Venturing Out a Bit More

We recently endured another 3-day spell of triple digit temps, with the hottest day hitting 108; gosh, mid-May is just too early for that type of weather. But we have also received some sporadic rains the past few days, with the greatest single total registering three-quarters of an inch in my gauge this past Wednesday night. Unfortunately, storms this time of year in our part of Texas can often turn violent, and we did get some hail and high winds a couple of nights ago (sustained winds in excess of 50 mph). Donna and I only witnessed marble sized hail at our house (if that large), but other areas of town saw baseball sized hail. Local auto dealerships are already advertising hail sales. We managed to collect some rain water and store it in. That rain water really does perk up the plants!

Last week, the hair salon at RCW opened. Donna had not had her hair done in a couple of months, so a very frightening situation was developing. We made appointments and visited the place on Monday. All regulations were followed -- face masks worn by both employee and customer, only one customer at a time was allowed in the shop, etc. I'm fine with these regulations; in fact, they make me feel safe.

Early his past Tuesday, we went inside a Walmart for the first time in about two months. There were a few things we wanted that we just couldn't find elsewhere. I'm talking about specific brands here. We hadn't been in the store since aisles were designated one-way. Donna, ever the rebel, decided that she'd go the wrong way on the aisles. The Walmart police arrested her and roughed her up a bit. I bailed her out and took her home and gave her a good talking to.

We took a drive around the countryside one day. We drove out US 67 west to Tankersley (once a community, but today just an intersection), then turned south on FM 2335. We had hoped to pull into Foster Park (county park) on Spring Creek, but barricades blocked the entrance into this inviting little park with all its trees and water.

We continued on south and began driving through parts of the Dove Creek Subdivision. Sometime in the 1990s, we purchased a 5 acre tract in this subdivision. We had plans that one day we might retire there. However, when we moved from Ozona to Midland several years later, we sold the property. The subdivision consists of acreage ranging from 5 acres up to about 40, as I recall. The subdivision is bounded on the north by Spring Creek and by Knickerbocker Road on the south. Dove Creek also runs through the property. Both creeks drain into Twin Buttes reservoir. The subdivision contains 2 private parks with facilities and boat ramps, so you are able to launch into the creeks and even gain access to the lake if water levels are good. Sometimes I wish we hadn't sold that plot of land.

Back in town, we drove through Spring Creek Park on Lake Nasworthy, then through a couple of neighborhoods. We stopped at H.E.B. to fill up with gasoline. This was the first time I had put gas in the car since March 24, and I still had half a tank. What irony! The lowest gas prices in years and we can't really travel. The joke's on us, I guess. We paid $1.50 a gallon, which was up from the low of $1.43 a week or so earlier.

We then drove through Panda Express. I had been craving some spicy Chinese food, so we thought we'd give them a try. Normally, we don't care for take-out. We just feel the food looses something between the time you pick it up until you get home and can eat it. And that was true this time. Oh, I enjoyed it, but I'd rather dine in when possible. But you do what you have to do.

We've put a bit of work into the yard this week. Donna has done most of the work, but I've helped out a time or two. I realized just how soft I've gotten one afternoon while raking. I was huffing and puffing quite a bit and having to stop often to catch my breath. Even though I walk regularly and probably get in excess of 20 or 25 miles each week, my arms and upper body were sore that night. I don't really care for working in our yard because -- in truth -- we really don't have much control over the yard. RCW hires a service to mow our yards, and sometimes I think they cause more problems by the way they mow. And we have to essentially get approval before we make any substantial changes to the yard, such as clearing new beds, for example. For most people out here, that is fine for they moved here to be rid of yard work. But Donna and I have always enjoyed yard work and have taken pride in having attractive, neat and orderly yards. Sometimes it makes me want to get a real yard of my own. Sometimes . . .

Wash your hands, wear your masks, and social distance. Take care and be safe . . .

Mother Nature Can't Make Up Her Mind

Mother Nature is playing games this spring.

We'll run along with triple digit temps for several days, then suddenly we'll get a cool front. The other morning, I put on a ski cap, gloves, and jacket for my morning walk, when just a day or two earlier I had gone out in shorts.

But I'm thankful. I hate when it warms too early and then stays warm. It surely makes for a long, hot summer when that happens.

