Purple Sage / Governors Landing / New Battery

While I keep all records that have to do with the upkeep of our cars it is another matter to be able to find them in the many boxes that I have. I try to document important items like when I purchase tires and batteries, when I take the cars in for service, etc., etc. I am somewhat forgetful at adding labels to my posts to make them easier to locate on my blog.

Something kept on nagging at me but with my CRS it is hard to remember things. I believe the last time I replaced my tires a short time later I bought a new battery for Midnight. Sunday, August 28th I drove to town early to go pick up our mail. The car was sluggish to start and I panicked since being Sunday and early in the morning auto parts stores were closed.

The only thing that came to mind was what my late mechanic told me...Belinda, anytime the car starts acting up take a drive to the lake and floor it...and that is exactly what I did. 

That is when I noticed that the recent rains had made the purple sage bloom all over the city both at businesses and homes alike.

I, therefore, expected to see this beautiful shrub in full bloom on the way to Lake Amistad but sadly that was not the case. I drove to my favorite campground that being Governors Landing but there was only one campsite in use by a young couple car camping. The sites here have been cleared to make them larger and they also set up tent sites about two years ago while only increasing the fees by two dollars to $10.00 per night.

The effects of the drought were evident and it is so sad to see the low lake levels. There is some good news though the boat ramp they closed two weeks ago is once again open to the public though there were few boats at the unloading parking lot (not sure that is the correct term).

I parked the car in the front driveway rather than the garage Sunday night but barely slept since I had a doctor's appointment Monday morning and was afraid the car would not start. Lucky for me it started and as soon as I got out of the doctor's office I made a beeline to Auto Zone where they tested it and sure enough it needed to be replaced.

While I have no idea what I paid for the last one, I was surprised that it now costs $199.99 before tax. Much like the tires, it is the peace of mind that I am purchasing. Let's hope this is the last I have to spend on Midnight for a while.

I was correct the Del Rio area received 3 inches in 3.5 hours yesterday morning. The creek that separates us from the county road overflooded and the road was closed for several hours. School did not start until ten o'clock and it goes without saying I found out about this thanks to El Zócalo. https://www.zocalo.com.mx/caen-3-pulgadas-de-lluvia-en-tres-horas-y-media/

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

We had a deluge early this morning

I was awakened early this morning by all the thunder and lightning then the rains began. I have mentioned in the past that there are leaks in the kitchen but due to the drought, I had forgotten about them. Mother nature would soon remind me. 

The San Antonio news channels mentioned Del Rio received 1 to 2 inches but I beg to differ. The Mexican newspaper El Zócalo reported that Ciudad Acuña received 3.5 to 4.1 inches during the deluge this morning. https://www.zocalo.com.mx/caen-4-1-pulgadas-de-lluvia-en-acuna-rescataron-a-14-personas-atrapadas/ 

Unfortunately, a 67-year-old man who sold tacos was swept away in his bicycle and drowned. There is one missing person and damage citywide. This poor woman had water up to her waist inside her home.https://www.zocalo.com.mx/tormente-colapsa-a-ciudad-acuna-caen-tres-pulgadas-en-tan-solo-una-hora/

The webpage that masquerades as our newspaper failed to mention the rain though I will give them credit for reporting the overdose death of two Del Rio women and a male who is still alive but in critical condition at the local hospital after having ingested cocaine and fentanyl. There is no doubt that the big city problems are slowly creeping into our community. https://830times.com/news-del-rio-police-and-dea-investigation-ongoing-involving-deadly-narcotics/

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Merchandise not moving at Walmart / Growing cases of Covid

I needed to go pick up our mail and then head off to the other post office to mail a payment as I have mentioned before our post office tends to lose a lot of correspondence. The second post office is located in the north part of town where restaurants, fast food establishments, the mall, and the majority of commerce are located. Walmart is not very far so took the opportunity and headed that way.

I watch the Deal Guy on YouTube as he makes a lot of videos about big box store specials. Unfortunately, the items he had as "good buys" this month were not at my Walmart. He had 5-gallon buckets for $2.00 but ours were selling for $4.98.

