I do not want to make this political...

It has been 12 days since my last post.  Have not been a particularly happy camper in the past couple of days so it sometimes helps to take a break.  Did I say "sometimes"?  Actually, I could just throw up every day at what is going on in our nation.  Since this is not a political blog,  I digress and will just limit myself to complaining (bi*ch#n&) about other things.

I finally took Mom to get her flu shot and since we only have three options in Del Rio (HEB, Walmart, and CVS) besides one's personal doctor...I decided to take her to CVS where they are less crowded. I was becoming impatient as we were the only ones there and yet it took over an hour to get her over 65 flu shot (there is a difference if you are younger). 

It turns out that Medicare (which covers it) said they would NOT because per their records she was in the hospital!  My mother is not or has not been in a hospital...thank goodness...in a long time!  I can not set the record straight because of the government shut down...which just makes my blood boil...again I will keep my mouth shut since I do not want to make this political.

It just makes my head spin at the thought that perhaps someone has stolen her identity and is using her benefits to be taken care of at some hospital in some unknown part of the country.  The young pharmacy assistant did not particularly put my mind to rest.  She told me of another case where two ladies in Del Rio had the exact same name and birth date but one was born in 1943 and another in 1973 and were having serious issues with their respective insurance companies.

Lucky for us, her secondary insurance picked up the bill and while I have sent several e-mails to Medicare, I have not had a response.

On a brighter note, we finally broke the under two dollar barrier for unleaded gasoline!!!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Early start to my day

I once again hurt my back this weekend was in terrible pain and spent most of the time laying down on my zero gravity recliner popping Paracetamol. Unfortunately, it was all my fault as I spotted a perfectly good cinder block in the debris pile that hopefully, Pollito will one day take to the dump. I knew the minute I picked it up that I had made a mistake.

With Christmas coming up I had to get to the grocery store as soon as possible to avoid the masses. Today I felt better so made an early morning run to HEB.  Stopped at the Hot Pit Bar-b-q afterward and picked up a lunch plate for mother and a turkey leg for myself, it sure was good!  Was back home before noon.

I knew beer prices would be on the rise due to climate change and its effect on the barley crop but I did not expect it to go up so soon.  Since these days I can only lift a 6-pack I spotted a way cheaper beer Frio Light Pilsner for $$3.97.  I had bought some a couple of years ago when HEB first started carrying it in their stores...back then it sold in 30 packs ...somewhere in this blog is a picture of it along with the very affordable price.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
                             

Another windy day

Thursday we had wind gusts up to 59 mph registered at our local airport which is not far from mother's house. Today they were in the 40 mph range still too strong for my liking so basically, I wasted two days but there was no way I was going to go out in this kind of weather.

I know that if I still had DISH I would have been without cable or Internet service...so glad I ditched them. Was reading online about all the fallen trees, fences and power outages around town. This area is always the first to lose power so happy to report that we were not affected.

The winds subsided late this afternoon and I can now hear the neighbors' dogs barking...can not believe I prefer hearing that to the wind howling.  Even the noise from the train tracks is preferable.

Was wondering if other bloggers were experiencing a yellow message pop-up when you are answering individual comments?  It pops up really fast and then disappears so I have no idea what it says.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

A good day to stay inside

The strong winds began at 10:02 a.m. and it got hairy there for a while. Even the cats slept in. I finally had the opportunity to catch up on indoor stuff.

One of those things was to check the current insurance rates in the Health Insurance Marketplace. The cheapest plan I found was $773.88 monthly...are they serious?  This plan is not even accepted at the medical practice I go to.

Guess I will once again go uninsured. Even the most expensive plan is not accepted at my doctor's and at $1,324.83 monthly completely out of my reach. I am not complaining though because including with prescriptions I might spend $1,000.00 yearly going to the doctor in Del Rio but getting my labs done in Mexico.

This evening the temperatures dropped quite a bit at least it felt like that for us Texans who are not used to cold weather.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

We are on a roll...38 point blowout against the Clippers! 

Loved seeing Boban Marjanovic and I wasn't the only one as many Spur fans gave him a standing ovation when he was inserted into the game.  Do not see that happening when Kawhi comes to town.

Congratulations to Davis Bertans and his wife on the birth of their first child.

Pollito / My Betty's

It has been chilly these past couple of days, we will be experiencing strong winds tomorrow and are under a red alert. I wonder if that was the reason that Pollito sent two of his workers to finish the 15 percent of what remained undone in the southern part of mother's property. I never thought a two to three-day job would take three and a half months. He is still not finished they have to pick up the debris but I am not holding my breath on that one.

I believe it is a curse that runs in my family as my parents as well as myself always seem to hire the wrong individuals for any job. Never fails even those individuals that we personally know. It must be the reason why I admire people with a good work ethic and whose finish product reflect pride in their work.

Recently I have been receiving requests for personalizing Betty Boops like the ones I use on my avatar.  My Betty Boop collection is courtesy of the Betty Boop Univision forum.  Those forums closed down years ago with the beginning of Facebook and other social media.

The girls that made them would set up workshops and personalize them for the members of the forum that is why I have an ample selection.  Unfortunately, I have no idea how to do that...I am sorry.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Shamed at a Stripes store

What a week it has been!  We went from warm sunny days to cloudy, rainy and chilly ones. I am not complaining as the rest of the nation is under the grip of Mr. Winter even though we are technically still in Autumn.

