Going Coastal

There are times when the salt air and wind just feel good. The XO and I slipped away for the week end to one of our favorite destinations. Rockport. We have a small,  upscale expensive hotel. The place is great and seems like something out of the teens or at least the thirties. When they say free breakfast they don't mean toast and cereal they mean breakfast. And they have a full bar and steak house. It was built about '03 though so it just appears old. I'd tell you the name but you know how it is:  "no one goes there any more, it's too crowded".  There are hundreds of boats in the marinas and I want every one of them. It's funny, every one is for sale and if the owner is nearby you can really make his day by acting interested. For the past two or three years we have been watching one get outfitted and overhauled. Today they mounted the new props and floated it. It was too tall to be handled by the gantry there in the yard so the had to haul it down to the ramp and tow it back to the boat yard. It is 45 or 50 feet long and almost that tall. From the waterline the flying bridge is about 30 feet and there is an other platform 10 feet above that. The name on the fantail was "Semper Fi", probably owned by an army retiree.

Gas Mileage

Been trying to find a replacement for my old gas guzzler. This looks just the ticket. It will look good down on the drag too. My only problem will be the ride out from Austin.
I have been looking at a CNG truck but the closest station is in Midland and I think it's owned by the city and would be out of bounds in an emergency. There are only two stations in Austin. So much for alternative energy, it's obvious that Washington has never heard of West Texas. I've done the math and I guess I'll stay with what I've got. I have given up thinking of the price of gas and moved into cost per trip. It costs about 180 dollars round trip. Three years ago it was 60. It's not really too bad but it sure makes you look at those one or two day trips, I'll need to stay a week at a time or more to make it more cost effective. As a prep-per I have a stash at both ends and could last a few months wherever we end up.

Now we're talkin

After Barb got her Sig Sauer Lady I had to have one. Not the red and silver like hers but a manly stainless like above. Went by the gun shop to see what they had and this one winked at me from the corner of the display case. Well you know how easy I am I said, "I'll take it!" Barb said, "Don't you even want to touch it?" Time enough for that later we have to beat the weather to the range.
The range was deserted for the most part and we set up at 20 yards and had a shoot off. Crap my arm hurt or something because she beat me hands down. I used the excuse of 'new gun' and grumbled all the way home.

New Year for Texas and me

Had to wait an extra day to celebrate my birthday because of leap year. Worse, the great state of Texas had to wait an extra day too. I always figure that Texas Independence day (2nd of March) is just a continuation of my party. I was born 1 day early an d 190 years too late. I like to think I would have been at the Alamo with all my heros like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. (John Wayne?) We may have lost anyway but what a way to go.
My older brother was born on the third of July and they had parades for him too.

Spring Break

Made a quick trip to the bunker this weekend mostly to drop off a really big water tank that's been taking up room in the truck and to go to Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine. What a neat thing for anyone to see. One of the best recitals was from a lady from Alberta who embodied the Texas spirit like a native. She closed her presentation
by saying that her next of kin card in her billfold lists the Lone Star.
So many new citizens have moved to Texas in the past four years that you can see the spirit draining away in a city like Austin. One of the things you hear from a newcomer is that everyone is so confident and open. Well that is true unless you are in a group of newcomers who start every sentence with "back in (wherever) we did it this way.
You don't have to be born in Texas to be a Texan, you are recognized as a Texan by your actions. You can tell if a man is a Texan by the way he walks and how he tips his hat and looks you in the eyes whether he speaks to you or not. How he pitches in to help without needing to be asked and then gets embarrassed when you try to thank him. The newcomer begins to feel these things and one day he knows he is home. He feels the pride swell in him when another Texan acknowledges him without a word being spoken. We have a lot to be proud of here in the Lone Star state and we are willing to share it with another Texan, no matter where they came from.

From the Fire

I'm writing this from the keyboard of my Kindle Fire. The technology is way above my level. I have just now figured out the spell check scheme, maybe. These are cold days at the bunker so we are staying close to Austin. Cold here too but winter is almost over by my reckoning the first of March is the end around here 90% of the time. I had a chance to buy an old tractor to play with this spring and was saved at the last minute by someone getting there first. The seller called me to save me the trip. Oh, well. I could rent one twenty times for the same money and not have it sit there mocking me every day.
This is hard so I'll see you later.

