Fun in Progresso and on to points west

March 24, 2009
Today is a good day to drive! We departed from Santa Maria where we had spent the night at the little community center. When we woke this morning, two masons were working on the renovations of the old church. On our last stop in Progresso, Mexico we found Damiana, liquor. It is named for the plant it is made from; and our grand daughter is named from this plant. Nicole, you are going to love the bottle; it is a chest and belly view of a woman! We enjoyed our last visit to Ay Jalisco. A group of spring breakers were there enjoying the music and one young man had a sombrero that he tossed on the floor and everyone danced around it. The band had fun with the group and played that chicken song and had everyone clapping along to the dancers doing the chicken dance.

Heading west into the sun! Through McAllen, Mission, Sullivan, Rio Grande City…. Following just a few miles south is The Wall. As we see it, the USA just gave hundreds of acres of prime river front property to Mexico!

At Salineno we turned south and drove straight to the Rio Grande River. We could still go down to the river; the wall has not made it this far. The prickly pear cactus are blooming. We sat and enjoyed the view, the rush of the river and the chirping of the birds. There is a birding center here. The couple from IL that use to live here and invite people to bird watch at their little trailer. They gave the land to the state and it looks like they still let people come in to bird watch from 8-4pm. A fisherman came to try his luck and talk on his cell phone. He was soon joined by another fisherman with two little girls wearing their life jackets. We decided it was a little too busy here and drove up to the community park. We enjoyed some of the fresh greens Jack and Liz gave us from their garden: collards, kale, spinach, cabbage and tomatoes and onions. So yummy! And good for us! As Will was setting up our table we spotted a scissor-tail flycatcher. It is a funny bird to watch fly with that long split tail. We ate watching the setting sun then headed inside for some Star Gate Episodes.