JAMAICA~~YAH MON!

     Sun ~ Blue Water ~ Wind ~ Birds ~ Flowers ~ Patties ~ Fruit  ~ Friendly People ~ Jerk Chicken ~ Bright Colors ~ Rastas ~ Dreads ~ Rum  

 JAMAICA!

When I landed in Montego Bay the first thing to hit me was how warm it was! It felt wonderful, to be so warm!  MaryLynne, the friend I was meeting in Jamaica, arrived a short time before me, with her son Lars. We joined his friend Sis and our taxi driver Barry, for a wild taxi ride to Negril.
The driving in Jamaica is not the highway driving we are used to in the USA. Amazingly enough the taxi drivers are skilled at stopping on a dime, passing quickly, controling the car around several curves and swerving around all the bikers and walkers on the narrow streets. (You do get used to it!)

Jamaica ~~ An Assortment Of Pictures That Give You The Feel Of What It's Like At A Glance.

I spotted a cruise ship out of the window of my plane, in the port of  Montego Bay.

This Bob Marley wooden sculpture was on a hotel wall.  He is everywhere, in every media imaginable.

Fishing boats, the lighthouse, boganvillia, paintings, glass bottoms boats, the tide coming in with a splash. These are common, everyday sights as MaryLynne and I walked and walked around Negril.

 The basket on the man's head is full of oranges. He sells them on the beach, they were very sweet and refreshing.
Flowers and beautiful plants are everywhere and so are goats! Fruit was hanging on the trees, ripe for the picking. This tree was abundant with Acai, a specialty in Jamaica. Acai and Saltfish in a pattie, a favorite for breakfast. Yes, the water is really that blue! Beautiful.

        We believe the sign is meant to say---All Love Unite.

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

It Happened On The Last Day Of 2009

Approximately every 2.7 years there will be a Blue Moon. This anomaly occured on Dec. 31st. It happens when there are two full moons in the same calendar month. The first full moon in December was on Dec. 2nd. We were on South Padre Island the night of the Blue Moon, watching fireworks.
Thanks Michelle, for informing me of this event!

Random pictures that really didn't fit anywhere, but ones that I like.

A red dragonfly at Resaca de la Palma.  Flooded path-yes-we have had a lot of rain. 

A tombstone at a local cemetary. This person was all country. A George Strait fan, for sure.
                          Gotta Love It!


Sadly, we have the homeless here in Texas too. We see this man, on the same corner, quite often.  This winter has been unusally
cold, the missions have been full.  SAD

         YOU'RE A GOOD MAN  CHARLIE BROWN

We won tickets at the Winter Texan Meeting, for this play. The play was put on by local high school and college students, they hit the mark with the entertaining songs, Snoopy talking for the first time, and having each character cast to perfection!

     ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ~ THE BEACH

We drove as far north as you can, on South Padre island, before the island ends. This is on the Gulf of Mexico. It's been a cool winter down here, so when days are nice I like going over to the Island.

                                                       

HAPPY NEW YEAR~~~2010

   NEW YEARS DAY~ ~ ~ IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

       The first day of the year~ ~ the first day of the rest of your life! 
                                                TIME
Funny How Time Slips Away. Time Marches On as we grow older in body and in mind.
My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time and we're taking them One Day At A Time.
There's a First Time For Everything, so last night we ventured over to South Padre Island at 11:00p.m.
Not often do we stay up to Rock Around the Clock!
To Everything There Is A Season ~ fireworks at midnight, on the Island.

Now A New Day Has Come, January 1, 2010~~~the first day of a new year.
A Time For Us to reminisce; also to think about Time In A Bottle. Releasing it and living each day with the attitude that it's For The Good Times thinking 

My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time.

I found it hard to take pictures of fireworks. I was too slow to get it, or too quick to click, or maybe it's my camera. Just to say, the fireworks were wonderful! (Far better than my pictures!) It was 75' on New Year's Eve, so the evening was nice. Windy~but they were over the bay, so the display floated over and landed in the water. Getting home late, not able to sleep right away had us sleeping until the Rose Bowl Parade came on. Perfect!