The financial channels I watch mention how there is a lot of merchandise that is not selling at big stores. They had items that I considered buying a couple of months ago and to my surprise were still available such as...

I am happy to say that I did not buy any of the above. Instead, I headed to the Fruit and Vegetable section to purchase some salads.

I found a lower price on avocados...

I was looking in another section when I came upon a GREAT price on 6 avocados in a mesh bag...$2.98 a bag which translates to .50 cents each!

Walmart had the lowest gasoline price in the city...

Our Covid numbers continue to rise, you would think that the webpage that masquerades as our local newspaper would make mention of it. However, like our former official newspaper The Del Rio News-Herald they have turned political or report nonsense...like four sisters who set up a lemonade stand this weekend in their front yard. I ask...which is more important to the citizenry not just of Del Rio but of any community?

Thank goodness for the excellent reporting in the Mexican newspaper El Zócalo. https://www.zocalo.com.mx/confirman-453-nuevos-contagios-de-covid-19/

We have 453 new confirmed Covid cases bringing to 830 the currently active cases in the city. Most of these are comprised of minors. 

I am happy to report that we do not have any MonkeyPox cases "yet". San Antonio does have some so it is just a matter of time. In my last post, I remarked that I was afraid to catch that virus since I wanted to go to the library to use their computers but could not find my disposable gloves. I did not want to take a chance of getting contaminated by touching their computer keyboard for an extended time.

We are still without air conditioning but thanks to the rains it has been tolerable.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Broken A/C / Rains

Just an update since I mentioned it on my other blog last week though I realize not as many people read it as they do this one. The A/C started acting up early Friday morning, I am disappointed because I had them out last month and they found nothing wrong with it though I explained to the repairman and the owner's wife what it had been doing and it seemed serious to me.

I realize they have a lot of clients and had a long list to still service. Still, I think this was preventable, especially on a unit that is only five years old and is top of the line not like the piece of trash another A/C company sold us that only lasted three years. They forgot to register the unit so the affected part was not covered and would have cost me a fortune to fix that is why I went with this company that has a good rating with the BBB.

I think I pissed off the owner's wife because I called at seven o'clock in the morning. How was I supposed to know that she forwarded the company's number to her cellphone after hours? She would not have been happy if she had only known that I had planned to call them at 4:00 a.m. I wanted to beat the other clients since last month I was number 53 or so on the list.

I was told they might not be able to get to me on Friday and I would have to be serviced on Saturday.  However, they made it that afternoon only to give me the bad news that it was the blower motor and they would have to place an order for it. The core (?) would also have to be washed.

It was a hellish weekend even with the ceiling fans going...I do not care for ceiling fans...I know too many people that have been hurt by them including one that started a house fire. The lady was my mother's Del Rio hairdresser who had this wobbly ceiling fan that was constantly on in the converted garage that she turned into a hair salon. The fan fell and burst into flames and she lost her business and home and has never been able to recuperate.

Just a reminder...per Google you can safely run a ceiling fan for eight hours...not for hours or days on end like many people I know.

I called the owner's wife Monday afternoon and she said her husband was stuck in Dallas unable to get a flight back to Del Rio but she had sent him the pictures her A/C technician took and she was sure he had ordered it but did not know when it would arrive or when they would be able to install it.

We finally got heavy downpours which helped in bringing down the temperatures even though it upped the humidity...isn't it always something?  I found a new use for an old carrot cake container...if you guessed a place to put mesquite pods in...your win!!!

I took the above picture before the rains.  It looked like a creek afterward.

The precipitation was so needed in this area. Though I feel for those in the north part of Texas who were flooded out and lost everything.

I am grateful for the temporary relief in temperatures.

I just hope this computer holds up as I know warm temperatures are not good for them. I considered going to the "unofficial cooling center" better known as Val Verde County Library but our Covid-19 numbers keep on growing and I have no idea where I have my disposable gloves...with my luck, I would catch Monkeypox. 😥

You guys know I am a cat person and of all the feline videos on YouTube, this is my favorite. Her name is Penny and she looks a lot like Nicolás. It is a Short it will only take 36 seconds and it relates to today's post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0pqg9CmgM4

It's morning so I can't wish you a good night and Terlingua Dreams...so have a great day!

