Friday, December 2, 2022

RAIN, GLORIOUS RAIN

 Oh my goodness!!  That's not rain you see in the flashlight beam this morning, nor is it snow.  It's fog like we haven't seen around here in decades.  It's also a chilly 38 degrees and my heaters are working overtime!!

In the old days when it rained much more than now, we had what we call tulle (tullee) fog.  It was so thick you could barely see the road beneath your feet, let alone the center white line when driving.  Nowadays it's painted yellow to see better.

When we had to drive in the fog, you rolled down your window so you could hear other cars coming, then stuck your head out so you could follow the line.  Driving 170 miles like that to Bakersfield every Christmas to my cousins house was quite the trial.  People nowadays don't have a clue what it's like to drive in REAL fog.


On another note, the reason you want your alarm working around here is because of all the stealing that goes on.  Every house in my neighborhood has not only a great alarm system, but cameras everywhere.  My neighbor pays almost $150 a month, just to have internet for her cameras.  

Here's the thing.  Since the border has been wide open, thanks to the current government, most people think just nice people ... illegal immigrants ... are coming over.  That would be completely wrong.  The drug cartels are sending huge numbers of people, not to mention big trucks loaded up with drugs, across the border.  Who cares you say?

Right now, Meth is the biggest seller.  Smoke it once or twice and you are hooked.  Although it started with JUST marijuana, that's what took down my neighbor ... a guy who had a great job making lots of money.  It took him right down the rabbit hole to stealing anything he could get his hands on to pay for it.  The last I saw him, he lost his car and everything he owned.  He stole a bicycle and was seen pedaling through the worst part of town.  No one has seen him in almost a year now.

With no job and no money, they have to get the drug any way they can, which is by stealing from mailboxes and back yards ... anything you have not locked up.  Catalytic converters are also big right now.  Every single day there are reports of burglaries in my very nice upscale neighborhood, not to mention the deaths from them shooting each other over nothing.  

THAT is why I need my house to look like Fort Knox.  So the next time you vote, please vote Republican so we can finish the wall and stop the drugs coming across the border which is killing so many of my nice neighbors who get hooked on it.  You think it's not bad because you don't see it, but it's epidemic here in California.  Yes, I'm sure there are some rural areas that may not be affected, but it's spreading like a bad disease.  Stopping the flow of drugs doesn't mean keeping the good folks out.  There are resources and ways for them to become citizens legally.

Anyway, on to the rain we so gratefully received.  It began early yesterday morning and continued the entire day.  We got over an inch in our area ... a much needed drink of water for the farmers.  We also got an entire day of snow pack!  Eight feet fell in the Sierras.  WOOHOO!!


I'm pleased to say the painted wall has held.  The white spots did not return on either side.  Of course it doesn't happen until the sun comes out, which isn't going to happen due to the rain predicted for the next three days.  WOOHOO AGAIN!!


It was a nice day of lounging around.  If I go outside, I might melt, so Cooper and I stayed on the couch until it was time to head out to the Lodge meeting.  Of course that's when the rain began in earnest.  

My windshield wipers couldn't keep up with the amount of water.  Add to that a continuous line of car headlights coming right at me, made driving a little dicey.  The cars coming the other way couldn't see either and were coming across the center line.  Defensive driving is the name of the game.

After driving through four flooded areas (with generally no rain, the city doesn't keep the drains clear), I made it to the parking lot.  Good thing I took my brelly ... BUT I didn't think about my shoes in the parking lot, which was 2" deep in the liquid stuff.  Of course I wore flats to be more comfortable.  It made for an UNcomfortable night of very wet feet.

Dinner was so good, I actually bought TWO.  I ate half the first one and bought another to go.  Now I don't have to cook for two days!!  The sauce on the green beans (which were fresh by the way), was something you won't believe ... but it was DELICIOUS!  

Here's the recipe ... fry bacon, fry onions with the bacon and grease, and add thousand island dressing.  Sounds disgusting, but it was REALLY good.  I'm not sure I will try to make it, but it was quite tasty!!  


After a short-er meeting, because I begged the stand-in ER to make it short so I would not fall asleep in my chair, I drove home, dropping another gal off at her house.  She doesn't live far away and it saves her the price of fuel.  Then I collapsed on the couch with Cooper and his favorite toy.


