A Few Branches that Fell

 In the high winds a few days ago, the huge elm next to the driveway lost a few significant limbs. One of the branches was a foot in diameter, but it was mostly hollow.

Drought, elm beetles, and neglect have taken their toll and left the tree too weak to withstand the 70mph gusts. The big branch lightly grazed the roof of the house and the a-pillar of my old car. Had the branch been a few feet east, the roof would need repair, the car would've been totaled.

Yesterday evening, I cut the branches into manageable chunks and stacked them near the garage. I'll haul them off this weekend.

It all goes back to that one word - "neglect". The tree, the house, and the car all suffer from a whole lot of neglect.

The house needs a lot of repair, refurbishment, and updates. Two decades of dogs, dust, and short attention spans have taken their toll. It can be restored, but it'll be a bigger job than I want to tackle at this point in life.

The car is still a great car, but the wrinkled hood, the faded paint, and the bare steel wheels tell a story of how little care the little Ford has received. Some polish, some paint, a new hood, some elbow grease - but it's a $1000 car that would still be a $1000 car after the work. 

Many of the smaller limbs I cleared away yesterday were budding out. The tree still has life coursing through it, but the trunk and larger branches are hollow, soft, and rotting. I'd like to believe that some TLC and a good trimming could turn things around, but the truth is, the tree is dying and needs to be cut down before it hurts someone or something very badly. 

Speaking of fallen branches, today is my older sibling's birthday. They passed away a decade or so ago. (And no, I'm not trying to be ambiguous. When I was born, I had a sister. When he died, he was my brother.) They died young(ish) after a long life of not being accepted by a lot of intolerant Texans and unloving Christians. It was a lonely and painful death. They died younger than I am now.

When I look around the house, I have a lot of great memories here - lots of great people (and dogs) and stories and songs sung with my wife. I have been wealthy and blessed in this home and in this life.

But I don't know that I want to fix all this stuff. Lord willing, I'd like to move on to a simpler place with fewer things that need fixing. I don't want to be that old elm tree - still standing, but hollow and barely standing upright.

As always, thank you for reading. I pray that you are well, that you are not overwhelmed by your stuff, and that you are remembered for your love for others and the joy you've brought to those around you.

Earth Day Lubbock 2024: e-Bikes Locally Available

If you're interested in making Lubbock a healthier place to live, please attend. (earthdaylbk.com)

Hey everybody, with Earth Day 2024 so close, it seems like a great time to remind you that e-bikes are amazingly efficient and affordable tool for getting around, getting fit, and helping the earth to be a healthier and more livable place for all of us.

For those of you interested in electric vehicles, Earth Day LBK will be a really good opportunity to learn about what's available in our little corner of the world. 

I've been riding the same e-bike for six years now and have done very little maintenance on it. The only parts I've had to replace are tires and brake pads. The electric bike helps me to get to work and to run errands even when the West Texas wind is blowing. It allows me to leave the carbon-powered car at home in the driveway and to get some exercise while actually enjoying my commutes. Also, it costs less than two dollars per month to keep the battery charged. Finally, riding the e-bike has helped in keeping my weight and blood pressure under control - riding an e-bike can be pretty danged awesome!

Riding an e-bike has improved my physical and mental health, my financial situation, and my carbon footprint, and that is why I am encouraging you get out and try one this Earth month!

Where can you check out e-bikes here in Lubbock?

Local Bike Shops

We are lucky enough to have a few dealers in town that sell (AND SERVICE) some very nice e-bikes at prices competitive to most online companies. In some cases, they even allow you to order from their brands and have the bike delivered to the shop so they can assemble and tune them before you take it home. That is a HUGE bonus!

I stopped by two local shops this week and snapped a few pics to let you see what's out there. These are not all the e-bikes they had in stock, but they should give you a good idea of what they have. If you visit, please tell them the Mesquite Hugger sent you!

Velocity Bike Shop - 3829 50th Street

The Specialized Haul (cargo bike) had me drooling - who needs a car?

(I also dig the Haro next to it! I want a Haro Johnny 5 e-bike.)

Velocity had a great selection of both electric commuters and electric mountain bikes.  I was also excited to see an Aventon cargo e-bike (a brand that they do not sell) being tuned up in their service department. (In case you haven't been around here much, I adore cargo bikes, and seeing two of them in the same shop made me extremely happy!)

