Strong winds / Power Outage

I can not say we were not warned...we were...that is why I spent a lot of time yesterday afternoon batting down the hatchets. I made sure to secure items that might become projectiles with the strong winds and wind gusts that were expected today.

Last night some parts of San Antonio and surrounding areas were pounded with baseball size hail the worse being in Dilley, Texas. That poor town (literally and figuratively) took a beating. Car windows,  windshields, roofs, and house windows were shattered.

I was getting ready to go outside to feed the cats but I was not able to open the kitchen door due to the pressure on the door (the door opens toward the outside like in Florida). As my luck would have it at 4:30 p.m. the strong winds began. It was more of a terrible dust storm. Exactly one minute later at 4:31 p.m., the power went out. It is a good thing I made sure I had my solar lights charged as well as our phones and my tablet.

Ordinarily, not being able to watch TV would not be a big deal but I wanted to watch the 5:00 p.m. news. I thought with the Spectrum App that I downloaded today I would be able to do so either on my tablet or phone but to my surprise it told me that I had to access my "Home Wifi". That would be fine and dandy...but without electricity, I had NO Wifi!

It looked weird with no visible lights and all the houses in the dark. Finally, at 7:43 p.m., the power was restored. The winds had died down some by now but they started up just before the 10:00 p.m. news.

Once again there was hail in the San Antonio viewing area...

Even at 10:02 p.m., KSAT-12 was showing 500 households without power in the Del Rio sector.

I like to watch several networks and  KENS-5 was reporting wind gusts of 53 mph at 10:00 p.m.

Today we reached a high of 95 degrees but Eagle Pass had a high for the area of 102 degrees. I would later learn that Eagle Pass was the hottest spot in the nation.

Tomorrow we are going to remain with high winds and under a red flag warning.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

More Bad Weather / Power Outage

Last night we were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11:00 p.m. but the ten o'clock news said that the watch would probably expire without being extended as the rains in Mexico would not make it across the border as the radar "seemed" to indicate.

I was watching The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon but dozing off and on as I waited for Late Night with Seth Meyers, who had a guest I was looking forward to seeing. It was around 11:40 p.m. when I was rudely awakened by thunder, lightning, wind, heavy rain, and pellets hitting the living room window. What the heck happened to the storms not reaching the border?

Five minutes later there is a big bang sound I am very familiar with and then the power went out. The explosive sound was from the transformer that is located between Mr. Joe's property and his noisy neighbor. I often report our frequent power outages but it had been a while since we last experienced a prolonged one.

I was very tired and just went to sleep...thank goodness for our solar lights! The next time I woke up it was 2:00 a.m. and the house was feeling stuffy as the power had not returned. I opened more windows as well as the front door and was puzzled to find that all the street lights were on including the lights in some houses. I could even hear the air conditioner of the house in front of mom's.

The only reason I knew Mr. Joe did not have power is that his motion lights which come on constantly probably triggered by the cats, never came on as I was in the front yard for a long while with Nicolás (my cat).

Around 4:00 a.m. some terrible wind gusts began and I went back inside glad that it was only wind and not rain and/or hail. The good thing about the wind is that it helped to cool the house down. The next time I woke up it was 5:10 a.m. and the power was still off.

I kept hearing a heavy-duty vehicle and when I opened my eyes my alarm clock was flashing and the time on the cable box told me it was 6:05 a.m. That is when I realized that the sound I was hearing was the trash truck at this ungodly hour while it was still dark outside. Lucky for me I had brought the trash can to the gate last night and the guy saw me running and waited for me...thank you!

I do not know what time the power came back on as it obviously took place sometime between 5:10 a.m. and 6:05 a.m. I was glad I did not go to HEB yesterday as I had made room in the freezer for a small container of ice cream. We were without electricity for at least six hours. I am glad it rained as the temperatures did not rise until the afternoon when the clouds cleared and the sun came out. We had a high of 95 degrees today.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Strong Winds / Red Flag Warning

I barely slept last night as the winds were howling and making the living room window rattle as this is an old house. I sat in the living room recliner hoping to relax but Mr. Joe's motion-detecting lights kept on coming on and shining onto the blinds not because of the wind but because I believe the sensitivity settings need to be adjusted...this happens nightly.

I was trying to watch TV but we had a couple of power surges so I gave up and decided to watch YouTube videos on my cellphone instead.

The news at noon confirmed that our wind gusts were in the 39 mph range...

It came as no surprise that we were also under a Red Flag Warning.

A breakdown of the bad weather last night in Texas...

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Things Nobody Said

Wild weather in Texas

Tornados, hail, strong winds, rain, and snow today throughout the state. This morning when I went out to feed the cats the sky was very dark and cloudy which did not match the weather forecast reported on the evening news last night.

It would have been nice to have gotten a shower as Del Rio has not had any measurable precipitation since December 2021, our part of the county is in extreme drought. The menacing clouds, if they fell, did so in the northern part of Val Verde County out by the lake that really needs it.

