A Trip to the Pecos River

 Last week, my wife, and I, went on a trip to the southwest. She traveled through that area years ago, and would talk about the Pecos River Bridge. I'd been wanting to see it, so off we went. 

I've been to the Laredo area. There, and down in the valley. Neither appealed to me, and neither warranted a return visit. Both areas are more of an extension of Mexico, and it doesn't take much clarity of thought to realize white folks are more like an oddity. The Del Rio area was different. 

The entire area around Del Rio is in a drought. From the look of the Lake Amistad, it's been that way a long time. A little research showed the lake is being used for Lake Falcon, which is a key resource for agriculture further down the Rio Grande. The water is more important down there, so Lake Amistad is slowly being drained. 

The illegal alien problem is obviously a problem A store in Bracketville had a sign stating anyone being dropped off would result in them being reloaded, and sent on. The people there are friendly, and the community is a reminder of times past. The surrounding land is straight from an old Western, and can only be described as near desert. How the ranchers survived in the past is a testament of the tenacious spirit of people. The area around the Hill Country is an oasis in comparison. 

There are no words to describe the grandeur of the Pecos River Gorge. It appears after driving for miles down an almost desolate section of U.S. 90. One second you're driving over rolling hills, and the next second reveals a mind boggling drop-off. The highway bridge that crosses is an engineering marvel, and standing on the observation deck will take your breath away. The Pecos, over millenniums, gouged out the stone to a depth around 300 feet below the surrounding land. The layers of history are obvious on the rock faces, and the surrounding desert receives no benefit from the water. 

The pictures don't begin to portray the grandeur, but here are some to view. 

Watching Twitter

Elon Musk is backing out of his Twitter deal. Twitter is threatening to sue. Investors can sell for a possible loss. Waiting may mean a bankruptcy, which will render the investment basically worthless. Maybe that was the plan. Either way, Twitter is in a precarious position, and the investors may find they made a bad investment. 

Some Things Don't Change

 When I started driving, my grandfather (who was an independent insurance agent) told me about the worst company he had to deal with with claims. I looked up the worst paying insurance companies on the web, and behold, it's still on the top ten. That's half a century of being  the worst paying insurance company. What really amazed me was that in the top ten, the companies that advertise the most are the worst. It makes sense, they don't pay their customers so they can pay to deceive with advertising.

Growing Into Oblivion

A local city, with a diversified choice for mayor, was rewarded with a comment the mayor would "like to see the city grow". Unless they're willing to cut taxes, get rid of the bloated employee burden, stop making ridiculous decisions with the infrastructure, become more business friendly, and do something about the growing crime, the city will be landlocked by adjacent communities with more to offer their citizens. Like my hometown, it's a cesspool compared to its former self. Like my hometown,  anyone that can is fleeing, saying goodbye to the money pit called public education, and trying to increase their income by removing the confiscatory taxes that only fund corruption. Growth requires a willingness for business to move to an area. This city is chasing it away, wondering why, and wallowing in ignorance.

Mid-Summer Musings

After a few weeks of triple digit afternoons, we finally received a quarter inch of rain yesterday at sunset. It was a pleasant change, and cooled things down to tolerable. It wasn't enough, but that could change.

According to the weather wizards, there's a tropical disturbance developing. The forecast track is to somewhere around Corpus Christi, and onward through the Hill Country. Those over there sure can use the rain. They've been suffering unusual dry weather for the last few weeks, and any crops planted in that area will die without some water. Unfortunately, those along the rivers may find low water crossings impassable, and the unwary find the twenty feet difference in water elevations will ruin vacations. 

Today, the thunderstorms stayed in the Gulf. This left a sunset with high cirrus slowly turning from brilliant white, to a pastel pink accentuated with light blue patches of clear sky. Beautiful is the only way to describe it, and the fledgling cardinals gathering at the feeder added to a fine evening. 

The next few days will determine how much rain we'll receive, but since the forecast places us on the east side of the disturbance,  there's the possibility of torrential rains lasting for a long period time. We're ready if the road floods, and a generator will supply enough power for a window unit if the power goes off.

Until then, I'll enjoy some coffee on the porch. The frogs are starting to sing, and a light breeze is keeping some of the heat away.