Category Archives: Mr. Boy

Brrrr

Posted on January 16, 2007 | Comments Off on Brrrr

Bob Rose, meteorologist for the Lower Colorado River Authority, is making Mr. Boy happy. Bob  is forecasting another day off from school with more rain, sleet and snow for the rancho and environs:

"The wintry precipitation is showing no signs of letting up in the near term, with more freezing rain, sleet and snow expected into Wednesday.  Precipitation does look like it will taper off Thursday morning.  For the most part, temperatures will remain at or below freezing into Thursday morning,"

Then, another cold front on Friday and more rain into the weekend. Unfortunately, there’s not been enough rain yet to raise Lake Travis much, just under two feet in the past 48 hours. There is, however, one live oak whose ice-laden branches are embracing the roof, and another more menacing one embracing the power line connection in the backyard. So it’s iffy how much longer we’ll be on the air. The good thing is this is our winter, a week or two at the most. Eat your heart out.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Conditions deteriorating

Posted on January 15, 2007 | Comments Off on Conditions deteriorating

The title is the words of meteorologist Troy Kimmel. Sleet and freezing rain are falling at the rancho, with temperature well below freezing and also falling. About half an inch to an inch of ice is expected overnight, followed by a rare snowfall tomorrow through tomorrow night, so it’s anybody’s guess how long before the power lines go down. Too bad, I had several other posts in mind, inspired by John Salmon’s Mystic Chords, and a few other good blogs, as always. Mr. Boy will also miss his Ninja Turtles video, if the lights go out. But who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky. Blame Pacific moisture overriding a blast of Arctic air, according to KVUE meteorologist Mark Murray. The local daily is on the case and, as always, is the best source for Austin-Central Texas news if this ice storm progresses from a temporary inconvenience into a disaster. I oughta know. I used to work there.

UPDATE  Latest from Troy at 5:47 a.m. Tuesday is good news, although it will not please Mr. Boy. He will get to stay home from school today, but the anticipated snow this afternoon likely won’t fall on the rancho and a warmup is expected Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile the power is holding.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate

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The ice cometh

Posted on January 14, 2007 | Comments Off on The ice cometh

Meteorologist Troy Kimmel keeps showing up in my email in-box with less than heartening news. The ice storm is expected to begin today and Troy thinks an accumulation of up to an inch could cover pretty much everything and stick around for three days because…

"Temperatures will fall below freezing by [this] afternoon with surface temperatures likely remaining at or below freezing through Tuesday."

He reminds me that it’s not only iced-up power lines to worry about but tree limbs near power lines, of which we have several at the rancho. When the limbs load up with ice, they will fall and sometimes take the power lines down with them. Repair crews will be hindered by ice on the roads and bridges. Mr. Boy and Mom and I are already planning to get out the air matresses–if necessary–and sleep in front of the fireplace in the family room. At least we won’t freeze. And the stove is gas, so we can cook. We’ll plan to toast marshmellows and play charades.

UPDATE  In a morning email, Troy said weather conditions have mercifully scaled back the disaster to less ice, not beginning until about 6 p.m. tonight and lasting "at least" through Monday evening. So there’s hope in River City. 

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Floodin’ down in Texas

Posted on January 13, 2007 | Comments Off on Floodin’ down in Texas

Awakened by Mr. Boy, who was excited at the possibility that the rainwater cascading off the stone steps in the backyard might start flowing into the family room. Got up to see that it was barely threatening to do so, as the French drain was working well, channeling the water around to the garage side of the rancho. Nevertheless, there’s flash flooding all over town, mainly along and east of Interstate 35, after 2- to 5-inch rainfall overnight, with more on the way. The worst part, maybe, is the forecast Arctic air is already settling in, overnight temperatures of almost 70 degrees having already plunged almost 30 degrees. So after the flooding, the next big thing could be ice and snow. One good thing is this will squelch the drought and that the lakes are bound to rise, at least a little, perhaps a lot. Mixed bag of good and bad, as always.