I hope none of my readers were impacted by today's wild weather in Texas especially those in areas affected by tornados.

What has not changed are the strong winds that from what I have read have been impacting California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Last night they were fierce even the house was creaking.

Hope you guys were able to take advantage of the annual free cone at Dairy Queen.

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Funny Saying

Another cold front / Breakfast tacos / Little HEB

Even though we have had temperatures in the 70's as soon as the sun goes down it gets cold fast. If you have been reading me for a while you know I do not do well in cold temperatures. Last night (Friday) I went to bed at 8:45 p.m. so it is not a surprise that I was wide awake by 4:00 a.m. I was not about to get up at that ungodly hour so remained in bed.

I have been craving menudo and Stripes breakfast tacos so as soon as daylight broke I was out the door. Bought four different kinds of tacos and some chocolate Abuelita (a popular brand of Mexican hot chocolate). Being a truck stop I was surprised that there were few people there.

Swung by the post office to pick up our mail and since Little HEB is just down the road I headed in that direction. This is a very small store and its parking lot is even smaller. I was no longer living in Del Rio when they built the new larger HEB and the plan was to close this store down. My parents told me that the people organized, petitioned, and held demonstrations to prevent its closure and they were successful in their efforts to keep it open.

The front parking lot was empty and the side parking lot had three cars so I was not sure if the store was open or not but walked in anyway. I guess the early bird does get the worm as I practically had the store to myself.  All I wanted to buy was a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, and some serrano peppers. I apologize because when I email me the pictures for some reason they shrink and I have no idea how to make them bigger so you can see the price. Anyway, serranos remain at $1.37 lb.

I was not planning on purchasing avocados...but you know how that goes! As usual, I bought the small ones at .88 cents each. Medium avocados were selling for $1.25 and jumbo ones for $2.50 each.

Bananas remained the same at $.48 cents a pound.

I had heard that potatoes were one item that had remained stable in price. I do not typically buy them unless I am headed to Terlingua where I cook them or my idea of cooking is wrapping them in foil paper and placing them in the campfire.

15 lbs bag $3.47

5 lb bag $2.26

I would later look at the Joe V's ad (HEB's discount store in Houston) and shed a tear when I saw their price for avocados and potatoes. 😢

HEB Whole Wheat bread sells for $2.00 a loaf but with their in-store coupon, you could save a dollar if you bought two and that is exactly what I did.

Bought a couple of cookies as this store does not have as big a selection as their main store.

I had missed their Oatmeal Raisins cookies...

While I do not buy meat as I do not cook, I noticed they had placed limits on some items...

I like their black beans with no salt, they went up a nickel to .78 cents so bought a couple of cans.

Canned sliced peaches were on sale for $1.68

I was not expecting to find Juanita's Hot and Spicy Menudo but did not hesitate to take the last four cans on the shelf at $3.68 each.

They jumped right into my cart 😁

Some HEB brands of cereal were on sale for $1.98 each bought only two as I really wanted the one with strawberries but they did not have them at this location.

Since it was early I do not think they had sold out of milk, it must be a supply chain issue. They did not have my Non-fat Milk, or 1% Milk so I had to purchase their 2% Milk for $2.86 a gallon.

They had plenty of name-brand paper towels...

They finally got around to selling 40 bottle packets of water previously I could only find that at Walmart but they never had anybody around to put it in the cart for me. I did not need any water at this time.

I saw these Unsalted Restaurant Style chips for $2.18 so purchase one to try it out...

I ended up spending $59.81 which I don't think is too bad as I also bought frozen broccoli florets, hot salsa, foil paper, and HEB brand 1000 sheet bath tissue.

On the way home I passed by the main HEB and as expected it was already getting packed. I took this picture while driving so it did not come out very well but gasoline prices are going down for now no telling what they will be tomorrow.

$2.989 for a gallon of unleaded

A block away at the corner Exxon, it was going for much more...$3.249 a gallon or 26 cents more.

I got home just in time as the strong winds from the north were ushering in yet another cold front. I am sick of winter. 😭

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Enjoying the cool temperatures

I am enjoying the last week of the cool temperatures we have been experiencing. It would have been excellent weather had it not been for the strong winds that have battered the area. I put those winds to work as I washed many of my thicker winter clothing then placed them to dry on the solar dryer (clothesline). I then packed them in my plastic containers to be opened when Chili Cook-off time rolls around.

Next week our "summer temperatures" will officially begin...oh boy! 😞

This week has been a rather difficult one especially if you happen to be a news junkie like I am.  Following the George Floyd trial has been emotionally draining...I can not even imagine how difficult this has been for his family and loved ones.

Then red states drafting and in some cases passing even stricter voting laws in Georgia and in my own state of Texas. Today I decided to take a break from cable news and instead watch a Houston channel on my Roku TV only to be made aware of another attack on the US Capitol that killed a police officer and injured another one...it was a bit too much.

