Grass

All the rain we have had has made the grass in my yard go absolutely crazy.  So yard work it is.  It hasn't been very long since the last cutting.  At this time of year I usually can go a month or more without cutting.  The last time I waited way too long.  I could have baled hay in the backyard when I was done.  It was the first time my 16 hp mower bogged down.  I leave it a little longer in the summer, it survives the heat better when it is longer than keeping it shorter.  The shorter grass just burns up with this heat.

I am really looking forward to the college football season this year.  I have every year and the last few have been very disappointing.  My team has a new up and coming coach and I expect great things. 

But that was the story for the last three also and I was very disappointed then.  So I am trying to temper my expectations, which is hard to do when your team is traditionally a national power.  I will actually attend a game this year.  First in a long time.  Son #1 has season tickets and has an extra.  He has tried to get me to go in the past and I always opted out for various reasons.  He convinced me to try it one more time.

Son #1 and I have attended many games there over the years.  I introduced him to live college football when he was about 10 year old.  That first game we went to, he was a bit uneasy before we went.  None of his friends were fans of our Team.  They were all fans of the Texas Aggies.  This was back when they had a string of wins against Texas.  With those wins the casual fans took up the bandwagon of the aggies.  He finally asked me, 'will there be any other Texas fans at the game?'  He hadn't come across any Texas fans anywhere else but me and some family.  So he was a bit intimidated at what he might encounter.  Of course I assured him, there would be more Texas fans than he had ever seen and there would be very few of the bad guys.  This was back when he believed I knew all.  I miss those days.

I ruined him as far as watching live college football.  We used tickets my Aunt and Uncle would send us that they couldn't use.  They were huge UT supporters and had been forever.  So we would make 1-3 games a year for several years, since they lived in Denver, they couldn't make every game like they used too.  Oh yeah, 50 yard line seats up high enough to see everything and not to far away. They were the perfect seats.  How can it get any better?  See, he is ruined.

We sat next to their friends that were at every game and they got to where they looked for us.  To a football fan, there is nothing better than live football, and that atmosphere at a place like Memorial Stadium was unbelievable.  It was a special time with my Son I still cherish.  So I am looking forward to this game, hoping to bring back some great memories and spend a little time with that boy I don't spend as much time with anymore.

Happy Trails

Another Update

As of Monday 4:30 PM it hasn't rained since Sunday evening.  It is still breezy and cloudy and even cool but the sun is making an appearance.  We were very fortunate to not have the storm come to our area as they had thought it would, and seeing all the devastation Southeast of us.  Everyone is talking about Houston and the flooding there, it is some of the worst I have seen.  However, if you see photos of Rockport, Texas, it appears to be almost gone.  There are many other small towns and cities that have been hit as hard or harder than Houston.  There are a lot of folks that are suffering.  That storm continues to dump even more rain on top of those areas compounding a very serious problem even more.  

We have been able to be out and about as needed.  Nothing really changed other than being more aware of our surroundings and the weather before we ventured out.  We made a quick trip to the vet to get some meds for Buster.  We will have to take him with us to Phoenix and the wedding.  We will have to leave him in the hotel for a few hours while we attend to business.  Since he has separation anxiety and being in a strange place probably will compound that, we are trying some meds to help him stay calm, and hopefully sleep while we are out.  So far we are seeing no real effect.  The dosage may need to be upped.  We also made a trip to get the microwave that the wife wanted, we are too spoiled to do without evidently.  Then Kim went shopping for a dress she will wear to the wedding.

A bit about this wedding.  It is being thrown together at the last minute so arrangements are changing by the hour.  The first place they planned as the location was denied.  So an alternate place was chosen.  It is a park, in Phoenix.  It's outside, it's Summer, in Phoenix.  It's supposed to be 106* down from the usual 110*.  Yeah, I know. 

Son#1 will need to travel/fly out on the day of the wedding due to work.  I am hoping someone else can pick him up at the airport, I don't know my way around there at all.  But I am pretty sure it will be me.  There is a lot of stuff going on, it makes my head hurt.  It will be a fairly casual affair and hopefully short due to the heat.  Oh but it's a dry heat you say.  It's still too freaking hot for a guy that has had heat stress/stroke multiple times.  I will probably carry bottles of ice water in my pockets lol.

