MONROVIN': A week of fun and good food!

The vast majority of citrus fruit that is grown in Texas is produced in the Rio Grande Valley. Monday’s outing was to a nearby orange grove, where we bought our fruit directly from the grower. In addition to oranges, we also bought a few grapefruits, and a jar of raw honey. The oranges are especially sweet and delicious to eat, and are good for making fresh-squeezed orange juice as well.

We spent the next few days getting things done at home. Larry, a ‘gadget guy’, had bought several remote control kits on sale and Ron bought two of the kits from him when we were at his house. Ron converted our homemade solar lamp post to electric so we can turn the light on with a remote control from the truck when we drive up. No more coming home in the dark! When we are dry camping we will replace the electric light with our other solar coach light. He bought two of the kits so we could have two remotes…one to leave in the truck and one to control the light from inside our fifth wheel. We can also use it to turn on a lamp before we come in the trailer at night. Handy, huh?

On Thursday we went into Mexico with Charlie and Connie. They use a dentist in Progreso and have been very happy with his work…and even happier with his prices! They paid only $20 for their check-up and cleaning and Charlie will be paying only $900 for 6 crowns! He got a haircut while we were in Mexico for a mere $3.50. Ron and I shopped while they were seeing the dentist, and then we all met for a nice lunch at Arturo’s. We shopped a little more with Charlie and Connie and ran into several of our neighbors who were also spending the day in Progreso.

After telling Bob and Barbara and Charlie and Connie about the ‘All you can eat shrimp’ at El Papas on Friday nights, we took them there to see for themselves. Before we had finished what was on our plates, our waitress brought us another basket full of shrimp…and another basket followed that one! We really need to limit how often we eat at El Papas!

Roy and Pat had our whole section over for a fish fry/potluck on Saturday afternoon.. (I think there were 18 couples in all). The fish was very good and there was a variety of good food to go with it. After we finished eating, Ron and I rode our bikes for awhile, in an attempt to burn off some of the calories we had consumed.

Larry and Sandy, Jerry and Rosey, and Marlin and Jeanie drove in from Harlingen on Sunday to go to SPI Market Days and Ron and I joined them at the Convention Center. Later, we all went to ‘Louie’s Backyard’ for Sunday’s baby back ribs special.

The park was buzzing with excitement Monday, when a huge oil platform was hung up on a sand bar near the jetty. It was being towed in from the Gulf to the Brownsville ship channel, which is across the Laguna Madre from where we are parked. Ron and I rode our bikes down to the beach to watch the activity. Two additional tug boats were brought in to get the platform off of the sandbar. Three tug boats were towing it, while two boats guided from behind with cables that were attached to the platform. Seeing the massive structure floating in the water was an incredible sight!