This past week has been a turmoil in our quiet neighborhood. From across the street, to down the street, to ON the street!!
First, across the street. I don't know what it was all about, and I don't WANNA KNOW what it was all about, but around 2:30 one morning, I was awakened by my bedroom lighted up and walls flashing red, blue, and white. I knew something was up. ...the 1st amendment of the constitution tells us we're okay with our stand to protect ourselves. Some day it may be a necessity, so you may understand where I'm going with that statement. Or should I take cover on the floor? It seemed very quiet out there beyond our exterior walls. So, instead, I grabbed my cellphone and switched on the flashlight software to guide me thru the darkened house, thru the kitchen and into the garage. There I shut off the phone's flashlight and crept to the garage door, hoping to not trip over anything and make noise... and I peeked through the window. The street light on the corner illuminated the house across the street....5 cop cars!! Cops in uniform everywhere. Some in the neighbor's driveway [which by the way, the patrol units were blocking his vehicle]. All remained quiet and eerie. I watched. I took a few photos [in case of police brutality...you wonder just where I got that idea?!!] and then watched the neighbor, handcuffed and placed in the back of the SUV...shoes off so he wouldn't run. About an hour later, they all left...taking the 'prisoner' away. I went back to bed. Bud, literally, slept through it all. Corpus Christi has high crime in some areas, but for our residential area, not so much...a very safe one. And quiet. Usually; up until this week.
Now, on the street [and in the yard, driveway, on the sidewalks]. Two days in a row we had heavy temporary flooding! Heavy rainfall. Storms with high, tropical force winds at times. All I could do was sit inside, dry, watching the water build up and hoping the sewer system along our street could withstand the amount falling...enough so the houses wouldn't get flooded inside. Once, from the front porch, I watched the water accumulate on the street, making it a river. I watched as the continual rain fell and it started to cover the street's gutters, rushing to the drainage openings like a tempestuous brook. Then, the water crept up to the sidewalks, covering them, making them invisible. As the walk up to our porch and front door began to disappear under the deluge. The storm passed to the north, but the thunder rumbled most all of the remaining day and into the night...only to have another swell move in the next day. Same thing!! After those two days, the Texas Gulf Coast was hit by the large dust storm carried across from the Saharan Desert. Sky was a bit muddy looking far north of us and warnings of hazardous conditions for those with breathing illnesses.
these last two photos are from the cellphone at 8x magnification through the hurricane shutters and screens - water on the glass/screen
And last, down the street. I was busy, doing laundry, when a lot of commotion outdoors called me once again to go and inspect what's going on this time! As I looked out the window, with dryer lint still in my hand from cleaning the filter...billowing smoke was coming from the peak of a house just two houses away from the police raid the other night!! I don't know how they 'rate' fire alarm calls, but if it's by the fire trucks showing up...it was a 4 alarm fire! Two ambulances, and many many firefighters. The largest of the trucks, hooked up the hose at the hydrant and all work began. Soon, the smoke was gone, but naturally, they all stayed...probably putting out embers and then sticking around to make sure no other hotspots existed. Now, I do know that a nice, and very courteous to me, young man and others live in this house [one of my favorite houses in the neighborhood by the way...almost castle like with turrets and stone, and arches...tall, pointed roof-tops]. Anyway, I must apologize, but I sound like the Trumpster right now....I saw no Hazmat Suits anywhere, so no meth lab gone awry. Sorry, but it did cross my mind. I want to blame my sinister thoughts on the media! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Later that afternoon, I walked around the block and did a bit of reference work only to see what looked like a chimney fire - or damaged, torn chimney parts?!!! In June? With temps at 7:30 in the morning in the 80s?!! Also, one front window was torn out...maybe a cigarette on the couch or in the bedroom? The lady across the street from this house told me no injuries or fatalities. Honestly, it really is a quiet neighborhood.