Driveway art down the street from our house. Looks like someone had a visit from some creative and talented grandkids. The old people here at RCW aren't able to get down on their hands and knees to do this type of work. And if they could get down, they would need a crane or wench to get back up.

It has really been dry out here lately, and the yards are drying up and the ground is cracking. The sprinkler system in our section of RCW is not working, so we're hoping they will get it repaired soon. We did get a third of an inch a couple of nights ago, but when it is this dry, that little bit just doesn't help much at all. We have a good chance of rain tomorrow (Friday), so maybe we will get lucky.

One of the positive things of this pandemic -- and there are several positives that I see -- is that quite a few people in our neighborhood are walking. People who have never walked before -- at least, not since we've lived here -- are now taking short walks around the neighborhood. Folks are stopping to visit with neighbors during their walks. It has a nice old-fashioned quality about it, sort of like when I was a youngster and people would get out more.

I snapped this photo a few days ago. I love the yucca. I'm not sure of the other plant, but it may be a Mexican Bird of Paradise. We have several of each in the neighborhood. 

Construction on the new medical facility near the entrance to RCW continues. It's a pretty big project. There are days when they are doing a lot of digging and the wind is doing a lot of blowing and the entire neighborhood gets a coating of dirt. You'd think we were up around Lubbock or somewhere on the South Plains.

One section of a cinder block wall rising from the ground. 

I hope you were fortunate enough to see the most recent full moon. It was a real beauty. The picture below does not do it justice. I must get a better camera with a good zoom. I keep hoping Santa will come through, but that fat rascal continues to disappoint. 

Full moon in the morning sky.

The moon has still been fairly high in the sky during my early morning walks, and it has been nice to have it guiding me around the neighborhood. It was down to half this morning, but higher in the sky.

The martins have been a real bother lately. They are each year. They like to roost anywhere they can -- such as on the light fixture above the front door, on the ceiling fan on the patio, or anywhere else they can find -- and they make a real mess. We've tried various tricks to discourage them, especially from building their nasty nests, but they are pretty aggressive little pests. They do a great job of eating insects, but they just make a real mess of things.

I hope all of you are doing well. Stay safe and be smart; there appear to be an abundance of morons out there during these challenging times.

Dog Days of Spring

In my last post, I mentioned that we hit 105 degrees near the end of April. Now it is early May, and we've just endured a stretch of triple digit temps. On Friday (May 1), we edged towards 100 degrees, but fell short. Beginning on Saturday, we surpassed 100 degrees 3 days in a row, reaching 106 on this past Monday. It's simply too early to be hitting those temps. I enjoy warm weather, but I don't care for hot weather. Once it gets over 95 degrees, I become uncomfortable. I've enjoyed the days of sitting on our patio any time of the day, especially in the afternoon, but with warmer temps, we'll only be able to go out early morning and in the evening.

We went shopping 3 times last week, our first trips inside stores in more than a month. We ended up going to Sam's Wholesale Club twice and the Home Depot once.

I felt very comfortable at Sam's. All employees were wearing masks and gloves, and cleaning was going on constantly. We used the self checkout aisles, and clerks there were standing by to wipe everything once we left. Our experience at Home Depot was just the opposite. The only employee wearing a mask was the young lady who greeted us at the entrance. None of the other employees wore a mask, gloves, or anything of the sort. Customers were no better; I only saw one wearing a mask.

I do not plan to return to Home Depot; I find their approach to conducting business at this time to be very irresponsible. I believe we can reopen many of our businesses, but we must all use common sense and good sanitary practices. It appears our local Home Depot doesn't believe in this.

Back to the weather . . .

It has been such a windy spring this year. Normally, wind doesn't pick up until afternoon, but this spring, the wind has been blowing -- and blowing hard -- when we rise in the morning. Yesterday, I planned to walk as soon as I got out. I rose, got ready, stepped out on the patio, then came back in. The wind was blowing steadily at 20 mph and gusting to about twice that. Not pleasant at all. And it has been like that quite a bit this spring.

Today is very pleasant. After our hot streak, I got out this morning to 51 degree weather and walked. I was a bit nippy, but there was no wind. I'll take that any day. I had a pleasant walk, and everyone I met said the same thing: "Isn't it great that the wind isn't blowing?"

I hope things are great where you are . . .