The things you do for your crazy children.  Actually, I am more worried about Buster and how he will fare for several hours alone.  Hopefully that will go better than I expect.

Happy Trails

Update From Hurricane Zone

We have been very fortunate in regard to Hurricane Harvey.  Just continous rain, not what they predicted, we have gotten about 3 inches along with some wind.  the wind isn't even very strong where I live.  Although just to the south of me they have recorded over 50 mph winds.  It still isn't over but I doubt we will see anything worse here.  I can't say that for the folks to the southeast of us. 

It has been horrific there and it is still going with major flooding.

On another note, we were informed this week that Son #2 will be getting married much sooner than expected.  He was 'told' a new much earlier date than the Spring Break time originally planned.  Yeah, he caved, the Nancy LOL.  We are pretty excited actually and have been making arrangements for a quick long road trip to Phoenix.  I will keep the date under wraps for now, OPSEC you know.  No, she isn't pregnant.  

Just over a year ago, May or early June of last year we replaced our microwave.  We had one of those over the counter jobs, so they are about double the price of a good counter top model.  Well, it has gone toes up now.  One year warranty?  Just past it.  I tried to hold out and just see how well we do without a microwave.  It is mostly a convenience thing.  We spent many of our early married years without one and then we got a hand me down.  Well, it appears that we use that thing much more than I guessed and the wife is caving to getting a new one ASAP.  This is just after a week without one.  I have to admit, making tacos out of left overs just doesn't work real well without a microwave.  I don't know how we did it back then LOL.  I am sure we would be OK without, but you know how it goes, happy wife.....

Happy Trails

Hurricane Update

I wanted to give a quick update from yesterday's post about the oncoming hurricane.  So far, by this morning just short of 8 AM, it is currently raining and the wind is getting gusty.  We have only received about 0.30 inches so far.  But that is supposed to change significantly.  The main thing I am concerned about is the predicted wind of 70 mph.  These would be consistent winds not gusts.  So I am concerned about my roof and two large trees that hang over the house.  But at this point it is what it is.  

We made our trip to the grocer yesterday just to top off things of convenience mostly, snacks etc.  

This grocery store we go to, at the time it was built was the largest in Texas.  It is huge.  Even when the parking lot looks crowded, the store inside still has plenty of room and you don't really ever get to close for comfort.  This time the parking area was more crowded than I had seen it before.  Still, things inside were still pretty comfortable.  You could see they were starting to have items that were picked over, like they hadn't restocked after Christmas weekend.  The were having a run on ice.  This was about 11 AM.  We wanted to get here earlier but we just messed around to long.  However, the checkout lines were longer than I had ever seen them and they have a ton of them.  they probably had 20 checkouts working and there were long lines at everyone.  They have about 40 checkouts, maybe more.  It took a while to get through and I managed to keep my cool lol.  When we got outside the parking lot was even fuller.  The gas station on the way home was doing a big business too.  I am sure they were getting low on ice.  I found out last night they were completely out of gas.  Luckily I had more than enough gas in both vehicles, so that won't be an issue.

So we are hunkered down here for the duration of this hurricane that can't make up it's mind.  The local weather experts admit they don't really know what's going to happen with this thing but they have to give the worst case scenarios for the complete idiots.  Well they didn't say that but you get the drift.

Oh, while at the store we both noticed an elderly lady, looking around like she was nervous.  Deer in the headlights look.  She was by herself.  So my sweet wife tried to engage her in conversation hoping to take the edge off whatever was bothering her, which we assumed was the storm and the crush of people that were prepping for the storm and all it could bring.  She told the lady that she hoped she would weather the storm well.  She all but snarled back that she wasn't scared.  Well OK then.  Not a thank you as we would have done or something similar.  There can be no mistaking my wife's tone of voice or intent when she does that.  So I don't really know why she needed to respond rudely.  Maybe she was truly fearful and wasn't going to admit it to some strange person.  Not a big deal, but it makes you realize everyone reacts to certain things in a different way in a stressful situation.

I couldn't resist that one.

I will have some more news and updates from this part of Texas as things develop.

Happy Trails

Hurricane Harvey

The local news talkers are all atwitter with Hurricane Harvey headed our way.  The local channels pretty much stay on the air 24/7 with weather related info until it's over.  We are currently under Tropical Storm warnings in my area.  We are about 150-175 miles from the projected landfall.  We will see major amounts of rain if it doesn't change course.  They are predicting 10-20 inches just to the east of us by 10 miles.  So we will catch quite a bit.  We will be OK as long as we don't venture out.  The wind is my only real concern and of course the tornadoes that get spawned by these hurricanes.

