Texas Gulf Trawling Shrimp Boil & Tour

February 23, 2016September 26, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

Monday Feb. 22, I had a car pool trip scheduled to Brownsville to the Texas Gulf Trawling Co. It’s about a half hour drive, located at the Port of Brownsville, which the mouth opens up to the Gulf of Mexico. This company is one of the largest Shrimp Company’s in the area, with 15 boats in their fleet. At the height of the business, they had around 30 boats. They fish for shrimp from the Rio Grande River in Mexico up to Louisiana. Where they fish is according to the season of the year. The boats leave with a crew of anywhere from 3 to 6, depending on peak season. The crew consists of a captain, header, and a rigger. Their is always just one captain of course, but more of the other 2. The headers job is to dehead the shrimp when they are brought aboard. He is also a cook. The riggers are dropping the nets and bringing them in. They are the lowest pay of the jobs. They are out in the gulf for min. of 30 days, but can be up to 60 days.When we first got their, we were taken to a metal building out by the basin. It was open to the water at the shore side. Their was 2 conveyors running from this building to a shrimp boat by the dock.

This is how the shrimp are unloaded from the boat. We were served coffee and cookies. Finally it began. The son told us the history of the business. It has always been family owned starting with his grandpa. In the 50’s they not only were building boats for others, but now built their own boats to go shrimping. At the peak year, they built 22 boats. They no longer build them. Their last boat was built in 2001. They no longer foresee building anymore as the shrimp industry in the US. is dwindling to 10 percent. The foreign markets are now flooding the stores with farm produced shrimp. Many of them contain antibiotics, growth hormones or animal byproducts. Texas Gold Shrimp are wild caught. The are caught in the deep Gulf and headed and immediately frozen to keep them fresh.

We were taken on the boat and the father continued with the tour. In the back of this picture, this boat had just come in while we were in the building. It had been out 33 days. They were now repairing and getting all their duties done. This also includes emptying their freezer before they could leave the boat. They were busy with nets and hosing of the decks. The father was full of info. He answered all the questions that were thrown at him. We seen the freezer which was in the hull. It was huge and a walk in freezer. The header came aboard and gave us a demonstration. He puts a shrimp in each hand and simply flicks the head off with each thumb. He must be extremely fast to keep up with the catch.

It is his job to dehead all the fish that is dropped on the deck as the nets are pulled up. The boat is equipped with 4 nets that are dragged on the bottom. Wooden doors on the nets, keep the mouths open as tickler chains drag the bottom and keep it stirred up, driving the shrimp into the nets. The nets are lifted every 45 mins or so to see if they are needed to dump on the deck for the header. The nets are dumped and immediately put back in the water and the header keeps deheading.

We were then allowed to walk through the cabin area…..What an Eye Opener……Not a Job for Me….

The Kitchen area….so so tiny…Their was just enough room to walk through.

The booth were they eat their meals…..Notice the edge on the table, so their food wouldn’t fall off.

Their were 2 bedrooms with bunks….The crew might have to take turns sleeping if their are more than 3.

Oh My ……the bathroom…..Rather disgusting….lol…

Then up the stairs to the captains helm.

The view from the windows…

Rich and another girl from the park, Pat in the cabin.

Nice soft seat….lol….Our neighbors Gayle and Marjo and one of the employees.

Finally time to go back in to our tables and get ready for a shrimp feed and contest….

They were preparing all the shrimp as we walked in.

The son showed us how to use a deveiner. You can devein the shrimp with out the tail or leave it on. Your Choice.

We had a contest and 2 of our girls competed against each other. Who could be fastest, Marilyn on the left or Terri on the right……Well Terri won. She LOVVVVES Shrimp. She won a free Deveiner.

Rich tried it also just to see how easy it was.

Finally it was time to try the shrimp……Well I don’t like it at Alllll……So Rich ate mine. Margo decided to try it even though she doesn’t like it…..lol

Look at that face…..hahaha….After we left, we stopped at McDonalds for me….lol…It was a very fun morning. We learned so much. Again I have only shared a portion of what we learned. They covered all about the market, what wild caught means versus farm raised, quality, and the processing of the shrimp that takes place in Port Isabel, which is only about 10 miles away. We also learned that this summer they will be refurbishing 2 of the boats, including the one we were on. The price tag is over $120,000 each. So much information.

Tour of the Marine Military Academy

February 20, 2016September 26, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

Out by the IWA Jima Monument is a private high school, the Marine Military Academy. It is a college preparatory boarding school for boys for grades 8-12 with a optional post graduate year. Since 1965, MMA is the only private school in the world, based on the values of the U. S. Marine Corp. Boys come from all over the world to attend and are turned into cadets who will reach their full potential in life. They offer a wonderful tour of the campus grounds and several buildings on campus. 20160209_095016

We arrived at the Museum to board our bus from the Academy.

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We were greeted by our guide. He was dressed in the Military uniform, and had a deep voice that carried through the bus. He was very friendly and full of so much information, that I know I forgot a lot. He is a retired Marine and is employed in admissions. He thinks of these boys as his. A very commendable quality.

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We boarded the bus, all 32 of us, and proceeded from the museum across the street to the gate.

Marine Military Academy Entrance

The gate was very impressive. Double gates had a large gold rifle mounted in the center. Black fencing surrounds the grounds and the lane is lined with palm trees. As we drove along, we passed the home of the head military person in charge. (forgot his rank)…As you can tell I have NO Military background. We approached the campus and we were in front of all the barracks.

The school at one time housed 500 cadets, but as a sign of the times it has a size of around 225 cadets now. Part of the reason is the cost. It cost $37,000 a school year to attend. Imagine that. The average attendance for a cadet to attend is 2 years. If a cadet attends all 4 to 5 years, he will most likely be guaranteed a spot at West Point or any elite Academy. He will surely be given scholarships for any college. This school had turned out many top notch people, doctors, lawyers, physicians, and even Generals. You are not expected to enlist in the Marines, you can still enlist in any branch of service if you choice too. 20160209_103051

We turned and stopped at the front of the Gymnasium.

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We entered the building.

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It was shiny clean modern gym. On the wall was the MMA Emblem.

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The pads under the basket ball hoop said “Fighting Leathernecks”. We were told why the Leathernecks. Long time ago the Marines would stand guard. Their collars were made of leather to help support their head while doing guard duty. Another reason, was during hand to hand combat, the leather collar would also protect their necks from decapitation….Wow….I would have never thought that…..rather gruesome….. Off the side of the gym, we entered a state of the art exercise room.

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The cadets spend much time here, and theirs always an adult in duty. They said otherwise the cadets would get so caught up in trying to get buff, they would probably injure themselves. lol. Boys love to build muscles. We boarded the bus again, and proceeded to the back 40. Back their was where they spent many hours doing all the things I would just shudder at. lol.

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This is where all the obstacle courses are, mud bogs, zip lines, buildings to repel off, and many other courses spread over the area. This was just like Boot Camp. Next stop was a Class room.

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We went into a Math Class. It was a small room, but it was constructed like theater seating. Their was only 3 rows, but each row was raised, so all students could achieve great visual and attention on the teacher. Back to the bus again. On the way he gave us some more info. This Academy is on the edge of the Harlingen Airport. The Airport was at one time a Military base. After it closed the MMA opened bordering the new Harlingen Airport that was formed. Many of the cadets also attend flight training classes. He said their are more students who have achieved their pilot license than have gotten their drivers license. The boys lead a very structured schedule. It is just like boot camp. Every hour is accounted for. It is full of studying time, and the time for sports and physical training. They have to earn time off. Their are no cars or bikes of any kind belonging to the cadets. A family with children lives in each barracks, so they have someone watching or someone to go to if needed. Also on all four corners of the campus, are where all the houses of the teachers, etc. are located. So they have a visual of all the barracks on all four sides at all times. It is all about discipline and learning and self respect……..On to the Cafeteria for lunch.

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We were able to eat the same meal the cadets eat for $10.