Drove into town a couple of days ago with the intention of doing some shopping at HEB but the parking lot was so darn packed I just drove past it. Decided to stop at Stripes (convenience store/gasoline station) to pick up some lunch as I am tired of eating canned goods for lunch and dinner.

It was past 2:00 p.m. so the selection was limited but still better than the alternative. I was the only one in line so took my time as the girl took my order but soon more people arrived. I went from ordering one lunch plate to ordering four. The girl that took my order knows me (as a customer) and remarked...guess you aren't planning on cooking for a while...an older lady in back of me asked...doesn't your husband complain for not getting a home cooked meal?  I replied, "I am not married Ma'am". Then this little old man said "and she is not going to get married unless she learns to cook!" then winked at me.  Was I just shamed at a Stripes for not cooking by two people who were also buying their meal there?

With my back problems, I can no longer lift a twelve-pack of beer so have been buying six-packs. Would you believe beer is cheaper at Stripes than at HEB or Walmart?  Actually, Walmart has the highest price.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

I certainly enjoyed watching The Spurs play like it was the 2014 Finals these last two games. We got revenge on both the LA Lakers and Utah Jazz.

GSG!!!!!
 

Another beautiful day

It was another beautiful sunny day. Got a second pick-up reminder from Walmart so decided to head that way but wanted to stop at Whataburger for a late lunch. It was packed and their parking spaces are much too narrow.  I guess I could have parked next door at my mother's optometrist's office but decided to pass.

I asked mother what she wanted to eat for dinner and she said pizza which surprised me. I guess she thought that is what I wanted as she had no idea I was going to eat at Whataburger.  I usually purchase mine at Domino's just personal preference.

The girl that took my order was not very bright. I had to repeat my order three times. She said it would be ready in 20 minutes and it took 45.  I ordered one pizza and they made two. I ordered a Philly steak sandwich ...she gave me something else with pineapple and jalapeños. The only thing she got right was the pasta and that is only because they did not bake it and I had to wait some more.  Domino's if you are listening...please turn down the music it might help your order takers. Note to self:  Do not order pizza on a Spurs game day.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

We are finally on track again. Though I am a little worried about our upcoming game with Utah on Tuesday.

Who schedules the NBA games?  It does not make any sense to me that we have to play the Lakers on Wednesday in Los Angeles and then turn around and play them again on Friday in San Antonio.                   

Almost feel guilty for making this post...

In this part of West Texas, we have had absolutely wonderful weather almost Spring-like. Yesterday we had a high of 80 and today it got to 77 degrees Fahrenheit with sunny skies.  I know the rest of the nation is not as fortunate that is why in some small way I almost feel guilty for making this post.

I had to take advantage of the weather so did several loads. Unfortunately, I once again thru my back out and it is not like the laundry basket I was carrying was that heavy. I spent more energy trying to keep the cats from coming into the kitchen.

Talking about cats I have got to do something about Blanca (momma cat) she keeps on attacking her now grown brood and today she attacked the little kitty that has taken up residence here as well.  I had hoped that once I had her fixed she would mellow out but she has turned almost vicious.  If I yell or reprimand her she will hiss at me as well...talk about biting the hand that feeds you...grrrrrrrrr!!!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

So how many of you participated in Cyber Monday?

I woke up early and went online to see if I could find a comparable 40" TV set for under $100.00 that Walmart was out of stock of during Black Friday.  Did not find such a bargain so I bought what I usually buy on Cyber Monday...affordable Micro SDHC cards. My contribution to Cyber Monday was $12.00.

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

Why can we not close out games in the fourth quarter?  A Spurs fan has to have nerves of steel to watch a game.  I really thought we were going to lose tonight and would of if that guy had made that last shot.  A win is a win even if it was only by one point. I think "curanderas" were busy at work tonight and earned every penny!

While watching the game the announcers mentioned that Spurs.com was also having a Cyber Monday sale so went to check it out. Why in the world do we still have Kawhi Leonard merchandise available?  Who would wear it?  I would not even take it if they gave it to me for free...just my two cents on that subject!

Could not talk myself into driving to town

As hard as I tried I just could not talk myself into driving to town.  I need to go pick-up mother's medication but she still has a three-day supply before she runs out. I tell you, I am one of the world's worst procrastinators!

My back pain has come back and I have no idea why since it is not like I have been doing any strenuous activity apart from screaming at the cats...but that is another story...you can read about it in my other blog.

I do not know how many of you ever watched "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown". This his last season prior to his death by suicide he did a segment on West Texas. Of course, he visited Terlingua, Alpine, Marfa, Marathon, Sanderson, Santa Elena Canyon (in Big Bend National Park), Presidio, Texas as well as cross the border to Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico. If you have a chance I recommend you watch it. Here is a preview:

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-far-west-texas-preview

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

You win some, you lose some. At least we did not lose by a referee this time around.

So much for Walmart Pre-Black Friday Online...

I found two items in the Walmart Black Friday Ad that I just could not do without...actually I could of...just thought they were good buys.  I saved them to my personal list a week ago but noticed that one of them said it was Out of Stock, how can it be out of stock when the sale has not even begun?