We live on the side of a hill so we won't encounter high water.  However, the hill slopes down toward the house and my garage has flooded with these conditions before.  It can get a few inches deep in there.  We have made preparations for that this time.  All things that could be ruined by that much water (boxes etc.) have been lifted off the floor.  I went to Home Depot and bought bags of sand and have laid them across the front of the garage door this time.  My back is paying the price.  There was another guy there doing the same thing for his garage.  He got all the bags of sand in plastic bags, I had to settle for paper bags and putting them in trash bags.  I wanted to do the same for my parents at a couple doors to their house that are low to the ground.  They thought I was kidding. My Mom has made arrangements to have a handyman come over and place them for her instead of letting me come into town and do it for her.  This handyman is a bit handicapped (mental) and is 70 years old so I don't have a lot of confidence in him.  But she wouldn't hear of another alternative, me. SMH.  I can only do so much with that.

This hurricane will hit land sometime late tonight or early Saturday.  We will get copious amounts of rain prior to that by about 12 hours.  Then it will continue until the storm travels past.  Maybe 24-36 hours of rain before it gets past.  We will head to the grocers just to top off a few things.

This isn't our first rodeo.  We are ready.

Wednesday

I finished the cover for the wife's Kindle Fire.  I tried doing a filigree style this time.  Something I haven't tried before.  She likes flashy things so I thought this might work for her.  

If you look closely at the first two photos you can just make out a hint of red.  That is the filigree, where I cut completely through the leather and place a colorful material behind to shine through. Unfortunately the photo just doesn't catch it very well.  I like contrast so the turquoise thread was my choice for her.  She seems to like it, maybe she is just being nice.  I may try this again.  I like the look for certain things.

I am a Yelp reviewer.  I review  just about anything, from food to services etc.  I got some feedback from one of the places I recently reviewed.  They offered me a better experience to my full satisfaction.  I had dinged them twice.  This is a taco place.  I am very particular when it comes to tacos.  I think I know my stuff and what a taco should be due to the many years of eating them down here in this part of the State of Texas.  The biggest complaint I had was the price.  From near 4$ apiece to over 5$.  For a taco?!?!?!  Are you kidding me?  Two tacos and a drink and I am over 10$.  I don't think so.  Granted they are on the edge of the hoity toity part of Libtardville.  I guess I can't blame them for taking advantage of their situation.  I told them, thanks but I doubted they would lower their prices and increase the size of their tacos for me since that was my biggest complaint. 

Yes, they were rather small too, not even average size.  

I am pretty particular about my Tex-Mex food.  Libtardville has that going for it.  It is the home of Tex-Mex.  I don't care where you go, the so called Tex-Mex elsewhere just isn't the same.  Even in Libtardville we will get these chain's that think they know what they are doing with Tex-Mex.  Some get very popular, but if you look at the clientele they attract, you know right away it isn't authentic.  

Yeah, I always ding them pretty hard on Yelp.  Imposters.  

So what is true Tex-Mex to me?  The easiest way for me to tell is by their enchiladas.  The tortillas that are used MUST be the red tortillas.  If they are anything else, pass them by.  Yes, there is a significant difference.  The yellow corn or white corn tortillas will get so soggy it is like eating slop. The red will hold their texture and and actually give you something to chew instead of soup.  Also, this is a Libtardville invention.  If you see it anywhere else, they stole it or ar from here.  Puffy Tacos. They are exactly what they sound like.  The tortilla or shell has been fried to a puffy texture.  

You might have a choice of chicken or beef filling.  Sometimes you can get one of each.  If you are trying them the first time I would suggest getting one of each.  They will most likely fall apart in your hand before you are through, so resort to the fork. 

There will always be a side of rice and beans.  These can vary widely in quality.  Most places it is just an afterthought.  Anyway, for my tastes and experience it is the little 'hole-in-the wall' place that gets it right most of the time.  They probably use Abuelas recipes that have been handed down over years. 

