JOURNAL OF TININTHEWIND

     Located way off in a residential neighborhood in Donna, Texas is an unmarked restaurants of sorts.  I put it that way because there are no visible signs that the building is a restaurant, no sign, no anything, except long lines of customers leading in to the building and lots of cars parked on the street.

     If you do a little research on what to do and see in the Rio Grand Valley for us winter Texans you will for sure locate a visit to the Gonzalez's Burgers as being one of the highlights.

     The story goes, that the Gonzalez family owns a large ranch just outside the valley.  They butcher their own beef, bring it to this out of the way place, grind the meat as it is needed, prepare it and serve it throughout the day. 

     It is a fact that they try to accommodate everyone in line but if they run out of meat they simply turn the sign to closed and those still in line will have to come back another day.  The menu is burgers of the usual style, such as cheese burger, bacon burger, etc.  It is the size and price that apparently is the draw.  I had a plain burger with, onion, pickle, mustard, catchup and the price was $3.70.  Our neighbor Carole had a Bacon Burger which included 7 slices of bacon on top of the patty you see in the above picture.  Add a family size serving of Fry's and onion rings to split between and you won't eat for the rest of the day.

     Seating is at long tables which makes for a great way to meet people and carry on a conversation while waiting for your order.

     Pictured below are our neighbors Jean-Louis and Carole Gobeil who are also full-time motor-homers but have their roots in Montreal, Canada, and also a look at the line waiting to order.

     For lack of a better word, the restaurant, is talked about constantly through the forums on the computer and the business just keeps coming six days a week, usually closing about 2:00 when they run out of meat for the day.

Posted by George at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     I have not experienced as much Nostalgic Thoughts in the past as I have this winter and I suppose it is because the weather has been so questionable here in Texas.  It could just be because of advancing age but I don't want to admit to that, at least not yet.

     In a recent post on this blog I included a visit to the past and I got more comment about that posting than I have received in a long time so along with my having time to reflect I thought I would share with you.  Fortunately, years ago while preparing for this new life of ours, full-timing in the 'tininthewind' I started a web-site:  www.tininthewind.com   and because of the many entries there it is easy for me not only to privately revisit the past but to also share again through this blog, by linking you to where my thoughts are at the moment.  Click the following link to join me on a trip down memory lane.  Have your sound turned on.  When you reach the pictures you can click on them to enlarge.

                                                             Nostalgic Visit

Posted by George at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     In the picture above that is me with my youngest son, Bill.  The setting for the picture taken in about 1980 is an old 'chicken coop' in our back yard that we had converted to 'the hanger'.  My hobby was building Remote Control airplanes, flying them, crashing them, and most importantly, teaching the art of the hobby to my sons.  Both Bill and Scott became quite talented in their own right and many of those talents learned back then they carry with them today.

     Bill is pictured holding a near completed Corsair WWII fighter plane and I am displaying the kit of a P-38 fighter plane also of WWII vintage.  Now for those of you who don't know, these kits for the most part contained a box of balsa wood and a set of plans.  We built a lot of different models over the years and to see pictures of some of them you can go visit "my den" by clicking the link.  Once there click on the door and then when inside click on 'RC Hobby'.  If you are so inclined you can even click on the round silver bullet at the bottom of that page for a slide show of the many planes.

    The P-38 held significance for me as it was the plane that my father was killed flying in WWII when I was but 3 months old.  I worked on building that P-38 kit in to the 1990's but other interests (fishing), and the fact that my son's had graduated high school and left home, I put it aside as I didn't relish spending time in 'the hanger' alone.

     Just before going full-time RV-ing I gave all of the remaining Remote Control equipment, parts, pieces, and planes to Bill as he now was the only one of us who had a house/garage big enough to accept it and was now back in to participating in the hobby.  The P-38 was among the remnants of unfinished pieces and parts.

      In September of 2008 Bill surprised me with a call to let me know that he had completed the P-38.  Converting the power plants from gas to electric and was ready to fly it.  He asked if I wanted to be present?  We set the date and for sure, I was on hand for its "Maiden Flight".  I wrote about it in the pages of this blog back then and with much pride I share it with you now.

     Click on the following link to Reminisce with me!

                                                       "Maiden Flight"   

As an added note:  I commissioned an artist from Ohio to air brush for me the above painting.  Painting for me two mirror images that I displayed on each side of the semi-trailer as I trucked across the USA during my last career before retiring.  I received many calls on the 0l' CB as I rolled along and for sure many came to recognise me as we passed.

     My message then------- is as it is now:

Please! Don't allow the squandering away of blood and treasure that it took to keep this beautiful country free!  The sacrifices made from then to now have been huge.  Don't allow them to have been in vain.

Posted by George at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Another day without the sun here in the RGV but the slight breeze has the palms waving.  This picture is from the front of our coach to our nearest neighbors to our North.  There is about a block equivalent empty space between us.  I am tempted to go out and fly a kite cause that is what Kathleen told me to do, but guess I would have to go buy one first.

     The weather here continues to be quite cool and a lot of drizzle from time to time.  Everyone says this is a very unusual weather even for this area so we continue to have patients.  Patients is wearing thin though and the 'tininthewind' does have wheels.

     Kathleen is off to participate in some ladies day activities and I think I will find the largest beach towel we have and head for the jacuzzi and pool. 

     Hope wherever you are, you are contending with the weather, and knowing what most of you are contending with cold, I promise to quit complaining.

Posted by George at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)