Last night the winds were so strong it knocked the internet out.  I have been enjoying watching videos before going to bed to make me sleepy. Without WiFi that was not going to happen as we live far away from cell towers to even try it on my phone.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

Strong winds / Light Rain / Mail woes

Thursday afternoon we started having strong winds, thunder, and lightning. I ran outside to make sure there was not anything that might blow. While Katie and her kittens are afraid of me, Paquito and Nico ran towards me and followed me inside. I have heard that animals know when some bad weather or a meteorological event is going to occur.

The wind was whirling and I could see the dirt flying by then I heard a thump but thought nothing of it.  It was followed by a nice three-minute shower. Remembered I had washed two tank tops that I did not have time to bring inside and which would have to be re-washed. When I opened the kitchen door the temperature had gone down and it was actually pleasant outside. I did not have to chase the cats out...they went out on their own.

It did not take long to figure out what the thumping noise was...

Nico decided he liked it better now that it had fallen and proceeded to claim it as his.

As you can tell it did not even look like it had rained. Though later on that evening the thunder began again and we got some more showers.  Per KSAT-12 in San Antonio, we received .35 of an inch of liquid gold.

If you look closely the southern tip of Val Verde County where we live is in extreme drought.

I had called the doctor's office because I had not received their bill and was told they sent it out two weeks ago. Why do I continue to have problems with my mail?  They mailed me another so I decided to go check the P.O. Box this morning.

I have been craving ice cream and had run out of serranos so made a quick stop at Little HEB.  Ended up buying 16 items versus the 2 I had in mind.  Doesn't it always happen that way?

At least two of those items did not cost me a dime thanks to HEB's but one/get one free.  Got a free Herdez Guacamole Salsa and A Hill Country Fare (their brand) 15 oz. can of chili. Even with only 16 items, I ended up spending $33.60.

Penelope, I did not find the green chili enchilada sauce.  This store is small I will look for it when I go to the main one.

Today's Aunty Acid resonates with me as I always b*tch about having to eat salads, it made me laugh :D

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

Day 14 / Strong Winds / A mystery

Woke up to strong winds and cooler temperatures. Closed the window and grabbed another fleece blanket. I have not been sleeping well lately so I forced myself to go back to bed. I think the howling wind made it easier for me to do so. It reminded me of the last time I was in Terlingua except for the fact that it was in a terrible windstorm and I was inside of a cheap nylon tent.

This afternoon I was picking up fallen tree branches when I came upon a mystery.  As you know the Spectrum people were here yesterday, it was three guys in two trucks and another truck on our adjacent lot (the one behind the cinder block fence) that is infested with mesquite trees so the guy had to walk in.

Why did they not connect this cable to the utility pole?

There were a total of four men running a new cable from a pole a couple of lots down to mother's utility pole and were here for a while. So why did they not finish the job? They left the yet to be connected cable next to the pole.  I am suspicious by nature and this is just adding to that. In case you were wondering the Irish guy was not among them.

This is not a good picture but you can see the cable coming from the other lot thru the trees and I followed it to the pole that is why I know it is not excess cable but the cable that was not connected.

I suppose this means they are going to make a return trip on Monday? This is very strange!

Today marks Day 14 of my self-isolation apart from going to the post office next week, I plan to continue our now mandatory shelter-in-place County order. We live close to the main street that goes into Del Rio so it is heavily transited. With or without shelter-in-place orders I have not seen a reduction in vehicle traffic. Is no one abiding by it?

We now have a fourth confirmed case of Covid-19 and I know this is just going to get worst.  I can not believe how those brave health care professionals in New York, California, Washington and other hard-hit areas of our nation can do their job without the proper protection.  It is shameful...this is the United States of America for heaven sakes!

We had a low of 52 and a high of 83 degrees.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

Getting ready for a hard freeze

We have been experiencing strong winds all-day but thankfully they subsided late this afternoon. Yesterday I picked up and put away any objects that might become projectiles saving myself the trouble of having to do it today.

I had every intention of driving into town and picking up more groceries at Dollar Tree.  I do not know about you but I am very worried about the Coronavirus and its ramifications.  If you watched the news you probably saw how unprepared this administration is to handle this pandemic.

I am no fan of John Kennedy - Republican US Senator from Louisiana (no relation to the late great JFK) but he sure gave a dress down to someone (whose name I did not catch)  Chad Wolf - Acting Chief of DHS who could NOT answer any type of questions regarding this virus including if the government had enough masks in storage for all our citizens.

I suppose I have it easier than most as I am retired and do not have to go to work but I worry about those who do.  If you can not go to work how are you going to pay your mortgage or rent?  How are you going to feed and clothe your family?  Lots of questions that need to be addressed.

We had a low of 43 a high of 79 with a real feel of 68 and in the shade of 65 degrees. Bundle up fellow Texans...it is going to be a COLD night!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day