Check the parking lots of those places, they will generally be packed and the clientele is what you would expect to see in an authentic place.  They sometimes look a little seedy, but that's OK if they are clean, and keeps the Yankees away.  Yeah, my definition of Yankee is probably different too.  It's pretty much anyone that is not a native.  Born and raised.  Yes, if you couldn't tell I can be very opinionated.

Happy Trails

Eclipse

Underwhelming.  That is the word I would use to describe our eclipse viewing.  We were at Son#1's home as I mentioned previously.  My Mom was ready to leave about an hour and half after they arrived and it was only 30 minutes until peak eclipse time.  They always leave early at every event. Which always puzzles me since she likes to get out and socialize as much as possible and that doesn't happen all that often for them anymore.  We did convince them to stay through the peak anyway.

My Granddaughter was very excited about the eclipse.  Mom evidently spent a good deal of time teaching them about it and they constructed an eclipse viewer out of a cardboard box and other materials.  I guess you could say her anticipation was palpable.  Was she ever disappointed.  She got this hang dog look after a few minutes and it persisted until we left.  I tried to find out what was bothering her and her words were 'I thought it would be cooler than this.'  Yeah, me too.  We had 61% coverage here and I thought it would be significant enough to see some light change at least.  It didn't turn out that way at all.  I am guessing it would have to be in the 80%+ range to see a significant difference.  I tried to console her about it and she wasn't having it.  We will have a near full eclipse here in 7 years.  That is an eternity to a child.  She told me she would be 16 by that time in that same manner she had on her face.  I still tried to cheer her up and told her she would be a sweet 16 then. 

There was a faint smile that lasted a couple seconds.  Hopefully her disappointment didn't last much longer after we left.

The half moon shapes of the shadows of light filtering through tree leaves also was harder to see.  In fact we couldn't see it at all without a piece of cardboard laid on the ground to help define it.  The shapes were getting lost in the grass.  

Yes, I was a bit disappointed too, but it was great to see how much time the network news spent on the eclipse.  Something other then all the doom and gloom news for a change.  That, at least was refreshing.  

Happy Trails

Weekend

I am not really sure how to classify this weekend.  Kim had a pretty good day at the resort, but it was longer than usual and harder.  Consequently it has her down physically and that can last a few days. 

She appears to be better this morning, somewhat.  I am glad as she has planned brunch for my Mother's 85th birthday.  This will take place at Son #1's home.  So we will have to head over there in a few minutes in order to get everything accomplished.  I hope the traffic cooperates.  

I have been trying to have a meeting with my congregations' leadership for the past three months to ask some questions.  After 3 months it was sprung on me with little notice.  I was getting weird a vibe earlier and got a feeling it was going to be antagonistic which surprised me.  That part was at least a misunderstanding.  It was very trying but I had worthy support and I believe I acquitted myself in an appropriate manner and they got the message.  It was also a reminder that they are just men, like myself and can make mistakes and errors in judgement.  There are times when we all can learn something new or at least understand the other's perspective better.  I can't go into details, I put this here for my own failing memory.  The anticipation of this meeting was what made this whole weekend harder than usual for me and that affected the rib also.  

We will have only a 61% eclipse here.  That is enough to see that something is happening.  I understand that my Grandkids are very excited about it.  I assume we will still be at their house when this occurs around 1:00 PM.  It will be fun to watch their reactions.  I want to point out to them the shadows under the trees and how they look 'half moon' during the eclipse.  I have seen that a couple times and that to me is the most impressive thing about an eclipse.  The light filtering through the trees gets this weird half moon shape.  I have never heard it explained and I haven't 'googled' it either. No idea why or how it happens, I just enjoy the wonder of it.

I have a strange physical thing happening to me.  I have a slight tremor with fine motor skills.  I notice it mostly when trying to text on my phone.  My right hand has enough of a tremor that it makes it a little harder to accomplish.  If I am overly tired it is even more pronounced.  I guess most people have some sort of tremor to overly tired muscles at some point, that is what this is like.  I had gotten the weedeater going Thursday or Friday and the right arm felt strained.  It still does today and the tremor is noticeably more pronounced.  I think it is mostly due to the problems in my neck with all the compressed discs and pinched nerves.  I will need to mention this during a physical I have scheduled for next month.  No, I am not worried, so that is good.  Although it can play havoc with my leather work.  Fine detail will be a chore if it gets worse.  I already try to avoid heavy physical exertion with my arms/hands when I know I have leather to work.  Getting old isn't for pansies.

