The Winds of Opportunity

Last week's weather was fabulous, and we took full advantage of it. I shot hundreds of pictures at several birding sites. We enjoyed grilling some chicken breasts for supper and for the freezer. We did lots of walking and exploring. But, while it may be the subtropics, it is still Texas. So, this week, we took full advantage of a significant change in weather: three days of winter. The RV experience includes learning how to live the good life in 150 sq. ft. on wheels. A major part of this learning revolves around discovering how to take advantage of the various situations that find us and then claim the gifts they bring daily. This week, we had ample opportunities to discover, learn, and claim the gifts of winter along the Mexican Border.

 

A Collared Dove

On Sunday, we knew that we were in for a stretch of wet, windy, and cold weather, so we took advantage of the last of the warm weather and headed back to Resaca de la Palma State Park for another try at seeing the rare birds that were still in residence. We tried earlier in the week and struck out after missing the Roadside Hawk by a few minutes. We likely heard but did not see the Becards in the trees. Birding is often as much about luck as skill. We arrived and hedged our bets for a fruitful day by bringing our overflowing recycling bag to empty in the recycling bin at the park. After dumping the paper, plastic, and glass, we registered and started searching for the birds. Once again, we missed the Roadside Hawk by a minute or two. The beaches also proved to be elusive. The only glimmer we saw of them was in the eyes of our fellow birders, who also sought them in vain. We took advantage of the large birding blind at the park, and I got some decent shots of our usual suspects. Those shots are below. Once again, Full-time RV life is about taking the opportunities that present themselves as you live your life. Today, we got some exercise before the cold set in, emptied our recycling, and got a few shots of some of our favorite feathered friends. Overall, it was not a bad day that could have been filled with frustration if life had not taught us to claim the gifts that present themselves rather than the ones we wish we had. 

A brilliant Northern Cardinal

Green Jay

 

The next day, the temperatures plummeted into the 20s with a north wind blowing at 20+ mph. This front would last through most of the coming week. So, you might be wondering what gifts cold weather RVing offers. This is where life must do the teaching. Anti-life would whine and complain about the situation. But life allows us to be creative if we can overcome our disappointment and frustration. This is more than making the best of a lousy situation. It is transforming the lousiness into something worthwhile. In this case, there are several movies that we have wanted to see. The internet and electricity were still working, so we bundled up and watched several movies. Typically, we do not waste good weather sitting inside Koko. This was the perfect opportunity. We claimed the gift of the moment and found joy with good movies, cups of tea, and hanging out together. The cold, nasty weather gave us several gifts, and we did our best to unwrap and enjoy them.

According to the long-range forecast, Thursday was the last day for the next week with good temps, light winds, and no rain, so we headed out to Hugh Ramsay Nature Park in Harlingen. This is an excellent reserve within the elbow of a resaca, Arroyo Colorado. We walked the two main loops, picked up one lifer, the Hooded Warbler, and missed another by a few minutes. I got a few pics, a selection of which is below. This park is part of the World Birding Center and has well-maintained trails, drips, and feeders scattered along the trails. They have done an excellent job protecting and making viable habitats accessible to birders. 

House Sparrow

Inca Dove

Red Eared Turtle

Least Grebe

Green Kingfisher

Kingfisher in flight

A Skittering Grebe

Green Heron

Green Heron Tossing Back a Morsel

white Egret

Curved Bill Thrasher

House Sparrow

Great-Tailed Grackle

Curved Billed Thrasher

Southern Dog Faced Butterfly

Altamira Oriole

Bathing Tufted Titmouse

Queen Butterfly

Javelina

White Peacock

 

Life on the road offers a steady diet of challenges. One of the more persistent challenges is to stay connected with family and friends so that we can stay informed about the important events in their lives. I am familiar with the eye roll that generally accompanies my declaration that I like Facebook. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" I stay in touch through my FB page, email, Zoom, and messaging apps. In fact, I am now in touch and up-to-date with more people than I was before our traveling days. My screen time is not a waste of time. I am retired! I am involved in the lives of our kids, grandkids, long-time friends, and new friends. My weekly Zoom with my self-proclaimed-with-tongue-in-cheek Council of Sages and our monthly Zoom with long-time friends called "It's 5 0'Clock Somewhere" offer precious connections and community. Facetime with grandkids, where we discuss dinosaurs and the latest video games, also enriches our time on the road. Phone calls and emails with the kids and older grandkids remind us that we are family. Texting with long-time friends and regular emails about the blog are links to people who would likely drift apart in the currents of daily living. Indeed, I wonder if I would be as engaged with the number of people via FB and all these other sources if I were busy being part of a local community with the same level of intensity. Nope, life on the road allows me to share with as many people as I feel I can handle. I will continue to take advantage of these opportunities as long as they prove meaningful to the tribe of which I am part.

 

Last week, a friend remarked after hearing me describe how we handle life on the road, “The more I hear you talk about RV life, the more it sounds really complicated!” It is more complicated than living in the same house for over twenty years like we did in Baytown. This picture is our water, sewer, and power connections for Koko. All of this was buried underground and in the walls of our house. We never thought about the services until they stopped working. Life in one place allowed habits and routines to develop. I spent most of my time following familiar paths and had very few surprises. (When these surprises happened, they were generally beyond our control.) But, as I have written before, full-time RV life is all about change. I have habits and routines, but they are limited to the 150 sq. ft. of living space in Koko. Within that space, we have had to learn many things, like hooking up, maintaining, and disconnecting our water, sewer, and electricity. We are constantly learning, unlearning, and re-learning. Which may be complicated, but it is also interesting and, at times, entertaining. This is not unlike changing out the toys in the Chimpanzee zoo habitat to keep the critters from becoming bored. Our lives may be more complicated than life in the house or apartment, but it is seldom dull! There is a lot to learn, and this truly is part of the journey! I hope it is keeping the brain young and agile!

Our week finished on a wet and cold note, much like it began. Though, it is not as damp nor as cold. Our great challenge during the next 5-7 days of wet weather is to find places to explore and ways to stay entertained when we are in Koko. (The more significant challenge is to stay away from the snacks.) I have my writing projects and love to watch TV. Marlene reads and watches TV. I have a couple of books going as well. Plus, there is staying in touch with friends and family and doing our chores around Koko. It's not exciting, but it is our life on the road. It enables us to take advantage of opportunities as they come along as long as we are awake and aware enough to see them. Often, the complications keep the eyes open and the mind alert. Our lives abound, even on wet, windy, and cold days! Let me rephrase that. “Our lives abound, especially on wet, windy, and cold days!”

 

Travel well, my friends!

Bob