Like the blowing sands of the Sahara...

 

You're back in the desert?  No.

With the shortages of everything these days, we make it a point to stay up on Rufus's food supply.  There are times that we can't find the healthy food brand we feed him.  Joan goes back and forth between Chewy's and PetSmart (on-line and in the stores)... when I got back from a motorcycle ride this morning, Joan said to me, "The PetSmart in Brownsville has all the food and his litter." 

I said, "I guess we're going to Brownsville."

Yep.

Highway 48 connects Port Isabel and Brownsville.  Back when it was a 2 lane road, it was listed as "the most dangerous highway in Texas."  Over a decade ago, the highway was upgraded to 4 lane, with a concrete barrier as a median, to prevent head-on collisions (the reason it had that reputation).  There is nothing along that road other than flats that dry out and create blowing dirt.  Over the years, different sorts of greenery have been encouraged to grow there, along with some digging to the Brownsville Ship Channel to allow some water to flood into that area to keep the blowing dirt down.  All those efforts have been reasonably effective... until you get an extended dry period and big winds... like what is happening currently.

Thank goodness for "recirculation" in the car's climate control system.  The blowing dirt and sand is nasty ugly today, with wind blowing from the south at 25 gusting into the upper 30s.  The wind changed from the usual southeast to more south - that also plays a part in this.  Can't be good for the car's paint... and you sure wouldn't want to be out there breathing it in.

This area is flat.  You can see the blowing sand and dirt from miles away.  It is clear (pun intended) that these clouds of dirt are more than what's blowing off the flats - it is coming from Mexico as well.  And Joan told me that she saw on last night's weather forecast that we will be getting sand carried from Africa in the upper winds in this area in the next few days.  Because, apparently we don't have enough of our own blowing sand and dirt.

A good time to spend the rest of the afternoon inside, enjoying the air conditioning.

 Those symbols at the bottom are chance of precipitation, not humidity; the humidity right now is 73%... so if you do go out in the blowing sand/dirt you will be sweaty so it will stick to you.  I was going to wash the car today... looks like I get out of that for the rest of the week.

Stupid Driver Tricks...

 

When I get back from a motorcycle ride, Joan always asks how it went.  Seems like all to often I have to tell her about someone pulling out in front of me, left turning, or running a red light or stop sign.  There really is a lot of stupid people out there.

Today, it wasn't someone who put me in jeopardy, but this has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen; going down Padre Blvd, the main drag on South Padre Island, a guy came off a side street.  In the past few years, the city has put a raised median along much of the boulevard, and turning access isn't available at every side street.  Sometimes this means: if you want to turn left and there is a median in front of you, you have to go right and go maybe a couple blocks to get to an intersection where there isn't a median.  Then, do a U-turn.  Pretty easy.

If you've read this far, you probably know where this is going.  The guy coming off the side street was driving a pickup.  He didn't have that crazed look in his eyes, nor did he seem to be in a big hurry.  Yes, he drove straight across the intersection, drove over the raised median (curb height), drove off the median, and made his left turn.  Really.  What person of reasonable intelligence (as in: able to get a drivers license) would think this is acceptable??  It wasn't a ratty pickup, looked pretty new.

Stupid people are among us.  They drive.  Be careful out there.

 

Look Up...

 

A lot going on in the sky this evening: first of all, the full moon.  Plus, it is a Super Moon.  The full moon will reach its peak around 11:15 local time.  And, this will coincide with a total lunar eclipse this evening.  The eclipse will happen between 10:30 and 11:30 Central Daylight Time.  The eclipse will cause the moon to look red, as the Earth will cause a shadow between the sun and the moon.

For those keeping track, this full moon is referred to as the Flower Moon... yes, for the blooming flowers this time of year.

This heads up, in case you need to get a nap in so you can stay up to watch the full moon and total lunar eclipse.  ;-)

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The first part of the evening "sky show": the full moon...

About an hour away from the start of the total lunar eclipse, so more coming.

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Even pumping the ISO to 3200, it was tough getting any kind of an image with the cameras I was using...

But, you get the general idea.  Watching it underway, you could see the brightness of the moon peel away until it was a faint red version of itself.

Drummer for hire...

