Mission TX - 4th Week - 2nd Month

Feb 27th (Monday)
Started new stained Glass today. Decided on one of a desert scene at sun down. I guess I had really decided on this one a few days ago, and had bought the glass at McAllen Glass, when we were there. So today got out my equipment one more time and started cutting glass. By days end had all the pieces ( 32 of them) rough cut out. Denice was busy with here stitching and enjoying the air conditioner inside.  Much too hot for her outside!
Feb 28th (Tuesday)
Today was a grinding Day!! I mean grinding as in glass, not as in a difficult day. Each of those little pieces of glass needs to be ground to a fairly precision fit with its piece beside it. Seems simple, but remember the one on the other side, the one above, and the one below. It does sometimes create a conundrum of sorts. You grind to fix one and create an imperfection with another. Takes lots of planning and thinking about best way to achieve desired results. Seems it took a good share of the day to get all 32 pieces done. But then for a retired guy the work day is quite short!!!

Denice again doing some stitching. She is working on about five separate pieces, called hardanger. Now I do not really understand what that is but it sure keeps one Denice happy and busy. It involves a whole bunch of different type stitches, and I just watch here nimble fingers pushing a needle and thread through from the top and then reach around and pull through from the bottom, and then find the same right hole from underneath, without looking, to push the needle back up. She never misses a beat, and I don't hear too many, "Oh Damn" exclamations, so she must be good at it. Each of these five pieces are about a foot square, and by the initial showing will be very nice when completed. She showed me a pair of scissors she bought at Harlingen the day were were down there. I knew she had bought a set, but when she showed them to me I thought she had been had!!! $20, and they are only 2 inches long and do not even look like scissors, but I guess this is what it takes to do hardanger!! What can I say? But I know these scissors will be safe as they certainly will not be working their way into yours truly's work chest!!
Feb 29th (Wednesday)Leap Year 29th of Feb. Only once every 4 years!! Sure wish my birthday was today. It would only be my 18th birthday. OOHH to be 18 again!!

Not much to report - worked on my new Stained Glass project. Had to recut a couple of pieces.
Mar 1st (Thursday)
Went to Weslaco audobon birding center. Denice had been there a few days ago with birding friend Laura, and she wanted to go back again to see if she could see a few birds, a couple of warblers that she had not seen, namely gold crowned one. We did see one of them, but unable to get a good picture of it. After leaving there we stopped at Nanna's for lunch. It was a little Mexican Restaurant. We had chulapas, not sure of the spelling, but they were little flat pancack type thingys with a salad type topping. Must admit they were good. 
Mar 2nd (Friday)
Today we went down to Boca Chica Beach. To get there  down Military Highway and back through Brownsville but on the south side of the Brownsville canal. About 20 miles out  the terrain flattens and only scrub bush grows among salt marshes. Soon the sand dunes are visible indicating where the surf has deposited the sands from the bay. Pavement ends here right on a lonly beach. We turn south toward the mouth of the Rio Grande and the Mexican border. It's easy driving along the beach with only an occasional fisherman or people picking up sea shells. After 2 1/2 miles we reach the Rio Grande. Nothing very spectacular there, just a meandering little river entering the Gulf. A few Mexicans are throwing fishing nets into the river to try and catch a few fish, but seems  not a lot of luck. Across the river was a Mexican tower.

Even some drilling out there

Mouth of the Rio Grande

Beach flowers



A beach Beauty



She sells sea shells!!!



On the beach




Close Encounter

 Not sure if it was a light house or a border watch. Seemed to be a lack of broder patrol there, as the Mixicans that were fishing were wading almost to the USA side. Water was only up over their knees, so it was no big deal to just walk over to the USA  side, but I guess thre really was no place to go, as it is wide open with no hiding places. There is only one road, and it does have a check point on the way back to Brownsville. Then we started toward South Padre Island chanel up the beach, but there was abso;utely no oneon this side, the tide was rather high and we had to drive through soft sand, so we only went a couple of miles - less than half way, and decided to turn back. Was getting later in the afternoon anyway, so headed home. Made a short detour to Palmitto Ranch, the site of the last battle in the civil war, 1 month after peace was signed
Mar 3rd (Saturday)
Off to Harlingen today to pick up some stitching supplies Denice had ordered. Left about 10 AM, and it is about a 1 hr drive to Harlington down Highway 35. Highwy 35 is a very nice 6 lane highway all the way with good over passes and turn off lanes every mile or so. A person is able to make very good time on it, even with a speed limit of 65. Denice spent an hour or so in the store while I just shopped around in some discount stores. On the way back we stopped at a Texas Travel Info place for some more maps of the area, especially birding places. Then after that stopped at a favourite lunch place , Olive Garden, but this time in Weslaco. As always, it was very good. How can you beat lunch with all you can eat salad and appetizers for under 20 bucks, including the tip. Thats all we old folks can eat any more for lunch. Then home by 3 PM for a good cup of coffee.
Mar 4th (Sunday)
Sat around most of the day. Went down town for some groceries at HEB

Also stopped at Walmart and bought some movies as we are to the point that we are replaying old ones over and over . We watch a movie almost every night now. I guess its our new thing!! Ended up buying about a dozen new ones. Then went across the highway to HEB for some groceries, then to Home Depot where I bought a couple of new short hoses to connect ELTORO to the water supply. I have been using one of those curly ones (Like a spring) But it seems that in the last few days it has sprung at least 3 pin hole leaks, so I guess its time for a new one. Also bought an electronic bug zapper that is supposed to clear a half acre of flying bugs. In the evenings we are now seeing a lot of mosguitoes. They are relly small, but really hungry!! Also on the list was some ant poison. Lots of little tiny ones around here, not sure if they are fire ants or army ants or what. But they do bite!