Triple Digits in April

On Tuesday, April 29th, the mercury soared to 105 degrees in San Angelo. That's pretty hot for the end of April. I certainly hope that does not mean we are going to have a really hot summer.

Earlier on Tuesday, we ventured down the street to our Sam's Wholesale Club for their early morning senior time. From 7 to 9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, geezers can shop with other geezers. This was the first time we had been in a store since March 24th, and I have to admit we felt a bit wicked. But it was a pleasant experience. There weren't that many people in the store and, since the aisles are rather wide, we never felt compromised in any way. To top it off, we found just about everything we wanted or needed. We're already planning our next trip.

Up to this point, we've not been able to find any facial masks, so we've been wearing homemade items. First, we made a couple of masks from some of the bandanas we've used over the years when we hike. We found online sites instructing how to fashion them into workable masks. Then a fellow RCW resident gave us a couple of masks that she and her group of volunteers had made. These are much better than what we made. Thanks, Geneva!

Today (Wednesday), we made an even bigger score. Another neighbor called to say that the city has come into a good supply and is giving them to residents, so we drove down to the give away zone in the parking lot of the local football field, and we picked up 2 masks. Thanks, Dick and Connie, for the tip! On the way home, we stopped by the office of RCW and picked up 2 more that the Rio Concho community is providing to residents. So, we now have a good supply.

We don't wear masks often because we don't actually get out much. Most of our shopping has been curbside, so we only put our masks on then when one of the employees approaches us for some reason. But now that we are starting to go into Sam's and possibly other stores, we'll be using them more.

Over the years, I've read a number of books on hiking the Appalachian Trail (See "The Big 3 Hiking Trails of the Continental U.S.A."). Many of the authors comment on one of the side affects of hiking that 2,100+ mile trail. It seems that when you spend 5 months -- more or less -- on the trail walking roughly at a speed of 2 miles an hour or so, you become a bit overwhelmed when you return to "normal" life off the trail. Suddenly thrust back into a world of speeding cars, these former hikers -- used to the seclusion and quiet of trail life -- suddenly feel out of their element.

For the past month or more, Donna and I have not ventured out much. Most of our curbside grocery shopping has been at the H.E.B. that is less than a mile from the gate to our community. We last filled the car with gas on March 24. Since that time, we've used less than a quarter tank.

When we got out earlier today to pick up the masks, we had to travel a bit farther than normal. Like hikers coming off the trail, we were a bit overwhelmed at how many people were on the streets and how fast they were zipping around.

I need to find a good trail to live on, I think.

Stay safe out there!

Things Are a Bit Better Here

Our area is currently showing some positive reports regarding COVID-19. We've only had 1 new positive report in the last 8 days or so, and technically, that one really shouldn't count. As I understand it, a woman in her 40s from the area was tested positive while in another location. It isn't clear to me whether she had recently been in Angelo where she might have contracted the disease or if she picked it up in her current location. Still, our numbers look good for right now.

Both the state and local area are beginning to ease restrictions a bit. I know we need to get our economy percolating again. My heart aches for those people who unable to work for whatever reason. I know they have bills to pay and they need to put food on the table. I just hope people realize we still have to be very careful. Just think, in just about 3 months, we have lost more people to this virus than we normally lose in an entire year with the regular flu. And we've lost that number while practicing social distancing and other measures. What would that number (currently more than 53,000) be if we had not taken the measures we have taken?

We still pass our days doing normal things. Donna has been on a cleaning frenzy lately. She reorganized our food pantry and both refrigerators. We now have a better idea of what food we have. We do not have a dedicated freezer, but we do have 2 fridges, so we have quite a bit of freezer space.

This beautiful red rose is just about perfect in shape and color, don't you think? My old lady can grow some lovely roses.

I needed a haircut, so we pulled out our old hair cutting kit. Donna used to cut my hair quite a bit, especially when we lived in the Middle East. It has been quite a while since the last time she cut my hair, though. I probably picked a bad time to ask her to cut my hair. We were running low on liquor at the time. We only had a dozen or so quarts of hard liquor, and Donna was beginning to worry a bit about this apparent shortage.

Still, I needed a haircut, so one afternoon, she got busy and whacked away my flowing locks.

Immediately after the haircut, we went down to our local liquor store and stocked up on supplies for Donna. Once she was in a better mood, she touched up my hair and I look a little better. There's only so much you can do with my ugly mug in the first place.

