Day 20, Jan 20, 2010: THE most beautiful day yet!!!!!

Up at 7am......slipping downstairs quiety(minus the creak in the two steps), I made my normal, French Roast coffee.....and then sat down to read the morning online newspapers. As always, I try to keep from making the RV move around while walking....as it is just amplified in the upstairs bedroom when I move around in the living room. I thought about closing the door between the living room/den and the kitchen/dining area....but thought it might wake the 1st Lady.....soooo, I just sat in silence....reading and enjoying that wonderful hot cup of coffee!!!

At 8am......I awakened her...and reminded her that she had her Line Dance class at 9 this morning. She got up....and by 8:40, she was on her way to the Rec Hall on the other side of the park. In about 20 minutes, my morning rituals were completed.....and I sat down and enjoyed another cup of coffee.

At 9:40, I went over to Doug/Diane's as I was to ride to the Library Bldg to our 10AM club meeting...the Photography Club. This morning we were to bring to the meeting about 5 pictures of "people" to have critiqued and discussed as they were to be shown by a projector on the white wall of the room. And......believe it or not....one of mine was the one that received the most positive comments....and, even applause for the picture! WELL......hmmmmm......it was a pic that I took this past May at the Memorial Day weekend with the 1st Lady's family. A picture of her mother.....85 years old with deep, deep lines in her face brought on by being a "farm wife", but even more so, by smoking all of her life...until about a year ago. I have really liked that picture since I took it....and took several more during that same 30 minute time period. Her mother had no idea that I was taking them as she is legally blind.....and could not see me focusing the lenses on her.

Returning back to the RV....and I had a bite of lunch...and then changed into my work clothes as I began very quickly to wash the RV. WHEW.....what a task as it was/is really filthy. It took more time than usual as I had to use the chamois to semi-dry each section that I was working on before the sun and breezes dried it .......and left the water marks on the gel coat. I worked for about three hours, having done the left side, the front and underneath the bedroom, and was working on the front right side when......SHIT!!!!! All of a sudden the air was filled with long black stringy sugar cane soot.....again. Soooo, I quickly wiped off the ones which stuck to the wet side of the RV.....and put things away. NO WAY to wash the RV with this crap blowing all around, landing in my hair, on the patio, the tables and chairs, and sticking to the side. Putting the ladder, hose, and cleaning items away into the basement......I found myself an easy lounge chair on the patio and just laid back, letting the soot drift down, and relaxed.

Eventually, this crap quit arriving on the breezes...and then I hosed off the patio. NASTY stuff it is.....sticks to everything and then falls apart leaving black sooty marks everywhere. When I finished there, I went for the dark red medicine......a wonderful Bodega NORTON cabernet sauvignon....and enjoyed the wonderful taste and finish.

This day....well, without the sugar cane soot.....was the most beautiful day we have had while on this winter adventure. It made it up to about 85 degrees, bright blue skies(until the gray clouds bearing the gifts of black soot came across the southern fields)......and the soft breezes were just wonderful. Everyone was out and about....golfing, tennis, biking, walking, the four pools were heavily used, and just enjoying this incredible weather!!!! WOW....how lucky can we be to spend the winter here a few short miles from the border with Mexico!!!!!

The 1st Lady went over and invited Doug and Diane over for TheHowserHouse Happy Hour....and before long, they arrived with drinks in hand. We had laid out some appetizer snacks on the table. And then......I went to the 5th wheel next door to ask Randy and Debbie to join us for drinks....and we were soooooo glad they did!!! We sat for an hour or more....talking, laughing, drinking, munching,.....having a fun time. THIS is what spending the winters here in the RGV is all about.....friendships, Happy Hours, good food, going to Mexico, and having a super time with the people we know and meet. Hey......all of you readers up north.......start planning to spend the winter out of the cold up north....and find yourself a winter home, be it here...or Arizona...or Florida. BUT......just DO IT!!!!

When our friends left, we put some nice T-bone steaks on the grill, along with some sliced red bell peppers(fresh from the market) and some fresh mushroom. In no time at all, dinner was done, but we dined inside as darkness had rapidly descended..... Another dose of my dark red medicine.....had several doses this afternoon/evening.....and our meal was complete.

For dessert, I baked some brownies with pecans...and OMG, were they ever wonderful......especially after I covered them with powdered sugar on the top. Too many calories....but, OH SOOO GOOD!!!!!

Tomorrow????? Think we will dash down to Harlingen to purchase the 1st Lady a new bike......and try to return in time for the "Dog Show" here in the resort. We haven't ever gone to this event before, but we have heard some very positive remarks about this, sooooo, we need to go this year.

Today....OMG....it was just a real WOW...WOW...WOW...WOW...day!!!!!! FOUR wow's....and I hope it will be that way tomorrow. I DO need to finish the RV wash job...so that I can begin to wax it as these days stay beautiful.

OH....forgot to mention that Diane was in the pool this morning and someone asked her if she knew "John Howser". HAHA.....of course, she does......and this person said that they are readers of this little blog...enjoying it a lot! THANKS, whomever you are!!! It is always great to hear from some of the readers.

And, as always.........

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!!