 

I work cheap.  Mark and I were visiting yesterday, talking guitars, life, guitars, and more life.  He asked me if I would record another drum track for a song he and I are working on... "Sure, glad to."  And then he asked if I would mind recording a drum track for a song he is working on with one of the guys from MIM that we got together with when Joan and I were in Arizona.  Again: "Absolutely - send me the files on what you have and I'll see what I can do."

He sent the files to me last night, and I listened to them and did a bit of practice playing along with the files before laying down a couple tracks.  Drums, not a cajon.  Good exercise, with all 4 appendages going.  I may need a nap.

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Shooting the loop...

When I was a teenager, that's what we called it: driving around the main streets in our city.  It was a mile or more long on a one-way street, turn on another main drag, and back down a mile or so on another one-way street.  Round and round.  Oh, occasionally there would be a stop light to stop light drag race, you'd see your friends, and maybe pull into Burger Kwik to hang out... it sure wasn't to eat the questionable burgers there.  But mostly, it was pointless; a way to pass the time.  I think most places have their version of this.

Pretty much the same thing happens around here... except it is golf carts and alcohol is involved.  Well, to be fair, there are plenty of people driving up and down the streets here in cars and pickup truck, too.  Mostly adults, some families (all 6 or 7 of them in a 4 person golf cart, although there are plenty of 6 to 10 person golf carts around), and a few with just kids in the cart (may be old enough to have a drivers license, but doubtful).  This is all happening around dusk.  The demographics will change after dark, when the adults settle into their house or rental, and it will be more kids on carts.

I will admit that I "shot the loop" back when I was a kid... and gas was 29¢ a gallon.  But that was 50 years ago.  It is seasonal here: in the winter, it is the over 55 set who drive around in golf carts as a mobile happy hour.  As we get closer to summer, it is more the weekend folks and Valley people who have a getaway here on this island.  Spring and fall tend to be more quiet, without the regular sunset cruisers.

Walking Rufus this evening, he seemed intrigued by the constant flow of traffic... "Oh, look at the kitty!"

Ah, summer time.

 

Friday the 13th...

 

In the words of the philosopher Dirty Harry: "So, do you feel lucky, punk?"

I considered not leaving the house all day and keeping myself wrapped in bubble wrap.  Nah, I'm kidding; I'm not superstitious... well, except for: green motorcycles are unlucky, 'cause that's a real thing.  ;-)

It's a lovely day in the Tropical Tip, so I did my usual morning routine and got out there to enjoy the day.  Of course, it's still early, so things could go into the crapper.

Enjoy your day!

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A Blast From The Past...

I was going through some old photo files today, and came across this...

 I think it is from 1983 or 84.  On the right is Joan's Honda Goldwing Aspencade, on the left is my Harley FXRT.  That Harley was HD's first shot at a sport touring bike.  I liked that bike - it was "lightweight" (for a Harley, and compared to the full-dress touring bikes I had) and had an aerodynamic fairing... since getting the CTX, I have commented that the styling reminds me a bit of that FXRT.  Well, a much more modern take on it.

And this one from a few years before the photo above...

Me on my first Sportster.  It shook like a paint-mixer, but I was hooked on the torque - it felt like you could pull out tree stumps with it.  I must have been a lot tougher back then, as we traveled a bunch on those bikes; Joan had a Yamaha Midnight Maxim at that time, that you may remember from this photo...

Ah, the memories.

Cooler...

 

Not the box you put ice and snacks in; the weather: it was 75º when I got up this morning.  Humidity was below 80% (well, it was 79%).  Doing what has become my "morning routine," bicycle, walk Rufus, get out on the scoot.

I rode by the Wyland Whaling Wall as usual, but stopped this time to get a photo...

 A guy was unloading stuff to take into the Convention Center and asked, "Would you like me to take a photo of you with your bike?  Nice looking bike.  I could use a break from carrying stuff."

"That would be very nice of you - yes!"  So, proof that I was with the bike...

That Whaling Wall is kind of my happy place.

When I got back home, it was project time: the metal rod and fixtures for making another gear hanging space in the front of the cargo trailer came in last night.  Of course, it always takes longer than you think it should.  We worked together on it.  I figured it would take a couple hours to take down the old rod and then mount the new stuff... working together, we were able to knock it out in only 3 1/2 hours.  And then Joan wanted to clean the inside of the trailer (she calls it "de-junking").  Time for me to stay out of the way.