 

Electric mountain bikes from Specialized, Giant, and Santa Cruz

DFC Cycles and Fitness - 6701 Indiana Ave (+ South Plains Cycles - 6602 Slide Road)

DFC had a great selection just inside the front door and several more scattered around the shop. Lots of great bikes (and some great sales!)

DFC also has an impressive stock of electric bikes to check out from some very well-known names. The owner there told me know they have even more inventory on-site and at their sister location, South Plains Cycles.

This Marin cruiser/commuter really caught my eye - look at that sale price!

Where else can you see e-bikes in town?

Big Box Stores

I've seen electric bikes on display here in Lubbock at Target, Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy; and I'm sure there are other places in town that have them. It's unusual to see more than one on display and often they are still in the box. The most impressive examples have been at Best Buy. If you find any that interest you, pay close attention to online reviews videos to see if that/those bikes will fit your needs and will be dependable or easy to service.

Local Seller Websites

It's not rare to find used electric bikes for sale on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Offerup. I've seen some tremendous bargains and some impressive nightmares. Again, do your research before you do any buying.

I guess that's about it for this post. Thanks for reading along! I pray that you (and the earth) are well and constantly better, friends!

Local Event Tomorrow!!! (Local Wildlife!!!)

Okay, so this blog is very much about local and very much about wildlife, so you can imagine how happy the Mesquite Hugger is to promote this event:

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 21st, from 11am-2pm, the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is having their open house. If you want to see local wildlife and meet the people who volunteer their time and efforts to care for local animals that have been injured or orphaned, this is the event for you. The link is below.

http://www.spwrc.org/ 

While you are on their website, please take some time to read their mission statement. Thank you, SPWRC!!! (Tell 'em the Mesquite Hugger sent you!)

And your bonus material for the day, Imagine coming home to find a bobcat in your blinds. I love this story for a number of reasons.
1.They called in the mounties.
2. "MacGyver" is used as a verb.
3. I learned another use for two broomsticks, a roll of duct tape, and a knife that does not involve jousting.

Honey, There's a Bobcat in the Blinds!

May your day be filled with pleasant surprises!

The Flatland Film Festival Starts Tonight in Lubbock

Lots of cool stuff and the opportunity to support the local arts while being a couch potato.

For you sci-fi and/or live music geeks, there will be a reprise of the Metropolis Elektro on Friday night (and I am very excited since I missed it the first time around.)

My favorite part is always the short films, and those will be shown on Saturday afternoon.

I will buy a bag of popcorn for anyone who attends and mentions a horned toad, a mesquite tree, or a tiny house.

http://flatlandfilm.org/index.html

May you have a blessed day filled with art and joy.

Tiny Houses

I keep finding tiny houses fascinating. The compactness and efficiency, the idea of building a home that costs less and takes up little more space than an SUV, the thought of being very debt free. I have known the pressure of being overwhelmed with debt and with being overwhelmed with stuff. And I am a pretty typical middle-aged American in that sense - too much debt and too much stuff still overwhelms me and will continue to.

I also like the idea of creating a place that is completely self-sufficient. One of the biggest complaints my fellow Lubbock-ites have had this year is being at the mercy of our local utility company. A tiny house can help get you away from the massive costs of monthly utility bills or the massive cost of installing off-grid power systems.

Another advantage for a person like me is the excuse to tweak and innovate in building and improving the house. I am a happier person when my brain has little problems to solve.

With all that being said, no, I must admit that I have no intention of building or moving our family into a tiny house, but if any of my friends decide to go there, I will be happy to help - or at least find inspirational online videos to keep you hopping!

Here is a video that popped up recently and presents a lot of great ideas:
(Be sure to watch the part where she describes the measurement for building the stool.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSGvBJEoNv8

And, in case that house was just too big for your tastes, here is a smaller one to keep you dreaming:
http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/micro-house-packs-almost-everything-you-need-40-square-feet.html

So, are you or do you know anyone in this area who is building or living in a tiny house? If so, please let me know. I would love to interview and feature them in this blog.

May you have a day filled with joy and tiny inspiration!

Following Your Dreams (!@#$%???) - Lubbock Food Trucks

This is Keith:

Until recently, I did not know Keith well enough to call him a dreamer. (By the way, he's not a Pastafarian, that I know of.) I now know that Keith has two dreams. Dream One is to rebuild an old Italian scooter and to race it from Alaska to the Big Easy. Dream Two (the one important to this post) is to have his own coffee cart and to sell phenomenal coffee to the good people of our town. I don't know that he wants to pedal his cart, but I do know that he creates some very tasty beverages.