                             HAPPY NEW YEAR ******2010!


(Footnote: We woke up to 47'! The weather here is strange, to say the least. The norm for this time of year is around 70'/this is not a normal year!)

CHICAGO IS CALLED THE WINDY CITY? DON'T THINK SO!

I've been to Chicago when it has been windy. It has nothing on Brownsville, TX! They tell me you want wind down here, or it would be too hot. Well, maybe in the summer---but not now!  The ten day forecast has the temps in the 60's and the wind up to 25mph.

We have never experienced so much wind!

You've seen those nice palm trees~~balls of palms~~look at these!  They do return to nice balls of palms, usually in the late evenings.

I'm not complaining, I realize the weather here is so much better than up north, for us.  We don't have ice, snow, and very low temperatures. Just can't get over the wind!

This is the smaller of the two alligators that live on South Padre Island.

The wind does not seem to affect the alligators at the Birding Center on South Padre Island.

South Padre Island has this statue gracing Isla Blanca Park, (White Island Park).  
The statue is El Cristo de los Pescadores, (Christ of the fishermen) located at the tip of the island. 

DOORS - WHAT DO THEY SAY?

  WHAT DOES YOUR DOOR SAY?
Do pillars, arches and more arches make the door more impressive? Does the door, with all of its ornate carving impress?  The purple doors are a statement, what do they say? The seaside garage doors surely say, "We live near the water."
Decorative iron garage doors are a nice touch--is this a safe neighborhood?
The yellow door-simple-striking-just right.
The solid wooden door, how do you know who's calling? Surely can see who's calling through the wooden slat door.
The hurricane door cover, hoping it will keep out the wind and water. The sunburst garage door, not for privacy. The pretty gate, in front of the house, keeps everyone out.
The southern, coyote, cactus door tells everyone where they are. 
             
       What kind of door do you have?
                

WHAT DOES YOUR DOOR SAY?

OUR KIDS~~~OUR GRANDS~~~OUR FAMILY

     WE MISS YOU~~WE LOVE YOU
     WE WISH ALL OF YOU 
 
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A GRAND NEW YEAR!

Patrick and Tracy                                                          Brian and Ceci   

Michelle                                                                              Josh and Kim

Ciera                                                                                  Emily (Flat Stanley)

Matthew                                                                                        Chloe    

Enjoying Christmas in Texas

                                                               A TEXAS CHRISTMAS 
 We have been enjoying Christmas time in Texas. We recently went with friends, Mike and Laurel, to the Hidalgo Light Festival.

Words and pictures cannot describe what a feast for the eyes this fest was. I took some pictures, but they do not begin to tell the story of how this town looks during the month of December. Every night from Nov.30 to Dec.31 the town is a fantasy of lights.
Lights are everywhere, flat displays were abundant (like the butterflies and peacocks); dimensional displays were fun to see (like the dragon, warthog, and ladybug.) The majority of the structures have been made by city employees. Private homes were also decorated. We took a trolley ride narrated by a Hidalgo resident, and also drove the route, with the van doors open so I could get some pictures.
(Double click on a photo, to enlarge it. Click your back arrow to return.)

Most of the businesses in town get involved with the Light Festival. The school children paint Christmas cards that are displayed on every fence in town. They were great, such talent in our young people!
The cowboy relaxing in the moonlight is the one I photographed, it seemed like Texas.
One park was totally from China. My sign is the rat--thus the rat decoration picture.
A Borderfest is held in Hidalgo in March, honoring a different country each year.
The lights are saved and added to the Light Festival.
We will attend Borderfest, in March ~~ this year featuring Australia.

Joe liked the leaning Tower of Pisa, I liked the Eiffel Tower. I also really enjoyed the ladybug, it is the size of my VW Beetle! The dragon and warthog were wonderful. There were many of these 3-D displays, we thought these were the best and most unusual.

A great evening with friends. An enjoyable trolley ride. Christmas in Hidalgo.