We Have Found Our Tribe

A dear friend said to me on Facebook that we have  “found our tribe.” What a great statement! And how true!  

Today, I am going to introduce you to the members of our group. Last year, they asked us to be part of the Traveling Sisters and this year we have enjoyed many moments of getting to know them even more. Here they are:

 Having Fun in Mexico

 Sharon and Pat

 Katie

 Kerry and Janet

 You know this one!

 Latona and Katie at Palo Alto NHS

Patti and Annie

 Annie

Some of us at the Rodeo!

Perhaps you have noticed, on the end of our row, that our group increased when Joan and Lucille arrived a few weeks ago. Our tribe is a wonderful group of people that will now include people from Maine, Oklahoma, and Iowa. I wonder how far our tribe reaches?

We feel included, respected, and loved. Each person is committed to an honest journey and is determined to live a fun-loving life. This is the tribe called the Traveling Sisters, and we are so glad they have adopted us!

Number Four

What a fun experience we had with the Traveling Sisters and a few friends from the campground!  Latona and I went on our first dinner cruise and really loved it eating a shrimp appetizer and tacos for the main course. We went on a catamaran leaving from South Padre Island and sailed the shore of the Laguna Madre. (South Padre Island is the largest barrier island and separates the Gulf of Mexico and the the Laguna Madre.) 

While on the sailing vessel, there was a special nod to the veterans on board. They gathered in the front of the ship and had their picture taken. It was an all-male group and we didn’t think much of it until a man made his way back to our  part of the ship and shook hands with one of the Sisters.  She was veteran, and he was a Vietnam Veteran and he wanted a picture with her, and wanted to shake her hand!

Because we had visited Vietnam we wanted a chance to talk with him. First, we thanked him for recognizing our sister and what she had given in her service. Then we told him what the South Vietnamese people said when they gestured and held up their thumb, “America, number one.” They said that we came to help them, to build schools, hospitals and roads. When we told the veteran what they said, he cried and hugged us! We cried 
too!

                                      *****

Another update on the birds.  We had better a better picture of the Sandhill Cranes...

And a nice shot of the White-tailed Hawk...

One more note for today.  We love to go to the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse for several reasons. We had a chance to see the video that explains had the water was pumped from the Rio Grande river first by steam and then by electricity to the canals and then the water pipes in the fields. The water is released into the edges of the fields in big blue hoses and soaks the ground by gravity feed. 

We went with several friends and had a nice picnic while observing the Border Patrol and the Wall from about 100 feet away.

The second reason I love to go is that the Monk Parakeets make their nests on the top of telephone poles in some areas of Hidalgo
And it is a thrill to see them. They use the bottom of the nest and sparrows use the top.

Perhaps the final reason is that there was a chance to affirm the love of my wonderful partner!