so beautifully. They are near the entrance and give the park a great impression when you pull in…..

This camper is in the RV section. It is beautiful and complete with music as you drive by.

“Happy New Year 2017”

……May it be everything You Want it to Be…..

Randy Reindeer Came to Eastgate

December 29, 2016December 31, 2016w2bergen 1 Comment

Santa sent Randy to Eastgate as a back up for Christmas Eve if any of the reindeer got tired……Or the Story goes…..lol

The very end of November Alice and Tom came to me with this really cool idea. “Lets have a Scavenger Hunt. They had this cute little reindeer that we named Randy and we decided on this story.

So Alice and Tom would hid him in the evening and text me the clue. In the morning I would post the clue in both halls and on FaceBook. Someone would find Randy and bring him to me and get an entry into the drawing on Christmas Day. Everyone started getting a kick out of Randy. He would hide in flower carts, peek out tree branches all through the park. Several weeks back Randy was taken to Port Mansfield which is over an hour away. They have lots of deer that are very tame. They come right up to your car.

The group that took him said that Randy wanted to meet his family. Then they all went bar hopping. The funny thing was, Alice and Tom were part of the group. Nobody knew they were hiding him. lol. They played the game well.

So Randy started to drink. He made new friends and I think sucked down beer, Margaritas, and who knows what all. He was a Very Bad Reindeer. I didn’t know where he was until the group was posting these pictures on Eastgate FB site.

I knew Randy was going to come home with a BAD BAD Hangover. Finally he came home. He rested up a bit and later he was dressed up in a new Hat. He decided to get out his inner tube and throw it in the hot tub. He wanted to rest up and wake up in the morning floating in the sunshine. The Clue for the morning was …….

Fun in the Sun before the busy week ahead…..

But poor Randy, he didn’t realize a bad storm came up about 4 in the morning. It rained and the wind blew hard. In the morning, I had went up to post the clue and I got a mysterious text. …… Randy was found in the water, his tube had capsized overnite……. But he was safe, just water logged. lol. I had to towel dry him and use the blow dryer on him. I feed him soup and tucked him in bed for the rest of the day. So Randy hid again that nite…….Clue….”Randy has to check out a line for messages. He will be sending out Daily Messages to Santa this week”….lol…So where do you suppose he was this time? He was by a Direct Tv Satellite. After several days, Randy decided he wanted to go to Mexico.

He hid on the window of our neighbors, Glen and Kathy. So this time Randy dressed up in his Santa hat, a red coat with fur and a snowflake on the front. He also had a glass in his hand…..He had a sign….’Help!!! I need a Margarita”…..Now I think he’s turning into an Alcoholic. So he went to Mexico with Kathy and Glen, Dawn and Rob, their son and girlfriend, who just came and Rich. Now Rich was designated driver for Kathy and Glen, and Randy also.

He had his passport and climbed in their back pack.

He went through the turnstiles and entered Mexico.

It all went down hill from then. He found the hard liqueur.

And the worst part was all of his chaperones didn’t stop him. He even sang with Mexican band and they did a Hat Dance with him in the center of the floor in the hat.

He was such a mess. When I didn’t hear from him by late afternoon, I knew he was …..”WASTED”…..They finally got him home around 8:30 that nite. Rich was fine…But then their was ….”Glenn”….He had a good time. But he probably doesn’t remember. So Randy took the nite off cause of a hangover. He stayed in bed most of the next day. The last days Randy was good and hid every nite, entertaining all of us. Christmas morning Pastor Squire even invited him to church. Pastor gave him a front row seat and announced they had a visitor for the services. We all hoped he would listen to the sermon and see the error of his ways. Later that day was our Christmas Dinner. He sat proudly in front on the stage and helped us pick our ……Winner of the contest……..

…..Ursula Randall…..She was presented with a Gift Certificate at a local Mexican Restaurant and Reindeer Ears. lol….We then announced our wonderful Owners of Randy and who had been hiding him all this time. No one ever suspected Alice and Tom. Every nite they would ride around waiting for people to go to bed so they could hid him. Kudos to them for doing this for almost 24 days. They only took several days off when they got sick with the Texas Crud….lol…The Park had so much fun. Some were waiting everyday to see the clue. Some enjoyed just reading about him and laughing and trying to figure where he could be. Never the less, Randy made a HUGE difference in the park this year. Now will Randy come back next December?

It all depends on what Santa decides. He never used him for Christmas Eve. So was it because he couldn’t trust him, or did he just not need him. We’ll never know. I did hear he was thinking of sending him to AA meetings. He might go to Rehab for the Summer. Randy had promised to stay in the Park, so he broke many rules. So for now Randy is sitting in the Activity Office in the Park. Just waiting for Santa’s decision…..

……………Poor Randy………..

………….''AND LET THE FUN BEGIN''……………..

Our Diaries of Daily Life and Travel

Eastgate RV Park

Back Home In Illinois

The Last Days With Friends…..Randy is Traveling….

Our Ladies Style Show and Super Bowl

Our Riverside Dreamer Cruise in Mission

Happy New Year! Where Did Dec. Go

Randy Reindeer Came to Eastgate

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