Warm

It's the last day of February, and I wore Bermuda shorts to walk this morning.  It has been a very warm winter here at the Boggy Thicket - only two nights this winter below 30 degrees and today makes two dozen days above 80 since December first.

Our Azaleas have just about bloomed out.  They started blooming February first, about two months earlier than usual.

I don't know what this says about next summer, but I'm afraid it may be hotter than blazes.

A Lot of Bull (Red)

 Here's a great article from https://thepushpole.com

Man Forced To Throw Back Bull Red That Self-Identifies As 11-Inch Speckled Trout.

Unfortunately for Galliano angler Willie Bergeron, the mammoth fish he hauled in yesterday morning was actually a delicate 11-inch spec trapped inside the body of a 31-inch bull red.

Stephanie Bergeron, his very intelligent and sunburned daughter, broke the news to him after netting the leviathan. It was their tenth redfish of the day, setting them at their limit. After pretending to hold a telepathic conversation with the gasping, flopping beast, she broke the news to her father, informing him that they have to release the fish or the game wardens would throw him into a FEMA camp for a hate crime.

Mr Bergeron, an angry man unable to make sense of a quickly changing world, easily believed his daughter and reluctantly released the red back into the marsh to live as a spec. As it swam away, Mr. Bergeron cursed dozens of Washington D.C. politicians by name.

When The Push Pole contacted Stephanie to inquire about why she would exploit the anger of her gullible father, she replied:

That bull gave him six reds to my four. Throwing that big one back gave me a chance to get my five and at least match him, which I ended up doing because he was too busy texting AM talk radio programs about what just happened. It worked out perfectly for me…and that red, who I’m sure is in open water with his brothers, tearing up minnows under the birds right now.

Belt

While grocery shopping at Walmart yesterday, I bought myself a new belt.  

I already own several, but the two I wear most often are showing a lot of wear - the holes are so stretched that they hang on the belt loops when I try to remove them.

The new belt fits - barely.  

I think they have changed the way belts are labeled. 

My jeans all have either a 36 or 38 inch waist, and in the past, a belt labeled 38 inches was more than long enough to fit.  The belt I bought yesterday was labeled 40 inches, and it is just that, 40 inches long from buckle to tongue.  

No, I didn't try it on at the store.  Yes, I probably should have.

I can still wear it, but I may never get past the first hole.

0 for 2

I woke up a little earlier than usual this morning, and as I was making my first cup of coffee, I added water to the reservoir on the coffee machine. It wasn't out, but low enough that it seemed like the thing to do. 

When Honey came in a half hour later, the first thing she said (after "Good morning") was "I see you added water to the pot. You spilled it everywhere."

"I thought I wiped it up." I replied.

"You wiped the left side.  You didn't get what ran under the machine and out the right."

She proceeded to move the pot and wipe down the counter, and as I pondered what she said, she started her coffee. Then she opened the canister where we keep the dog treats and took out the zip-lock bag inside.  She opened and resealed the baggie, saying  "You never get this closed right, either.  The treats dry out and it makes them hard to eat."

I had ambitions for today, a couple of projects I might have started, but now I'm not so sure.  The sun hasn't even cleared the horizon, and I'm already 0 for 2.

Been There, Done That

I was going through one of those lists that you often see on Facebook, you know the ones - 21 Hilarious Things You Wish You Had Seen - and hit something that sparked a memory.  In this case, the list was unfortunate or amusing headlines from newspapers, and the one that caught my attention said something like:

LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO 

TO BROADCAST 

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

I never worked in public (non profit, government sponsored) radio, but I did spend a dozen years or so in commercial radio, and, believe me, that isn't as weird as it sounds.  

In commercial radio, particularly small town radio, if they can sell it, they will air it.Over the years, I did play-by-play on numerous events that were more visual than not, including several  local parades.

In what had to be the most bizarre, I acted as the master of ceremonies for a 4th of July picnic and fireworks demonstration at a resort in Rockport, Texas.  That, in itself would have been okay - it turned out to be a lot of fun - but the station I was working for at the time broadcast the whole thing live.    

SpeedSportz

Back in January of 2014, I had a post - Grand Texas - that said that the big amusement park planned for the New Caney area would open sometime in 2015.  
Well, that didn't happen, but progress, of a sort, has been made.

The SpeedSportz Go Kart track at the park is now open.  These are high-end, high speed cars capable of 70+ mph and they ain't cheap to drive.  One 10 minute race will cost you $20.

The track is also home to Alan Rudolph Racing Academy where you can learn to drive these Karts for a mere $299.

Teaser

I have a great subject for a blog post, but I can't tell you about it - at least, not yet.  
It's really Honey's story, and she should have the chance to tell it first.  All I can do is give you a hint:

 

Twenty-three

This is a re-post of something I first posted here a couple years ago. I'm not sure why (or even if) it deserves another round, but there are some gems on this list...
 
