The Fire Ant Gazette

Apple Watch Fall Detection: Annoying…but effective

The golf cart/pedestrian path next to the low water crossing over Slick Rock Creek, just south of Highway 2147, hasn’t had water running over it since the October floods. Still, much of it stays wet thanks to the splashes from cars driving through the creek. Over time, if those puddles don’t dry out, moss and… Continue reading Apple Watch Fall Detection: Annoying…but effective

Fortitude at Altitude (or, “You think your job is hard?”)

A week or so ago, I was returning home in the truck when I spotted a helicopter hovering at what I guessed to be about a half mile from our house. There was a long line suspended from the bottom of the aircraft with something attached to the end. As I turned onto the road… Continue reading Fortitude at Altitude (or, “You think your job is hard?”)

Flower Flyover

The bluebonnet crop around our little town of Horseshoe Bay is absolutely phenomenal this year. Most of the long-timers here say it’s the best showing in at least a decade. It’s probably due to the record-breaking rainfall we experienced last fall, plus a relatively warm winter. I’ve now learned that the “warm winter” is actually… Continue reading Flower Flyover

Revisiting the Wayback Machine

Remember the WABAC machine in the beloved The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends show…the device that enabled Mr. Peabody and his pet boy Sherman to visit various pivotal moments in history? Pretty great stuff, wasn’t it? Well, this post isn’t about that. Sorry *not sorry*. Alert Gazette readers may recall — even without… Continue reading Revisiting the Wayback Machine

We interrupt this period of non-blogging to blog about blogging.

It was a dark and stormy night… Now that I have your undivided attention, allow me to explain why I’ve completely blown my [admittedly never before publicized, for obvious reasons] goal of posting something every five days or so during 2019. This was not — NOT — a New Year’s resolution; it was purely coincidental… Continue reading We interrupt this period of non-blogging to blog about blogging.

Three Books About Music and Stuff

It’s been a long time since I wrote a book review. I don’t feel really comfortable doing book reviews, because they require some wisdom and contextual insight that I lack. But sometimes it’s enough just to say here’s a book I like because… and then let you, the perceptive reader, decide whether what I like… Continue reading Three Books About Music and Stuff

Digitizing My Life: 45s (and a musical quiz to win some!)

I think I’ve finally come to the end of my vinyl ripping project, as I digitized the final 7″ 45 rpm record in my collection. I added about eighty songs to iTunes (in addition to the 850 or so that were on LPs). Most of the 7-inchers were from the 1960s and 1980s; I have… Continue reading Digitizing My Life: 45s (and a musical quiz to win some!)

Fort Stockton High School Band (1969-1970)

This is the last in a series of four posts spotlighting music from the Fort Stockton (Texas) “Pride of Pantherland” High School band. [Previously: 1966-1967 | 1967-1968 | 1968-1969] These posts will span the school years corresponding to the time yours truly (and MLB) spent in the band. I’m doing this as a way of… Continue reading Fort Stockton High School Band (1969-1970)

Fort Stockton High School Band (1968-1969)

This is the third in a series of four posts spotlighting music from the Fort Stockton (Texas) “Pride of Pantherland” High School band. [Jump to: 1966-1967 | 1967-1968 | 1969-1970] These posts will span the school years from 1966-67 through 1969-70, corresponding to the time yours truly (and MLB) spent in the band. I’m doing this as… Continue reading Fort Stockton High School Band (1968-1969)