ELKS,PIGS AND WINS

Soggy, soggy, was our day. A bit of clearing in late afternoon sent us out to the Elks Club where a convocation of WINS was meeting. Jim left the WINS, which stands for Wandering Individuals Network, in 2007. Whenever he hears a group of WINS are meeting, he likes to reconnect with a group he really loved. There were ten rigs present at this venue, with more coming. And, likely we will run into them again as we head up the coast starting today. Margaret Murray, left, is a fellow blogger at http://www.mwmnewadventures.com/

Many women are afraid to travel alone and Margaret gives you an idea of what it is like. Check out her great blog.

I’m a new ELK member and was delighted to have a chance visit at the Harlingen Lodge. In their foyer, they have “Lucky” who collects money for Special Needs Children. In our Lodge #1587, Sonora, CA., each individual is given a purple pig to fill.

Every table in the lodge also has a red pig. Jim and I put our change in, but we saw no money in any of them. We enjoyed a couple of drinks with our friends, (you have instant hugging friends  with the WINS).

Then we headed back down 77 Sunshine Strip to pick up my bike at the bike shop. Don’t you just love the name of the street?

Birds gathered to enjoy the clearing weather, or maybe they are getting ready for National Bird Day, that’s today. I hope I can get a few nice bird pictures while we visit South Padre Island.

HORSESHOE BALLET

Cortez, Colorado is a colorful, small, Western town. There is something very comfortable about this town. Maybe it reminds me of the 1940’s and 50’s small town America of my youth.  We stopped a the Cortez Culture Center and that ended our exploration of town.

The building is an interesting one, very Western. Both sides have beautiful murals. Inside is mostly local crafts for sale and a bit of history in exhibits.

I took a picture of these painted skulls and then I spotted the Shamon’s Medicine Stick on the right. I bought it. The prices here are quite reasonable compared to many other places we’ve stopped along the way. I don’t know why we didn’t take a decent picture of it. I guess I got excited and we got it  wrapped and headed for a mailing center down town. Unfortunately, the mailing center wouldn’t take it because it was two big.  The center uses Fed Ex and UPS and neither will take a package that size. Hmmmm!  We managed to fit it in the Bronco.

And, when we got back to the motorhome, it was a difficult decision about where and how to store it without damage until the motorhome arrives in Murphys in Oct. 2013.  We unloaded and reconfigured a storage area in the back of the motor home.  I would have to say my usually, congenial partner was much less enthusiastic about this purchase than me.

We are parked at the American Legion and decided to have a fast food dinner and watch the horseshoe games scheduled there on Thursday nights.

It turned into a horseshoe ballet.

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The body language, the facial expressions.  Hey, this is better than watching the pros.

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Some of these gestures are suggestive of another expression.  Truth to tell, I was trying to get a picture of a horseshoe in the air and failed. But the ballet was interesting.

Also interesting was this pick the players carry.  It is used to dig the horseshoes out of the sand. We have a pit at home, but I’d never seen one of these.

Nor had I seen these handy drink holders the players like next to their seating outside the protective fence.  Horseshoes is obviously a serious pursuit here.

We probably enjoyed the game as much as the players.

We shared a table for drinks and dinner with Mama and Baby Baier,  a mother and daughter related to the famous wrestler, Max Baer. The change in spelling is mine, because I have a friend in California who is a cousin to Max Baer and that is the way they spell it. I haven’t checked with Louis Santucci to find out why that branch of the family spells the name without the I.

 

Jim claims Baby Baier may be small but she has the grip of an oil driller. He also decided to give her a hand-to-hand transfusion of 20 pounds he’d like to be rid of and she’d like to have.  Oh, well.  I guess you had to be there.

We left the American Legion and returned to the Cultural Center for a Native American Dance. I’ll explain that tomorrow since we are packing up to move to Mesa Verde today.

SAN XAVIAR MOOSE

Yesterday, we left Sandee’s and drove to Thornydale,  AZ where I was able to buy ink for our printer,  fax paperwork and catch up on some business before reaching a small suburb of Tuscon. I’m learning that Tuscon covers a huge area of influence. Didn’t we just leave Tuscon 80 miles back?

We are staying with the Moose for several days where we met (serious only in the photo) Paul, our seat mate at the bar. Every now and then you meet someone who says, “What’s blogging?”  It is hard to explain to people with no experience with computers. Paul kept shying away from having his picture taken and finally agreed. He was a lot of fun and agreed to sell us some home-made green corn tamales.  We still lust after those we bought in Yuma in 2008. We compare all  to those.

Carleen, the bartender was a hoot and kept telling us how strong she is. Doesn’t do arm wrestling, though.

Some lodges people are friendly as can be and make you feel instantly at ease. We stayed for dinner. Paul touted us on the Tuscon Rodeo and Parade which isn’t until Thursday.

We laughed with this crusty, funny gal.

 

 

I got a recipe from my friend Pam Munn that is quick and easy in an RV. Use a package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Add a rind of cheese, two green onions, two stalks of celery, a sprig of parsley or cilantro if you have it.  One  potato cut into chunks. In ten minutes, you have a fast eat. It’s protection against raining cats and dogs.