Street Work

I've let time get away from me again. It's been at least 2 weeks since my last post. I'm just having trouble getting motivated to write anything. After more than 10 years, I seem to be running out of material or steam -- probably both.

Interesting clouds on the horizon during my walk early this morning. As the sun was rising, there seemed to be a long cigar-shaped cloud stretching away to the northeast.

Cigar cloud on the eastern horizon early this morning.

If you've seen Donna's FB page, then you know we ventured down to Conroe last weekend. Donna and her 3 older brothers had a little reunion. It was good to see everyone. There certainly were quite a few old people there. Donna and I felt out of place being around all those senior citizens.

I think I mentioned in my previous post that road work was scheduled for our community. Our street was done the day before we left for Conroe. We thought that was pretty good timing, and that the rest of the community would be done before we returned. However, when we got back home, we saw that no more work had been done. We learned that the machinery had broken down. So, following repairs, the crew came back out this past week and wrapped things up on Friday. It was interesting to watch the entire process.

They started by sealing any cracks in the road. This was the longest part of the entire process, as they spent a couple of weeks doing this before the actual resurfacing began. After this step, then a street sweeper came down the street, making numerous passes to clean the streets as much as possible. Then, on the day that the street was to be resurfaced, workers with mobile fans moved down the streets to blow away any remaining debris. Finally, the big truck made passes down the street to resurface.

Road surface after cracks were filled.

Street sweeper ahead of me early one morning. He started at 6:00 AM so that they could get to work resurfacing early.

 

Workers pushing fans to blow away any remaining debris.

Sealer truck pouring surface. The sprayer at rear of truck is adjustable. They had already made a single pass, getting most of the opposite side of the street. They were just evening it out with this narrow pass. This allowed them to keep one side of the street open while the new surface area dried.

This is the finished product, the street in front of our house.

I really don't know how well this process works. One neighbor commented that all they did was paint the road. It is, in fact, a very thin layer. I guess time will tell. Traffic was able to drive on the new surface in less than 3 hours of it being poured. Seems like these old people out here couldn't wait to test out the new roads. As soon as they were opened, it seemed like a parade of cars were moving up and down the streets.

Other than that, our lives continue to be boring. However, as CDC guidelines continue to relax, Donna and I are starting to make some travel plans. I'm hoping that we can start doing something in July. We'll certainly let you know.

Keep safe out there.

Rain at Last

We finally had some good rain. Over a 3 day period late last week, we were able to get about an inch of rain at our house. The city of San Angelo officially recorded an inch and a half. The rain fell slowly, so most of it was able to soak into our parched ground. I can't tell you how nice it is to have a peaceful rain like this. Usually in the spring and summer, our storms are rather violent, with high winds and hail. 

After the rain, I caught this rainbow. It was a big one that stretched across the sky to the east. This is the left end of it.

Right end of rainbow.

Otherwise, things continue on as always. Right now, the nights are a bit cool, dipping into the 50s, while the days can be anywhere from 70 to 90. It won't be long until those cool nights are gone until late September; I'll miss them. I don't care for cold weather, but the extreme heat from July into early September can be really oppressive out here. 

Donna and I often drive through the Whataburger on Knickerbocker Drive, then head out to Lake Nasworthy to enjoy the views while enjoying our burgers. Last week, we parked in a different location and found ourselves right under the approach flight path to our local airport. Goodfellow AFB uses the airport for training purposes, and plane after plane passed overhead practicing approaches.  It was fun to watch.

Here's a plane as it approaches us over the lake.

Plane almost directly overhead.

A couple of days ago, we parked in the same place, but now the planes were practicing their approaches from the opposite direction. As a result, when they passed over us, they were lifting back up. It doesn't take too much to entertain us.

Twin Buttes on the opposite side of Lake Nasworthy.

The streets in our neighborhood are being resurfaced, so we have to plan when we leave over the next couple of days. It is a bit of inconvenience, but it will be nice to have our streets in good repair. Donna and I will probably ice down a six-pack and sit out and watch them work on our street today. As I said, it doesn't take much to entertain us; I've always been a cheap date.

