It's been another interesting week. Fortunately, the fire occurrence number has gone down this week over last. Most likely because the county instituted a burn ban. Although the biggest fire would have occurred even if the burn ban had been in effect.
 |
| Source |
This fire occurred on a ranch south of us and was caused by a riding lawn mower overheating. 150 acres burned. Oops!
Readers of my last post may recall my feelings about Motorcycle Rallies. (Hint: Not a fan!) Little did I know that my beloved town has joined the rally club and created an event known as "The Texas Fandango".
 |
| Source |
Oh Joy!
The first time I heard about the event was Wednesday when the guests in one of our Guest Houses arrived. I love my wife dearly, but do enjoy talking to someone else occasionally, so I go down and meet them. Two guys in my age range, both Harley enthusiasts. The older of the two paints Harleys, as in, adds artwork to them. Nice guys, down for the Fandango and to explore the back roads of the Hill Country. I pull out a map of the area and show them a few "Loops".
The next morning, Mrs. J and I head into town for a resupply run. Get down to the highway and we're going to make a left onto the road, when the usual sound of approaching Harley's alerts me. I glance and they're coming from the left.
Good! I won't be following them.
After an eternity, Tail End Charley passes by. I start to roll and glance to the right, there's a Porsche coming. Speed limit there is 70. Of course he was doing 70, Beans,... plus about 15. As were 25 of his closest clone friends. Separated by about 50 feet each.
Not wishing to be part of a 25 car pileup should a deer decide to cross the road, I turn right and take the back road into town. Mrs. J uses the opportunity to research "The Fandango". Turns out in addition to a motorcycle rally, it is also hosting a sports car rally.
Mrs. J then informs me that "The Fandango" will be held at the County Fair Grounds. From our little slice of heaven, there are only 2 roads into town, the highway I've just been viewing and the back road I'm now on. The Fair Grounds are located at the intersection of those two roads. Suffice it to say, the blood pressure function on my watch went off several times on the drive. In addition to the Porsche's reported above, there was also demonstrations of high speed, close formation, squadrons of Audi's, Mercedes and, for the missionaries from that state out west, Tesla's. Interspersed with similar formations of Harleys.
Of course!
To change the subject, (Because the blood pressure thingy just went off again, Beans) a while ago I posted about some folks that didn't do the right thing vis a vis staying in one of our guest houses. Well...We had a young couple stay with us this past week to celebrate their first anniversary. When Mrs. J and I went by to say hello, I noticed Louisiana plates on their car. I also noticed he had a Texas Tech shirt on. So, to start a conversation, I asked him how a Tech Alum ended up in Louisiana. A puzzled look appeared on his face, until he saw me looking at his car. He told me that it was a rental. Both their cars had been totaled in an accident recently. He was following his wife home when they were sideswiped by a guy driving a pickup.
Texting.
I might have had a bad word slip out. They weren't injured nor was the other driver, but he has some 'splainin to the judge coming soon.
What does this have to do about "Folks didn't do the right thing" juvat?
Nothing, Sarge, Nothing. But you DO pay by the word.
Remember in that previous post, I expressed displeasure because those guests had broken something and didn't tell us?
Well....When these guys checked out they left us this note.
Speaking of Blood Pressure, the new workshop is on the schedule for insulation this week. Could start moving in shortly. In the meantime, I cleared a spot on the workbench in the old shop to practice with my new toy.
Finally got a Lathe! Now I can really make some saw dust!
See You Lather
* In case you're too young to remember
Well good for the misspelling guests to replace what they broke, they could have tried to pop the cork off that wine bottle using a cutlass and break the bottle, right? Another power tool! Oh My! (said in George Takei voice).
ReplyDeleteNylon,
DeleteThey were both really nice kids. I'm sure they were in a hurry to get on the road. I was impressed that they felt the need to write it. If I get a chance, I'll thank their parents.
One of the local wineries does a demonstration of cutlass opening wine. SIL got to try it a few months ago. Kinda cool!
Gonna power it on right after I get my chores done. Why yes, I'm excited.
Nice to hear of well fetched-up young'uns. At least presume first anniversary wearing college gear are young.
ReplyDeleteWe've lived in "destinations" and have worked ways to avoid the crowds for the most part. You gotta hope the revenue generated offsets the costs of "hosting" same as your own enterprise.