Surely they would re-stock for this evening's Pre-Black Friday online sale that started tonight at 9:00 p.m. CST?  I logged in at 8:30 p.m. so I could quickly place my order and be done with.  I submitted my purchase at 9:01 p.m. but got that little thing that goes around and around and the following message:

We're having trouble with your request. Please wait a moment and then try again.

The item that was out of stock last week was still out of stock. It was a 40" TV for the kitchen where I usually watch my Spurs games while I wash dishes or clean up after dinner. I currently have an old 26" LED television that I bought when television first went digital while I was visiting in Houston and unable to watch my Colombian Telenovelas (soap operas).  At $99.00 it was a steal and with my poor eyesight would have made a big difference in enjoying my Spurs games.

The other item was a Kodak Pixpro Long Zoom Digital Camera for $99.00 as I have wanted to replace my $35.00 Polaroid Digital Camera for years after my good camera got fried as it sat inside my tent in Terlingua.  I was successful in purchasing this item, as I suppose most people use their cell phones for picture taking these days.

My 2011 hot tent that fried my camera

It took me 24 minutes to place my order but I am sure I was competing against millions of online shoppers this evening.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

Tonight's game against the Memphis Grizzlies was a total sham...the referees did not call that last minute foul which was the same foul they had just finished calling against us. We got robbed!!!

Grocery run

I was hesitant to go to HEB this afternoon but I ran out of my high blood pressure medication on Tuesday as well as batteries to power my high blood pressure monitor.  I knew I could not postpone it for another day...as starting tomorrow until Thanksgiving...the crowds only become more massive with each passing day.

Last week before I threw my back out I had gone grocery shopping but did not buy fruits, vegetables or paper goods because I was going to take Paquito (my cat) to Ciudad Acuña to be neutered. Obviously, that did not happen thus was not able to make a grocery run while there. So like it or not I also paid a visit to Walmart as I have NO intention of setting foot in another store until after Thanksgiving.

Decided to treat myself and purchased a bottle of wine as well as some Egg Nog...which I will spike with Kahlua...that I bought on my last trip to Mexico.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

In pain but toasty warm

Our first real cold front blew through on Tuesday.  Overnight temperatures have been in the 20's since then.  My mother is always cold so our electric bill is higher in the winter time than during the summer.  Since it is her house and she pays the bill...she had me set the heater on 85...yep, you heard right.  I don't even have to use a blanket at night :)

Knowing the cold front was on the way I went grocery shopping last week and put away anything that might act as projectiles in the yard and took care of other odds and ends.  I am so glad I did because I threw my back out Sunday.  I woke up in terrible pain could barely walk upright and had to borrow my mother's old walker just to be able to get around.

I can not sit in a chair for long, nor can I lay down in bed.  I either have to be on my feet all day or lay down on my zero gravity recliner to rest or sleep.

With my mother's back problems I had my choice of painkillers and muscle relaxers but decided to pass on them as I do not like to take medications even more so now that Opioid use is a national epidemic. Chose instead an over the counter pain medication that my uncle swears by called Paracetamol.

While I can read blogs on my tablet, I am not able to leave a comment. Today was the first time I went online from my desktop.  Will soon visit my favorite blogs...sorry I have been MIA.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

2018 Mid-Term Elections - Updated

Please, fellow Americans make your voices be heard and go to the polls. Your vote matters!

Hope you had a great Día de los Muertos! - EDITED

My uncle and my Mom watched the "Día De Los Muertos" parade from Mexico City this afternoon.  This is the third annual parade that takes place in that country. I told my uncle who is from Mexico City that Terlingua has been celebrating this event for a lot longer than that...he was incredulous so I showed him pictures from years past.

As you know I was not able to make said celebration this year so as Billy Bob used to say "Google is your best friend". With that in mind, I found a lot of pictures from this year's event at the Terlingua Cemetery on Pintrest.com

Not wanting to take credit for their wonderful pictures, I am putting a link to said photos http://www.ayashbasuphoto.com/day-of-the-dead-terlingua/

EDITED

Last night I did not read through the complete story the photographer wrote nor did I see the following:

"I hope to document more Day of the Dead celebrations in this ghost town in the coming years. Please do not use, reproduce or manipulate these images in anyway for commercial or other uses. If you'd like to get in touch regarding these images, please use the Contact form."

Having had photographs in the past from this particular event taken from my blog and individuals actually stamping their own watermark on my photos I decided to take them down. However, I urge you to check the above link and read the tradition of Día de Los Muertos in Terlingua, Texas as well as to view her great pictures.

It also appears that some of these photos are from prior years events and not necessarily from 2018. Sorry about that!

Good night,  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Country over Party...

If you have been reading me even for a short while, you know that I absolutely "LOVE" Terlingua, in particular, attending the CASI Chili Cook-off Annual Event.  It is no coincidence I named my blog "Terlingua Dreams"  back in 2011.

The Chili Cook-off just ticks off so many boxes for me.  I do not expect anyone to understand it unless you yourself have personally been privy to this event. The first time I attended was with an ex-boyfriend and that is documented somewhere on this blog.  That part is inconsequential but it laid the groundwork for so many future trips to that location.