It's Been a Cool April

Hopefully, our unusually cool weather is behind us. On a few days last week, highs reached only into the 50s. Despite predictions of rain for the past 2 weeks or so, we only managed about a tenth of an inch. That was disappointing. Things are already turning brown around here.

Our COVID numbers continue to hold steady, and I'm grateful for that. I think our local medical services have done a good job of getting folks vaccinated.  

Daughter Courtney and family are preparing to move into their new home very soon. I know they are excited not only to get into a brand new home, but they are happy to be moving into a good-sized town with plenty of restaurants and shopping. For the last dozen or so years, they've lived in a pretty small town. I'm sure we'll be visiting them before too long.

Donna set out the hummingbird feeders a few weeks ago, and the little scamps found them within an hour or so. The annual hummer wars have officially begun. They certainly don't believe in share and share alike.

Now that the weather has warmed, I'm doing all of my walking at first light in the morning. On some mornings, it is still a bit nippy, but that is perfect for a brisk walk. Currently, I'm walking at least 4 miles about 5 days a week. It's been a long time since Donna and I hiked, but I keep telling myself I'm walking to keep in shape for hiking. We would like to get back to Fredericksburg before too long and hike Enchanted Rock again. That is one of our favorite hikes, and it's not too difficult on old knees.

This and That -- and Not Much at That

It's been more than 2 weeks since my last post. That should tell the story. We are leading pretty boring lives these days. Maybe it's time to sell the house, get another RV, and roam the country for awhile . . .

Yep, nothin' much happening with Donna and Keith.

The weather has been fairly nice, though quite windy. At least the days have been warm. Now, having said that, today is a bit cool -- in the 50s -- and rain is in the forecast for the next 5 or so days. Perhaps we will see some of the wet stuff fall. We certainly could use it. 

COVID numbers are good in our area. New cases have been in the single digits for the past 10 days or so. Cases in the hospital have fallen below 5 and have stayed there. The number of active cases is steadily dropping as well.

All of that is good news. 

But when I go out, I'm a bit alarmed at the number of people not wearing masks. We visited our bank Monday morning and were the only ones in the place wearing a mask -- and that includes employees. I guess COVID is over. No need to listen to the experts; just go out and notice what the COVIDIOTS are doing and take your cue from them.

But I do feel we are making progress, as indicated by our local numbers. Donna and I will continue to follow CDC recommendations, but we are hoping to start having some fun in July or so. 

Donna had an eye appointment yesterday morning. I sat in the car and read a book while she was inside. After a while, I put the book down and began watching the people come and go, as they were much more entertaining. I guess I'm just a fossil, but the way people dress just confuses me. I can't tell you how many women I saw drive up in big Cadillac Escalades or GMC Denalis or other expensive vehicles. You expect such folks to be nicely dressed. But when they stepped out of their high dollar vehicles, almost all of them were wearing pants that had been ripped and shredded. Now, I know this has been something of a style for a while, but the sheer number of them really got my attention this time. If they want to look poor, why aren't they driving broken-down heaps rather than expensive vehicles. What a funny people we are!

I spent 3 nights last week watching the PBS documentary on Ernest Hemingway (produced by Ken Burns, by the way). I've always enjoyed his works, but I had never studied his life with any depth. Boy, this program was an eye-opener for me. If you are a Hemingway fan, you should try to catch this, as I'm sure it will run again soon.

I hope things are going well wherever you are. I'll try to become more interesting in the near future. If I don't post anything, then you know I'm still boring.

Spring Has Sprung

Well, we made it to spring. Actually, we made it about a week ago, but I can't seem to get motivated to post something more frequently. So, until we start traveling again or something exciting happens around here, I'll just post when the spirit moves me. By the way, some of the pictures below were taken over a week ago, and things change quite a bit this time of year in just a day or two.

This is a great time of year, isn't it. Now, autumn is my absolute favorite time of year, but spring is pretty nice. The nights are warming, the days are warming, the grass is turning green and beginning to grow, and the flowers and trees are putting out new growth and color. It's great to be able to get back outside after a cold winter, and this winter was quite cold for our area.

This beautifully shaped tree is just a few houses up our street. It will be completely full in another few days.

