Leaving SOON!

Good news: Daren's 2 spots turned out to be basal cell, not a dangerous kind, but the Dr. still wants to remove one of them, and the soonest he can do it is this Wednesday, Feb. 29th! Candy's kind enough to take us in and we'll buy more groceries and plan to leave this weekend. After much deliberation, we've decided to go along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway around to the Florida Keys, and jump over to Isla Mujeres from there! It's just a much easier and safer route this time of year, (we gave up on the 5 day weather window!!) and, although it's a LOT farther, by the end of March, we could be in the Yucatan instead of waiting for the wind to calm down here. Of course, that's assuming we don't stop for a month or 2 every time we find a nice place! We'll see how that goes!
This morning was the last of a 6-week Max Lucado Bible study (God's Story Your Story) at Port Mansfield Baptist Church! I had to laugh that we were here long enough for the whole thing! When they were first talking about it, I thought we'd be long gone, but I guess we were meant to be here to finish it! We said goodbye to Sandy and Charles this afternoon. They're going to North Carolina in their RV. She's the friend who cut my hair like hers, and is so much fun! They have houses all over the place...Alaska, Rockport, here, and North Carolina! I suppose we all collect one thing or another, but I'd never heard of that one before!
I'm glad to report that Pete's eating again, and looking a lot less angular! He decided he liked Major (the German Shepherd's) food better than his pricey Taste of the Wild, so we've switched him to Purina One and he's quite content!! I'm so glad I don't have to cook chickens for him anymore!
Sue on Wind Dancer called on their satellite phone a few nights ago, and they're enjoying the Land and Sea Park in the Exumas (Bahamas). Talking to her certainly brought back fond memories of great snorkeling and lobsters! We're looking forward to pretty water when we get to Yucatan and Belize! Sue and Al's blog is: www.sailingwithwinddancer.blogspot.com if you'd like to read more.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today was quite a celebration here at Pelican's, and fell on our 34th anniversary! There was a BBQ, fajita, chili, salsa, and pie competition/fund-raiser for the Port Mansfield Fire Dept. The forecast was for wind and rain, but the sun came out, although the wind came howling out of the west! Those of us eating out on the deck had to hold on to our plates! There were lots of grills and smokers set up last night, and the contestants brought their entries in to be judged at noon! There was a great turnout, and we enjoyed a great meal and a memorable day, with a donation/pie auction and live music.
Yesterday, Candy took all 4 of us to Raymondville for Daren to see Orville's dermatologist, and now we're waiting for biopsy results on 2 suspicious spots. It's just as well, since the forecast for the week ahead is more wind and rain. We're starting to wonder if it ever stops blowing around here, and friends are starting to doubt that we'll ever leave! We know that God's timing is not always the same as ours and we'll leave when the time is right!

Padre Island!

Thursday, we took our boat through the Padre Island cut towards the Gulf of Mexico with dear friends Candy and Orville on Bootlegger, the cool British pilot boat that sometimes docks next to us here at Pelican's Pub. Candy's the first person we met here in town, and they've helped us so many times, even taking Pete to the vet. We rafted the boats together Thursday and let all 3 dogs (their dog, Prince) run on the sand dunes. It was a bit drizzly, but we had a great time!
Yesterday, we were thrilled when Pete's "Stat" liquid nutrition arrived by mail. I'm not sure he'd've made it through the weekend without it, he's gotten SO thin! Daren & I poured a couple TBS down his throat, and the stuff worked! He ate a full bowl of kibbles last night and we are thrilled! Same this morning! We met a nice couple from Pennsylvania with a GSP named Barkley, who's training to be a companion dog that visits hospitals and nursing homes. Pauline and Bernie told me about flea and tick control made with cedar oil, and I ordered some last night. It sounds like great stuff, works on all bugs, and doesn't poison the dog, like Frontline, where the tick has to bite the dog in order to die. By then, it might've transmitted disease, so what's the point? Daren's not happy that I ordered something more to wait for, since we actually had a weather window from Sunday until Thursday. It would've been a wet ride, but we shoulda woulda coulda gone, but hindsight's great! Today, we're being slammed by another northern front with rain, but at least we didn't get 2 feet of snow like they did in Denver!
I'm sure we'll get another break, although we're not sure WHEN it'll be. We HAD to get Pete well, and also we're waiting for Daren's new Visa debit card to arrive this week. Meanwhile, I'll download a couple of photos for you!