Such Beautiful Weather

We sure can't complain about the weather but the farmers could use rain. They were burning off the sugar cane fields when we arrived. It has been harvested and the fields replanted this past month and the new growth is over a foot already. Such fertile ground here along the Rio Grande.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday cleaning, doing laundry and grocery shopping. By Friday it was time to venture out again. About two dozen of us went to Pappadeux's for Pat's birthday. Since Lent had started, going to a fine seafood restaurant worked well for us. Our reservation was at 2:30 and it was about 5:00 before we got home.

Some interesting appetizers floated around. Alligator bites, raw oysters and boudan were at our end of the table. Ted had shrimp and I had talapia. It was all very good. The restaurant brought Pat a huge piece of cheesecake with strawberries and a lit candle in it. She passed it all around and when it came back, she and I finished it!

A Cajun fiddler was playing at the clubhouse but we had not gotten tickets for the show. We tossed around attending the 7:00 show because what we could hear of the 4:00 show sounded good. Just then our next door neighbor yelled in our door for me and asked if we were going. I said we were if tickets were left and she gave us two for free. They were passed to her by a friend from another friend and they didn't want any money.

Wade Landry plays at the God and Country Theater in Branson six months of the year and the other six months here in the valley. He and his wife put on a terrific show with a lot of zydeco music in it. He told lots of jokes about Boudreaux and Tibideau that were so funny. We were glad we attended after all.

We went to church Saturday with Fr. Roy. Our entrance song was Hank Williams' Oh Lonesome Me and the collection song was by Alan Jackson but I don't know the name. It was about Mom and Dad teaching us right from wrong. Fr. Roy gives everyone a Hershey's kiss for Valentine's Day. Last week he chastised those who leave before Mass is over so this week he asked they give him 35 seconds so he and the altar dogs can get to the door to give out the kisses. Surprisingly everyone did.

We had tickets to see Solitaryman who sings Neil Diamond songs on Saturday night. He sounds exactly like him singing and when he sang three Elvis songs he sounded just like him. But ... he was a one man show and his actions on stage were very disruptive to the entertainment value. He spent most of the time adjusting his sound, playing with his computer, knocking over his stool, getting a cough drop (which I was waiting for him to choke on) and taking drinks from a Subway cup. Ted said he chose to close his eyes and just listen because he was very good but
his actions were disconcerting!

Today we had horse races that were hilarious. The horses were created in the wood shop and volunteers were the color coded jockeys. They had big bows, huge glasses, matching colored horse and a colored sign with their horses name. We bet on Ann and Pat in the first race and then chose remaining colors in the others and did not have a single winner in any race. There was a contest for best Derby hat. I had on my red cowgirl hat since it was windy not because of the contest but a floral one was the winner. Today was the first time they did the races and next year people will be decked out like they are at Churchill Downs.

Late this afternoon was beer tasting prior to pizza night. Ted had gone with the fellows and they all bought unusual beers for the tasting. I tried some ale with strawberries and honey but it still tasted like beer (which I hate). Then I tried Fuzzy Navel malt. I liked that OK. There was a Lime Margarita one and that wasn't as good as the Fuzzy Navel. There were lots of beers to try but
I ended up drinking Sprite with my pizza. I just don't care for beer.

We had a good crowd and a few more plans were made for the remaining time of the season. In a week and a half around the first of March, the exodus will start. We are scheduled out of here mid-March.

Our youngest daughter will be married next February in Florida so we need to decide soon how much time we will spend here next year. I think we may do a month here and a month there. Stay tuned and you'll know when we know!