My uncle is here to stay with my Mom during my absence. I have taken care of every vital detail that might come up while I am away. So why is it that I am not all in with my decision to attend this much looked forward to event?

I am not known for interjecting politics in my blog but sometimes one has to in order to explain their thought process. If you are not comfortable with that please exit now and hopefully come back another day.

The annual CASI Chili Cook-off is the greatest party in the Texas desert.  I have been attending it for more than two decades.  It is in my book the best "stress buster" on the planet.

I am currently looking at all my camping gear laid out in the living room.  I WANT to go to Terlingua!  I can be there this afternoon if I so choose.  So why do I have so many doubts?  I will tell you why...

Many times on this blog I have told you that I was a "party girl" or should I say a "party woman"?  Terlingua seemed to reinforce that belief and I have had some of the best times of my life out in the West Texas desert.

However, there comes a time when you have to look deep into your soul and contemplate what is best for your State and your Country. While I love my annual party in the Texas desert...I love my country more!

I do not want to wake up next  Wednesday, November 7th to find out that "my candidate" lost by a few hundred votes. I do not want to have any doubt or remorse of what more I could have done to help propel him to the finish line.

I have attended political rallies, made monetary contributions and early voted for my preferred candidate but somehow deep inside of me I do not think it is enough.  I have therefore decided to volunteer in whatever capacity I might be of use to help his campaign in this final stretch.

It is with that thought in mind that I have decided to not attend the best annual Texas event in my humble opinion and instead put my country first.

Sometimes you have to choose your Country over a big party in the Texas desert!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Mosquitoes / Dog tie-out cable / Early Voting

With the cooler temperatures, the flies seem to have taken a hike but the mosquitoes have not gotten the memo and are still hanging around.  In particular those inside the house.  My mother is cold nature so the heater has been on since early this month.  I do not think we have ever turned on the heater so early in the season.

Need to wash some sheets and towels but the local laundromats are jammed packed.  I guess people are still behind on their laundry with the past rains.  Mother's clothesline is old and down to one line. If I were to hang anything heavy I am sure it would break.

While rounding up my camping gear ran into a new heavy-duty dog tie-out cable that I had bought when I cared for the stray dogs.  It was the perfect size and I was able to use it to hang a bedspread to dry.

Looks exactly like this one but I bought
mine at Tractor & Supply.

I finally made it to our local County Courthouse to cast my early vote.  I was pleased to see so many people participating in these mid-term elections. Please, fellow Texans and Americans make your voice be heard and go to the polls.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

It was another great game this evening. Unlike the last game, we played against the Lakers, this time we trailed most of the way but made a great comeback.

When did San Antonio have so many Laker fans?  I could not believe all the yellow jerseys and cheering going on...traitors!

The last of the rains

It rained a lot last night and continued until noon today. I had to take mother to her doctor's appointment this afternoon so welcomed the cease in the rains that have been a constant since September.

I would say today the temperatures were somewhere between the mid 50's to the low 60's in my book quite comfortable. Had to smile when I saw people at the doctor's office as well as at HEB with heavy jackets, coats, hats, and scarfs :D

It was easy to see who were Del Rioans and those who were winter Texans. One older gentleman, in particular, caught my eye as he was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops.

Today I learned something new perhaps the information might come in handy for another person with senior parents. Mother was due for her annual flu shot and her doctor told me that they had run out of flu shots for 65 plus.  I had no idea there were two types of flu shots...those for under 65...another for those over 65 years of age.

Since this is also my Cyber Journal I need to document she was given a Prevnar 13 shot today (pneumonia vaccine).

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

A sliver of sun

After more than a week of cloudy, wet and gloomy weather we finally saw a sliver of sun if only for a while. I really needed to charge my Wakawaka and D-Light as I use them as nightlights and emergency lights for the frequent power outages that occur in this part of Val Verde County.

Wakawaka solar light

I just love my D-Light  it can also charge
a cell phone or tablet.

We had a 24 hour period to dry out and I took the opportunity to clean all the debris outside that was blocking the front gate.  I have been looking for my tent stakes and finally recalled that I put them in the trunk of dad's old car.

As soon as I opened the trunk the smell was awful and it was soaking wet.  I usually place beer cartons in the trunk of all my vehicles and that helped a lot.  However, I needed something else to aid in the cleanup. That is when I realized that my horse pine pellets would be perfect for this job.

Horse pine pellets soak all the moisture and remove the musty smell. With more rain on the way,  it will definitively come in handy.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

While we have only played two games...one we won, one we lost...I have a good feeling about our team and the new players.

Looking forward to the game tomorrow with the Lakers.

First cold front of the season

It is Monday, October 15th at 1:33 a.m.  I have my blog set to Pacific time in order to give me an additional two hours to write my post as I don't usually go online until close to midnight.

We have been warned by the San Antonio weather forecasters (we get our news coverage from that city which is located 144 miles east of Del Rio) to expect heavy rains this evening and I was focusing on that and completely forgot about the wind factor.

At 12:50 a.m. the winds began and I am hoping the cat carrier which I left outside will not be slammed into my mother's bedroom window.  I just do not want to go outside at this hour,,,not because of the wind...but because of the cats.