Happy Trails

Pulled The Plug

I admittedly spend far too much time on the PC.  Much of it is spent on the book of faces.  About the time my Granddaughter was born my Daughter-in-law convinced me I needed to get on in order to see recent photos she would post.  How could I resist as I had in the past?  I got more and more caught up in FB over the years.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Over the past few years I let the political and other similar type articles become a major focus for me.  Almost everyday I would get to shaking my head over the idiocy I would see with those posts.  I already avoid network news due to the garbage they spew most of the time.  It has spilled over into the local news at times also.  No, I didn't delete my account yet, as I have a couple business pages I tend to.  I just will be not looking at my personal page.  

Lately, with all the antifa garbage and much more stupidity I just felt like it was time to take a break from it.  Yes, I found old friends and we stay in touch that way.  I will miss some of the interaction I had with them for the most part.  I decided it was better for me to get off for awhile, not only to keep my sanity, but to keep from reacting to something stupid by saying something just as stupid.  I don't need to be saying things in the heat of the moment.  I get misunderstood enough in normal life without adding that to the mix.  Text and typed messages and posts can be so easily misunderstood since they don't convey inflection and emotion and facial expression.  It can be bad thing, I have seen it happen in my work place.  I don't need my friends and especially my family being alienated due to a misunderstanding.  Yes, I could TRY to keep from posting responses to things, but sometimes the temptation to respond is much too great.  Especially when error or truth is involved.  I seem to always get in trouble with things like that, especially with my family.  I don't need that.  Well, not 'always.'  I just don't need to have them misunderstanding me even in the least.  

So, yeah, maybe I am surrendering.  Maybe I am just avoiding being a 'trigger' by being triggered. 

Sorry I couldn't resist using the latest catch phrase.  Call it what you will, I still have this outlet.  I am old and tired.  Yes, I worry about the world my Grandchildren will be having to deal with.  Things are happening so much faster now, I know I am behind the curve most of the time.  I just have to get a break from the crazies for a while.  

Happy Trails

History

I have been a lover of history as long as I can remember.  Even before it was taught at the lower level of elementary school I was always asking questions about things that happened in the past.  We didn't get exposed to real history classes until 3rd grade, and that wasn't an official course, it was due to a teacher that had a love for all things Texas.  She taught some of the history of early Texas.  Yes, she was my favorite teacher and that is partly due to her love of history and Texas.

Consequently, get pretty wound up when I see the distortion of history to meet a political agenda and destroy the other opposing side or bait them into doing something to use against them and say: 'I told you so.'  I won't go into a lengthy discussion about the correct history they distort for their own purposes, it would fall on deaf ears.  The others that know the true history don't need to hear it again.  

This isn't a new phenomena, this distorting of history.  Almost every event in history has two sides and the one that wins generally writes the history.  It is then prettied up to justify many of the things that were done by their side.  The narrative changes to make them look holier than the defeated. 

Nothing will change that now.  It has gone on far too long and most don't want to know the truth, it would hurt their sensibilities and these SJW's would need to find another reason to be the jack asses they are.  Well, maybe not.  Most would adhere to the adage: 'Once a jackass, always a jackass.'  You have probably heard that applied some other way.  It is not always true for everyone.  There might be one or two that would actually change their stripes, but there will be 100 more to take his place.

I want to leave you with these quotes, that reveal the truth about the character of two people that opposed each other.

"In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but would acknowledge, that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil in any country."

And then:

"I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races...I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races from living together on terms of social and political equality.  And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be a position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

Which of these comments comes from a white supremacist?  Can you guess who said which?  Most of you probably already know.  Robert E. Lee wrote the first quote in a letter in 1856 while stationed in Texas, 5 years before the War of Secession. The second quote was spoken by none other than Abraham Lincoln in one of the Douglas/Lincoln debates just before the same war.

Who was the white supremacist?

Nostalgia

Was feeling a bit nostalgic Monday.  That almost always involves cowboys from my childhood.

And then to a lament about days gone by

Happy Trails

Monday

Hot weekend here, so I didn't get much accomplished.  I stayed inside with the AC mostly.  I did get started on a leather cover for the wife's Kindle Fire.  I am trying something new (to me).  Filigree is what it is called.  It will be easier to show you than explain it here.  So you will have to wait for pics when I am finished.