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We went through the line choosing our fruit, main dish, vegetable, dessert and drink. The cadets are not allowed any soda. That is something that is given for a reward…..I would never last…..lol….

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20160209_113232 We sat in the brightly decorated dinning Hall. It was full of natural lighting from the ceiling. We were waiting for the cadets to come in for dinner. They had finished their morning classes and were in their dorms getting ready for inspection were they would line up military style. We raided the ice cream cooler filled with fudge cycles, ice cream bars and sandwiches, and headed outside to the porch area. The cadets were lining up and getting ready to march in.

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Finally, they marched in…..Company by Company….

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Our guide has his son enrolled here. He is 16 and his dad was very proud to introduce him to us. Finally it was over. We boarded the bus and was taken back across the street to the IWA JIMA Museum.

Some of us went into the museum and some of the guys had earlier walked around the equipment that is on display. Some went over to the Monument for a walk.

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This tour was actually done several weeks ago. Last Friday was a Military Parade at the parade grounds in front of the Monument. My friends Cici, Larry and I went. It was so impressive. The cadets marched from the Academy across the street to the parade grounds. They went through the weapons inspection and all their other routines. The band played, as they did their routines.

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The last march they did was to march in front of us in the stadium seats, their commanding officers, and mostly important was the veterans of our past wars. They invited 2 surviving members, who fought at Iwa Jima to attend. The flag was flying half mast for the Ceremony……

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……..The Marine Military Creed…….

………And Most Impressive…..A Night Time View of the Iwa Jima Monument…….

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Tale of a New Frig & Winterfest

February 12, 2016March 27, 2020w2bergen Leave a comment

Last year, while we were here in Southern Texas, our 4 door frig that runs on propane or electric started having problems. It was toward the end of our stay here. We called an RV repair person, recommended by our friend. The electronic board was going out or the “mother board”. It would take a week or 2 to order and have it come in, so he offered to let us use a used one that he had and we would replace it this year. This summer, the door broke on the hinge. It was on the frig side, not the door. So we decided to just replace the whole fridge with a regular residential frig. Now keep in mind this frig has to go in and out the door or through a window. To come in the door it had to be under 29″ wide, with out the door, and the height could be no taller than 64″. The frig sits on top of the furnace. Sounds easy right?….lol… 4-dr-refrigerator So several Saturdays ago, we spent the day looking for a nice black frig that would fit. We went to Conns, here in town and checked. Found one fairly reasonable. We decided to ride down to Brownsville also to check out Best Buy. They had one also but not deliverable for several weeks. We went back to Conns. Now we were set to order it, but they were going to charge us $75 delivery charge as it was coming from McAllen. Even if they dropped it at the store, still the charge. That just set the price over the one in Brownsville. So we were discouraged, and home we went. Then the light went on….HOME DEPOT…..Now we knew that. lol….We went out and found one and ordered it. Now how hard was that. One week and it would be delivered FREE…..and less money than the others. So the following week Rich prepared the frig for take out. Several days before delivery, Rich took out all the food and pulled our frig out. We have another frig outside. Now their it sat in the Living room…. lol…It was almost to big to go out the door. So now for several days it sat their. He put his recliner in the middle of the floor, so he could see TV. lol.. 20160130_075136 Finally the nite before, Rich took off the screen and part of the main door assembly and we Pushed…..Pushed….Pulled….Pulled….Turn it a fraction….Pick it up, Let it down….and finally SHOVE IT OUT….It made it out the door. We did tear a piece of the dash, but it was out. We started measuring and got out the paper work….GUESS WHAT…It was ordered in white….grrrrrrrrr….we wanted black. We went back out to Home Depot. And YES we were right….It was coming in white. They told us that we had to refuse the delivery, and wait a day so it was returned to the warehouse. Then come in and reorder. So that is what we did. We reordered and had to wait another week for delivery. All this time now, we had no frig inside. Do you know how it feels to get up in the morning and not have anything cold to drink?…Everything was outside. Gees, you have to be dressed decent, just to go out the door. We have neighbors about 10 feet away. But we survived . 20160127_165508 In the meantime we went to “Winterfest” at Schlitterbahn Water Park, on South Padre Island. It is an all day music festival with different entertainers every 45 min.

20160127_151912 They were all the entertainers that come to the Rio Grande Valley for the winter entertainment at all the parks. They usually have a circuit and perform a different park almost every nite. Our entertainment in Eastgate , is on Friday nite. Many come from Branson Mo. Some are closer. Many are from RFD TV.Mario performed, early afternoon. We have seen him several times. He is from Branson. 20160127_124701 Another GREAT singer is John Sager, Also from Branson. He was a wonderful singer and full of energy. He is scheduled to come to our park next season. Also a guy named Greg ?…..Already forgot. 20160127_154816 He used to sing at the Play Boy Club years ago. He was an Elvis impersonator and some others. Once his voice was warmed up, he could really belt out a song. Very Powerful. The very last performance was the local High School. 20160127_163920 They had a Mariachi Band. These kids were so talented. They sang and played their traditional music. It was Awesome. It was a fun day, but it was cold. They moved it inside by the indoor water park at Schlitterbahn, but it was still a very chilly day. 20160127_121538 The best part was, all the gift shop items was 50% off…….Wow….That’s my price. I bought a Tie-dyed zipper sweatshirt for $12.50. 20160212_085153 Several visors for $2.50 each. Another pull over sweatshirt and Rich bought sweatpants and t-shirt, all for $10 each…..Great Day for bargains. The best part was, our tickets were complimentary, as I was given some to sell for the park, therefore mine were free. Some of the perks of this job.

Now all this week Rich has been working on the box that the frig would sit in. It was now to wide for the new frig, but would just barely fit the height. He took the side and made a narrow little pantry.

20160212_085246 He made shelves top to bottom and we have clear plastic containers that are wide enough for cans. Each one will slide out so we can see what is in the container. Now he just has to make a door for it. It will solve our can storage problem of them all jumbled together under the sink. Finally the big day came. We got the call. The frig was on the way. I had to go to the office, but that’s ok. I really didn’t want to be their. I knew it would be a very tight fit, and I wouldn’t be any help. I just knew their would be a few choice words said….lol….So our friend Ken came over. They took off the screen door again, and after some other adjustments they began. Rich said it was an extremely tight fit through to door. They pushed…pulled….brought it back out twice. They problem is, as the frig goes through the door, the dash comes out and you have to turn it to clear the dash. Finally after time, and some more small rips in the dash and a dent in the wood, it was in…..Now it had to fit in the new opening….Bingo….Fit like a Glove….Rich had to do some minor adjustments to the ceiling light, as the freezer door hit it, but it all worked out….I came home that day, Hoping it was in. I was worried that we might still have to take out a window to take it through…..I looked outside…..Nothing….No sign of the frig, or the box. Good Deal….It was In…and …It looks Marvelous, and 20160211_172435

IT SURE IS NICE HAVING DRINKS AND FOOD INSIDE AGAIN…..THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE….LOL…NOW TO CLEAN UP THE MESS…..

Villa De Cortez Luncheon and Tour….Fabulous

January 30, 2016September 26, 2017w2bergen Leave a comment

I scheduled a Tour of The Villa De Cortez in Weslaco last week. This is a Villa with a very rich history. They offer a wonderful luncheon menu and if you have 30 ladies present, they will also arrange a style show with several of the stores down town. Then you are also given a tour of the beautiful former hotel.

The elegant Cortez Hotel, of Spanish Colonial design, was the landmark on Main Street in Weslaco during the 30’s and 40’s. The hotel was diagonally across the street from the railroad station. The modern hotel of its time, was a home to several businesses and a favorite spot for entertainment, celebrations and various events. The three top floors each had 25 bedrooms with bathrooms. It is also rumored that Al Capone had stayed their. Eventually the hotel fell into a dilapidated state. Only a few business existed. In 1998, Patti and Larry Dittburner, decided to renovate this landmark and return it to its beauty of the past. After many months and some set backs the renovation was completed. The Villa now offers retail space on the 1st floor, consisting of a café, a barber shop, tuxedo rental, as well as a beautiful restaurant right off the courtyard. The 2nd floor offers a Spanish style décor ballroom, several bar areas, and elegant ballroom seating. It is used for Weddings, Celebrations, and Receptions. The menu is catered by the onsite catering business. The 3rd and 4th floors are offices and business spaces. The basement has been made into a special party room called, “The Wild Thing”. It actually consists of the whole basement. The Villa is decorated with many of the arts and momentos that the Dittburners collected in their travels around the world.