Don’t know who wrote this – I first saw it in a Facebook post, then a little research led to a blog where was first posted back in 2011.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this list of 23 Adult Truths
1 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How on earth are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.
23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. Ladies.....Quit Laughing.

Seeing a Point

One of the things that has made this country great is the idea that men of good will may see things from different points of view, and that they should be free to express their opinions.  

Lately, that idea seems to be going away. 

People on both sides of any political issue no longer see those that disagree as incorrect or simply misguided, they see them as malicious, wicked and the personification of evil. The latest tactic seems to be not to argue the merits of any idea, but to simply paint your opponent as someone having no redeeming social qualities whatsoever.  

That is never going to lead to compromise, or even understanding, but it does keep your opponent so busy defending himself that he has no time left to defend his ideas.

Boring and Dull

Not much happening around the old Boggy Thicket this morning, or anywhere else for that matter. In a desperate effort to find something exciting to write about, I stumbled upon a story about the towns of Dull and Boring.

It all started when a tourist came across the town of Boring, Oregon, and thought it would be an ideal match for the tiny village of Dull in her native Scotland. Town officials agreed, and they have become unofficial Sister Cities.  Unofficial because Boring only has about 8,000 residents, while Dull has less than 200.

 

Looking Forward

I'm starting to put together an itinerary for this year's big trip.  Everything is still very tentative, but we'll be on the road for about a month - probably in May and/or June.

We're thinking about going back to some places we visited years ago, like Colonial Williamsburg, VA, and  Cherokee, NC, but we definitely plan to to visit the Kentucky Horse Park in Louisville.

Walking

Everybody (at least, everybody who follows my blog) knows that my wife is a walker.  Honey walks about five miles a day, five times a week.  
Me, not so much, but I may have found a solution:

Call Her

I have reported here on strange dreams before, but last night's was one for the books. 

I don't often remember my dreams, but those I do remember are usually strange.  I think I remember them because I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what they meant.

In last night's dream I was in the garage doing some minor maintenance on my truck.  I wasn't making much progress because I kept being interrupted by women cutting through the garage on the way into the house to visit with my wife.  These were all women I know, and each stopped to visit on the way through.  

After exchanging pleasantries, and just before heading into the house, they each said something like "You need to call your mother."

I'm not sure how many times this happened, but it was a lot - there were quite a few ladies passing through.  Finally, the last one asked, "Are you ever going to call your mother?"

I stopped what I was doing, went to the sink and started to clean up - that's when I realized that my mother was dead, had been for years, and there was no way to call her even if I had wanted to.

That woke me up.

Memoriam

Remembering our beloved daughter, Shanna Leigh Couch Robinson,
June 5, 1973- February 15, 2006.
A life well lived, but much too short.  We miss you every day.

For Honey On Valentine's Day

My lovely wife is not normally big on sweets, but she does love the dark chocolate almond bark from See's Candies.

In an ideal world, I would have bought her a box, but gifts of sweets, ice cream, etc. are seen as undermining her determination to stay slim and fit, so..... 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

Grammy

Did you watch the Grammy Awards last night?

We did not. 

We've learned that awards shows have become too political for our tastes. Every winner (and every presenter, for that matter) seems to feel obligated to make some sort of political statement, and most of those statements tick me off, ranging from mildly annoying to screaming at the television rage.  

If you did miss the show, and in case you might care, you can see a list of winners HERE. Or, the quick version - Adele won everything that matters.

We learned last week that the Grammy statues are manufactured in Ridgway, Colorado.  We spent a week there last summer, but had no idea that was true.

Undie Run

Runners hit Houston streets in their unmentionables for a 5-K run yesterday.  
Raising money for the Children's Tumor Foundation, it's become an annual event known as the Cupid's Undie Run.  Sponsors say last year's event raised $2.8 million - no word yet on yesterday's take.

Trumpagator

This bright orange alligator, nicknamed the Trumpagator, was recently spotted in South Carolina.  

No, it isn't Photoshopped, that's its actual color.  The 5-foot gator lives in a retention pond at the Tanner Plantation in Hanahan, SC.

Explanations for his unique color range from algae, to rust in the water, to "He overdosed on Cheetos" but nobody knows for sure.

The Hanahan High School colors are orange and blue...

Eclipse

There is supposed to be a Lunar eclipse tonight, and for once, although the forecast calls for increasing clouds this evening, the sky may actually be clear enough to see it.  That's the good news - the bad news is that it's going to be a Penumbral Eclipse, so you may not notice. 

Here's what a penumbral eclipse looked like in 2002:

Eclipses of the moon fall into three categories - total, partial and prenumbral. In a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the more diffuse outer shadow of Earth falls on the moon’s face. 

This third kind of lunar eclipse is much more subtle, and much more difficult to observe, than either a total or partial eclipse of the moon. There is never a dark bite taken out of the moon, as in a partial eclipse. The eclipse never progresses to reach the dramatic minutes of totality. At best, at mid-eclipse, very observant people will notice a dark shading on the moon’s face.