Last week I mentioned the rally in downtown libtardville.  The Libs that run the government want to remove a monument to the Confederate Dead.  I kicked around the idea of attending and was on the fence about it.  Other than the +100 degree temps that probably would have put me down I discovered there were several groups that were going to attend, not just the one I belong to.  Some that do things just to antagonize to make their point.  I don't agree with their tactics and don't want to be associated with them even by accident.  So I didn't go.  The city, in all their great wisdom granted a permit to a counter rally (Black Lives Matter) at the same time at the same location.  IMO they are just asking for trouble.  Maybe that is what they wanted.  Hoping the Far Right protesters would do something to the Far Left protesters so they could prove their point that they are filled with hate. Giving them more ammunition.  Yeah, open carry was going on there too.  I don't oppose open carry, but what's the motivation for that here?  Don't tell me that it is just to exercise your constitutional rights.  That isn't motivation.  What is the point in doing that at something like this other than to feed the fire of those on the left.  That would be news they could use to further their agenda.  

Other than one of the far left being arrested for violence (they wouldn't get specific) it was a peaceful rally with everyone chanting slogans back and forth.  I am thankful it didn't turn into a Charlottesville.  I really didn't expect that to happen here anyway.  The only way it would is because outsiders would have prompted it.  Some of those groups I mentioned were just that, outsiders.  It could have gotten ugly.  Will this rally have any effect?  Probably not.  The new mayor is probably farther left than Mitch Landrieu in New Orleans and we see what he did there with those Confederate Monuments.  I expect the same.  No rallies will stop that type of mind.

A lot of other things have been going on that I just don't have the words to chronicle it all.  It's been a trying day.

Happy Trails

Traffic

Friday morning we had plans to do several things.  Visit a friend that just had surgery, have some breakfast tacos on our way and head over the next town for something the wife wanted.  Not a real big day but enough to keep us busy for a few hours.  Those few hours wound up being a little longer than anticipated. 

To get into the area we needed to go to, to see our friend and eat tacos requires a trip into town. 

There are really only 3 ways in that all parallel each other and only one is a major roadway (4 lane divided.)  That is also one of the busiest most hair pulling drives in our county of over 2 million.  It is something we have learned to avoid at the worst times.  We approached that road at about 8:45 AM, this should be on the outside edge of rush hour.  No idea what was going on but the highway was backed up to the area where we usually get on.  So we diverted to one of the parallel roadways.  I picked the wrong one.  Everyone else had the same idea.  We made a 180 to head to the other parallel roadway.  That was a drive in itself.  We finally arrived at the hospital about 2 hours later.  Yes we ate first so that took some time.

After our visit we headed out to the other destination.  It happens to be in one of the top 5 growing counties in the US.  It also sits on one of the major N/S interstates, IH 35.  No traffic jams this time but there was more traffic than usual.  

By the time we did that errand and started home we had to divert one more time due to traffic.  It felt like I had been driving forever by the time we got home.  All told it was probably 150 miles and more time than was planned.  I like to drive, but this day with all the many diversions and the overwhelming amount of traffic, I think staying home would have been a better idea.

No, it's not as bad here as maybe some places in Dallas and Houston, but for me, that has seen what it used to be and what it has become in just a few years, it's hard to take in the amount of growth we have seen.  They just started a 4 year major rebuild of the one major highway we use to get into town.

SMH.  We are making contingencies for alternate routes for various thing we do.  Some will work fine, others, not so much.

No, I'm not whining.  Lamenting, yeah, that's it, lamenting lol.

Happy Trails

Catching Up

The wife has been doing pretty well over at the resort these last couple weeks.  She has even sold a few of my leather pieces.  This holster sold almost one year to the day I made it.

It had always gotten a lot of interest but no takers until this weekend.  I have made a biker wallet with the same pattern on it and it gets the same attention.

But it seems that since it is not black it is not as desireable.  So I made this one.

Black is much harder for me to make and thus I left of the webbing.  Then I made something for myself, which is actually very rare.  For my phone.

The leatherman scabbards I made for my fireman friend was apparently much more appreciated than I thought.  He sent me this photo.  Cool.

Then Sunday he gave me this.