Boat Guy
BG,
DeleteYep, they were pretty young and as I mentioned above both very nice. We enjoyed chatting with them. (One of the non-financial benefits of having guest houses is meeting new folks).
We avoid Main Street almost entirely and try to avoid "Winery Row" (AKA US290) on weekends because...But you're right, I hope the Optimist Club did well in the Fandango Fundraising. They should have as when we drove by the fair grounds, it looked fairly packed.
"It's the PITA's that raise the blood pressure."
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. I've often wondered if hemorrhoids/PITAs could be the first sign of excessive/rising BP/hypertewnsion - or is it the other way 'round?
Boron,
DeleteI'm fixing to leave for my Doctor's office for my physical of which checking for those things is now routine. I could ask him if you're interested.
;-)
Juvat, this becomes an issue at Old Home, especially on the road up to The Ranch as it is just curvy and rising enough that it apparently makes for great motorcycle and car rides. Honestly, I just try to avoid driving on the weekends if I can help it.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you were able to give a counter example - and most people in my experience try and do the right thing.
I am surprised it took them this long to put a burn ban in effect - hopefully it prevents any future fires. And mowing can cause a lot more fires than anyone suspects. I will have to get at it next time I am back at the Ranch (although the lack of rain has, sadly, kept the grasses down).
Glad the young couple was okay. I cannot help but believe that cell phones are indirectly responsible for far more accidents and deaths now than virtually any other cause outside of drunk driving. We crack down on that (as we should); why we fail to do the same with cell phones is beyond me.
I can now say "Wow!" about the lathe as STxAR has taken the time to educate me about lathes and their proper uses. So "Wow!".
THB,
DeleteYeah I was a little surprised it took them that long also. Of the 280 ish counties in Texas there were only a dozen or so that weren't under one so it was not like there wasn't a precedent.
I agree that there should be some kind of enforcement. My 4 year old truck communicates with my phone for calls, tap the answer button on the steering wheel and start talking. The phone also reads and types text for me vocally, and the GPS function is verbal also. About the only thing I have to have the phone in my hand to do is play 'Bloons. I don't have much desire to do that while driving though.
Yep, looking forward to spinning it up when I get back from the Doc.
I'm alive, in Sandy Eggo, and exhausted.
ReplyDeleteThose fires can get nasty can't they? Flew across Texas (and a bunch of other places) on Sunday. The whole state looks pretty brown from 40K feet!
Glad you made it ok.
DeleteYep, Still haven't had rain to speak of. Not a lot of green anything (except weeds) around. And that's observed from 6'.
That shop is coming along nicely. I'm glad you have a revenue stream that supports it!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI mistakenly took Hwy 16 from Bandera to Kerrville in my company van ONCE. That was a nightmare of motorcycles and sports cars. The switchbacks were kinda neat, but not in a clunky van.
During the red flag last week, I heard the bomberos heading out at least 10 times one day. Spring is acting crazy this year.
Thanks, revenue stream? The list of Shop "Must Haves" is way beyond revenue stream. Prioritizing is crucial.
DeleteTx 16 does have a lot of fun driving sections as well as some spectacularly scenic ones doesn't it?
I heard the "bomberos" called the Aggie Air Force. I suspect it has nothing to do with A&M rather the fact they're operated by the Ag Service.
I have only taken TX 16 once between Kerrville and Bandera. That was the first time my wife and I came down to Bandera to visit our daughter, son-in-law and grandsons. After that trial, we have stuck to taking TX 173 between the two cities.
DeleteI've been to Bandera, but it's been a while. May have to schedule a road trip, try both routes and offer my expert but unsolicited opinion of them.
DeleteThe good things about ABS are well known, I've praised them before. They've saved my life. The bad thing is that they've (with the collision warnig feature) somewhat eliminated the "one car length per ten MPH" rule. I shudder at the sight of some of the strings of tailgaters passing me at 80 or 90 with barely one car length between them.
ReplyDeleteWorse, I wonder if I'd stop to assist with my first-aid training in such chain collisions. I'm sure I would ... but I think about not stopping, and that bothers me.