We all met at the South Hall, 38 of us, and carpooled the half hour drive to Weslaco. We ordered from their luncheon menu which consisted of soup, a sandwich plate with tea or coffee. Most of us had Chicken Salad Croissant, with chips. I was delicious, and only $9. While we were eating, Sandy, the owner of Lionels’ Western wear came in with another lady and modeled some clothing. Their clothing was very stylish and fun. We then was given the tour of the building. It was so amazing.

We took the elevator to the second floor. This is the entrance on the second floor from the 2nd floor parking garage. Beautiful wrought iron gates, grape ivy and lights hanging from the ceiling.

We walked through the elegant dining area to the ballroom.

This is the view from the dance floor into the dinning area. It has beautiful white drapes hung over the arches of brick and white banisters.

The dance floor is several steps lower, and has 2 huge glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Here is a close up of the chandelier. Notice the wire in the center of the glass arms supporting the glass structure, with its many hanging glass crystals.

Another Chandelier in the Dinning Area.

Here is the main Staircase from the Main Floor.

This is the Staircase from the 2nd floor dinning room.

Many of the pillars were made to look like book shelves loaded with books. They were really faux. If you looked closely, it even looked like worn areas on the books. Amazing….They were like this on all four sides.

This is a cozy sitting area on the way to one of the Bar Rooms. Now on through the French doors on the right of the picture to one of the bars.

This was so elegant. The base was made with carved wood.

Now when we turned around, here was another room.

It was a much smaller wine room. The waiter was ready to take your order….lol…

Of course I had to add the elegant powder room. Finally, we took the elevator to the Basement……..WOW……Another Party Area……

The Entrance to …….The Wild Thing”……

The Dinning Area

The Dance Floor

The Spiral Stairway to the Main Floor

After an Amazing Tour, we thanked the Guide and planned to do this again next year. This was an amazing Villa. It was so amazing to see all the things that the Dittburners have collected and worked into the theme of the design. The rooms are filled with elegance and reflect the beautiful history of the past. What a wonderful job they have done. Weslaco has the honor of hosting a beautiful Historical Landmark in their city. We left through the court yard, and walked down the street to check out the store that did the modeling. Lionels’ is a Western store for men, and a beautiful line of clothes for women. They carry boots, purses, shoes and any kind of beautiful jewelry you can imagine. Many turquoise pieces.

But, What did I try on????? Cici and I tried on Hats…….””””BLING”””

THE END OF A WONDERFUL DAY……..

The Trip To Illinois to Take the Kids Home….

January 19, 2016June 2, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

The time had come to take the kids home. It sure did go fast, but I think they were ready. I just wish the weather had been better and Rich was not sick the first few days. I bought Amtrak tickets for the three of us. We would leave from San Antonio on Saturday and arrive in Bloomington on Sunday. I would then return on the train on Wed, arrive San Antonio late Thursday, stay in the motel and head home in the truck on Friday. Their first day back at school after the holidays was Monday. While they were down here, their had been lots of rain in Missouri. I received an E mail several days before, that we would be taken off the train at Little Rock Arkansas and bussed to St. Louis and then return to the train for the rest of the trip. We left in plenty of time Friday, for San Antonio so that we could arrive during the daylight, find a parking spot for the 6 days the truck would be their, and a motel for the night. Our train left at 7 am. Cameron let me drive until we got past the Border Patrol check points. All the major roads have check points on them.

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Their are illegals from Mexico being caught all the time. Once we were past that, Cameron drove the rest of the way. He loves to drive, and he is a good driver, even in the city and on the interstates. He’s really had a lot of practice on this trip. He drove through Houston and now also San Antonio. When we got their, we went down by the Amtrak station.

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It is located next to the sports center, the AlamoDome. home of the San Antonio Spurs.They were having something special going on. Their were white tents set up all over the parking lots and park areas. The hotels were full. No parking decks to be found. We finally found a Travelodge that would let me keep the truck their for the 6 days, as long as I booked the room that night and on my return. So that is what we did. We went and eat out at a Popeye’s Chicken restaurant, and headed back and went to bed prepared for our early morning wake up. We had called a cab that took us to the early morning train and ready to board for our 27 hour ride.

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I took this from the internet, but this is what we seen near the entrance to Sunset Station. The old time locomotive was all decorated in lights for Christmas. So Festive. Alamodome tower lights in the background.

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Cassidy was rather excited as this was the first time on a train. Cameron had went with us to New Mexico before, so he knew what to expect. They are fun. If you’ve never been on a train, you must take a trip sometime. I find it to be so relaxing. Comfortable seats, plug ins for your electric toys. A nice glass observation car and a café down below, full of snacks and drinks, even alcohol. Then their is a diner car that serves full meals. Of course it is all high priced. If you want to go first class, you can also buy a bunk in the sleeper car. We always do the regular seats and sleep in them too. We had a good ride, and Cassidy enjoyed it. About 11:30 pm we finally arrived at Little Rock. We looked out the window to see 4 buses, waiting for us. 3 buses were Little Rock Tours, and the 4th was Champion tours.

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Now that should have been the first warning. They had the handicap and family’s with children detrain and board the buses first. This is what we did because we had Cassidy. We grabbed all our luggage and headed toward the buses. They sent us to the Champion bus. It looked good from the outside, but not so good on the inside. The seats were small and so uncomfortable. Cameron and Cassidy sat together. He looked miserable. So many little kids on board. In front of me were 3 little black kids in 2 seats and across was their mother and a little one in a carrier. I looked at her and said. Are they all yours? Yes, she said. Wow….Are you traveling alone? No, I have my 2 older boys in the seat ahead of me. OHHH Myyyyyy…..So she was traveling to Indianapolis with 6 kids. Finally we were all loaded and the buses all started moving. We crept through the parking lot of Amtrak and came across this area with a side concrete Abutment of some sort….All of a Sudden scraaaaaaaattttttttchhh……….Oh My….then KA THUD…..The back tire under me went up…. and ….down……Stop…..Lets back Up Now…………Ka Thud in reverse………Scraaaaaaaaattttchhhhhhhhhh……Gees….I thought he just ripped the tires off….Now our driver looked like they had found him down in the soup kitchen, took him to Goodwill, bought him dress pants to big and put a belt on him to keep them up with his dress shirt that didn’t fit tucked in. He pulled out into the street, stopped and walked to the back outside in the dark to check it out. He got back in and never said a word. Now, what could he see in the dark? I kept thinking the whole time the tires were going to blow. Now the black lady with the kids was really nice. One of the little ones got up a little later and stood by their mom and said….”I peed my pants”…..lol…Ohhh My….poor lady….She took the little girl to the bath room and cleaned her up. Finally she was holding the little one that peed her pants as their was no where for her to lay. The little girl looked like a rag doll trying to sleep. I told the mom to lay her down in the seat next to me as it was empty. So that was the rest of the 7 hour ride on this bus. I sat in this seat and held this little girl so she wasn’t falling on the floor. Poor Cameron was trying to sleep and he looked so miserable. I finally found a double seat in back, told him to take it. Finally arrived at St. Louis around 7 am. Long Long nite. When I got out of the bus, I looked at the side of the bus. Their was a huge scrap running clear through the whole luggage door. At the bottom of the luggage door was a huge hole. About a 10″ square of the outer skin was missing…..Explain that to your boss, Driver……

