Mission, TX

My Cousins have a heavily modified mobile home in a conglomeration of six parks - all connected by golf car paths. There are some mind-blowing constructions thanks to very lax Texas building codes. My Cousins have done a wonderful job building this snowbird haven to go with a similar (but smaller) location in Minnesota for summering. Augie and Graveytrain look happy, no? Drink up Grinches! 🤣
12/22/23

Granjeno, TX

We went to the Junkyard bar, one of my Cousin's favorite hangouts. It sits right on the Mexican border... I mean right on the border.

Granjeno, TX

This was the view from our table. Note the border fence. 

Granjeno, TX

This officer was parked nearby enjoying the music.

Granjeno, TX

My Cousin and I walked a few yards to one of the gates...

Granjeno, TX

...and she tried to defect. 😜

Modern Grandparenting

My Cousins having Christmas FaceTime calls with some of their children and grandchildren.
12/25/23

More Traditional Grandparenting

Later, another of their kids showed up with more grandchildren. After a whirlwind bout of Christmas presents, the whole circus moved on to South Padre Island, where they have a condo rented for the week and I have a stay at the Padre Island KOA resort.

South Padre Island, TX

The whole party now moves to the Island, where the kids have a condo for a few days, and I have a KOA stay.

South Padre Island KOA

Basically an RV parking lot, with very little space between units. It is exactly what I thought it would be, but there are good ball fields right outside the gates, and Biscuit makes the whole island easily accessible. The kid's condo is only about two and a half miles away, so I've been taking biscuit down for breakfast each morning.
12/26/23

South Padre Island KOA

Augie approves.

South Padre Island, TX

I joined the family for lunch at Clayton's, the largest outdoor bar in Texas. This place holds over 20,000, with three stages, for spring break. Must be a zoo. Today, the two-man band played everything from Jethro Tull to George Strait.
12/27/23

South Padre Island, TX

Biscuit and I toured the south end of the island today. It was a nice day, but just a bit too cool (66) and breezy for a good beach day.
12/28/23

South Padre Island, TX

Biscuit is performing well. I've used her more here than anywhere else so far. This morning I almost panicked when I heard a rattling while riding. It turned out to be the key chain I bought  in Big Bend National Park rattling in the wind. 🤣

South Padre Island, TX

The gang stopped by our KOA spot in their rented 6-seater ATV (you see them all over the Island), on their way to a dolphin-watching cruise. Augie and I opted to to nap and watch football, although I see another ball session in our future.

SpaceX Hovercraft

The KOA has a Hovercraft landing?  Right down the road from my site, I notice this hovercraft warning sign. 

SpaceX Hovercraft

What I didn't notice, was the SpaceX logo - until my cousin asked me if I had seen Elon's hovercraft. Uh yeah, sort of. 

SpaceX Hovercraft

Then, while Augie and I were taking a sunset stroll, it came roaring in, and dropped off two Mulder and Skully looking dudes, who got in a Tesla and drove away. Apparently, this hovercraft, and many others, transport researchers and technicians who work at the SpaceX launch facilities south of Padre Island, to and from the mainland several times daily. The hovercraft ride: 20 minutes. The drive: 1.5 hours. Cool... right?

Big Padre...

...is a 800 pound, 14-foot gator, who used to hang out at the public fish-cleaning station in the park on South Padre Island. Eventually, he got too big and no one could use the cleaning station, so he started wandering around the beach looking for dinner. Now he lives at the South Padre Island bird sanctuary...

Big Padre...

...with several pals.
12/29/23

Gravytrain Visits the Beach

This morning, after my cousin headed to the McAllen airport to pick up her sister (oddly, also my cousin), Gravytrain, Augie and me packed up and headed north on the Island where the beach is open to cars and dogs... and whatever else shows up.
12/30/23

Gravytrain Visits the Beach

After a few nervous moments plowing through the softer sand at the trailhead, it was smooth sailing on the beach. We managed to find a spot to park and enjoy the warmest day yet on the Island.

Gravytrain Visits the Beach

Augie had a great day on the beach, ball surfing and generally running around unleashed. When we eventually packed it in and headed back to my cousin's place in Mission (about an hour and a half), she passed out immediately. I'm looking forward to three days camped on the beach next week on Mustang Island, near Corpus Christi.

Happy New Year (Unless You're Augie 🫤)

 I went to a New Year's Party in the neighborhood with my cousin. I had dosed Augie with CBD oil all day, but when I heard a Texas New Year's celebration start to ramp up, I knew she would be freaking out. Copious fireworks and gunfire had her hiding in the pillows in Gravytrain. I put on some loud music and tried to comfort her until she passed out, exhausted, when the gunfire finally dissipated around 3am. Hello 2024.