Manu Ginobili Day in San Antonio, Texas

The city of San Antonio, Texas proclaimed August 30, 2018, to be Manu Ginobili Day. There were tributes all across the Alamo City for one of the most beloved Spurs to ever wear the uniform.

From the mayor to city council members they wore a No. 20 jersey as a tribute to this gifted Argentinean athlete who announced Monday he would be retiring after playing 16 seasons and winning 4 NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs.

Somehow "Gracias Manu" does not seem sufficient for a player who gave us so much happiness, pride, joy and even a few tears in his prolific career.

I personally thought he still had a couple good years left in him but I respect his decision.  He will be missed by his adoring fans. I hope like many other now retired Spurs that he continues to live in San Antonio so we can catch glimpses of him in the crowd.

It is the end of an era.

Premier Portable Buildings - Hondo, Texas

I have been wanting to purchase a shed or cabin for a while but just when I am about to do so something with more urgency comes along such as a new A/C unit last year.

In a certain way, waiting has worked to my advantage as a new cabin/shed maker has made its entry to the scene and brought down prices.

My shed in Houston was manufactured by Tuff Shed. At the time I purchased it they were the only players in the marketplace.  Later Derksen made its entry and now we have Premier Portable Buildings.

They have very competitive prices and have a large inventory in Hondo, Texas.  I was able to stop and look around yesterday.

I was surprised at the size of this cabin  14 x 40 though I think it would be overkill for my current needs it would work great in Terlingua.  At $11,902.00 it is a great price for a home.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

August 2018 trip to San Antonio

Barely slept last night. The dog in the corner howls like a wolf especially when the train blows its horn during the early morning hours. He starts and the rest of the neighborhood dogs join the chorus. Gave up and got up at 4:45 a.m. afraid that I might oversleep.

It has been four months since our last trip to San Antonio and I could already see the new construction that has taken place in many of the small towns along the way. That is without taking into account all the new freeway construction in the Alamo City.

We lucked out today...this is the first time EVER that mother got her labs done on time and even more lucky that she actually saw the doctor at her scheduled appointment time. This is the former Uvalde doctor that we have had to wait as much as five hours to see in the past.

I so wanted to stop and have a late lunch at Taco Cabana but you can't eat there without enjoying a frozen margarita with your meal so decided to pass and drive back to Del Rio :-(

Hondo, Texas had the lowest price for gasoline this morning at $2.43 per gallon for unleaded but this afternoon it had gone up .02 cents to $2.45.  Still, it was a good price.

I love HEB in Hondo, good gasoline prices and no crowds!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Butterflies, Mosquitoes and Purple Sage

This week we have been hit by swarms of little butterflies. They are everywhere and are a great source of enjoyment for the kittens who love to chase them.

Last week I think it was Wednesday, August 15th we had heavy rains in the neighborhood of 4 plus inches. The severe drought we have experienced this summer gave way to greenery and blooming purple sage.

We have also had winds and that has lessened the hearty blooms on the purple sage bushes.  I have not been able to take any pictures as the back way into town is a heavily transited two-lane road with no place to pull over.

Of course, no heavy rain event would be complete without the presence of pesky mosquitoes.  Those varmints are everywhere.  Last year I bought this roll-on Bug Bite Relief at Dollar Tree but had not had the opportunity to use it until now.  I am impressed, it does make the sting go away.

Today I had to go pick up a prescription at HEB which I try to avoid due to the large number of people always there.  I was happily surprised that being a Friday afternoon there was a lull in the crowds as well as at Walmart.  Perhaps the triple-digit temperatures played a role here.

Speaking of Walmart, I was in the cat aisle when I spotted pelletized cat litter.  I had to smile as it never occurred to me to use it for that purpose then I remembered that I caught Paquito using the one I put around the trash cans that collect the rainwater and scolding him for it. They are outdoor cats so there is really nothing I can do about it, at least it does not stink.

If you do happen to use pelletized cat litter you are better off buying the large bags of horse pellets as they are much cheaper.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Dead battery

Was ready to head into town when I got that clicky purring noise indicative of a dead battery. So what is a girl to do when she has no mechanical aptitude?  Place a call to Triple-A (American Automobile Association) of course.  This is one of those "gems" that I would NEVER do without.

They have come to my rescue since I was 21 years old...dead batteries, flat tires, towing service, maps, traveler's checks, passport pictures, International drivers license...now I sound like a commercial :)  You may not always need it but when you do, it is a lifesaver and you do not have to bother your friends or neighbors...PRICELESS!!!

Once they jumped me I headed straight for AutoZone.  Batteries have certainly gone up in five years! Bought the same Duralast Gold Battery with a 5-year warranty with tax and special battery sales fee spent a grand total of $177.80.

I am so grateful that this happened today as tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment and we would have probably had to cancel and incur a fee for not giving a 24-hour notice.  We also have an upcoming trip to San Antonio where I would hate to be stranded in a hot car waiting on a tow truck.  All in all, it turned out to be a good day.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

My cable bill went up

After the first-year promotion ran out for Spectrum bundle services my bill went from $122.62 to $155.53 that is $32.91 more per month.  Guess what?  I am not even going to complain!

In Houston, I had no need for cable as there was always things to do, places to go and more than enough free channels if I wanted to watch TV.  I can not say the same for Del Rio.

After having put up with so many lousy internet providers it feels great to have high speed, reliable internet service with no caps.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

RIP Aretha Franklin 1942-2018

Woke up to the sad news of Aretha Franklin's passing.  It seems like more of the great ones are leaving us much too soon.  Another victim of cancer...pancreatic cancer to be exact.

I spent all day watching cable news where they honored and celebrated her life and legacy. I shed more than a few of tears today.

I have to say that Don Lemon on his nightly show on CNN gave what I considered the most heartfelt tribute to this great American icon.

In his closing statement, he said something that really struck a chord with me.  This is not a direct quote but close to it..."At this moment in time when the nation is so divided, for one day we have come together to mourn and celebrate this unique treasure".

May you Rest in Peace Miss Franklin.