Just Checkin' the Box

The fallout from last night's excitement: I had to get up on the roof and manually manipulate the awning to put it down late this morning. I'll not go into any long drawn out explanations, but it basically involved me NOT getting the awning's pull strap properly engaged in the awning's rolled up canopy last evening in order to re-deploy the awning when the time came, i.e., this morning. Mom's old admonishment about haste making waste MOST definitely applies here. "Time is of the essence" also applies, so it's a wash as to which old saw would be more appropriate in this case.

Anyhoo. So we clambered up on the roof, manually unrolled the spring-loaded awning in teeny-tiny increments until it was low enough to reach via step ladder, whereupon we descended from the roof and continued the deployment using said step ladder, followed by the final unfurling while standing on Terra Firma, also in teeny-tiny increments. A long and aggravating process, but one that is complete.

We have shade. And all the awning's mechanisms seem to be in fine working order, too. We are relieved, Gentle Reader. As well as being somewhat wiser.

Today's Pic: Another shot of those fascinating mammatus clouds. Last evening was the first time I'd ever seen such clouds... thus my obsessive behavior. They are astounding to witness.

Update, Saturday evening: From the Portales News-Tribune:

Roosevelt County and city of Portales residents were running for cover Friday after a severe storm brought high winds estimated to have reached 75 mph by the National Weather Service.

The storm blew down trees, power lines and a sign, and took the roof off of two buildings in Portales.
Roosevelt County Emergency Management Coordinator Keith Wattenbarger said the damage was fairly minimal for the winds the area had.

[...]

The county reported downed power lines and shingles taken off of roofs in Dora. Both Milnesand and Elida had reports of no damage.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Jones, who works in Albuquerque, said there were reports of 68-69 mph winds, with estimated 75 mph gusts in the area.

“Obviously, the wind was the big winner with this storm,” Jones said. “The main thing was the storm was moving very quickly and produced some pretty high winds.”

Yup. All that and a bag o' chips, as it's said. Lest you think us something of a collection of rubes when we get all excited over a little wind... it beats a mass-murderer on the loose, dontcha think?