Is Spring Here Yet?

It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since I have written anything for this. (I also cannot believe that I have not been able to publish this video for a week!) Yes I have been more busy than usual but I hardly thinks that is an excuse for me to not write some of the activities that have been going on around here and in my life. It amazes me that so many people are leaving for the cold north. I have heard of all kinds of reasons, grandchildren, taxes, births (more grandchildren), graduations, wanting to visit other places (that I understand), injuries or illness of family, and numerous others. Whatever the reason, no matter how valid the reason, I am glad that I do not have to leave soon.

I have to admit that the season is starting to wind down. This shows in a couple obvious ways here in the area of Bentsen Grove. First and most obvious is the fact that MANY places are vacant not only in this park but also in the camps that are close to here. I have not seen a lot of parks that are distant from here but I am sure that every park is starting to have vacant space across the whole Rio Grande Valley. The other sign that the season end is not too far away is the fact that every performance group is having a show here in the park. We have had shows by the cloggers, Little Theater, Kitchen Band, Men of Accord, the Spring Cantata, the American/Canadian softball game was played, the line dancers will soon have their show. Sure it took a while for these groups to get their "acts" together and then they have to have the show before the participants leave. Another sign is that many of the citrus trees are becoming bare, at least as high as a man on a short ladder can reach, and the trees are turning white with blossoms. With the end of one season another season is about to begin and things will simply change slightly and the activities will become different.

I don't think that I have written anything here about food or at least it has not been anything to speak of. It would not be any stretch of the imagination to believe that being only three miles from the Mexico border would ensure a great many GOOD Mexican restaurants. When I was in Canada I was not surprised that it was hard to find a Mexican restaurant let alone one that was good. But this close to the border there should be many very good restaurants. I have not found that to be the case here in the Mission area. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants around here and maybe some of them are good. I just wish that I could find one. One of the things that most of them have is good refritos. But that is not enough to call it a good place. Nearly all of them have serve meat that is so tough that it needs to be pulverized once more before serving. Many times the food is not hot. A dish that is supposed to have melted cheese and has shredded cheese that is not even warm is not appetizing. It also seems that most place have salsa that is more water than anything else. Dipping a chip into watery salsa is not easy at any rate. I don't think it should be that the best chips for dipping should be found in places like Applebees or Chili's. I have several place to try yet but I don't have a lot of hope. I may have to go back to Denver and go to one of several good places there. I know of a good Mexican restaurant in Brownsville but that is too far to drive for a quick meal.

A few days ago I went with some friends to one of the nearby nature preserves. There were quite a few ducks, egrets and anhingas there. The highlight of the visit was seeing and being able to video a vermilion flycatcher. One one hand I was very happy with the quality that my video camera was able to take and on the other hand I was disappointed with the poor quality that my digital camera was able to get. The flycatcher was a long way away and my digital camera was being hand held, so there really was nothing that I could have done different. Well maybe a bigger lens and a second tripod. The vermilion flycatcher is a very beautiful bird and I was lucky to be able to film it.



I have never considered myself a good photographer. I feel that a lot of times good equipment and taking a lot of pictures allows me to jump the gap to a point that my pictures look good. I have taken pictures of the park residents here to put up on the park picture board this year. So far I have taken 134 pictures with two people in most of the pictures. Because the pictures I have taken have been seen by many people I have been asked to photograph or even video some of the productions that have been put on here. I was just recently asked to take an official photo of the King and Queen of the park. I never know when I will be asked to photograph somebody. I was recently asked to photograph the kids of one of the workers. Just have to set a time.

Till later this is Uncle Duck