See FUN

From pg. 1 tertainers like Gordy and Debbie who came to the Valley nearly 15 years ago and were an immediate hit. When they returned home, they spread the word and brought some friends down.

While Branson, MO, a place where many of the visiting entertainers play regularly and is known for its great entertainment, the Valley’s Wintertainers™ also come from Nashville and Las Vegas, and from other states where talented individuals, duos or groups are usually looking to escape the gloomy, cold, and snowy north.

“I’m sitting here on a patio, overlooking a golf course,” said Blaine Swabb, one half of a musical/comedy group along with his twin brother Brian who are glad to escape the grayness of their hometown Greenville, OH, during the winter. The brother duo, Spittin’ Image, book 20-25 shows in 30 days – that’s an example of the popularity of the entertainers who come to perform in the Valley retirement resorts during the winter. It’s sort of an underground music scene – except it’s not for the college crowd, but for the 55 and above crowd.

Dave and Daphne are another huge favorite and were voted the Duet Musical Group of the Year by the Valley Star Awards this year, and have won the award in the past as well.

“We are so thankful to have won that award and we know that’s it’s because of all the Winter Texans who come out and support us,” Daphne said. “We are thankful that they let us do what we love. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to do that.” Dave and Daphne come from Nashville. Dave was formerly lead guitar player for Barbara Mandrell and Daphne sang gospel with The Gaithers Homecoming Show. Country legend Roy Clark said Dave Salyer

is “one of the most fabulous guitarists on the planet.” His solo repertoire on guitar (or banjo) range from “Orange Blossom Special” to “The Flight of the BumbleBee” and from “Wildwood Flower” to the “William Tell Overture.” He also toured the world with Barbara Mandrell, who says ”Dave Salyer is the best guitarist I’ve ever had.” Daphne Anderson has performed with some of the greatest Southern Gospel groups of all time, including the Bill Gaither Group, the Florida Boys, The Cathedrals, Rex Nelson and more. The Southern Gospel Music Association voted her their Female Vocalist of the Year. Rusty Rierson, a performer who drove down from Wichita in zero-degree weather for his first winter to perform in the RGV in 2018, became an instant hit in the Valley. He won the Male Vocalist of the Year award this year. He has performed alongside the likes of Sawyer Brown, Dustin Lynch, T. G. Sheppard, Moe Bandy, Bill Gentry and others. His 2012 song ”Souvenirs,” a project recorded See FUN pg. 24 PETE’S MOBILE HOME SUPPLYTRANSPORT

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From pg. 23 in Nashville with producer Richie Owens, briefly charted on the Music Row Breakout Chart in the U.S. but went No. 1 for four straight weeks on Europe’s Country Music Chart and held off country superstar Toby Keith to the second position the whole time.

Other popular Wintertainers™ include Rick McEwen, the Baker Family, Helen Russell and Company, Festus Lives On, Shake, Rattle and Roll, Mountain Highway, Redneck Revival, and Nu-Blu. And that is just naming a few. There are too many to mention that visit the Valley just to have fun with the Winter Texans.

These individuals perform at the parks throughout the Valley. The cost is typically in the $7 to $9 range while the same show in Florida or Arizona will cost $10-$15 and in Branson – a mini-Nashville if you will – the cost could be $30-$50 or more for the same show.

Activities everywhere you look

Peruse through the Parks Calendar in any January or February edition of the Winter Texan Times – see it online at www.wintertexantimes. com. By the end of March, the season is coming to a close and the park activities have tapered down – but there is still plenty to do. What’s more impressive is that there are more and more activities and social events being added on a regular basis as activity directors and park managers realize that the hobbies of Winter Texans today are different than those of yesterday, so they look to accommodate all – and they’ve done a great job at it.

And the events in the Parks Calendar are activities that are open to out-of-park guests, so your buffet of things to do is limitless.

Of course, none of that includes

any of the activities that are going on outside the parks. South Texas is known for birding and butterflying and South Padre Island and world-class fishing and professional soccer and basketball and....need we go on?

Adding to the social aspect of the Winter Texan lifestyle is the park community of friends and neighbors who participate in many activities together.

Dancing the Night Away

Of course, the Winter Texans aren’t kids anymore – but they can certainly handle their own when it comes to dancing. Whether it’s line dancing, square dancing, waltzes, cha-chas, jitterbugs or anything else, these visitors know how to make a dance floor come alive.

For Winter Texans who prefer to dance, a dance can be found any night of the week in a nearby resort. While most are country western, square, round or ballroom dancing, rock ‘n roll is growing in popularity. The list is seemingly never-ending.

The Rio Grande Valley has come a long way in the past few years in terms of entertainment; there is plenty to keep you as busy as you want to be. Come on down and let us entertain you!

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Winter Texan reunited with lost painting

At 92-years-young, Ella Mae Marrs, who has been wintering in the Valley for over 30 years, had an exciting tale to share this season with her Winter Texan friends. A painting she did in 1992 came back in her possession this past summer.

Marrs said she took some art classes back in Kansas and had done the painting during that time. An article was written in the Kiowa County Signal in July, detailing how the painting was purchased at a Goodwill store in Mississippi before making it back to Marrs.

Marrs said she had a habit of taking pictures of all of her paintings, but for some reason, she did not get a picture of this one. So, the reunion was even more special, and that now she has it on her wall to cherish once again after all these years.

A lady by the name of Kim Cochran had purchased it at the Goodwill store in September of 2020. According to the article, Cochran said she liked researching the paintings she buys. This painting had a note on the back with Marrs’s name, date, and where she lived at the time. It took several months to track her down, but with the help of Google, she was able to find her name on a post on Facebook.

Cochran was then able to locate her at a senior center Marrs and her husband were staying at.

The two were overjoyed, said the article, when they were finally able to connect and share the painting and stories of how it came to be, and ponder how it came to end up at a Goodwill store.

Marrs said she has enjoyed her hobbies over the years and being involved in activities up north and in her park at Split Rail RV Park. Painting was just one of those things she picked up along the way…. At 60, she added.

As a long time Winter Texan, she said she had a relationship with the Valley before she became a Winter Texan. She also pointed out that she is related to founding members of the Valley – including William Jennings Bryan and Lott. According to her, the Marrs orange is also part of her family ancestry.

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SOFTBALL

From pg. 14 And they stuck around for the entirety and then some.”

The games were canceled last year due to COVID-19 (and the fact there were no Canadians, even though Brower said one Canadian made it down – he probably would’ve been no match for a full U.S. team).

“This is a sport where we all keep playing,” Brower said. “It’s a kid’s game – we keep playing and we don’t see an end in sight. If we give it up, then we’ll get old, so we are gonna keep going. We’ve got guys 83 years old playing and had one 92 a few years ago. “It’s something we all love and as long as we stay healthy, we’ll keep playing.”

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