Another thunderstorm / 108 degree day

Late Sunday afternoon we were surprised by a strong thunderstorm that like previous before it also came with thunder, lightning, and power surges. I disconnected my computer and TV and upped the thermostat so the A/C would not come on during the storm. I sat on the recliner waiting for the storm to pass and incredibly managed to fall asleep.

Thanks to the rain I did not get up early to water the trees and plants. I did not even get upset that the pesky mesquite pods had gotten wet before I was able to pick them up or that thanks to the storm I now had, even more, scattered around. It is highway robbery what they want to charge me to cut down five trees but I may just have to pay what they want if just only for my peace of mind.

It was so hot today that I had to put on one of dad's long sleeve cotton shirts over my tank top every time I went outside to keep from roasting in the sun. The poor cats were panting so I kept on taking them cool water.

This afternoon I noticed that the A/C was not turning off it just kept on going, so once again I turned up the thermostat to make it stop. It wasn't until the ten o'clock news that I found out that we had a high of 108 degrees today and no telling what the heat index might have been.

This summer the new break-out hot spots have been Pearsall and Cotulla, Texas. They have been beating out Laredo consistently.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

A horrific day in Texas

My day started normal enough...I was grateful that the bad weather that was supposed to affect us last night did not materialize...not even a drop of rain.

I like to watch "The View" and I thought the worst thing that would happen today was that I would have to listen to that hideous Kellyanne Conway promoting her book whose title "Here's the Deal" which is a phrase often echoed by President Biden...is she shading him?

To say it was a train wreck is, to put it mildly, she was booed by the audience and fought with a Republican guest host with whom she worked during the prior administration along with having altercations with the other hosts and then went into one of her usual rants...the woman is a psycho!

The Noon News comes after the conclusion of The View and it was then that they announced there was a shelter in place at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas but nothing else. I went about my chores outside but left the TV on and when I came back inside for some water, is when I heard of what at the time was only the death of two people but no mention that they were children. I figured it was some angry boyfriend or ex-husband having killed his significant other who might have worked at that school...was I ever wrong!

It wasn't until the 4:00 p.m. News that I came back inside and turned the TV to Telemundo-San Antonio where I learned of the atrocity that had taken place as both news anchors, two ladies who recently came back from maternity leave were doing their level best to unsuccessfully fight back tears and keep their composure.

Del Rio is 70 miles from Uvalde, Texas...a city I know well and have documented several times on this blog. It has a population of about 16,000 people. You hear about these mass shootings but you never think it is going to hit so close to home and that the victims would be second, third, and fourth-graders.

Senator Murphy gave a tear-jerking speech on the Senate floor...is anyone on the GOP side listening?

You see more outrage from NBA coach Steve Kerr than from Republicans.

I am so glad we have an empathetic President in Joe Biden...and I ask the same question he did..."When in God's name are we going to stand up to the Gun Lobby?"

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has done everything in his power to make it easier to purchase guns and will along with the disgraced, twice impeached one-term former liar-in-chief, and Cancun Cruz address an NRA meeting in Houston, Texas this weekend. Only Senator John Cornyn remembered he had a prior appointment for which he will have to remain in Washington D.C. spineless bastard!

As I type this they have confirmed the death of 19 children, 2 adults, and the scumbag killer. There are other victims in critical condition at area hospitals which unfortunately can make the death toll higher.

My heart goes out to all the parents, and families of victims as well as to the residents of Uvalde, Texas.

I do not think I will be able to sleep this evening.

HEB Pharmacy / Dairy Queen / Pesky Baby Mesquite

I had to go pick up my medication at HEB Pharmacy but as usual, it was past three o'clock and the parking lot was packed. I went to check out the drive-thru window and was glad that the right lane was finally fixed as I did not want to go inside.

I do not know why every time I take a picture of the gasoline prices at HEB the price comes out blurry.  Regular unleaded gasoline was selling for $3.649 per gallon...

I filled up last week at $3.679 per gallon or I would have filled up today. I was hungry so I decided to treat myself to a Dairy Queen hunger buster combo.

