Category Archives: Rancho Roly Poly

Wildfires

Posted on September 4, 2011 | Comments Off on Wildfires

Getting antsy at the rancho with drought-induced wildfires to the north, east, south and west. Hundreds of homes destroyed in all those directions, plus about 16,000 acres of pine forest out in Bastrop County. Nothing in our immediate area yet but we’ve got the garden hoses ready just in case.

Firefighters don’t know what’s causing the fires. Arson doesn’t seem to be the culprit. But they know what’s spreading them: High winds caused by a cold front moving slowly towards us from the northwest.

Usually one of those attracts wind and moisture out of the Gulf and the differential in temperatures causes rain showers, if not thunderstorms. But all the moisture seems to be tied up in Tropical Storm Lee, leaving us with the winds—and, thanks to the drought, wildfires.

UPDATE:  Good roundup story by the daily, which is leading Drudge.

Comments Off on Wildfires

Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Scribbles, Texana, Weather/Climate

Tagged , ,

Cartels we can live with

Posted on July 12, 2011 | Comments Off on Cartels we can live with

Texans already beat the feds by buying gallons-per flush toilets in Mexico. Can a post-2014, D.C.-defying, black-market trade in incandescent light bulbs be far behind? I think not.

Meanwhile, the pols debate repealing the incandescent-deletion (bye bye 100 watt bulbs in January, 60 watt ones in 2014) which, while supported by Obamalot, actually was signed into law by Bush Jr. in 2007. With the, ahem, support of Big Light, i.e. GE, Phillips, et al, which will make a lot more money on the switch. And they, or something, have quashed repeal so far.

Comments Off on Cartels we can live with

Posted in Blogosphere, Rancho Roly Poly, Scribbles, South of the Border, Texana

Tagged ,

Mr. Boy at camp

Posted on June 30, 2011 | Comments Off on Mr. Boy at camp

Very quiet around the Rancho these days, with Mr. B. at his week-long camp at Lost Pines, the pine forest near Bastrop, about an hour east of Austin. Weather service says it’s a bit cooler out there than here, especially at night with the breeze off the lake.

This is Boy Scouts, so much of their time is spent in classes (yep) on merit badges and Eagle Quest and advancement generally. Mr. B. excepts to finish his Tenderfoot board of review there and come home on Saturday with many of his Second Class requirements also finished.

But it’s also just fun, with pool time and canoeing and fishing. And, uh, demos of “tomahawk throwing,” according to the scoutmaster’s latest email to parents, which assures us that homesickness among the youngest first-timers (like Mr. B.) is a minor issue so far.

“To put your mind at ease,” the scoutmaster wrote, “none have wanted to call home, and no one had any intentions of going home, just expressed themselves [about it], which is very good.”

They’re also playing Gaga, an Israeli version of dodge-ball, which seems to have migrated to the Scouts from the day camp at Austin’s Jewish Community Center which Mr. B. has attended every summer since kindergarten. “They come back sweaty and FILTHY every time they play.” Mr. B., an old hand at Gaga, probably is enjoying showing off his expertise.

UPDATE:  Oops. Spoke too soon. Mr. B. sent today a scanned front-and-back letter via the scoutmaster telling of his homesickness and (twice) requesting us to come to the Friday night barbeque to which parents are invited. So we’re going.

Comments Off on Mr. Boy at camp

Posted in Israel, Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Scribbles, Texana

Tagged , , ,

One inch of cooling rain

Posted on June 22, 2011 | Comments Off on One inch of cooling rain

Nice thunderstorm last night left more than an inch of rain at the Rancho and cut the triple-digit trend. Almost three inches out at Lago Vista on Lake Travis.

Awoke to a surprising 72 degrees this morning. It’s in the low 90s this afternoon and forecast to stay there through Friday before the heat returns. Not enough rain to break the drought, certainly, but a good start.

Comments Off on One inch of cooling rain

Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate

Tagged ,

Pool Fools, Part 5

Posted on June 19, 2011 | Comments Off on Pool Fools, Part 5

Never a dull moment when you own a pool, and not because of the wild sex parties (if you have them) but because of the expense, breakdowns, and recurring irritants. Comes a new one: congregating bees.

A (so far) small swarm of them are clustering on the tile surround, just above the water line which makes using the pool worrisome, as you have to stay away from that part and the bees hovering around it.

Seems they are gathering water to cool the hive. Which is not surprising since it was 103 F today and has been in the triple digits for more than a week now. Apparently the nectar gathering which nature programs bees for has been interrupted by the dry, hot spring leading to fewer flowers than usual.

Mrs. Charm is experimenting with the advice here of creating a separate water source for the bees and gradually moving it farther and farther from the pool. If that doesn’t work, we’ll skip green and go for the insecticide with a bug bomb. But that might only force them to move to another part and gradually drive us from the pool as well.

Comments Off on Pool Fools, Part 5

Posted in Mrs. Charm, Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate

Tagged ,

The coming Ice Age

Posted on June 15, 2011 | Comments Off on The coming Ice Age

Hot enough for you? It’s edging back up to 100 degrees F at the rancho this morning, where it’s topped out daily for more than a week now. And, frankly, when the sunspots started up again last year, I figured, well, predictions of an ice age were more than a bit premature.

So imagine my surprise at today’s announcement at the AAS: “The American Astronomical Society meeting in Los Cruces, NM has just made a major announcement on the state of the sun. Sunspots may be on the way out and an extended solar minimum may be on the horizon.”

If so, the current heat wave will soon be relegated to nostalgia and global warming a desirable phenom. Indeed, perhaps the only thing to save us from widespread crop failures due, not to excessive heat, but frigid, icy temperatures worldwide.

UPDATE:  If you want an idea of what it might be like, try Fallen Angels, with its predictions of blizzards in Missouri in September and returning glaciers (300-feet high at their leading edge) sliding ever-farther south.

Comments Off on The coming Ice Age

Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Rancho Roly Poly, Science/Engineering, Weather/Climate

Bye, bye elementary school

Posted on June 14, 2011 | Comments Off on Bye, bye elementary school

I should have written this already. Like back at the first of the month. When Mr. B. officially walked out of his fifth grade classroom, took about ten steps and was out the north-side door of the school and the door closed behind him on its pneumatic valve. Sigh. Thunk.

Forever. He says he won’t miss it. I already do, a little. All those afternoons in the heat or cold or rain waiting with other parents (mostly mothers) for the let-out and the pick-up. Holding my hand on the walk to the car. Ancient history now.

Next stop Middle School, just down the street.  Yee-ahhh. And puberty. Oh joy. (Or no joy.) Time will tell. He will play the clarinet in band. At least in sixth grade. Boy scouts will continue, and monthly camping trips, at least until he’s a First Class. More evening and weekend youth basketball? Probably.

Other than that? Girlfriends? Sex? Time to begin some serious prayer.

Comments Off on Bye, bye elementary school

Posted in Mr. Boy, Obituaries, Rancho Roly Poly

Tagged , , , ,