Sunday, January 29, 2012

another weekend in paradise!

the weather cooled down a bit, and the humidity went way down..  we spent Thurs packing for our trip west.  Lunch at



we began with salsas and beans..



I had both Cabrito and Steak..


the cabrito was a bit greasy for my taste but was good.. the white meat almost tasted like.... chicken!  the steak was good too, again a bit greasy for me.

Eric had the cabrito tacos..  very good..


What is Cabrito??  
Cabrito is a dish made from a young kid goat. Traditionally, cabrito is roasted, although the term is sometimes more generally used to refer to any dish with kid goat, ranging from stewed cabrito to grilled cabrito. This dish is widely eaten in Latin America, and it is also common in Texas and several other parts of the American Southwest, thanks to the heavy influence of Latin American cuisine on the food of this region.
Generally, the kid used to make cabrito is between one and three months of age, when it is especially young and tender. Even when young, however, goats have dark, gamy meat, which does best with a very slow cooking preparation which tenderizes the meat while bringing out the flavor. Traditional roast cabrito fits this requirement quite nicely, which may explain why it has become such a popular dish in Latin America.
Monterrey, Mexico, is generally viewed as the world headquarters of cabrito, and many restaurants prepare their cabrito “Monterrey Style.” There are actually several traditional ways to make roast cabrito; one of the most common ways to make this dish is to roast a whole kid on a spit over a slow-burning charcoal fire, turning it frequently and basting well to enhance the flavor.

this could be a repeat place..  not sure if that will happen as we still have lots to eat before we head north..

Friday we got up early and headed to Rio Grande City for a tour. 



it took about 90  minutes to see everything.  all of the buildings that are left standing are about 150 years old.  some have been restored.

this is the house that Robert E Lee lived in..



Our Lady of Sorrows Grotto gets a lot of visitors through the year.





beautiful flowers..



how about this for an outdoor kitchen.. a bit rustic and needs work but good ideas..



Rio Grande from Roma Bluffs..  across is Mexico..





getting hungry.. 





ate too fast to take pictures.. but the food was wonderful, enchilada suizas for me and taco, enchilada and tostada for Eric..  the salsas were a bit hot for me but oh so good..

next we headed to our home for the next two days at Falcon State Park.

we rented a shelter with amenities...





pretty plain but all we need.. 

Fishing on the river.





looks like Kathy caught one...  a tilapia!!  heavy one, bent my hook!






Actually had a campfire!  its been over 2 months since we were able to have one.

Saturday: Eric heating water for coffee...



went for a hike around the park, identified a few birds we have not seen yet.. beautiful flowers.. 




Lunch at the campsite...


after lunch the clouds and some rain came in.  we headed to a wild life refuge where the volunteers feed the birds, and welcome people to sit and watch, take pictures and learn all about the birds.  they are right near the river, not sure if we would stay there!





the border patrol came down to the river (where we parked) to check out this van..  not sure what to make of it (but we were very suspious!)...



Jiffy Pop on the campfire..



was able to get WOJB on the computer for Honky Tonk!  great night around the campfire.

Sunday we got ready to head back to Alamo,  cocktail party at 5:00!  to say good bye to some and Hello to others..

party plate..


about 30 people showed up, about 5 couples from Wis and one from Minn!


 


a fun filled weekend.   the weather could have been better. but who are we to complain!  not complaining just commeting.

 
work again tomorrow and Tues.  canoe ride on Wed then work again on Thurs..


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Working again...

another work week..  pretty much the same as the others.  but the weather is getting warmer and much more humid..

flowers are blooming..


 one of our ponds is getting drier..  the fish are now almost out of the water..


the vultures are just waiting for dinner.

this is the largest Kingfisher, and only found here in south Texas.



Mushrooms are growing too..


this weekend we are heading west to Rio Grande City, Roma and Falcon State park..  the weather is suppose to be about 72 and sunny.. 


Monday, January 23, 2012

open house, bike ride and Bullfighting....

we had a lot to cram into three days!  It was very windy on Friday so we only got a 6 mile ride in on the bikes.   We went to lunch with Mike and Carol at a place on the River (Rio Grande) .. on the way we stopped at La Lomita chapel.  they had not been there before and it is listed as a Ghost Town on the net..  looked for ghosts but no luck..

pork tenderloin sandwich.  I had already eaten a big chunk before taking the picture!


they have a cruise on the river that someday we plan on taking..



went to an open house at a local RV village..   http://www.bentsenpalm.com/retama-village/

RETAMA VILLAGE RV SUPERSITES have their own featured neighborhood section that offers uniquely designed RV home sites that include an expansive concrete coach pad, automobile parking, patio, and a permanent 12’x20’ (Phase 1) or 12’x24’ (Phase 2) Texas Coach House, complete with plumbing rough-in for a full bathroom/shower and washer/dryer connection. Several options, including interior finish-out, patio areas, screened porches and other variations, are available to fit the active outdoor lifestyle found in Retama Village.

we thought it would take about an hour but.. it was so much fun and so beautiful that we were there from 1-4!  of course they had hot dogs, popcorn and water (that was really needed as it was sunny and about 87!)   every coach house was different.  they were all so nice but each one was individually finished off.   I did not get any inside pics but lots of ideas.  I loved the outdoor kitchens..

this one was the plainest of the bunch..

but still very nice.

the guys like this rig.. it carries the car and the RV!


the people were wonderful.  lots of them from Wisconsin and Minnesota.  some even offered beers!   Not for us but...  maybe someday if we sell the Wis home this might be the place to settle..

Woke up on Sat to 70 deg!   went for a 20 mile bike ride, just a little wind, so no problem. my new Big seat worked great..  we were just cruising around, going in and out of RV parks, one looked kind of familiar... it was the one we stayed in our first night in the valley! in November..  last week the first 10 miles took us 68 minutes, today it took 52 minutes!! 

stopped for lunch at Wallbangers..


Eric had cheddar cheese, I had mushroom and mozzarella.. they were really good... 


this is the third time this week we don't need to have dinner!  lunches have been way too big..

Sunday was another warm day.  mostly cloudy but a bit humid.  we headed to La Gloria ( about 60 miles away) for a Bloodless Bullfight! 

Sunday January 22ndmatadors
Cesar Castaneda superstar matador from Tijuana Mx
mano a mano
Lupita Lopez returns

PlusFeel the fire of Live Flamenco Music
Starring

Flamenco Espectacular Ray Duran & Sonia Chapa





Cesar Castaneda:  Matador  (superstar)...


one of three Matadora's... in the world!



the goal is to remove the flower from the bull and not get hurt!






The bull fight was so much fun.. a must do if you are in South Texas.  they had 4 bulls, 2 per Matador.  the bulls are only allowed to fight once then they are sold to rodeos. 


we took about 200 pictures and a few video's..  loving South Texas!!