"Winter Texan is Better Than No Texan."
"Wasn’t Born in Texas, But Got Here as Fast as I Could."

The above are two interesting bumper stickers we’ve spotted since our arrival in South Texas. Yes, we’re finally in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, and yes, it is a long way from Arizona. It’s 800 miles just from El Paso, Texas to "the Valley", as most people affectionately refer to this area (and another 380 miles or so from Casa Grande to El Paso). On our way from Casa Grande, we overnighted in Bensen, Arizona; Los Cruces, New Mexico; Fort Stockton, Del Rio, and Zapata, Texas. While driving from Del Rio to Zapata, we figured we were at the end of the world. If not, at least we could see it from there.

We see few Canadian license plates here, and those that we do see are primarily from Manitoba. Most Winter Texans are from Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Nebraska. Seeing a license from Alberta or BC, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, or even Colorado is almost as rare as having snow in the forecast.

South of Mission (in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas) we visited Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park–587 acres of subtropical resaca woodlands and brushland on the banks of the Rio Grande River. Resaces are low-lying, former river channels which are partially filled with silt. This park is one of the best place in the United States to observe subtropical birds and wildlife that are more commonly found in Mexico. Birds that are found in both eastern and western United States are also found in the area. The birds we observed include Plain Chachalaca, Great Kiskadee, Neotropic Cormorant, and American Coot. Saw a half dozen of the Valley’s 260+ species of butterflies. Hike the 2-mile Rio Grande Hiking Trail and the 1.5-mile Singing Chaparral Nature Trail. The Rio Grande Trail took us through a variety of habitats–from the slightly elevated areas of dry, sandy soil where we saw prickly-pear cactus and honey mesquite to the low, marshy region along the resaca and Rio Grande River where cattails and willow trees grow. It’s mostly thorn-scrub vegetation–spiny hackberry, lime prickly-ash colima, Mexican buttonbush, Texas sugarberry. The Singing Chaparral Trail traverses riparian woodlands and brushlands. This plant community is designated as sub-tropical thorn woodland. Brushlands are dominated by thicket-forming, usually thorny, shrubs, and small trees.

We are experiencing unseasonably hot muggy weather. And it’s the same weather conditions almost every day. At six in the morning the temperature is 70°, by noon it’s 80°, and late afternoon hits 88° or higher, all with high humidity. Every day is a scorcher. One day we hit a record-setting temp of 91°. That is 33°C. Take a hot summer day in Penticton, then add to that high humidity. We’ve been trying to ignore the heat and humidity, hoping that an "Alberta Clipper", or some other cold front from Canada would reach this far south. But the sweat keeps pouring, and the air conditioner keeps working overtime, barely keeping up. And yes, it is true, the wind always blows in the Valley. But, thank God for the wind. With the hot muggy conditions, the breezes help to make life almost bearable.

On February 7th when we set up camp in Zapata, the HWH hydraulic leveling jacks refused to come down. Finally, 10 days later, after numerous phone calls to the Newmar factory in Indiana, and HWH plant in Iowa, a visit to the Newmar dealer here in the Valley (they would fit me in on March 1st) and several RV repair shops, and two appointments at Camping World, the shuttle value is replaced and the hydraulic leveling system is again working. That meant ten days without using our slide.

Last Saturday we took in the "Downtown Hoe-Down"–an old-fashioned street festival in Old Jackson District that featured two stages with live music, food booths, dancing and street entertainers. Old Jackson District is Harlingen’s old downtown area. Harlingen’s revitalized historic area features architecture from the 1920s. The palm-lined business district has restored storefronts, old-fashioned street lamps, sidewalk benches, and colorful flowers. Harlingen’s restored downtown is known as the antiques capital of the Valley. Rest on sidewalk benches amid beds of colorful flowers, tapping my toes to the local band’s best interpretation of the country-western and Texas swing music of George Strait and Willie Nelson, as Dania does her shop-till-drop routine.

The next day we drove to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, approximately 25 miles east of Harlingen. This 45,000-acre wildlife preserve is the largest in the Rio Grande Valley. Explored the Laguna Atascosa’s harsh but beautiful ecosystem by car and on foot. Took the two tour roads (three miles and 15 miles) and many foot trails. Bayside Drive, a semi-paved, 15-mile, 1-way loop passes through a thorn forest and coastal prairies before reaching the Laguna Madre, the bay separating the mainland from South Padre Island. Drove the Lakeside Drive; it’s only a short 1-1/2 miles out to the lake–Laguna Atascosa–that gives the refuge its name. Atascosa means muddy in Spanish, which describes the shallow lake on windy days. The lake is an important resting and feeding area for more than 20 species of waterfowl that winter here. Osprey Overlook, on the Laguna Atascosa, features two permanently mounted telescopes for a closer look. The birds we saw at this large nature preserve included the Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Harris Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Green Jay, Red-wing Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, and Virden. Yucca in bloom, Huisache with a showy display of gold, and numerous other flowering shrubs and wild flowers, indicate that spring has indeed sprung in this semi-tropical part of Texas.

Enjoy the great outdoors right here in Harlingen at the Hugh Ramsey Nature Park. The walking trails along the Arroyo Colorado abound with flowering plants and shrubs–Coral Bean, Caesal Pinia, Indian Mallow, Shrubbly Blue Sage, Anacua, Huisache, birds–Plain Chachalaca, Green Kingfisher, American Coot, and other animals.

Stop at the visitor center for Forever Living Products Aloe Vera Plantation. This magical healing plant is vital to the skincare industry and is being tested for use in treating ailments from arthritis to cancer to diabetes. The Rio Grande Valley is the Aloe Vera capital of the US. A 15-minute video provides us with a fascinating lesson on how this unpretentious plant is grown, harvested, and processed. Contrary to popular belief, the aloe plant is not a cactus. It is a member of the Lily family and is a succulent. Visitors receive a free plant.

A Winter Texans Calendar is published in the local papers here in the "Valley" each week. Most activities center around dancing, dance classes, and dance workshops (from pre-beginners to Advance II to Phase VI)–square dance, line dance, round dance, ballroom dance, mainstream dance, pattern dance, tap dance, two-step, waltz, cha-cha, Latin dance, Country Western dance, Westcoast swing, and clogging–and Bible study. The Snowbirds (or, "Winter Texans", as they are affectionately called here) have created a culture of their own. In trying to define what makes the Winter Texans different from their Snowbird cousins in Southern California and Arizona, seems to me it has to do with their roots and why they come here. One must first assume the obvious–that Snowbirds, no matter where they come from and where they migrate to, do it to get away from the cold weather up north. Beyond that, Winter Texans come primarily from a Mid-West, small-town or rural roots–not that much unlike those that winter in Yuma, Arizona. And they tend to do what they do back home.

. . . to be continued next issue.