Winter Texan Times

It’s been a busy month

20200129 CasaValleJam IMG 1360 Boy, has it been a busy month – with the last two weeks seeming to go non-stop here at the Winter Texan Times office. Our readers have been visiting the office quite a bit this month – bringing their news in, dropping off reunion and meeting notices, picking up papers, placing classified ads and picking up prizes they have won by subscribing to our email edition.

In all of this, my husband, Dan, and I have been trying to get out more and visit the parks, getting to know the people that we serve. We have been invited to a few events, have had booths at others, and some we have just decided to drop in on and see what was going on. Our writers are out there quite often getting the newest story or learning more about a sport – check out our new column From the Cheap Seats where one of our writers has been able to get out and learn about sports in the parks.

Now, that's Texas Talk

Earlier in January, there were several Travel Expos up and down the Valley from McAllen to Port Isabel. Even though the shows were geared toward attracting Winter Texans, there were many permanent residents that attended. Great entertainment and music were offered at every show. Plus, lots of information and freebies were given out. There were exhibitors from cities and states in the U.S., as well as exhibitors from Mexico.

Those shows did not pertain just to travel but to a wide variety of subjects including how to cook and eat healthy, what bank to use for the best interest rates and best service, who to call in an emergency and on and on. The most popular booth at the Harlingen show was the one giving out a free scoop of soft ice cream. Unfortunately, they ran out of chocolate and then out of vanilla before I got my scoop! And how I do love ice cream. Think I’ll go have some right now!

I almost had a Harper

20200129 FtCS IMG 0824 I almost had a Harper.

The news kinda surprised me when I first heard it.

What’s a Harper? And how did I not get it?

I was at the indoor shooting range at Alamo Rec Veh Park in Alamo checking to see how good – or bad – my shooting skills were.

“He got a 10,” Jim Davis said, almost surprisingly. “He almost got a Harper.”

A Harper is named after a shooter at the 10-meter air rifle range (with the same guns and distance used for the Olympics) who could shoot out the middle of the tiny target and leave nothing but the white ring around the shot out target. My third shot caught just a piece of the white line or else I would’ve had my first Harper.

King Ranch tours teach history and farming

WEB On The Road Header What is it like to be retired? There is a difference in being retired and in slowing down. Most of the people who come to the Rio Grande Valley for the winter are not really retired, they have just slowed down. They are sometimes even more active here than they are back home. They keep busy helping their neighbor, giving back to the community, doing volunteer work at their church or pitching in as they help to prepare meals at the RV parks where they stay. And they do this until it warms up back home. Their minds are just as eager to learn as they always were.

Since it is said that our Rio Grande Valley is a world unto itself, most of the Winter Texans want to learn more about “our world”. But as soon as it warms up, the itchy foot wants to put the petal to the metal and head for home. Some even leave too early and are caught in a snowstorm in route. Just because the farmers are planting in the Rio Grande Valley doesn’t mean it is planting time back home. Stay a little longer, folks, we enjoy having you here!

Bam … Kapow … Whack

20200122 Pickleball IMG 0765 As I peered through my camera lens, I saw the angle that the attack came from. A pickleball player at the net wanted to go cross court with a smash. She went cross court and she smashed it.

Unfortunately for her and her teammate, I was standing out of play as the ball crashed into me, serious injury just a moment's notice away...ok, so I'm being a bit dramatic.

They lost the point.

“Yes, I was aiming for you,” said my plotting attacker. “You were targeted.”

Everyone laughed as the eight players taking up residence on the two air-conditioned pickleball courts at Bentsen Grove RV Park continued on with their games. Another 10 or so people waited their turns at what Larry Vermeersch said is the only indoor air-conditioned pickleball court in the Valley.

Second showcase did not disappoint

20200122 Showcase IMG 3810 While there were a lot of familiar names at the first Showcase, I was not familiar with more than half of the Wintertainers™ on the list to perform at the second Showcase. The activity director’s association and Robert and Billie Ferguson put on two showcase events every year to help activity directors book entertainment for next year. The Showcase allows the activity directors to get a sampling of what the Wintertainers™ can offer.

Even though I was not able to stay for this Showcase, I enjoyed every minute I was there. Only recognizing about six of the performers on the list, I was eager to see what the others had to offer.

The room was full of laughter and clapping – as just about every Wintertainers™ had a joke to tell.

New track at Ranchero Village officially opens

20200122 RancheroRaceway IMG 0689 Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley, home of what seems to be the new NASCAR world of remote-control racing.

Possibly the hottest thing to come to the hottest part of the nation in years, RC racing has done more than taken the Winter Texan world by storm. It has consumed it.

The latest and newest development of the craze was celebrated last week as Ranchero Village in Weslaco as the park cut the ribbon on the Valley's first cement racetrack.

Just as in NASCAR, where there are shot tracks, flat tracks, high-banked tracks and more, with the addition of cement to its repertoire of track choices, RC drivers can do more than just go race.

Now they can learn how to set up their cars to maneuver the varying tracks, banks and surfaces.