Comal

I had never been to New Braunfels when I met my wife, but she and her family had been going to Camp Warneke on the Comal every summer for as long as she could remember.  Longer, actually, I think she went the first time when she was eight months old.

I thought riding an inner tube 100 yards or so down a river - then getting out and doing it again - sounded about as dumb as anything I had ever heard.

Then, I tried it and I was hooked.  The tradition continued. 

We took several long vacations over the years - trips to the Colorado Rockies and Washington D. C. - but according to our daughters, we hadn't really been on vacation until we spent a few days in New Braunfels.

Camp Warneke is long gone, the property absorbed by Schlitterbahn, but the Comal still runs clear and cold.  It is still one of the best vacation spots in Texas.

500 Minus One

Takuma Sato, a Japanese-born race car driver, won this year's Indy 500 this past weekend.

Denver Post columnist Terry Frei tweeted that he was "very uncomfortable" with a Japanese driver winning the race on Memorial Day weekend.  

Frei, whose father fought in WWII, apologized for his remarks, but it didn't save his job. The seven time Colorado Sportswriter of the year was fired for his "racist" comment. 

Columnists, by definition, are supposed to have and express opinions.  Newspapers used to regularly print disclaimers saying the opinions expressed were those of the writer and not necessarily those of the paper.  Now, apparently it is OK to fire someone for an on-line tweet that didn't even appear in his column.

Personally, I thought Sato's win was interesting, but not particularly disturbing. But, I also had a father who fought in WWII, so I can understand Frei's comment.  His firing bothers me a lot.

5-29-17

Buddy Poppies

While running errands yesterday, I saw folks buying shopping carts full of charcoal, brisket and ice - lots of ice.

Also, in front of a grocery store in New Caney, I saw an elderly lady selling Buddy Poppies.  

Whichever defines Memorial Day to you, I wish you a safe and happy holiday.

Compressor

When I was doing the brake job on our truck last weekend, my air compressor bit the dust.  It didn't die completely, it just wouldn't generate more than about 45 psi, which isn't enough for any of the things I need it for.

I took it apart, cleaned it up, and got the max pressure up to about 60 psi, but that's the best it could do.  The reed valves have lost tensile strength after flexing for years, and can't react fast enough to allow pressure to go any higher.

Today I went to Lowe's and bought the compressor pictured above. It was on sale at a very attractive price.  It is near the low end of the spectrum as far as compressors go, but should be more than adequate for my needs.  

I normally never buy warranties, but something told me that this time I should.  My premonition didn't predict that the compressor would fail, but it did tell me to spend the extra twelve bucks just in case.

Bitterweed

Thanks to the Aggies for the picture above. 

Those pretty yellow wildflowers are an example of Western Bitterweed.  

Bitterweed can, and will take over a pasture, especially in times of drought.  It is toxic to livestock - particularly sheep - and even a small amount can turn a cow's milk into something that tastes too nasty to believe.  As a kid, I learned to never be the first to taste a new bottle of milk.

It is probably close to sixty years since I last tasted Bitterweed infused milk, and I don't know what made me think of it today, but just the thought of it makes my mouth feel nasty.

Don't Touch This Book

I've been a Greg Iles fan for years, and after reading Natchez Burning and The Bone Tree, was eagerly awaiting the final book of the trilogy.

Did it live up to expectations? Oh, yes, that and so much more.  As one reviewer stated after giving it five out of five stars, "I'd give it ten if I could."

I didn't read it in one sitting - it's 692 intense pages - but I was unable to get anything else accomplished until I had finished the final page.