NOVEMBER 30, 2022 www.wintertexantimes.com 2 WINTER TEXAN TIMES South Texas Ecotourism Center EXPLORE, PROTECT, EDUCATE 501 W. STATE HIGHWAY 100, LAGUNA VISTA, TX 78578 FREE ADMISSION OPEN DAILY 8AM-5PM 956-772-0212 WWW.STEC-LV.ORG WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/STECLV • VIEWING TOWER • DISPLAYS W/QR CODES • LIVING EXHIBITS • AMPITHEATER • SPACE RENTALS STEC Fall Speaker Series 2022 Sponsored by The Laguna Madre Museum Foundation “DEEP IN THE HEART” A celebration of Texas’ diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife. Screening of the new film by director Ben Masters Wed. Dec. 7, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Center open until 8:30 p.m.) Free Admission & Refreshments “SPI Birding Center: Christmas Bird Count” Javier Gonzalez, Texas Master Naturalist, SPI Birding Center Educator Wed. Dec. 21, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Center open until 8:30 p.m.) Free Admission & Refreshments Christmas at STEC Thursday, December 8, 6 – 9 p.m. Santa, Food, Craft Vendors, Holiday Performances, & Kid’s Corner Family Fun • Free Admission RioValleyEstates@gmail.com | www.RioValleyEstates.com Rio Valley Estates See Ranchero Village’s (Our Sister Park) Activities Ad On Page • Concrete Pad Sites • Full Hookups • Wide Paved Streets • Gated Community • Shower Facilities • Laundry Facilities • 1 FREE High Speed Internet Modem with WiFi • 1 FREE Spectrum TV Cable Box • Swimming Pool & Hot Tub • Recreation Hall • Shuffle Board Rio Valley Estates (Sister Park to Ranchero Village) 715 N. Westgate Dr. • Weslaco 956-968-2708 Expwy 83 Business 83 W Pike Blvd Panther Dr Westgate Dr RVs at Winter Texan Times: Looking back 35 years Winter Texans love to play Whether it’s cards, shuffleboard, pickleball, dominoes, or billiards, Winter Texans love to play. They love to compete too. We have been to many different events throughout the last 35 years where Winter Texans have been playing all sorts of games. Winter Texans make games too, or they bring games from their area or heritage and share them with the parks. In recent years we have seen turtle races, Kentucky derby games, and even Wii sports games. It has been so much fun to see how these games are played and See LOOKING BACK pg. 24 how much fun everyone has. There are some, like the turtle races, that I would like to get back to sometime. That one incorporated a wooden turtle on a string that was held by two people – one on one side of the building, and one on the other. Participators tried to see who could get their turtle to the other side fastest. Golf has always been a favorite among Winter Texans. The Valley is a place you can play the sport nearly all year long. This is why we feature our Valley golf courses twice a year. We want to make sure you know where you can find a good round of golf. And we also hear back from you and where you like going, and what you like about our Valley golf courses. Sports like tennis have nearly gone by the wayside and been replaced with pickleball. Pickleball is a little lower impact and gaining popularity worldwide. Pickleball is similar to tennis, but it combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It is played on a smaller court, uses a paddle like a ping-pong paddle, and uses a wiffle ball. A game that has remained popular is shuffleboard. While many parks have their own games, there is also a Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Association that has regular tournaments nearly every week. They then have a tournament of champions in March. There will be an international tournament in 2024 in San Benito. You can get more information about the association and how you can participate, by visiting rgvsa.weebly.com. Photo by Carina Brunson Photo by Henry Miller
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