He got that for Christmas last year.  I've washed it three times and stitched it back together FIVE times.  What could I do, it's his favorite buddy!!!

I'm feeling kind of beat up today with only four hours sleep.  You will probably find me on the couch, after I have a tasty tamale for breakfast ... or maybe steak and eggs!!  I love having options!! 


20 comments:

  1. Options are good, makes us feel in control. That of course is an illusion. Lol.
    Headlights are better these days, low beams are the only way to drive in fog and truly I think sticking your head out the window to see the line says maybe we shouldn’t be on the road because if the other guy can’t see the line it doesn’t matter if you can. Lol.

    Deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Back in the old days, there was no fear of driving in the fog. People actually went slower than the speed limit because there was a cop around every corner giving out tickets. Now you don't see even one!

      Delete
  2. You are so right. This administration is ignoring our immigration situation. I feel for you folks that are living in the midst of the problem. But then I see that crime is rampant throughout the country. The drug situation and that there are no longer penalties for crime says it's OK to steal, etc. I wish you well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's it Phyllis ... drugs here are triple what they used to be since opening the borders. Last month 760,000 people came across according to the statistics. The drug cartels are in seventh Heaven.

      Delete
  3. That plight has not reached the rural areas of South Dakota, but it is alive and well in Rapid City and other larger towns. But then again there are more guns in this area than there are people so maybe that is a deterrent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That helps, to be sure, especially since they are trying to defund the police so they can steal and kill even more. It's a sad state of affairs.

      Delete
  4. You really think that wall is going to keep people out ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It won't keep all of them out, but I'm guessing it will keep out 700,000 out of the 760,000 that crossed the border last month. If we had Border Patrol back in place where they were two years ago, it would be a MUCH lower number, along with the amount of drugs that cross over.

      Delete
  5. Nothing wrong with living in Fort Knox! It's just too bad it is necessary.
    That meal looks wonderful! I wonder if I could make that sauce? Hmmm, anything with bacon and bacon grease is bound to be great AND good for us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would try a very small batch and see what happens with the sauce. Yesterday I discovered some tomatoes in it, so there may be a little more to the recipe. Maybe a bit of chopped tomato.

      Delete
  6. People from the mid-west and east coast can't even imagine how thick the Fog can get in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valleys, let alone the San Francisco area. More times than I can count the fog would be so thick that we could not see the house, even the car in the driveway, right across the street from us. The street lamp would barely have a glow to it. And what about those fog delays/cancellations at Candlestick Park??? Those were the days....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to admit that was funny ... cancelling a football game because they couldn't see where to throw the ball!!

      Delete
  7. So your neighbor started out with Marijuana and then progressed from there? The legalization of Marijuana makes me so mad. I recently came to realize I lost a good friend and her guy. They didn't die but they are lost in the drug world. And it's just Marijuana they are addicted to. Marijuana has become all they care about. It has ruined their health. So sad....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly right. Great guy ... so friendly and helpful until he started smoking weed. He told me his "doctor" recommended it because he felt so nervous and overwhelmed. It didn't even take 6 months until one day he asked me if I had ever tried meth ... the feeling was amazing. No sir ... and I never WANT to. That was it ... he was hooked. The physical ravages that take place are something you never want to see ...

      Delete
  8. Your yard looks so pretty with the rain on it. Dinner looks yummy, tempting to try with thousand island dressing. I know who Elva is talking about and these are not young people. So sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Try that sauce in a small batch. I'd hate to ruin much bacon!!! LOL

      Delete
  9. That is NOT enough sleep. Glad to hear you got some good rain...I saw that you may be due for more next week! So are we. Yea! And I am sad that your once safe place isn't....hang in there. My town is about 20,000. Yours isn't much above that is it?. Of course, I'm not sure where you live. OK. Stay alive and well. I envy you your leftovers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The closest town has about 31,000 people. It's sad to see small town America turn into a haven for drugs. Supposed to be rain for FOUR days. I'll believe it when I see it! LOL

      Delete
  10. Cute picture of Cooper and his toy. I'm used to stitching up toys too. We have an Australian Shepherd puppy who loves to chew!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yeah .... Aussies are famous for loving chew toys. Cooper used to de-stuff them, but now just chews holes. LOL

      Delete