The oak in our backyard is leafing out. Note the rising moon to the left.

During my regular walks, I have seen numerous trees leafing out. I especially enjoy the little redbud trees and their beautiful color. I do miss the wisteria, dogwoods, and daffodils of East Texas, but I can make do with what I find out here.

Close-up of picture above, with partial moon on left.

We continue to have periodic rain. Of course, we are always on the alert for violent weather. A couple of nights ago, both of our phones sounded an alert for blowing dust. Darn! I had just washed off the back patio and cleaned off the front patio. Sure enough, when I went out the next day, there was another layer of dirt on our patio furniture. I just wiped it off with a damp cloth this time, as we will probably have more dirt blowing around with the steady winds we continue to enjoy. We've not received much rain, probably less than an inch total in the 3 rains we've enjoyed so far. 

Ducks flying in formation in a northerly direction over our house.

I've done some other little springtime chores, like pruning back some potted plants and some plants in the flower beds. The "big freeze" really put some hurt on our rosemary plants. I think they will revive. I'm taking the opportunity to experiment. I'm pruning some a little, some a lot, and leaving some alone just to see what happens. I cleaned out the mint bed and pruned it almost to the ground. Dynamite wouldn't hurt that stuff, but it certainly is good in tea.

On a recent walk in our community, I heard a bird barking at me. Then I spotted this hawk keeping an eye on me. We've had a family of hawks in the neighborhood for a few years now, and they are really active. A few days later, I saw one perched atop the steeple at the neighborhood church.

Last Sunday, Donna and I went out to our state park for the first time in ages to take a walk. We walked the Roadrunner loop trail near the south entrance. This is a 3-mile trail that weaves through mesquite and cactus. At the time, there was very little in bloom, but we did get to see some longhorns.

I love how perfectly symmetrical the horns on this steer are. He posed nicely for us.

On our walk in the park, we passed this campground with part of the lake in the background. Scenes like this really make us want to get another RV and take off. I think Courtney would kill us if we did, though. She thinks we are rather feeble, both mentally and physically.

The other morning, I was walking west when I suddenly turned and noticed the sun rising above the homes in our community behind me. I thought this was a nice shot. It was an overcast morning, as you can see.

I hope all of you are doing well.

Spring is Knocking

It will not officially be spring until Saturday, March 20, but we had our first spring storm this past Saturday night. The wind blew most of the day at fairly high levels. Then, as darkness descended, the clouds approached. Of course, we had watched the weather reports and knew it was coming. Flashes of lightning worked through the darkened clouds to our northwest. A warning on our smart phones indicated high winds and hail around the state park, just 2 miles or so to our north, but they were moving away from us. We received no hail.

About 8:00 or so, we did get some rain. Other than the high wind, though, it was not a violent storm for us. It was enough of a storm to remind us that spring is just around the corner. 

Early this morning (Wednesday) -- just after midnight -- another storm rolled through. This one was a bit more violent. We did get some marble-sized hail for about 5 minutes as well as some high wind. So, spring is knocking on the door; I just hope it doesn't pound on it. 

Donna and I were sitting on the patio Saturday afternoon discussing the wind. We first moved to West Texas in the late 1970s, to a small town northwest of Lubbock. We had not been in our new home a week when a massive storm moved through, dropping huge hail stones that destroyed all the crops. On that hot mid-August day, we watched as the temperature dropped about 30 degrees in about half an hour. We really didn't know what to expect; this was different weather than what we had experienced growing up in East Texas.

The area farmers watched their crops -- primarily corn, cotton, and soybeans -- beaten down in a matter of minutes. Everything they had worked for since early spring was destroyed. Welcome to West Texas!

We were not used to the strong wind in those days, but it seemed that it never really blew until later in the day. I would often wake in the morning to clear and calm skies and walk to work to my teaching job just 3 or 4 blocks away. By the time school let out, I sometimes would have to call Donna to pick me up because the wind was blowing so hard, making the air thick with dirt and sand. Have you ever seen it rain dirt? We hadn't until we moved up there.

