Covid buying again

Went to WalMart yesterday morning and about 1/4 of the shelves in grocery store were empty. Lots of canned and packaged goods not available. A couple of things on my list weren't available, just empty shelves. And the rest of the store was a mess. They are remodeling and the aisles are being put closer together, no way two carts going opposite ways can pass. Also no one knows where anything is. This will go on till middle of August...Couldn't even go out the door without going back through an empty check stand (no lack of them) to main aisle to get to exit door. Glad we were there when it wasn't busy. 

Another cloudy and gray day, it had been raining around the area of WalMart. All of the power poles that went down the other day are back up and half of highway is open. But starting this afternoon we will be under flash flood watch. With lots of rain probable on later today and Monday.

Got my sewing machine back yesterday. Used it for just plain sewing this morning. Made Bill a cover for one of his tablets he uses with his drones. Used the embroidery attachment to make the label for the quilt. Things worked better then they have in a long time. 

They are bringing new homes into the community where we live now, three so far and 17 more on the way. Since two years ago the exact same home has gone up $100,000. What were once $149,000 are now from $249,000 to $299,900! These are 3 bedroom, 2 bath manufactured homes. And you do not own the land, it is rented! They have no garages, just driveways with an aluminum cover. Side and back yards are about five feet wide. WOW. Partly the price raise is due to lumber and transportation costs going up. 

If we'd have taken our trip today we would have been in southern Washington state. Right were a lot of the smoke is. So guess I'm glad we stayed home. It is warmer than usual there too. 

Opened the door when I got up at 5:30 and the heat and humidity hit me like a blast. No going outside today or for a couple of days to come. 

Another monsoon - more destructive.

 Another interesting day yesterday. More monsoon weather in our area. 

But before going into that - Bill always teases me when I write out our grocery list. I always use the word "oleo" when we need margarine. Have called it oleo since I was a little girl. My first real memory of it was squeezing the plastic bag to distribute the coloring. Does any one else remember this. 

Buying margarine that came with little capsules of food color. One broke the capsule and kneaded the soft plastic container to spread the coloring. 

Yesterday started out really nice. Blue sky with big puffy white clouds. Lots of humidity though. Around 50% and a high temperature of 105 - not a good combination. 

Come afternoon all heck broke loose. Wind picked way up - gusts over 60mph! And it poured. Sounded like bullets hitting the roof. 

Some of the aftermath of the storms. This is just a few blocks from where we live. About 12 poles just snapped and went down. Luckily it did not affect us - just a quick flicker of the lights here. But some of the homes in that area are still without power and the main street Boulder Highway is still closed going south.  

Lots of street flooding around us and no power for the traffic lights. Our area got a little over 3/4 of an inch of rain in less than an hour. Glad we didn't have to go anywhere. 

And we will be getting more of the same next week. At least the desert plants will be happy for a while. It is going up to 106 today with dew point of 64 and humidity at 53% - really ugly out. 

Went to other side of town to pick up my sewing machine. They did not get a drop of rain yesterday! Will play with the sewing machine tomorrow.

More Itty Bitty stuff.

Sunday was an interesting day. First the NASCAR race - my favorite driver was leading the race with his team mate right behind him. The rest of the field was a ways back. Drivers were saying it was raining and the track was getting wet. Part of the track was wetter than other parts. As the lead cars came around a corner they hit the wettest part of the track and promptly lost all control of their cars. Both hit the wall. The #18 very hard. Most of rest of cars managed to slow down and avoid disaster. #18 was too damaged to continue - and it was only lap 7. He went on home. After rain delay I continued to watch what we could of race. Mostly TV went off because of the rain storm. Oh well. 

Then it started to get really hot in the house. Could hear the AC running but it was blowing room temperature air - certainly not cold air. Lovely. Bill pulled the covering off and discovered a big opening in the front of the unit that had been covered by a thick tape - the tape had hardened and pulled away from the open area. 

Had to take my embroidery machine back to repair place as it is being uncooperative again. The thread keeps breaking every few stitches. Went on line and did every thing suggested and nothing worked. It stitches fine regular sewing, but not embroidering. 

On our trip across town to the sewing machine repair place I was shocked to see the prices of gasoline. From the news on TV I've heard some stations are out of unleaded too. Not a lack of gas, a lack of truck drivers to deliver the gas. What a mess.

They have taken the mask off of Lady Liberty - guess they might soon be putting it back on. City Council meeting today about mask wearing. I imagine they will start requiring masks inside for everyone again. 

Just a quick shot of one side of New York, New York. And our pretty blue sky. No more rain yesterday and probably not today - any way in our area of town. But later in week expecting a lot of rain and below 100 for a few days. 

Took the wrong turn - my bad - and ended up going by part of China Town on the west side of town. Looked interesting. 

This billboard just makes me laugh. I don't think I'd want a lawyer whose web site is "Sweet James." Doesn't sound very lawyerie.

On the way home we could see this big storm south of town. I guess it stayed there. Weatherman said something about it forming so much cloud cover it changed the dynamic of producing rain...or what ever...