_ _ _
First, across the street. I don't know what it was all about, and I don't WANNA KNOW what it was all about, but around 2:30 one morning, I was awakened by my bedroom lighted up and walls flashing red, blue, and white. I knew something was up. ...the 1st amendment of the constitution tells us we're okay with our stand to protect ourselves. Some day it may be a necessity, so you may understand where I'm going with that statement. Or should I take cover on the floor? It seemed very quiet out there beyond our exterior walls. So, instead, I grabbed my cellphone and switched on the flashlight software to guide me thru the darkened house, thru the kitchen and into the garage. There I shut off the phone's flashlight and crept to the garage door, hoping to not trip over anything and make noise... and I peeked through the window. The street light on the corner illuminated the house across the street....5 cop cars!! Cops in uniform everywhere. Some in the neighbor's driveway [which by the way, the patrol units were blocking his vehicle]. All remained quiet and eerie. I watched. I took a few photos [in case of police brutality...you wonder just where I got that idea?!!] and then watched the neighbor, handcuffed and placed in the back of the SUV...shoes off so he wouldn't run. About an hour later, they all left...taking the 'prisoner' away. I went back to bed. Bud, literally, slept through it all. Corpus Christi has high crime in some areas, but for our residential area, not so much...a very safe one. And quiet. Usually; up until this week.
Now, on the street [and in the yard, driveway, on the sidewalks]. Two days in a row we had heavy temporary flooding! Heavy rainfall. Storms with high, tropical force winds at times. All I could do was sit inside, dry, watching the water build up and hoping the sewer system along our street could withstand the amount falling...enough so the houses wouldn't get flooded inside. Once, from the front porch, I watched the water accumulate on the street, making it a river. I watched as the continual rain fell and it started to cover the street's gutters, rushing to the drainage openings like a tempestuous brook. Then, the water crept up to the sidewalks, covering them, making them invisible. As the walk up to our porch and front door began to disappear under the deluge. The storm passed to the north, but the thunder rumbled most all of the remaining day and into the night...only to have another swell move in the next day. Same thing!! After those two days, the Texas Gulf Coast was hit by the large dust storm carried across from the Saharan Desert. Sky was a bit muddy looking far north of us and warnings of hazardous conditions for those with breathing illnesses. 
these last two photos are from the cellphone at 8x magnification through the hurricane shutters and screens - water on the glass/screen
And last, down the street. I was busy, doing laundry, when a lot of commotion outdoors called me once again to go and inspect what's going on this time! As I looked out the window, with dryer lint still in my hand from cleaning the filter...billowing smoke was coming from the peak of a house just two houses away from the police raid the other night!! I don't know how they 'rate' fire alarm calls, but if it's by the fire trucks showing up...it was a 4 alarm fire! Two ambulances, and many many firefighters. The largest of the trucks, hooked up the hose at the hydrant and all work began. Soon, the smoke was gone, but naturally, they all stayed...probably putting out embers and then sticking around to make sure no other hotspots existed. Now, I do know that a nice, and very courteous to me, young man and others live in this house [one of my favorite houses in the neighborhood by the way...almost castle like with turrets and stone, and arches...tall, pointed roof-tops]. Anyway, I must apologize, but I sound like the Trumpster right now....I saw no Hazmat Suits anywhere, so no meth lab gone awry. Sorry, but it did cross my mind. I want to blame my sinister thoughts on the media! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Later that afternoon, I walked around the block and did a bit of reference work only to see what looked like a chimney fire - or damaged, torn chimney parts?!!! In June? With temps at 7:30 in the morning in the 80s?!! Also, one front window was torn out...maybe a cigarette on the couch or in the bedroom? The lady across the street from this house told me no injuries or fatalities. Honestly, it really is a quiet neighborhood.
Then, turning the corner, I snapped a photo of OUR house. And, I thanked my lucky stars it wasn't ours in dire straits. And one reason I took a photo of the ambulance is that it and I are quite an intimate pair. This is the one that has taken me to the ER with heart attack and SVT...both times! M6 [we're good buddies!!]
One more thing then, I'll let you go...
BREAKING NEWS: The World Health Organization has announced that dogs cannot contract COVID-19. Dogs previously held in quarantine can now be released. To be clear...WHO let the dogs out.
I lied...NOW it's one more thing...
Bud hung up a huge world map in the kitchen and gave me ONE dart and said: "Throw this and wherever it lands, that's where I'm taking you when this pandemic ends." Turns out, we'll be spending two weeks behind the refrigerator!!