When I took the first bite I chuckled as they gave me a rather large serving of lettuce. I could not help but think of an Aunty Acid meme that more or less says..."Woman for the love of God eat a salad instead". 😁😁

Here is this week's drought map for Texas...Del Rio is in a severe drought.

Fellow blogger JO once said "Mesquite trees could survive a 500-year drought" and I have no doubt they would. The rain we received on Tuesday was not very much but it made those darn trees even lusher 😢

See the green things that look like weeds?  They are not weeds but pesky baby mesquite...grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

The news at noon said Pharr, Texas reached a high of 111 degrees yesterday while a city in Utah recorded a low of negative 1 degrees. That is a temperature difference of 112 degrees. I am glad I am old and won't have to live with the consequences of climate change for long.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Saying of the Day

Derksen Portable Buildings in Del Rio, Texas

I can hardly believe that February is already here...January just raced by and I have not accomplished a thing. Once again yesterday Monday, February 1st I woke up to a flashing alarm clock indicating that the power went out during the night.

This weekend I considered driving out to the post office early Sunday morning to pick up my mail but never got around to it. Instead, I bundled up and watched some of my long-ago recorded shows so I could erase them from my DVR.

I have been wanting to go to the Derksen Portable Building lot for a while now. It is located on Highway 90 on the way to San Antonio but about a year ago they put up a fence so I have to enter its main gate and I did not want to have to talk to a salesperson.

The two cabins that I saw appeared to be used buildings.

Had to zoom in to see the price
of this 12 x 36 cabin $11,565.00

This other cabin is smaller but did not have a visible price tag.

I also liked this smaller shed (the beige and brown one on the left) that appears to be new.

From here I headed to Walmart that usually puts its storage bins on sale during January where I picked up some clear one's last year. This being February I did not expect to find any but I did...though not clear ones.

We have had beautiful sunny days but the winds have made them feel chilly.  

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

The Cassinelli Gin House

The Cassinelli Gin House is located in the corner of Pecan and Academy Street. When I was young this house was unoccupied and in bad shape. Located in historic South Del Rio it is one block from San Felipe Creek and Del Rio Rotary Park that was not in existence when I was growing up.

I have been wanting to feature it on the blog for a long time but it is difficult to find a parking space and a little dangerous if you try to walk to the corner to photograph the Texas marker.

I was not living here when it was remodeled and housed an insurance company.  I remember going in once and dropping off my parent's check payment but as hard as I try I do not recall what it looked like inside.

The current owners have done a formidable job keeping up with the grounds and seem to be avid Volkswagon fans as they have several in their property. They own a VW Westfalia Camper Van in pristine condition that looks like someone is living out of. It even had its second-floor camper out unfortunately, I was not able to take a picture of it.  It has a Kennedy/Johnson campaign sticker.  I have featured that van on a prior post when it was parked at HEB a couple of years ago.

Drove down the street to Del Rio Rotary Park and took a picture of its vast backyard and though you can not see it from the lens of my cheap phone it has a vegetable garden, a chicken coop and though I can not be sure I believe a compost pile that is not visible from this picture.

The ducks sure seemed to be enjoying themselves now that the park is closed and they do not have to compete with the locals to swim in its cool waters on this hot day.

A little sad to see the park closed but we know it is for the well being of our citizenry. These pictures were taken on Monday, August 31st.

This morning it was very cloudy and I was hopeful that we might be the beneficiary of another 3-minute shower but it was not to be. The sun came out around 2:00 p.m. and the heat once again took over.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

All parks along the banks of San Felipe Creek are closed

I had no plans to make a blog post this evening but upon reading our local newspaper The Del Rio News-Herald I felt compelled to do so. While I do not have a large following I have been sharing a lot of pictures of our local gem San Felipe Creek...not that my blog had anything to do with people visiting...but all the parks on its banks are closed and have been for a while.

Today's article is pointing to the fact that law enforcement is having a problem with Out-of-Town park violators from other Texas cities such as Eagle Pass, Midland, New Braunfels, and Austin.  Here is a link to that article http://delrionewsherald.com/news/article_95f402fa-c7b0-11ea-96e1-ab2546d55ec1.html

Thank you for visiting Del Rio but please note San Felipe Creek is closed for now.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

If you could live anywhere in the world...where would that be?

