Dave and Daphne are here again. This couple loves to entertain and you can see it when they get on the stage. This group has won a couple of Valley Star Awards including Duet Musical Group of the Year, and in 2019 they won Entertainer of the Year.
Once you see them on stage, you know they earned those titles. Their shows are full of laughter, tears, and a pull back in time with their classics and banter. They sing a little bit of country and little bit of gospel.
This past week has been a fun one. I was able to go out to South Padre Island last week and it was beautiful. I am rarely disappointed in the weather when I go there, although I know it is not always perfect weather.
It was in the mid 70’s with a breeze so the waters were choppy, and it was a little chilly here and there, but nice, nonetheless.
Dozens of people were enjoying the weather just as much as I was. There were shoppers walking along the boulevard with bags of merchandise going to their next destination. There were a couple of restaurants and areas that looked full as well. The Island was bustling.
TEXAS! Yes, TEXAS is BIG and we might as well admit it’s true... “Texas is a Whole Other Country.” And why shouldn't it be? Any state that has 367 miles of coastline, desert, dry plains, and swamp land along with canyons and caverns, snow, drought, and floods and covers a total of almost 270,000 square miles is BIG. No doubt those of you who drive down to spend the winter in Texas realize quite well just how big we are.
South Padre Island was bustling last week due to the beautiful clear weather. There was a breeze, but there was not a cloud in the sky last Tuesday morning to midafternoon. It allowed for you to warm up as the breeze came in to cool you off once again. The water was choppy, but the fishermen were enjoying being out on the sand and their lines in the water. To think, nearly 300 years ago, the only residents of the Island were the native Karankawa Indians, migratory birds, and sea turtles. Now the Island is a prosperous city with resorts, hotels, restaurants, and so much more.
You are in for a treat at this year’s Valley Star Awards Show. Although we are not presenting awards this year because of limited attendance numbers and not all our favorites being able to entertain in the Valley this year, we are still going to be putting on a great show. The lineup includes six well known Wintertainers.
Quinta Mazatlán is hosting author Jennifer Bristol from Austin on Thursday, February 4th, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on The Back Porch. Drawing from her experience as a former park ranger and lifelong nature enthusiast, Bristol explores 90 birding locations that are open to the public in Texas.
The book, Parking Lot Birding, is divided by geography, with each of the nine sections centered on a defined ecoregion in Texas. Locational accounts end with a “Feather Fact” that provides interesting and relevant details about birds in a particular region.
The Rio Grande Valley is home to the World Birding Center and has several locations throughout the Valley. Weslaco features one location, Estero Llano Grande State Park, and a nature center located in the middle of downtown, Frontera Audubon.
Estero Llano Grande State Park is the geographic center of the World Birding Center network. The park attracts a spectacular array of South Texas wildlife with its varied landscape of shallow lake, woodlands and thorn forest. Visitors will enjoy exploring the 230 plus-acre refuge.
Water is the magic ingredient for attracting wildlife and the park offers the largest wetlands environment in the World Birding Center network. A shallow lake, fringed with marsh cane, is actually part of the Arroyo Colorado. Classic Rio Grande woodlands add variety to the park that already boasts a well-deserved birding reputation. A former agriculture field was transformed in wetlands, with an island just right for a secure nesting site.
The Frontera Birdathon 2021 will look a little different this year. The park is looking for those who want to support Frontera Audubon in Weslaco by doing what you love – getting out and watching birds.
The Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH) welcomes Dr. Greg Selber to present two new books on high school basketball during the Sunday Speaker Series Online presentation, “Little Brother Gets His Due: High School Basketball in the Valley, 1914-2014,” at 2 p.m. on Feb. 7 on Facebook Live.
Selber, a historian on Rio Grande Valley sports, released two books, “Hardwood Heroes: The History of High School Basketball in the Rio Grande Valley Vols. 1 & 2,” which were published by the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame. Copies are available for purchase at the Museum Store.
This weekend the Rio Grande Valley Quilt Show will be held virtually. This year the RGV Quilt Guild will be conducting the show, workshops and more online. The event will be held February 8 through 14. The theme for this year is “From Vintage to Modern – Quilts for All Times.” The quilt guild invites participants and attendees to immerse themselves in the history, nostalgia and even look into the future of quilting.
