Monday Meanderings - 6.6.2016

Weather apps for the smart phones are a big deal in Texas right now. I did learn that the Government Alerts that come installed on an iPhone will cause a heart attack when they go off, so unless we are watching for that funnel cloud, they stay turned off. But the less-official apps will also alert you, and this past week they have been very busy telling us about lightning strikes and flash flood warnings.

Barb's phone has a weather service app from a local TV station, and ever-so-often some little man will clearly announce "The nearest lightning strike was one point four miles away," or "There is a flash flood warning for your area." He is proud to make these public service announcements whether or not your phone is turned on, so periodically the other night - long after Barb had gone to bed - the little man kept up this one-sided conversation to let me know what was going on.

Don't know about you, but when I'm sitting alone, absorbed in some book, it doesn't do the old heart any good for some stranger to pipe up unexpectedly. #can'tfindtheoffbutton

And yes, it's flooding down in Texas. So much so that we have booked our next cruise out of Port DFW. But there is no truth to the rumor that the legislature is going to change the State Song to "The wise man built his house upon the rock."

How many e-books can you put on a Kindle? Asking for my wife. To be sure most of them are free or 99 cents, but I keep telling her that there has to be a limit. So far she has proven me wrong.

We watched the College Softball Women's World Series this weekend. The other night two sisters were in the game. Sisters are not that unusual, but these girls were on opposing teams, and both are starters and highly competitive. Their parents were there, and after each half-inning, they dutifully got up and moved to the appropriate section for the at-bat team, donning different colored jackets and shirts as they switched.  They interviewed the parents and Mom confessed that she wasn't having fun - she just wanted the game to be over.

It's not unusual for critters to wander onto our patio (and feast on our tomatoes). Saturday night Barb heard something bump the patio door, and when she looked out there was a mamma racoon and two fat little babies. They soon wandered away, but in a few minutes papa racoon came by looking for his family. We pointed the direction they were headed and he seemed content with moving on, without any tomatoes. Can't say as much for the squirrel that was out there yesterday afternoon.