Paquito is a like a spoiled kid who does what he wants when he wants.  If he sees me carrying laundry or anything he knows he can pretty much beat me and rushes inside the kitchen before I can close the door.

I wish they would go seek shelter in the garage but they hang around the kitchen porch.

Now the thunder and rain has begun so I will log off before the electricity goes out.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Que será, será...

This morning I woke up to the sounds of a loud tractor. Hooray, Pollito finally made an appearance! I did not go outside until he was about to break for lunch.  He said the southern part of the property was still very wet and his tractor kept on slipping.

This is when he gave me the bad news that he was going to have to charge me an additional amount as there were more trees than he could see when he first gave me the original estimate. He had filled more truckloads full of debris which in turn increased the fees he had to pay at the landfill.

To be fair he did give me a good price. Last year I had gotten an estimate solely based on the southern part as that is where most of the older mesquite trees are located. That figure was more than I am paying to clear the three lots.

I had to go into town to run some errands and when I got back neither Pollito nor his assistant were here. I have no idea when he will be back to complete the job...I am no longer worried about it...Que será, será!

One of the errands I had to run was a trip to a clinic for a free flu shot...I like FREE!  I happened upon this information when I was trying to access the Del Rio newspaper's website for another matter but was not able to do so without having to incur a payment for said information.

Went online to the excellent Mexican newspaper website "El Zocalo" who does not charge a dime and came upon this nugget.  As you recall last year I also happened on a flyer at the post office and I was able to score a free flu shot.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

2018 CASI Chili Cook-off News

Good news for those attending the CASI Chili Cook-off this year who happen to be tent campers or not and do not want the hassle of having to lug your own water or tent shower or for that matter having to drive into town for one. For the first time in its 52 year history, the new vendor in charge of port-o-potties and trash disposal will be providing shower shelters. The 4-day Event Shower pass will cost $40.00.
https://www.casichili.net/texas-disposal.html

Lots of crazy entertainment that will bring a smile to your face :D

This is great news!  I remember in the 90's having to stand in line for hours waiting my turn at the only showers open to the public in Lajitas, Texas in what was a trailer park and store. This was also the location where Clay Henry (the unofficial goat mayor of Lajitas) was housed. These showers had four stalls but only three worked.  We have come a long way since then, thank goodness for the invention of tent showers in the early 2000's.

My wonderful tent shower

Here is the 2018 General Schedule
https://www.casichili.net/uploads/3/7/7/2/37727781/main_schedule_separated_revised.pdf

The 2018 Music Lineup
https://www.casichili.net/2018-ticc-band-page.html

Another piece of good news is that the price of entry remains the same at $40.00 spectator's gate entry fee for the entire week.

Here is the link to other topics you might be interested in including a countdown ticker clock to the event
https://www.casichili.net/terlingua-273604.html

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Chili Cook-off Dreams.

Sorry I missed you Barney

What a difference a day makes. In contrast to yesterday, today we experienced a beautiful sunny day with highs in the 80's that definitively made you turn on your car's A/C. The house A/C has never stopped running.

Needed to run a couple of errands but before I did that wanted to go pay Barney of OFM fame a visit
https://ofmadventures.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-long-tow.html

The only people at the campground when I was there were a couple of guys tent camping,  It sure brought back memories of Terlingua :-(

For some unknown reason, I figured Barney was going to be spending a couple more days in Del Rio. I was surprised my cell phone picked up a Wifi signal and yes, I double checked and Barney had stated he was staying at campground #1.

I am so sorry I missed you this time around Barney.  Maybe next time.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

City of Del Rio sets a new rain record for this day

The evening news ( Monday - Oct 8th) warned of heavy rains, thunder, lighting, and hail for the area during the nighttime hours.  I was going to bring the car from the garage/carport to the front of the house so I would not have to walk in the rain and mud in the morning until I heard that four letter word...HAIL...and decided to leave it in the garage.

I went to bed early (for me) I think it was around 1:30 a.m.  I awakened to the sound of heavy rain and thunder turned to look at the clock and it was 3:01 a.m. Then the lighting show began and it seemed like they were striking very close by.

You could hear heavy sheets of rain hitting my bedroom window.  Got up to check on the usual places that leak mostly in the kitchen and glad I did.  The bucket was almost full and I found two new leaks :-(

Went back to sleep only to be awakened at 4:15 a.m. by a "robocall" from the City of Del Rio alerting the citizenry that we were experiencing a severe thunderstorm...no s*#t...it took them more than an hour to let us know that?

We were supposed to leave for San Antonio in the morning so went back to sleep. The darn phone rang again at 5:23 a.m. another "robocall" to let us know the thunderstorm was over.  As soon as I hung up the lighting and rain started up again.  Maybe it was over in the City of Del Rio but not in the County?  Had enough unplugged the phone from the jack!

My alarm went off at 7:30 a.m. and when I looked out the window the front yard looked like a lake. Are you kidding me?  Turned on the TV and saw that Uvalde was heavily hit after having already received five plus inches the day before, there were many street and road closures in the area.

Basically, all the rain that fell in Del Rio was heading east toward San Antonio, Texas.  Made an executive decision and called to cancel both our appointment and hotel reservation.