After a nice comfortable ride back on the train, we finally arrived in Bloomington around 11 am. Their was Tammy and Little Carly waiting for her sissy and brother. She missed them so much. I was good to get back to McNabb for a few days. It was chilly, in the 30’s, but not bad. As soon as we got home, the kids opened their presents under the tree. 20160103_132756

That nite, Tina and Miley and Austin came over and we had meatloaf. We had a nice fun evening, and finally went to bed. I was soooo tired. Sure was good to sleep in a bed. I met my new Grand Dog Chaos. Perfect name for him. 20160103_133416

He can reach for anything he wants. Now I should have know better, but this is the next story. Tammy and I were in the living room. We didn’t pay any attention to the dog until we heard a …CRUNCH… CRUNCH….CRUNCH…Tammy Screamed…..”OMG…MY TEETH….Not Again”…..and then a little shiver went down my spine as a thought came into my head……”Could they be MINE?” We both jumped up and …….Yes… they were mine….My Heart Fell…I had left them in the bathroom on the back of the sink, but he reached and got them anyway. All we found was pieces. Nothing to even glue together. I know he ate some too. All I can say I Hope it hurt when they came out the other end. We sat their in shock at first, and finally started laughing about it. How crazy is that. Tammy said, I would never forget that sound. You see she has already lost 1 and a half sets to Chaos. He got her uppers and chewed them. She was able to take them to the dentist and they were glued. Then the dog got them again. All she has now is the front section, and she glues them in. After I calmed down….lol…I called down to Eastgate to Debby…..”Help”…. I need a dentist in Progresso Mexico as soon as I get back. Finally that afternoon, I got names and numbers. I finally found out, the Mexican dentists are all walk ins. Ok. That’s good. So I made plans that I would go straight to the Mexican border and meet Rich with my pass port. I refused to go to Cassidy’s first volley ball game….sorry Cassidy…also never got my hair cut. I didn’t want people to see me. I arrived on Sunday, lost my teeth on Tuesday, and Tammy took me back on the train on Wed. Now the return trip with the bus again. We got to St. Louis, and their we found only 3 Little Rock busses. No Champion buss. Probably in the shop with the driver fired….These busses were still small seating, but more comfortable. I fell asleep and woke up to shouting and cussing. Here a man was so drunk….He was calling people Mother F….r….the driver was yelling back….SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP….The driver never cussed, but for the next 2 hours, it was a shouting match. The drunk was not making sense most of the time but the driver and him kept yelling as we drove down the road. How did he ever keep control of that wheel, I don’t know. I bet he had a sore throat later. Finally after 2 hours, we pulled into a gas station . We pulled right up to the door with the other 2 busses parked near the back. The other drivers and Amtrak personal on the busses came and the drunk got of the bus after much more cursing.

Their was almost a fight as you could tell the driver was so angry. They took him in the store and tried to keep them separated. Finally the cops came, and we drove away with the drunk sitting on the curb after almost falling, his luggage by the building, and talking to a cop. 20160106_224039

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Made it back to San Antonio, spent the nite at the hotel, got into the truck at 6 am and headed south. I arrived at the border by 10:30 and beat Rich. He arrived with a bunch from the park about 15 minutes later. We went across and went looking for dentist. I knew the most popular one would cost $500 and take 2 weeks. We were looking for another and couldn’t find him. I bet theirs 10 or more dentist on every block, and I’m not exaggerating. As we were walking back, a guy stopped us, like they all do, and said, come on in and check our prices.

My Dentist and interpreter Jasmine……They can’t speak English

I finally did…….$300 and 1 week…..Yes, I liked that. So they made impressions, an hour later, he did the bite impressions. No money down….Pay when I came back………Good Deal…..They do all the same procedures, but don’t have the fancy expensive equipment. I felt pretty good about them. It is just a narrow office with 2 treatment rooms straight back. The dentist and his wife can’t speak English nor can the kid that was the assistant. They have an interpreter, Jasmine, that is present at all times. They also have a pharmacy that has an adjoining door with a street door also. This is common practice. Many of these business, have doors on the inside in the back to another business. They all have workers standing outside trying to get customers. “Lady Lady, come in come in….I give you good price. Lowest prices. Come on in”….You hear this over and over…..

Our Canadian Friends

So after a tough long day, we had Pina Coladas at the bar and ate at a Mexican restaurant.

Check out the brick ovens covered with mosaic….Beautiful

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As we were waiting, we looked up at the streets and 3 Mexican Army trucks went by with men in full uniform with their guns ready and waiting…..hhmmmm…now what’s that all about….

So its been a tough, embarrassing week, but I’ve survived. I had several events that I couldn’t hide from, so I decided to just accept and deal with it……I told my story and watched people just cringe…..some laughed…some were in shock….some wanted to shoot the dog….but ya know, things happen…Chaos is really good with the kids. Gotta laugh at yourself. Its just the way of life….so Yesterday was my day to go back….I have NEW BEAUTIFUL TEETH….Every bit as good as my $5000 dollar teeth….all for just $300 as a walk in….

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Cassidy and Cameron are Here for a Visit…

January 8, 2016w2bergen Leave a comment

Two of the grandkids made it for Christmas, but oh, we just don’t make things easy. Last summer, Tammy moved into our house. The kids changed school systems. We promised Cameron (17), and Cassidy (11), that if they improved their grades, we would bring them down for Christmas vacation. At first, we were going to drive up early and have a quick Christmas and then bring them down and spend Christmas at Eastgate and then send them home on the train. We have a small Ford Ranger, so we would have to rent a car. After we investigated the price of a car for that duration, and add the price of return tickets, we decided it was not an economical thing to do. We decided to bring the kids down on the train. Now that is where I went wrong. I seem to think at times that anything will work, and I can do it my way………… and then it backfires. Well this sure did……

Cameron is 6 months shy of 18, which is considered an adult to buy a ticket, but not enough of an adult. Cassidy has to have an adult 18 or over to accompany her on Amtrak . I decided he could easily pass as 18. I don’t ever remember having to show my ID, so he should be fine RIGHT? He’s a big boy, he looks over 18. Tammy took them to Bloomington to the Amtrak station and they asked to see his ID. Well he was too young to take Cassidy. Poor Cassidy, she started crying. The ticket agent felt so bad, he refunded their ticket totally. That was a good thing. Tammy called me and I just couldn’t believe it. We agreed to drive and meet half way. By 6:00pm, which was only 2 hours later, my other daughter Tina had packed them up in her car and headed south. We agreed to meet half way……Little Rock Arkansas…..Now we had rented a car to pick them up the day after in San Antonio. I called the car rental and said we needed the car now, the kids missed the train, and they were flying down to San Antonio. (little white lie)….lol…They had already closed but she went back and we met her and filled out the papers. As we were leaving, she made a comment “Oh, just so you know the car has a tracker in it and if you leave the state, it will shut down……………….”What”………….Slow breathing….we walked out and looked at each other. Now what………Called Tina,…… we got the car,………..but New Plan……….You must meet us in Texarkana…..lol…we can’t leave the state…..We left at 7:00 pm with an estimated ETA of 6 am. We did really good. We pulled in to Texarkana a little after 6am, and Tina and the kids were only about 20 min. behind. After breakfast, we traded the kids and went back in our own directions. Now poor Tina had to be back to work the next day to get her Holiday Pay.

We drove back with Cameron driving over half the way. He even drove through Houston. Good training for him. We finally arrived about 6:30 PM, back at Eastgate. 24 hours later. The kids were excited. I gave Cassidy a tour on the golf cart and then we all went in the hot tub….Felt soooooooo so good……..

Now Rich had been sick. He had just taken a Z-Pack just before all this happened. He had what everyone calls the TEXAS CRUD…..its body aches , tired body, congested head and lungs. He felt so bad once we got home. For the next 2 days, he really didn’t feel good.

Cassidy went swimming and played Waterball with many people. That’s Her with her hand up in the air. Cameron just hung out and did some trips in town to get snacks for the frig. We did the hot tub the first 2 nites after dark. It was really peaceful and they enjoyed looking at the stars in the sky.

