Imperfect Appreciation   

January-February 2021

Wow, 2021 started immediately with incredible optimism that the 2021 would bring back some normalcy and we would soon be embracing the "New Normal" without Covid-19  dictating our social behavior and even perhaps a new more embracing political climate. 

One uniquely perspective however got it right: 

Somewhere right after the New Years I found the words imperfect appreciation in my brain.  I can't even remember exactly what brought that on as this point. However the idea  has gone through several interpretations since then and who knows where it will be tomorrow? I wonder what the idea would mean to others? How would it be applied or interpreted, or considered. Please do not think I am talking about Wabi Sabi because I am 100% American and even more obtuse I'm a native Texan. But it does cross some of the same themes. Definitely it comes with age.

Of course the first drunken act of 2021 was on January 6 with the storming of the United States Capital.

Jan. 10 brought a little winter surprise to Central Texas, Austin kids got to play in the snow, some of them for the very first time in their lives. 

The area picked up 1-2 inches that hung around a couple of days.

Since it was a Sunday parents could get out and scrape up enough to make some small Snow people with the kids.

However most January days were Sunny and I continued to invent projects to pass the time:

We decided to add to the back yard grandkid playground. I found an old tire, got a bag of cement and sand and made a Tether ball pole.

Brought back memories of working concrete construction way back in the day.

I found some pallets in the neighborhood. I took them apart for the wood and made a table.

I wanted this first wood project to reflect where it came from. The rough cut wood used for pallets is not consistent in any way. Since I did not have the tools to improve on that much like a table saw or power planer the intent was to simplify using what I had: a hand electric jig saw and a power oscillating sander. 

Dreaming of a table saw for my next wood project.

This tree has been neglected for a long time, so I removed the grass to transplant in the back yard and mulched. hopefully it will survive a few more droughts now.

For over 50 years this drive way was trying hard to survive atop Black Gumbo:

Again I revived some concrete skills and filled the cracks.

Also called Houston Black or Texas Vertisol, this sticky, heavy clay can wreak havoc on concrete building foundations, especially during drought or heavy rains, because it expands when wet and and contracts when dry much like a sponge. 

A very Special Drunken 2021 Valentines Gift for Texas:

A series of 5 back to back winter storms marched through Texas

There were two other big snows in Central Texas in our time but never anything like this one.

Snow is so bright, gotta wear shades.

The Official Record Low for Austin, Texas was 6 degrees.

Used my Texas Snow Plow for the first time in all my Born Days!

Funny that Seattle had yet another record snow the same exact time.

SNOWBALL for sure!

The winter Storm in Texas was called a 120 year event by our Governor Abbot. *(Some Lessons are very hard to learn). This event led to over 40% of the households in Texas to loose electricity for days. Then just as the power started to return and the freezing temperatures dissipated the pipes all across Texas began to burst and leak millions of galloons of water until major water systems throughout Texas had to be shut off completely for days leaving 40% of the homes without water. To this date over two weeks later many homes are still without water and some without power.

Climate Change is bringing catastrophic weather events on a increasingly frequent basis. *Any idea of 100 or 120 year weather events no longer exist. 

City of Austin are starting to install Smart Water Meters and our neighborhood is the Pilot.

You download an App and you can monitor all things water on your smart phone.

The meter reader is a short timer here in Austin.

Imperfect Appreciation, what does it mean?