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Joan pointed out a soft spot in the floor of the cargo trailer, right at the V up front.  Yep.  I went to our local building supply place and got some Flex products, paste and seal.  I dug out the soft spot, scraped back a ways; dug down 'till I hit solid wood.  Put on some rubber gloves and went to work filling that void.  When this is cured, I will top it with Flex Seal.

For now, the trailer is done.  Sorta.  We put a lot of stuff that was in the nose of the trailer on the floor into the car.  When that area on the floor is cured, we'll put stuff back.  Fortunately, the rear windows of the Equinox are dark, so it won't look like we are living out of our car.

Joan had the clean up done before I went to work on the floor.  Just like the guys in the circus who follow the elephants with shovels, my job is taking the trash.  Two bags - my little electric scooter has a decent basket in the back that holds one garbage bag.  I have carried flattened boxes on the floorboard of that scoot, but not two garbage bags.  Hey, we have carried two weeks worth of groceries on the PCX scooters - I can handle this...

I may need to pick up a "Wide Load" sign.

Dodging Drifts...

 

Snow?  Not here in the Tropical Tip.

Out for a ride this morning, I went a bit further north on SPI than I usually go.  From the southern tip of the island, the developed part of the island runs a bit over 4 miles... and then, it is a long, skinny island; the Gulf of Mexico on one side, the Laguna Madre (bay) on the other side.  The road goes another 4 or 5 miles, and stops.  If you have a vehicle that can handle the sand, you can drive on the beach from there.

We have done that years ago with the different 4x4 vehicles we've had, but that isn't a big thing for us... salty sand gets everywhere.  But, a lot of people like to head north from the end of the road to camp on the beach.  You are definitely leaving civilization behind.

I took the CTX north of city limits today.  No, not to ride on the beach - it is not an off-road bike.  Far enough that you don't see people, cars, or buildings as you look north.  We've had plenty of wind since we've been home, and that means you have to watch for sand drifts on the road...

 Looking behind the bike in the above photos, you can see where some people drove through the drifts at the edge of the road.  It isn't legal to drive over the dunes (erosion), but when they creep onto the road, I guess it's fair game.  Although I can't understand why anyone would want to do that - the sand is fine and powdery; blasting through it is going to drive that salty abrasive sand into places you don't want on your undercarriage.

It's been a couple months with the CTX now - I think I enjoy it even more than when I first got it.  I have gotten very comfortable with the size and performance of the bike.  I've come to appreciate the looks of the bike, too.  These morning rides keep my head in it... no great roads in this area, but it still is good for my soul to be out on two wheels.

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Wake up, Little Sous-y...

Um, Oh, Sous-y Q?  No bonus points for the Everly Brothers or CCR.  But if you said, "Sous - as in: sous chef?" you get 10 bonus points.  It's no secret that I have spent much of my life avoiding cooking.  But, since we got the Blackstone Griddle, I have done all the cooking with that.  There is plenty of other cooking that gets done by the pretty Blonde inside, but she appreciates me taking some of that load by making meals on the griddle.  And, I am happy to do it.

I am learning as I go with the griddle, and have been picking meals that are relatively goof-proof.  The thing most important in what success I've had on the griddle: good preparation.  Joan is a detail person and figured out right away that her organizational skills will go a long ways towards keeping me the griddlemeister.  Truly, this would be a chaotic process if not for her prep work.

This is what my sous-chef gives me on my way out to the griddle...

I made breakfast tortillas late this morning.  With everything in one place, all I have to do is figure out what order to put stuff on the griddle to make it all ready at the same time.  I didn't get any photos of the cooking in progress; in fact, I had the first tortilla almost finished before I thought to grab my phone...

My Honey has been encouraging and complimentary on my efforts - that goes a long ways towards me sticking with it.  Today, she said, "This may be the best breakfast tortilla I've ever had."  That is a bold statement when you know we used to have Manuel's (now closed down) that was widely known for their breakfast tortillas.  She really liked the way the tortilla came out.  My belly was happy with it, too.