Del Rio set a new record for this day of three plus inches of rain.  The sun came out this afternoon which helped a little in drying our mud filled yard.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Cobwebs, flies and mosquitoes

It is so humid and there are so many cobwebs everywhere including inside the house.  I have no idea where they came from.  I knock them down every day in particular by the cats' food and in a few hours, they have resurfaced once more.

Yesterday I removed so many from the garage including my car and Terlita (my broken down camping van) and today have newer ones in its place.  I have not removed the ones inside the house as I am hoping that they capture our other infestation...mosquitoes and flies.  They are all over town!

If you are headed to Terlingua later on this month you will probably find the same infestation at the Chili Cook-off.  On the plus side at least it won't be wasps...those suckers hurt when they sting you.

Yesterday it rained heavily for about 10 minutes and then sporadically for the rest of the day.  Have not heard a peep from Pollito (the yard guy) and do not expect to as today is a holiday.

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Venting my First World problems

I got up early (for me) so I could run the errands I have not been able to get to this week waiting on the yard man to finish clearing the lots. Went to little HEB, the post office, Walmart, Stripes and was back home before noon.

The first thing I noticed this morning was how much my arms and back hurt.  Thursday I decided to trim or re-trim the trees his assistant did not get to or did not do an adequate job with.  His assistant is a guy in his 70's who is in charge of mowing, trimming and weed eating. 

Unbeknownst to him, I refer to dad's friend as Pollito (young male chick)...because per his words, not mine, he likes Pollitas (young chicks) by young he likes them in their 40's top 50's...he is 69 years old.

Pollito

Earlier this week Pollito told me he had to go to another job but his assistant would remain. Saw him working hard so went to take him some cold bottled water during his break only to find that he had already downed two beers and was about to pop open a third. I am not a prude and I certainly enjoy a cold beer but not when I am working. He left soon afterward.

I am glad I got my ladder out and trimmed as many trees as I could and added them to the pile of trash as Pollito came back on Thursday afternoon with his big truck to remove the debris from the two lots cleared.
 

He started clearing the final lot on the southern part of mother's property but did not make much headway.  Pollito did not show up Friday or today...hoping he shows up tomorrow?  This has really stressed me out and kept me from doing other things I need to get to.

Next week we have an out-of-town doctor's appointment and they called to re-schedule it for an earlier time.  There is no way I can make that appointment without having to go the day before and staying overnight at our favorite motel.

When did my life get so complicated?  Once again just venting my First World problems...

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Making the jungle go away

Spent two days looking for a business card without success. On a whim did a Google search and lord and behold the person I was looking for suddenly popped up...why did I not think of it sooner?

His business partner who happens to be his son answered and told me his dad was out of town on a job where there is no cell phone coverage, gave me his number and told me he would be back that afternoon.  This happened to be on Wednesday the day I went to Mexico, came back late and had to prepare dinner for mother.

I called him on Thursday and never got a callback.  Called him again on Friday only to get his mailbox.  He finally returned my called and told me "why did you not say you were Mr. X's daughter?"...I so wanted to say "because he has been dead for nearly two decades...but decided to bite my tongue".

He told me he would be right over, this was around 10:00 a.m.  I guess his definition of "right over" and mine are not the same.  I told him that sometimes it was hard to hear someone knocking on the front door because mother has the television volume on high.  He told me he would call me before coming.

At 4:25 p.m. I hear some loud honking but paid no mind as I thought it was the neighbor. Honking continued so I went outside and there he was. No call just showed up six hours and 25 minutes later. Said his telephone had not registered my number so he had no way of reaching me.

Told him all that I needed to be done, he gave me an estimate and we came to an agreement.  He said he would come today but that it would probably take him two or three days to make the jungle that is our yard go away.

 

 Once again thought he would come early but he did not show up until 4:45 p.m.  That is two wasted days that I was not able to make it to Stripes to purchase lunch plates as most of you know I hate cooking!

After seeing all that he accomplished this afternoon, I calmed down and thought...why did I not call him sooner?  This man is a hard worker, he loves to make money and he does not care that even though he is 69 years old he is willing to work 7 days a week if need be.

My dad and he were good friends and I am thankful that he still remembers him.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

September 2018 trip to Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila - México

I was finally able to make a grocery run to Ciudad Acuña yesterday.  When you cross Mexican Customs you go through an automated line that flashes green or red.  If you get a red light the buzzer sounds and you have to go to a second inspection.  I think this is only the second time I have ever had to be searched.

Currently, it is not the Customs Agents who do the inspections but rather Mexican soldiers.  He asked me if I had anything to declare and I said I had an ice chest in the trunk. He looked at the empty ice chest as he brought the drug-sniffing dog around who did not seem interested in my car.  The young man was very respectful and quickly sent me on my way.

They are building a new state of the art Customs Facility and much progress has been made since the last time I was here. Due to the construction, there are a lot of detours and if you are like myself that needs to go down the main entrance into Acuña to find your way around, you might end up getting lost.

Here were Wednesday's exchange rates so you can see what the price would be in regards to its US dollar equivalent...

Compra = Buy ------->  you purchase $17.90 Mexican Pesos per $1.00 US dollar

Venta = Sell  ----------> you purchase $1.00 US dollar for $18.60 Mexican Pesos


Typically Exchange Houses have more favorable rates than banks that is why if you Google yesterday's exchange rates they will be higher than those featured above.