Mom's Piece

Buying a hand gun is a touch and go thing. We have been through no fewer than four, trying to find one that is just right. Well the one above may just be the one. The first thing you have to get used to is the price goes up with each new gun. Well that sure happened here. But if it fits the bill then it's OK.
Oh, it's a SIg Sauer P238 in .380 caliber called the Lady. It is red with silver engraving and has a gold rose on top of the slide. Like all gun buyers we ran right out to the range to see if it worked. I'm surprised how nice it feels for such a small gun. We had rented one last week and there is a big difference in new and broken in but we will break it in in no time. It is the same size as the KelTec and the Ruger and just a little heavier than the S&W Bodyguard. After a couple of boxes of shells we called it good and from now on it will be her carry piece.

New year

Time has flown and here it is February. I know I should write something every day or so but without touching the taboos like politics and religion there's not much to write about. I do have definite opinions on both of those subjects but I'll keep them to myself. I am a rather square peg here in the round hole of Austin. This is the Mamby of Mamby Pamby cities and you have to have a certain outlook to over look a lot of what happens here. I am getting close to one of those taboos so I'll drop it.

As you can see from the picture things are returning to normal. The yuccas are surviving even though they were burned to the ground. Many plants have sprung up and there are even flowers blooming they are weeds but the flowers are pretty. We spent a few days last month finishing up a few little projects and getting ready to install a large patio cover on the West side. I repaired the railing along the back of the roof and just generally cleaned up around the place.

Another Home on Our Range

The wildlife is slowly coming back and we thought we could help by providing a birdhouse
for a pair of wrens. No trees left on the bunker property so I put the BH on the address marker. We shall see.

November 12/2011

Ran out to the bunker to finish up some things before winter comes. Monday night I set up the 90 inch TV to watch what turned out to be the worst football game of the year. Too bad that the first string Vikings didn't show up. I wish I could make that kind of money to lose almost every game I played. The 90 incher is set against a 144 inch wall so you can tell how big it is. Really pulls you into the game. By the way that's
not the game but a Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra movie from the dark ages.
Barb and I put the backing on the roof tile that we installed last trip and set about cleaning up a ton of broken glass from the glass block the didn't make it through the fire. The place looks much better. She also ran a magnet all over the parking area and picked up about five pounds of nails, screws and assorted scrap. The roof tile that was broken I broke into smaller pieces and filled some low spots in the drive way. Turned into an easy trip and we're back home getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Halloween '11

Nothing about Halloween here but the time of the year means that the weather is great and the holidays are upon us. The bunker is looking good and the last piece of roof finishes it off nicely. The XO and I worked really well together to get it finished and even were able to take many breaks and had a leisurely drive home. We came back through Llano to stop at Coopers for the best BBQ in Texas. The tree in the picture above is perfect for the season. It is along the highway between Mason and Llano and may not be around next year. I found it three or four years ago then lost it because I thought it was closer to Mason. The line at Coopers was long and slow and I got into a conversation with the guy behind me. Turns out that he was coming home from Fort Davis too. He has a place in DMR which is on the loop South toward Valentine and much more rugged than our mountain. We looked up there when we we looking around in the area but the road in was bad and it got worse as you went up the mountain. He said he was spared from the fires back in April and that's good. He lived close to Llano so he bought his BBQ to go. Nice guy. We ate in and had another hour to travel.

Back to work

Came back out this weekend to finish the West roof that we started last trip. The wing walls were standing when we got here as were the trusses. I painted the walls first thing Saturday morning and then we began to set the tile. The first picture shows how the finished product turned out. I still need to clean up the junk pile in back.

Turning the corner

I touched the wrong button on the blog today and changed everything. I'll reserve my opinion until I have worked with it a while. For now I just have an empty keyboard.
Writers block! Well you have to be a writer to have it so I guess I'm safe. The XO and I drove out last Thursday to work on the roof and managed to lay 27 blocks to make wings and put up some trusses to hang the tile. No pictures this trip but this finishes the roof off on all sides so it will look like the front. We were really beat by the time 5:00 rolled around and I was ready for a shower and a glass of wine. Not to happen. The XO called home to check on G"maw, we have to be careful she's 94, and she had taken a turn for the worse and needed us home ASAP. Well ASAP is 6.5 hours minimum. We loaded up really fast and headed home leaving tools on the roof and five gallons of paint on the patio. It took longer to get home because the 80MPH speed limit becomes 65MPH when the sun goes down. Pulled into the driveway at midnight ready to bundle G"maw up for a trip to the emergency room. No.. She had a complete recovery about 10:00 PM. We are going back this weekend, depending on her health, to finish the tiles and put a coat of paint on the new blocks. Wish us luck.
The picture above is for comparison only. More timely pictures to come.