The nite we got their was Eastgates annual Golf Cart Christmas Parade with Santa Claus and the Reindeer.

Santa in his Gulf Cart Sleigh

All the Reindeer lined up to pull Santa in His Golf Cart Sleigh. They line up and travel around the park singing carols. Cameron drove Cassidy and me around in the Parade. Grandpa was still not feeling well. After that we had free ice cream and Karaoke till 9.

Santa’s losing his pants…..He needs more ice cream

We also have a New Pet residing at the Park this year. Its a Sugar Glider. He lives in Lori’s pouch when he travels. He is nestled in his blanket

He came for ice cream too, with his parents….lol..At home he lives in a tree trunk in his Motor Home…..

Christmas Day, Grandpa was starting to feel much better. We had our Christmas Dinner at the hall and the kids enjoyed all the people. Grandpa was tired after that, so we took off to South Padre Island to just check it out. We took a quick trip to the beach and did some shopping. They found sweatshirts and T shirts to print with South Padre Island logos. The next day, we planned a Sandcastle Segway Tour of South Padre Island.

We had a small group from the park and we all met at the Segway office. Cassidy was so excited as this was her first time. After instruction, it became apparent that she was a natural.

The Tour guide took us up and down the streets of the Island as he showed and explained the many sandcastles.

Our most favorite was the one at the visitor center.

After that we split up and went to the Sea Turtle Rescue.

It is a really cool place that rehabilitates turtles that have been found hurt and in danger for their lives. They nurse them back to health and release them if possible. If they cannot live in their environment, they will stay at the rescue center. One of their most famous turtles is Allison. She lost 3 of her 4 flippers in a predator attack in 2005.

Allison at Sea Turtle Rescue

They have fashioned a prosthetic rudder on her back so she doesn’t swim in circles. She will never be released. For more info their website is http://www.seaturtleinc.org . They have live web cams on some of the turtles. While we were their, Cameron called. They were down the road. Grandpa and him were going to do the Port of Brownville Cruise. It takes you down the waterway of the Port of Brownsville, to the Shrimp boat basin, and on to the Salvage yards where they rip apart old Navy ships and cruise boats for salvage. Some of the boats that ended their life their are: USS Saratoga, USS Constellation, and USS Forrestal. But unfortunately, they weren’t doing any tours for another week. Grandpa and Cameron were at a place that rents ….BOYS TOYS…..Jeeps, Golf Carts, 3 wheelers and bikes….

We met them and rented a bright red Jeep Wrangler with Bar doors and an open top…..It was the only thing we could rent for the beach. So off to the beach we went.

It was such a beautiful day….The sun was shinning, the wind was blowing. Rich let Cameron drive once we were off the highway and on the beach.

Cassidy and I stood on the back seat with our body’s projecting out the top. What a great ride it was. We drove north up the beach and came upon a trail ride.

A large group of horses were riding the beach. We stopped and let them pass so we didn’t spook them. We drove a bit more and stopped to pick up shells.

Finally we turned around. We only had 2 hours to return turn the jeep.

Rich took over at the highway, and then found another beach to ride through the water puddles. We were all wet when he was done. …. lol….But had a good time. He stopped at the car wash and gently wash the jeep as it was now full of sand. We finally returned it and headed home. But one more stop for me and Cassidy. Another shop in Port Isabel…I found some sandals….

On Sunday, Rich and Cameron took of for 77 Flea Mkt, down by Brownsville. Cassidy came with me. I have managed to find another part time job. What fun it is…..I rather stumbled into it. Segway has a booth at the Don Wes Flea Mkt which is about half hour from us. She was needing a workamper and I said I would help when available if needed. Racheal took me up on my offer. So Cassidy and I went to Don Wes and opened the booth. They also sell electric bikes and trikes as well as the Promotion of the Segway Tours throughout the Valley and Island. They also sell them to. Cassidy took the Segway and rode it to the booth from storage. I took the electric bike.

For the rest of the day, she simply road the Segway around when she wanted. It is good for advertisement. Later we got home and found Cameron with his grand purchase…..A light bar for his truck…lol…Its a guy thing….

We had one more day of fairly descent weather, so I took them to the Dolphin Tours on the Island. We boarded the double decker boat and headed out to the Laguna Madre. They also do a Eco part of the trip. They drop a net in the water and drag it for 20 min.

Starfish front

Starfish back

Pugger

Stripped Jellyfish

They bring it up for us to see what is in the bay. They showed about 6 different things, several types of fish……A Starfish…..A Puffer….and a Stripped Jelly Fish….Then they took us out to the tip of the bay where it opens up to the Gulf.

Cameron and South Padre Island Skyline

We did see several Dolphins swimming, but not as many as I seen last year. But it was a nice trip.

The Pirate Ship cruising out while we were on the Dolphin Watch…..Cool looking isn’t it…

Every nite or when she was bored, Cassidy would go to the hall. Their you can get free WiFi….I cut her off my Hotspot as they used almost 75 %….Now we have to be good till Jan 16…..lol….But at the hall she made friends with all the ladies and guys who played games and cards. It didn’t take long and she played every nite with them till almost 10 pm. She played dominoes….I think they call it Mexican Train….She said she didn’t know old people could be so much fun….So the time had come for them to go…..Cameron and Rich were going to go Deep Sea Fishing….but it didn’t happen. It kept getting postponed because of bad weather or high waves. So hopefully next time it will happen…..I had decided to take them home myself on the train. It would be so much easier for us all. I bought Amtrak tickets to leave from San Antonio to Bloomington Illinois. Stay a Few Days and Return……Stay Tuned for the Next Blog…..OMG……but won’t be till after the 16th….lol…gotta be good with my Data Pkg……

Here’s a few photos, I was playing with…Rather Cool I think….

I really like this one….Its fits Cameron to a tee

jjjj

A Perfect Ending………To a Beautiful Day…..

No Blog In a Month?…..What Have I Been Doing…

January 5, 2016January 7, 2016w2bergen Leave a comment

“MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Where has the time gone. My last blog was Nov. 22, the anniversary of President Kennedys assassination. We have been so busy at Eastgate. So much to catch up on. Soooo……….Lets get started. I do think it will take several blogs…lol…

We have been so busy, and the weather has been great, up until last week. The temps have been from the 70s to the 90s. Plenty of sunshine. Rich is busy everyday. He plays pool in the mornings and then begins his day. Always plenty of repairs. Eastgate has more workampers this year, so the work is getting done at a faster rate, but theirs always things breaking and many things to replace. Always water breaks….When the park has a leak that requires the water to be shut off, Victor, the maintenance man rides the golf cart around, blowing the siren. That means the water will be shut off in 15 minutes……lol…Guess what, that even broke….lol…someone had to ride around in the golf cart shouting……”Water Shut Off”…..Water Shut Off”….Funny…I guess you had to be their to hear it…..Now we have a New Siren too….

The Craft classes have been very busy. We have made Sparkleballs from Christmas lights and Solo cups. They have been so popular, that we keep making them over and over. We will be making some more after the rest of the people come for the winter.

If your interested in making them the web site is, sparkleball.com.

SOME OF OUR CUTE SNOWMEN, ALL BUNDLED FOR WINTER

We also have made log snowmen. We bought 7′ posts and cut them into 1′ sections. painted them and dressed them with hats and scarfs. They turned out so awesome. Everyone had different ideas on how to paint faces and dress them with the hats and scarfs.

OUR SPINDLE SNOWMEN IN PROGRESS. WE PAINTED HIS HAT BLACK, GAVE HIM A FACE AND BUTTONS AND A LITTLE SCARF FOR HIS NECK

The 3rd item we made, was snowmen from railing spindles. I had over 20 the garage for years that came used from an auction. I seen a picture on Pinterest that would be easy to do. We cut them to length, and added the hat to the top and painted them. A hole was drilled in the bottom and rebar was inserted.

OUR MAGNIFICENT COOKS, RICH, CAROL AND LARRY, SUZI AND BOB ……I CUT UP THE ONIONS….LOL….

Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone. For Thanksgiving, we cooked 7 Turkeys, dressing and gravy. The rest was supplied by the residents. Each table has a card table at the end. Each table holds 8 people. They bring a dish to pass for their table only. It is put on the card table. One person from each table goes up to the kitchen counter and receives a plate of turkey, dressing and gravy. That is also put on their card table. Each table therefore acts as the family unit, as they pass their food from the card table. It saves time, and everyone can almost eat at the same time. If it was served as potluck fashion, many of the best dishes would be empty before everyone was served. It has worked out so well.

OUR CHRISTMAS COOKS…LARRY, RICH, CAROL…AND THE YUMMY SPIRAL HAM……X 7

For Christmas, we served Ham and glaze. 7 hams were purchased and almost nothing left. We had 15 tables for Christmas. The table decorating contest was a Great success.

THE WINNING TABLE DECORATING CONTEST…..NOTICE THE CRAYONS AND THE COLORING TABLE CLOTH….VERY ORIGINAL…AND THEY CALL THEMSELVES SENIORS?

……..THE CRAZY, JUVENILE WINNERS…..

Our neighbors, decorated their table in a very pretty, entertaining, and JUVENILE manner…..lol…They had a kids coloring table cloth with crayons and all. They colored through dinner and guys wore silly hats. They won a bottle of wine…as if they needed it. They are a riot whether you see them around the park, or at the dinner table…..

BARB….WINNER OF THE UGLY SWEATER CONTEST…..A HOMEMADE BADGE FROM EASTGATE WITH “UGLY SWEATER WINNER 2015” AND RIBBON

ED MONG…RECITING NITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

JAN MONG RECITING A CUTE CHRISTMAS POEM

The hall was decorated so festive. Many of the residents got together one Friday morning and got out all the decorations and the tree. We turned on Christmas music and turned it up and away we all went. It was so much fun to be a part of it and watch them enjoy the Christmas Spirit in the Air.

Another craft project we did for both halls, was to make paper snowflakes. I seen it on Pinterest, and made one. It was so easy. That after noon we made many more. I takes 30 sheets of computer paper. 5 sheets for each point. The reasoning is to make it thick enough to hang and not rip. They ended up well over 12″ in diameter.

I have also scheduled some activity’s that we have done. We have had several Segway tours of downtown Harlingen.

Their is so much history in this town and the art work of hand painted murals are all over town, depicting to history. One of the most magnificent pieces is in a park.

A special area has been constructed for it. It is a collection of 905 mosaic tiles that tell the history of Mexico. It is stunning and beautiful.

HOME OF BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS…ERA 1950S

One of my favorites…This mural covers almost a half block area on a wooden fence. If was painted black and then painted with dots….Its magnificent.. The artists are Benjamin P. Varelo, and Celeste De Luna. During the Segway tours, we visited these murals, and many others and are given the history of the town. It also takes us to Grimsells which I have written about before. It a fabulous garden Center that is over 100 years old, situated almost in the middle of down town.

They have the tallest flag pole in town, so if your looking for its location, just look up over the buildings and look for the waving flag of the United States of America, and you can make your way to Grimsells. This last time we were their, they had their larger birds out.

So so cool.

About a week ago, 16 people from the park, carpooled downtown for the 1 1/2 walking tour. It was a fun time. We had 2 guides that walked us through the downtown area using a megaphone to tell us the story. After we had lunch at a local Café. We learned a lot more history as well as we found many more cool stores and boutiques to shop at. One never gets tired of shopping do they? lol…..These are just a few of the things we have been doing……

Next blog….Guess who came down for Christmas….The 2 older Grandkids….Cameron and Cassidy…..

52 Years Ago President Kennedy was Assasinated

November 23, 2015w2bergen 1 Comment

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States (1961-1963), the youngest man elected to the office. On November 22, 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, becoming also the youngest President to die. Do you remember that day? “I do”

I was in 8th grade that year. Mr. Whitler was my teacher. He was also the principal of our little school. We only had around 18 in our class. It was right after dinner and we were back in our seats. The bell had already rung. I can see it vividly at Mrs. Flaminio, the 7th grade teacher came running in to class almost crying. She was a short older grandma looking lady with almost white hair cut short and permed. She wore those metal rimmed glasses all the old people wore. She was heavy set and wore those dresses that had a waist with the gathered shirt part. We could tell she was very upset, as every part of her full body was jiggling as she ran in our classroom. She told Mr. Whitler what that the President had just been shot. What happened after that, I don’t remember, but I know I watched tv all week end. We had a portable black and white tv. I don’t know if their was color tv yet at that time, but I thought we were lucky to even have tv. He was assassinated on a Friday, so we were off for the weekend. I don’t think I really understood what had happened, but I was drawn all weekend to the tv.

First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, for a 10-mile motorcade through the streets of downtown Dallas on November 22. Sitting in a Lincoln convertible, the Kennedys and Connallys waved at the large and enthusiastic crowds gathered along the parade route. As their vehicle passed the Texas School Book Depository Building at 12:30 p.m., Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired three shots from the sixth floor, fatally wounding President Kennedy and seriously injuring Governor Connally. Kennedy was pronounced dead 30 minutes later at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. He was 46.

I remember, they played that video over and over. On Sunday, right after we returned home from church, I was watching, and I seen Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald.

I remember all the reporters were in the parking garage, waiting for him to come out and be transferred. They thought he would be safe their. Jack Ruby was in the crowd waiting for him and shot him almost point blank.

The coverage on the tv was non stop. Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President on the plane returning to Washington DC. Finally the funeral plans were begun. The whole country was in a state of shock.

The state funeral of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, took place in Washington, D.C. during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.^[1]

John F. Kennedy’s funeral in Washington D.C. November, 25 1963

The body of President Kennedy was brought back to Washington and placed in the East Room of the White House for 24 hours.

On Sunday afternoon about 300,000 people watched a horse-drawn caisson, which had borne the body of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Unknown Soldier, carry Kennedy’s flag-covered casket down the White House drive, past parallel rows of soldiers bearing the flags of the 50 states of the Union, then along Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Rotunda to lie in state.^[53] The only sounds on Pennsylvania Avenue as the cortège made its way to the Capitol were the sounds of the muffled drums and the clacking of horses’ hooves, including the riderless (caparisoned) horse Black Jack.^[54]

The widow, holding her two children by the hand, led the public mourning for the country.^[55]^[56] In the rotunda, Mrs. Kennedy and her daughter Caroline knelt beside the casket, which rested on the Lincoln catafalque.^[57] Three-year-old John Jr. was briefly taken out of the rotunda so as not to disrupt the service.^[56] Mrs. Kennedy maintained her composure as her husband was taken to the Capitol to lie in state, as well as during the memorial service.^[56]

Throughout the day and night, hundreds of thousands lined up to view the guarded casket. Representatives from over 90 countries attended the state funeral on Monday, November 25, The casket was placed on the caisson for the final leg to Arlington National Cemetery for burial.

Moments after the casket was carried down the front steps of the cathedral, Jacqueline Kennedy whispered to her son John, after which he saluted his fathers coffin. This image taken by photographer Stan Stearns, became the iconic representation of the 1960’s. The children were considered to young to attend the burial services, so this was the time they said good bye to their father. After the Requiem Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the late president was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The funeral procession of President John F. Kennedy as it goes into Arlington Cemetary in Washington.

At the end of the burial Ceremony , Jacqueline Kennedy lit the eternal flame, that still burns continuously over the grave site.

Jacqueline Bouvier married John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in Rhode Island on September 12, 1953.

They had 2 children, Caroline, born November 27, 1957, and John Jr. Born November 25, 1960. John Jr, died in a plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard on July 16, 1999. The crash was ruled, pilot error, due to disorientation. He was piloting a Piper Saratoga, with his wife and sister in law on board. All perished. Another son died after birth. Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born on August 7 1963, 5 and 1/2 months premature. He only lived 39 hours. Another daughter was still born on August 23, 1956.