It's dry here now. There is a pretty big wildfire along the Crockett County and Val Verde county line. We lived in Crockett County for 8 years, so we have been keeping up with this fire. Best I can tell, it is probably in the area of the tiny Pandale community, probably to the east of there. It is being called the Holcombe Road Fire, and thousands of acres have been burned so far.

Rio Concho West has not turned on our sprinkler systems yet, so our yards are beginning to brown a bit. It has been more than 2 weeks since our last rain, and the temps are edging up. I expect we will push 100 degrees at least twice in the coming week.

I hope all of you are doing well. Stay safe out there.

Up and Down Weather

You know the old saying: "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a few minutes and it'll change."

That seems to be what is happening in our neck of the woods. One day it's sunny and pushing 90, the next it's overcast and 50. I had gotten used to walking about 6:30 each morning with the temp about 60, then woke one morning to the mid-30s. Good excuse to crawl back into bed.

The wind has really been a mess. We've had some really high gusts, in the 50 to 60 mph area. And we've had some days when the wind held steady at 25 and 30 mpg. It just isn't pleasant to get out on those days. We had some rain forecast over the weekend, but it never came. This week, the temps are back to the mid to upper 80s -- or higher -- and there really isn't a good chance of rain.

Miss Donna's plants took a pretty good beating during the hail storm about 10 days ago. The pepper plants really were battered; I don't know that they will recover, but we'll try to save them. The tomato plants suffered some damage as well, but they seem to be a bit hardier. In fact, one plant has a little tomato the size of a nickel trying to survive. All of the other plants seem to be doing well.

I just love the vibrant red of this rose.

I've snapped several shots of Donna's yellow roses, but they all seem to be a bit washed out. I've used 2 different cameras with the same results. Still, their shape is gorgeous!

The pink roses are lovely as well.

We continue to isolate, but things are looking up around here. We've had no new cases of COVID-19 reported in almost a week. Now, I realize that an outbreak can occur at any moment, but still, it's nice that things have leveled off, at least for the time being.

We continue to count our blessings. I know this entire scenario has been so difficult, not only for those who have suffered with the virus itself, but for those who are out of work and live paycheck to paycheck. I can't even begin to imagine how young people are coping with the situation. If I was 17 and stuck at home with my parents for a long time, I'd probably go stir crazy.

You folks stay safe out there.

We'er Hanging in There

After the violent weather this past weekend, a cold front pushed through lowering nightly lows into the 30s and daily highs to the mid 50s or so. Wednesday morning, in particular, was cold, with the low hovering just above freezing. I understand the Panhandle even had some snow. Things should warm up by the weekend, though.

The hail and winds did some damage to Donna's tomato and pepper plants, and to some of her other plants. I'm hoping when the sunshine returns that it might perk them up some; we'll just have to wait and see.

While at the kitchen sink a couple of days ago, I saw a woodpecker hugging the trunk of our front bur oak. I slipped into the garage and peered out, hoping to catch some photos. I snapped a couple before he flew to our neighbor's tree, then I snapped one while he visited them.

Woodpecker on the bur oak in our yard. He blends in nicely, doesn't he?

Here he is on our neighbor's tree.

We don't get out much these days, and we avoid as much contact as possible. For groceries, we currently are doing only curbside pickup. For medicine, we do drive-thru. I can't remember the last time we were in a store. And those are just about the only places we go when we venture out. It's rather ironic that with the lowest gas prices in years, we are unable to travel.

Now whenever we go out, I feel sort of like a criminal. We try to be as inconspicuous as possible, pick up our things, then get back to Rio Concho West as quickly as possible. I'm wondering how long it will take for me to mentally return to normal once this is all over. When will I feel comfortable walking into a grocery store? When will I feel safe sauntering into a restaurant? When will I not feel in danger when I'm around crowds of people?

I'm thankful we live where we do. I'm especially thankful we are not currently full-timing in an RV. State parks in many states are closed, national parks are closed, and many public lands have closed. It's a bit challenging to find a place to park an RV these days. And if you are not one of the fortunate few with a washer/dryer setup in your RV, you have to venture out every so often to do laundry in a place that you might not feel safe in.

Yep, I feel pretty fortunate right now.

Keep safe out there.