UPDATE  Rain totals set records for the date, according to National Weather Service: 4.20 inches at the airport, eclipsing a 1951 record and 3.55 inches midtown, knocking off a 1944 record. Ice storm is expected to begin overnight tonight, worsen Sunday and overnight Sunday when it changes to snow through Tuesday. We have no travel plans, so that’s not a problem, but ice buildup may bring down power lines and that would be an inconvenience, to say the least. Never a dull moment at the rancho.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Rampaging deer

Posted on January 9, 2007 | Comments Off on Rampaging deer

Never a dull moment at the rancho. If the appliances aren’t failing, or the trees falling, then the white-tailed deer have broken into the back yard again. Indeed, the deer have returned, smashing their way through the makeshift lattice work I installed last summer to try to save money (always a big mistake) rather than fix the section of privacy fence that a falling tree eclipsed. The deer are hungry and thirsty of course. It’s cold and dry. And the juniper pollen in the air has kept me inside like the Prisoner of Zenda (if that’s not too obscure a reference these days), so I would not have known about the deer but for Mr. Boy’s sharp eyes this morning before he left for school. Of course they have eaten the antique roses to stems again. This time I have called in a carpenter to come replace the fence, but of course he can’t come until tomorrow. I believe I will invest in either a Wrist Rocket sling shot or a Red Ryder BB gun to harrass the deer in the meantime. Shooting anything more powerful–like a .38 for instance–is illegal in the city limits and the Bambi lovers would go berserk if their precious marauders were severely injured. Don’t need to be arrested or draw an animal rights demo out on the sidewalk. So patience is in order until the carpenter comes tomorrow morning.

UPDATE  The carpenter came, did his work, and for about $600 we have a new cedar privacy fence which should keep the deer out for good. The first one who tries to jump it will wind up hung up in a large shrub, but you never know. Bambi is used to roaming at will in our neighborhood protected by city law, too few animal control folks to do anything, and the morons who sprinkle corn on their lawns. Oh, well.

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Posted in Antique Roses, Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate

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Keith Ellison’s little snickup

Posted on January 8, 2007 | Comments Off on Keith Ellison’s little snickup

"Snickup," is what Mr. Boy liked to say before he figured out people were saying "screwup."

Minnesota Muslim congressman Keith Ellison’s use of Thomas Jefferson’s two-volume copy of the Koran to take his oath of office was a pretty slick idea, until you consider that Mr. E. probably didn’t take the time to turn a few of its pages and read what was written there. If he had, according to the Austin-based community Web site Altmuslim.com, he would have discovered that the translator, George Sale, "calls the Prophet Muhammad a ‘criminal… imposing a false religion.’" Oops.

UPDATE  More on this little gem at Elder of Ziyon, which I didn’t see until two days after this post.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Mr. Boy, The War

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The sound of hammers in the morning

Posted on January 5, 2007 | Comments Off on The sound of hammers in the morning

Mr. Boy and I got up early and headed to the local Lowe’s for a Cub Scout session billed only as a wood project of some kind. We joined about twenty other boys in the store’s spartan management conference room and received pre-cut wooden castle kits, small hammers and plastic safety goggles for each boy. It was Mr. B.’s first time with a real hammer and he made the most of it, pounding away at the small nails that held the castle’s wooden walls and turrets together. I had to start the nails with my thumb through pre-drilled holes, then hold the pieces while he hammered. I kept worrying that he would hit my fingers but he never did. Walking out with our completed eight- inch X eight-inch castle, he thanked me for helping him. Politeness is not a given with a six-year-old so it was a pleasant moment. Really nice of Lowe’s to do it, since there was no charge, and some manager had left some figures on the conference room’s chalk board showing the store had recently lost almost $300,000. A notation said most of the loss was in the tools department. I am resolved to go back this weekend and buy a tool of some kind or other.

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Posted in Mr. Boy

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