AN INTERNATIONAL PARADE

CHARRO DAYS

Charro Days~a "two-nation fiesta" held over 70 years in Brownsville, Texas.  This border town and it's sister city Matamoras, MX celebrate together for days. It all started to boost the spirit of the communities during the Great Depression. 
The international parade was held today. It was 3 hours of music, various kinds of bands, gymnasts, colorful floats, dignitaries, dancing horses, marching bands, food stands, laughter, dancers, people walking on stilts, judges, police on bikes, clapping and that feeling of inner happiness you get when the world is "right."

The sheriffs on bikes were patrolling the streets continually during the parade. The Chief of Police was on a segway, and there were police cars scattered throughout the parade.

The crowd was immense!
We have been to many parades, but this one was immeasurable! We walked the entire route, before it started~just because. 

We stopped now and then to talk to people and get their view of the festivities. Found out that the city council building is 80 years old and still in good shape and standing majestic in the center of town.

The parade is called an International Parade ~ after the 3 hours of celebration in Brownsville the parade continued over the border and joined their parade.
We talked about going over to Matamoras, to enjoy the parade on the other side of the border, but came to our senses and decided not to. Recently there has been unimaginable violence in Mexico. The border towns involved in much of it. Talking to, Head of Security, of the City buildings, we knew we made the right choice. He was telling us that many of the bands and other entries were not going over to Matamoras, due to the violence associated with the border towns.
So sad for the two towns~~the point of the parade being a union of culture, history and togetherness. 
What needs to be done to stop the violence?

                  CLEAN UP ~~ AFTER SUCH AN EVENT

The Lions set out chairs and charged $3.00 to sit on one. We didn't know this until some people left and gave us their tickets to sit on their chairs. I continued to stand to get pictures! 
The system after the crowd dispersed was amazing. The chairs were folded down, the truck came by to pick them up, the police led the street cleaners -12 of them down the street, utilities took down the wiring for the speaker system and the street cleaners and washers came through a second time. 

The "behind the scenes" workers had downtown clean in no time! 

KILLER BEES - THE ONES ON ICE!

                                             KILLER BEES

We went with the Winter Texans, on a bus, to McAllen, TX to watch a hockey game.
The Rio Grande Valley's team is the KILLER BEES.
The only hockey game I've ever seen was my nephew playing, several years ago. Watching teen agers play is very different than watching the Killer Bees!
Their ad ~~~
      COME FOR THE FUN - STAY FOR THE HOCKEY

                                                                             

The Bees on their bench.        The Bees in their "hive."

Sir Sting-A-Lot - the Killer Bees mascot.

He could be seen everywhere that night! Up in the stands, down on the ice, in the box seats, dancing with fans; throwing T-shirts.  We sat at the end of the arena, where the netting was, to help keep the puck from flying into the spectators.

Sir-Sting-A-Lot was in the stands, near us, when he was throwing out T-shirts. From the ice he shot them through a big gun, in the stands he threw them to the fans. Five men in front of us stood up, as did we all, to catch a T-shirt. Everyone had two hands in the air, yelling for the shirts. I was holding my $1.00 popcorn in my left hand when a T-shirt was thrown by

Sir-Sting-A-Lot.

I reached up with my right hand and caught it!

The guys in front of me just shook their heads. I asked one of them if he'd like me to catch one for him!

Hot dogs were also $1.00 and so was a beer if the Bees made a goal.      

The Bees goalie was not feeling too happy! The game went into sudden death, the other team won.

Oh well, we had hot dogs, popcorn, and beer, all for $1.00 each ~~ a great time was had by all!
   

A bonus to seeing the KILLER BEES ~ we also met Pepper and ChaChaRita ~ mascots for BorderFest being held, in March, in Hidalgo, TX.
Australia will be featured this year at BorderFest.

A GOOD BREAKFAST ~ A GOOD CAUSE

                    



               



              




              ~~FREE PANCAKES AT IHOP TODAY~~

Today we decided to have a late breakfast at IHOP.  We haven't been to IHOP for several years! Tonight we are going to a semi-pro hockey game. The Killer Bees are playing in McAllen! Whoopee! (I've never been to a hockey game, so we'll see...)
Back to the topic!
We ordered breakfast and with it came a short stack of pancakes-free! Good, I like pancakes!
IHOP asks that you give a donation to the Shriners. The Shriners have been holding their fund raiser at IHOP for five years now. Last year they raised $1.5 million nationwide! Hopefully it will be more this year.
The Shriners are an international health care system
dedicated to improving the lives of children.
Of course we enjoyed our breakfast, the pancakes and donated to the cause. A good cause it is! We know someone that will benefit from the Shriners and direct our prayers, luck and good karma to him.

My picture of the   Shriners, helping the cause, didn't turn out fuzzy. (Me, the camera or the lighting?)  The men were informative and personable.  Thanks guys for the help you give to our children.                                 

                                                Love those fezes!

A DAY AT THE WORLD BIRDING CENTER ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND

South Padre Island World Birding Center

Great Egert fishing ~ ~ Whoosh, got it!

Pelicans ~ everywhere you look on the Island

An alligator skimming through the water at the Birding Center. 



A disappointing beach~garbage up and down the beach, dead fish and dead jellyfish, the smell was so uninviting! Wonder why they don't clean the beaches up? We couldn't even walk near the water! 

Turtles catching the rays  ~   Stilt Sandpiper fishing

We ate at D PIZZA JOINT, had all you can eat spaghetti, Joe had two plates, he's into quantity!

 Went over the Queen Isabella Bridge to return to Brownsville.  Welcome to Port Isabel ~ on the right.

VALENTINE'S DAY 2010

"What do you need?"  "Try the pineapple, it's yummy."  "What can I help you with today?"

A few things heard as we passed the booths

today at the largest flea market in the area.

                                                   

THE DON-WES FLEA MARKET HAS IT ALL!

The flea market draws hordes of people each week-end. Highway 83 runs between two flea markets in Donna. The cars are so used to the crowds, they stop on the highway and wait for people to cross--going from one flea market to the other.
Our  meager purchases included a pineapple, a watermelon, cilantro and veggies to make salsa, a press for limes and a magnetic bracelet (it might not work, but then again it might!)
We don't have many needs--we don't have a ton of room to keep "stuff"! We did enjoy the country music and the great hamburgers found at the "in house" restaurant. We also tried a Frito Pie. Joe loved it!
People told us they were good here, but better at the local restaurants. I've seen them on menus but never thought about ordering one. Might have to try one--Joe will eat anything!  
(Just like Mikey! Remember that commercial?)

A wonderful Valentine's Day~~75' and sunny. Tomorrow high of 55' and very windy!  From one day to the next--the weather changes are dramatic. Coldest winter Texas has had in years!