Caroline and John Jr. would play many times in the Oval office. This picture was made famous of John playing under the Resolute Desk, as his father was working. John called the panel his secret door.

As I was going through papers on History, I came across this information

Lincoln and Kennedy …..Odd Parallels

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846

John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946

Abraham Lincoln was elected President on 1860

John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960

The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights

Both wives lost their children while living in the White House

Both presidents were shot on a Friday

Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy.

Kennedy’s secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners

Both successors were named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.

Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.

Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939

Both assassins were known by their three names.

Both names are composed of 15 letters.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named “Kennedy”

Kennedy was shot in a car called a “Lincoln”

Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a ware house.

Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials

And her’s the kicker……..

A week before Lincoln was shot; he was in Monroe, Maryland

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

President John F. Kennedy….Inaugural Speech, January 20 1961

Iwa Jima Monument…Original in Harlingen

November 21, 2015November 21, 2015w2bergen 3 Comments

Last week The United States commemorated Veterans Day on Nov 11. We decided here at Eastgate to hold our first ever Veterans Day Breakfast on Sat. Nov. 14th. Here in Harlingen, out by the airport and the Marine Military Academy, is the Iwa Jima Monument. I decided to check it out.

I had known it was their, but was sure not knowledgeable to what it really was or represented. My good friend Roberta and I took off and went exploring.

We stopped at the Visitor Center first. I had pulled up the web site before we left, and just as it said:

Their was the Calico Kitty to greet us at the door….She was just lazily laying in the bushes and came out to greet us. The Visitors Center is a quaint little building. The walk is edged with bricks that commemorate different family’s and soldiers. The door has 2 of the most interesting trees beside it that had obviously been their forever.

By the door was the sign stating the hours of the Visitor Center, and the Statement letting you know that the monument was being maintained entirely by donations. Then we went in. I was unprepared for the wealth of information and knowledge that I would find inside. The first impression, was small rooms cram packed with items. The first room was of course the gift shop, full of military themed souvenirs, flags, coffee cups, books, t-shirts etc. Their were several other rooms to the left full of artifacts. Towards the rear was a door open and I found out they were getting ready to show a 32 minute slide show. I went in and sat down and the show began. I had no idea really, what Iwa Jima was really about. My father and grandfather had served in the Military, but I really had no recent ties with any family members. I learned so much.

Iwa Jima was an island 600 miles from Japan and was only 8.1 square miles. It was inhabited by the Japanese Imperial Navy. It was a fairly flat island with a volcanic mountain at one end, Mount Suribachi. It contained 3 airfields. As our planes would fly to their bombing missions, they would be attacked by the Japanese. The United States decided to take the island as it would stop the planes from being attacked as well as a good place for refueling and staging, also for planes that had been damaged in Japanese bombing missions. The United States then attacked by bombing the island and destroying the landing fields and all the military bases and weapons. On the morning of Feb, 19 1945, the 28 Regiment, 5 Division, landed and was ordered to capture Mount Suribachi. They reached the base of the mountain on the afternoon of Feb. 21, and by nightfall the next day, had almost completely surrounded it. On the morning of Feb. 23, Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, started the tortuous climb on the rough terrain to the top. At about 10:30 a.m., men from all over the island were thrilled at the sight of a small American flag flying from atop Mount Suribachi.

That afternoon, when the slopes were clear of enemy resistance, a second larger flag was raised by five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman:
– Sgt Michael Strank, USMC;
– Cpl Harlon H. Block, USMC;
– PFC Franklin R. Sousley, USMC;
– PFC Rene A. Gagnon, USMC;
– PFC Ira Hayes, USMC; and
– PhM 2/c John H. Bradley.

Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal caught the afternoon flag raising in an inspiring Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph. Little did they know that the 3 day battle would continue for 5 weeks. This five-week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific of World War II.

The Japanese Army had built over 11 miles of underground tunnel system 4 stories down. They had installed bunkers, and pill box areas, that opened up to the surface to man hidden artillery, mortars and rockets. As the Americans would use flamethrowers and grenades to clear the bunkers, the bunkers would be reoccupied by more Japanese as they moved through the underground tunnel system. According to the official Navy Department Library website, “The 36-day (Iwo Jima) assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead. Of between 20,530 and 21,060 Japanese defenders entrenched on the island, from 17,845 to 18,375 died either from fighting or by ritual suicide. Only 216 were captured during the course of battle. After Iwo Jima, it was estimated there were no more than 300 Japanese left alive in the island’s caves and tunnels. In fact, there were close to 3,000. Those who could not bring themselves to commit suicide hid in the caves during the day and came out at night to prowl for provisions. Some did eventually surrender and were surprised that the Americans often received them with compassion, offering water, cigarettes, alcohol, or coffee.^[35] The last of these holdouts on the island, were just 2 Japanese solders who lasted 4 years without being caught and finally surrendered on 6 January 1949.^[36]^[37]

When the picture of the flag raising was later released, sculptor Dr. Felix W. de Weldon, then on duty with the U.S. Navy, was so moved by the scene that he constructed a scale model within 48 hours. He labored for 9.5 years to prepare a working, full sized model from molding plaster. Once the statue was completed in plaster, it was carefully disassembled and trucked to Brooklyn, N.Y., for casting in bronze.

After the three-year casting process, the bronze parts were trucked to Washington, D.C., for erection at Arlington National Cemetery. The plaster working model was moved to Dr. de Weldon’s summer home and studio in Newport, R.I., for storage.

Look at the size of those crated shoes compared to the man

The Building of the Memorial

In October 1981, Dr. de Weldon gifted his original, full sized working clay model to Marine Military Academy in Harlingen Texas, as an inspiration to our young cadets. Other major factors involved in his site selection included:

The fairly constant temperature and humidity in Harlingen were ideal for the preservation of the molding-plaster figures.
The street facing the memorial was appropriately named Iwo Jima Boulevard by MMA’s founders in 1965.
MMA is the only place outside of Washington, D.C., where proper honors are rendered with battalion-size dress blue parades.
The Marine placing the flagpole into the ground was a South Texas native, Cpl Harlon H. Block of Weslaco, Texas. Block’s gravesite resides directly behind the monument.

The Iwo Jima Monument was dedicated April 16, 1982 on the MMA Parade Ground.The 32-foot high figures are erecting a 78-foot steel flagpole from which a cloth flag flies 24 hours a day. They occupy the same positions as in Rosenthal’s historic photograph. Hayes is the figure farthest from the flagstaff; Sousley is to the right front of Hayes; Strank is on Sousley’s left; Bradley is in front of Sousley; Gagnon is in front of Strank; and CPl Harlon Block of Weslaco, is closest to the bottom of the flagstaff.

CPL. Harlon Block was killed in action about a week after the photo was taken. He would never know what his actions would mean to America some day. He died when he was just 21 years old. He was buried on Iwa Jima, and later after the war was over he was returned to his family in 1949, and buried in Weslaco. In 1995, his body was moved to a burial place at the Marine Military Academy near its Iwo Jima monument. For many of you who don’t know, Weslaco is but a few miles west of Harlingen. Cpl. Block still has many family members in the area.

This is a bicycle hanging on the wall in the museum. So many more artifacts, guns, ammo and pictures are on display. Finally Roberta and I went across the street to walk around the Monument. It was massive when you walked up close. The area is such a well groomed park.

In between the monument and the road is a large grassy area used for Military Parades in Formation. By the road is several large sections of stadium seats.

As you walk up close to the monument, I could see how well it is taken care of and preserved. I was immaculate. Clean and Fresh. They have to continually care for the monument as it is the original clay monument.

Their is such detail to the sculpture. As you walk around the back side of the monument, you’ll see a walking area with many trees.

Right in the middle is the grave of CPL. Harlon H. Block USMC. A Beautiful wreath has been placed at his grave site.

Behind his grave is small brick patio area with a fire pit in the center. Benches surround the pit. This is the Flag Retirement Facility….