These days, though, I am surprised at just how often the wind starts blowing hard early in the morning. Recently, for example, I began my walk about 6:30 one morning. The wind was blowing steady at 15 to 20 mph and gusting to about 40. Newspapers were scattered all over the place. I had 2 in my yard, and I don't even subscribe. And there are times when we hear the wind blow hard all night long. I think things have changed. In fact, as I write this at 8:53 on a Wednesday morning, the wind is already blowing hard. 

Trees are starting to put out buds. I noticed one ornamental pear the other day full of white blossoms. The little oak in our back yard is also putting out buds. Yep, spring is just around the corner.

Buds on the oak tree in our backyard.

I snapped this picture of ducks in flight as I was finishing my morning walk yesterday.

Reflections on Overnight Trip

As I mentioned in the last entry, Donna and I made an out-of-town trip that required an overnight stay. So, how do we feel about traveling at this point in the pandemic?

Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about the whole experience, and so is Donna. I had my concerns before the trip, but I think I will be much more comfortable in the future about traveling. Of course, I'm still looking forward to that "herd immunity" we hear about in the news. 

Donna and I have both had our shots, so that in itself gives us a great deal of confidence. But we are also very, very careful. To be honest, this wasn't a totally new experience for us. For years and years now, we've been very careful in our travels. I don't know when we started being so careful, but we have been traveling with disinfectant sprays and wipes for a very long time. We have sanitizing gel in our car, and Donna has carried a small bottle in her purse for years. I now carry a small bottle as well. I also carry an extra mask and a pair of disposable gloves in my pocket any time I go out. Cargo pants are great, aren't they? If I didn't have cargo pants, I guess I would need a man bag or purse.

We were very careful about liquid intake because we did not want to stop to use public restrooms any more than we had to. Upon reaching our room, we both set to work wiping all handles and hard surfaces just as we've done for years and years, but this time we were more careful and thorough. We still had some running around to do, so as we were getting ready to leave, we gave the room, chairs, and bed a thorough disinfecting spray.

For our meals, we still did take-out. On Friday night, we got carry-out from Fazolis. We love that place. For breakfast, we ate at the hotel. They had sort of a "grab and go" breakfast. We went downstairs, approached a set of tables that were basically preventing us from reaching the counter where all the food was. A server took our order (eggs with chorizo, sausage links, and hash browns for each of us) and she dished our food into Styrofoam containers that we could take to our room. There were also packaged items, such as pastries, available.

On our way home, we stopped at the Dairy Queen in the small town of Sterling City. Just across the side street is a small road-side park. We ordered our burgers and went to the park to eat. Boy, those were good burgers.

We are good about wearing masks. It's a very small price to pay to help stop the spread of this disease; I simply can't understand why people complain as much they do about wearing masks. And I really don't understand how so many of them have made the wearing of masks a constitutional issue. 

Lately, we've been double-masking, and that makes us feel even more comfortable. We wore our masks everywhere, including in our daughter's new home; in fact, if you go back and look at the previous post, you'll see one picture of Donna and our grandsons, and all are wearing masks. Now, the night before in our hotel room when the kids visited, everyone except me took our masks off. Michael, Courtney, and Xander have also had their shots, so everyone felt comfortable doing this. Because of some underlying health conditions I have, I continued to wear mine.

So, are we ready to travel again? We probably won't, just because this COVID battle is not over, but we certainly are confident that we can travel safely if we need to. And with mask mandates and such being lifted and just knowing how people behave -- or misbehave, as the case may be -- we expect that numbers will rise some again. Spring break for most schools is either this week or next week, so by the end of March there may well be another rise in numbers. 

At least we now have a vaccine and more and more people are getting their shots. We are getting through this, but we just need people to be smart. Reopening all businesses at 100% capacity and removing the mask mandate in our state at the same time is not smart. I'd feel so much better about this if the mask mandate were left in place.

But we know we can travel if we need to. We just have to be careful and plan thoroughly. Donna is itching to go to a casino, but she is just going to have to wait a while longer. I don't see that happening any time soon. We still have not eaten inside a restaurant, though we do order carry-out fairly regularly. And I'm getting more comfortable shopping in grocery stores.

There are brighter days ahead; if we can only get people to do the right thing, they will be here sooner rather than later.