Driver's Ed 101 Revisited and Edited

1. If you drive up behind a truck...NO not a pickup...a real, full-grown truck...one of those that hauls freight (as in everything you own!!), can you see the driver's mirrors? The mirrors that stick out to the right and left on their doors? No? Then guess what? THEY CAN'T SEE YOU EITHER!! Back off!

2. If you have a handicapped placard hanging from your rear-view mirror in the center of your windshield - especially if you are in Texas - take it down and read it. There will be mention not to drive with the placard dangling from your rear-view mirror! Depending on several different factors, you could pretty much hide a Mack truck behind that sucker.

3. Slower traffic keep right. Doesn't matter if there are signs posted to do so or not. It's common courtesy. If you are slower than the flow of traffic, ESPECIALLY if you are driving 10-20 mph below the posted speed...or lower...arrggghhhh...please get in the right hand lane.

Ducky aka my son commented: In your response to #3: In the state of Texas, if driving on a State Highway or Farm to Market (FM for those who don't know), it is against the law to impede the flow of traffic in the inside lane. Furthermore, if the road/hwy is only one lane each direction and you are moving slower than the flow of traffic, irregardless (sp) of speed limit, it is your legal obligation to move over to the shoulder/side of the rode to allow faster moving traffic to pass. Thought I'd share a tidbit I learned while working at DCSO.

4. If you come to a crossroad and do not have a Stop sign but they do...YOU DO NOT STOP! Coming up to a Yield sign? Start looking before you get there. They are generally located a Y's where the visibility is good. If nothing is coming, you do not have to stop.

5. If driving scares you, then by all means puleeze park your vehicle in the driveway/carport/garage and ask someone else to drive you. I remember driving my elderly neighbors around whenever they needed to go to town...two different households! I especially enjoyed driving "Aunt" Lena to run her errands...because I got to drive her 1951 Chevrolet 2-door coupe with the factory visor! The 1951 Chevrolet 2-door coupe I learned to drive on did not have the visor...so I felt like I was "uptown" driving hers. :-D

For those of you fully capable of driving, if you have a neighbor who has no business driving any more and their family is to chicken to do anything about it, offer your services as their chauffeur for free. Believe me...you will be blessed from their knowledge and wisdom.

6. Also from Ducky: My previous comment is classified as part of the "Texas Highway Courtesy" laws. Another part of that law is when ANY emergency vehicle is approaching behind you running full code (lights and sirens) you HAVE to pull over, stop, and let them pass before continuing down the corridor. This law applies to ALL roads, streets, highways, etc in the state of Texas.

7. More from me!! If you are passing one of those big trucks, aka 18-wheelers, NOT pickup - get around it! Don't dawdle along beside it. You see those big wheels and tires? When...not IF because eventually every truck out there is going to shed a tire!...GET AROUND IT! Did the driver speed up? You either speed up or drop back behind the truck. (Refer back to #1 please.) Listen to me! Daddy's occupation on my birth certificate is listed as "Truckdriver."

8. If you're on a 4-lane yard and there's a vehicle on the shoulder of the road...if you in the outside lane...if you can, move to the center lane. If you can't move over or are on a 2-lane road, slow down a bit.

9. I forgot about motorcycles!!!
Riders...Wear a helmet and proper riding gear!
Don't get stoopid
Remember - if you collide with anything bigger, YOU are most likely going to be the loser!!

Everybody else...DO NOT RUN OVER A MOTORCYCLE!!!
Do not pull out in front of a motorcycle.
Do not stop quickly in front of a motorcycle.
Don't get stoopid!
Remember - if you collide with a motorcycle, you may kill someone!

10. Funeral processions in Texas - Generally the hearse has its headlights on as does every vehicle in the procession on their way from the services to the cemetery. In rural areas especially, if you see them coming toward you...pull over out of respect for their loss. Two-lane...head to the shoulder and stop. Four-lane...same thing. Probably the only time you do not do this is on an interstate...and of course in cities.

Cranky
Old
Woman
signing off!

Fog and Family

The first day of autumn brought seasonal temperatures! This morning we had a wonderful cool and crisp 58...let me type that in all caps...FIFTY-EIGHT BLESSED DEGREES this morning! AND...I got photographs of the first fog of the season!


This evening, I drove Mama to her youngest grandchild's wedding rehearsal. I went back out to her mini-van for my camera when these four sat down beside each other. Mama, my sweet sister-in-law Marilyn holding my baby brother's grand daughter Addi, and baby brother Joey - remember "the Brat" who put rocks in my gas tank all those years ago? ;-) Isn't this shot just too precious?! My nephew Cody and his daughter Addi.

All I can think...is...my assumption is that Cody's other grandmother is footing the bill for the wedding...the bride has five attendants...I know beforehand that the dress "ain't no slouch"...that money could go so much farther LIVING...instead of photos in a photo album.

Texas on Fire

I drove to San Marcos a couple of weeks ago to a meeting pertaining to my job. This was during the Cass and Marion County fires...believe the news called it the Bear Creek Fire. Approximately 50,000 acres were burned and over 100 homes.

About 4:30 September 7, I woke to the smell of smoke in my house. I unplugged my cell phone and slipped on my slippers then stepped outside. After walking around my home I saw no fire, so called the dispatcher at the sheriff's office. The wind had shifted and we were smelling smoke from the Bear Creek Fire. There was no danger of it heading our way, so I went back to bed. I left the house at 8 headed south. I drove through smoke from home to just north of Tyler... about an hour.
Thank God for the firefighters, forest service, and volunteers...and the God sent rain!

So...I'm in San Marcos...you know...the town with the outlet malls?! And I take a photo of FOOD!

Wind came up here Sunday evening. We lost a tree. But no big deal. It's a small redbud that was too close to the house to start with and we knew that some day we would have to take it out. This spring I noticed that the bark was peeling. Sam was going to remove it this winter. It fell perfect...away from the house (wouldn't've done any damage if it had fallen toward the house) and missed my birdbath! It had few if any roots.