It is still pretty slow here in the Bentsen Rio Grande Village RV Park and in the Rio Grande Valley as well. The snow birds or "Winter Texans" are just starting to trickle in so there's not much activity in the park. However, I was able to sneak 
over to the pool and enjoy a swim and afterward a relaxing soak in the hot tub. An added plus was that I had the entire pool and hot tub to myself. Sharon has had a similar enjoyable singular experience in the fitness room.
One task we really needed to do while here was get the motorhome and car registered here in Texas. Fortunately the county we last registered it in allows on-line registration. Since we have an address here at the park while we are staying for two months it will be nice to take care of things that need to be mailed to us. Unfortunately registering Abbey and the CRV set us back over $300.00 so no eating out for a while… :(
More bad news occurred when I was able to spend some time evaluating the problem with our Kwickee retractable steps. I had originally diagnosed the problem as a stripped gear that I thought we could get replaced or fabricated at a machine shop. However, once I removed the gears and motor table unit it was 
apparent that the smaller gear was also stripped. Preliminary internet searching revealed that this part is very expensive so I have sent out emails to get quotes. Worse case scenario I will replace these really expensive triple steps with a much cheaper two step unit that can be supplemented with a portable adjustable third step.
I have had a bit of time to ride the bike around the park and Bentsen Rio Grande State Park and was able to determine that we will have plenty of places to walk and ride bikes. In Laredo we had invested in an annual State Park Pass and am glad we did because there are other parks to visit in the area as well. The bird watching here will be excellent as there are many endemic species found only in this part of the USA with the exception of some that are also found in southern parts of Arizona.
We also had the opportunity to try a spaghetti squash as we bought one on sale at the HEB in Laredo, Texas. I have seen several other bloggers mention trying this dish so we were curious. We cut the squash in half and deseeded it.We added about one half cup of water to one half sitting cut side up and put the other over the top to in a sense “put it back together.” Then it was in the microwave for 10 minutes, cooled a bit then and scraped out the "noodles". We then added our favorite pasta sauce and a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
My thoughts about this dish? Looked like spaghetti but didn’t taste like it at all. The crunchiness of the spaghetti strings of squash was also unexpected. I assumed (for no real reason) that the texture would be like pasta normally is…. Overall it was okay but in my opinion it had to have a zesty and hearty sauce along with a generous sprinkle of garlic powder to make it work for me.. Would we have it again? Maybe but not in the near future....
I'm with you on the spaghetti squash. Just because it may look like it, doesn't mean it's going to taste like it :) We tried it several years ago and I can't say we're excited to repeat that process :)
ReplyDeleteHard to beat the weather and the birding in the RGV! I'm sure I'll return there some time. Enjoy! The lonely hot tub experience sounds wonderful. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the quietness of the park. It won't stay that way for long.
ReplyDeleteI found it much more enjoyable when I prepare it and dress it as squash not as spaghetti, a little butter and salt. I like the crunch too.
ReplyDeleteLike Marikay, when we've had spaghetti squash, we just use butter, salt, and also a little pepper. I think it's better that way.
ReplyDeleteI like spaghetti squash, but haven't used it as a substitute for spaghetti (and I don't think I would like it that way). Made a really yummy dish for a family dinner that had cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and a little bit of butter.
ReplyDeleteThe spaghetti squash we is very soft and tender when we cook it, and lotsa tasty sauce works for us. Each to their own thou. Enjoy your time in the Valley.
ReplyDeleteWe had spaghetti squash again recently and we also decided we'd rather use pasta and will have the squash with some butter. Enjoy your stay in Texas. I'm waiting to see how you compare it to wintering in Florida.
ReplyDeleteJust you wait, Bentsen Palm Village is a VERY active, social place when all the folks return. They say the 15th and first of each month is when most of them return. I can tell you from personal experience that it's a very fun group! The Wednesday margarita nights are fun, and a good way to meet people. When the entertainment groups start in January, people tell me that the Red Head Express is not to be missed.
ReplyDeleteWe are right next door at Retama Village, 3713 Mallard. I'll walk my dogs through your park and try to say hello one of these days; if you explore around Retama, stop by!
We do the spaghetti squash with a regular marinara. We also melt some fresh mozz on it just before serving.
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