SPI Winter 2011

For two days we have had below freezing weather (29).   The wind really howled and rocked the coach.  It was like a Disney ride in a box.  The ice formed on the palm frounds and when it became too heavy, it bombed the coach.  We were  under assault all night. Rock, roll and bang.

 A transformer at the end of the island went out last night and we are still without electricity.   Our water froze somewhere INSIDE the coach.  We had water outside but it stopped there. Thank goodness for our genorator and inside water tank.  The hot water heater could not stay on because of the high wind.  We didn't have a neighbor to help soften the wind.

Weather forecast is for 43 today...hooray.  The island chill cookout is tomorrow..that should provide some heat..

Enjoy the pictures

Trip to Houston Dec. 2010

We flew from South Padre Island to Houston (3 hours in the air).

We were flying between 700/1400 ft. depending on the clouds.
Enjoy the shore line of Padre Island and the flat plains of Texas.

Merry Christmas

Peace and Joy to you at Christmas


May the gifts of this season, Be peace in your world,  Joy in your heart, And those you love To share the miracle.

Have a Beautiful Christmas!!

We had a wonderful Year..and celebrated Thanksgiving with Lynne and family in Houston, TX   Nick and Abby are both in the Airforce stationed at Algin Airforce Base in Fort Walton Beach, Fl. beginning their first year of marrage.
 
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

Reo, Greg and Logan

 
 
Greg  Nick,
 Reo, Abby, Lynne
Logan & Hanna

Trip to the past

We arrived in Hanna, OK, around noon  yesterday.  We ate our  sandwich while parked in the middle of town.   Hanna has a population of 133 with 56 housing units; a land area land area of 0.11 sq. miles.  Nothing was open and it appeared to be deserted.

With a connection via phone with L.C. we walked the area looking for our old house and the cotton gin that Dad operated.

I don't believe the school is the original that L.C. attended but the brick house by the school (according to L.C.) was where they lived before purchasing the house I'm looking for.  A young boy (Josh) saw me taking photos and came over to talk.  It turned out his family owns the old gin and he took us to the site.  We got a extra view of a water moccasin hanging out in the well.

Could not find the old house, we concluded that it was destroyed by a tornado.  Hanna seems to  attract tornados. Our barn was destroyed when we lived there and Mom had a brick hit her on the hip while trying to get every one in the cellar.
Greg and I didn't realize that the area was actually occupied by mostly Indians, until L.C. told us that Dad was an hononary Chief.  Josh said he was of native American blood.  I didn't have anything to write on and have forgotten which tribe.  He was giving us so much information. 

Enjoy the pictures

Brick building in town

second big building

side of school

brick home

old gin..RR entrance

cotton gin

Josh on RR entry

inside gin

looks like stove chimney

Well

well

snake in well

big snake

back side of office

again

Josh inside

inside gin

ceiling

second gin that burned

old foundation

office bldg

looking from gin across road to cemetery & old pond

from road

across from gin at pond location

at pond location toward gin

looking back toward town

gin is located in trees on the right

toward town

PO is small bldg on left...neat brick bldg in downtown

looking north in down town

neat building

again

Donald Hopkins oil company

old foundation left of building

can't make out printing on building
Enjoy the pictures.

Christmas Eve Dinner

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with friends of Lynne's (Lou and Melinda Warfield & family) here in Spring (Houston, Tx). 

After dinner we attended the Christmas service at the Resurrection Lutheran Church,

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing you a wonderful holliday season

Reo, Lynne, Greg

Logan and Hanna

Tinsel Triathlon

We volunteered at the 25th Tinsel Triathlon in Hemet.  There were over 1000 participants and the start of the run is in the far left of the picture above the bikes. a little  difficult to see.  The 5 k run, 12 mile bike and 150 meter swim was centered around the West Valley High School

The three top finishers are in the water. The swimmer entered at the far left in the picture swam to the end, did the turn and swam diagonally across the pool and then down to finish..  This was a save environment for those that didn't do well swimming.  I caught several "walking and resting" at the end of the pool.  The final finisher had a person swimming next to him with a life belt.  He had a support group waiting for him.  I think they were more excited than the person that won  , just because he finished.   I can relate to that.   There were several amputees and 3 in wheel chairs that finished  well in the center of the pack.  It was very moving to see the excitement.

Each participant received a metal and T-shirt.  We got a T-shirt just for volunteering..much easier

: >))

I

Thanksgiving dinner, Golden Village Palms,2009

Thanksgiving at the park......They provided the turkey and we pot-lucked the remainder.  The couples at our table were from British Columbia as is about 50% of the population living here.

I took two dozen deviled eggs and they were gone by the time I set the plated on the table.  There was one turkey for two tables of eight.  And lots of other good food.

Happy Birthday to ME!!

I had a great Birthday.... a Pedicure at the local beauty college. This lady and her mother were attending school together. She wanted a change from working at an insurance co. and her mother lost her job.

The equipment or lack of  leaves a little to be desired but the price was right.

We had dinner at "POLLY'S PIES'.  The restaurant is known for their cinnamon rolls, pies and home made bread.  The hot turkey meal was wonderful, and the coconut pie was pretty good too.

We took Logan to the new doggie park that opened Dec 1.  Logan was thrilled  to roll in the grass.  The RV resort has gravel and asphalt. 

The other dog there was also from the RV resort.  They are from Victoria Island and her dog is a Australian cattle dog.  Killie liked to play with a Frisbee.  He did not like Logan as Logan would steal the Frisbee. 

Diamond Valley Lake

Built in the saddle of two mountains, Diamond Valley Lake—Southern California’s newest and largest reservoir—is a vital link in the regional system that’s brought water to Southern California for the past 60 years. The lake nearly doubled the area’s surface water storage capacity and provided additional water supplies for drought, peak summer and emergency needs.


Water began pouring into the reservoir in November 1999 and the lake was filled by early 2002. Diamond Valley Lake holds 800,000 acre-feet, or 260 billion gallons of water. By comparison, Lake Havasu, on the Colorado River, holds just 648,000 acre-feet or 201 billion gallons.(copied from their website) 

Looking at the lake from the lookout the first picture is on the right and you see the earthen dam and a second dam in the far center (hard to see);  the second picture is the center view with the third dam out of view and the third pictures  is on the left with the pump house,

The lookout is about 5 miles from the park.. The water is low due to the drought.

Dogs are not allowed at the lookout, only in the parking lot.  It was stifling hot and we decided  not to go to the top and leave Logan in the hot car.  The Ranger came over and said she would keep Logan while we walked to the top. 

She was from Memphis and an avid Elvis fan. Her sister went to school with Elvis.  So we got good stories.  She would say "Thank you very much" and try to sound like Elvis.  She was fascinated with  Logan and gave him water and treats, and more treats.  Logan really liked her. 

We ate lunch in the shade of the make shift tent.  I realized after seeing the condition of the rangers skin that those who work unprotected in the desert environment literally cook their skin.   It really pained me to see the condition of her skin..

BOOM Crack BOOM

Greg and a lawn maintenance worker were raking leaves and collecting them in the trash can this morning when BOOM.

Thunder and  lightning shook the coach..then it started to rain and sleet.

The drainage system is a slight indention in the middle of the road.  At the other end of the park it rushes into a series of large ditches that collect the water.  The indentions run through all the streets in the city and can made it a little rough when you drive a little car.

The rain was wonderful, it was painfully needed.

Logan and I went for a walk later and there was sleet still hanging around.  Obivously,  the temp has dropped.  The marjority of the people here are from Canada: British Columbia mostly and Victoria Island...and we all agreed it felt really good.