HTom,
DeleteYeah, while I try to inject a little humor into my posts, I really was concerned about a pileup. There's a blind 90 degree bend in the highway about 3 miles from where I get on. It's locally referred to as "Dead Man's Curve" as there have been several instances there of. In fact I had to go four wheeling once when a driver lost control and came into our lane there. Took me a bit of time after missing her and coming to a stop before I was ready to get back on the road. The back way takes a bit longer, but is (usually) much less crowded, so my blood pressure and language are usually more acceptable.
It's ok to think something bad, the bad comes to life when you act on it. I have no doubt you would stop.
I don't mind motorcycle rally motorcyclists, as they tend to be mellow and understand the laws.
ReplyDeleteBut local jackwagons who love to screw with their motorcycles on residential streets like they're doing a friggin drag race at Gatornationals, that peeves me off. Same with loud cars and crap. Got a place behind the apartment sign I could dig a hole and hide in and blast away at jackwagons if I felt like it, and dreaming about it some days as some mopemobile with its speakers blaring goes by on a slow roll (you know, the ones you can hear from 5 blocks away) sometimes makes me feel better.
One day... Grrrr...
Beans,
DeleteWell, I did enjoy talking with our guests and hearing their stories. But...There were a lot of long processions of Harleys that thought the rules of the road didn't apply to them when other people were around. E.G. a Red light means stop even if half your gang made it through before it changed.
Saw that more than once this weekend. And much like HTom (above comment), I was disappointed in my self for thinking I should just accelerate through my green light and see what happens.
The various law enforcement peoples can and have done great work slowing or stopping the jackwagons at the various Daytona motorcycle events. Lots of long practice in controlling the idiots, and the other bikers do a good job controlling most of the rampant stupidity.
DeleteI suspect, since this was the first for this event, that Law Enforcement underestimated the draw. I base this on not seeing any of them early on but had a very visible presence later on. Most of the shenanigans were early on and seemed to taper off later. I think that's called "Cause and Effect".
DeleteColorado summers bring out the motorcycles. The riders are in packs, enjoying the scenery at 5-10 miles per hour below the speed limit, hindering those of us who drive well above the speed limit (and have the tickets to prove it). US Highway 50 seems to be a favorite. Allow an extra hour from Pueblo to Montrose. One can amuse themselves checking out the Billy Bad Boy and Biker Babe Nancy attire worn by slightly overweight 50's something.
ReplyDeleteWSF,
DeleteYou're absolutely right about Billy Bad Boy and Biker Babe Nancy. Rode hard and put up wet takes on a whole new meaning. Let's just leave it at that.
New shop tool, way cool.
ReplyDeleteIf you make two identical projects in the lathe, is that an example of, "One good turn deserves another?"
Give some thoughts to pen making on the lathe.
John,
DeleteGood one, I'm going to put that one out to the Family in my Daily Dad Joke Text. I expect that I should get 4 outta 5 groans from that one.
Pen making is the primary reason for the lathe, once I get it somewhat figured out.
I made pens some years ago.
DeleteI did not turn them using traditional wood turning tools.
I used the metal working lathe to machine them like I was turning down metal.
When we finished the secretary that my wife wanted, I made her a pen and mechanical pencil set from scraps.
Penn State Industries is big in pen making supplies and information.
Their website has a bunch of blanks and that includes bottle stoppers.
Corian countertop scraps polish out to a beautiful shine.
John, Good info, Thanks.
DeleteIn one respect being out of the "'burg" last weekend was a bummer...attending a funeral.In another sense, when I read in the local paper of the two events taking place, being out of town may have been a blessing for me. (Wife is way more understanding since she used to ride the two wheelers in Germany)
ReplyDeleteWe came in on 87 from IH-10 to see one of the last string of motors plugging up the south bound side where it's only two lane (one north/one south).
Happily we had a safe, uneventful trip to/from "Lap Land" (where Texas and Louisiana lap over into each other around Pt. Arthur, Tex. Place of my birth).
Cletus
Cletus,
DeleteSorry about your loss, but yes, not being here the past two weekends would have been nice. I know where you were on 87. That's usually the spot where I test out my truck's acceleration capability when I'm southbound and reach the end of that section. It wouldn't irritate me nearly as much if the person driving 55 in the 70 but single lane section didn't immediately accelerate to 75 when there is a passing lane. The purity of my spoken language takes a big hit when that occurs.
Glad you had a safe trip.