Lately, it seems that several of my friends have been talking about food trucks and vending carts in Lubbock, so I started looking around.

Yelp thinks we have no food trucks at all:

But the Twist'd Texan would seem to disagree:
The Twist'd Texan (By the way, this article mentions a ban on food trucks in Lubbock.)

When searching for the best food truck in Lubbock, I found that the best Lubbock food truck is actually located in NY, NY, and most of the rest don't actually have wheels.
Best Food Truck in Lubbock

That might be because of the Lubbock ban on them and the obstacles that businesses like Crusty's Wood-Fired Pizza have faced here in the Hub City:
http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2011-12-12/street-use-license-laws-confound-some-lubbock-vendors

So Keith, Grizz, JB, and all you other food truck hopefuls, I don't know what to tell you guys about following your food truck dreams, but I promise to be a customer if and when it happens.

Dear Reader, what other food trucks have you seen around here? What foods would you like to see rolling up to a location near you?

Have yourself a wonderful day and be sure to support your local businesses - especially if they have wheels.

Fuel Mileage - More Better Math

I read this article today and now find myself very intrigued by the More Better idea. The 10mpg to 20mpg switch is more better than a 33mpg to 50mpg switch.

A little fuel mileage knowledge...

From the Article:
(2) Improving a low number saves more gas (and money) than improving a high number.
It saves way more gas money to improve a car from 10 to 20 miles per gallon than it does to go from 33 to 50 mpg. (Here's the math.)
But most Americans surveyed think the opposite is true; they get gas mileage exactly backwards.
While a 50-mpg Toyota Prius hybrid will give you great bragging rights, if you move up from a 33-mpg compact car, you're only saving 1 gallon every 100 miles.
If you can replace your old 10-mpg truck with a new 20-mpg pickup, you'll save 10 gallons every 100 miles. You do the math on that one

Of course, going from 10mpg-50mpg would be even better; however, if you are looking to upgrade and you're waiting until that even better mpg vehicle becomes available, maybe it's time to double-check your math.

May you have a more better day and a pleasanter tomorrow!

Sashadoption

 

This is my Sasha. This photo was taken at the pound in July of 2009. She came from a very bad situation in a rough part of our town.  She was picked up by Lubbock Animal Control twice. Her owner paid for her to get out the first time. The second time she showed up, she was thirty pounds underweight and her hind legs would barely hold her up. Her owner left her there that time, and I am very thankful for that. She was taken in by A Place for Us Greyhounds, a local group that specializes in rescuing and finding homes for dogs like Sasha. The driving force behind this group is a kind-hearted tempest named Linda Dunn, whose actions place her at the top of my hometown hero list. (Side note: Sasha’s owner was later arrested for several counts of animal cruelty and neglect, and his animals were taken away from him.  The group found homes for those dogs too.)

Sasha, by the way, is a terrible dog – the worst greyhound who has passed through the door of our home, and there have been many. She is smart, sneaky, fast, and very powerful. She has done her best to train us not to leave food, trash, or expensive shoes anywhere that she can reach.

She also loves people more than any greyhound we’ve ever met, and she is not shy about her feelings. She brings a great deal of light and laughter to our home, and I am thankful to be loved by that incorrigible beast.

Recently, Brian Ridge, a friend who does a lot of volunteer work to help care for and place homeless animals, pointed out to me that Lubbock’s new(ish) animal shelter had euthanized more than 5,900 animals since its doors opened a little more than a year ago. An article on Treehugger last week focused on the stray population of Houston – 1,200,000 animals roam those streets of that one city. The images from that story are horrific. You do not have to look far to see what an epidemic this is.

So, if you are considering a pet, please look to a group that places existing animals. If you want a certain breed, a rescue group is just a Google search away. (My wife has found rescue groups for everything from llamas to betta fish.) If your heart is set on a puppy, those can be adopted too.

If you have pets, please spay or neuter them so that the epidemic does not get worse.

On the other hand, if you do not have the time or the means to care for an animal, please don’t bring one home. After you bring a pet home is not the time to figure out that your 80lb puppy is not a good fit for your tiny apartment or that your life is just too busy to take care of another life.