Started my shopping spree at Bodegas Aurrera.  Here they have a 12-pack of Bud Light on sale for $99.00 Pesos ( 99.00 divided by 17.90 equals $5.53 USD).  You have to take into account that you have to pay additional Texas Alcohol taxes in order to bring it back to the USA. 

They also had a good price on bottled water...the US equivalent of $1.25

My next stop was Soriana's. I like this store because it does not have large crowds and has fresh fruits and vegetables.

I bought a bottle of Kahlua for $149.00 Mexican Pesos...$8.32 USD plus $3.75 Texas State Liquor Tax for a final price of $12.07 USD.

El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is just around the corner.  Pan de Muerto is a very popular bread made during this holiday and Mom wanted me to buy her some so I obliged.

The return home was a breeze and only a three-minute wait.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

The last holdout

When we moved to Del Rio there was one HEB, Arrañaga's Grocery, Piggly-Wiggly, Gibsons and a couple of Mom and Pop grocery stores. We currently have two HEB's and Super Wal-mart.

HEB entered into a deal with the city to buy two city blocks the details of which I have no personal knowledge of. They bought out all the homes, demolished them and built the location of HEB #2, there were two notable holdouts but HEB did not care they built around them.

One was a home/workshop and the other a former car dealership.  The home/workshop was sold by the family after the passing of its owner.  Now the last holdout of what was once Arledge Motor Company sold its property to HEB.

Would love to know the purchase price but in Texas that information is confidential.  I do not know how many parking spaces that will add but a piece of Del Rio history was lost.  Wish I had known so I could have photographed the old building for posterity sake.

It seems like all the landmarks of my youth are disappearing.  Arrañaga's Grocery is now a Medical Clinic the sad part is that even the personnel that work there had no idea it had once been a grocery store until I enlightened them.

Gas prices at HEB on Friday $2.549 for regular gasoline. Saturday they dropped one penny to $2.549.

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

My first political rally...

If you are new to my blog, I would like for you to know that I seldom if ever bring up the two subjects that I consider taboo...religion and politics.  I have quit following many a blog that does or if I happen to like the blogger I will just skip that day's post.

With that said, besides this being my Blog it is also my Cyber Journal where I document things that are of importance to me and which I do not want to forget.  Wanting to be respectful to all my readers...today I am going to write about politics...so you might want to skip this post and hopefully come back to read my next blog topic.

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My parents instilled in me the need to make our voice be heard through voting and I do so religiously, not just on important elections but in all elections in particular local ones. These are different and trying times in our country and voting is just not enough.

I am an Independent voter, I vote based on the values, positions, and merits of a candidate, not party affiliation. I have been following a candidate for Senate closely and like what he represents. I have never donated to a political candidate before but I felt compelled to do so because there is a lot at stake here.

I was elated to learn Beto would be in Del Rio today and I just had to make an appearance. This was my first political rally so I did not know what to expect. I showed up very early and got a good seat. We were treated to an excellent local band "Conjunto Mi Rey".

Beto has the backing of the "twins" better known as Julian and Joaquin Castro.  Julian is a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas who went on to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama.

Joaquin Castro is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas 20th District.

This promising young man Beto O'Rouke gives me hope. He has traveled to all 254 counties in Texas wanting to listen to what the constituents want from their representatives.

I do not know how he does it for last night he was in a debate with his opponent that was covered nationally from Dallas, Texas.  Yet here he was at an 11:00 a.m. rally in Del Rio, Texas. I should point out that his opponent left immediately after the debate yet Beto stayed and took additional questions from those in attendance.

After the Del Rio event, he was headed to two more rallies in Eagle Pass and Laredo, Texas.  I have NEVER seen his opponent anywhere near Del Rio, he has not even held a single town hall meeting.

BETO for Senate!!!


P.S.  A video you might enjoy if you are a Beto supporter
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFn04RRqazc

I have not left the house in a week!

I can not believe that I have not left the house in a week!  Mostly because of the rains, though today it was a beautiful sunny day.  I took the opportunity to wash some clothes as the rains return tomorrow.

I was hoping to drive into town and run a couple of errands but that did not materialize.  We are running low on groceries. Gypsy, a fellow blogger http://gypsy97.blogspot.com/2018/09/if-st-first-you-dont-succeed.html  tried the grocery store delivery offered by her local store.  I just might try the one HEB offers.  Though I think they only offer curbside service but that's OK.

The mosquitoes have been terrible, they are so fat I can see them without my glasses.  I have to put on long sleeves and pants whenever I go outside.  I got tired of spraying insect repellent and feeling sticky besides I am sure the DEET is not particularly good for you when used constantly.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Heavy downpours continue

The rains do not want to leave us. The only saving grace is that we have a few hours in between heavy downpours and I get to go outside to sweep away the rain puddles, no more bailing water. The horse pine pellets have worked very well in absorbing the excess rain that I can not capture as I am out of trash cans and five-gallon buckets.

This afternoon I was finally going to head into town when the weather guy said we were minutes away from another heavy storm.  Sure enough went outside and the sky facing south (Mexico) was very black. There has been a lot of flooding in Mexico as well.

