We're settling into life at the RV resort. At first we didn't know if we would even make it a week here since most of the fun activities were cancelled. But we are getting used to the Covid restrictions and learning to live with them. We love the indoor air-conditioned pickle ball courts, even though we really hate to play it wearing a mask! It's hard to play ball when you can't breathe and your glasses are fogging up from wearing a mask.
Denisa has also found a group of hard core line dancers that dance masked. On a year when she thought she wouldn't get to do her favorite activity, she's glad to get to dance! That keeps her busy several mornings each week and is great exercise even when your glasses are fogging up.
We can also ride our bikes around the park for exercise. But our favorite place to ride is the Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park--just three miles away. We've been here many times before, and it's always fun to find the resident birds and those that are visiting here for the winter. This bright orange altamira oriole is obviously enjoying the local citrus as much as we are.
The pretty colors of the green jays are also a special treat in south Texas.
We always seem to find a yellow-breasted kiskadee,
It was a colorful-bird bike ride, as we also saw this golden-fronted woodpecker with the bright yellow and red spots on its head.
But Denisa will take pictures of the less flashy mockingbird, if it frames itself so well on a beautiful blue sky background.
Since we know this park well, we were anxious to go to our favorite bird blind. But there wasn't a bird anywhere in sight. Then we noticed that all the feeders were empty and the water feature was dry. The only living thing we saw at the bird blind was a javelina resting under a bird feeder.
When we asked at the ranger station, we found that they quit stocking this bird blind with food because of this javelina. He has taken up residence here, enjoying the bird seed that falls to the ground. But he has became aggressive to the rangers that come to fill up the feeders. So they're waiting for him to leave this spot before they start feeding the birds here again.
We were at another bird feeder site when we heard a rustling in the tall grass. Then another javelina stepped out from the grass to clean up the stray bird seed on the ground here.
Javelinas have poor eye sight, and he didn't even know that Mark was close. But Mark was ready to run when the startled javelina took off in his direction.
It's nice to be able to go to church again, even if it's outside. The owners of the RV park won't let large groups gather in the recreation hall for church, so an individual has organized an outdoor Sunday morning worship service. He sets up a sound system and sings the music, and the preacher gives the sermon from under the carport. It's one of Denisa's Mother's neighbors, so we have front row seats.
Some people bring their lawn chairs and others sit in their golf carts up and down "A Street" every Sunday morning while we social distance in this outdoor church service.
This is a 55+ park, so people are being careful to social distance and masks are required inside any building. Some of the residents are finally getting their first vaccinations. We would love to get Denisa's Mother's Covid vaccinations while we are here and can drive her. But with a larger-than-usual elderly population here in the winter, there doesn't seem to be enough vaccine to go around. She is registered with two different groups, but has yet to get the magic ticket for a vaccination.
So we are settling in for a month in the Bentsen Grove RV Resort during this year that Covid has changed life in so many ways. We enjoy the palm trees and the moonlight, but we're really not liking the cancelled activities, masks, and the social distancing from our South Texas friends.
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