R-V There Yet?

Last night we were treated to a fly-over by the International Space Station,(ISS).  This event happens quite often, but this one was unique in that it flew directly overhead and was visible for about 5 minutes.  As soon as we went outside, we had no doubt which dot in the sky was the ISS.  It appears as the brightest star and moving quickly across the sky.

The time to view the station is just before dawn or just after sunset.  Last night it showed up at 6:26 PM, a time more to my liking than the pre-dawn visits.

To find human space flight sightings in your area, go to this site and enter your location. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

The data for the our area is shown below.

THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI NOV 27 TO SAT DEC 12

When there is a space shuttle in space, that information will also be shown.

Enjoy an out-of-this-world experience.

Highway, US 83, runs north and south from North Dakota’s border with Canada, where it connects with the Manitoba Hwy 83, and winds itself south to Laredo, Texas and then follows the Rio Grande River to the coast at Brownsville.

Down here in the Texas Rio Grande Valley area, it is the major route along the Mexican border.  From Mission, just west of McAllen, to Harlingen, there is an expressway that bypasses most of the small towns.  Business 83 is a little more interesting.

The small border towns along US 83 are all a little different but they generally have one thing in common, low income.  Median annual household incomes range from about $15,000 to $25,000. Nearly half are below the poverty level.

San Juan, Texas is a town just east of McAllen along Bus. US 83.  They are at the high end of the small town incomes with a median household income of $22.700.  It appears that most commerce in the area is related to the process of citrus and produce.

Palm trees line Bus 83 between the road and the railroad.

I’m sure that the San Juan Hotel was once a marvelous place to stay, but it is now an unused historical site.  Maybe the mice enjoy it.

At the other end of the spectrum, San Juan is home to the largest church in the RGV, the Basilica Our Lady of San Juan del Valle.

If you’re not in a hurry, our recommendation would be to take the scenic route down business US 83.  Many areas remind us of Rt. 66.

Just across the border from Progreso, Mexico is the town of Progreso, Texas, a town of about 5000 people.

Progreso, TX is an easy border crossing into Mexico and also a well known speed trap.  Every day the run down police station is transformed into a court house from 4:00 PM until around 6:00 PM.  I mention this because I had the pleasure to pay them a visit this week.

Usually we don’t stay in Mexico after dark, but this time we left at about 6:00 PM for our 20 mile journey home.  About a mile north of the border I was pulled over by officer Beinal, badge # 304, for a malfunctioning left head light.  I have never heard of people getting anything other than a warning ticket first for this offense.  Not in Progreso.  I was issued a citation for the headlight and given a time to show up at court.

We were driving our jeep which is used for beach activities and trips to Mexico.  We rarely drive it a night.  Last month we had it inspected and all was well.

I purchased a new headlight for about $20 and replaced the old one.  Upon inspection the bulb had what appeared to be a BB hole in it.

At 2:00 PM yesterday, I gathered my receipt and citation and headed off to the police department where I  was told that the judge didn’t arrive until 4:30.  I returned then to find that 12 people had signed in ahead of me to see the judge.  I suppose that I could have paid a fine, but that would leave me with a moving violation.

When my time arrived to see Judge Bustamonte (5:45 PM), he asked if I was guilty and the answer could only be positive since the light was actually out.  I showed him my receipt for the light and he dismissed the moving violation.  Here’s the catch, I still owed them for court costs of $100.00.  I had to go get a money order and return to pay the fee.

Judging from the number of people there, it is obvious that this activity is probably the town’s best “fund raiser”.

If you happen to be going through Progreso, TX make sure that you don’t speed and that your vehicle is in good working order.