If you could live anywhere in the world...where would that be?

I was watching a show that posed this question to their viewers.  I always felt I had the answer but this week it left me in a quandary.  When did my views change and why was I not aware of it until this moment in time?

I suppose it had a lot to do with hurricane Dorian and tropical storm Imelda.  You see, I have NEVER liked the beach, while there are beautiful places year around in the Carribean as well as the Mayan Riviera my respect for Mother Nature and fear of her wrath has been solidified this past couple of weeks.

I have several friends and acquaintances that have gone through not one but MULTIPLE tropical storms, hurricanes, had their lives turned upside down after being flooded yet choose to remain in their homes.  Maybe I am hardheaded but I just do not understand that rationale.

Then I go back to what I would have replied as far back as a few weeks ago...Terlingua, Texas...of course!  Though the thought of having to put up with the brutal desert summers even with air conditioning is no longer appealing to me. To be fair it never has been as I would have to be totally out of mind to even consider that option. The desert is a place that calls out to me but only in the winter months.

So that leaves me to where I would spend the rest of the year?  Have NO idea but it certainly would not be Houston or Del Rio.  Then again do I have a choice?

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.



Saying of the Day

El Paso Strong

I hesitated on whether or not to make a post about the tragic events that took place this weekend in El Paso, Texas and sadly a few hours later in Dayton, Ohio less than a week after another mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California.

Besides this being my Blog it is also my Cyber Journal. The events that took place on Saturday shook MY world, affected my beloved State of Texas targeted people of Hispanic origin that live along the border such as myself and my loved ones.

My morning routine is to turn on the television to my favorite 24-hour news channel as I set about doing my morning chores.  It did not take long before there was Breaking News that there were multiple shooters in an El Paso mall,  according to witnesses they had spotted three to four individuals running with guns.

As in most early events, the reports were not totally accurate but the sickening feeling in my stomach was so ever-present.  Most cable channels do not report fatalities unless it can be verified but the internet was full of reports.  When I saw that at least 20 people were reported dead I did not believe it. Sadly it was later confirmed.

I wish I could say I was shocked but I am not it was an event that due to our current political climate and the rhetoric coming from this Administration was bound to take place.  I am not going to rehash all the nasty, racists tweets and statements, all that is public record.

If the perpetrators of the last three mass shootings HAD NOT been young white males born in the United States it makes my head spin how fast this administration would have attacked them.  Instead, we had SILENCE, a short tweet in between other insignificant ones and no address to the Nation. Any other administration would have canceled their weekend plans and been the Comfort-in-Chief but we have learned not to expect that from this president.  After all, the majority of the victims in Gilroy and El Paso were Hispanic and the victims in Dayton, Ohio were African-American.  Coincidence?

I ask myself how does a young person develope so much hatred when they were raised in a predominantly white and affluent neighborhood totally unaffected by Hispanics?  How can an individual drive for ten hours to inflict carnage on an innocent border city and not have second thoughts about the repercussions his actions will have?

I do not want to hear he had mental issues, was influenced by the internet and video games.  Those are talking points of the NRA.  Why did the president not address gun control?  I will tell you WHY...Republicans are bought and paid for by the NRA.  When are we going to stand up to them?  What is it going to take to pass some form of gun control like a background check?

I know it makes people uneasy to think that Democrats are going to take their guns...but that is NOT true.  I myself am a gun owner but it would never cross my mind to own a high potency rifle such as an AK-whatever number.  Those are rifles to be used in war, not for hunting or personal protection.

If the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre of innocent children did not move legislators to pass gun legislation NOTHING is.  I have no hope that the last three mass shootings will move the needle, call me a pessimist but I would rather call myself a "realist"...there IS a difference.