A very cool coin from his Technical Rescue Squad.  This means a lot to me.  I was pretty much speechless.  The Fire Dept. there doesn't even have a coin of their own, but the rescue squad does and I have one.  It will go next to my 1st Bn 75th Rangers coin.  Both of my Grandfathers were Firefighters, so this means a lot to me.

Happy Trails

Rain

Yes, I said rain, and lots of it.  It's not all that unusual for this time of year but it is a week or two early.  We woke up to our weather alarms going off and telling us about flooding.  Surprised me since I haven't been paying attention to the news and weather.  We had plans to go to my parents today.  

However the rain is staying around for a while and part of the road over there has flooded.  The flooding is on elevated ramps that are around 100 foot in the air.

Not a good picture but those upper ramps are the ones flooded.

We have gotten 2.6 inches here at the house so far this morning with more on the way.  It is much needed here on the edge of the desert so I won't complain.  We will probably wait on going to my parents house.

Happy Trails

Libtardville

The big city to the South of me has joined in the fray against all things Confederate.  There have been a few minor thing previously but this is the big one.  They have finally fallen into line with the rest of the PC crowd.  Whether they have just finally gotten the courage to act since every place else is doing something to get in the news or it's the new even more left wing mayor and city council that was just elected in May.  There was a small rally with a local blm group.  Then one of the councilmen picked up the ball and then another.  The blm rall was pretty small, less than 40.

They spout the usual claptrap and get more press than anybody else because it fits the media agenda.  

The city council has already voted to consider relocating it.  This monument is over 100 years old. 

This monument was rededicated on the 100th anniversary (I was there for that) and there were about 100 folks attending that.  

This monument has been in this park, Travis Park, named after the Alamo hero that happened to own a slave.  So I would guess the next step will be to rename the park.  It only makes sense if you use their line of thinking.  Then any reference to the slave owners and traders that fought at the Alamo etc.  It can go on and on and on.

There is a counter rally planned for August 12.  There are groups from all over Texas planning to attend.  I know there will be more than the blm turnout.  I'm on the fence about attending.  I don't really believe that rallies and such have much effect in the minds of those on the wrong side of history and that control the government.  They will do what they want regardless of how many or times protestors show up.  This in the city that plans to fight our governor about their Sanctuary city designation.

We are as divided in Texas as the rest of the nation.  The big cities, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and Libtardville is blue, very blue. the rest of the State is red.

Can't Get Started

I have several 'honey-do's' that I just can't seem to get enough motivation other than to think, 'oh yeah, I need to do that.'  I have a couple small rooms that I need to paint, the hallway that goes into the bathroom I recently painted (several months ago).  The washroom is another and the one I most dread.  It has the washer and dryer that will have to be moved, a pantry that is freestanding and then the water heater and some huge overhead cabinets.  That one has been on that list a looong time.  It is really in need of new paint and a good cleaning.  I also need to regrout the shower in one of the bathrooms.  It is not a little grout either.  It's pretty extensive and it's big shower.  Not to mention the garage is a huge mess and needs to be addressed but that will have to wait for cooler weather.  It is just too hot in there for anything productive.

The wife talked with Son #2 the other day.  He will be buying an engagement ring shortly.  He will be heading to the city where his young lady lives over Labor Day and the plan is that they will be officially engaged.  I assume she will say yes as she has pretty much said yes already.  This will be the formality if speaking with her Father and getting his blessing mostly.  Yes, he knows it's coming.

With the exceptionally hot weather we are currently having my yard is looking pretty poorly.  Water restrictions don't help.  We are currently limited to one day a week and only for certain hours.  Not enough time to cover everything.  So I just hit the critical spots and hope the other spots can survive until it's their turn or we get a little rain.  It is still a couple weeks until real chances of rain return. 

But it's not a sure thing here on the edge of a desert.

Kim and I are both working on learning some leather braiding techniques.  We both notice that leather braided bracelets etc. seem to be more in vogue.  So we will try our hand at that and see how it pays off.  It should work well with some of my leather work also.  Kim made contact at the resort with a wholesaler.  She is very interested in Kim's work with jewelry.  This wholesaler likes the fact that Kim's designs are very unique, one of a kind items.  She bought a good amount of items from her with the possibility of more in the future.  This could be good for the off months when she is not working at the resort.

Well, I gotta get back at the leather for now.  See what I did there?  Put off the other stuff again.

Happy Trails