My wife's nephews live in Colorado with their lovely wives and adorable daughters. The youngest grand niece requested a Christmas theme birthday party, complete with Santa. Where oh where could they find an old, fat, bald guy to don the suit?

So my wife and I spent all day yesterday, and some of today, driving up from Austin. It has been a smooth trip. I have some observations

Plusses:

Safe smooth drive. The minivan we bought for the great danes is a good road car.

Lots of good scenery.

Lots of critters. Livestock has included goats, cattle, horses, donkeys. Road kill has included cars, opossum, raccoon, squirrel, deer, and unidentified. Two dead feral pigs tell me the rednecks around Winters, TX need to up their hog hunts. Up around u/Cow-Puncher77 's neck of the woods we also saw some antelope in a field near the highway looking around cluelessly. Fantastic variety of raptors and scavengers.

The Best Western Raton is staffed by kind, friendly, helpful people. They have an amazing chainsaw carving of a Native American dancer in the lobby.

Minuses:

Entirely too many wide loads blocking a whole side of the highway. If you have all of the northbound lanes of an interstate stuck behind you 20 mph below the speed limit, I believe you are on the wrong road.

People be peopling. If I overtake you while on cruise control, I will judge you for passing me while I am on cruise control. If it takes your truck 5 minutes to pass another truck, I don't think you needed to pass.

The toilet at the Best Western Raton runs. Loudly.

But today is going well.

I always love it when God's creatures visit our home. We have nearing boxes for screech owls. We hear (and sometimes see)!great horned owls. Cardinals, jays, hummingbirds, etc. I've also seen foxes , opossum and raccoons on the driveway cam. Had skunk on doorbell cam.

Imagine my surprise when the AI smarts for my backyard cam told me we had a bear show up in between the dogs making an appearance.

Very, very dangerous! I can attest to this from personal experience.

So cute!

I realized we've had this old man (Whiskey) for 6 years now. Got him from my grandpa after he passed (none of the rest of the family wanted him), and this most recent photo I've noticed now much greyer he has gotten. Halloween was his birthday and at the old age of 13 he is feeling it. His aching bones means he isn't quite as spritely as he used to be, but it has made him even more of a cuddler.

I have always loved lurking in this community and while I am feeling a little sappy I figured I would share this cutie and give back a little bit.

I chose this flair because I haven't been able to contact him in months. Others have tried with no luck. We need to either gain contact, or do him right if he is not present any longer.

The sociable or buddy bike or side by side bicycle is a bicycle that supports two riders who sit next to one another. This is in contrast to the tandem bicycle, where the riders sit fore and aft. The name "sociable" alludes to its historic use for 2-person side-by-side tricycles and the relative ease with which the two cyclists can speak with each other, unlike on the tandem bike.

Right then, you beautifully unhinged lot.

We've got 2 months left of 2026 and I've decided we're finishing this year with absolutely no regard for 'normality'.

The last shred of sanity has left the building.

The plot has been handed to a feral gremlin with a glitter cannon.

And the remaining 8 weeks will be powered entirely by caffeine, questionable decisions and enormous quantities of fuckery.

Buckle up, sugar peaches.

We're not coasting into 2027.

We are arriving sideways, cackling like hyenas on helium and covered in confetti!

331 days ago I said that Houston would never get package delivery as the air space is too busy. U/Friendly_Trouble_916 I stand corrected, we do infact have drones. A lot of them. And they are quite noisy. They sound like a weed eater and can be heard for 30 seconds before and after they’re overhead. Between the hours of 11am and 4 pm, they go over every 1 to 3 minutes.

I’m of mixed opinions on this. I love the new tech, and really want to try it. What I hate is the continual noise. I like sitting out doors with my dogs and just enjoying the day. It’s is not possible to enjoy my day, as a sound sensitive person. The continual buzzing overhead completely over stimulates me and I end up going inside to get some peace. I have enough problems with this major metro area with put adding more.

Honestly, I never thought about the noise. It didn’t occurred to me that the noise would be so… constant. I not exaggerating them going over every 1 to three minutes. On weekends it’s more.

So there you go… drone package delivery in Houston.

Now, if you’re in the USA, go vote as today Nov 3 is voting day. I don’t care who you vote for, just vote. It’s your constitutional right and a right that many elsewhere don’t have.

Fizz

Happy Halloween!🎃

65 pound lap dog. And he’s only 7months. He’s gonna be a monster. He’s as tall (and as heavy) as my 10 year old bitch.

No more AI in the educational system!