That Frackin' Texas

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Friday was a school holiday so we took off for San Antonio.  The main reason was to check the damage done by the big hail storm three weeks ago.   Golf ball size hail damaged many homes in our neighborhood from asbestos siding, roof damage, broken windows and cars of which many were totaled.   Our tenants reported broken windows but my concern was the roof.  It's getting up there in years and near the end of its life but I want to get as much out of it as possible.

The border process, being a holiday weekend, took three hours from waiting to cross the bridge to getting visa permits.   The bridges were packed and there were no exceptions.  We arrived Friday around 4 p.m. and took a nap at the hotel before visiting our neighbors.

Saturday got me up on the roof.   The shingles are pitted but I think we can go at least three more years.  The shingles themselves are in good condition except for the pits.  Of course, the contractors are in cahoots with the insurance companies and about 30% of all the houses in the neighborhood have roofing materials already set up in the driveways and contractor signs in the yard.  I plan on getting a couple of non-contractor estimates just to see what they say.  Our neighbor and friend got an estimate of $11,000.  Yep, removing two layers of roofing and taking it down to the wood.  Only costs neighbor the deductible but man, what a business.

Checked out the rest of our house inside and out and all is good.  I want to install an electric  garage door opener and new shower doors.  I mentioned my kitchen cabinet project before that I may take on this summer if I don't find anything else interesting to do.

On the way home we stopped in Big Wells, Tx.  The oil boom is now oil bust.   Seven huge big name hotel chains opened for business three years ago.  Their parking lots now sit empty along with small businesses that opened to service the industry.   If you remember, I talked about this two years ago and the fact that these quiet small Texas towns had been invaded by drugs, prostitution, crime and corruption.  Now without work and jobs, the situation is getting worse.

By chance there was a 60 Minutes special on tonight about fracking and the earthquakes in Oklahoma.  Big oil still won't accept the damage they have caused.  A place that had no recorded history of earthquakes and registered 907 earthquakes last year and 36 of them being over a 5.0.  Shameful.  However, everyone in these towns wanted the big money that was promised and now this is what they are left with.  Holding the bag.  Sad, so very sad.