Aunty Acid

Midnight has new shoes

Last night I barely slept, I parked my car in the front driveway rather than in the garage/carport and kept on going outside to check if the tire had gone flat. Since I could not sleep I went online and learned more than I wanted to about tires. Decided to go ahead and replace all four since they were five years old and per Google, it's best to do them all at the same time.

I mentioned that the guy at Mario's Tire Repair told me Walmart had the best prices in Del Rio. I did an internet search and he was right. I had "planned" to go early but wouldn't you know it...I fell asleep and got a late start.

When I arrived there was a line outside of the Auto Service area and it was moving very slow as the hot sun was bearing down on us. I had no idea so many people brought their cars to Walmart for service most were there for an oil change and a few like myself for new tires.

The service manager gave me the specs on the tires and informed me that it would take two and a half hours and he would call me at home...I informed him that I would be waiting for my vehicle in the customer waiting room.

I walked the store for a while and was surprised they still had 10 x 10 pop-up canopies on sale. They have the time down to a science as my car was ready at the promised time. Midnight has new shoes!

I went ahead and bought Road Hazard Insurance as well as Wheel Balance for the life of the tires. I spent $432.00 on said shoes but the peace of mind it brings me is priceless!

Thanks to my blog I was able to determine the date I last purchased tires. For my record, I took this picture as well so I would know the mileage. However, the time is wrong...will one day re-set it...though I won't be holding my breath on that one.

I stopped at Whataburger for a late lunch or you could also call it an early dinner as all I had to eat this morning was a banana and I was famished.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Ran errands / hot patch

I got up early to set out the trash and run errands before the heat of the day set in. My first stop was Tractor & Supply, followed by the post office (boy did we have a lot of mail), then HEB to pick up a prescription and to gas up.

Gasoline prices continue to go down to my delight as well as that of my pocketbook. $3.289 for a gallon of Unleaded Gasoline is a bargain in comparison to a few months ago.

I usually park my car in the garage/carport facing the street in case I ever need a boost the Triple-A technician can do so without too much effort. However, I was going to drive back to town to pick up some lunch plates at Stripes now 7-Eleven so I didn't...it is a good thing because I noticed I had a nail in my tire.

I panicked and drove straight to Mario's Tire Repair a local small business I frequent. One of the guys told me that they could not fix it because it was too close to the sidewall and it was illegal in the US. He did tell me that I could have a "hot patch" done in a vulcanizadora in México where it is permitted.

He also asked me if I had bought insurance when I purchased my tires but I do not remember all I know is that I bought them on February 6, 2017, at the local Toyota dealership and I only know that because I documented it in this blog. 

I called the dealership when I got home and of course, they did not have me in their system. The Parts Guy said I would have to bring in the receipt...but after five years he doubted it would be covered. At the repair guy's advice, he said that if I decided to buy a new tire...Walmart had the best prices.

I did a Google search and after reviewing the pros and cons of a "hot patch" I think I will just purchase a new tire rather than risk a blowout or worse.

While we were fortunate to not reach the triple digits it was still hot and very humid. We had a high of 95 degrees today.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Liquid Gold / Trip to México

Saturday we had more thunder and lightning than we did precipitation. I had cleaned and set out a 32-gallon trash bin as well as two of my galvanized tubs to collect rain but very little fell and it was mostly muddy from all the dirt on the roof.

Monday around 4:10 a.m. I thought I heard rain and went outside surprised that I was able to distinguish its sound when it was falling so gently. It is comforting to know that even though my eyesight is shot, I suffer from CRS, at least my hearing is intact.

I fell asleep before the ten o'clock news on Sunday so had no idea we were expecting rain or how much was expected.  It rained all day Monday and I had to keep on going outside to sweep the concrete area behind the kitchen where it tends to pond. I do not know how much fell but it had to be around two or three inches...the backyard was a muddy mess but I am grateful for the liquid gold.