I do not drive in the rain, so I changed clothes opened a can of soup and made us another ham and cheese sandwich for dinner.  That is another trait my tall weathered cowboy MUST have...he needs to be a good cook!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Kahlua with ice cream

I do not know what is wrong with me, I have been getting up very late this past week.  I am tired yet I have not done anything substantial to merit such tiredness.

The mosquitoes are terrible and they are even inside the house.  I know I should not complain in particular with all the flooding in the wake of now tropical storm Florence taking place in the Carolina's but I am really sick of all the rain.

It is currently raining right now and the weather forecasters told us to expect from three to four inches tonight and tomorrow.  I briefly considered going to buy two additional trash cans to capture more rainwater but the thought of going to Walmart on the weekend made me change my mind.

Remember the trash can I tried to repair with duct tape but failed?  It has been put to good use by the cats.

This evening as I washed dishes I watched old episodes of Anthony Bourdain - Parts Unknown,  boy did he used to eat well!  Anderson Cooper once remarked that he had the palate of a five-year-old yet Anthony would try to push his limits and have him try exotic food.  I laughed when he said that because I feel the same.

After watching the Berlin and Quebec episodes I so wanted a glass of wine or a beer but I do not have any.  All I have is a bottle of Tequila (that I bought a couple of years ago for Terlingua) and a bottle of Kahlua that I use to spike my eggnog during Christmas.

Today is Mexican Independence Day and I could have had a celebratory shot of Tequila, though I don't really like Tequila unless it is served in the form of a frozen Margarita.  I think the last margarita I had was in 2013 at Taco Cabana in Houston.

Mother wanted some ice cream for dessert...then I said to myself, why not have Kahlua with ice cream?  For ME, not her. It was different but tasty, though I would rather have a beer.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


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The opposite of yesterday

While yesterday was very productive, I can not say the same about today.  Mother and I are not morning people but today it got a little ridiculous even for us...we did not get up until after 2:00 p.m.

Me because I get really tired the day after a hectic day and Mom because she refuses to take her sleeping pills and winds up staying up all night and finally dozing off in the morning.

I was sound sleep but could hear a lawn mower, turned to look at the clock and it was 8:00 a.m.  Looked out the window and it was mother's nice neighbor mowing the weeds on the street side of her fence.  Thank you Mr. Joe...went right back to sleep!

The recent rains have made everything grow exponentially.  Mom's backyard looks like a jungle. I took out the weedeater but gave up before I even attempted to plug it in.  I think I need to hire a professional :-(

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

A very productive day

The phone rang at 8:00 a.m. it was a computer generated call from FedEx letting us know they had a delivery that required a signature.  Even though I had only slept for three hours decided to get up in anticipation of said delivery.

The FedEx guy is a friendly and personable guy not to mention he is also easy on the eyes. Why is it that a women looks old with gray hair but a man looks distinguished by comparison?

Finally got mother to fill out her ballot (she votes by mail) and drove to the post office. When was the last time I was there?  Our P.O. Box was overflowing. The County Courthouse is close by so went to exercise the most important right in our democracy and did early voting.

Headed to the Recycling Center to get rid of my plastic, steel cans, cardboard, and junk mail.  The railroad tracks are behind the center and there was a train that was going nowhere so decided to go pay my dad a long overdue visit.

Have been thinking a lot about him especially during the funeral and tributes to the late Senator John McCain. I can not believe he has been gone for 18 years and I still miss him terribly.  Dad always included me in his plans so I was a  little dismayed when I found out he had bought two gravesites but failed to buy one for me.

When he passed away I decided to purchase my own gravesite.  However, all the ones in the proximity to my parents had been sold years before. Well, at least I will be in the same cemetery.

I was getting hungry so headed back into town. While I am a full grown woman responsible for my own decisions, I am placing all the blame on Barney of Old Fat Man fame for my choice of eating establishment.  He recently wrote about his visit to Whataburger and I have been thinking about doing the same since then.  It was delicious!!!

Headed to the mall to walk off some calories and stopped at Ross and Marshalls...the best part...I did not purchase a single thing!

Then headed to Long John Silver's to pick up some dinner for Mom.  All in all, I got a lot done today.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Rainy September

We have been having a lot of rain lately the good thing about that is that it brought the temperatures down to the high 70's but the humidity has been terrible. Today mother nature gave us a break and I was able to wash some clothes.  Rains are supposed to return tomorrow.

Being the insomniac that I am, I often watch infomercials late at night. There is one about this super tape where a man cuts his boat in half and then tapes it back together to show how waterproof this product is.  I think it costs $24.95 plus S&H, in my opinion, a bit too much.  Why do I mention this?  I have five 32-gallon trash cans where I collect rainwater...I refer to them as my primitive rain catchment system.

The big trash can with Paquito trying
 to catch a butterfly is NOT part of my
  rain catchment but the other two black ones are.

One of them developed a leak so I just quit using it. With all the rains from this week and from three weeks ago, I have used every trash can, bucket anything that will hold water.  I do not like wasting my liquid gold so decided to duck tape the trash can, but it did not work.  I do have a roll of heavy duty duck tape, I think it is called Gorilla tape but heaven only knows where amongst all my boxes it is located...see my need for a storage shed?

If you are new to my blog you might be wondering why I am storing rainwater...I am practicing for my eventual move to Terlingua.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.