I, as well as many of my friends, were glued to the television following this unfortunate event.  I dare say that there were many viewers not just from Texas but nationwide that followed the coverage of both events.  I bet if you were to interview individuals from any part of the nation they could easily name the two cities involved.  What did the President of the United States do when he has access to top advisors and the latest intelligence reports?...it saddens me to say...he confused Dayton, Ohio with Toledo...INEXCUSABLE!!!

This white supremacist not only killed American citizens but also took the lives of seven Mexican Nationals who were shopping at Walmart for back to school supplies. Let me clarify what I mean by Mexican Nationals...they are NOT undocumented aliens...they are Mexican citizens mostly from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua - México with visas that can legally cross the border and often do so to shop in El Paso.

I urge all my fellow Texans, Americans and concerned citizens to make your voice be heard.  Call your local representatives, congressmen, senators, and governors.  If they do not listen to you...VOTE THEM OUT...we do not have to put up with this...we have a choice.

Please, I urge you to use the most valuable resource that we have as American citizens...the power of our VOTE.

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.

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.

Perhaps I should be in Buenos Aires...

It is 4:52 a.m. CST as I am typing this.  I have not been able to go to sleep (not that that should come as a surprise to anyone) with the howling wind and the tree branches rubbing up against the roof of my bedroom.

Believe it or not, it is currently 30 degrees Fahrenheit and per the Weather Channel, it feels like 18. Thankfully, it does not feel like that inside the house since I have the thermostat set at 78.

Looking at my favorite locations, we are colder than Terlingua and Houston, Texas.  My other favorite location Buenos Aires, Argentina is at 80 degrees (in all fairness it is Spring there).  I look forward to the day that I can escape the scathing heat of Texas summers and the equally cold 6 weeks Texas winters.

Bundle up and stay warm.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Internet Issues / VIcks Vapor Rub / Cabins

I am so sick of having to deal with Internet connectivity issues.  If it gets cold, if the wind blows 5 mph, a slight rain...everything seems to affect my internet service.

I was on the phone for a long time with a DISH rep this morning.  Turning everything on and off, things I had already done on my own not once but several times.  She came to the conclusion that it was my new Desktop since I was able to make a connection using my Netbook. Five minutes later the problem cleared itself and I am once again able to use the Desktop.

Yesterday, it was pretty cold for this part of the world.  I so wanted to be able to catch up on my e-mails and other things I needed to do online. It turned out to be a wasted day since I did not have internet access and there was no way I was going to venture outside and go to the library.

Wednesday we went to San Antonio to see the Ophthalmologist mother likes.  While I have no problem with the doctors at this practice, their staff leave a lot to be desired.  We got a message at 4:59 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon saying that since mother was a new patient she needed to fill out several forms online before her appointment on Wednesday.

First of all, mother is not a new patient.  Secondly, supposing that she were...you don't call the day before and ask to fill out forms that if I remember correctly took me over an hour to fill out back in June. When I got back home they were already closed but I gave them a piece of my mind on Wednesday.

Why is Vicks Vapor Rub so expensive?  It was like $7.59 or thereabouts at HEB. Went to Dollar Tree and was surprised that they did not have a single jar of their knock off version and have not had it for a while.

On our way back from San Antonio decided to stop at the Dollar Tree in Hondo, Texas since they hardly have any crowds.  Could of been tragic!  This lady senior citizen almost ran me over.  She just backed out without even looking.  If that wasn't enough, an older gentleman in his equally old truck almost finished the job!  All this within the Dollar Tree parking lot.  It is a good thing I found the imitation Vicks Vapor Rub.

In Hondo, Texas there is a relative new lot that sells cabins, sheds, and storage buildings much like Derksen does. However, it is another company called Premier Portable Buildings.  While the designs are practically the same as Derksen's, price wise they are a little cheaper.  I have seen them in Uvalde but Hondo has a bigger selection.

I do not know what my fascination with these buildings is, but I enjoy looking at them and dreaming of my future place in my favorite desert.  For the time being, I need one to put all the stuff I have brought down from Houston.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

Our guys are playing well on the road, except for last night...that was awful!  However, they have been playing almost back to back games that would tire anyone.  Too early in the season for me to be worried.

GO SPURS GO!!!!!