Last Thursday I went to Ciudad Acuña to take yet another cat to be spayed you can read more about that here if you like https://mylittlewalter.blogspot.com/

On a prior trip in July, I had gone to check out the price for the larger galvanized tubs at Gutierrez (a local grocery store) but it was not posted. Returned today and found recent price labels.

$647.50 pesos divided by an exchange rate of 20 pesos to one US dollar equals $32.38 USD

I did not purchase it as I would like to compare prices at other "ferreterías" in México...that is Spanish for a hardware store.

I only bought a couple of items as grocery shopping was not the main purpose of my visit today.

Last time I failed to get a picture of the canvas canopy coverings they have in their parking lot to aid in keeping your car cooler in the extreme temperatures along the border.

I went to a ferretería in the north part of town close to Gutierrez's second store and Soriana but they did not have the size I wanted. I did take the opportunity to have an extra house key made. I was charged $15.00 pesos/.75 US cents.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

We finally have a chance of rain tonight

The weather lady said we had a chance of rain tonight though it was expected this afternoon at first. The temperature dropped 10 degrees to 92 so if it rained it was on the northwest side of town by the lake which is in dire need of any kind of precipitation.

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service and
830 Times

This past Tuesday, August 9th the Diablo East Boat Ramp was closed. However, the Rough Canyon ramp would remain open. Here is the link if you are interested https://830times.com/news-diablo-east-boat-ramp-to-close-tuesday

I have not been able to sleep even though I took two Melatonin tablets Tuesday night out of desperation to no avail. I figured I would rest last night but was wide awake so got up at 3:30 a.m. to begin my day.  I had a busy one but will blog about it tomorrow.

I went back to San Felipe Lions Park and the flow of San Felipe Creek has slowed even more. This is one of the hundreds of creeks in Texas that is showing the effects of our drought.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Second Booster Shot / Calendars and Buttered Popcorn

I learned thanks to Ciudad Acuña's excellent newspaper El Zócalo a couple months back that the Texas National Guard would no longer be administering Covid-19 clinics at the local mall. You would now have to make arrangements at the three local pharmacies or get it from your doctor.  

On my last visit to my physician, it had only been two months since I had received my booster and he had told me that the Rural Health Clinic was still hosting some but he did not know for how much longer. Called them last month to inquire and was lucky enough to get an appointment for last Friday, August 5th.

The Rural Health Clinic is only open till noon on Fridays and at 12:01 p.m. they would start the vaccinations. I am glad I went early and that during the morning it was cloudy and there was a good breeze blowing. There were a lot of children and teenagers there as I believe school begins next week.

At least the lines were not as long as the ones at the Civic Center or the last one at the mall. However, that is not to say there was no drama with the kids. There was this four or five year old boy who was overweight and wanted his mother to carry him if she put him down he would start screaming and kicking, this woman had the patience of a saint. They were there to get his 14-year-old brother vaccinated and even he could barely stand his tantrums...why do I always get stuck near spoiled brats?

There were a lot of rich ladies from Ciudad Acuña getting vaccinated. How do I know they were from México? They dressed very nicely, were draped in expensive jewelry, had their designer purses, and spoke proper Spanish.  I also counted 11 license plates from the state of Coahuila in the parking lot.

These are some of the cars I spotted with
 Mexican license plates

I pulled a muscle about two months ago on my left arm and it is very tender so I opted to get the booster on my right arm even though I am right handed. Luckily I had no complications only soreness where the shot was administered.

The line continued to grow as I was leaving and the sun started to peak through the clouds.

I went to The Dollar Tree as I needed 2023 calendars and they go fast.

I found some buttered popcorn but only bought two...see I can have "willpower" when I want! 😄

 

I had every intention of going next door to Harbor Freight to get a free flashlight and to Ollie's but my feet said NO.

Walmart is next door so drove by to see what the going gasoline prices were for Friday, August 5th.

$3.499 for Unleaded
$4.589 for Diesel

Goodnight.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid