Entomology

This little fella landed on the back of our lawn chair this afternoon. Stayed a while, cocked his eyes around to watch me as I focused the camera; and when he got bored with it all, he took off. I know he is an insect, not an arachnid because I can count to six.
One of you entomologists clue me in. Dr. Murt? Anyone?

Flea Shopping

Saturday we went with friends to the flea market at Donna, a few miles to the southeast. One never ceases to be amazed at the incalculable amount of junk that is offered for sale. Occasionally, it is true there is something that might be of use. Look! the two-inch bananas, for instance. Just two bites apiece and exactly right for a fruity snack. And BBBH bought a radish, beautiful snowy white and fully a foot long with a four-inch girth. Sweet and tasty, too. (The oranges, as well as grapefruit, we can reach out our window and pluck from the tree. Well, the grapefruit we have to walk to the rear of the RV to get them.) Fun afternoon with good company, and the walk provided much-needed exercise.

Park Church

Church this morning in the park. Attended along with about 180 others.
The responsive reading was from Romans, chapter 8. Nothing can separate us from God's love.
Park Pastor Jose spoke about Jesus as a model for our prayer.
The prayer life of Christ:
1. Jesus prayed for empowerment. Matthew 4. If Jesus asked the Father for empowerment, how much more should we pray in this manner?
2. Jesus prayed at beginning of each day. Mark 1:35 Should we not start our day even as Christ started His?
3. Jesus prayed before making decisions. Luke 6:13 Do you pray before making important decisions? Do we pray when we are in crisis?
4. Jesus prayed for others (intercessory prayer). John 17. Christ prayed for himself, for his disciples and for all believers. Should we not do the same?
To live a Christian life is to model our lives after Christ. He was a model for our prayer life.

January Home

How does this differ from sitting in the comfort of the Indiana home? BBBH sits across the table [as at home] and works the Scrabble magic [just as at home]. The temperature is the same as it is [at home]; though here it is provided by the weather [unlike home, where Vectren delivers the gas and we deliver the cash]. And they tell me that if one steps outside at home, the Arctic blast will chill you to the bone.
It has been suggested that I minimize the emphasis on the weather here, lest it seem like gloating; but we don't make the weather, we just go where we like it.
Edinburg is a thriving town of about 50,000 souls and is a center of agricultural enterprise, as the entire Rio Grande Valley is given to cropping, from truck produce to cotton to cane, melons to peaches, to whatever the farmer chooses to grow, more or less. Perhaps more cleverly, aragula to zucchini. Moreover, the entire Valley increases dramatically in population during the winter months, as the "Winter Texans" take up their temporary residence here. We are included.
The village was originally called Chapin after a Dennis Chapin. He, however, was involved in a homicide in a barroom in San Antonio in the early part of the twentieth century, and the residents of the town decided they needed a new name. It was named for the birthplace of one of the leading citizens, which was Edinburgh, Scotland. Don't know what happened to the aitch.
Edinburg is the seat of Hidalgo County and lies about 18 miles north of the river and probably forty miles west of Harlingen. (Based on memory of driving a couple of years ago. You check the map.)
Our park does not have cable TV, and we do not have a satellite dish, so it's "over the air." We receive nicely 27 channels. Fourteen of them are Spanish language.

Here's Where We Are

Following a 'net blackout for several days, we are connected again. We had two days and nights in San Antonio where of course we did the Alamo, the Riverwalk and had a fine time. Today we drove from SA to Beeville where we stopped to visit with our friend, Pastor Peter the Presbyterian. A visit to his office, where we met, to his home, and to a dandy little mom and pop Mexican restaurant were included. We then headed on down the road and arrived in Edinburg before dark. What next?

Where in the World Now--

--are Vanilla and BBBH? (And Cookie, too.)

Not Quite Texas

Away from Tipton at 1:30 p.m. Friday. Stayed the night on the banks of the Gasconade River in Pulaski County, Missouri. Up and on the road this a.m. about 8:30 and we arrived in Norman, Oklahoma about 5:30. Our camp is a dozen miles south of Norman on US 77. Certainly hope to be in Texas in the morning.

There is no snow, no freezing rain; but not much warmth, either. Temp about 34F. Goodnight.

Where in the World--

--are Vanilla and BBBH? It is quite cold this morning, but if the weather reports are accurate (insert laughter) there should be a window of opportunity opening Friday morning. If you are reading this, which I wrote Thursday and put on schedule to post Friday, we are somewhere on the road headed for warmer climes.

We'll let you know where the wheels roll.