Location, location, location

Many people have asked where the bunker is located. Some people, even Texans, don't know that there are mountains in Texas. Here is a map showing Fort Davis and some of the surrounding area. Further South is the Big Bend and North is New Mexico so if you jump on interstate 10 and drive like heck (80 MPH limit) 9 hours from Houston or 3 hours from El Paso you'll be in the neighborhood. The bunker is on a mountain just South of Fort Davis called Dolores Mountain and this link has the story of how it got it's name. Because of the altitude and the other mountains in the area the weather is moderate and it gets more rain than the desert floor such as Terlingua or Presidio or even Fort Stocton just 85 miles Northeast. All things considered it is a perfect spot in a big state like Texas.

Still looking at transportation

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I have been looking for a new vehicle to replace both the Van and the Buick. Just one to be a road car and to haul that 18 ft trailer. I think I have found it. The pictures show a 2011 Prius with a 2 inch hitch receiver. Perfect. Good MPG and at low speeds it's battery powered. I can cruise along with the trailer behind and look down (up) on other drivers. I just wish it were a plug in electric that way I could drive it really slow from Austin to the bunker and plug it in at each motel and use their electricity. Hauling the trailer it would only take five weeks to get to Ozona (half way) and 55 miles of extension cord.

Welome to the roadhouse

The birds had damaged the neon on the front porch so I repaired it and this trip hooked it up and lit it off. Looks great. Still freaks out the neighbors but they freak easily. Especially the one down the hill that has been hunting the mountain lion up here on the mountain for several years. The latest news is that she has been seen with kittens this year.

Hole in the roof

Ten years ago this place was just a structure in the Davis mountains. The original builder had safety high in his priorities so the only way in was a steel shaft from the roof through the floor and into a horizontal shaft that terminated 30 feet away on a cliff. Well my son and I cut the lower part of the shaft out years ago. I installed a sky light at the top of the shaft. Over the years we found that all that steel acted like a big radiator cooling the bunker in the winter and heating it in the summer...Wait, that's backwards.
SO, this trip I cut out the upper part of the shaft and filled it with insulation. The roof in the photo is temporary but you get the idea. The only other work this trip is to take 30 solar panels back to Austin and see if I can sell them through Craigs List. The grid tie inverter was fried in the spring fires and instead of buying a new one I figured I would get out of the business. Anyone want them, Cheap. I will deliver too (reasonable distance). Update....Craigs List came through again. Two days after posting I sold all of the panels, grid tie equipment and wind gen. Hope they have found a good home.

Texas and Employment

I have wondered for the past couple of years why the Texas unemployment rate has hovered around the national average while Texas has created more jobs than any other state. The guys at WILLisms have explained it. It seems like a LOT of people are voting with their feet and coming to a state that has jobs, Texas. A few have jobs before they move but most come and register with the TWC while waiting to be hired. They are counted as unemployed for that short time before they start working. Thus the count goes up and the rate stays high. Some of these people were off the lists in the states they left because they had given up and some bring wives and friends with them and this keeps the rate higer than it should be. The Texanomics blog shows that the actual rate should be 5.5% or even a little less. The only problem I can see is that all those people from the blue states are bringing those old lefty attitudes with them and you can tell when they say things like "back home we..." or "they should pass a law to...". Welcome to Texas but try to become a Texan it's so much better.

Trailer-hauler

I have been wanting to replace the van for a long time but I haven't found the right replacement. Til now. Just down the street was this set-up. I'm not sure what the weight limits may be be but I can adjust. The only problem I see is that the highway patrol may get to know me on sight out on interstate 10 and give me an escort or two. Heck officer Thurman already knows my van and waves when he goes by.

Back to work

Got the new floor on the trailer and re-welded some spots bent or broke by the scrap yard. Put new tires on and packed the bearings. So now it's time to take the rest of the scrap to the scrap yard. The wheels and axles were the heaviest and then a lot of other stuff to bring the total to 2780#. Whew, what a job. The weather didn't co-operate either the temperature has been 100+ for three days (we wanted to get out of Austin because of the heat, didn't work). Took the load to Fort Stockton this morning and cashed in. By the time I pay for gas for the trip I just about break even. But on the plus side all of the stuff I have been trying to get rid of is gone and in a year or so the grass and yuccas will be back and the whole place will shine.