Such a beautiful area to Retire a Flag with Honor….

This is the view looking north….The Fire pit, CPL. Blocks Grave, and the Monument………Beautiful…..Many of the bricks through all the walkways have been engraved with names of Veterans….

This was the end of a Wonderful and Inspiring Day. This was a pamphlet we picked up. Every year, they Celebrate Cpl. Blocks Birthday. He would have been 91 this year. They also hold the Veterans Day Parade. Next year I hope to see it……As the Generations grow, I think we forget and never understand what our Veterans of all the wars went through. This are things that we must keep the future generations educated about. War is different these days. Our generations don’t understand or know some of the fierce devastating battles our fore fathers experienced.

Please support Our Veterans and All Our Military….If Not for Them, We Would NOT Have The Freedoms We Have Today

On Saturday we honored Our Veterans in the Park. After our breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, I gave a short speech on the Iwa Jima Monument, and CPL. Block. I called them 1 by 1.

After each name, I also called their branch of service. They got up to go to the stage with a giant hand of applause. Each one was given a huge hand of applause…..So heart warming. You could just feel the emotion, unity, respect and appreciation fill the room. We took pictures and then had a drawing for the Vets only.

One of the park residents Steve, had made 7 blankets and 1 pillow with Military themes. Each Veteran was given a ticket. After the drawing, a resident suggested we sing………. God Bless America…..What a Special Emotional Moment….Many left with Tears in their Eyes…

God Bless America….Home of the Free & The Brave

Great Time on a Segway and Seen a Terrific Raptor Show

November 15, 2015November 15, 2015w2bergen 3 Comments

Were been back at Eastgate now almost a month already. The weather has been so nice and warm. 80s’ and 90s’. We’ve had some rain though. We have been very lucky in Harlingen, as their has been much more rain to the east and west of us. Many of the drainage ditches have overflown and homes have been flooded. So far the new position is going well. My official name is Event Coordinator. I have been checking out some great things to do. Sunday we are car pooling to the Local Theater to see a play of “Steel Magnolias”……Last Wed, I went on a Segway Tour of Harlingen.

I have always wanted to do it. We were at Don Wes Flea Market, last year, when the were advertising, and they let me stand on one. It is balanced by a Gyro inside. It stands on its own. It is really easy to do. This company has tours through out the Rio Grande Valley including South Padre Island. I had attended a convention for Activity Directors and was able to sign up for this tour, so we could take our experience back to our Parks and book tours with a fabulous discount.

Check out our helmets…..lol….

Our guide, Rachael, gave us some great instructions and was very patient with training us. She also had an assistant, John with her. He was awesome also. He always followed us to make sure we were all safe. After about a half hour of instructions and training we took off for the 1 1/2 hour ride through historical down town, focusing on the many murals.

I didn’t take to many photos of the murals as I was a little nervous to take my hands off the handles. Sure didn’t want to fall off and make an A***** of my myself……lol….Our first stop was a fabulous garden center, Grimsell’s Garden Center.

It was so pretty, It had beautiful patios, and gardens.

I heard some birds tweeting, I sounded so pretty, so as I walked through, I came upon a garden with a cage of parakeets…..They were so happy enjoying the gentle breeze and singing happily.

Their cage was on a set of wheel barrow wheels. That way they can wheel them in at nite and bad weather. They are well taken care of and obviously so happy.

I continued on enjoying all the beautiful plants on display, and for sale. Such a beautiful, soothing and relaxing atmosphere in the middle of town. PARADICE

Next, back on the Segway’s for another mural. This building is all the windows and downs painted. Its is different and a departure from the other murals. An artist actually has a shop their.

On we go to Harlingen Lake. It was huge, right in the middle of town. I hadn’t seen it before. It has awesome walking trail around the lake with many grassy areas. We rode the walkways halfway around, and then got off to rest. We had the opportunity to either rest or go play on the grassy hills nearby. It was time to rest my feet as I think you stress your muscles at first.

Several of us just sat and relaxed, enjoying the beautiful breeze from the lake. This is a picture of Rachel (Owner) and John. We had them pose for it. Nice advertisement….lol…I want to give them all the plugs I can…lol….

Onward to the Library. They had a beautiful Plaza area. The emphasis was obviously on books….The gorgeous arch, was structured with books.

Some had rather comical names. One of them, as you would be standing under the arch staring up was named….”Looking Up”…..lol

This was a cool statue of Thomas Edison.

Time to get back on…

.Rachael and John were always their to help us get on. So patient

One of our last murals was down town. The Lady from the Visitor Center welcomed us and took our picture. Finally it was over and back to the parking lot. It was a blast. The next day I called Rachael and have scheduled 2 tours for our park, one for this Wed. and another in Dec. I hope they have as much fun as I did.

We also had a Birding Convention in town. The RGV is a huge birding area. So many kinds, as we are on the main migratory areas. They held Bird walks all over during the week, even going over 50 miles away. For the weekend they had a great show at the convention center. I went with my Good friend Roberta, who is a permanent resident of the park. She has 2 birds…..”Maui” a beautiful Macaw, and “Love Love” a cockatiel that has broken hips.

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They are awesome birds. Roberta found many books and contacts on birds. They offered many trips all over the world, even New Zealand for Birding. People come from all over the world for these Birding conventions. But my favorite was the Raptor Project.

The Raptor Projects is an extraordinary and outstanding array of eagles, hawks, falcons and owls that have won the rapt attention of enthralled audiences throughout the nation. Presenting almost 1000 educational programs to over 10 million people annually, The Raptor Project leads the way in outstanding, top quality, professional wildlife education. Featuring 15-20 raptors from diverse habitats at each presentation, these dynamic fierce predators capture hearts of both young and old.

Jonathon asked a little girl to feed meat to the eagle. She wasn’t even afraid

The Raptor Project founders, Jonathan and Susan Wood of New York’s Catskill mountains have assembled a traveling collection of feathered predators that is unrivaled in scope and size anywhere in the world. Jonathan Wood is a Master Falconer and Wildlife Rehabilitation, bringing unique insights, observations and humor to his exciting, riveting, nationally acclaimed shows.

This Owl was so beautiful. At first he looked stuffed…lol…but He was real

Many of the birds in The Raptor Project have
permanent handicaps and have been donated to his project by crowded wildlife centers around the country because they were unable to be re-introduced to the wild. Some faced euthanization and now have been tamed and trained to educate the public as charming ambassadors of their species and the environments they inhabit. Jonathan and Susan Wood and their staff operate the organization from a beautiful 14 acre, private facility in New York’s Catskill mountains. All birds are housed, exercised and cared for in spacious, state of the art aviaries.

Jonathan Wood works with birds in a wide rage of sizes. From small falcons and owls weight 3-4 ounces to majestic eagles with 6-8 foot wingspans. He is honored with 35 years of handling experience and has produced and presented The Raptor Project to over 10 million people… up close and personal!

These birds were so awesome to see in person and close up.

It has been a fast month already. Time is flying by and its all most Thanksgiving. We are doing our final plans on that now. Thanksgiving menu will consist of 7 Turkeys, 2 roasters of Dressing and 1 roaster of Gravy. Were on the cooking committee, Well rather Rich is, I will be doing other stuff. Sure isn’t my forte…..lol….Till next time, which I have a Great Article on Veterans Day to write next, I will leave you a picture of Kitty in the shower…..He loves to drink the water…..lol

………….''AND LET THE FUN BEGIN''……………..

Our Diaries of Daily Life and Travel

Uncategorized

Texas Gulf Trawling Shrimp Boil & Tour

Tour of the Marine Military Academy

Tale of a New Frig & Winterfest

Villa De Cortez Luncheon and Tour….Fabulous

The Trip To Illinois to Take the Kids Home….

Cassidy and Cameron are Here for a Visit…

No Blog In a Month?…..What Have I Been Doing…

52 Years Ago President Kennedy was Assasinated

Iwa Jima Monument…Original in Harlingen

Great Time on a Segway and Seen a Terrific Raptor Show

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