We have the Harley drags here twice a year. The racers are not a problem and the town makes some money when the event happens. The motorcycle clubs generally call a truce at the event but that may or may not hold true off site. The biker want to be's are alway an issue and give the local popo and KSP barracks plenty of overtime.
ReplyDeleteIt is apparent that if you attempt to run your crew thru the red light, you will probably end up on the hood of some old ladies Buick or under Grandpa's F-150. Boomers don't yield!
There is a bit of that around here, although I didn't see anyone do it. Later that day I did see an occupied police cruiser monitoring that light and another one hidden in a parking lot on the main road connecting to the Austin Hwy. The speed limit is 40 on it. The 'Burg could be much richer now.
DeleteWe just went under a burn ban here as well. From 3/14-5/15. Every year, like clock work. But then, it is up state NY, so,rules and regs are common. Altho not getting burned out is a very good thing!!
ReplyDeleteGlad Sarge made it to San Diego. Just put my baby sister on the plane this morning to there as well. 3:30AM comes early to get up and get someone over to the airport for sure. Like she said, it's a long day. She had been in Norway for the past 2 weeks for work and had to fly into some city in the US, so she picked Newark, got a hotel for one night to help catch up on the time change, then got up and drove up to stay with me while she spent the weekend at Mom and Dad's...who were very happy to see her
I hear ya on the motorcycle dudes. Lake George has a HUGE event in June, lots and lots of bikes on the roads, even down where I am which is an hour south of Lake George. But they do spend lots of $$$$ on rooms, and food.
Very nice lathe!! Sooo, you will have to let us know when you open an Etsy store selling pens, bowls, platters, wooden utensils, wooden wine glasses, baby rattles, spindles for rockers, and chairs, and... If I lived closer, I would volunteer to help with the sanding and staining. Enjoy your new toy!!
Suz,
DeleteThat puts you in the vicinity of Saratoga Springs where my Uncle and his wife live. Beautiful part of the state.
Re: the lathe. Had a few chores pop up today, so the official power up has been put off until tomorrow.
As to helping, we do have Guest Houses available. And the weather here (usually) is nicer than upstate NY in several months of the year. Just sayin'
Some of these fires are just going to happen. The one down by Mico in Medina County, the Das Goat Fire that burned nearly 1100 acres, was caused by a car fire. If that happened to me, I would feel pretty bad, loosing both my car and causing a big fire. But what do you do?
ReplyDeleteAs I said last week, I avoid Bandera and especially TX 16 on the west side of town where the park is when it is "Thunder in the Hill Country" time. Glad that youth soccer doesn't start until afterwards, since the fields are just past where the biker rally is.
Good thing that those kids were good guests. We always try to do the same when we rent a place. And we try to leave it clean, especially the kitchen, even though we know a cleaning crew will come in after us.
Glad you are coming along with your shop. I have looked on Craig's List for power tools. Sometimes there are some good ones at a good price. I am particularly interested in getting a jointer (I inherited a planer from my father) and a lathe. There were some good ones before our shop was built, but there haven't been any lately.
Yeah, now that I'll have some room, a jointer would be nice. My old shop really doesn't have a lot of room. I've taken to using the table saw, with blade completely retracted as a work table and putting the planer or chop saw or drill press on it as needed. Pain in the back, true, but not crowding the tools is safer. Shouldn't be a problem in the new shop.
DeleteStuff like the Fandango might bring money into the town, but it's NOT going to make a lot of folks happy that have to do things like shopping, medical appointments etc. and glad you finally got some 'good' guests!
ReplyDeleteOld NFO. Agreed and it's not just the crowded roads. There's a spike in Grocery shortages (over and above the ones caused by Brandon's actions/stupidity), fuel shortages (ditto). Dining out is pretty much ruled out. and so on and so on. So, you're right, the Optimists made some money, which is a good thing, but too much of a good thing is.....
DeleteUnderstand the Fandango might be a PITA for a weekend, but they are great fun and good for people with guest houses! As for those missionary cars, Texas is now the home of Tesla's HQ and they either are or have already opened a plant in Austin. Now if they had Cali plates, sorry 'bout that. Any transplant Californian of the refugee type, would have immediately applied for a Texas plate.
ReplyDeleteTuna,
DeleteAgreed about the plates, and I guess that answer's last weeks closing question definitively!