Lightnin' Bugs

One of the side effects of the exceptionally warm weather we've been having is the untimely appearance of fireflies. Normally, fireflies, or Lightning Bugs, do not appear here until April or May, but I saw a couple Monday evening and by last night there were dozens of them flashing from ground level up to about forty feet above the old Boggy Thicket.

Their appearance reminded me of a trip to see relatives in Oklahoma when I was eight or nine years old.  It was on that trip that I learned to make Lightnin' Bug Jewelry. My cousins and I caught hundreds of the little critters, then tore them apart and stuck their glowing rear ends to our hands and forearms to make rings and bracelets.  

It seemed like great fun at the time, and I don't think we had a serious effect on the Oklahoma ecology, but now it seems to be incredibly thoughtless and cruel.

If I go to Hell, I'd hate to think it was for mistreating a bug. 

Whither the Weather

Okay, this is a poor picture - out of focus, etc. - but it was my first attempt with my new cell phone.

I'm posting it just to prove that our azaleas are actually blooming.

We had a low of 70 last night, and only two nights below freezing so far this year. 

A friend from British Columbia posted on RV.net this morning that they have had the coldest winter with the most snow in 13 years.

Genetic Lottery

"All men are created equal" is a very nice thought, but sometimes someone just wins the genetic lottery.  As proof, here is a picture of 63 year old Christie Brinkley from this year's upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.  She is flanked in the photo by her daughters, Alexa Joel,31, and Sailor Cook, 18.

Oh, and she doesn't walk on water - she's standing on a submerged crate.

The Loom

On Life’s tapestry my loom
Has no room for gloom and doom
If something doesn’t bring joy I say
Leave it alone or throw it away
Choose love and happiness - womb to tomb

Chamber of Commerce Weather

In case there is anyone out there who doesn't know, today is the Superbowl and this year it's being played in Houston.

In the week leading up to the big event, the weather in southeast Texas has been fabulous - partly cloudy, a light breeze and temperatures in the 70s.  Local weathermen have been beside themselves extolling the marvelous weather provided for our visitors.

That all came to a screeching halt yesterday.  Saturday was gray and dreary with a high in the 50s.  Anyone who flew in for the game Friday night or Saturday was surely not impressed.

Today's high is back in the 70s, but the day dawned with fog and drizzle and a forecast 30% probability of showers. 

Oh well, we only wanted visitors to enjoy Houston and have a good time while they were here.  If today was as beautiful as last week, they might have decided to stay.

Happy Wrist

I finally got my wristwatch back yesterday.  The repair facility had warned that it might take as much as four weeks to get it back to me, but in my case - due to time off for Christmas, and difficulty getting spare parts shipped during the holidays - it was more like six.

Even considering how long it's been without it, my wrist feels right now that the watch is back.

They were thorough, after the watch was repaired they ran it through a series of tests - including assuring that it was waterproof to a couple of atmospheres.  The printout of test results were included with the watch.

What was most amazing was that the watch was running and showed the correct time when I removed it from the box they mailed it in.  I'd guess that was to be expected, but what impressed me was that, although the repair facility is in the Atlanta area, my watch was set to Central Time!

Balanced Reporting

A week or so ago, I shared this picture from my niece's Facebook page:

It was quickly pointed out that her post was Left of Center.
Today, and old friend and former co-worker posted:

Aside from the obvious difference in political position, Dave's picture hints at his love of the ocean.  He is a sailor and kite-surfer who I suspect would rather be on water than land any day of the week.

There may be some significance in the fact that her post is rectangular and his is cylindrical, but I'm not sure what it might be.

An "IDEAL" Solution

We have been having some minor problems with our cell phones lately.  Nothing too serious, but the battery in Honey's phone required recharging in less than 24 hours.  

We had been notified by AT&T that we were eligible for free upgrades, so yesterday we stopped in at their phone store in Kingwood to see what was available.  They were busy, and it took so long to actually get served that we almost left.  I'm glad we stayed.

They fixed us up with Alcatel IDEAL 4060 phones - Android type smart phones with a huge array of whistles and bells, including lots of stuff we may never use.  You may remember that our previous phones were just that - phones.  Honey did text occasionally, but I never did.

These phones aren't exactly in the same category as I-Phone 7s, but they were almost free.  In addition, the AT&T rep changed our plan to include a lot more data for no additional charge, and he was able to get our DirecTV bill reduced by about $25 a month!

Weather Prediction

It was 60° at 7 a.m. this morning, with highs in the 70s predicted for the rest of the week.  

February is off to a great start.

The folks in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania will be dragging out their groundhog tomorrow to see if we'll have six more weeks of winter, but Southeast Texas old-timers know that ragged rodent doesn't know a thing about weather down here.  

Our real predictor is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that begins on March 7th.  

We know that the week leading up to the Rodeo - the week of the trail rides - will be miserable.  It just ain't a trail ride if the weather isn't cold and wet.